and their resulting dispersal – various refugee societies called “clubs” were formed, chiefly by the Armenians and Greeks, because of their negative, nationalistic  ideas, and these were the cause of division. From that time to now, the condition of those devoured by the Europeans due to those clubs, and of those made wretched by them, has again demonstrated the harm of negative nationalism.

As for the present, when the peoples and tribes of Islam are most in need of one another, and each is more oppressed and more poverty-stricken than the others, and they are crushed beneath European domination, to regard one another as strangers due to the idea of nationalism and look on each other as enemies, is such a calamity it is indescribable. It is quite simply a lunacy like turning one’s back on dreadful serpents so as to avoid being bitten by a mosquito and struggling with the mosquito – due to the idea of nationalism. To attach no importance to the European nations, which are like huge dragons, at a time when with their insatiable greed their grasping hands are outstretched,  indeed,  to in effect  help  them and to nurture enmity against  fellow- citizens  in the eastern  provinces  or brother  Muslims  to the south, and to take up positions opposed to them, is extremely detrimental and dangerous. In any event there are no enemies among the people to the south that they should form a front against them. The Qur’an’s light comes from the south; it is where the light of Islam came from. It is present among us and is found everywhere. So to be hostile towards those fellow Muslims is indirectly harmful to Islam and the Qur’an. And hostility towards Islam and the Qur’an is hostility of a sort towards the lives in this world and in the next of all those fellow-citizens. To destroy the foundations of their two lives while claiming to serve their social life in the name of patriotism, is not patriotism but stupidity!

Fourth Matter

Positive nationalism arises from an inner need of social life and is the cause of mutual assistance and solidarity. It gives rise to a beneficial strength, and is a way of reinforcing Islamic brotherhood.

The idea of positive nationalism should serve Islam and be its citadel and armour; it should not take its place. For within the brotherhood of Islam is a hundredfold brotherhood  that  persists  in  the  Intermediate  Realm  and  World  of  Eternity.  So whatever its extent, national brotherhood may be an element of it. But to plant it in place of Islamic brotherhood is a foolish crime like replacing the treasure of diamonds within the citadel with the citadel’s stones, and throwing the diamonds away.