MERCY OCEANS, Book 07 (Hidden Treasures, Shaykh Nazim, 220 pages, 3/12)
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er this low life and inundate you with power from His Divine Power, so that you will never again be an ‘ordinary person’.
His Power will carry you with no difficulty, but first you must come the required distance, fighting
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your nafs all the time (Jihad-al-Akbar), then Allah will open His Knowledge Oceans to that servant, so that he may swim in them. At that time the servant knows his Lord’s Power Oceans, and also knows Allah Almighty’s Justice Oceans; what is the extent of these Justice Oceans? It is endless, absolute Justice. Anyone who has borne those difficulties must receive, in the end, through His absolute Justice, miraculous powers. You may be learned or illiterate, man or woman, king, farmer, millionaire, or penniless — whoever bears those tests for the required period with patience, will reap his reward. “To whomever has patience I will give My power and call to My Divine Presence, so make ready, Oh My servants, and come to Me!”
Sultan-ul-Arifin Abu-Yazid Al-Bistami asked his Lord: “Oh my Lord, how can I come to You, and what is the distance to reach to You?” The reply came: “Oh Abu- Yazid, I am but a step away: step on your ego and come to Me; as far as your ego extends, that is the distance to Me.” That is by no means an easy step or a short one. The reality of that step is that you must put your will alongside Allah Almighty’s Will like wheels roll on the track; in that way you will reach your destination, otherwise not. You must think this over carefully, and you may take so many lessons from this lecture. Whoever is desiring to be in the Divine Presence, let him hold to this method. You need not run after so many teachers all propagating their various methods — the method of Buddhism, the method of Christianity or Judaism — just step on your ego and come: this is the summary of every one of those methods; if you can do this, you will arrive.
(At this point in the lecture a person in attendance observed): “Sheikh Nazim, excuse me, but I have observed that the followers of your Tariqat usually eat well, sleep well, are well dressed and laugh a lot. How,
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then, are they stepping on their egos?”
The horses of knights are so strong that they rear up on their hind legs — they are well rested, well nourished, and well disciplined. They run with great speed and endurance after the enemy. Shah Naqshband says: “Oh my people, our Tariqat is very easy: eat the best food, wear the best clothes (not like in other Tariqats), and perform good actions.” That is our Tariqat — easy, but good actions are not what the ego wants, so that part of our Tariqat is not so easy. You may eat well and dress well, but your good actions are based upon your getting up during the night — one, two or three hours before dawn every day, to be with your Lord. If you do this, you will be with your Lord just as naturally as you are with people every day. Then your horse will be strong, but there will be an even stronger rider on it; if you put a woman or an old person on such a strong horse, it will run away throwing the rider off — you must become a strong, expert horseman to control it.
For weaker people, there is the method of always starving the ego, but in our Tariqat we fight it during intense and strenuous fighting seasons — training seasons for our horses. For forty days twice in the year, we tame the horse and perfect our control over it; afterwards, it is free to graze and enjoy within the fences of Allah’s bounds (Halal). We may wear nice clothes, live in nice houses, use cars and planes without them detracting from our spiritual lives, because we can keep our horses. If your horse goes out of control, the Shaykh will put you in ‘prison’ — but he will only do so for those whom he is responsible.
What is the method of fighting the ego in our Naqshbandi Tariqat? — To become accustomed to doing everything with permission of the Shaykh, especially concerning marriage, divorce and long journeys, and it
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is best to consult him in every important matter.
* * * (A question was asked as to how this would be possible for Murids in the United States, Australia and other distant countries who only are able to see the Shaykh perhaps once a year or once every two years):
We possess a ‘walkie-talkie’, and thus we can send waves from heart to heart. We may listen also, as we are in no way behind those scientists who send messages to distant rockets and to other parts of the Earth via satellites — we also send waves. If you know the wavelength, you can tune in, for a real Shaykh must send. According to a murid’s station, a real Shaykh can send him those waves: At the first station, the Shaykh’s presence comes on the heart of the disciple. At a more advanced stage, the murid may actually feel the Shaykh by his side and perceive his breathing. The final and most advanced stage is when the spiritual power of the Shaykh dresses itself on the murid, so that in effect he ‘becomes’ the Shaykh for a specified time. * * * (One of those present that day spoke to the Shaykh as follows): “I imagine that you Shaykhs must get weary of teaching and lecturing day in and day out! I hope that when you have finished with this series of lectures you may get some rest and relaxation. Don’t Shaykhs ever get tired of teaching?”
A Shaykh must always be busy with his disciples, for he is like the heart — it never stops. When the heart stops, the body will die; therefore, the Shaykh must be active wherever he is and at all times. A real Shaykh speaks to people in accordance to their ranks and levels
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of understanding, as such Shaykhs are inheritors of the Prophet Muhammad, who said: “Whosoever wants to teach people must be careful to notice the level of understanding of his audience and to address them accordingly.” Because of this general principle, one may find in the Prophet’s sayings many different manners of description; each manner was used by him according to which of the many different types of people were listening at the time. Maybe this will surprise or bewilder some people who read those sayings, but we can understand that he was speaking to them on their respective levels.
Each of the 124,000 companions of the Prophet represented one of the types of mankind living in the future up until the end of the world. So, in reality, when he addressed his companions, he addressed all people. In like manner, the Prophet’s inheritors address people in a way that those people can understand and draw benefit from. This is easy for the real inheritors of the Prophet; but if they are only inheritors of books, having read and memorized some knowledges, then it is a great difficulty for them to address people effectively according to their levels of understanding. Those who have inherited through the heart may easily address people in such a way as will please them and make their hearts light. So, we are saying that whoever is connected to the ‘central generator’ in the spiritual world easily receives and transmits, but for him who has no connection, it is exceedingly difficult.
For real Shaykhs, speaking to people in a way that benefits them is as easy and natural as is eating or drinking. I never saw anyone who could so easily address people in this way as my Grandshaykh. It made no difference whatsoever to him whether there were one-thousand people in the assembly or just one, but so many learned people who call people together in order to advise them will not even speak unless there is a fair
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number attending his assembly; “Why should I speak for these few people?” But Grandshaykh was such a huge fountain, supplying all those who came to ask of him: if someone came to drink, he could drink; if one came to bathe, he could bathe and if one came seeking heart-to- heart spiritual contact, he might receive this also.
