Heavenly Wisdom (Shaykh Nāzim, 185 pages, 2/11)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=5751
he high life in castles and palaces. They spend thousands
of pounds on one jacket, hundreds for a pair of shoes. I was invited to America by Shaykh Hishām, to attend an Islamic Unity Conference, and when I was in Los Angeles they took me to a shopping center where they showed me clothes costing 50,000, even 100,000 pounds! They told me that rich families shop there: kings, sul†āns, sul†āns’ daughters, kings’ sons, sul†āns’ sons. They arrive in their chauffered limousines, shop, and drive away. Yes, they may dress you in the most expensive cloth and put crowns that are worth perhaps billions of pounds on your head, but they never remind you that in the end you will meet your grave.
Alexander the Great, son of Philip, King Philip of Macedonia, conquered the world and reached India – India really is a continent of wonders. India is a world of wonders, and he encountered some people living there, who had been granted wisdom: One day he made a grand parade, all the people attended that magnificent, majestic pa- rade. People now cannot imagine such magnificence. Then he noticed a person wearing nothing but a loin cloth. This man was sitting with his back to the parade, and not once did he look at what was going on there! As the parade passed him by, Alexander the Great stopped and asked him, “O servant of my Lord, are you not interested in watching my parade?” “O your Majesty, once I saw something and since then I have lost interest in such things.” “What did you see?”
“Once I saw two bodies in a temple, lying side by side on a stone slab. One was the body of a once magnificent, majestic king, and the second belonged to a person like me, one who had had nothing in his
life except his clothes, just a piece of cloth. They were lying back to back on that piece of stone. From that day on, I have had no more interest in these material things. Your sultanate will also come to an end, so why are you interested in what is of no lasting benefit?”
Alexander the Great was one of four persons whom Allāh Almighty made sul†ān over the whole world, no-one can reach that status now. And even if a person reaches power something like Alexander the Great’s, in the end they will be in the same place – in a graveyard. This is wisdom that should make people stop running after the il- lusionary values of this life. Do not save anything that comes to you
– send it, save it for your eternal life! Do not save it for this life.
Everyone can save for their eternal life, but most people are saving for this life and in the end they lose. Do you think that a billionaire, who saved his billions in the Bank of England, can use his cheque book from his coffin? “Why, you saved billions of pounds, take your cheque book with you! You saved billions – put your cheque book in your coffin – you have a right! The cheque book is enough, I think, but don’t forget a pen!” But in reality his inheritors come and put that pen to paper.
Save for your eternal life! To save for dunyā instead of your eternal life is the most foolish thing. Even if you only save five pence daily, you should find it there because you saved it for ākhirah, but if you saved one million for dunyā, you will not find it there. If you save only one penny for your eternal life – you should find it there. But who ever saves billions for this life will never find it there. People are not thinking! Go on, use your cheque books, take them with you, perhaps you may need them in your grave!
People are sleeping, they are closing their eyes to reality. They never open their eyes to look at reality, because they are frightened of it. In their fear they behave like children and close their eyes, thinking that, if they do not see the lion it will disappear. Death is in front of them but people close their eyes and deny its presence, “Now there is no death!”
Because your physical body is not suitable for eternal life Allāh Almighty changes it, and buries this imitation body, and for your
th e pe r fec tio n of pe r fec tio n
eternal life He grants you a real body, that never grows old, vanishes, or dies. No, Allāh Almighty grants real life for that body, and that body then belongs to Allāh Almighty, it is a real creation, it will never grow old, or finish, or vanish. Run after it, try to reach it.
May Allāh bless you and open your ears to hear, and to accept, and to reach to be real, here and hereafter.
THE PERFECTION OF PERFECTION
ST ANNE’S, LONDON
Allâh Almighty crowns Mankind. No other creation wears His crown, only Mankind. Not even the angels. And He crowns everyone equally – men must not regard women as less, women must not regard men as more! He crowns you equally with Divine Service – you must all be proud to be His honoured servants.
Allāh Almighty creates women from jamāl, beauty oceans, and men from power, from kamāl, perfection. No-one is better than the other, you must accept this! If He did not create women from beauty, which men cannot reach alone, men would not fall in love; and if He did not create men from perfection, women would never run to them for shelter. When they come together it is the perfection of perfec- tion. He says, “Children of Âdam,” not sons of Âdam, or daughters of Âdam. No, Children of Âdam. Titles make you no better, positions make you no better. You are equal!
Just try to be a blessed servant. There are two kinds of servants: blessed servants and cursed servants; cursed servants are going to finish, blessed ones never end. Ask to be a blessed servant. Begin the day with,”Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadun Rasûl Allâh*, O my Lord, keep me this day in Your Divine Service!” End the day with, “Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadun Rasûl Allâh, O my Lord! Forgive me for my incomplete service, and I intend tomorrow to be in your service.”
* There is no god except God, Mukammad is His Messenger.
Then, if you die in your sleep, you will be in Divine Service to the end of time. And realise that you should be happy in Divine Service. Be happy! If you are not happy, think of something that makes you happy! All end in the graveyard; no matter how many cheque books you put in your coffin, they will never be of any use!
Know that I am one who will not leave any devils, not one devil on the Earth! Their last hour is approaching! Devils are making ... (Shaykh stretches his ears, and makes an astonished expression!) I will visit your shop (a gentleman present owns an antique shop) to take a sword for chopping the heads off devils!
BE HAPPY, YOU ARE NOT DONKEYS
ST ANNE’S, LONDON
Al-ªamdu li-llâh – thanks be to Allāh, all praise be to Allāh Almighty. And we say – a‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm. Allāh Almighty has sent one of His servants to London, to bless this country, to strengthen kaqq and weaken Shay-
†ān. Shaykh ‘Adnān Efendi, is one of the biggest awliyā’ on Earth, and is a Khalîfah of Grandshaykh. Grandshaykh was pleased with him, as he was also pleased with Shaykh Hishām (Shaykh ‘Adnān’s brother). Grandshaykh passed away, pleased with both of them. Shaykh ‘Adnān was only twelve years old when he first came to Grandshaykh, and although Shaykh Hishām and I are both older than him he now looks like my grandfather! (Shaykh ‘Adnān has a very white beard) ... And my mind is going to my feet (they are being massaged)!
Shaykh ‘U., do you like football? People do you like football?! Everyone on Earth is talking about football – throughout the East and West, North and South, even at sea, and so few people are asking to move up, up, up to Heavens, they have forgotten what is important. Instead of talking about football everyone should be trying to reach their heavenly stations.
All of us have forgotten that we have been invited to the Heavens; that we have been ordered to find our way to the Heavens, but dunyā ties our feet to the earth. We are wasting our lives for dunyā; not looking for heavenly treasures. To be fair you must try to give at least equal time, equal action, and equal energy, for ākhirah as you give for dunyā, you must at least try to keep a fair balance between dunyā and ākhirah. And if you wish to reach perfection in His service then you may give your whole life for ākhirah – and it is easy, because our actions are measured according to our intentions therefore, it is easy to say, “O my Lord, I am living only for You, and all work that I do is only for You, and what I spend and give is for You, what I eat and drink is for You, to give my body strength to stand up in Your Divine Service. I am not doing anything for the pleasure of my ego, but intend to do everything for You, and to use my body only for actions that You like, in order that You may be pleased with me.”
