MERCY OCEANS, Book 02 (Shaykh Nazim, 224 pages, 11/12)
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les; why are the others Prophets and he not a Prophet? If we are using our minds on this subject, we can’t refuse him. Only the dogmatism of their religon causes them to refuse. Many Christians and Jews in the time of the Prophet came to him, saying: «We found your name in our books and accept you as one coming with truth.» Even one man
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would be enough as a witness, and there are millions coming.
Ka‘b-ul-Akbar, the most learned Rabbi of the Jews, saw the Prophet and was present with Abû Bakr as-Sid- dîq; and when Omar became Khalifa he made shahâda and became Muslim. Omar asked him: «Why did you delay shahâda when you sat with the Prophet and Abû Bakr, and both of them are so much better men than me?» «Oh Khalifa Omar, you speak the truth, I saw the Prophet and Abû Bakr. I am a famous Rabbi of the Jewish nation, no one knows the holy books like me. I checked up all the signs about the last Prophet and found them applying exactly, only two signs yet remained.» «What were those two signs?» «That two of the wazirs of the last Prophet should be the two Khalifas after him. I was waiting for those two signs. Now nothing remains to be fulfilled, the proof is hundred per cent Lâ ilâha illâ llâh Muhammadun rasûla llâh.»
This is enough. If man has a mind, and there is justi- ce in his heart, he must make shahâda.
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AVOIDING FITNA GRANDSHEIKH’S TALES IMPROVING DAY BY DAY
My Grandsheikh was always advising people to keep themselves from fitna, discord. It is prohibited in Islam, it is worse than killing people. In the time of the Pro-
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phet, late one night he ordered Bilal to call the people, all of them came and gathered in the mosque in Medina. The Prophet’s companions were afraid of what might be the reason for his calling them together. The Pro- phet addressed them. «Oh my Sahāba, Allah Almighty gave me a very important order, so important, I quick- ly want to inform you about it. My Lord just sent the Angel Jibrîl to tell me the reason for the destruction of this nation in future times. It is: to speak about a happe- ning which took place two hours ago.» He means to say that if there is any disputing between you and a person, and then some time after that happening you refer to it, causing him to remember, it is like a fire that has gone out and your are bringing new fire. That is fitna. Fitna is sleeping; if anyone is waking it, the Prophet’s curse is on him. If a man is keeping a dirty thing in his heart, it means he is making his heart a toilet. «You remem- ber, you said such and such a thing to me, I am not forgetting it.» Don’t keep dirty things in your heart, it makes bad character. Remember good things from people. The believer quickly forgets badness; he cannot remember it. This is high character which grows with high faith. The Prophet says: «Don’t keep a bad thing in your heart. I could not wait until the morning to in- form you.»
The character of a Mu’min is that there is no badness in his heart; he is throwing it away and keeping good- ness. There is no revenge in real religion. This is a very important lecture; you must keep it always. This is the honour of mankind. If you are like this, then you are ne- ver angry at anyone. In Islam we say, that if a believer
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is angry with a believer, he must forget it in the time it takes for a very thin turban to dry after washing. It is not permitted for a Mu’min to leave his brother in religion and not speak to him for more than three days. One must come to him to make up. The Prophet was cautioning that if one is leaving him for more than three days, Satan takes you under his control for 40 days. If he is not repenting then, he takes you for one year. When a man is under the control of Satan, his faith is destroyed. It is seriously forbidden to turn from a person for more than three days.
Our Grandsheikh says that in every tale that we are telling, there is a spirit, giving power to our spirit, po- wer in our faith. The same tale might be repeated so many times, but never in the same form. He said the telling of a tale is according to the Tajalli of that time. His tales were not frozen cliches. You listen as if it is told for the first time. That is the Karama of saints; they may speak in accordance with the peoples’ capaci- ty and station. Maybe the same story for a learned man gives him as he needs, or for a woman as she needs. If the same people are sitting for a second or third time, we say as it is needed at that time. Many learned people can repeat a tale, but not in a new form, always it is fro- zen into the same form. Or if they are telling a hadith in a square, they are never going to make it into a hexagon or a circle, never going to make it wider. Like a tape cassette, never anything expanding, only repeating.
For 40 years I was with my Grandsheikh. Everytime he was speaking afresh; not looking at a paper like me, no, he is Grandsheikh. We are only a drop, he an ocean.
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His spiritual power is making me speak. This is the way of all saints. The Prophet gives spiritual power for their speaking, and the Prophet said: «Oh my people, I can’t speak. My Lord makes me to speak. My knowledge is only a little drop from His oceans.» This is an adab for every servant.
The Prophet was saying that everyone, especially believers, must improve day by day, not staying every- day on the same level, sometimes falling down. It is ordered in every religion to improve day by day. The Prophet was cautioning: «If a man’s actions are not go- ing to be better today than yesterday, it is better for him to be under the ground than above the ground.» If he cannot improve a little everyday, he is losing. Be- fore losing everything, it is better to stop and be in the grave. How can you do this? When you keep today’s actions, it will be «one»; tomorrow will be «two» and the next day «three». If losing today, you stay at zero. This is signalling that we must take care for our actions and worshippings, must know how to protect them, or Satan will take them from our hands.
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TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK A STORY OF MEVLANA KHâLID
Jesus Christ advised his followers, that if a person hits you on the cheek, you should turn the other. He was a great Prophet, and even coming to us without our
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Prophet’s sayings, we accept. He was showing people how to avoid fitna, discord. No one but real sufi people can listen to and follow that advice. By listening to that word only, there would be no more war in the world. Even those who say that they are Christians cannot fol- low that advise.