Sultan Al-Arifin Abu-Yazid AI-Bistami told the Doctors of Islamic Law (Ulema): “You carry your knowledge on your shoulders as a burden — you must look up, read and memorize always, just to keep it in your minds, but for the Awliya who learn from their Lord’s Divine Presence (Ilm-ul-ladunni), that knowledge is carrying them and there is no worry for them of losing that knowledge. You are always in fear of forgetting your knowledges, and little by little they will melt away until, at the end, nothing remains of them; but we are not in any fear of that happening to us.’’
My Grandshaykh, when he was over a hundred years old, used to speak from morning till night. The knowledges which he imparted on any given day would suffice for a whole book to be written about them. This was not a burden for him. because he was in connection with Allah Almighty’s Knowledge Oceans; from those Oceans flow channels into the hearts of the Awliya.
If my Grandshaykh’s power would fully appear, no one could be sitting here; but that tremendous guiding and directing power (Irshad) is being stored up for the time of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi. At that time, all other Tariqats will be engulfed by the huge irshad-power carried through the Naqshbandiyya Tariqat — they will be engulfed like in-land seas being absorbed into a great ocean. Other Tariqats are already all slowly grinding to a halt, not moving forward. Since no Grandshaykhs are appearing among them, all that is left of them is their saying, “Follow this Tariqat or that one.” Since no
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Grandshaykhs are now appearing among them, they are only imitating what they found their predecessors practicing, without being able to improve — like soldiers marching in place.
(A person in attendance commented): “Some of the Shaykhs of the other Tariqats are angry at you for your making such statements; they think that you are making Naqshbandi politics, trying to take away their disciples.”
(Sheikh Nazim replied): Don’t speak foolish words. They may scream, “Politics!” and they may be angry, but they must know that what we are saying is reality, not politics; for we hate politics. If they have real spiritual knowledge (Maanawi Ulum), then they may see the reality of what we are saying; if not, they may be angry — but their anger is useless. Now, the Last Prophet, Muhammad, is present in the spiritual realm and for the Awliya there is an assembly with the Prophet’s Presence every night. If they are there, they may realize and know; if not, then they are only with us — not seeing what will happen and not seeing the reality of what happens now. If the latter is the case, then they are only looking at books and talking, and you can’t know these things like that — no, that knowledge is distinct, it comes by way of the hearts.
When you are mentioning the names of persons, we may know whether they are inside or outside. In the time of ‘Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilani, a great Grandshaykh, there was another sheikh who heard about him and said to his pupils: “I have heard so much about this Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qadir, but I have been sitting at the entrance of Allah Almighty’s Power Castle for thirty years, and up until now I haven’t seen him entering or leaving, so how is it that they are saying he is such a huge Shaykh?” When ‘Abdul-Qadir heard this, he laughed and said:
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“How can a doorkeeper know who sits in the presence of the King, in the proximity of the Majestic Lord?”
And so, you may find so many Tariqat Shaykhs, but their levels are different. So why are they angry? Do they claim to know everything? What we have stated we know from the heavenly assembly, and that knowledge is coming to us from the ‘central power station’, so that if they bring forward a statement, claim or knowledge, we know from where they are bringing it. If anyone is angry because of these things, he is providing proof £hat he is not from the Assembly of Awliya; but he who says, “I believe in this and more,” you must know that he is from within.
All Tariqats teach people humbleness and to accept the truth. Who accompanied the Prophet when he made his migration (Hijra) from Makkah to Madinah? — Abu Bakr. And what did the Prophet say about Abu Bakr? — “Everything My Lord put into my heart, I have put into the heart of Abu Bakr.” Which Shaykh can come to argue with us saying, “Abu Bakr is our father in Tariqat”? (Only the Naqshbandiyya Tariqat traces its lineage back to the Prophet through Abu Bakr, the rest of the Tariqats came through Sayyidina ‘Ali). Grandshaykh is the inheritor of Abu Bakr — only ignorant people can deny this.
* * *
THE LADDER TO THE MOON, EFFORT AND TRUST IN THE LORD
It is a very important point that Grandshaykh will speak upon tonight. I say that Grandshaykh will speak because the Awliya are living real lives; they are living stars, not dead stars; they are living persons even after
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their disappearance from bodily life. When they leave this world and go to heavenly life, they leave behind them a deputy whom they cause to speak on their behalf; therefore, when I speak here, my Grandshaykh is speaking through me — making me speak on behalf of him. For this reason, I said that he is going to speak on an important point.
Grandshaykh was saying that a great Wali and lover of the Prophet, Ibn ‘Umar as-Safadi, was saying: “If a person leaves everything and abstains from action, saying that he need not act because he trusts in his Lord and that his Lord is sufficient for him and will provide what His servant is in need of, then that person has become an unrighteous and sinful person.”
Here Grandshaykh is clarifying the real relationship between the servant and his Lord, saying: “There is a certain distance which servants must advance, and only when that distance has been covered and its limit crossed, that servant may say, ‘From here on I leave everything to my Lord and from this point on I entrust all my affairs to my Lord!’’’ For example, a farmer ploughs his field and plants corn, then he leaves it and has the right to just wait until the harvest is yielded. He may trust in his Lord to give him that yield, but if a person is not ploughing and not planting, but just saying, “I am trusting in my Lord to give me corn at harvest time”, he is indeed far astray in his thinking and actions. You must be aware of your duty and carry it out. You can’t bring rain, you can’t force the corn to grow and bring forth cobs, but you can plant and plough — then you can trust in your Lord to finish what you have begun. This is what true trust in Allah (Tawakkul) is like.
This is a very important point, and one often misunderstood, especially in European countries, where people raise objections to Islam, claiming that Islam
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tells people that they need not work, and should depend only on their Lord’s favours. In the present time even in the Muslim world, the younger generation is saying that Islam is the cause for the backwardness of their countries — but this is the result of wrong understanding. In fact, what Islam tells us is that we may begin a work with our own action, but it is Allah who completes, and that the success of any endeavour is ultimately in His Hands.
This is a world of causes. We are in need of causes and must hold on to them in this life, because miraculous doings may occur sometimes for Prophets and Saints, but not for everyone. For that reason, we have been ordered by our Prophet, Peace be Upon Him, to hold to causes so that we may witness effects and obtain results. Allah Almighty says that no one reaches anything in this world without acting — he must act and see the results. So, to act is a command from Allah Almighty and therefore we must not just sit down without movement and without action. Trusting in Allah, or leaving your affairs to Allah, is correct only after we have finished our duty.
