At one time, the unfortunate man was trying to create something with the ‘disjointed letters.’ He was working feverishly at this. Then I understood that he had perceived from the atheists’ attitude that they were going to attempt to abolish the Islamic script. The man was working pointlessly as though he was going to save the script in the face of that flood. Now in this matter, and in the Second Matter, he had realized the atheists’ terrible attacks against the fundamentals of Islam, and I reckon that he wanted to find a way to conciliation through meaningless interpretations like that. According to definite verses like,

The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam,⁹

Jesus (Upon whom be peace) had no father, thus no importance may be given to the words of those who attempt to change through idiotic, forced interpretations this firm and authentic truth, due to supposing to be impossible contravention of a law of human reproduction. For there is no law at all that has no exceptions and from which individuals are exempt. And there is no universal rule which has not been breached by extraordinary individuals.

Since the time of Adam there has been no law to which there have been no individual exceptions. Firstly, the law of reproduction was violated in regard to origins by the origins of the two hundred thousand animal species, and brought to an end. That is, the two hundred thousand progenitors of the species, quite simply like Adam’s, violated the law of reproduction. They were not born of a father and mother, and were given existence outside the law.

Furthermore, the greater part—innumerable individuals—of the hundred thousand species we see with our eyes every spring are created outside that law, on the surface of leaves and on putrified matter. So you can see just how unreasonable is someone who cannot accept with his reason the exception of a single individual in one thousand nine hundred years to a law that was violated and breached at its origin and has been so even every year, and clings to forced interpretations of the definite statements of the Qur’an.

The things those wretches call natural laws are the laws called ‘adatullah’ or Divine practices, which are a universal manifestation of the Divine command and dominical will, and which Almighty God changes for certain instances of wisdom. He shows that His will and choice govern in everything and in every law. Certain extraordinary individuals breach those ‘practices.’ This truth He points out through His decree,

The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam.

Ömer Efendi’s S e c o n d Q u e s t i o n concerning the doctor:

The doctor behaves extremely foolishly in this matter, so that to listen to what he says or give it importance is very demeaning. The unfortunate wants to be half way between belief and unbelief. I say the following, in reply not to his unimportant discussion, but to Ömer Efendi’s questioning:

The reason in the injunctions and prohibitions of the Shari’a are the Divine command and Divine prohibition. Advantages and instances of wisdom are to give them weight, and may be the reason for the command or prohibition from the point of view of the Divine Name of All-Wise.

For example, someone on a journey, shortens the five daily prayers. There is a reason for and a purpose or instance of wisdom in shortening the prayers. The reason is the journey, while the purpose is the difficulty involved. If on a journey and there is no difficulty involved, the prayers are still shortened. If not on a journey, and the person suffers a hundred difficulties in his own house, he may not shorten the prayers. For the difficulty occurring on some journeys is sufficient as the purpose for shortening the prayers, and is again sufficient for making the journey the reason.

Thus, in accordance with this rule of the Shari’a, the Shari’a’s injunctions do not change in consequence of purposes or instances of wisdom; they look to the true reasons. Apart from the harm and illness caused by pork, as the doctor said, according to the saying, “One who eats pork becomes like a pig in some respects;”¹⁰ the pig is not harmless like other domestic animals. In addition to its meat causing considerable harm rather than being beneficial, it has been established medically that the powerful fat in its meat is also harmful, even in the lands of Europe which are powerfully cold, and is thus in fact and in meaning extremely harmful.

Thus, instances of wisdom like these are a purpose for the Divine prohibition and for its being forbidden. It is not necessary for the wisdom to be present in every instance and all the time. The reason does not change with the purpose and wisdom changing. If the reason does not change, the injunction does not change. And so, it may be seen through this rule how far from the spirit of the Shari’a the unfortunate man was when he spoke. No importance should be given to what he said regarding the Shari’a. The Creator has many animals in the form of unreasoning philosophers!