Here in Damascus on Jabal Qasiyûn, a holy moun- tain, is a great saint, Mevlana Khālid al-Baghdādî. He was training people, and is one of our Grandsheikhs in the golden chain of Naqshabandia. Our Grandsheikh told a tale about him. A person came from Daghestan to Mevlana Khālid to take Tariqat. They are very proud people, and this one came wearing pistols and daggers and his turban at a slant over one eye. «Where are you coming from?» he was asked. «From Daghestan.» «I don’t give Tariqat to people coming from Daghestan», Mevlana Khālid told him. «O sheikh, did Allah not send the Prophet for Daghestan people?» He grabbed for his pistols. «He sent for all, but I cannot give to one with such a bad character.» Here the man became milder and straightened his turban. «I want this Tariqat.» Mevlana Khālid replied: «With your anger, you cannot carry out our orders, but you may go to some of our mureeds and observe their state. Now go to the meat market in the city and find a person with a long stick on his shoulder, with unwashed sheep’s stomachs hanging from it which he is selling. Give him a slap on the neck and then come to me.»
That person he was sent to find was a learned man. All learned men are so proud, wearing big turbans like me. In order to break his pride, he was sent to sell the
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stomachs of sheep. Here is another tale within this tale for the benefit of every proud person. One learned man came to Abû Yazîd, Sultan al-‘ârifîn, and asked to be his disciple. «Oh scholar, we have some conditions.» he said. «Yes, I am ready to accept them.» «You will shave your head and beard and take a bag of walnuts to the main square, where there are many children playing. Sit there and call to all boys, «Who gives me one slap on the head, I will give him one walnut.» «Oh sheikh, what kind of order is that? Like this is your Tariqat?» «Yes. If you like, come. If you don’t like, go.» Abû Yazîd was doing this to make the man’s pride come down. If you say to an architect, ‘Build for me a building here,’ and yet not giving him permission to destroy the old ones, then he cannot build anything. Sheikhs must, destroy the ego’s old building before building a new one. There- fore that man was ordered to sell unwashed sheeps’ sto- machs.
He found him and slapped him on the neck, shouting:
«Oh you dirty person, why don’t you wash these before selling them?» The man turned and said: «Oh my brot- her, give me one more slap.» Returning to the sheikh, he told him what had happened. Mevlana Khālid said:
«You will go to another market. There is an auctioneer there. Spit in your hand and give him a slap.» He went there quickly, and found the man shouting prices. He gave him a strong slap, saying: «Why are you shouting, no one is deaf here.» The auctioneer only smiled.
He returned to Mevlana Khālid and told him what had happened. «There is another I shall send you to,» he said. Sitting in the zawiya they could see from the
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window an old farmer ploughing in the fields below.
«Take this stick and hit him.» directed the sheikh. He went and struck him on the back, whereat the farmer took up his stick and hit one of his oxen, saying: «Yalla, we are so lazy, get up, plough faster.» The man retur- ned to the sheikh and was told, «You were not hitting hard enough, go and hit strongly.» He went and struck the farmer again; all the farmer did was hit the second ox, saying: «Get up, we are so lazy.» Returning, he was told, «Go again, you must hit him with all your power.» This time when he hit him, the stick broke and the farmer fell down; but turning over, he took the man’s hand and began apologizing: «My sheikh sent you to me, because I am so lazy, and now your hand is sore from striking me. I ask forgiveness for the Judgement Day.» «Oh my son», Mevlana Khālid said to him after- wards «Look now at these three people, their positions. The first is a beginner. The second is ready for this Ta- riqat, and that farmer is my mureed, a real follower. If you can be patient like them, then come to me. When you are satisfied with those conditions, then I shall give you Tariqat.»
Who is going to keep the reality of Jesus Christ’s sa- ying? That is high character from all religions, high cha- racter of all Tariqat followers. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked: «What is faith?» he replied with one word: ‘Sabr’, patience. When you have patience you have faith. Lose patience and no more faith is with you. You may try yourself in so many unliked things. Don’t say, ‘For so long I am patient, but at last my pa- tience gives out’. That is like a person drawing water
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from a deep well, with the rope and bucket with great difficulty, being patient up to the last foot, and then saying ‘Iam tired now,’ and then letting go of the rope. What is its benefit? Patience is up to the end, taking the water out and using it. Remember this example all your life. So many people are harmed for their lack of patience. Some people read, read, and read until the last pages and then they say ‘I am fed up’ and quit; or fasting all day until one hour before sunset and then breaking it. With your wife, your children, your neigh- bours, you must be patient. Whoever is patient, will reach victory.
That man returned home and after three months he came back. No pistol, no dagger, ready for the condi- tions. Mevlana Khālid said to him: «Take this axe and rope and go to the mountain and cut some wood and bring it here.» Then he sent after him a powerful man, with instructions to frighten him and take his axe and rope. They met on the mountain, where he cursed him and took away the axe and rope, and chased him away. Returning to the sheikh, the man was asked: «Oh my son, did you see a bear on the mountain?» «Such a bad person there, he took my axe and rope and threatened me.» «Oh my son, you are useless. When he took them from you, you must go to the market and sell your watch and buy another axe and rope and go back and try again. My mureed gives his soul for my order.» He said: «Oh my lord, just now I know what you are as- king. I am giving you my soul.» Then Mevlana Khālid gave him authority and sent him to the Chechen peo- ple. Precious things are not given cheaply, no.
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* * *
BELIEF IN THE HEREAFTER
My Grandsheikh was saying, advising you and all of us: everyone should know that he is in this life only tem- porarily. Thanks to Allah Almighty, we believe in the life hereafter. All Prophets came to inform people of the life hereafter. Grandsheikh told me a tale on this point. There was a learned man, a great sheikh and one day there came to him some youths claiming to be advanced people, coming to make fun of him as an old-fashioned person. They said: «Oh sheikh, do you believe in Hea- ven and Hell and the life hereafter?» «Yes.» «Surely be- lieving?» «Sure.» «How can you believe surely without seeing?» «It is easy. Don’t you believe without seeing?»