Sometimes in Tariqats, Shaykhs may try a murid by ordering him to abandon every cause, to not seek his own means of existence. But such cases are only rare exceptions and not the general rule — the general rule is to seek means, as Allah commands.
Why was our Grandshaykh speaking upon this point? He is not mentioning it here in the context of worldly works, or actions for this life, but rather he is referring to effort required of us for reaching heavenly stations and Divine Knowledge Oceans. You must strive and do good actions as much as you can, and when you finish, after doing your utmost, Allah Almighty will lift you up. If you are asking for heavenly stations and miraculous powers, you must first struggle and not just
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say, “Allah may give us,” or, “My action is not sufficient for me to reach such heavenly stations.”
A good analogy to illustrate this point is this one: Someone was given a broken pick and spade and was told: “Take these instruments and dig up all seven layers of the Earth until you reach the end where you will find your treasure.” Do you think that it is possible to reach it with a broken pick and spade? — Of course not, but despite this you must dig as best as you can and not give up, saying, “How can I perform this feat?” Your duty is to dig little by little, and your Lord is looking after you so that when He sees that you are firmly believing and working as ordered, He will send His Help just as you have reached the point of exhaustion and can’t do more. At that time He will send a huge machine that will dig up your treasures for you instantly and effortlessly. Because you are a powerless servant carrying out His order. He will bring your treasure up for you with His power, not yours. He is only testing you: are you listening, believing, obeying? If you begin, He will finish, but if you say, “It is impossible for even the largest machines — so how shall I ever do it?”, you will be banned from the Divine Presence. If you begin your digging in spite of the obvious impossibility of the task, then Allah’s Holy Verse in the Qur’an will apply to you: “Allah does not burden anyone beyond his capabilities.”
(Surat al-Baqarah, Ayat 286)
We are not claiming that we will attain all heavenly stations as a result of our practices; we are only doing what our power enables us to do and, in reality, to reach the goal by means of our practices is like trying to reach the moon with a ladder; even if all the world’s ladders were tied together you couldn’t reach it — it is
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impossible; but we must try anyway, for perhaps one night from the moon there will descend a ladder to meet our ladder, and at that time it may be possible to go up, but for us to build up to the moon — never. We must do our duty. Allah says that doing our duty is the cause of our reaching to Heavens, but you must know that it is not enough. We know that ladders go up, but not to the moon. This is the precise meaning of Tariqat, and we are not cheating people: if one is working with sincerity, our Lord may send a ladder at any time from the moon to take you up, but you must do your work, and trust in your Lord.
Many people are reading in books about miraculous happenings, and sometimes our ego asks for us to be one of these ‘miracle-makers’. Tariqat is the way to be able to perform miracles, but we are not working in order to be able to do such things, but only for our Lord’s pleasure. When He is pleased with us, He will also make us pleased with Him, and at that time you won’t be able to even look at or consider miraculous doings; it is only your ego asking to perform such feats.
Our Grandshaykh is saying at the end of this lecture: ‘‘I am speaking on behalf of the Master of the Time (Sahib-Uz-Zaman), Sayyidina Al-Mahdi, because he is not yet permitted to appear and address people directly; therefore, I have been given permission in his stead. When he appears, you will witness how he speaks.” Grandshaykh continued: “This assembly has the same virtues as the assembly of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi and holds the same reward. These knowledges are not the results of reading books but come directly from the heart of the Holy Prophet, Peace be Upon Him. Allah Almighty gives these knowledges to those who trust in Him and keep His orders with full respect.” * * *
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MIRACLES: THE POWER TO PACK THE UNIVERSE INTO A THIMBLE
My Grandshaykh says that very rarely there may occur some miracles, but commonly everything happens through causes. Only in exceptional cases do some events occur which are inexplicable by means of ordinary causes. Such exceptions may be a few in each century; for example, a few years ago I heard about a boy who could solve the most difficult arithmetical problems, problems which would be impossible for even educated adults to solve. So, in the spiritual world, some events may happen which appear in the lives of some people as miraculous events which no one can explain through ordinary means.
Grandshaykh is explaining why such miracles do, at times, occur: Firstly, in order to declare to all people that there is a Lord of the Universe who does what He wills, and that no causes affect Him nor is He subject to any natural laws; He is the One who creates those laws and causes, but they are not binding upon Him. His sovereignty is absolute, and His Kingdom is free of anyone else’s command; He alone commands and does what He likes and as He likes. We must know with absolute certainty that He has the Power to do everything and anything.
Grandshaykh told me the following example of how Allah Almighty may do what He likes. For example, Allah Almighty may put the whole world into a thimble. How? If we consider this according to ‘empirical knowledge’ we may agree that it is within the realm of possibility, as now in astronomy, scientists have discovered that there are some stars of which a teaspoonful of material weighs one billion tons — neutron stars. Scientists are doing research and gaining knowledge of this, as Allah
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gave them minds to observe the Earth and the Heavens. So, taking this information into account, one could say, “Such a hypothesis is valid, why not — perhaps indeed the whole world could be put into a thimble.” This is our minds’ estimate and calculation, but Allah Almighty is not going to do as we think, for He can put the whole world into a thimble without making the thimble larger or the world smaller. Nothing can oppose His Will, and if He orders it to be, then it must be — this is Allah Almighty’s Power (Qudrah). In our minds, we may imagine making the thimble larger or the world smaller, but if He did it like this there would be no difference between servant and Lord.
The first reason why Allah decrees miraculous happenings is to show people that He can do what He wills. Thus, He also gives to whom He wills secret knowledges without their ever having studied or worked to attain them. Our Grandshaykh said that he was given such powers from childhood on; but the completion of the Awliyas’ powers lies in their keeping them to themselves and not demonstrating their miraculous faculties: herein lies their true greatness. The Awliya are like volcanoes, within them lie tremendous powers — but, as the volcano seems like an ordinary mountain, to you the Awliya may seem to be as ordinary people.