Start every day by saying, “I intend to be Your servant, not to be a servant of dunyā, not to be a servant of my ego. I intend to be Your servant, and I ask Your Divine Support.” Control your physical desires, control them, and honour your bond with Allāh Almighty. The enemies of Mankind are Shay†ān and our nafs, but when you intend and ask in this way, Allāh Almighty will support and protect you. Ad-dînu n-nasîªah* – Rasûl, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, advised his nation, his ummah; for twenty-three years he advised his um- mah, he gave this advice to protect us from Shay†ān, from dunyā, and from our egos. All prophets were advisers to their nations, their missions were to bring people back to their place in Divine Service, nothing else.
Anyone taking ‘wrong steps’ is punished**, until you become self-aware and realise the reality of your situation and then leave that dangerous path. Subªân Allâh! In our days it is difficult, most diffi- cult, for a person to redirect his ‘wrong steps’ back to the right way.
* Literally: the religion is the advice.
** He clarifies in another sukbah that our punishment is self-inflicted: it is not from Allāh but a matter of cause and effect, see “We Bring Trouble on Ourselves”, part Two, p. 159 f.
I always say that nowadays it is so difficult to step on the right path, to correct your steps. It is so difficult to step in the footsteps of the prophets. To follow the steps of the Seal of Prophets, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is so difficult, that when you intend to step in the steps of Rasûl Allāh k, at least seventy shay†āns, from among Mankind
and the unseen, catch your foot, to prevent you following the steps
of Rasûl Allāh, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying, “No, don’t follow him, follow us!” And if a person desires to correct his ways, Shay†ān catches him, saying, “No, you must keep to this way, don’t change! Don’t change your path, continue in your old ways!”
Therefore, Allāh has promised to give the reward of one hundred shahîd, martyrs, to someone who follows in the footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The reward of one hundred shahîd fî sabîli-llâh, martyrs for the sake of Allāh, just by following one of the Prophet’s steps in our days. Allāh rewards that person as He rewards one hundred martyrs because it is so difficult!
Al-ªamdu li-llâh, this is a humble gathering, and Shaykh ‘Adnān is barakah, and it is our Grandshaykh’s power, Grandshaykh’s spiritual power, drawing people to come and attend such a gathering, asso- ciation, to take advice. They are mostly young people, that means Shay†ān and his kingdom are going to fall down, to finish. Inshâ’a llâh in 2000 every support that has been given to the satanic kingdom will fall down. Technology, which makes the satanic sultanate stand up, should fall down and Óaqq should arise and the whole world is going to defeat these wrong ways. People will be stepping on the right path and then you should be able to reach the Heavens!
‘Wrong steps’ cannot carry you to the Heavens – you may put an engine in a car and give it some wheels yet it can only run on the earth; planes’ engines take them up! Everything is going to be changed. After 2000 people should reach their heavenly stations, and those who are following the steps of the Prophet will live to see this, they are not going to be under the earth. After 2000, inshâ’llâh, no-one will be seeking to fulfill their physical desires, they will be asking for their spiritual treasures and spiritual stations, and the reality of service only for the sake of the Divine Pleasure.
May Allāh usher in these days, to replace this nonsense life, this tasteless life, this life full of misery and suffering. People are suffer- ing because they are not following the Prophet, peace be upon him, and whoever is not following the Prophet, peace be upon him, will never take real pleasure in this life. Therefore, very few people – look at their faces – very few people smile. Sometimes the only laughter I hear is on television and that is artificial laughter; everything is artificial – they are people who laugh by force. Not one of them is happy, they are people living in Hells.
Happiness must be seen on your faces. You must show the signs of satisfaction, the signs of contentment, on your faces so that they are not like the faces of Hells’ people. People – try to be happy! Show happiness and contentment and pleasure on your face! Yes, you must be happy you were not created as donkeys! Say, “Al-ªamdu li-llâh, I am not being ridden with a stick and eating only grass – morning grass, lunch grass, dinner grass!” If you give a donkey fish and chips – it will not like them! If you give a donkey birthday cake – it will not be happy with it! Think about it, everyone, you must be happy, that you are not donkeys. This is a very important lesson, you must remember it! Be content with your life, think about this, that once upon a time Shaykh said, “You must be happy you are not donkeys!”
O foolish people. They are very upset that they are not donkeys. They are very upset: coming from the pub, making noise like don- keys; taking barley, grinding it and drinking it! I do not think you will find anyone of Mankind who is not interested in this lesson. If they are not interested, they will never be happy, they will never improve their spiritual beings.
Remember this and be helpful to Allāh Almighty. Try to always be praising, in His Divine Service. How proud people are if they are in the royal service of His Majesty the King, how proud they are be- cause they are in royal service! Look, you are being called to Divine Service, and you are running away! He is calling, “O My servant, come to My Divine Service!” Óayya ‘alâ s-salâh, that is its meaning: come to My Divine Service! Those who are not listening and not answering – they are below the level of donkeys.
SPIRITUAL TRUTH
DEPTFORD, LONDON
A question has been brought to Shaykh, “What is the Sufi’s view of the creation of the world?”
Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm. They must ask about the
whole of Creation, not just this world’s creation. They ask only about our world, but it is only a single point in the whole of Creation. They ask only about our world, our Earth’s creation, because they do not understand what they ask, therefore the question is imperfectly phrased. We cannot only ask about our creation. We cannot ignore the other creatures of the universe, and ask only about the creation of our world, because our world is only a part of the universe, and the same purpose underlies the creation of the rest of this huge universe and everything within it. The same purpose, or same idea, or same aim, or same intention, or same wisdom, applies to the whole of Creation. Everything throughout the universe exists for the same purpose!
And as we believe in Holy Books, we cannot give an answer based on our imagination or our intellect. Everything that you invent is only a theory, an opinion. Everyone may offer his own theory, but theories never belong to Reality because all of them are a produc- tion of our minds, of our interpreted knowledge, of our imagination. Therefore, we rely upon what Holy Books say about the creation of the worlds – that is the source of our knowledge. We believe that that is Reality, and these other things are only theoretical knowledge which may be changed a hundred times, thousands of times, because they are not based in Reality.
We say that what is shown through the creation of the universe is Allāh Almighty. He was an unknown Personality, Existence, Es- sence, and He wanted to be known. He created Creation in order to be known, that is what all Holy Books say. We, sufi people, believe
s p iritua l truth
that this is a strong wisdom coming from Holy Books that tell us the purpose of Creation. You may believe it or refuse it. But we never ac- cept philosophical ideas, because philosophers are looking with their intellect, and the mind’s productions never satisfy our souls. Our souls are only content when we say that the Creator – He created. He was a hidden secret, in His Divine Secret Position, and He asked to be known, and He created His servants to know Him, and He created them to be honoured in His Divine Service.
