My Brothers!

I sincerely hoped that resolute heroes like those of Isparta and its environs (like the Husrev’s and Hafiz Ali’s), strong as steel, would appear here from Kastamonu as well. Endless thanks be to God that that province fulfilled my hopes, sending numerous heroes to our assistance. I send greetings to all my self-sacrificing brothers who are with you, who are always present in my imagination but whose names I cannot write, and I pray for their well-being.

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My Dear, Loyal, Constant, and Faithful Brothers!

I am describing some of my circumstances here, not to sadden you or to take any physical measures, but so that I might profit more from your shared prayers, and you might practise greater self-restraint, caution, patience, and forbearance, and earnestly perserve your solidarity. The torment and distress I suffer here in one day is more than I suffered in a month in Eskishehir Prison. The ghastly Masons have inflicted one of their unfeeling fellows on me so that out of anger I should lose patience in the face of their torments, and they could then use it as a pretext and make it the reason for their cruel aggression, and so conceal their lies. As a wondrous mark of Divine grace, I merely offer thanks in patience and I am resolved to continue to do so.

Since we have submitted to Divine Determining and in accordance with the meaning of “The best of matters are the most difficult,”26 and we know these difficulties to be a Divine bounty through which we may gain greater merit; and since we have the absolutely certain conviction, at the degree of ‘absolute certainty,’ that we have dedicated our lives to a truth more brilliant than the sun, as beautiful as Paradise and sweet as eternal happiness; certainly, knowing that we are carrying out this immaterial struggle in God’s way, proudly and offering thanks, despite the distressing conditions, we should not complain.

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