Page 44 - The School of Yusuf (as)

THE SCHOOL OF YUSUF

believer’s faith and make it known in the rest of the society. The
hardship experienced by Bediuzzaman and his students revealed
them to be as good as gold. It was demonstrated to all that their
work served only to teach people about Allah’s existence, without
any ill will or selfish interest. In this way, those who had doubts

about their intentions recognized their superior morality, despite
the difficulty of their circumstance. Bediuzzaman had the following
to say on the subject:
Then this morning the following was imparted to me: for us to
be set this rigorous examination, and to be struck on the touch-

stone numerous times to see clearly whether we are gold or
brass, and to be tried unfairly in every respect, and to be passed
through ever finer sieves three or four times to see whether our
evil-commanding souls take a share or are playing any tricks, is
extremely necessary for our service, which should be purely and
solely in the name of truth and reality, so that Divine
Determining and dominical grace permit it. For by being exhib-
ited in this field of trial and examination confronted by obdu-
rate, unjust enemies and their pretexts, everyone has

understood that there is no trickery, no egotism, no malice, no
worldly or personal interests, nor those that look to the
Hereafter, mixed in with our service, and that it is completely
sincere and proceeds from truth and reality. If it had remained
concealed, it could have been given numerous meanings. The
mass of believers would not have had confidence in it. They
would have said: “Perhaps they are deceiving us,” and the elite

too would have had their suspicions. Thinking that “perhaps
they are acting the same as some of those who sell themselves to
acquire spiritual rank for themselves and to win confidence,”

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