MERCY OCEANS, Book 08 (The Heart, Shaykh Nazim, 43 pages, 2/4)
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but what do they have to celebrate? Another year has rushed past them like water under a bridge, and no dam can stem the flow of that current. No, they only celebrate the loss of another piece of a dwindling treasure. Every white hair that appears in the mirror is like a dagger piercing their hearts, But I am looking every day to see if there are still any black hairs left in my beard. I am looking forward to its turn- ing all white. Why? Because it is a sign that I am approaching eternal life; and I have been preparing for that jump from this world to the next,
All believers look forward to that homecoming with great longing and anticipation, just as our brother here who has been away from home for two months is looking forward each day to reaching his home. Every day he is looking at me hoping to make me hurry - but yet I am sitting. Just as each day he feels more and more longing to reach his home and his darling, so my soul, with time pass- ing, has fresh desire to jump to that eternal life. As it approaches I feel within myself such pleasure that cannot be described, for that day will be for me a High Holy Day (Fid). I am ready and waiting anxiously for that transference, listening for that call that I may heed it, But who is not on that level,
who believes in nothing but this life, every day presses down on him like a heavy weight.
Have you heard of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, the world-famous Master of the order of the ‘‘whirl- ing dervishes”’, the Mevlevis? He made a will in- structing people not to weep or lament at the time of his leaving this life. He said that that night would be his “wedding night’, and that his joy upon that event would be greater than that of a groom being Jed into the bridal chamber to be alone with his bride. Therefore, in accordance with his wishes they made a wedding procession of his funeral: with tambourines and pipes he was taken to the grave.
We are now, all of us, like fish who have been caught and hauled out of the sea. Look at the fish jumping about: you may think they are dancing, but no, they are slowly dying. If those fish are thrown back into the ocean in time they will be content, not now. I am waiting for that day of relief from the difficulties of this life, the day of immer- sion in endless Mercy Oceans, Beauty, Oceans, Fa- vour Oceans, Knowledge Oceans in the Divine Presence. That is my hope, to the fulfillment of which every day brings me a step closer, and so I am more joyful with each passing day, I am ad- vising you, as my sons and daughters, how to be happy during this life and throughout eternity.
Your attendance of such a meeting as this one is a sign that something inside of you is stirring. Among millions of people you are but a handful, but considering the conditions under which we are now living we are happy that even such a few distinguished people may seek to awaken their inner realities.
We are like people imprisoned in a dark moun- tain cave — we are seeking a way out. Therefore, we are not just sitting and feeling sorry for ourselves, but are groping towards the places where the air currents lead us, to see if, by moving a rock or two, we can at least let in some sunshine. But for blind peo- ple it is all the same: illumination and darkness — and most of the people living now are blind in their hearts.
And so, most people are making do with their lives in the cave, and it never even occurs to them that such a thing called “light” may exist, nor can they imagine such a thing or what it may be like. But those whose hearts’ eyes are ready to be opened feel the longing to see. They are certain that there is a realm of light, and so they are doing what they can to emerge from the cave.
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Shaeaedeeatedlededtedteats SEEK TO MAKE THINGS EASY FOR PEOPLE, NOT HARD
Allah Almighty knows and understands His creatures, the Descendants of Adam, best. He AI- mighty knows their capacities and debilities, their excellences and their shortcomings, and He only expects from them in accordance with what He knows about them, As our Lord has decreed that, throughout the ages, it should become increasingly difficult for human beings to live in accordance with what is good for them, Allah, their Lord, has lessened His expectations of them. He Almighty knows full well that the people of the last time will not be capable of much obedience or devotion to Him, and therefore He has made the successive Divine Laws revealed through His Prophets pro. gressively easier and less demanding, culminating in the Law revealed to the Last and the Seal of Propheis, Muhammed, Peace be upon him, the tclerant Law of Islam.
Even during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, Allah Almighty lightened the burdens that He Himself had imposed on believers, knowing that these practices would be too difficult for them to bear. For example, fasting used to commence after the evening meal, or from when a person went to sleep at night, and continue to the next sunset.
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Then Allah eased fasting for the believers by per- mitting that they partake of a pre-dawn meal and fast only from the first crack of dawn until sunset.
Although the revealed Law of Islam need never change throughout history, as it is the Law revealed for the people of the Last Time — still, from the time of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an until the end of this world, the level of observance expected of us by our Lord, and the strictness or lenience with which He will judge our actions, is not the same now as it was in the time of the Prophet,
Yes, the complete Divine Law as revealed to our Prophet stands unaltered as the model of perfection to be striven for by believers of high aspiration and degree. But according to the following tradition of our Prophet it is clear that the actions of thse people of such a degenerate time as our own will only be judged relative to the conditions they had to endure. According to Tradition, the Holy Prophet once ad- ressed his companions, saying : “Oh my companions, if one of you abandons one Divine Command from among one hundred, he will be in danger of losing his faith, but there will come a time when anyone of my Nation who holds firmly to even one Com- mand from among one-hundred, may hope to save himself and his faith’.