Some people now contend that the Awliya are no different from us: “What are you saying, all this about Awliya — what is the difference between us and them?” The answer to such people is this: “They may seem to you to be no different than yourselves; the people of Makkah were also regarding the Prophet and saying, ‘He is like us, how can he say such things?’” Today, people are saying, regarding the Awliya, “They have two legs, two arms, one nose etc., Just like us, so why is so much power attributed to them?” In outer appearance they are ordinary people, but inwardly they are absolutely
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different, as different as two wires, one carrying electric current and one not. The one carrying the current looks exactly like the ordinary one, for you can’t see the current passing through it — but just put your finger on each one, and then tell me whether they are the same! — One wire strikes you and knocks you out the door! Awliya are not speaking now, but when their time comes, they may send you with one slap from here to Germany or England. Awliya have Divine Powers because they have given their physical bodies over to the absolute control of their Lord and because they never resist that control by trying to exercise their own will. They have freed themselves from the grip of their egos and have given themselves over to their Lord, so that Divine Power runs through their bodies, and with these powers they may do miraculous doings.
The second reason why Allah Almighty sends miracles is so that no one will be cut off from hope in his Lord; if not for these miracles, so many would fall into despair. Because of their occurrence no one may say, “I cannot reach those Knowledge Oceans, I am so lazy, how shall I reach those ranks?” Instead, they may always hope for their Lord’s aid. Perhaps as a result of that servant’s admission of weakness, Allah may give him all ranks, and perhaps Allah may give to one that high rank for no reason at all. We may ask of our Lord anything, and our Lord will never refuse His servant’s request, but since some desires of His servant may be no good for him, He keeps them from him and grants them instead as a reward on the Last Day. * * *
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GRAVES HAVE EARS; THE STATION OF OUR GRANDSHAYKH
A Murshid, a Grandshaykh, who teaches and educates people, is like a professor of surgery who gives lessons by operating on a corpse, thus showing his students what they need to learn.
Our Grandshaykh has now explained to us, from the beginning, about Satan, in order to teach us what the reason for his having been banished from the Divine Presence was. Then he told us about Adam, and how he was sent down from Paradise. After that, he spoke about the companions of the Prophet, particularly the four rightly-guided Khalifas, and through his teachings he gave us some indication of why Abu Bakr holds the first place and attained the highest degrees, why ‘Ali also attained great spiritual knowledge, and why Sayyidina ‘Umar and Sayyidina ‘Uthman were not on the same level of spiritual development as ‘Ali and Abu Bakr.
When a Grandshaykh who has real inheritance from the Prophet speaks about the people in the graves, those people concerned may listen to him. Every Grandshaykh having that rank may speak in front of any gathering of people, and his speech will be heard by all Saints, living or in the life of the grave (Barzakh); this is a miracle given to them. Quickly they may be heard, like nowadays when a president addresses an assembly, every president and every government will quickly hear or read that speech — if Sultan Al-Awliya speaks, it must be heard all over.
This lecture about Satan and Adam, and about the Sahaba was given by Grandshaykh after the morning prayer, and in the afternoon of the same day Grandshaykh told me: “Oh Nazim Efendi, this morning’s
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lecture has been heard by the companions of the Prophet in their graves, and they were very pleased with it, as we have been given a miraculous favour from the Lord that if we notice an incompleteness on the part of anyone, and point it out, it will become complete. When I was pointing out that some of the Sahaba were sometimes using their own wills and not putting their desires in line with the Prophet’s, thus causing their incompleteness, at that moment Allah Almighty completed for them their development there in the grave, and so, they are very happy indeed. This happened, through Sahib-Uz- Zaman, Sayyidina Al-Mahdi, whose duty it is to complete in Barzakh what was left uncompleted in this life.
Our Grandshaykh said to me: “Oh Nazim Efendi, you and your brothers must be thankful to Allah for having the honour to be in the association of such a Grandshaykh who has been given power by his Lord to save, not only his own murids, but also any other Shaykh’s murids who have fallen into the hands of devils.”
I asked my Grandshaykh: “Does this apply also to the Nations of Prophets other than our Prophet, as so many from those Nations have been captured by Satan and his armies — does your power extend to them also?”
He said: “Yes, on the Last Day, that Grandshaykh will save from the hands of the devil all those of the Nations of former Prophets who did not join the assembly of their Prophets, but who stayed outside in the grip of devils and demons. That Grandshaykh has been given great authority on the Last Day.”
What does it mean that every Prophet is alive; how is it so? Allah Almighty appoints for each time one person as deputy for each of the Prophets. The same mercy and spiritual emanations (Tajalli) that were present in the
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time of that Prophet do not disappear but continue to be manifest. In our time, as the tajalli of our Prophet are manifested in his deputy, so it is with all of the Prophets and their deputies — one may say that it is as if there were 124,000 Prophets on the Earth.
Grandshaykh went on to say that there is always one great Wali who has, by himself, to be deputy for all 124,000 Prophets and represent all of them; this is the station of Grandshaykh, and that Grandshaykh is the representative of Sayyidina Muhammad, as all the Prophets are under his banner. Grandshaykh said: “There is always one who must hold this rank; now this station belongs to us; after me only one more should come to hold this rank before the beginning of the events of the end of time (Coming of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi). You are honoured by Allah to be in this company.” * * *
THE MISSION OF PROPHETS AND AWLIYA; OUR GRANDSHAYKH’S SPECIAL GUIDANCE QUALITY; A VERY GOOD MANNER
Every Saint has been granted by his Lord some miraculous powers and ranks in the Divine Presence. Every Grandshaykh is guidance for his people to their Lord, and it is the Grandshaykh’s duty to make people as complete as possible. The meaning of guidance is to prepare murids for the Divine Presence. Those lacking the guidance of a teacher cannot know what they really need — they cannot distinguish between those things which are good and suitable for them, and those which are harmful for them in the Divine Presence. Everyone is in need of guidance so that he may be shown the
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way to distinguish what is beneficial to him from that which is harmful. All Prophets came for that purpose. Perhaps you may say, “How can a person not know what is harmful for him; how can one not know that bad attributes are within him?” Our selfishness prevents us from realizing this; it says, “You are alright; you are the best; you must be like this; this is best for you.” Your egos will even tell you that the very worst things are the best, because egos are so devilish and wild that they see themselves as being the best and everyone else as the worst. So, our selfishness likes and rushes towards all badness because this is its natural attribute.
There is a struggle going on inside of us between the ego and the soul. The ego likes to be with devils and in their evil ways. Its life is in filth and filled with dirty characteristics, and so it will never admit that its actions are bad; but it will always advertise its own cause and attempt to push down and cover ou
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er this low life and inundate you with power from His Divine Power, so that you will never again be an ‘ordinary person’.
