The Fourteenth Flash

[This consists of two stations. The first consists of the answer to two questions.]

In His Name be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings! My Dear and Loyal Brother, Re’fet Bey!

The answer to the question you ask about the Bull and the Fish is to be found in several  parts of the Risale-i  Nur. The  Third  Branch of the Twent y-Fourth  Word contains an explanation of that sort of question, in the light of twelve important rules called twelve principles. Those rules all offer criteria for understanding the various interpretations of the Prophet’s (UWBP) Hadiths, and comprise important principles for  dispelling  doubts  that  may  arise  about  them.  Unfortunately at  the  moment  a number of circumstances prevent my becoming occupied with scholarly matters that are not inspiration. I therefore cannot reply to your question as you asked it. I have to be busy with the inspiration when it comes to my heart, I am compelled to be busy with it. I answer some questions because they coincide with the inspirations, so don’t be offended. I cannot answer all questions as they deserve. But this time let me reply briefly to your question.

This time you ask in your question: “The hojas say that the earth rests on a bull and a fish, but geography sees it hanging in space and travelling like a star. There is neither bull nor fish?”

T h e  A n s w e r : There is a sound narration attributed to people like Ibn ‘Abbas (May God be pleased with him) which says that the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) was asked: “What does the world rest on?” He replied: “On  the Bull and the Fish.”1  In one narration, he said, “On the Bull,” and on another occasion he said, “On the Fish.” Some Hadith scholars applied this Hadith to superstitions and stories taken from isra’iliyat, related since early times.

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1   See, Hakim, al-Mustadrak, iv, 636; al-Mundhiri, al-Targhib wa’l-Tarhib, iv, 257; al-Haythami,

Majmu‘ al-Zawa’id, viii, 131; Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Muntazam, i, 172.