«No.» Are you sure?» «Sure.» «Then I would like to ask you one question,» said the sheikh, «Say that you are seven youths together in a place, and your host brings you one big cup of milk, saying: ‘Please drink.’ Just then one person from outside calls you and all except one go out to him. That one staying is a foreigner, not of your religion. On coming back he says, ‘Don’t eat from this. I saw a big snake come and put his mouth and venom into it’. Now, can you eat from that?» They say: «No» «Why? Did you see that snake?» «No.» «You mean you are believing one person and he is a foreigner? Perhaps after you are gone he will drink all the milk himself?» «Oh Sheikh», they said, «this life is not cheap. We must take precautions.» «Oh my sons, you are so
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foolish, you are believing one person for this and not believing 124,000 Prophets, all coming and saying the same thing: ‘Oh people, be careful for this life and the next life.’ Is it possible for 124,000 people to agree on a lie? I see no mind with you. How are you advanced?»
«Oh Sheikh, you are right, that is wisdom and we belie- ve as you say.»
Has anyone ever seen Paradise? Yes. Father Adam and Mother Eve were created there and lived there. He was telling us, and every Prophet from his sons was tel- ling us: «Oh my sons, keep faith with your Lord and don’t listen to your enemy, and you will come back to Paradise. Don’t be deluded by this life. This is not real life. Real life is coming after.» (At this point someone asks a question about original sin:)
Adam was carrying in his spine the seeds of all his sons; some of them believers, some of them unbelievers. He was pushed to eat from that tree as if by a strong wind. It was the unbelieving sons in his spine that were pushing him to eat from the tree. Divine Wisdom sent them all to earth in order to separate believers from unbelievers; the believers going back to Paradise, the unbelievers to their place. When Adam repented, he re- pented for all his sons; he took upon himself that sin. Yet he cannot have committed such a sin, as he was a Prophet, Prophets being ma’sum, protected from great sins. But as a father, he repented on behalf of his sons. This is the secret of fate. We only know that Adam ate and begged for forgiveness, as any father begs for for- giveness for his sons, and he is the father of all human beings. Allah Almighty is giving mercy and forgiveness
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to all the sons of Adam. We are living now in the mercy of Ar-Rahmān.
We believe and have a right to believe, because so many Prophets and Saints saw Paradise and Hell. Also many believers saw in their dreams Paradise and Hell. No one has proof to say there is no life in the hereafter. You may meet with all kinds of people. If you see one of them calling you to this life’s pleasures, you must leave their friendship. If you see one of them calling you to the life of the hereafter, keep contact with him as much as you can. The benefit of being with people calling you to the hereafter is that all good attributes and characters grow in a strong faith in the hereafter. In such a field all good things grow. You may see all bad things growing with those unbelievers who are not bound by anything; they are free. Whoever believes in the life hereafter, carries responsibility for himself and for others. One who doesn’t believe, carries no respon- sibility. Whoever calls you to life hereafter, make him your companion. Who is not calling you to the life he- reafter, he is a devil, a snake, keep away from him.
* * *
THE POSITION
OF THE NAQSHBANDI ORDER
Insha’allah, we are going to speak on a very important subject, Tariqat orders. So many people are coming to Damascus from different countries to visit us. Some al-
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ready belong to a sheikh and a Tariqat order. They are asking new Baiyat.
One of them, Sheikh Salah-ud-Dîn, is finding conflict in himself about this. We must make it clear for every- one all over the world, so they may know what is Tari- qat, what is sheikh, how many may there be and what is their relation to each other.
Allah Almighty will ask from everyone on the Last Day: «What did you bring today, oh my servant? Did you bring Qalb us-Saleem, a pure heart, a golden, pre- cious heart?» Allah Almighty is asking from everyone to have a clean heart. You may make it pure only through Tariqat orders. Those without Tariqat are only occu- pying themselves with outer life, leaving the heart.
There are 41 Tariqats, 40 springing from the heart of Imam ‘Alî, and one, the Naqshbandi order, coming from Abû Bakr as-Siddîq, may Allah be pleased with them. The Prophet had 124,000 companions. Who was the grand companion? It was Abû Bakr. The Prophet said: «The whole of what Allah entrusted to me on the Night Journey I put in the heart of Abû Bakr.» Sa- yyidinā ‘Alî was connected to Abû Bakr in such a way as to make ‘Alî the entrance of the City of Knowledge. This is well known among real Tariqat sheikhs. They respect the Naqshbandi order as the first one. Real sheikhs, not those giving titles to themselves. All of the great sheikhs, Jilānî, Rûmî, Darqāwî, Rifā‘î, they were knowing the real station of the Naqshbandi or- der. Now if a person is in one of these Tariqats, they may take Tariqat Naqshbandiyya and remain free to follow those exercises or the Naqshbandiyya exercises.
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If only following the Naqshbandi exercises it is enough. It doesn’t matter whether you are coming from another Tariqat into the Naqshbandi. Some fear that their first sheikh will hear they have taken a second Tariqat and be angry. If he is a real sheikh, how can he be angry? A real sheikh must know if his mureed is with him on the Day of Promises or not. A shepherd knows his sheep, one in a thousand, even if they are all white. He has light in his eyes and recognizes them without mistake. In Tariqat there is not sorrow if my mureed goes to another sheikh. We are thankful to the first sheikh for training him until he reaches his real sheikh.