His Power will carry you with no difficulty, but first you must come the required distance, fighting
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your nafs all the time (Jihad-al-Akbar), then Allah will open His Knowledge Oceans to that servant, so that he may swim in them. At that time the servant knows his Lord’s Power Oceans, and also knows Allah Almighty’s Justice Oceans; what is the extent of these Justice Oceans? It is endless, absolute Justice. Anyone who has borne those difficulties must receive, in the end, through His absolute Justice, miraculous powers. You may be learned or illiterate, man or woman, king, farmer, millionaire, or penniless — whoever bears those tests for the required period with patience, will reap his reward. “To whomever has patience I will give My power and call to My Divine Presence, so make ready, Oh My servants, and come to Me!”
Sultan-ul-Arifin Abu-Yazid Al-Bistami asked his Lord: “Oh my Lord, how can I come to You, and what is the distance to reach to You?” The reply came: “Oh Abu- Yazid, I am but a step away: step on your ego and come to Me; as far as your ego extends, that is the distance to Me.” That is by no means an easy step or a short one. The reality of that step is that you must put your will alongside Allah Almighty’s Will like wheels roll on the track; in that way you will reach your destination, otherwise not. You must think this over carefully, and you may take so many lessons from this lecture. Whoever is desiring to be in the Divine Presence, let him hold to this method. You need not run after so many teachers all propagating their various methods — the method of Buddhism, the method of Christianity or Judaism — just step on your ego and come: this is the summary of every one of those methods; if you can do this, you will arrive.
(At this point in the lecture a person in attendance observed): “Sheikh Nazim, excuse me, but I have observed that the followers of your Tariqat usually eat well, sleep well, are well dressed and laugh a lot. How,
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then, are they stepping on their egos?”
The horses of knights are so strong that they rear up on their hind legs — they are well rested, well nourished, and well disciplined. They run with great speed and endurance after the enemy. Shah Naqshband says: “Oh my people, our Tariqat is very easy: eat the best food, wear the best clothes (not like in other Tariqats), and perform good actions.” That is our Tariqat — easy, but good actions are not what the ego wants, so that part of our Tariqat is not so easy. You may eat well and dress well, but your good actions are based upon your getting up during the night — one, two or three hours before dawn every day, to be with your Lord. If you do this, you will be with your Lord just as naturally as you are with people every day. Then your horse will be strong, but there will be an even stronger rider on it; if you put a woman or an old person on such a strong horse, it will run away throwing the rider off — you must become a strong, expert horseman to control it.
For weaker people, there is the method of always starving the ego, but in our Tariqat we fight it during intense and strenuous fighting seasons — training seasons for our horses. For forty days twice in the year, we tame the horse and perfect our control over it; afterwards, it is free to graze and enjoy within the fences of Allah’s bounds (Halal). We may wear nice clothes, live in nice houses, use cars and planes without them detracting from our spiritual lives, because we can keep our horses. If your horse goes out of control, the Shaykh will put you in ‘prison’ — but he will only do so for those whom he is responsible.
What is the method of fighting the ego in our Naqshbandi Tariqat? — To become accustomed to doing everything with permission of the Shaykh, especially concerning marriage, divorce and long journeys, and it
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is best to consult him in every important matter.
* * * (A question was asked as to how this would be possible for Murids in the United States, Australia and other distant countries who only are able to see the Shaykh perhaps once a year or once every two years):
We possess a ‘walkie-talkie’, and thus we can send waves from heart to heart. We may listen also, as we are in no way behind those scientists who send messages to distant rockets and to other parts of the Earth via satellites — we also send waves. If you know the wavelength, you can tune in, for a real Shaykh must send. According to a murid’s station, a real Shaykh can send him those waves: At the first station, the Shaykh’s presence comes on the heart of the disciple. At a more advanced stage, the murid may actually feel the Shaykh by his side and perceive his breathing. The final and most advanced stage is when the spiritual power of the Shaykh dresses itself on the murid, so that in effect he ‘becomes’ the Shaykh for a specified time. * * * (One of those present that day spoke to the Shaykh as follows): “I imagine that you Shaykhs must get weary of teaching and lecturing day in and day out! I hope that when you have finished with this series of lectures you may get some rest and relaxation. Don’t Shaykhs ever get tired of teaching?”
A Shaykh must always be busy with his disciples, for he is like the heart — it never stops. When the heart stops, the body will die; therefore, the Shaykh must be active wherever he is and at all times. A real Shaykh speaks to people in accordance to their ranks and levels
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of understanding, as such Shaykhs are inheritors of the Prophet Muhammad, who said: “Whosoever wants to teach people must be careful to notice the level of understanding of his audience and to address them accordingly.” Because of this general principle, one may find in the Prophet’s sayings many different manners of description; each manner was used by him according to which of the many different types of people were listening at the time. Maybe this will surprise or bewilder some people who read those sayings, but we can understand that he was speaking to them on their respective levels.
Each of the 124,000 companions of the Prophet represented one of the types of mankind living in the future up until the end of the world. So, in reality, when he addressed his companions, he addressed all people. In like manner, the Prophet’s inheritors address people in a way that those people can understand and draw benefit from. This is easy for the real inheritors of the Prophet; but if they are only inheritors of books, having read and memorized some knowledges, then it is a great difficulty for them to address people effectively according to their levels of understanding. Those who have inherited through the heart may easily address people in such a way as will please them and make their hearts light. So, we are saying that whoever is connected to the ‘central generator’ in the spiritual world easily receives and transmits, but for him who has no connection, it is exceedingly difficult.
For real Shaykhs, speaking to people in a way that benefits them is as easy and natural as is eating or drinking. I never saw anyone who could so easily address people in this way as my Grandshaykh. It made no difference whatsoever to him whether there were one-thousand people in the assembly or just one, but so many learned people who call people together in order to advise them will not even speak unless there is a fair
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number attending his assembly; “Why should I speak for these few people?” But Grandshaykh was such a huge fountain, supplying all those who came to ask of him: if someone came to drink, he could drink; if one came to bathe, he could bathe and if one came seeking heart-to- heart spiritual contact, he might receive this also.
