Volkan No: 107

26 Rebîülevvel 1327/ 4 Nisan 1325/ 17 April 1909

[This piece and the next one, parts of an address to the army during the events in April 1909 known as the 31st March Incident, induced eight mutinying regiments to obey their officers and return to barracks, greatly lessening the harm of the calamity.]

Noble soldiers of Islam! Mighty heroes who have twice saved this oppressed nation and sacred Islam from a terrible abyss! Your beauty and perfection lie in order and discipline. You demonstrated this perfectly at the time of greatest confusion. Yes, your life and strength lie in obedience. Display this sacred virtue before even your least officer. The honour of thirty million Ottomans and three hundred million Muslims is tied to your obedience. The banner of Divine Unity is in the hand of your courage, while the strength of those blessed hands of yours is obedience. Your officers are your compassionate fathers. Both the Qur’an, and Hadith, and wisdom