The whole of existence, seen and unseen, everything knows their Creator, atoms know their Creator, and say, Subªân Allâh! Everything knows Him and glorifies Him, but the highest glorification has been granted to Mankind. Mankind is the highest created being and the clearest sign of His existence and we have been invited to the closest positions in the Divine Presence. Therefore, the highest glorification has been given to Mankind – to prophets, to awliyā’, and real believ- ers, although everything glorifies their Creator ...
(A Lady:) Shaykh Efendi, in my Catholic school, they taught us to answer the question, “For what were we created?” in this way: “He created us to know, to love and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next” ...
Yes, a good answer, but it is better to say, “To know Him, to love Him, to glorify Him, to give Him the highest respect, and to be serv- ants in His Divine Service!” Yes, it is a good sign that all religions come from the same point.
In their souls all people believe, whether their minds accept it or not. Every belief is based in the mind, this intellectual base is the beginning, for a distance we must use that runway, but finally the plane must fly. Therefore, do not think religion is always based on mind, for a while you may use it, but after a while you must ascend, through spiritual worlds, through spiritual truth, ’til you finally reach your heavenly station, you must eventually reach your spiri- tual station.
UPHOLD YOUR HONOUR
We praise Allāh Almighty that He granted His Most Beloved Serv- ant, Sayyidinā Mukammad, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to us. Allāh Almighty created everything in his honour ... Tape recorders record, but our people never listen. If you put one hundred tape recorders here they may ‘hear’ but they do not listen. We also hear but are not listening. Listen with attention! The one who listens may follow, he may stay on the way of Allāh Almighty, and if he makes mistakes he will change them, he will correct them. If we take the wrong steps we must try to correct them.
Wrong steps follow in the footsteps of Shay†ān. From the beginning Shay†ān took a wrong step. One false step caused his fall from Paradise, caused him to be thrown out. Mankind, when they take the wrong steps, will also be thrown out. Allāh Almighty never leaves those people unpunished – those people who follow the wrong way, must be punished. It is Divine Justice. Everything is written, everything is recorded, and if anything is wrong with you – you must be punished. And everytime you take the right steps – you will be rewarded. It is impossible for it to be otherwise, punishment and reward must be.
Allāh Almighty is asking us for honourable and upright steps. Allāh Almighty teaches His servants to pray for help to take the right steps because He knows we are weak servants. Therefore, when you feel your weakness – you must ask for Divine Help, to direct, and keep, you on the right way. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was called into the Divine Presence and he prayed, “O my Lord! Don’t leave me in the hands of my ego! My ego forces me on the wrong steps! O my Lord! Don’t leave me in the hands of my ego!” When you are stepping on the right way you will reach everything and you may ask everything from Allāh Almighty, from here and hereafter.
Once Harûn ar-Rashîd was with his beloved servants in a huge hall full of precious jewels; he was happy with them so he said, “O
u p ho l d y our ho n our
my beloved servants, you may have anything you like from here. You may all take anything you like – this I grant to you.” Everyone of those beloved servants, ran to take some of these jewels – except one of them, one of them ran to Harûn ar-Rashîd and said, “I prefer you! I am not interested in jewels, I choose you for myself!” The others who had all run to take jewels, had always been jealous of that one, complaining, “Why do you prefer him to us?” Harûn ar- Rashîd said, “Now you see why I prefer him to all of you. He is the most beloved one.”
Allāh Almighty showed everything to Rasûl Allāh, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but Muhammad chose only Him. You may ask any reward from Allāh Almighty, but those who are on the perfect level always choose Allāh Almighty, nothing else, nothing else. The right path focuses on Him alone. ‘Wrong steppers’ lose because their main aim is for dunyā, or perhaps other grants from Allāh Almighty.
We are so far away from ourselves. Twentieth century people rarely think of such things. So far away – twentieth century people are not even asking for Paradise. People think they are civilised but most of them live like animals, like cattle, because as cattle are only interested in grass and satisfying their physical needs so are most people only interested in eating, drinking and dancing. They never think of asking to live on the level of angels. They never think of asking for a life in Allāh Almighty’s Divine Presence. O may Allāh Almighty grant us to think about what is of real value.
Âdam, ‘alayhi salâm, was living in Paradise, and Shay†ān led him to eat the apple. After eating the apple he needed the toilet, it was the first time he had needed a toilet. He looked for somewhere to go, but there are no toilets in Paradise. Allāh Almighty said, “You must go to dunyā, dunyā is the toilet.” People prefer living in a toilet to living in the Heavens! Dunyā is like a toilet and all they are asking for is dunyā, therefore what they desire is in reality a toilet! When they could have Paradise! That is the level of their understanding. O people, come back to yourselves! May Allāh forgive us!
Allâh Allâh, ‘Azîz Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Karîm Allâh,
Allâh Allâh, Subªân Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Sul†ân Allâh!
Ask for the Sul†ān – do not be a donkey asking for grass. Ask for Allāh Almighty, the Sul†ān! Do not ask for meadows. People, do not be cattle! You were not created to be cattle! You have been granted honour – uphold your honour! Uphold the honour of existing for Allāh Almighty! That is endless honour for you.
HUMILITY
A‘û dhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, bismi llâhi r-raªmâni
r-raªîm. Allāh is Sul†ān. He is the only Sul†ān and we are servants. Keep to your station of servanthood and don’t ask for anything else. Allāh is the Greatest. Allāh is the Greatest. We are weak, so small, so powerless, but our egos, our nafs, never accept, never admit that they are powerless and weak. Our ego always needs to be seen as important, great! And look at your hight – five feet – six feet – if you are six feet you are considered tall. Seven feet is extraordinarily tall, but even if you were seventy feet – do you think that that would make you great? Perhaps you can imagine yourself being seven hun- dred feet – do you think that that will make you important? You may reach to the clouds – do you think that then you are going to be truly powerful, great?!
But Mankind’s foolishness makes them proud, and pride is a satanic characteristic. Do not use it, do not use what belongs to Shay†ān. O believers! Do not be proud! Try to be humble servants – that is our teaching to people, nothing else. Everyone is asking to be a great man. We are here to bring people down to size, come to your real size! Do not try to imitate giants! No! That is inappropriate. We are servants, and it is not right for servants to be proud.
This is a good lesson for me and for my ego, and also for you. Allāh does not like proud people. Only one is entitled to be proud
–Allāh Almighty. He has endless greatness. Endless pride is for Allāh Almighty – not for you! But now even all Muslims are proud! Everyone is trying to reach the station of greatness, but it is inap- propriate.
