written this book, Ruhnama, for you. I dedicate and present the book I have written to you today.

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My Dear Türkmen Nation!

You are the meaning of my life and source of my strength. I wish you a healthy and long life. Our Türkmen ancestors were courageous people and they began to educate their children before they came to life. The Türkmen child reached maturity and bravery, and then has a national education and worldview. For that reason, bodily health, intellectual stability, and integrity, and good manners were the special characteristics of the Türkmen.

In our times, the Türkmen should take care in his eating and drinking to preserve his health and endurance. He should not eat greedily. In order to keep his health, strength and productivity, the Türkmen should remember Allah Almighty’s order: “Eat and drink but do not waste,” and behave according to this order.

The real Türkmen should be careful about the clothes he wears and the way he dresses should be reasonable. His appearance should be pleasing since Allah is beautiful and the Türkmen should be appropriate for His love.

The Türkmens before us continued to read and learn new sciences even though they had reached the highest levels in the sciences. They lived with the accumulated knowledge that had passed from generation to generation and passed it on to the current generation. They thought that the learning of the sciences would end if they made any break in this endeavour.

Today’s Türkmens, you will be seen as scientists if you keep reading. If you lose your learning, then you will become