In this sohbet, Sheikh Bahauddin Adil recounts a striking episode from the final period of the Ottoman Empire. At a time when the state was burdened by debt and internal strain, a French theatre company prepared a production that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, his companions (the Ashab‑ı Kiram) and even the Sultan himself. News of the play reached Sultan Abdulhamid II, “Cennet‑Mekân” (whose abode is Paradise). Seeing it as a direct attack on the honour of Islam and the dignity of the Ottoman throne, the Sultan declared that he was ready to mobilise against France.
The French authorities responded with unexpected restraint. The government warned the company that any such performance would have severe consequences (“we will break your hands and feet”), and the play was cancelled, averting an immediate crisis. The episode shows that even when the empire’s material strength was waning, Abdulhamid II’s resolve to protect the honour of the faith remained unshaken.
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