I ask Allāh Almighty for forgiveness, because I am sitting on such a grand chair. Such chairs are made for people to show themselves off as important, great. Everything in our time is designed to encour- age people to be proud. Everything. Therefore, I ask forgiveness, although it is not my intention to show superiority to you by sitting here, and you have given me this chair as a sign of respect for your elder brother. It is also comfortable to sit on and when I feel relaxed it is easy for me to connect my heart with the spiritual headquar- ters. When I feel at ease it is simple for me to reach the heavenly headquarters from which I address you. Yet I am asking forgiveness for my ego, and also praise Allāh, thanking Him that He made this comfortable place from which to address you.
Yes, we say, A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, then we escape from evil and devils. Yes. Every Muslim, every believer, must try to escape from devils and from evil – that is your honour. The honour of being Muslim, a Mu’min, is to escape from devils, not to follow devils, not to be with evil. You must escape from evil. Everyone knows what evil is, but they are not taking care to leave it.
You must escape it! Allāh Almighty never likes His servants to be with evil – you must escape from evil! You must also run from where evil is, you must run away, you must not be there! Evil is dirty. Alcohol is dirty. And where there is evil – curses are sent, curses come with evil and you must run away from curses, instead you must run after blessings – yes?
This is not just my own opinion. This is something from our traditional knowledge, Qur’ān and Holy Óadîth. They are simple things – there is no need for me to talk in depth about the Holy Qur’ān and Óadîth Sharîf, there is no need for me to impress you with my learning. Our intention is to give you something that you may keep, from which you may take benefit, here and hereafter. Some simple things that you may practice.
Thousands, hundreds and thousands of books have been written, and it is impossible to carry them all in your mind. But we are ask- ing you to carry something in your hearts. The mind may lose it, the heart never loses it. So you must try to keep even a little of the advice which we give here. You have come from far away and are giving your time to be here and to hear something that may be useful for you now, in your grave, and on yawm al-qiyāmah, on the Last Day when you stand in the Divine Presence. Try to take something that will be of use to you, here and hereafter.
First of all you must escape from evil because Shay†ān is with evil. Where there is evil Shay†ān must be there. Shay†ān is urging people to do evil, Shay†ān wants us to be disobedient servants. Shay†ān says, “People, don’t pray!” Shay†ān says, “People, don’t fast!” Shay†ān says, “People, don’t learn Qur’ān Karîm!” Shay†ān is saying to people, “Don’t give zakāh (the poor tax).” Shay†ān is urging people, “Don’t go to Óijāz!” Shay†ān is calling people to drink forbidden drinks, Shay†ān is calling people to eat forbidden things, Shay†ān is urging people to be disobedient servants. Shay†ān is urging people to be obedient to him, but not to be obedient servants to Allāh Almighty. All of us know this. And to where is Shay†ān leading people? Hell. Hell. He is leading people to fall into Hell, here and hereafter!
His aim, the first and last aim of Shay†ān is to make the Children of Âdam fall into Hell, to keep them out of Paradise – is this true or false? True. And therefore, first of all we say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm.” You must say this, and you must understand what it means. You must know that to say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh- shay†âni r-rajîm”, is a declaration, is a confession from His servants that we are weak – O our Lord keep us from evil! We must say it daily, so many times. When Shay†ān approaches you, you must say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm!” When he is urging you to do something wrong, you must say, “O Allāh, save me from doing something wrong!” Yes, it is a translation of, A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh- shay†âni r-rajîm, “O my Lord, O God, O Allāh, save me from devils!” And He will save you, if you ask, He will save you. If you do not ask, He will leave you with your ego.
Then we must say, “Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm.” The first order is to escape from evil and devils, and the second command is to act in the way of goodness, to try to do our best for Allāh Almighty, and to do our best for His servants. Therefore before every act we say, “Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm,” in the Name of Allāh, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Anything else? In all religions can you find any commands except to leave evil and run after goodness? “O My servants, leave evil and devils, and come to My Divine Service!”
Give your best service. It is not right to offer a low standard of service to Allāh; you should be ashamed if you are offering second- rate service to Allāh. You can give the highest standard, the best standard of service – why are you not doing this? The second com- mand is that you must give your best service for Allāh. You try to do your best for your employer, you try to please your boss, you try to do your best for your boss, so why not for Allāh? There are only two points – one, leave evil and devils and second, try to give your best service for our Lord, Allāh Almighty.
It is written there (pointing at a banner), Ahlan wa sahlan (a greet- ing form in arabic), is written there, good, thank you, shukriyyah, shukriyyah. But our saying this is of no real value. It is of real value when I reach the graveyard and the angels say to me, “Ahlan wa sahlan, Shaykh!” Aha! It may be written here a hundred times, but are you going to let yourself be flattered by such things? No. Only fools are cheated by flattery.
However, I must thank you because you are offering this to me as a sign of respect, and for that you will be rewarded, yet it is im- portant for me not to be misled by people’s respectful words. This address will have real meaning when I reach, as everyone reaches, the graveyard, when they put me in my coffin, bury me underground and put earth over me, which is going to happen to all of us, then it will be important to me to hear this address.
O my brothers, my sons, my grandsons, my daughters, my granddaughters, one day everyone goes to the graveyard. If you are a believer then you should be pleasantly welcomed. I hope that at
that time Allāh sends His angels to salute me, “Ahlan wa sahlan yā Shaykh! Welcome, O Shaykh! We have been waiting for you for a long time! Welcome to you!” That will be endless happiness for me, endless pleasure for me, if my Lord sends His angels to welcome me, “O Shaykh, we have been longing to see you, but you have been on Earth such a long time!” Lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘a|îm. That is important, that at that time it should be said to me, “Ahlan wa sahlan, Shaykh!” And also that my neighbours come and say to me,” O Shaykh Efendi! We heard that you are also here, and we say, welcome to you! Ahlan wa sahlan!”
Everyone must think about this, this does not only apply to me. You will also be welcomed. Aim to be one to whom the angels come and say, “Ahlan wa sahlan!” Aim not to be taken the unrespectable way, not to be taken by the ear, not to be sworn at, you must think about this, O believers! Allāh sent His Last Prophet with His last message. Sayyidinā Mukammad, peace be upon him, was sent with the last message to all Mankind, to remind them of the graveyard, to remind them of eternal life, to remind them of the Day of Judgement, to remind them of their responsibilities, to remind them of the Day of Resurrection. Yes!
I think it is enough what we have said to you. Time is soon com- ing to an end ... Step by step, we are reaching to a new era. We are reaching step by step to a new period. We are stepping, step by step, closer to another century. It is our hope that devils, and the kingdom of Shay†ān should be destroyed. In this century the satanic kingdom has been established through East and West, from North and South, on oceans and on all continents. Now there is a new century coming and we hope that the satanic kingdom will be destroyed. Try to be one of those people who are destroying the satanic kingdom, and not to be supporters of the satanic kingdom.
May Allāh forgive us and remind us of our servanthood, and help us to step in the steps of the Seal of Prophets, peace be upon him, and to be deputies for eternal life in His Divine Presence.
Allâh Allâh ‘Azîz Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Karîm Allâh,
Allâh Allâh, Subªân Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Sul†ân Allâh!
