MERCY OCEANS, Book 01 (Shaykh Nazim, 208 pages, 1/12)
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MERCY OCEANS, Book One
The teachings of Mawlana ‘Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghestani
by Shaykh Nazim Qibrisi
Khatmul Awliya Sayyidina ‘Abdullah al-Fa’iz Daghestani ق (39th Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way) and his successor Sultanul Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani ق (40th Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way)
© 1980 Shaykh Nazim Qibrisi
“Follow in the path of him who has turned to Me with love.”
-Quran (Luqman, 15)
These are the teachings of our Grandshaykh, Mawlana Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghestani (may Allah be pleased with him), as told to us by our shaykh, Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qibrisi (may Allah be pleased with him). May Allah Almighty grant us the power to take benefit from these words.
“Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen, la hawla wa la quwwata illah billah hil Aliyyil Adheem,
al-Fatiha...”
Sultanul Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad ‘Adil ar-Rabbani ق (41st Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way)
PART ONE
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Islam is founded on three pillars. The first is BELIEF, the second is ACTIONS, and the third pillar is one’s character – or ATTRIBUTES.
BELIEF – The heart believes what the mind denies. This must be understood first of all or else there is no lslam. It is useless to base, or balance one’s faith on the level of the mind, which doubts anything, that it cannot experience through the senses.
ACTIONS – A believer must act with love. Love for Allah Almighty, and His Prophet, and his Shaykh. In his actions, a believer must imitate, or copy the behaviour of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his shaykh, submitting all aspects of his life to them. There can be no ‘secret departments’ in his life. He must, at all times, and in every situation, behave as if he were in their presence.
ATTRIBUTES – Quran tells us that there are not two hearts within the human breast. We may be slaves to our nafs, to our ego’s desires, or we may serve our Lord. The character of a servant of Allah is such that he is humble. He always considers himself to be in need to his Lord, to be weak and insufficient before his Lord, not puffed up with knowledge and self- importance.
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Our Grandshaykh says, “We must believe that there are two nations of the sons of Adam living now, imprisoned behind a great wall built by Dhul-Qarnain. In front of this wall, Allah Almighty has put great mountains of ice . . . unapproachable. These imprisoned nations, the Gog and Magog people, by Allah’s will, shall be released at the coming of a new star of great heat. They will quickly run out, eating everything softer than stones and drinking rivers and lakes. They will stay on the world until the Last Day, when the trumpet blows. Then all will die and the mountains will be levelled. Stones will be reduced to sand by terrible earthquakes. Afterwards, for forty years, there will be no life on earth.
Resurrection Day: Allah Almighty sends his rain. This rain is the sperm of man. For forty days it will rain and soak into the ground.
Seventy arm lengths of water will cover the earth. It is written in hadith that all the bodies of people will be destroyed except for one piece of bone – one cell.
This one cell will be like the egg cell of a woman, and it will be fertilized by this rain. From it, all bodies will come back to life, growing as in our mother’s womb, and soon becoming as they were on the day they died. Only a few bodies, such as those of the Prophets, will not experience this destruction and rebirth, but will, instead, be Divinely protected.
On the second blowing of the trumpet, by lsrafeel, the bodies lying in the graves will receive their individual souls, their human nature. They will then be alive, waiting in their graves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) will come up first. Gabriel is waiting for him to come to judgment. Rasulullah (peace be upon him) sits up, brushing the dust from his beard, and asks, first of all, “Ma dha an Ummati? (What about my nation?)”
“O Muhammad, don’t be afraid,” replies Gabriel. “They are waiting in their graves; waiting for you to command! You were the first to come up, and authority is given to you for your nation.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) gives permission for all people to come up. Seventy people will try to crowd onto one square foot. There is darkness – no sun, no moon. The people are naked, hungry, and thirsty. No one can see another, they have risen to they know not what. It is a fearful day.
Immediately, the Prophet (peace be upon him) will give the light of lman to each person, according to their faith. The minimum light will be like the end of the thumb, flickering on and off.
Then, from all directions, the people will be gathered on one plain for the judgment. That will be on the plain of Damas, and the balance will be set on the mountain (Jabal Qasiyun). (At this, the shaykh points to a spot directly in front of him in the Masjid of ‘Abdullah Daghestani and says, “Right here!”) Al-Kursi (the throne of our Lord) will be on the site where today are the graves of two of the Prophet’s wives in Damascus.
The full story of the Judgment cannot be told now. It is so long that its telling would last until the actual event.
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This description has a relationship to knowledge as a map has to a real country. Many secrets are being kept for later. Our Grandshaykh says that many secrets of Quran cannot be told now without raising vehement objections from the Great Ones.
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Hadith says, “The way to Paradise is filled with many things that our nafs will never like. The way to Hell, on the other hand, is full-up with our desires and pleasures.”
It was once a very cold day in Damascus at the time of the morning prayer (fajr). Grandshaykh said to the people who had gathered at the mosque, “Since you have been patient, here in the cold, for the sake of your Lord, Allah Almighty will send the heat of hell fifty-years distance away from you. This is for your one minute of patience!”
Patience is fighting all that the nafs likes. There are three types of patience:
The first type of patience is patience with physical discomforts – such as getting up on cold mornings for prayer, having cold water for washing, waiting in line, being uncomfortable during illness, completing difficult tasks, and so forth. To remain patient and to be steadfast in your worship in spite of these difficulties is very valuable in the sight of Allah.
The second type of patience is even more valuable, and that is the patience to refrain from forbidden things. When you look at a woman, for example, say, “O my nafs! This is my sister! How can I look at her with bad eyes?” About this kind of patience there is a hadith: “To live as a servant and to keep away from forbidden things is more valuable than all the worship of all the angels, men, and jinn throughout the ages!”
The third type of patience is the best of all. It is to be patient with the people who trouble you. Quran relates: “You must carry some of you with others of you. We are trying some of you with others of you.”
(Quran)
Patience is a most necessary thing in the life of a man. If a man has hold of patience, all goodness is with him. Allah’s eyes are on you . . . will you be patient?
* * * * * * * Smoking is unlovely to Allah!
