A Divine Gift
And a Mark of Dominical Favour

In the hope of complying with the meaning of the verse, “But the favour of your Sustainer, rehearse and proclaim,”(93:11) I shall mention a mark of Almighty God’s favour and mercy that was apparent in the writing of this treatise, so that those who read it may understand its importance.

I had no intention of writing this treatise,  for the Nineteenth  and Thirty-First Words about the messengership of Muhammad (UWBP) had been written. Then suddenly I felt a compelling impulse to write it. Also my power of memory had been extinguished due to the calamities I had suffered. Moreover, in accordance with my way, I had not taken the path of narrative, that is, “he said that,” “it was said that,” in the works  I had written.  Furthermore,  I had  no books of Hadith or the Prophet’s (UWBP) biography available to me. Nevertheless, saying: “I place my trust in God,” I began.  It  was  extremely  successful  and  my  memory  assisted  me  in  a  way  that surpassed even that of the Old Said. Thirty to forty pages were written at speed every two or three hours. Once fifteen pages were written in a single hour. It was mostly narrated from such books as Bukhari, Muslim, Bayhaqi, Tirmidhi, al-Shifa’ al-Sharif, Abu Nu‘aym,  and Tabari. My heart was trembling,  because  if there had been any error in relating them – since they are Hadiths – it would have been a sin. But it was clear that divine favour was with us and there was need for the treatise. God willing, what has been written is sound. If perhaps there are any errors in the wording of some of the Hadiths or in the names of the narrators, I request that my brothers will look on them tolerantly and correct them.

S a i d  N u r s i

Ustad Said Nursi, our master, dictated and we wrote the first draft. He had no books with him, nor did he refer to any. He would suddenly dictate at great speed, and we wrote. We would write thirty, forty, and sometimes  more, pages in two or three hours. We formed the conviction that this ease was itself a wonder proceeding from the miracles of the Prophet Muhammad (UWBP).