FIRST REMIZ: The question says: "If there is no opposite of a thing, how can that thing have perfection?"
The answer: The one who asks this question does not know true perfection; he only imagines a relative perfection. Indeed, virtues, excellences, and superiority that arise in comparison to others and in relation to others are not real; they are relative and weak. If they were to exist without the presence of the other, they would also remain silent.
For example, the relative taste and virtue of heat is due to the effect of cold. The relative taste of food is due to the effect of hunger. If those things were to disappear, these would also diminish.
Whereas true taste, true love, true perfection, and true virtue are those that are not based on the imagination of the other, but exist in themselves and are in fact pure and absolute truths.
The taste of the body, the taste of life, the taste of love, the taste of knowledge, the taste of faith, the taste of eternity, the taste of mercy, the taste of compassion, the beauty of light, the beauty of form, the beauty of speech, the beauty of generosity, the beauty of character, the beauty of appearance, the perfection of essence, the perfection of attributes, and the perfection of actions—such inherent virtues do not change whether or not there is an other.
Indeed, the Creator of the mighty creation, the Maker of the grand design, and the Originator of the perfect creation possesses all true and absolute perfections. Nothing else affects Him; only His manifestations can be perceived.
SECOND REMIZ: Seyyid Sharif Jurjani said in Sharhul-Mawaqi'f: "The cause of love is either pleasure or benefit, or similarity (i.e., a natural inclination), or perfection. Because perfection is beloved for itself."
In other words, whatever you love, you love either for pleasure, for benefit, for a kind of natural similarity (like a preference for one's own kind), or for its perfection. If it is for perfection, then no other reason or desire is needed; it is loved in itself.
For example, in ancient times, people loved those who possessed perfect qualities; they loved them not for any interest or motive, but out of genuine admiration.
Sözler
·Otuz Ikinci Soz
·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)
In those disputes, many important Companions were found on both sides. When speaking of those fitnahs, even a biased denial or objection toward the true Companions, such as Talha and Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them), from the A'isha and Muawiyah group, would arise. Even if there was an error, the possibility of repentance is strong. Rather than going back to those old times and unnecessarily and harmfully investigating those matters without the Shariah commanding it, it is not suitable for a believing and conscientious person to ignore the current ones who are striking terrible blows to Islam and are deserving of thousands of curses and hatred.
Indeed, I will not hide from you that even your small argument with Sabri has caused significant harm to the Risale-i Nur and the dissemination of religious truths. At that moment, I felt distressed and worried. Later, when I learned that a learned and inquiring scholar like you would cause an important service to the Risale-i Nur by Sabri coming there, I expected a great Nuri service from both of you, but instead, I felt and saw that the Nuri movement suffered harm in three ways. Wondering why this harm occurred, after two or three days I learned that Sabri had unnecessarily and pointlessly argued with you, and you had become angry. "Oh no!" I said. "O Lord! Turn the dispute between these two individuals, who came to my aid from Erzurum, into reconciliation," I prayed. As stated in the Risale-i Nur's Ihlas Lem'as, today, the people of faith must unite not only with their Muslim brothers but even with the pious Christian clergy, and must not consider or discuss matters of contention. Because absolute disbelief is attacking. I ask you, with your religious zeal, scholarly experience, and your concern for the Nuri teachings, to try to forget the incident with Sabri and forgive and accept him. Because he did not speak on his own; he had merely repeated things he had heard from his teachers in the past, speaking unnecessarily in argument. You know that a great good deed and kindness can atone for many sins.
Yes, our fellow townsman Sabri has indeed rendered such a service to the Nuri teachings and to faith through the Nuri teachings that it would atone for a thousand sins. Because of your generous nature, that Nuri service...
Emirdağ Lâhikası - I
·Mektup 152
·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)
Even the renowned great imam of the Ahl al-Sunna and the science of kalam, Shahab al-Din al-Taftazani, who permitted ta'wil and tajwiz regarding Yazid and Walid, was countered by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a, such as Sayyid Sharif Jurjani, who said: "Although Yazid and Walid are indeed tyrants, cruel, and wicked, it is not certain that they left Islam in their hearts. Since it is not known with certainty, when there is no explicit text or clear evidence about such individuals, there is a possibility that they might have believed and repented. Therefore, one cannot curse such specific individuals. Perhaps a general curse, such as 'The curse of Allah be upon the wrongdoers and the hypocrites,' is permissible. Otherwise, it is harmful and unnecessary." They thus opposed Shahab al-Din al-Taftazani.
The reason I did not write a long reply to your letter addressed to the scholars and the learned is that I was suffering from a serious illness and had important preoccupations, so I could only write this quickly.
5 The Everlasting is the Everlasting.
Said Nursi
• • •
Emirdağ Lâhikası - I
·Mektup 152
·machine translation (qwen3-32b-sre)