Page 71 - The School of Yusuf (as)
P. 71
Education In The School Of Yusuf
these factors were recognized as positive by Bediuzzaman, and ben-
efited him greatly.
During his imprisonment, he continued to serve in the cause of
Allah, and dictated the fruits of his reflections, the Risale-i Nur, to
his fellow students also in the prison. When he had completed his
prison sentence, he sought to delay his release, and by the will of
Allah, he returned to the School of Yusuf soon after. As
Bediuzzaman always maintained, there must have still been much
good in the School of Yusuf for him since Allah kept him there.
Bediuzzaman likened the Nur students to the Companions of
the Cave, and compared that they had made of the School of Yusuf
a cave like that of the Companions. The meaning of this comparison
is that the mercy of Allah which covered the Companions of the
Cave, blessed the Nur students too. There where the unbelievers
placed the believers to punish them, became instead the opportune
place for the believers to improve themselves, where they were able
to submit to Allah with ever greater faith, and where their hearts
were infused with a stronger devotion and determination. The
words of Bediuzzaman likening the School of Yusuf to situation of
the Companions of the Cave’s are as follows:
… and like the Companions of the Cave, the Risale-i Nur stu-
dents turned that place of ordeal into a cave of the ascetics of for-
mer times; all this, together with their endeavors in writing out
and disseminating the Risale-i Nur with easy hearts, proved that
Divine grace had come to our aid. 21
In yet another of his discussion, Bediuzzaman spoke of the visi-
ble aspects and of the true nature of things. He stated that he was
driven to Barla, while in retreat in the cave, but that Barla became,
by Allah’s grace, a safer and better place of retreat for him:
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