You are our Sul†ān! We are your se
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=5751
he high life in castles and palaces. They spend thousands
of pounds on one jacket, hundreds for a pair of shoes. I was invited to America by Shaykh Hishām, to attend an Islamic Unity Conference, and when I was in Los Angeles they took me to a shopping center where they showed me clothes costing 50,000, even 100,000 pounds! They told me that rich families shop there: kings, sul†āns, sul†āns’ daughters, kings’ sons, sul†āns’ sons. They arrive in their chauffered limousines, shop, and drive away. Yes, they may dress you in the most expensive cloth and put crowns that are worth perhaps billions of pounds on your head, but they never remind you that in the end you will meet your grave.
Alexander the Great, son of Philip, King Philip of Macedonia, conquered the world and reached India – India really is a continent of wonders. India is a world of wonders, and he encountered some people living there, who had been granted wisdom: One day he made a grand parade, all the people attended that magnificent, majestic pa- rade. People now cannot imagine such magnificence. Then he noticed a person wearing nothing but a loin cloth. This man was sitting with his back to the parade, and not once did he look at what was going on there! As the parade passed him by, Alexander the Great stopped and asked him, “O servant of my Lord, are you not interested in watching my parade?” “O your Majesty, once I saw something and since then I have lost interest in such things.” “What did you see?”
“Once I saw two bodies in a temple, lying side by side on a stone slab. One was the body of a once magnificent, majestic king, and the second belonged to a person like me, one who had had nothing in his
life except his clothes, just a piece of cloth. They were lying back to back on that piece of stone. From that day on, I have had no more interest in these material things. Your sultanate will also come to an end, so why are you interested in what is of no lasting benefit?”
Alexander the Great was one of four persons whom Allāh Almighty made sul†ān over the whole world, no-one can reach that status now. And even if a person reaches power something like Alexander the Great’s, in the end they will be in the same place – in a graveyard. This is wisdom that should make people stop running after the il- lusionary values of this life. Do not save anything that comes to you
– send it, save it for your eternal life! Do not save it for this life.
Everyone can save for their eternal life, but most people are saving for this life and in the end they lose. Do you think that a billionaire, who saved his billions in the Bank of England, can use his cheque book from his coffin? “Why, you saved billions of pounds, take your cheque book with you! You saved billions – put your cheque book in your coffin – you have a right! The cheque book is enough, I think, but don’t forget a pen!” But in reality his inheritors come and put that pen to paper.
Save for your eternal life! To save for dunyā instead of your eternal life is the most foolish thing. Even if you only save five pence daily, you should find it there because you saved it for ākhirah, but if you saved one million for dunyā, you will not find it there. If you save only one penny for your eternal life – you should find it there. But who ever saves billions for this life will never find it there. People are not thinking! Go on, use your cheque books, take them with you, perhaps you may need them in your grave!
People are sleeping, they are closing their eyes to reality. They never open their eyes to look at reality, because they are frightened of it. In their fear they behave like children and close their eyes, thinking that, if they do not see the lion it will disappear. Death is in front of them but people close their eyes and deny its presence, “Now there is no death!”
Because your physical body is not suitable for eternal life Allāh Almighty changes it, and buries this imitation body, and for your
th e pe r fec tio n of pe r fec tio n
eternal life He grants you a real body, that never grows old, vanishes, or dies. No, Allāh Almighty grants real life for that body, and that body then belongs to Allāh Almighty, it is a real creation, it will never grow old, or finish, or vanish. Run after it, try to reach it.
May Allāh bless you and open your ears to hear, and to accept, and to reach to be real, here and hereafter.
THE PERFECTION OF PERFECTION
ST ANNE’S, LONDON
Allâh Almighty crowns Mankind. No other creation wears His crown, only Mankind. Not even the angels. And He crowns everyone equally – men must not regard women as less, women must not regard men as more! He crowns you equally with Divine Service – you must all be proud to be His honoured servants.
Allāh Almighty creates women from jamāl, beauty oceans, and men from power, from kamāl, perfection. No-one is better than the other, you must accept this! If He did not create women from beauty, which men cannot reach alone, men would not fall in love; and if He did not create men from perfection, women would never run to them for shelter. When they come together it is the perfection of perfec- tion. He says, “Children of Âdam,” not sons of Âdam, or daughters of Âdam. No, Children of Âdam. Titles make you no better, positions make you no better. You are equal!
Just try to be a blessed servant. There are two kinds of servants: blessed servants and cursed servants; cursed servants are going to finish, blessed ones never end. Ask to be a blessed servant. Begin the day with,”Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadun Rasûl Allâh*, O my Lord, keep me this day in Your Divine Service!” End the day with, “Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadun Rasûl Allâh, O my Lord! Forgive me for my incomplete service, and I intend tomorrow to be in your service.”
* There is no god except God, Mukammad is His Messenger.
Then, if you die in your sleep, you will be in Divine Service to the end of time. And realise that you should be happy in Divine Service. Be happy! If you are not happy, think of something that makes you happy! All end in the graveyard; no matter how many cheque books you put in your coffin, they will never be of any use!
Know that I am one who will not leave any devils, not one devil on the Earth! Their last hour is approaching! Devils are making ... (Shaykh stretches his ears, and makes an astonished expression!) I will visit your shop (a gentleman present owns an antique shop) to take a sword for chopping the heads off devils!
BE HAPPY, YOU ARE NOT DONKEYS
ST ANNE’S, LONDON
Al-ªamdu li-llâh – thanks be to Allāh, all praise be to Allāh Almighty. And we say – a‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm. Allāh Almighty has sent one of His servants to London, to bless this country, to strengthen kaqq and weaken Shay-
†ān. Shaykh ‘Adnān Efendi, is one of the biggest awliyā’ on Earth, and is a Khalîfah of Grandshaykh. Grandshaykh was pleased with him, as he was also pleased with Shaykh Hishām (Shaykh ‘Adnān’s brother). Grandshaykh passed away, pleased with both of them. Shaykh ‘Adnān was only twelve years old when he first came to Grandshaykh, and although Shaykh Hishām and I are both older than him he now looks like my grandfather! (Shaykh ‘Adnān has a very white beard) ... And my mind is going to my feet (they are being massaged)!
Shaykh ‘U., do you like football? People do you like football?! Everyone on Earth is talking about football – throughout the East and West, North and South, even at sea, and so few people are asking to move up, up, up to Heavens, they have forgotten what is important. Instead of talking about football everyone should be trying to reach their heavenly stations.
All of us have forgotten that we have been invited to the Heavens; that we have been ordered to find our way to the Heavens, but dunyā ties our feet to the earth. We are wasting our lives for dunyā; not looking for heavenly treasures. To be fair you must try to give at least equal time, equal action, and equal energy, for ākhirah as you give for dunyā, you must at least try to keep a fair balance between dunyā and ākhirah. And if you wish to reach perfection in His service then you may give your whole life for ākhirah – and it is easy, because our actions are measured according to our intentions therefore, it is easy to say, “O my Lord, I am living only for You, and all work that I do is only for You, and what I spend and give is for You, what I eat and drink is for You, to give my body strength to stand up in Your Divine Service. I am not doing anything for the pleasure of my ego, but intend to do everything for You, and to use my body only for actions that You like, in order that You may be pleased with me.”