Sultan Al-Arifin Abu-Yazid AI-Bistami told the Doctors of Islamic Law (Ulema): “You carry your knowledge on your shoulders as a burden — you must look up, read and memorize always, just to keep it in your minds, but for the Awliya who learn from their Lord’s Divine Presence (Ilm-ul-ladunni), that knowledge is carrying them and there is no worry for them of losing that knowledge. You are always in fear of forgetting your knowledges, and little by little they will melt away until, at the end, nothing remains of them; but we are not in any fear of that happening to us.’’
My Grandshaykh, when he was over a hundred years old, used to speak from morning till night. The knowledges which he imparted on any given day would suffice for a whole book to be written about them. This was not a burden for him. because he was in connection with Allah Almighty’s Knowledge Oceans; from those Oceans flow channels into the hearts of the Awliya.
If my Grandshaykh’s power would fully appear, no one could be sitting here; but that tremendous guiding and directing power (Irshad) is being stored up for the time of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi. At that time, all other Tariqats will be engulfed by the huge irshad-power carried through the Naqshbandiyya Tariqat — they will be engulfed like in-land seas being absorbed into a great ocean. Other Tariqats are already all slowly grinding to a halt, not moving forward. Since no Grandshaykhs are appearing among them, all that is left of them is their saying, “Follow this Tariqat or that one.” Since no
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Grandshaykhs are now appearing among them, they are only imitating what they found their predecessors practicing, without being able to improve — like soldiers marching in place.
(A person in attendance commented): “Some of the Shaykhs of the other Tariqats are angry at you for your making such statements; they think that you are making Naqshbandi politics, trying to take away their disciples.”
(Sheikh Nazim replied): Don’t speak foolish words. They may scream, “Politics!” and they may be angry, but they must know that what we are saying is reality, not politics; for we hate politics. If they have real spiritual knowledge (Maanawi Ulum), then they may see the reality of what we are saying; if not, they may be angry — but their anger is useless. Now, the Last Prophet, Muhammad, is present in the spiritual realm and for the Awliya there is an assembly with the Prophet’s Presence every night. If they are there, they may realize and know; if not, then they are only with us — not seeing what will happen and not seeing the reality of what happens now. If the latter is the case, then they are only looking at books and talking, and you can’t know these things like that — no, that knowledge is distinct, it comes by way of the hearts.
When you are mentioning the names of persons, we may know whether they are inside or outside. In the time of ‘Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilani, a great Grandshaykh, there was another sheikh who heard about him and said to his pupils: “I have heard so much about this Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qadir, but I have been sitting at the entrance of Allah Almighty’s Power Castle for thirty years, and up until now I haven’t seen him entering or leaving, so how is it that they are saying he is such a huge Shaykh?” When ‘Abdul-Qadir heard this, he laughed and said:
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“How can a doorkeeper know who sits in the presence of the King, in the proximity of the Majestic Lord?”
And so, you may find so many Tariqat Shaykhs, but their levels are different. So why are they angry? Do they claim to know everything? What we have stated we know from the heavenly assembly, and that knowledge is coming to us from the ‘central power station’, so that if they bring forward a statement, claim or knowledge, we know from where they are bringing it. If anyone is angry because of these things, he is providing proof £hat he is not from the Assembly of Awliya; but he who says, “I believe in this and more,” you must know that he is from within.
All Tariqats teach people humbleness and to accept the truth. Who accompanied the Prophet when he made his migration (Hijra) from Makkah to Madinah? — Abu Bakr. And what did the Prophet say about Abu Bakr? — “Everything My Lord put into my heart, I have put into the heart of Abu Bakr.” Which Shaykh can come to argue with us saying, “Abu Bakr is our father in Tariqat”? (Only the Naqshbandiyya Tariqat traces its lineage back to the Prophet through Abu Bakr, the rest of the Tariqats came through Sayyidina ‘Ali). Grandshaykh is the inheritor of Abu Bakr — only ignorant people can deny this.
* * *
THE LADDER TO THE MOON, EFFORT AND TRUST IN THE LORD
It is a very important point that Grandshaykh will speak upon tonight. I say that Grandshaykh will speak because the Awliya are living real lives; they are living stars, not dead stars; they are living persons even after
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their disappearance from bodily life. When they leave this world and go to heavenly life, they leave behind them a deputy whom they cause to speak on their behalf; therefore, when I speak here, my Grandshaykh is speaking through me — making me speak on behalf of him. For this reason, I said that he is going to speak on an important point.
Grandshaykh was saying that a great Wali and lover of the Prophet, Ibn ‘Umar as-Safadi, was saying: “If a person leaves everything and abstains from action, saying that he need not act because he trusts in his Lord and that his Lord is sufficient for him and will provide what His servant is in need of, then that person has become an unrighteous and sinful person.”
Here Grandshaykh is clarifying the real relationship between the servant and his Lord, saying: “There is a certain distance which servants must advance, and only when that distance has been covered and its limit crossed, that servant may say, ‘From here on I leave everything to my Lord and from this point on I entrust all my affairs to my Lord!’’’ For example, a farmer ploughs his field and plants corn, then he leaves it and has the right to just wait until the harvest is yielded. He may trust in his Lord to give him that yield, but if a person is not ploughing and not planting, but just saying, “I am trusting in my Lord to give me corn at harvest time”, he is indeed far astray in his thinking and actions. You must be aware of your duty and carry it out. You can’t bring rain, you can’t force the corn to grow and bring forth cobs, but you can plant and plough — then you can trust in your Lord to finish what you have begun. This is what true trust in Allah (Tawakkul) is like.
This is a very important point, and one often misunderstood, especially in European countries, where people raise objections to Islam, claiming that Islam
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tells people that they need not work, and should depend only on their Lord’s favours. In the present time even in the Muslim world, the younger generation is saying that Islam is the cause for the backwardness of their countries — but this is the result of wrong understanding. In fact, what Islam tells us is that we may begin a work with our own action, but it is Allah who completes, and that the success of any endeavour is ultimately in His Hands.
This is a world of causes. We are in need of causes and must hold on to them in this life, because miraculous doings may occur sometimes for Prophets and Saints, but not for everyone. For that reason, we have been ordered by our Prophet, Peace be Upon Him, to hold to causes so that we may witness effects and obtain results. Allah Almighty says that no one reaches anything in this world without acting — he must act and see the results. So, to act is a command from Allah Almighty and therefore we must not just sit down without movement and without action. Trusting in Allah, or leaving your affairs to Allah, is correct only after we have finished our duty.