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The pole star is fixed with all other stars revolving around it. The Qutb is fixed with all the other saints revolving around him also. The Qutb is the Sultan of the Awliya, the real Caliph and representative of Allah on earth. This is the highest rank among the saints. The orders of the Qutb are the orders of Allah, and his will is the equivalent of Allah’s will. Why? It is because he is no longer subject to his nafs’ desires. Only Allah’s Will is with him. There are no hobbies with him, only Allah’s Work. Only this kind of man can be a Wali (saint).
It is very difficult to stay on the throne of the pole star. Our Grandshaykh spoke of one Wali who stayed on that throne for forty years, unsurpassed by any other saint. This is a sign of great ‘spiritual poverty,’ and from this ‘poverty’ come his words. These words are unchanging laws. He was our Grandshaykh’s Shaykh, and this is his tradition coming to us.
He said, “If anyone doesn’t consider death and the hereafter at least four times a day, his faith is too weak to build upon. To consider death makes the soul free to contact its heavenly station and Divine Powers.”
What is the meaning of death? It is to be invisible in this world; to disappear from it and reappear in the Heavens. This is the meaning of death to the saints. Remembrance of that gives us more spiritual power.
It is the reality of death. At the same moment we are living here, we are reaching there. When your spirit leaves your body, immediately it will be in its Heavenly station. Our soul is waiting, like a bird in a cage, to be free. It waits with endless desire for the time when it can fly to its Heavenly station.
When a man knows the truth of death he no longer fears it, but waits for it. This knowledge gives us love to reach our Heavenly home, and also a Way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The way to meet your Lord is death. If you don’t like death, you don’t want to meet your Lord!”
All real believers must, therefore, like death – for it is the way to the Heavens. Thinking of death gives more power to our faith. The love of God is the power of our faith, the spirit of our faith. If you haven’t any love for Allah, then you cannot have any faith. It is impossible.
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Shaykh ‘Abdullah said, “If one louse gets on your foot and you say to it, ‘It’s alright, it’s only my foot’ – soon you will find it, not on your foot, but in the hair on your head!”
In the light of this saying, we must know that there are two kinds of people. Good people will show mercy and tolerance to all. Those of bad character, on the other hand, are pleased to see others miserable. They give trouble to everyone. Bad people come to good people and say, “Let us be your doorkeepers.” When good people accept them (saying, “Alright, it doesn’t matter”), the bad ones usurp all that the good people have.
You must be very careful. Never tolerate evil or give it any authority. (Iran, for example, allowed Khomeini to return – and then – finished!) It is like giving permission to snakes and scorpions to live in your house. Democracy allows its enemies to work within its borders. Quran says, “Do not trust those who are not of your faith, character, or way.” Even if a man is a Muslim – if he doesn’t think and feel like you, don’t trust him.
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Hadith says, “The best work is knowledge of Allah. That is the best occupation for a man.” This Hadith is like an ocean, for Quran says, “O my people, I am with you – all the time – everywhere.” He is always with us. This is knowledge.
Our Grandshaykh says, “If a man is not aware that Allah’s eyes are with him everywhere, all the time, that man is not a mu’min (believer).” You must imagine, in your heart, that Allah’s eyes are with you. If you forget this you will be absent from your Lord, and when you are absent from your Lord you will be present with your nafs (ego). The best actions come by holding this in your mind. “O my Lord, why am I writing this? I am writing for you.”
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What is the minimum degree of faith that we must keep in the presence of Allah? Our Grandshaykh says to us that the minimum faith is the same amount that we promised to Allah Almighty on the Day of Promises before coming to this world. That minimum faith would be enough to keep the remembrance of Allah while alone on a desert island with a beautiful girl. How can one have such faith? What if she were your sister? Your daughter?
lman (faith) means purity, and faith never lives in a dirty place or in a dirty heart. In the light of this hadith, we must move so that we will be living with people who are always with their Lord. Otherwise we are still living with snakes and scorpions.
Iman must be forever – no exceptions.
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Our Grandshaykh said that all Prophets and saints came only to call people to the buildings of their Heavenly stations, and to advise them how to do so. They don’t care if a man lives in a cave or a palace in this life, because everyone eventually ends in the grave.
The place to build for yourself is in Heaven. As hadith says, “O
people, as much as you stay in this life you must work for it. And as much
as you will stay in the next life you also must work for it.” This life is temporary. The next life is eternal. Therefore, working for eternal life must be unlimited. When we are working toward our heavenly stations, it gives us endless pleasure and satisfaction – endless pleasure for the heart of man.
In this age people are contrary to this point, giving all their energies to working for the things of this world. This is the source of all trouble and unhappiness of our time. How can a man be happy in this life when his desires and demands are endless? People want the whole ocean when they can have only one drop. How can they be happy?
I watched the young people in London. They looked like little fish with their mouths open wanting to swallow all the world – all the girls – all the good things. They run here and there, and in the end the world swallows them. That is the life of this world and it is empty. A man may live in Paris for forty years visiting the cafes and theatres every night. Then he comes here and sits with us. Would you believe that he swallowed all of Paris? No. Paris is still there without him. There is always a bigger fish to swallow the little ones.
If a man acts according to his senses, he will be wrong. If he acts according to his mind, he will be right. A man living for this world – wasting his body, money, and life – will tire and die without any benefit to himself. But a man, using his mind will take benefit from this life, building home, family, and business from which he will take eternal benefit.
When a man is thirsty he imagines he drinks all the rivers and springs, yet one glass is enough. Why do you wish to drink all the rivers and springs? You may fall in from too much drinking!
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Another important subject from our Grandshaykh – l am asking for more power to explain this lesson clearly to you:
Allah Almighty sends his Prophets with miracles and extraordinary happenings as people ask for signs of Prophethood before they are willing to believe. The most famous miracle of our Prophet
(peace be upon him) was the night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem to the Heavens and back again – the Me’raj. We must believe it as Allah tells us this in the Quran. We must believe it in our hearts. “Be right, as you have been ordered!” says the Quran.
Allah Almighty called Muhammad (peace be upon him) to His Divine presence, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) went as ordered, just as a dignitary is received by the Queen of England. This extreme honour and respect was not given to any other creature. Muhammad (peace be upon him) would never have received this honour for himself alone. He told Gabriel, “If this is only for me, I have no need of it. I will receive it only if it is also for my nation!”
Gabriel replied, “O Muhammad, if your nation is on the same steps as you (sunnah), this invitation to the Divine Presence is also for them. But, unless they follow you, it will be impossible for them to come.”
