My Dear, Loyal Brothers!

There being two small explosions in two days in extraordinary and meaningful fashion when there was no apparent reason for them, does not resemble chance.

The First: The cast-iron stove in my ward suddenly made a loud bang like a revolver, and the thick, strong iron of its lower part exploded like bomb, splitting into two pieces. Hamdi the Tailor was startled and we were left in astonishment. For on numerous occasions this winter it had been red hot with the coal, and had withstood it.

The Second: The second day in Feyzi’s ward, for no reason at all the beaker on top of the water pitcher suddenly disintegrated in extraordinary fashion. It occurred to me that the terrible bombs prepared against us in Ankara caused our defence speeches, which had been sent to six departments of government there, to explode, without causing us harm, God willing; and the angry stove which had been lit against us split into two without harming us. It is also possible that my beloved stove, my only and very useful companion, listened to my sorrows and entreaties, and was giving me the news: “You’re going to depart from this dark dungeon, no need remains for me...”

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In His Name, be He glorified!

Today, due to a spiritual warning, I felt a disquiet, a grief, on account of you. Just when I was feeling upset at those of my brothers who being anxious about their livelihoods want to be released quickly, a blessed memory occasioned a truth and some good tidings to be imparted to me: the ‘Three Months’ will begin in five days time, which are truly blessed and are the months of highly meritorious worship. For if the reward yielded by good works at other times are tenfold, in the month of Rajab they are more than a hundredfold, in Sha‘ban they exceed three hundredfold, and in Ramadan they reach a thousandfold, while on Fridays in Ramadan they reach thousands and on the Night of Power may reach thirty thousand. It is certainly highly profitable therefore, to spend those three months —which are thus a sacred market for the trade of the