Abû Yazîd said: «During my search, I met 99 sheikhs before reaching my Grandsheikh.» You may meet so many sheikhs and take exercises, but not find satisfac- tion until finding your Grandsheikh, then like river meeting ocean. So many sheikhs are only trainers, but finally a Grandsheikh must call you. Not by letters, from heart to heart, there are ways. If a Naqshbandi sheikh is giving Tariqat, he must tell the mureed who is Grandsheikh in this time for the Naqshbandi order. He must point to him.
So many people from the West are coming now invi- ted by the way of hearts to our Grandsheikh. The chain of sheikhs ends in one. Our Grandsheikh is the last link in the golden chain and he is holding that position, I am only his servant.
For Naqshbandi sheikhs, we are waiting for them to renew their Baiyat with us or else they are only putting titles on themselves. Al-Mahdî and his seven grand wa- zirs, 40 Khalifas, 99 counting those 40 who are next to
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the wazirs and 313 grand murshids are all in the Naqsh- bandi Tariqat. In this time, there is no power for other Tariqats to carry people all the way to the ultimate goal. All are invited to renew Baiyat to our Grands- heikh and they may observe their improvement. In our time, there may be 1000 Naqshbandi sheikhs, but only one Grandsheikh. Bringing them together, who will be Imam? If bringing 124,000 Sahāba together, who is Imam? Abû Bakr.
Each sheikh must appoint one deputy. Mevlana Khālid Baghdadi appointed Sheikh Ismail but so many Naqshbandi orders lost him in their silsila and lost also the secret of our Grandsheikh. Now so many Naqsh- bandi sheikhs in Damascus, Aleppo and Homs can’t find a successor. Except for our Grandsheikh, no one has pointed to a deputy. This is because we have Sheikh Ismail in our Silsila.
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ABU BAKR AND HIDDEN SEEDS OF FAITH
The Prophet, peace be upon him, says that everyone’s book is closed after death, except for three persons. The first is a man who was guiding people on the right way by his writings.
As long as people are taking instruction through them, mercy is coming upon him, his book not closed. The second is a man who made an endowment. As long as it is in existence, every moment, every day his book is
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still being written. The third is a man who left children to pray for him. As long as they are praying, his book is not closed. Allah is very well knowing, and makes a way to faith for your ancestors, even at the last moment. We are ever thankful for Allah’s mercy. If He gives permissi- on for my intercession, I shall ask for all your ancestors. Our Grandsheikh was speaking about Abû Bakr As- Siddîq, the grand companion from all sahaba. The Pro- phet was praising him, that if his faith was balanced against the faith of the whole Ummah, his would be heavier. On the Day of Promises, when everyone was asked by Allah Almighty: «Am I not your Lord?» and we replied: «Yes, You are our Lord,» on that day, if not for Abû Bakr teaching all people with his spiritual po- wer, no one could say ‘yes’. Our Grandsheikh says that everyone has a share of Abû Bakr’s faith; even for the person of the lowest degree of faith, there must be a share with him. From that share, whether they pray or
not, so many people will go to paradise.
That share of faith keeps people from a bad ending in this life and the next. «Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muhammadun rasûlu llâh» is written in the heart; it only needs a chan- ce to show itself.
Once I was going to Medina with our Grandsheikh. Over all mountains and valleys and oceans of sand the- re was not one green leaf. Just we arrived in Medina and it rained for three days, then stopping. After two months, when returning to Damascus, there was not even one foot of those valleys and mountains without green grasses and different coloured flowers. «Oh my Lord, where were those seeds hidden?» The plains and
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hills were covered in green. Allah was keeping those seeds; when that mercy came raining on them, quickly they grew up. So many people have the seeds of faith in their hearts, deeply planted, only waiting for mercy rain. Mercy may be delayed up to the end; a person is on his deathbed and begins to cry. This crying attracts that mercy, even if only one teardrop the size of a full stop in his eyes. Allah says: «My servant is crying;» with that the faith seed opens, filling the heart, green with the lights of real faith. He was like a desert, then death coming and he begins to cry. That is the sign of mercy coming on him. Only when the soul has come out as far as the throat and gurgling has begun is the door of repentance closed. Can you find anyone not crying be- fore that time? Allah is not leaving His servants. He has endless mercy and in His mercy oceans we are nothing. Everytime faith grows stronger, mercy grows also. If you see a man lacking in mercy, know he is lacking in faith. Our Prophet has been sent as a mercy for every- one. Anyone who likes to put people in hell, he is not with our Prophet. When Moses was angry with Korah and condemning him for fornication, he prayed two ra- kats to decide on his punishment. Allah told him: «Do as you like.» Moses ordered the earth to swallow him. As it began to swallow, he cried to Moses: «Oh Moses, for the sake of our blood relationship, forgive me.» It swallowed him more. He asked three more times for forgiveness before it finally swallowed him complete- ly. Then Allah admonished Moses: «Oh Moses, Korah asked so many times for forgiveness and you did not forgive him? By My Might and Majesty, if he had called
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on Me once, saying ‘Oh my Lord, forgive me,’ I would have readily forgiven him. Oh Moses, you did not cre- ate him, so you don’t know mercy. I am the Creator and I know mercy for My creation.»
Allah wants to bring people into His mercy oceans by every means. Our hope for His almighty mercy must be absolute. This is our Lord’s attribute and He likes to see His servants wearing His attribute. As the Pro- phet says: «Oh my people, give mercy to everything on earth; that He who is in the heavens may give mercy unto you.»