Thus, we have a promise from Allah Almighty to reach His Divine Presence following the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This and nothing else is the highest aim for mankind. All religions and Prophets came to ready man for this. It is like the bright preparations of a bride for her marriage.
All Prophets had their Me’raj, but none to the station of Muhammad (peace be upon him). When the great Wali, Abu Yazid al- Bistami (may Allah grant him more honour) asked his Lord, “How can I come to you?” Allah Almighty answered, “Leave your nafs, and come!”
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Our Grandshaykh said that Allah Almighty called Muhammad (peace be upon him) twelve thousand times, inviting him to the Divine Presence, but only once did he speak of it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not called for himself, but for two reasons:
The first reason was to receive good tidings for the sons of Adam (peace be upon him), as is related in the Quran. Allah swore, on His Divine Honour, to make the sons of Adam beings of high respect and honour, and spoke of this each time He called Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is an endless honour for men.
The second reason for which Rasulullah (peace be upon him) was called to his Lord’s Presence was to receive authority and power to keep the sons of Adam from all evils and devils (“… as much power as you need to protect My servants!”).
You are a man – we are all men – and men are known by their names. That one, for example, is named Tariq. We may further call him an American, a Muslim, a farmer. More descriptions give honour to a name, or, to put it another way, titles and names are the signs of his honour. We say that there is a reality, a wisdom, in Arabic, that the more names a man has the greater his honour.
The names of Allah Almighty, says our Grandshaykh, cannot be counted. He has as many names as all the atoms in the universe, as all the particles of all the atoms, down to the very last one. It is the sign of endless honour. He is the Creator. He knows each piece and its location. Can you understand the greatness of Allah Almighty? His beautiful names reach to the very last piece. He called Muhammad (peace be upon him) twelve thousand times to teach him these beautiful names, these names of honour. When the Prophet was sixty-three, these teachings were completed. He then went from this world into Allah’s Presence forever . .
. finished.
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Our Grandshaykh tells us that no one can have as much tolerance for mankind as Allah Almighty, Who said, each time He called the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Muhammad! Your nation is always sinning! They never tire of doing evil deeds! But I, their Lord, never tire of forgiving them! I am changing their bad deeds into good deeds!”
This is endless tolerance from Allah Almighty. He also told Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Anything you ask for your nation, I will give to you. I gave you ten Sahaba, each with a promise that they would enter paradise. At the end of time, with the last day approaching, I will give you a few people of your nation with such saintliness that it will be ordered in Paradise to put on more lights and beauty to receive them! This, O Muhammad, will be honour for you, as Paradise will be honoured by them.” Some kings are honoured by palaces, while other kings may
bring honour to a palace (There is an Arab saying: “The honour of a place is according to who is standing in it.”) Among those for whom Paradise will take on more beauty are Mahdi (peace be upon him) and his viziers and ministers.
What is Allah preparing in Paradise for His believers? Our Grandshaykh described the holy lights of Paradise in this way: “Beauty there is represented by women of such radiance that if one stretched her hand to the sky, the light of the sun would be as nothing! The perfume scent of one of these Paradise-ladies would cause any man who breathes her fragrance to forget eating and drinking until he would die! When a mu’min puts his hand to her breast, she will give such sounds of pleasure as have never been heard on earth…..”
“…..There is another Paradise above this. These endless beauty oceans are His Divine Presence. The first Paradise is just a drop. Whoever is interested in beauties will get that in Paradise, but the one who wishes the Divine Presence will get that. It is never open, but covered, because one single ray of Nur (light) small enough to pass through the eye of a needle would destroy the other paradise. These are the endless beauty oceans of Allah Almighty’s Presence.”
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“We believe there is a Face of Allah Almighty,” says our Grandshaykh, “But, a description of His Face is not imagination. You may imagine one face, and he, another, and so on. If yours is right, what about ours? We cannot describe all the attributes of Allah Almighty, we just know that He has them.”
The greatest pleasure, and the highest honour for mankind, is to be in the Divine Presence, looking at His Face. This honour is privately for the few that worship only Allah, asking nothing from this world or the next. Their heart is with their Lord, “I like you not for your palaces or gardens – I like You, only.” This is the highest degree of worship, wherein one is not interested in worldly or spiritual pleasures. To place one of these worshipers in Paradise would be to put him in prison.
On the Judgment Day, Allah will order them to be taken to
Paradise: “Take Tariq to Paradise!” He tells His angels. But he escapes and
returns. Then, the order comes, and he is bound in chains of light. Again he escapes, and says, “My Lord! I don’t want these things; I Want you!” Then, down upon him comes Nur and he disappears – gone into the Presence of Allah.
People like this know which thing is cheap and which thing is valuable. If they are shown a piece of glass and a diamond, they choose the diamond. How can anyone with a good mind choose to leave the Lord of the Universe? He is the Creator, the owner of all things. Accept the good He gives but in your heart always say, “O my Lord, we are asking for You only.”
Every Friday, in Paradise, Allah removes the veil from His Face. All the people there who chose Paradise instead of Him immediately quit whatever they are doing and look upon It – At that time there is no more sweetness or pleasure in anything else.
For those who wanted Him, however, they are before His Face eternally in His veiled Paradise beautified by the lights of His Beautiful Names, numerous as the smallest pieces of the universe, and bathed in the light of His Greatest Name. Each Name is an ocean of beauty and lightened pleasures, with countless private areas and secret mercies. The Greatest Name covers all.
Allah says, “O Muhammad! All of this for your nation – for My people! Whoever believes in My Words, I shall give him this, and more!” And so, we believe more and more, respect one another, and give trouble to no one.
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It is not a fit way for people to behave, biting and kicking like wild animals. A hadith relates: “Who is a Muslim? A Muslim is he who gives harm to no one. Not with his hands nor with his tongue.” This is a wide entrance to Islam, and it is for all people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) bears witness to this: It matters not which country or religion you come from, if you harm others you are not a real Muslim; you are with the animals in the stable.
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Mawlana asks one of his murids, “Did you pay attention to what I just said? Don’t tell me that you have heard all this before. Some things are suitable for using in more than one place. The onion used in cooking goes well in many dishes. You don’t say, ‘No, I already used it for soup.’ You may use it for salad also. You must always pay attention to all I am saying.”
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Allah Almighty is greatest. He is timeless, ever ready, without beginning – He is king.
