I was given this book as a gift about three years ago by a very close Turkish friend inside the musalla of my university. My suggestion is to take your time reading the material, as it typically makes reference to moral and religious philosophy that the reader may not be acquainted with. Said Nursi was a prominent figure among the Sufi Tariqas -- a group that was violently suppressed during Mustafa Kemal's (Atta Turk) reign of Turkey. "The Words" was inspired after he and his students were regularly confronted and harassed by Turkish authorities for printing material merely on the existence of God, which at the time, was against state legislation. His subsequent encounter with a furious Atta Turk, after having given a critical speech to Turkey's governing legislature, cemented his fate as an outcast of Turkish society. The Words -- only the first book in the Risal-e-Nur series -- gives great historical insight into how Said Nursi sought to reconcile the ideas of modernity with faith. A great read for history buffs and religious studies students.