Letters ( revised ) | THE THIRTEENTH LETTER | 65
(63-67)
The apparent cause acted wrongfully,  whereas the true cause acted with justice. The apparent one thought like this: “This man performs strenuous services to learning and religion; he may interfere in our world.” Because of this possibility, they exiled me and perpetrated a threefold wrong. Then divine determining saw that my service of religion and learning was not really sincere, so it sentenced me to this exile. It transformed their compounded tyranny into a multiple mercy. Divine determining governs in the question of my exile and it is just, so I have recourse to it. The apparent cause certainly has some ostensible reasons and things, but they make it meaningless to apply to them. If they possessed some right or some powerful cause, then application could have been made to them too.

I have completely given up their world – may it be the end of them – and their politics – may it rebound on them – so I do not want to imbue their suspicions with reality by applying to them, since the pretexts and suspicions they think up are of course baseless.  If I had felt any appetite to meddle in world politics, the reins of which are held by Westerners, it would not have remained thus secret for eight hours let alone eight years; it would have leaked out and become known. However, for eight years I have felt no desire to read a newspaper, and I have not read one. And for four years I have been here under surveillance, and there has not been the slightest sign that I have meddled  in politics.  That is to  say, service  of the All-Wise  Qur’an is superior to all politics so that it does not let a person condescend to [concern himself with] world politics, which consists mostly of falsehood.

The second reason for my not applying is this: to claim a right before those who suppose  wrong to be right, is a sort of wrong. I do not want to perpetrate  such a wrong.

 

YOUR THIRD QUESTION

 

Why  are  you  so  indifferent  towards  world  politics?  You  don’t  change  your attitude  at  all,  even  though  so  many  things  are  happening.  Does  this  mean  you consider them to be good, or are you frightened, so remain silent?

T h e  A n s w e r :  Service of the All-Wise Qur’an severely prohibited me from the world of politics. It even made me forget about it. For the whole story of my life testifies that fear has never taken me by the hand and held me back from taking a way I deemed right, nor could it. And why should I be frightened? I have no connection with the world apart from the appointed hour. I have no family or children to think of, nor any property. I don’t belong to a noble family that I should consider its honour.

No Voice

Letters ( revised )