And yet you cannot find a king without a kingdom. Without subjects his kingship has no meaning. Just as there can be no meaning for a Prophet without an ummah (nation). Therefore, Allah was ready without beginning, and his servants also were ready without beginning. If there were no people, to whom was He Allah? Was it to Himself? No! A hadith relates: “l was a secret treasure and wanted to be known.” His people were part of this treasure.
He is God to His people, and to each of them He gave a private station in His Divine Presence. There we are always worshipping without need of eating, drinking, or marrying. It is a reward for the sons of Adam (peace be upon him). These Heavenly stations are fixed. When people come to this world, they have the appearance of beginning, but in reality they were with Allah always, without beginning. We come from Allah and return to Him. You cannot say that we are a part of Him. We are only an appearance of His power – no more. All things are an appearance of the attribute of power. He says, “Kun! fa-yakun…” (“Be! And it is…”) Thus, we have our realities in His Divine Presence. Now, in this world, we have only a representation of that reality. This body, and all things of this world, have their origin in the reality of the Divine Presence. We are like a photograph. We, ourselves, are not on the paper – only an image. A rocket is sent into space. Is the power that sent it here on earth, or there with the rocket? The power is here, though we may see that rocket going back and forth, seemingly on its own.
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Our Grandshaykh tells us more about the attributes of Muslims: “We are always in need of so many things. Some of these we can take with our own powers, our thinking and doing, while other things (most things in fact) are beyond us. In his nature, the human being is weak. It is not within our power to reach everything we need. When we know that we are weak, we realize that we must depend on Him who is powerful – Allah Almighty.”
It is good manners, therefore, for everyone, Muslims, and especially those of the tariqats, to ask for everything that they need from their Lord. Allah says, “O my people! Ask Me for everything, even your shoelaces!” This is His order.
He knows best if something is suitable for us or not. When something is suitable for us He gives it. If it is not necessary, He doesn’t. This is why we must ask Him for everything. You may ask a person for something and he may give it – not knowing that it may be harmful to you. You, yourself, may not know if a thing will be all right for you to keep or use, or if it is haram (poison, forbidden). If Allah gives you something, you know it is all right. If it is not good, He prevents.
A person must know how and from whom he is asking. Man may ask for things dangerous to himself. But, if you know that a thing is good for you, you must ask strongly – not half-asleep! You must be like a little boy, asking from his parents. He never ceases till they give him what he asks. When you have been given a thing by Allah, you must keep it and thank Him for it.
We live in a world where everyone is in need of each other. It may be that if we ask another person for something, Allah will put inspiration into his heart to give it or not. We must know, however, that it is Allah who is giving – sending us His servants. In everything Allah knows well, and looks for what is most suitable.”
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Our Grandshaykh was the Sultan of the Awliya. Though he was illiterate, Allah Almighty gave to him ‘ilma la dunni’ from His Divine Knowledge. This is given only to those who fear and respect their Lord. The following is a saying of his:
“Now we are living in dunya, afterwards, akhira. The reality of dunya is ‘fana,’ or ‘not existing.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Allah never looks upon this world. If He did, it would stop!’ Though Allah created this world, He never looks on it with love. This is because this world is only temporary. You may, for example, build fifteen water closets (toilet), but do you look upon this as being lovely? When Adam (peace be upon him) ate from the tree of knowledge, his stomach started to churn. ‘There is no water closet in Paradise,’ Allah said. ‘You must go down to dunya – there is a water closet for you!’
“In Quran, Allah tells Moses (peace be upon him), ‘Look to the mountain. When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, the mountain came crashing down!’ (Quran, surah A’raaf, VII- 143)
“We are saying that the whole of the universe is less valuable than even one of the sons of Adam (peace be upon him). Thus, for our sake, Allah looks to us here, in this dunya, once a day. This world isn’t valuable to Him, but the sons of Adam (peace be upon him) have endless value in His sight.
“Nowadays people have forgotten this. They all hold this world, this dunya, to be very valuable. For this dunya, they kill each other with a quarter’s worth of lead! One of the pillars of Islam is to know the value of people and things. A Muslim’s vision must be like his Lord’s vision. We must treat each other with perfect love and respect. We must help each other, not quarrel over the things of this worthless world. Allah Almighty is ‘Rabbil-Alameen,’ the Lord of the Universe, and all people are equal in His sight. They are all servants of their Lord whether they know it or not. All of us are living in His Mercy Oceans.
“As we said, Allah Almighty looks to this world once a day. The time He looks is from midnight until the adhan of fajr (the morning prayer). What is the reason He looks? It is to see what lblis, the devil, is up to. Allah sees what dirt Satan has thrown on his servants during the day, and like a mother catching her dirty child after a day of playing, He washes away their dirt. With His endless mercy He washes away their bad deeds. Every night, for the honour of those awake and praying for forgiveness, Allah Almighty gives His mercy generally to all the sleeping ones. Every night Allah is destroying bad things and putting good things
in their place. This is secret knowledge. lblis never knows of it. If he knew that every night his doings were being destroyed, he would cease trying to deceive people.”
* * * * * * *
Grandshaykh says that for people living in the area of Damascus, Allah looks to them twice a day. If a man dies in Damascus with twenty- four thousand sins, Allah will turn them into twenty-four thousand good deeds. Damascus is a Holy area, the place of the Judgment Day, where twice a day come Nur and mercy. This area covers all that a man can see from the minaret of the Masjid Umawi, and its baraka spreads for a distance of six days’ camel ride in all directions. So great is the honour of this area that Grandshaykh once spoke of it for forty days!
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Since the time of Adam (peace be upon him), and up until the Last Day, Allah Almighty has given four great saints the task of governing and looking after the whole world. When one goes, another comes to take his place. Their decisions control kings and history.
Qutb al-Bilad is in control of all countries. Qutb al-Irshad sends everyone to their destinies. The Pole of the Poles is Qutb al-Aqtab; he is responsible for the other Qutbs, and his spiritual body is in the Ka’aba. Qutb al-Mutasarrif is the ‘treasurer.’ He has the power to make everything in accordance with Allah’s will.
These are secret titles, known only to the few who are holding them. They are unknown persons; perhaps the man pushing a cart in the market place is one of them! Allah Almighty leaves the sons of Adam (peace be upon him) almost completely in their care; only once a day does our Lord look to us to protect us from Satan.