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ALLAH LOOKS TO OUR HEARTS AND ACTIONS
We are human beings, from human nature, and we are between two powers. On one side Allah Almighty and His Prophet call us to action for the love of Allah and advise us for every goodness. Every Prophet called peo- ple to obedience to the Lord, the key to every goodness, and warned us against obedience to Satan, the key
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les; why are the others Prophets and he not a Prophet? If we are using our minds on this subject, we can’t refuse him. Only the dogmatism of their religon causes them to refuse. Many Christians and Jews in the time of the Prophet came to him, saying: «We found your name in our books and accept you as one coming with truth.» Even one man
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would be enough as a witness, and there are millions coming.
Ka‘b-ul-Akbar, the most learned Rabbi of the Jews, saw the Prophet and was present with Abû Bakr as-Sid- dîq; and when Omar became Khalifa he made shahâda and became Muslim. Omar asked him: «Why did you delay shahâda when you sat with the Prophet and Abû Bakr, and both of them are so much better men than me?» «Oh Khalifa Omar, you speak the truth, I saw the Prophet and Abû Bakr. I am a famous Rabbi of the Jewish nation, no one knows the holy books like me. I checked up all the signs about the last Prophet and found them applying exactly, only two signs yet remained.» «What were those two signs?» «That two of the wazirs of the last Prophet should be the two Khalifas after him. I was waiting for those two signs. Now nothing remains to be fulfilled, the proof is hundred per cent Lâ ilâha illâ llâh Muhammadun rasûla llâh.»
This is enough. If man has a mind, and there is justi- ce in his heart, he must make shahâda.
* * *
AVOIDING FITNA GRANDSHEIKH’S TALES IMPROVING DAY BY DAY
My Grandsheikh was always advising people to keep themselves from fitna, discord. It is prohibited in Islam, it is worse than killing people. In the time of the Pro-
186
phet, late one night he ordered Bilal to call the people, all of them came and gathered in the mosque in Medina. The Prophet’s companions were afraid of what might be the reason for his calling them together. The Pro- phet addressed them. «Oh my Sahāba, Allah Almighty gave me a very important order, so important, I quick- ly want to inform you about it. My Lord just sent the Angel Jibrîl to tell me the reason for the destruction of this nation in future times. It is: to speak about a happe- ning which took place two hours ago.» He means to say that if there is any disputing between you and a person, and then some time after that happening you refer to it, causing him to remember, it is like a fire that has gone out and your are bringing new fire. That is fitna. Fitna is sleeping; if anyone is waking it, the Prophet’s curse is on him. If a man is keeping a dirty thing in his heart, it means he is making his heart a toilet. «You remem- ber, you said such and such a thing to me, I am not forgetting it.» Don’t keep dirty things in your heart, it makes bad character. Remember good things from people. The believer quickly forgets badness; he cannot remember it. This is high character which grows with high faith. The Prophet says: «Don’t keep a bad thing in your heart. I could not wait until the morning to in- form you.»
The character of a Mu’min is that there is no badness in his heart; he is throwing it away and keeping good- ness. There is no revenge in real religion. This is a very important lecture; you must keep it always. This is the honour of mankind. If you are like this, then you are ne- ver angry at anyone. In Islam we say, that if a believer
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is angry with a believer, he must forget it in the time it takes for a very thin turban to dry after washing. It is not permitted for a Mu’min to leave his brother in religion and not speak to him for more than three days. One must come to him to make up. The Prophet was cautioning that if one is leaving him for more than three days, Satan takes you under his control for 40 days. If he is not repenting then, he takes you for one year. When a man is under the control of Satan, his faith is destroyed. It is seriously forbidden to turn from a person for more than three days.
Our Grandsheikh says that in every tale that we are telling, there is a spirit, giving power to our spirit, po- wer in our faith. The same tale might be repeated so many times, but never in the same form. He said the telling of a tale is according to the Tajalli of that time. His tales were not frozen cliches. You listen as if it is told for the first time. That is the Karama of saints; they may speak in accordance with the peoples’ capaci- ty and station. Maybe the same story for a learned man gives him as he needs, or for a woman as she needs. If the same people are sitting for a second or third time, we say as it is needed at that time. Many learned people can repeat a tale, but not in a new form, always it is fro- zen into the same form. Or if they are telling a hadith in a square, they are never going to make it into a hexagon or a circle, never going to make it wider. Like a tape cassette, never anything expanding, only repeating.
For 40 years I was with my Grandsheikh. Everytime he was speaking afresh; not looking at a paper like me, no, he is Grandsheikh. We are only a drop, he an ocean.
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His spiritual power is making me speak. This is the way of all saints. The Prophet gives spiritual power for their speaking, and the Prophet said: «Oh my people, I can’t speak. My Lord makes me to speak. My knowledge is only a little drop from His oceans.» This is an adab for every servant.
The Prophet was saying that everyone, especially believers, must improve day by day, not staying every- day on the same level, sometimes falling down. It is ordered in every religion to improve day by day. The Prophet was cautioning: «If a man’s actions are not go- ing to be better today than yesterday, it is better for him to be under the ground than above the ground.» If he cannot improve a little everyday, he is losing. Be- fore losing everything, it is better to stop and be in the grave. How can you do this? When you keep today’s actions, it will be «one»; tomorrow will be «two» and the next day «three». If losing today, you stay at zero. This is signalling that we must take care for our actions and worshippings, must know how to protect them, or Satan will take them from our hands.
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TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK A STORY OF MEVLANA KHâLID
Jesus Christ advised his followers, that if a person hits you on the cheek, you should turn the other. He was a great Prophet, and even coming to us without our
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Prophet’s sayings, we accept. He was showing people how to avoid fitna, discord. No one but real sufi people can listen to and follow that advice. By listening to that word only, there would be no more war in the world. Even those who say that they are Christians cannot fol- low that advise.