Start every day by saying, “I intend to be Your servant, not to be a servant of dunyā, not to be a servant of my ego. I intend to be Your servant, and I ask Your Divine Support.” Control your physical desires, control them, and honour your bond with Allāh Almighty. The enemies of Mankind are Shay†ān and our nafs, but when you intend and ask in this way, Allāh Almighty will support and protect you. Ad-dînu n-nasîªah* – Rasûl, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, advised his nation, his ummah; for twenty-three years he advised his um- mah, he gave this advice to protect us from Shay†ān, from dunyā, and from our egos. All prophets were advisers to their nations, their missions were to bring people back to their place in Divine Service, nothing else.
Anyone taking ‘wrong steps’ is punished**, until you become self-aware and realise the reality of your situation and then leave that dangerous path. Subªân Allâh! In our days it is difficult, most diffi- cult, for a person to redirect his ‘wrong steps’ back to the right way.
* Literally: the religion is the advice.
** He clarifies in another sukbah that our punishment is self-inflicted: it is not from Allāh but a matter of cause and effect, see “We Bring Trouble on Ourselves”, part Two, p. 159 f.
I always say that nowadays it is so difficult to step on the right path, to correct your steps. It is so difficult to step in the footsteps of the prophets. To follow the steps of the Seal of Prophets, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is so difficult, that when you intend to step in the steps of Rasûl Allāh k, at least seventy shay†āns, from among Mankind
and the unseen, catch your foot, to prevent you following the steps
of Rasûl Allāh, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying, “No, don’t follow him, follow us!” And if a person desires to correct his ways, Shay†ān catches him, saying, “No, you must keep to this way, don’t change! Don’t change your path, continue in your old ways!”
Therefore, Allāh has promised to give the reward of one hundred shahîd, martyrs, to someone who follows in the footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The reward of one hundred shahîd fî sabîli-llâh, martyrs for the sake of Allāh, just by following one of the Prophet’s steps in our days. Allāh rewards that person as He rewards one hundred martyrs because it is so difficult!
Al-ªamdu li-llâh, this is a humble gathering, and Shaykh ‘Adnān is barakah, and it is our Grandshaykh’s power, Grandshaykh’s spiritual power, drawing people to come and attend such a gathering, asso- ciation, to take advice. They are mostly young people, that means Shay†ān and his kingdom are going to fall down, to finish. Inshâ’a llâh in 2000 every support that has been given to the satanic kingdom will fall down. Technology, which makes the satanic sultanate stand up, should fall down and Óaqq should arise and the whole world is going to defeat these wrong ways. People will be stepping on the right path and then you should be able to reach the Heavens!
‘Wrong steps’ cannot carry you to the Heavens – you may put an engine in a car and give it some wheels yet it can only run on the earth; planes’ engines take them up! Everything is going to be changed. After 2000 people should reach their heavenly stations, and those who are following the steps of the Prophet will live to see this, they are not going to be under the earth. After 2000, inshâ’llâh, no-one will be seeking to fulfill their physical desires, they will be asking for their spiritual treasures and spiritual stations, and the reality of service only for the sake of the Divine Pleasure.
May Allāh usher in these days, to replace this nonsense life, this tasteless life, this life full of misery and suffering. People are suffer- ing because they are not following the Prophet, peace be upon him, and whoever is not following the Prophet, peace be upon him, will never take real pleasure in this life. Therefore, very few people – look at their faces – very few people smile. Sometimes the only laughter I hear is on television and that is artificial laughter; everything is artificial – they are people who laugh by force. Not one of them is happy, they are people living in Hells.
Happiness must be seen on your faces. You must show the signs of satisfaction, the signs of contentment, on your faces so that they are not like the faces of Hells’ people. People – try to be happy! Show happiness and contentment and pleasure on your face! Yes, you must be happy you were not created as donkeys! Say, “Al-ªamdu li-llâh, I am not being ridden with a stick and eating only grass – morning grass, lunch grass, dinner grass!” If you give a donkey fish and chips – it will not like them! If you give a donkey birthday cake – it will not be happy with it! Think about it, everyone, you must be happy, that you are not donkeys. This is a very important lesson, you must remember it! Be content with your life, think about this, that once upon a time Shaykh said, “You must be happy you are not donkeys!”
O foolish people. They are very upset that they are not donkeys. They are very upset: coming from the pub, making noise like don- keys; taking barley, grinding it and drinking it! I do not think you will find anyone of Mankind who is not interested in this lesson. If they are not interested, they will never be happy, they will never improve their spiritual beings.
Remember this and be helpful to Allāh Almighty. Try to always be praising, in His Divine Service. How proud people are if they are in the royal service of His Majesty the King, how proud they are be- cause they are in royal service! Look, you are being called to Divine Service, and you are running away! He is calling, “O My servant, come to My Divine Service!” Óayya ‘alâ s-salâh, that is its meaning: come to My Divine Service! Those who are not listening and not answering – they are below the level of donkeys.
SPIRITUAL TRUTH
DEPTFORD, LONDON
A question has been brought to Shaykh, “What is the Sufi’s view of the creation of the world?”
Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm. They must ask about the
whole of Creation, not just this world’s creation. They ask only about our world, but it is only a single point in the whole of Creation. They ask only about our world, our Earth’s creation, because they do not understand what they ask, therefore the question is imperfectly phrased. We cannot only ask about our creation. We cannot ignore the other creatures of the universe, and ask only about the creation of our world, because our world is only a part of the universe, and the same purpose underlies the creation of the rest of this huge universe and everything within it. The same purpose, or same idea, or same aim, or same intention, or same wisdom, applies to the whole of Creation. Everything throughout the universe exists for the same purpose!
And as we believe in Holy Books, we cannot give an answer based on our imagination or our intellect. Everything that you invent is only a theory, an opinion. Everyone may offer his own theory, but theories never belong to Reality because all of them are a produc- tion of our minds, of our interpreted knowledge, of our imagination. Therefore, we rely upon what Holy Books say about the creation of the worlds – that is the source of our knowledge. We believe that that is Reality, and these other things are only theoretical knowledge which may be changed a hundred times, thousands of times, because they are not based in Reality.
We say that what is shown through the creation of the universe is Allāh Almighty. He was an unknown Personality, Existence, Es- sence, and He wanted to be known. He created Creation in order to be known, that is what all Holy Books say. We, sufi people, believe
s p iritua l truth
that this is a strong wisdom coming from Holy Books that tell us the purpose of Creation. You may believe it or refuse it. But we never ac- cept philosophical ideas, because philosophers are looking with their intellect, and the mind’s productions never satisfy our souls. Our souls are only content when we say that the Creator – He created. He was a hidden secret, in His Divine Secret Position, and He asked to be known, and He created His servants to know Him, and He created them to be honoured in His Divine Service.