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=5761
MERCY OCEANS, Book One
The teachings of Mawlana ‘Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghestani
by Shaykh Nazim Qibrisi
Khatmul Awliya Sayyidina ‘Abdullah al-Fa’iz Daghestani ق (39th Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way) and his successor Sultanul Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani ق (40th Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way)
© 1980 Shaykh Nazim Qibrisi
“Follow in the path of him who has turned to Me with love.”
-Quran (Luqman, 15)
These are the teachings of our Grandshaykh, Mawlana Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghestani (may Allah be pleased with him), as told to us by our shaykh, Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qibrisi (may Allah be pleased with him). May Allah Almighty grant us the power to take benefit from these words.
“Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen, la hawla wa la quwwata illah billah hil Aliyyil Adheem,
al-Fatiha...”
Sultanul Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad ‘Adil ar-Rabbani ق (41st Grandshaykh of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Way)
PART ONE
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Islam is founded on three pillars. The first is BELIEF, the second is ACTIONS, and the third pillar is one’s character – or ATTRIBUTES.
BELIEF – The heart believes what the mind denies. This must be understood first of all or else there is no lslam. It is useless to base, or balance one’s faith on the level of the mind, which doubts anything, that it cannot experience through the senses.
ACTIONS – A believer must act with love. Love for Allah Almighty, and His Prophet, and his Shaykh. In his actions, a believer must imitate, or copy the behaviour of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his shaykh, submitting all aspects of his life to them. There can be no ‘secret departments’ in his life. He must, at all times, and in every situation, behave as if he were in their presence.
ATTRIBUTES – Quran tells us that there are not two hearts within the human breast. We may be slaves to our nafs, to our ego’s desires, or we may serve our Lord. The character of a servant of Allah is such that he is humble. He always considers himself to be in need to his Lord, to be weak and insufficient before his Lord, not puffed up with knowledge and self- importance.
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Our Grandshaykh says, “We must believe that there are two nations of the sons of Adam living now, imprisoned behind a great wall built by Dhul-Qarnain. In front of this wall, Allah Almighty has put great mountains of ice . . . unapproachable. These imprisoned nations, the Gog and Magog people, by Allah’s will, shall be released at the coming of a new star of great heat. They will quickly run out, eating everything softer than stones and drinking rivers and lakes. They will stay on the world until the Last Day, when the trumpet blows. Then all will die and the mountains will be levelled. Stones will be reduced to sand by terrible earthquakes. Afterwards, for forty years, there will be no life on earth.
Resurrection Day: Allah Almighty sends his rain. This rain is the sperm of man. For forty days it will rain and soak into the ground.
Seventy arm lengths of water will cover the earth. It is written in hadith that all the bodies of people will be destroyed except for one piece of bone – one cell.
This one cell will be like the egg cell of a woman, and it will be fertilized by this rain. From it, all bodies will come back to life, growing as in our mother’s womb, and soon becoming as they were on the day they died. Only a few bodies, such as those of the Prophets, will not experience this destruction and rebirth, but will, instead, be Divinely protected.
On the second blowing of the trumpet, by lsrafeel, the bodies lying in the graves will receive their individual souls, their human nature. They will then be alive, waiting in their graves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) will come up first. Gabriel is waiting for him to come to judgment. Rasulullah (peace be upon him) sits up, brushing the dust from his beard, and asks, first of all, “Ma dha an Ummati? (What about my nation?)”
“O Muhammad, don’t be afraid,” replies Gabriel. “They are waiting in their graves; waiting for you to command! You were the first to come up, and authority is given to you for your nation.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) gives permission for all people to come up. Seventy people will try to crowd onto one square foot. There is darkness – no sun, no moon. The people are naked, hungry, and thirsty. No one can see another, they have risen to they know not what. It is a fearful day.
Immediately, the Prophet (peace be upon him) will give the light of lman to each person, according to their faith. The minimum light will be like the end of the thumb, flickering on and off.
Then, from all directions, the people will be gathered on one plain for the judgment. That will be on the plain of Damas, and the balance will be set on the mountain (Jabal Qasiyun). (At this, the shaykh points to a spot directly in front of him in the Masjid of ‘Abdullah Daghestani and says, “Right here!”) Al-Kursi (the throne of our Lord) will be on the site where today are the graves of two of the Prophet’s wives in Damascus.
The full story of the Judgment cannot be told now. It is so long that its telling would last until the actual event.
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This description has a relationship to knowledge as a map has to a real country. Many secrets are being kept for later. Our Grandshaykh says that many secrets of Quran cannot be told now without raising vehement objections from the Great Ones.
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Hadith says, “The way to Paradise is filled with many things that our nafs will never like. The way to Hell, on the other hand, is full-up with our desires and pleasures.”
It was once a very cold day in Damascus at the time of the morning prayer (fajr). Grandshaykh said to the people who had gathered at the mosque, “Since you have been patient, here in the cold, for the sake of your Lord, Allah Almighty will send the heat of hell fifty-years distance away from you. This is for your one minute of patience!”
Patience is fighting all that the nafs likes. There are three types of patience:
The first type of patience is patience with physical discomforts – such as getting up on cold mornings for prayer, having cold water for washing, waiting in line, being uncomfortable during illness, completing difficult tasks, and so forth. To remain patient and to be steadfast in your worship in spite of these difficulties is very valuable in the sight of Allah.
The second type of patience is even more valuable, and that is the patience to refrain from forbidden things. When you look at a woman, for example, say, “O my nafs! This is my sister! How can I look at her with bad eyes?” About this kind of patience there is a hadith: “To live as a servant and to keep away from forbidden things is more valuable than all the worship of all the angels, men, and jinn throughout the ages!”
The third type of patience is the best of all. It is to be patient with the people who trouble you. Quran relates: “You must carry some of you with others of you. We are trying some of you with others of you.”
(Quran)
Patience is a most necessary thing in the life of a man. If a man has hold of patience, all goodness is with him. Allah’s eyes are on you . . . will you be patient?
* * * * * * * Smoking is unlovely to Allah!
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The pole star is fixed with all other stars revolving around it. The Qutb is fixed with all the other saints revolving around him also. The Qutb is the Sultan of the Awliya, the real Caliph and representative of Allah on earth. This is the highest rank among the saints. The orders of the Qutb are the orders of Allah, and his will is the equivalent of Allah’s will. Why? It is because he is no longer subject to his nafs’ desires. Only Allah’s Will is with him. There are no hobbies with him, only Allah’s Work. Only this kind of man can be a Wali (saint).