Here in Damascus on Jabal Qasiyûn, a holy moun- tain, is a great saint, Mevlana Khālid al-Baghdādî. He was training people, and is one of our Grandsheikhs in the golden chain of Naqshabandia. Our Grandsheikh told a tale about him. A person came from Daghestan to Mevlana Khālid to take Tariqat. They are very proud people, and this one came wearing pistols and daggers and his turban at a slant over one eye. «Where are you coming from?» he was asked. «From Daghestan.» «I don’t give Tariqat to people coming from Daghestan», Mevlana Khālid told him. «O sheikh, did Allah not send the Prophet for Daghestan people?» He grabbed for his pistols. «He sent for all, but I cannot give to one with such a bad character.» Here the man became milder and straightened his turban. «I want this Tariqat.» Mevlana Khālid replied: «With your anger, you cannot carry out our orders, but you may go to some of our mureeds and observe their state. Now go to the meat market in the city and find a person with a long stick on his shoulder, with unwashed sheep’s stomachs hanging from it which he is selling. Give him a slap on the neck and then come to me.»
That person he was sent to find was a learned man. All learned men are so proud, wearing big turbans like me. In order to break his pride, he was sent to sell the
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stomachs of sheep. Here is another tale within this tale for the benefit of every proud person. One learned man came to Abû Yazîd, Sultan al-‘ârifîn, and asked to be his disciple. «Oh scholar, we have some conditions.» he said. «Yes, I am ready to accept them.» «You will shave your head and beard and take a bag of walnuts to the main square, where there are many children playing. Sit there and call to all boys, «Who gives me one slap on the head, I will give him one walnut.» «Oh sheikh, what kind of order is that? Like this is your Tariqat?» «Yes. If you like, come. If you don’t like, go.» Abû Yazîd was doing this to make the man’s pride come down. If you say to an architect, ‘Build for me a building here,’ and yet not giving him permission to destroy the old ones, then he cannot build anything. Sheikhs must, destroy the ego’s old building before building a new one. There- fore that man was ordered to sell unwashed sheeps’ sto- machs.
He found him and slapped him on the neck, shouting:
«Oh you dirty person, why don’t you wash these before selling them?» The man turned and said: «Oh my brot- her, give me one more slap.» Returning to the sheikh, he told him what had happened. Mevlana Khālid said:
«You will go to another market. There is an auctioneer there. Spit in your hand and give him a slap.» He went there quickly, and found the man shouting prices. He gave him a strong slap, saying: «Why are you shouting, no one is deaf here.» The auctioneer only smiled.
He returned to Mevlana Khālid and told him what had happened. «There is another I shall send you to,» he said. Sitting in the zawiya they could see from the
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window an old farmer ploughing in the fields below.
«Take this stick and hit him.» directed the sheikh. He went and struck him on the back, whereat the farmer took up his stick and hit one of his oxen, saying: «Yalla, we are so lazy, get up, plough faster.» The man retur- ned to the sheikh and was told, «You were not hitting hard enough, go and hit strongly.» He went and struck the farmer again; all the farmer did was hit the second ox, saying: «Get up, we are so lazy.» Returning, he was told, «Go again, you must hit him with all your power.» This time when he hit him, the stick broke and the farmer fell down; but turning over, he took the man’s hand and began apologizing: «My sheikh sent you to me, because I am so lazy, and now your hand is sore from striking me. I ask forgiveness for the Judgement Day.» «Oh my son», Mevlana Khālid said to him after- wards «Look now at these three people, their positions. The first is a beginner. The second is ready for this Ta- riqat, and that farmer is my mureed, a real follower. If you can be patient like them, then come to me. When you are satisfied with those conditions, then I shall give you Tariqat.»
Who is going to keep the reality of Jesus Christ’s sa- ying? That is high character from all religions, high cha- racter of all Tariqat followers. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked: «What is faith?» he replied with one word: ‘Sabr’, patience. When you have patience you have faith. Lose patience and no more faith is with you. You may try yourself in so many unliked things. Don’t say, ‘For so long I am patient, but at last my pa- tience gives out’. That is like a person drawing water
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from a deep well, with the rope and bucket with great difficulty, being patient up to the last foot, and then saying ‘Iam tired now,’ and then letting go of the rope. What is its benefit? Patience is up to the end, taking the water out and using it. Remember this example all your life. So many people are harmed for their lack of patience. Some people read, read, and read until the last pages and then they say ‘I am fed up’ and quit; or fasting all day until one hour before sunset and then breaking it. With your wife, your children, your neigh- bours, you must be patient. Whoever is patient, will reach victory.
That man returned home and after three months he came back. No pistol, no dagger, ready for the condi- tions. Mevlana Khālid said to him: «Take this axe and rope and go to the mountain and cut some wood and bring it here.» Then he sent after him a powerful man, with instructions to frighten him and take his axe and rope. They met on the mountain, where he cursed him and took away the axe and rope, and chased him away. Returning to the sheikh, the man was asked: «Oh my son, did you see a bear on the mountain?» «Such a bad person there, he took my axe and rope and threatened me.» «Oh my son, you are useless. When he took them from you, you must go to the market and sell your watch and buy another axe and rope and go back and try again. My mureed gives his soul for my order.» He said: «Oh my lord, just now I know what you are as- king. I am giving you my soul.» Then Mevlana Khālid gave him authority and sent him to the Chechen peo- ple. Precious things are not given cheaply, no.
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BELIEF IN THE HEREAFTER
My Grandsheikh was saying, advising you and all of us: everyone should know that he is in this life only tem- porarily. Thanks to Allah Almighty, we believe in the life hereafter. All Prophets came to inform people of the life hereafter. Grandsheikh told me a tale on this point. There was a learned man, a great sheikh and one day there came to him some youths claiming to be advanced people, coming to make fun of him as an old-fashioned person. They said: «Oh sheikh, do you believe in Hea- ven and Hell and the life hereafter?» «Yes.» «Surely be- lieving?» «Sure.» «How can you believe surely without seeing?» «It is easy. Don’t you believe without seeing?»
