virtually discounted them in regard to himself, concealing his own powers, and rather attributed them to the Risale-i Nur. There are two accounts of his being seen in mosques in the town, one by a prison warder. Hasan Degirmenci, and one by a local inhabitant. The warder said:
"...Although Bediuzzaman was inside the prison, rumors started up that he was being seen in the mosques and in the market-place. I did an ignorant thing at that time, I thoroughly cleaned and polished his shoes to see if they would get dirty or dusty. If they had got dusty, I would have proved that he had really gone. That's youth and ignorance for you!..."
Hilmi Pancaroglu. who lived in Afyon and visited Bediuzzaman when he was staying in the town after being released from the prison, gave this account:
"While in the prison, Bediuzzaman asked permission to attend the Friday Prayers, but they would not give it to him. Then, when the warders looked into his ward. they could not see him. In a panic, they started to search the mosques. Police went to various mosques. and different groups of them saw him performing the prayers simultaneously in the Imarat, Otpazari. and Misirli Mosques. Only, when everyone came out after the prayer’s, they could in no way find him. Then, on returning to the prison, what did they see, but Ustad in his ward. Most of the people in Afyon know of this event.”
Evidently in reply to a question on this matter, Bediuzzaman confirmed that it had occurred, but as was mentioned above. considered it to be unimportant and wanted attention to be directed away from himself towards the Risale-i Nur. He wrote:
"..One time a famous scholar was seen on numerous fronts in the War by those who had gone to the cihad. They said to him... And he replied: `Certain saints are doing this in my place in order to gain reward for me and allow the people of belief to benefit from my teaching.' In exactly the same way, in Denizli it was even made known officially that I had been seen in mosques there, and the Govemor and warders were informed. Some of them became