Sometimes in Tariqats, Shaykhs may try a murid by ordering him to abandon every cause, to not seek his own means of existence. But such cases are only rare exceptions and not the general rule — the general rule is to seek means, as Allah commands.
Why was our Grandshaykh speaking upon this point? He is not mentioning it here in the context of worldly works, or actions for this life, but rather he is referring to effort required of us for reaching heavenly stations and Divine Knowledge Oceans. You must strive and do good actions as much as you can, and when you finish, after doing your utmost, Allah Almighty will lift you up. If you are asking for heavenly stations and miraculous powers, you must first struggle and not just
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say, “Allah may give us,” or, “My action is not sufficient for me to reach such heavenly stations.”
A good analogy to illustrate this point is this one: Someone was given a broken pick and spade and was told: “Take these instruments and dig up all seven layers of the Earth until you reach the end where you will find your treasure.” Do you think that it is possible to reach it with a broken pick and spade? — Of course not, but despite this you must dig as best as you can and not give up, saying, “How can I perform this feat?” Your duty is to dig little by little, and your Lord is looking after you so that when He sees that you are firmly believing and working as ordered, He will send His Help just as you have reached the point of exhaustion and can’t do more. At that time He will send a huge machine that will dig up your treasures for you instantly and effortlessly. Because you are a powerless servant carrying out His order. He will bring your treasure up for you with His power, not yours. He is only testing you: are you listening, believing, obeying? If you begin, He will finish, but if you say, “It is impossible for even the largest machines — so how shall I ever do it?”, you will be banned from the Divine Presence. If you begin your digging in spite of the obvious impossibility of the task, then Allah’s Holy Verse in the Qur’an will apply to you: “Allah does not burden anyone beyond his capabilities.”
(Surat al-Baqarah, Ayat 286)
We are not claiming that we will attain all heavenly stations as a result of our practices; we are only doing what our power enables us to do and, in reality, to reach the goal by means of our practices is like trying to reach the moon with a ladder; even if all the world’s ladders were tied together you couldn’t reach it — it is
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impossible; but we must try anyway, for perhaps one night from the moon there will descend a ladder to meet our ladder, and at that time it may be possible to go up, but for us to build up to the moon — never. We must do our duty. Allah says that doing our duty is the cause of our reaching to Heavens, but you must know that it is not enough. We know that ladders go up, but not to the moon. This is the precise meaning of Tariqat, and we are not cheating people: if one is working with sincerity, our Lord may send a ladder at any time from the moon to take you up, but you must do your work, and trust in your Lord.
Many people are reading in books about miraculous happenings, and sometimes our ego asks for us to be one of these ‘miracle-makers’. Tariqat is the way to be able to perform miracles, but we are not working in order to be able to do such things, but only for our Lord’s pleasure. When He is pleased with us, He will also make us pleased with Him, and at that time you won’t be able to even look at or consider miraculous doings; it is only your ego asking to perform such feats.
Our Grandshaykh is saying at the end of this lecture: ‘‘I am speaking on behalf of the Master of the Time (Sahib-Uz-Zaman), Sayyidina Al-Mahdi, because he is not yet permitted to appear and address people directly; therefore, I have been given permission in his stead. When he appears, you will witness how he speaks.” Grandshaykh continued: “This assembly has the same virtues as the assembly of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi and holds the same reward. These knowledges are not the results of reading books but come directly from the heart of the Holy Prophet, Peace be Upon Him. Allah Almighty gives these knowledges to those who trust in Him and keep His orders with full respect.” * * *
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MIRACLES: THE POWER TO PACK THE UNIVERSE INTO A THIMBLE
My Grandshaykh says that very rarely there may occur some miracles, but commonly everything happens through causes. Only in exceptional cases do some events occur which are inexplicable by means of ordinary causes. Such exceptions may be a few in each century; for example, a few years ago I heard about a boy who could solve the most difficult arithmetical problems, problems which would be impossible for even educated adults to solve. So, in the spiritual world, some events may happen which appear in the lives of some people as miraculous events which no one can explain through ordinary means.
Grandshaykh is explaining why such miracles do, at times, occur: Firstly, in order to declare to all people that there is a Lord of the Universe who does what He wills, and that no causes affect Him nor is He subject to any natural laws; He is the One who creates those laws and causes, but they are not binding upon Him. His sovereignty is absolute, and His Kingdom is free of anyone else’s command; He alone commands and does what He likes and as He likes. We must know with absolute certainty that He has the Power to do everything and anything.
Grandshaykh told me the following example of how Allah Almighty may do what He likes. For example, Allah Almighty may put the whole world into a thimble. How? If we consider this according to ‘empirical knowledge’ we may agree that it is within the realm of possibility, as now in astronomy, scientists have discovered that there are some stars of which a teaspoonful of material weighs one billion tons — neutron stars. Scientists are doing research and gaining knowledge of this, as Allah
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gave them minds to observe the Earth and the Heavens. So, taking this information into account, one could say, “Such a hypothesis is valid, why not — perhaps indeed the whole world could be put into a thimble.” This is our minds’ estimate and calculation, but Allah Almighty is not going to do as we think, for He can put the whole world into a thimble without making the thimble larger or the world smaller. Nothing can oppose His Will, and if He orders it to be, then it must be — this is Allah Almighty’s Power (Qudrah). In our minds, we may imagine making the thimble larger or the world smaller, but if He did it like this there would be no difference between servant and Lord.
The first reason why Allah decrees miraculous happenings is to show people that He can do what He wills. Thus, He also gives to whom He wills secret knowledges without their ever having studied or worked to attain them. Our Grandshaykh said that he was given such powers from childhood on; but the completion of the Awliyas’ powers lies in their keeping them to themselves and not demonstrating their miraculous faculties: herein lies their true greatness. The Awliya are like volcanoes, within them lie tremendous powers — but, as the volcano seems like an ordinary mountain, to you the Awliya may seem to be as ordinary people.