The whole of existence, seen and unseen, everything knows their Creator, atoms know their Creator, and say, Subªân Allâh! Everything knows Him and glorifies Him, but the highest glorification has been granted to Mankind. Mankind is the highest created being and the clearest sign of His existence and we have been invited to the closest positions in the Divine Presence. Therefore, the highest glorification has been given to Mankind – to prophets, to awliyā’, and real believ- ers, although everything glorifies their Creator ...
(A Lady:) Shaykh Efendi, in my Catholic school, they taught us to answer the question, “For what were we created?” in this way: “He created us to know, to love and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next” ...
Yes, a good answer, but it is better to say, “To know Him, to love Him, to glorify Him, to give Him the highest respect, and to be serv- ants in His Divine Service!” Yes, it is a good sign that all religions come from the same point.
In their souls all people believe, whether their minds accept it or not. Every belief is based in the mind, this intellectual base is the beginning, for a distance we must use that runway, but finally the plane must fly. Therefore, do not think religion is always based on mind, for a while you may use it, but after a while you must ascend, through spiritual worlds, through spiritual truth, ’til you finally reach your heavenly station, you must eventually reach your spiri- tual station.
UPHOLD YOUR HONOUR
We praise Allāh Almighty that He granted His Most Beloved Serv- ant, Sayyidinā Mukammad, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to us. Allāh Almighty created everything in his honour ... Tape recorders record, but our people never listen. If you put one hundred tape recorders here they may ‘hear’ but they do not listen. We also hear but are not listening. Listen with attention! The one who listens may follow, he may stay on the way of Allāh Almighty, and if he makes mistakes he will change them, he will correct them. If we take the wrong steps we must try to correct them.
Wrong steps follow in the footsteps of Shay†ān. From the beginning Shay†ān took a wrong step. One false step caused his fall from Paradise, caused him to be thrown out. Mankind, when they take the wrong steps, will also be thrown out. Allāh Almighty never leaves those people unpunished – those people who follow the wrong way, must be punished. It is Divine Justice. Everything is written, everything is recorded, and if anything is wrong with you – you must be punished. And everytime you take the right steps – you will be rewarded. It is impossible for it to be otherwise, punishment and reward must be.
Allāh Almighty is asking us for honourable and upright steps. Allāh Almighty teaches His servants to pray for help to take the right steps because He knows we are weak servants. Therefore, when you feel your weakness – you must ask for Divine Help, to direct, and keep, you on the right way. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was called into the Divine Presence and he prayed, “O my Lord! Don’t leave me in the hands of my ego! My ego forces me on the wrong steps! O my Lord! Don’t leave me in the hands of my ego!” When you are stepping on the right way you will reach everything and you may ask everything from Allāh Almighty, from here and hereafter.
Once Harûn ar-Rashîd was with his beloved servants in a huge hall full of precious jewels; he was happy with them so he said, “O
u p ho l d y our ho n our
my beloved servants, you may have anything you like from here. You may all take anything you like – this I grant to you.” Everyone of those beloved servants, ran to take some of these jewels – except one of them, one of them ran to Harûn ar-Rashîd and said, “I prefer you! I am not interested in jewels, I choose you for myself!” The others who had all run to take jewels, had always been jealous of that one, complaining, “Why do you prefer him to us?” Harûn ar- Rashîd said, “Now you see why I prefer him to all of you. He is the most beloved one.”
Allāh Almighty showed everything to Rasûl Allāh, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but Muhammad chose only Him. You may ask any reward from Allāh Almighty, but those who are on the perfect level always choose Allāh Almighty, nothing else, nothing else. The right path focuses on Him alone. ‘Wrong steppers’ lose because their main aim is for dunyā, or perhaps other grants from Allāh Almighty.
We are so far away from ourselves. Twentieth century people rarely think of such things. So far away – twentieth century people are not even asking for Paradise. People think they are civilised but most of them live like animals, like cattle, because as cattle are only interested in grass and satisfying their physical needs so are most people only interested in eating, drinking and dancing. They never think of asking to live on the level of angels. They never think of asking for a life in Allāh Almighty’s Divine Presence. O may Allāh Almighty grant us to think about what is of real value.
Âdam, ‘alayhi salâm, was living in Paradise, and Shay†ān led him to eat the apple. After eating the apple he needed the toilet, it was the first time he had needed a toilet. He looked for somewhere to go, but there are no toilets in Paradise. Allāh Almighty said, “You must go to dunyā, dunyā is the toilet.” People prefer living in a toilet to living in the Heavens! Dunyā is like a toilet and all they are asking for is dunyā, therefore what they desire is in reality a toilet! When they could have Paradise! That is the level of their understanding. O people, come back to yourselves! May Allāh forgive us!
Allâh Allâh, ‘Azîz Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Karîm Allâh,
Allâh Allâh, Subªân Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Sul†ân Allâh!
Ask for the Sul†ān – do not be a donkey asking for grass. Ask for Allāh Almighty, the Sul†ān! Do not ask for meadows. People, do not be cattle! You were not created to be cattle! You have been granted honour – uphold your honour! Uphold the honour of existing for Allāh Almighty! That is endless honour for you.
HUMILITY
A‘û dhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, bismi llâhi r-raªmâni
r-raªîm. Allāh is Sul†ān. He is the only Sul†ān and we are servants. Keep to your station of servanthood and don’t ask for anything else. Allāh is the Greatest. Allāh is the Greatest. We are weak, so small, so powerless, but our egos, our nafs, never accept, never admit that they are powerless and weak. Our ego always needs to be seen as important, great! And look at your hight – five feet – six feet – if you are six feet you are considered tall. Seven feet is extraordinarily tall, but even if you were seventy feet – do you think that that would make you great? Perhaps you can imagine yourself being seven hun- dred feet – do you think that that will make you important? You may reach to the clouds – do you think that then you are going to be truly powerful, great?!
But Mankind’s foolishness makes them proud, and pride is a satanic characteristic. Do not use it, do not use what belongs to Shay†ān. O believers! Do not be proud! Try to be humble servants – that is our teaching to people, nothing else. Everyone is asking to be a great man. We are here to bring people down to size, come to your real size! Do not try to imitate giants! No! That is inappropriate. We are servants, and it is not right for servants to be proud.
This is a good lesson for me and for my ego, and also for you. Allāh does not like proud people. Only one is entitled to be proud
–Allāh Almighty. He has endless greatness. Endless pride is for Allāh Almighty – not for you! But now even all Muslims are proud! Everyone is trying to reach the station of greatness, but it is inap- propriate.
I ask Allāh Almighty for forgiveness, because I am sitting on such a grand chair. Such chairs are made for people to show themselves off as important, great. Everything in our time is designed to encour- age people to be proud. Everything. Therefore, I ask forgiveness, although it is not my intention to show superiority to you by sitting here, and you have given me this chair as a sign of respect for your elder brother. It is also comfortable to sit on and when I feel relaxed it is easy for me to connect my heart with the spiritual headquar- ters. When I feel at ease it is simple for me to reach the heavenly headquarters from which I address you. Yet I am asking forgiveness for my ego, and also praise Allāh, thanking Him that He made this comfortable place from which to address you.