It is very difficult to stay on the throne of the pole star. Our Grandshaykh spoke of one Wali who stayed on that throne for forty years, unsurpassed by any other saint. This is a sign of great ‘spiritual poverty,’ and from this ‘poverty’ come his words. These words are unchanging laws. He was our Grandshaykh’s Shaykh, and this is his tradition coming to us.
He said, “If anyone doesn’t consider death and the hereafter at least four times a day, his faith is too weak to build upon. To consider death makes the soul free to contact its heavenly station and Divine Powers.”
What is the meaning of death? It is to be invisible in this world; to disappear from it and reappear in the Heavens. This is the meaning of death to the saints. Remembrance of that gives us more spiritual power.
It is the reality of death. At the same moment we are living here, we are reaching there. When your spirit leaves your body, immediately it will be in its Heavenly station. Our soul is waiting, like a bird in a cage, to be free. It waits with endless desire for the time when it can fly to its Heavenly station.
When a man knows the truth of death he no longer fears it, but waits for it. This knowledge gives us love to reach our Heavenly home, and also a Way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The way to meet your Lord is death. If you don’t like death, you don’t want to meet your Lord!”
All real believers must, therefore, like death – for it is the way to the Heavens. Thinking of death gives more power to our faith. The love of God is the power of our faith, the spirit of our faith. If you haven’t any love for Allah, then you cannot have any faith. It is impossible.
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Shaykh ‘Abdullah said, “If one louse gets on your foot and you say to it, ‘It’s alright, it’s only my foot’ – soon you will find it, not on your foot, but in the hair on your head!”
In the light of this saying, we must know that there are two kinds of people. Good people will show mercy and tolerance to all. Those of bad character, on the other hand, are pleased to see others miserable. They give trouble to everyone. Bad people come to good people and say, “Let us be your doorkeepers.” When good people accept them (saying, “Alright, it doesn’t matter”), the bad ones usurp all that the good people have.
You must be very careful. Never tolerate evil or give it any authority. (Iran, for example, allowed Khomeini to return – and then – finished!) It is like giving permission to snakes and scorpions to live in your house. Democracy allows its enemies to work within its borders. Quran says, “Do not trust those who are not of your faith, character, or way.” Even if a man is a Muslim – if he doesn’t think and feel like you, don’t trust him.
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Hadith says, “The best work is knowledge of Allah. That is the best occupation for a man.” This Hadith is like an ocean, for Quran says, “O my people, I am with you – all the time – everywhere.” He is always with us. This is knowledge.
Our Grandshaykh says, “If a man is not aware that Allah’s eyes are with him everywhere, all the time, that man is not a mu’min (believer).” You must imagine, in your heart, that Allah’s eyes are with you. If you forget this you will be absent from your Lord, and when you are absent from your Lord you will be present with your nafs (ego). The best actions come by holding this in your mind. “O my Lord, why am I writing this? I am writing for you.”
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What is the minimum degree of faith that we must keep in the presence of Allah? Our Grandshaykh says to us that the minimum faith is the same amount that we promised to Allah Almighty on the Day of Promises before coming to this world. That minimum faith would be enough to keep the remembrance of Allah while alone on a desert island with a beautiful girl. How can one have such faith? What if she were your sister? Your daughter?
lman (faith) means purity, and faith never lives in a dirty place or in a dirty heart. In the light of this hadith, we must move so that we will be living with people who are always with their Lord. Otherwise we are still living with snakes and scorpions.
Iman must be forever – no exceptions.
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Our Grandshaykh said that all Prophets and saints came only to call people to the buildings of their Heavenly stations, and to advise them how to do so. They don’t care if a man lives in a cave or a palace in this life, because everyone eventually ends in the grave.
The place to build for yourself is in Heaven. As hadith says, “O
people, as much as you stay in this life you must work for it. And as much
as you will stay in the next life you also must work for it.” This life is temporary. The next life is eternal. Therefore, working for eternal life must be unlimited. When we are working toward our heavenly stations, it gives us endless pleasure and satisfaction – endless pleasure for the heart of man.
In this age people are contrary to this point, giving all their energies to working for the things of this world. This is the source of all trouble and unhappiness of our time. How can a man be happy in this life when his desires and demands are endless? People want the whole ocean when they can have only one drop. How can they be happy?
I watched the young people in London. They looked like little fish with their mouths open wanting to swallow all the world – all the girls – all the good things. They run here and there, and in the end the world swallows them. That is the life of this world and it is empty. A man may live in Paris for forty years visiting the cafes and theatres every night. Then he comes here and sits with us. Would you believe that he swallowed all of Paris? No. Paris is still there without him. There is always a bigger fish to swallow the little ones.
If a man acts according to his senses, he will be wrong. If he acts according to his mind, he will be right. A man living for this world – wasting his body, money, and life – will tire and die without any benefit to himself. But a man, using his mind will take benefit from this life, building home, family, and business from which he will take eternal benefit.
When a man is thirsty he imagines he drinks all the rivers and springs, yet one glass is enough. Why do you wish to drink all the rivers and springs? You may fall in from too much drinking!
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Another important subject from our Grandshaykh – l am asking for more power to explain this lesson clearly to you:
Allah Almighty sends his Prophets with miracles and extraordinary happenings as people ask for signs of Prophethood before they are willing to believe. The most famous miracle of our Prophet
(peace be upon him) was the night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem to the Heavens and back again – the Me’raj. We must believe it as Allah tells us this in the Quran. We must believe it in our hearts. “Be right, as you have been ordered!” says the Quran.
Allah Almighty called Muhammad (peace be upon him) to His Divine presence, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) went as ordered, just as a dignitary is received by the Queen of England. This extreme honour and respect was not given to any other creature. Muhammad (peace be upon him) would never have received this honour for himself alone. He told Gabriel, “If this is only for me, I have no need of it. I will receive it only if it is also for my nation!”
Gabriel replied, “O Muhammad, if your nation is on the same steps as you (sunnah), this invitation to the Divine Presence is also for them. But, unless they follow you, it will be impossible for them to come.”