«No.» Are you sure?» «Sure.» «Then I would like to ask you one question,» said the sheikh, «Say that you are seven youths together in a place, and your host brings you one big cup of milk, saying: ‘Please drink.’ Just then one person from outside calls you and all except one go out to him. That one staying is a foreigner, not of your religion. On coming back he says, ‘Don’t eat from this. I saw a big snake come and put his mouth and venom into it’. Now, can you eat from that?» They say: «No» «Why? Did you see that snake?» «No.» «You mean you are believing one person and he is a foreigner? Perhaps after you are gone he will drink all the milk himself?» «Oh Sheikh», they said, «this life is not cheap. We must take precautions.» «Oh my sons, you are so
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foolish, you are believing one person for this and not believing 124,000 Prophets, all coming and saying the same thing: ‘Oh people, be careful for this life and the next life.’ Is it possible for 124,000 people to agree on a lie? I see no mind with you. How are you advanced?»
«Oh Sheikh, you are right, that is wisdom and we belie- ve as you say.»
Has anyone ever seen Paradise? Yes. Father Adam and Mother Eve were created there and lived there. He was telling us, and every Prophet from his sons was tel- ling us: «Oh my sons, keep faith with your Lord and don’t listen to your enemy, and you will come back to Paradise. Don’t be deluded by this life. This is not real life. Real life is coming after.» (At this point someone asks a question about original sin:)
Adam was carrying in his spine the seeds of all his sons; some of them believers, some of them unbelievers. He was pushed to eat from that tree as if by a strong wind. It was the unbelieving sons in his spine that were pushing him to eat from the tree. Divine Wisdom sent them all to earth in order to separate believers from unbelievers; the believers going back to Paradise, the unbelievers to their place. When Adam repented, he re- pented for all his sons; he took upon himself that sin. Yet he cannot have committed such a sin, as he was a Prophet, Prophets being ma’sum, protected from great sins. But as a father, he repented on behalf of his sons. This is the secret of fate. We only know that Adam ate and begged for forgiveness, as any father begs for for- giveness for his sons, and he is the father of all human beings. Allah Almighty is giving mercy and forgiveness
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to all the sons of Adam. We are living now in the mercy of Ar-Rahmān.
We believe and have a right to believe, because so many Prophets and Saints saw Paradise and Hell. Also many believers saw in their dreams Paradise and Hell. No one has proof to say there is no life in the hereafter. You may meet with all kinds of people. If you see one of them calling you to this life’s pleasures, you must leave their friendship. If you see one of them calling you to the life of the hereafter, keep contact with him as much as you can. The benefit of being with people calling you to the hereafter is that all good attributes and characters grow in a strong faith in the hereafter. In such a field all good things grow. You may see all bad things growing with those unbelievers who are not bound by anything; they are free. Whoever believes in the life hereafter, carries responsibility for himself and for others. One who doesn’t believe, carries no respon- sibility. Whoever calls you to life hereafter, make him your companion. Who is not calling you to the life he- reafter, he is a devil, a snake, keep away from him.
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THE POSITION
OF THE NAQSHBANDI ORDER
Insha’allah, we are going to speak on a very important subject, Tariqat orders. So many people are coming to Damascus from different countries to visit us. Some al-
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ready belong to a sheikh and a Tariqat order. They are asking new Baiyat.
One of them, Sheikh Salah-ud-Dîn, is finding conflict in himself about this. We must make it clear for every- one all over the world, so they may know what is Tari- qat, what is sheikh, how many may there be and what is their relation to each other.
Allah Almighty will ask from everyone on the Last Day: «What did you bring today, oh my servant? Did you bring Qalb us-Saleem, a pure heart, a golden, pre- cious heart?» Allah Almighty is asking from everyone to have a clean heart. You may make it pure only through Tariqat orders. Those without Tariqat are only occu- pying themselves with outer life, leaving the heart.
There are 41 Tariqats, 40 springing from the heart of Imam ‘Alî, and one, the Naqshbandi order, coming from Abû Bakr as-Siddîq, may Allah be pleased with them. The Prophet had 124,000 companions. Who was the grand companion? It was Abû Bakr. The Prophet said: «The whole of what Allah entrusted to me on the Night Journey I put in the heart of Abû Bakr.» Sa- yyidinā ‘Alî was connected to Abû Bakr in such a way as to make ‘Alî the entrance of the City of Knowledge. This is well known among real Tariqat sheikhs. They respect the Naqshbandi order as the first one. Real sheikhs, not those giving titles to themselves. All of the great sheikhs, Jilānî, Rûmî, Darqāwî, Rifā‘î, they were knowing the real station of the Naqshbandi or- der. Now if a person is in one of these Tariqats, they may take Tariqat Naqshbandiyya and remain free to follow those exercises or the Naqshbandiyya exercises.
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If only following the Naqshbandi exercises it is enough. It doesn’t matter whether you are coming from another Tariqat into the Naqshbandi. Some fear that their first sheikh will hear they have taken a second Tariqat and be angry. If he is a real sheikh, how can he be angry? A real sheikh must know if his mureed is with him on the Day of Promises or not. A shepherd knows his sheep, one in a thousand, even if they are all white. He has light in his eyes and recognizes them without mistake. In Tariqat there is not sorrow if my mureed goes to another sheikh. We are thankful to the first sheikh for training him until he reaches his real sheikh.
