Page 176 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

people the truths of religion and the Qur'an's moral teachings.
However, the government at that time was uneasy with the number of
people coming to listen to him and what he was teaching them, and so
ordered him to be sent to Isparta. In 1926, he was transferred to Isparta
and immediately involved himself in the same activities and attracted
ever-growing crowds. In response, the government transferred him to
Barla, a remote village located near Egirdir Lake that could only be
reached by boat.

Barla was one of the oldest villages in Isparta province, and its
population was composed mainly of old people, many of whom were
not literate. Moreover, the young people had moved to the big cities for
economic reasons. Thus, the government thought that it would be a
most suitable place for keeping him away from the masses. Said Nursi
did not consider these periods of exile, which became continuous, as
exile, but instead saw it as his duty, despite the lack of suitable means,
to continue working. In the room assigned to him by the villagers, he
wrote several new works and converted many people to belief.

Eskisehir Prison

In Eskisehir prison, Said Nursi endured solitary confinement and,
apart from one or two exceptions, was not allowed to speak to anyone.
But despite these harsh conditions, he wrote sections 27 through 30 of
The Flashes (a part of the Risale-i Nur).
Several sources give some examples of how he was mistreated:
Said Nursi was in the Eskisehir prison with 120 of his followers and

had to endure solitary confinement. He and his students were subjected
to various forms of cruelty and torture. One of his students, Zubeyir
Gunduzalp, states that they were not given food for 12 days. 66

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