Thus, we have a promise from Allah Almighty to reach His Divine Presence following the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This and nothing else is the highest aim for mankind. All religions and Prophets came to ready man for this. It is like the bright preparations of a bride for her marriage.
All Prophets had their Me’raj, but none to the station of Muhammad (peace be upon him). When the great Wali, Abu Yazid al- Bistami (may Allah grant him more honour) asked his Lord, “How can I come to you?” Allah Almighty answered, “Leave your nafs, and come!”
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Our Grandshaykh said that Allah Almighty called Muhammad (peace be upon him) twelve thousand times, inviting him to the Divine Presence, but only once did he speak of it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not called for himself, but for two reasons:
The first reason was to receive good tidings for the sons of Adam (peace be upon him), as is related in the Quran. Allah swore, on His Divine Honour, to make the sons of Adam beings of high respect and honour, and spoke of this each time He called Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is an endless honour for men.
The second reason for which Rasulullah (peace be upon him) was called to his Lord’s Presence was to receive authority and power to keep the sons of Adam from all evils and devils (“… as much power as you need to protect My servants!”).
You are a man – we are all men – and men are known by their names. That one, for example, is named Tariq. We may further call him an American, a Muslim, a farmer. More descriptions give honour to a name, or, to put it another way, titles and names are the signs of his honour. We say that there is a reality, a wisdom, in Arabic, that the more names a man has the greater his honour.
The names of Allah Almighty, says our Grandshaykh, cannot be counted. He has as many names as all the atoms in the universe, as all the particles of all the atoms, down to the very last one. It is the sign of endless honour. He is the Creator. He knows each piece and its location. Can you understand the greatness of Allah Almighty? His beautiful names reach to the very last piece. He called Muhammad (peace be upon him) twelve thousand times to teach him these beautiful names, these names of honour. When the Prophet was sixty-three, these teachings were completed. He then went from this world into Allah’s Presence forever . .
. finished.
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Our Grandshaykh tells us that no one can have as much tolerance for mankind as Allah Almighty, Who said, each time He called the Prophet (peace be upon him), “O Muhammad! Your nation is always sinning! They never tire of doing evil deeds! But I, their Lord, never tire of forgiving them! I am changing their bad deeds into good deeds!”
This is endless tolerance from Allah Almighty. He also told Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Anything you ask for your nation, I will give to you. I gave you ten Sahaba, each with a promise that they would enter paradise. At the end of time, with the last day approaching, I will give you a few people of your nation with such saintliness that it will be ordered in Paradise to put on more lights and beauty to receive them! This, O Muhammad, will be honour for you, as Paradise will be honoured by them.” Some kings are honoured by palaces, while other kings may
bring honour to a palace (There is an Arab saying: “The honour of a place is according to who is standing in it.”) Among those for whom Paradise will take on more beauty are Mahdi (peace be upon him) and his viziers and ministers.
What is Allah preparing in Paradise for His believers? Our Grandshaykh described the holy lights of Paradise in this way: “Beauty there is represented by women of such radiance that if one stretched her hand to the sky, the light of the sun would be as nothing! The perfume scent of one of these Paradise-ladies would cause any man who breathes her fragrance to forget eating and drinking until he would die! When a mu’min puts his hand to her breast, she will give such sounds of pleasure as have never been heard on earth…..”
“…..There is another Paradise above this. These endless beauty oceans are His Divine Presence. The first Paradise is just a drop. Whoever is interested in beauties will get that in Paradise, but the one who wishes the Divine Presence will get that. It is never open, but covered, because one single ray of Nur (light) small enough to pass through the eye of a needle would destroy the other paradise. These are the endless beauty oceans of Allah Almighty’s Presence.”
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“We believe there is a Face of Allah Almighty,” says our Grandshaykh, “But, a description of His Face is not imagination. You may imagine one face, and he, another, and so on. If yours is right, what about ours? We cannot describe all the attributes of Allah Almighty, we just know that He has them.”
The greatest pleasure, and the highest honour for mankind, is to be in the Divine Presence, looking at His Face. This honour is privately for the few that worship only Allah, asking nothing from this world or the next. Their heart is with their Lord, “I like you not for your palaces or gardens – I like You, only.” This is the highest degree of worship, wherein one is not interested in worldly or spiritual pleasures. To place one of these worshipers in Paradise would be to put him in prison.
On the Judgment Day, Allah will order them to be taken to
Paradise: “Take Tariq to Paradise!” He tells His angels. But he escapes and
returns. Then, the order comes, and he is bound in chains of light. Again he escapes, and says, “My Lord! I don’t want these things; I Want you!” Then, down upon him comes Nur and he disappears – gone into the Presence of Allah.
People like this know which thing is cheap and which thing is valuable. If they are shown a piece of glass and a diamond, they choose the diamond. How can anyone with a good mind choose to leave the Lord of the Universe? He is the Creator, the owner of all things. Accept the good He gives but in your heart always say, “O my Lord, we are asking for You only.”
Every Friday, in Paradise, Allah removes the veil from His Face. All the people there who chose Paradise instead of Him immediately quit whatever they are doing and look upon It – At that time there is no more sweetness or pleasure in anything else.
For those who wanted Him, however, they are before His Face eternally in His veiled Paradise beautified by the lights of His Beautiful Names, numerous as the smallest pieces of the universe, and bathed in the light of His Greatest Name. Each Name is an ocean of beauty and lightened pleasures, with countless private areas and secret mercies. The Greatest Name covers all.
Allah says, “O Muhammad! All of this for your nation – for My people! Whoever believes in My Words, I shall give him this, and more!” And so, we believe more and more, respect one another, and give trouble to no one.
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It is not a fit way for people to behave, biting and kicking like wild animals. A hadith relates: “Who is a Muslim? A Muslim is he who gives harm to no one. Not with his hands nor with his tongue.” This is a wide entrance to Islam, and it is for all people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) bears witness to this: It matters not which country or religion you come from, if you harm others you are not a real Muslim; you are with the animals in the stable.
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Mawlana asks one of his murids, “Did you pay attention to what I just said? Don’t tell me that you have heard all this before. Some things are suitable for using in more than one place. The onion used in cooking goes well in many dishes. You don’t say, ‘No, I already used it for soup.’ You may use it for salad also. You must always pay attention to all I am saying.”
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Allah Almighty is greatest. He is timeless, ever ready, without beginning – He is king.