Some people now contend that the Awliya are no different from us: “What are you saying, all this about Awliya — what is the difference between us and them?” The answer to such people is this: “They may seem to you to be no different than yourselves; the people of Makkah were also regarding the Prophet and saying, ‘He is like us, how can he say such things?’” Today, people are saying, regarding the Awliya, “They have two legs, two arms, one nose etc., Just like us, so why is so much power attributed to them?” In outer appearance they are ordinary people, but inwardly they are absolutely
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different, as different as two wires, one carrying electric current and one not. The one carrying the current looks exactly like the ordinary one, for you can’t see the current passing through it — but just put your finger on each one, and then tell me whether they are the same! — One wire strikes you and knocks you out the door! Awliya are not speaking now, but when their time comes, they may send you with one slap from here to Germany or England. Awliya have Divine Powers because they have given their physical bodies over to the absolute control of their Lord and because they never resist that control by trying to exercise their own will. They have freed themselves from the grip of their egos and have given themselves over to their Lord, so that Divine Power runs through their bodies, and with these powers they may do miraculous doings.
The second reason why Allah Almighty sends miracles is so that no one will be cut off from hope in his Lord; if not for these miracles, so many would fall into despair. Because of their occurrence no one may say, “I cannot reach those Knowledge Oceans, I am so lazy, how shall I reach those ranks?” Instead, they may always hope for their Lord’s aid. Perhaps as a result of that servant’s admission of weakness, Allah may give him all ranks, and perhaps Allah may give to one that high rank for no reason at all. We may ask of our Lord anything, and our Lord will never refuse His servant’s request, but since some desires of His servant may be no good for him, He keeps them from him and grants them instead as a reward on the Last Day. * * *
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GRAVES HAVE EARS; THE STATION OF OUR GRANDSHAYKH
A Murshid, a Grandshaykh, who teaches and educates people, is like a professor of surgery who gives lessons by operating on a corpse, thus showing his students what they need to learn.
Our Grandshaykh has now explained to us, from the beginning, about Satan, in order to teach us what the reason for his having been banished from the Divine Presence was. Then he told us about Adam, and how he was sent down from Paradise. After that, he spoke about the companions of the Prophet, particularly the four rightly-guided Khalifas, and through his teachings he gave us some indication of why Abu Bakr holds the first place and attained the highest degrees, why ‘Ali also attained great spiritual knowledge, and why Sayyidina ‘Umar and Sayyidina ‘Uthman were not on the same level of spiritual development as ‘Ali and Abu Bakr.
When a Grandshaykh who has real inheritance from the Prophet speaks about the people in the graves, those people concerned may listen to him. Every Grandshaykh having that rank may speak in front of any gathering of people, and his speech will be heard by all Saints, living or in the life of the grave (Barzakh); this is a miracle given to them. Quickly they may be heard, like nowadays when a president addresses an assembly, every president and every government will quickly hear or read that speech — if Sultan Al-Awliya speaks, it must be heard all over.
This lecture about Satan and Adam, and about the Sahaba was given by Grandshaykh after the morning prayer, and in the afternoon of the same day Grandshaykh told me: “Oh Nazim Efendi, this morning’s
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lecture has been heard by the companions of the Prophet in their graves, and they were very pleased with it, as we have been given a miraculous favour from the Lord that if we notice an incompleteness on the part of anyone, and point it out, it will become complete. When I was pointing out that some of the Sahaba were sometimes using their own wills and not putting their desires in line with the Prophet’s, thus causing their incompleteness, at that moment Allah Almighty completed for them their development there in the grave, and so, they are very happy indeed. This happened, through Sahib-Uz- Zaman, Sayyidina Al-Mahdi, whose duty it is to complete in Barzakh what was left uncompleted in this life.
Our Grandshaykh said to me: “Oh Nazim Efendi, you and your brothers must be thankful to Allah for having the honour to be in the association of such a Grandshaykh who has been given power by his Lord to save, not only his own murids, but also any other Shaykh’s murids who have fallen into the hands of devils.”
I asked my Grandshaykh: “Does this apply also to the Nations of Prophets other than our Prophet, as so many from those Nations have been captured by Satan and his armies — does your power extend to them also?”
He said: “Yes, on the Last Day, that Grandshaykh will save from the hands of the devil all those of the Nations of former Prophets who did not join the assembly of their Prophets, but who stayed outside in the grip of devils and demons. That Grandshaykh has been given great authority on the Last Day.”
What does it mean that every Prophet is alive; how is it so? Allah Almighty appoints for each time one person as deputy for each of the Prophets. The same mercy and spiritual emanations (Tajalli) that were present in the
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time of that Prophet do not disappear but continue to be manifest. In our time, as the tajalli of our Prophet are manifested in his deputy, so it is with all of the Prophets and their deputies — one may say that it is as if there were 124,000 Prophets on the Earth.
Grandshaykh went on to say that there is always one great Wali who has, by himself, to be deputy for all 124,000 Prophets and represent all of them; this is the station of Grandshaykh, and that Grandshaykh is the representative of Sayyidina Muhammad, as all the Prophets are under his banner. Grandshaykh said: “There is always one who must hold this rank; now this station belongs to us; after me only one more should come to hold this rank before the beginning of the events of the end of time (Coming of Sayyidina Al-Mahdi). You are honoured by Allah to be in this company.” * * *
THE MISSION OF PROPHETS AND AWLIYA; OUR GRANDSHAYKH’S SPECIAL GUIDANCE QUALITY; A VERY GOOD MANNER
Every Saint has been granted by his Lord some miraculous powers and ranks in the Divine Presence. Every Grandshaykh is guidance for his people to their Lord, and it is the Grandshaykh’s duty to make people as complete as possible. The meaning of guidance is to prepare murids for the Divine Presence. Those lacking the guidance of a teacher cannot know what they really need — they cannot distinguish between those things which are good and suitable for them, and those which are harmful for them in the Divine Presence. Everyone is in need of guidance so that he may be shown the
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way to distinguish what is beneficial to him from that which is harmful. All Prophets came for that purpose. Perhaps you may say, “How can a person not know what is harmful for him; how can one not know that bad attributes are within him?” Our selfishness prevents us from realizing this; it says, “You are alright; you are the best; you must be like this; this is best for you.” Your egos will even tell you that the very worst things are the best, because egos are so devilish and wild that they see themselves as being the best and everyone else as the worst. So, our selfishness likes and rushes towards all badness because this is its natural attribute.
There is a struggle going on inside of us between the ego and the soul. The ego likes to be with devils and in their evil ways. Its life is in filth and filled with dirty characteristics, and so it will never admit that its actions are bad; but it will always advertise its own cause and attempt to push down and cover ou
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