Page 38 - The School of Yusuf (as)

THE SCHOOL OF YUSUF

Lord, forgive us our wrong actions and any excesses we went
to in what we did and make our feet firm and help us against
these disbelieving people.” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 146-147)
One of the many benefits resulting from the hardship believers
had to endure, like imprisonment, or unjustified aggression, was

the reinforcement of their loyalty, and strong bond to one another.
These qualities were often witnessed for the first time in their re-
spective societies. Not only those of their own epochs, but also fu-
ture generations came eventually to recognize the sincere believers’
determination and loyalty to one another, and that they never de-
spair, not even under the most extreme conditions. They knew that,
as our Prophet (saas) also said: “Whosoever alleviates a believer's hard-

ship of this world, Allah, the Almighty, would alleviate his hardship and
difficulty of the Day of Judgment.” (Muslim) and supported one an-
other in the best way.
In more recent history, the determination shown by
Bediuzzaman and his followers, their good spirits and perseverance
in the School of Yusuf, were good examples of this. They were role
models for believers in their own time, as well as our day.
Bediuzzaman, while in the School of Yusuf, wrote the following in
his letters to fellow believers:

My Dear, Loyal, Unshakeable Brothers, who do not become
dispirited at difficulties and abandon us! … It appears necessary
that like in former times the people of reality used to gather to-
gether and meet at least once or twice a year, the Risale-i Nur stu-
dents gather together every few years in the School of Joseph. In

keeping with the God-fearing and ascetic way of the Risale-i
Nur, and its teaching those most in need, everyone, even those
who oppose it, and to allow its collective personality to speak, if

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