And yet you cannot find a king without a kingdom. Without subjects his kingship has no meaning. Just as there can be no meaning for a Prophet without an ummah (nation). Therefore, Allah was ready without beginning, and his servants also were ready without beginning. If there were no people, to whom was He Allah? Was it to Himself? No! A hadith relates: “l was a secret treasure and wanted to be known.” His people were part of this treasure.
He is God to His people, and to each of them He gave a private station in His Divine Presence. There we are always worshipping without need of eating, drinking, or marrying. It is a reward for the sons of Adam (peace be upon him). These Heavenly stations are fixed. When people come to this world, they have the appearance of beginning, but in reality they were with Allah always, without beginning. We come from Allah and return to Him. You cannot say that we are a part of Him. We are only an appearance of His power – no more. All things are an appearance of the attribute of power. He says, “Kun! fa-yakun…” (“Be! And it is…”) Thus, we have our realities in His Divine Presence. Now, in this world, we have only a representation of that reality. This body, and all things of this world, have their origin in the reality of the Divine Presence. We are like a photograph. We, ourselves, are not on the paper – only an image. A rocket is sent into space. Is the power that sent it here on earth, or there with the rocket? The power is here, though we may see that rocket going back and forth, seemingly on its own.
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Our Grandshaykh tells us more about the attributes of Muslims: “We are always in need of so many things. Some of these we can take with our own powers, our thinking and doing, while other things (most things in fact) are beyond us. In his nature, the human being is weak. It is not within our power to reach everything we need. When we know that we are weak, we realize that we must depend on Him who is powerful – Allah Almighty.”
It is good manners, therefore, for everyone, Muslims, and especially those of the tariqats, to ask for everything that they need from their Lord. Allah says, “O my people! Ask Me for everything, even your shoelaces!” This is His order.
He knows best if something is suitable for us or not. When something is suitable for us He gives it. If it is not necessary, He doesn’t. This is why we must ask Him for everything. You may ask a person for something and he may give it – not knowing that it may be harmful to you. You, yourself, may not know if a thing will be all right for you to keep or use, or if it is haram (poison, forbidden). If Allah gives you something, you know it is all right. If it is not good, He prevents.
A person must know how and from whom he is asking. Man may ask for things dangerous to himself. But, if you know that a thing is good for you, you must ask strongly – not half-asleep! You must be like a little boy, asking from his parents. He never ceases till they give him what he asks. When you have been given a thing by Allah, you must keep it and thank Him for it.
We live in a world where everyone is in need of each other. It may be that if we ask another person for something, Allah will put inspiration into his heart to give it or not. We must know, however, that it is Allah who is giving – sending us His servants. In everything Allah knows well, and looks for what is most suitable.”
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Our Grandshaykh was the Sultan of the Awliya. Though he was illiterate, Allah Almighty gave to him ‘ilma la dunni’ from His Divine Knowledge. This is given only to those who fear and respect their Lord. The following is a saying of his:
“Now we are living in dunya, afterwards, akhira. The reality of dunya is ‘fana,’ or ‘not existing.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Allah never looks upon this world. If He did, it would stop!’ Though Allah created this world, He never looks on it with love. This is because this world is only temporary. You may, for example, build fifteen water closets (toilet), but do you look upon this as being lovely? When Adam (peace be upon him) ate from the tree of knowledge, his stomach started to churn. ‘There is no water closet in Paradise,’ Allah said. ‘You must go down to dunya – there is a water closet for you!’
“In Quran, Allah tells Moses (peace be upon him), ‘Look to the mountain. When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, the mountain came crashing down!’ (Quran, surah A’raaf, VII- 143)
“We are saying that the whole of the universe is less valuable than even one of the sons of Adam (peace be upon him). Thus, for our sake, Allah looks to us here, in this dunya, once a day. This world isn’t valuable to Him, but the sons of Adam (peace be upon him) have endless value in His sight.
“Nowadays people have forgotten this. They all hold this world, this dunya, to be very valuable. For this dunya, they kill each other with a quarter’s worth of lead! One of the pillars of Islam is to know the value of people and things. A Muslim’s vision must be like his Lord’s vision. We must treat each other with perfect love and respect. We must help each other, not quarrel over the things of this worthless world. Allah Almighty is ‘Rabbil-Alameen,’ the Lord of the Universe, and all people are equal in His sight. They are all servants of their Lord whether they know it or not. All of us are living in His Mercy Oceans.
“As we said, Allah Almighty looks to this world once a day. The time He looks is from midnight until the adhan of fajr (the morning prayer). What is the reason He looks? It is to see what lblis, the devil, is up to. Allah sees what dirt Satan has thrown on his servants during the day, and like a mother catching her dirty child after a day of playing, He washes away their dirt. With His endless mercy He washes away their bad deeds. Every night, for the honour of those awake and praying for forgiveness, Allah Almighty gives His mercy generally to all the sleeping ones. Every night Allah is destroying bad things and putting good things
in their place. This is secret knowledge. lblis never knows of it. If he knew that every night his doings were being destroyed, he would cease trying to deceive people.”
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Grandshaykh says that for people living in the area of Damascus, Allah looks to them twice a day. If a man dies in Damascus with twenty- four thousand sins, Allah will turn them into twenty-four thousand good deeds. Damascus is a Holy area, the place of the Judgment Day, where twice a day come Nur and mercy. This area covers all that a man can see from the minaret of the Masjid Umawi, and its baraka spreads for a distance of six days’ camel ride in all directions. So great is the honour of this area that Grandshaykh once spoke of it for forty days!
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Since the time of Adam (peace be upon him), and up until the Last Day, Allah Almighty has given four great saints the task of governing and looking after the whole world. When one goes, another comes to take his place. Their decisions control kings and history.
Qutb al-Bilad is in control of all countries. Qutb al-Irshad sends everyone to their destinies. The Pole of the Poles is Qutb al-Aqtab; he is responsible for the other Qutbs, and his spiritual body is in the Ka’aba. Qutb al-Mutasarrif is the ‘treasurer.’ He has the power to make everything in accordance with Allah’s will.
These are secret titles, known only to the few who are holding them. They are unknown persons; perhaps the man pushing a cart in the market place is one of them! Allah Almighty leaves the sons of Adam (peace be upon him) almost completely in their care; only once a day does our Lord look to us to protect us from Satan.
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