Yes, we say, A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm, then we escape from evil and devils. Yes. Every Muslim, every believer, must try to escape from devils and from evil – that is your honour. The honour of being Muslim, a Mu’min, is to escape from devils, not to follow devils, not to be with evil. You must escape from evil. Everyone knows what evil is, but they are not taking care to leave it.
You must escape it! Allāh Almighty never likes His servants to be with evil – you must escape from evil! You must also run from where evil is, you must run away, you must not be there! Evil is dirty. Alcohol is dirty. And where there is evil – curses are sent, curses come with evil and you must run away from curses, instead you must run after blessings – yes?
This is not just my own opinion. This is something from our traditional knowledge, Qur’ān and Holy Óadîth. They are simple things – there is no need for me to talk in depth about the Holy Qur’ān and Óadîth Sharîf, there is no need for me to impress you with my learning. Our intention is to give you something that you may keep, from which you may take benefit, here and hereafter. Some simple things that you may practice.
Thousands, hundreds and thousands of books have been written, and it is impossible to carry them all in your mind. But we are ask- ing you to carry something in your hearts. The mind may lose it, the heart never loses it. So you must try to keep even a little of the advice which we give here. You have come from far away and are giving your time to be here and to hear something that may be useful for you now, in your grave, and on yawm al-qiyāmah, on the Last Day when you stand in the Divine Presence. Try to take something that will be of use to you, here and hereafter.
First of all you must escape from evil because Shay†ān is with evil. Where there is evil Shay†ān must be there. Shay†ān is urging people to do evil, Shay†ān wants us to be disobedient servants. Shay†ān says, “People, don’t pray!” Shay†ān says, “People, don’t fast!” Shay†ān says, “People, don’t learn Qur’ān Karîm!” Shay†ān is saying to people, “Don’t give zakāh (the poor tax).” Shay†ān is urging people, “Don’t go to Óijāz!” Shay†ān is calling people to drink forbidden drinks, Shay†ān is calling people to eat forbidden things, Shay†ān is urging people to be disobedient servants. Shay†ān is urging people to be obedient to him, but not to be obedient servants to Allāh Almighty. All of us know this. And to where is Shay†ān leading people? Hell. Hell. He is leading people to fall into Hell, here and hereafter!
His aim, the first and last aim of Shay†ān is to make the Children of Âdam fall into Hell, to keep them out of Paradise – is this true or false? True. And therefore, first of all we say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm.” You must say this, and you must understand what it means. You must know that to say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh- shay†âni r-rajîm”, is a declaration, is a confession from His servants that we are weak – O our Lord keep us from evil! We must say it daily, so many times. When Shay†ān approaches you, you must say, “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shay†âni r-rajîm!” When he is urging you to do something wrong, you must say, “O Allāh, save me from doing something wrong!” Yes, it is a translation of, A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh- shay†âni r-rajîm, “O my Lord, O God, O Allāh, save me from devils!” And He will save you, if you ask, He will save you. If you do not ask, He will leave you with your ego.
Then we must say, “Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm.” The first order is to escape from evil and devils, and the second command is to act in the way of goodness, to try to do our best for Allāh Almighty, and to do our best for His servants. Therefore before every act we say, “Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm,” in the Name of Allāh, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Anything else? In all religions can you find any commands except to leave evil and run after goodness? “O My servants, leave evil and devils, and come to My Divine Service!”
Give your best service. It is not right to offer a low standard of service to Allāh; you should be ashamed if you are offering second- rate service to Allāh. You can give the highest standard, the best standard of service – why are you not doing this? The second com- mand is that you must give your best service for Allāh. You try to do your best for your employer, you try to please your boss, you try to do your best for your boss, so why not for Allāh? There are only two points – one, leave evil and devils and second, try to give your best service for our Lord, Allāh Almighty.
It is written there (pointing at a banner), Ahlan wa sahlan (a greet- ing form in arabic), is written there, good, thank you, shukriyyah, shukriyyah. But our saying this is of no real value. It is of real value when I reach the graveyard and the angels say to me, “Ahlan wa sahlan, Shaykh!” Aha! It may be written here a hundred times, but are you going to let yourself be flattered by such things? No. Only fools are cheated by flattery.
However, I must thank you because you are offering this to me as a sign of respect, and for that you will be rewarded, yet it is im- portant for me not to be misled by people’s respectful words. This address will have real meaning when I reach, as everyone reaches, the graveyard, when they put me in my coffin, bury me underground and put earth over me, which is going to happen to all of us, then it will be important to me to hear this address.
O my brothers, my sons, my grandsons, my daughters, my granddaughters, one day everyone goes to the graveyard. If you are a believer then you should be pleasantly welcomed. I hope that at
that time Allāh sends His angels to salute me, “Ahlan wa sahlan yā Shaykh! Welcome, O Shaykh! We have been waiting for you for a long time! Welcome to you!” That will be endless happiness for me, endless pleasure for me, if my Lord sends His angels to welcome me, “O Shaykh, we have been longing to see you, but you have been on Earth such a long time!” Lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘a|îm. That is important, that at that time it should be said to me, “Ahlan wa sahlan, Shaykh!” And also that my neighbours come and say to me,” O Shaykh Efendi! We heard that you are also here, and we say, welcome to you! Ahlan wa sahlan!”
Everyone must think about this, this does not only apply to me. You will also be welcomed. Aim to be one to whom the angels come and say, “Ahlan wa sahlan!” Aim not to be taken the unrespectable way, not to be taken by the ear, not to be sworn at, you must think about this, O believers! Allāh sent His Last Prophet with His last message. Sayyidinā Mukammad, peace be upon him, was sent with the last message to all Mankind, to remind them of the graveyard, to remind them of eternal life, to remind them of the Day of Judgement, to remind them of their responsibilities, to remind them of the Day of Resurrection. Yes!
I think it is enough what we have said to you. Time is soon com- ing to an end ... Step by step, we are reaching to a new era. We are reaching step by step to a new period. We are stepping, step by step, closer to another century. It is our hope that devils, and the kingdom of Shay†ān should be destroyed. In this century the satanic kingdom has been established through East and West, from North and South, on oceans and on all continents. Now there is a new century coming and we hope that the satanic kingdom will be destroyed. Try to be one of those people who are destroying the satanic kingdom, and not to be supporters of the satanic kingdom.
May Allāh forgive us and remind us of our servanthood, and help us to step in the steps of the Seal of Prophets, peace be upon him, and to be deputies for eternal life in His Divine Presence.
Allâh Allâh ‘Azîz Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Karîm Allâh,
Allâh Allâh, Subªân Allâh, Allâh Allâh, Sul†ân Allâh!
You are our Sul†ān! We are your se
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