Abû Yazîd said: «During my search, I met 99 sheikhs before reaching my Grandsheikh.» You may meet so many sheikhs and take exercises, but not find satisfac- tion until finding your Grandsheikh, then like river meeting ocean. So many sheikhs are only trainers, but finally a Grandsheikh must call you. Not by letters, from heart to heart, there are ways. If a Naqshbandi sheikh is giving Tariqat, he must tell the mureed who is Grandsheikh in this time for the Naqshbandi order. He must point to him.
So many people from the West are coming now invi- ted by the way of hearts to our Grandsheikh. The chain of sheikhs ends in one. Our Grandsheikh is the last link in the golden chain and he is holding that position, I am only his servant.
For Naqshbandi sheikhs, we are waiting for them to renew their Baiyat with us or else they are only putting titles on themselves. Al-Mahdî and his seven grand wa- zirs, 40 Khalifas, 99 counting those 40 who are next to
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the wazirs and 313 grand murshids are all in the Naqsh- bandi Tariqat. In this time, there is no power for other Tariqats to carry people all the way to the ultimate goal. All are invited to renew Baiyat to our Grands- heikh and they may observe their improvement. In our time, there may be 1000 Naqshbandi sheikhs, but only one Grandsheikh. Bringing them together, who will be Imam? If bringing 124,000 Sahāba together, who is Imam? Abû Bakr.
Each sheikh must appoint one deputy. Mevlana Khālid Baghdadi appointed Sheikh Ismail but so many Naqshbandi orders lost him in their silsila and lost also the secret of our Grandsheikh. Now so many Naqsh- bandi sheikhs in Damascus, Aleppo and Homs can’t find a successor. Except for our Grandsheikh, no one has pointed to a deputy. This is because we have Sheikh Ismail in our Silsila.
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ABU BAKR AND HIDDEN SEEDS OF FAITH
The Prophet, peace be upon him, says that everyone’s book is closed after death, except for three persons. The first is a man who was guiding people on the right way by his writings.
As long as people are taking instruction through them, mercy is coming upon him, his book not closed. The second is a man who made an endowment. As long as it is in existence, every moment, every day his book is
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still being written. The third is a man who left children to pray for him. As long as they are praying, his book is not closed. Allah is very well knowing, and makes a way to faith for your ancestors, even at the last moment. We are ever thankful for Allah’s mercy. If He gives permissi- on for my intercession, I shall ask for all your ancestors. Our Grandsheikh was speaking about Abû Bakr As- Siddîq, the grand companion from all sahaba. The Pro- phet was praising him, that if his faith was balanced against the faith of the whole Ummah, his would be heavier. On the Day of Promises, when everyone was asked by Allah Almighty: «Am I not your Lord?» and we replied: «Yes, You are our Lord,» on that day, if not for Abû Bakr teaching all people with his spiritual po- wer, no one could say ‘yes’. Our Grandsheikh says that everyone has a share of Abû Bakr’s faith; even for the person of the lowest degree of faith, there must be a share with him. From that share, whether they pray or
not, so many people will go to paradise.
That share of faith keeps people from a bad ending in this life and the next. «Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muhammadun rasûlu llâh» is written in the heart; it only needs a chan- ce to show itself.
Once I was going to Medina with our Grandsheikh. Over all mountains and valleys and oceans of sand the- re was not one green leaf. Just we arrived in Medina and it rained for three days, then stopping. After two months, when returning to Damascus, there was not even one foot of those valleys and mountains without green grasses and different coloured flowers. «Oh my Lord, where were those seeds hidden?» The plains and
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hills were covered in green. Allah was keeping those seeds; when that mercy came raining on them, quickly they grew up. So many people have the seeds of faith in their hearts, deeply planted, only waiting for mercy rain. Mercy may be delayed up to the end; a person is on his deathbed and begins to cry. This crying attracts that mercy, even if only one teardrop the size of a full stop in his eyes. Allah says: «My servant is crying;» with that the faith seed opens, filling the heart, green with the lights of real faith. He was like a desert, then death coming and he begins to cry. That is the sign of mercy coming on him. Only when the soul has come out as far as the throat and gurgling has begun is the door of repentance closed. Can you find anyone not crying be- fore that time? Allah is not leaving His servants. He has endless mercy and in His mercy oceans we are nothing. Everytime faith grows stronger, mercy grows also. If you see a man lacking in mercy, know he is lacking in faith. Our Prophet has been sent as a mercy for every- one. Anyone who likes to put people in hell, he is not with our Prophet. When Moses was angry with Korah and condemning him for fornication, he prayed two ra- kats to decide on his punishment. Allah told him: «Do as you like.» Moses ordered the earth to swallow him. As it began to swallow, he cried to Moses: «Oh Moses, for the sake of our blood relationship, forgive me.» It swallowed him more. He asked three more times for forgiveness before it finally swallowed him complete- ly. Then Allah admonished Moses: «Oh Moses, Korah asked so many times for forgiveness and you did not forgive him? By My Might and Majesty, if he had called
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on Me once, saying ‘Oh my Lord, forgive me,’ I would have readily forgiven him. Oh Moses, you did not cre- ate him, so you don’t know mercy. I am the Creator and I know mercy for My creation.»
Allah wants to bring people into His mercy oceans by every means. Our hope for His almighty mercy must be absolute. This is our Lord’s attribute and He likes to see His servants wearing His attribute. As the Pro- phet says: «Oh my people, give mercy to everything on earth; that He who is in the heavens may give mercy unto you.»
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ALLAH LOOKS TO OUR HEARTS AND ACTIONS
We are human beings, from human nature, and we are between two powers. On one side Allah Almighty and His Prophet call us to action for the love of Allah and advise us for every goodness. Every Prophet called peo- ple to obedience to the Lord, the key to every goodness, and warned us against obedience to Satan, the key
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