‘We must understand the’ full implications of this prophecy, but generally our Islamic scholars read such a tradition and never pause to reflect on it. Therefore, it is their habit to be too rigid and intolerant in their dealings with new Muslims from
Western countries, As scon as a person agrees to be- come Muslim, those scholars proceed to load them down with instructions on the full level of worship, fasting, etc. required of a fully responsible Muslim, and the complete list of forbidden actions as well — all in all five-hundred orders and eight-hun- dred prohibitions! What should be the reaction of such new people who, in our times, are not even converting from another religion with practices and prohibitions of a roughly corresponding nature, but often from a completely unregulated way of life? If we are to present Islam in such a way they will certainly think twice before committing themselves to Islam, as they are not prepared to instantly ob- serve the whole of the Law. This is why so many Western people come to me and ask if it is possible to follow a Sufi Way without embracing Islam : be- cause they view Islam as a gigantic mountain which they would be ordered to scale to the peak, imme- diately, without training, without equipment — so, naturally they are hesitant.
We must be wise and aware of our responsibili- ties towards people whose hearts incline towards Islam. We must. remember that our Lord is the One who Himself stresses His Mercy Oceans above all other Attributes in His Holy Book, and we musi learn from our Lord’s tolerance towards us to be tolerant with those with whom we want to forge bends of the heart, with those whom we want to guide toward our Lord’s Love and take as our own brothers and sisters.
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No one from among the Muslims can dispute the fact that the full command of the Divine Law was revealed to our Prophet gradually over a period of ten years in Medina, and this only efter an initial thirteen year preparation period in Mecca, when nothing specific was demanded of the believers except to believe in Allah, the Last. Day, His Proph- eis, and to do good deeds. The Holy Prophet sum- marizes the wisdom of this approach in a famous Tradition: “Seek to make things easy for people, not hard. Bring them gcod tidings, don’t drive them away”.
Look, we all know that, for example, the school- ing of a child from Kindergarten to University in- velves much studying and effort on the part of the student. But don’t say to that little child: ‘“Educa- tion is a long process involving the learning and even memorization of so many big books, the solving of difficult problems in math and science, and doing lots of homework instead of playing.” If ycu paint such a picture for that small child of what he is eniering into, he will try to escape in sheer terror. But we, as adults, know that in education the stu- dent will be prepared by his teachers for solving every problem he is asked to solve, that he will be given challenges that accord to his level and draw him to the next. First graders are never expected to read the bcoks or solve the math problems in the fifth grade curriculum. To a first grader you must say, "Come here and I will teach you A, B, C... yes, this is your lesson nothing else”. Step by step that pupil
will learn to read everything. And so, in Islam, we lead people step-by-step, There is a beginning and an end, but first we must help people take the first steps; if they don’t take the first steps they will never take the last ones.
Unfortunately, Islam’s having been both re- vealed and propagated in this gradual manner — without difficulty for the learner — is understood by neither Muslims nor non-Muslims. Therefore, in this time we are in need of new guidance, and we are not anticipating that it will come from our scholars. It is understanding and guidance that comes through the heart, from heart to heart; not merely instruction as to what we should or should not do with our bodies.
Muslims and non-Muslims alike must under- stand this point, as a real understanding of Islam is capable of saving the whole world. But if we per- sist in our misunderstanding it will be impossible to reverse the movement toward the brink of disas- ter.
The Holy Qur'an addresses the whole of man- kind, and we are in need of people who are capable of understanding it. Only such people are capable of helping people to their shares of the Holy Book. The Holy Qur'an is a fountain, a gushing source that may quench the thirst of billions, but very few people are following the river to its source: every- one is drawing from it far downstream. We must seek the source : it is the lifespring for all mankind.
** Wa min Allah at-Taufiq **
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THREE ESSENTIAL PRACTICES FOR BEGINNERS
It is the outstanding attribute of all Prophets and Saints to exhibit the utmost tolerance and for- bearance in calling their peoples to their Lord’s Guidance. It was the duty of the Prophets, Allah’s representatives among mankind, to invite people to eternal felicity by a method suited to their tempera- ment, a method which would find acceptance with all except those completely hard of heart. A main pillar of these methods was extreme patience and not looking after people’s shortcomings.
But along the course of history, Divine Wisdom has constantly lightened the load of responsibilities; a continual increase in tolerance as mankind’s weak- ness and inconstancy grew throughout the ages, cul- minating in the people of our time who, in general, are barely able to admit the existence of God, what to speak of worshipping Him.
The Law revealed to Moses was too severe for the people at the time of Jesus Christ, therefore, God lightened the load and relaxed the discipline; and the Law observed by Jesus was too difficult for the people living at the time of Muhammed and fol- lowing generations, Peace be upon all the Prophets of Allah But Divine Religion along the course of
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history. has always contained the element of tol- erance, and every Prophet has been tolerant, Divine Tolerance Oceans are with our Lord, and the tol- erance of anyone else is confined; therefore, all re- ligions, governing not only man’s relation to God ‘but also man’s relation to his fellow man, contain not only tolerances, but limits to tolerance.
The Lord's telerance and leniency with His ser- vants is endless; otherwise, how would the world be al- lowed to continue? Were it not for our Lord's utmost indulgence, He would instantly punish the whole hu- man race for what goes on among us, but He is in- dulgent; and among all Prophets and all religions the Last and Seal of the Propheis, Muhammad. Peace be upon him, represents his Lord’s attribute of forbearance mosi perfectly. The Last Prophat was Sent with the most liberal of the Divinely Re- vealed Laws, a Law which is as wide as the distance between East and West.
When I say that the Islamic Law is “liberal”, I do not, of course, mean liberal in the sense that it has come to be known nowadays, meaning to tolerate all evil and degeneracy, no! What I mean by a liberal method is that within it one can find endless possi- bilities for doing good, for developing one’s human- ity along lines that are pleasing to the Lord, not endless possibilities for evil. There is unrestricted space in Islam for healthy human development, not just a very narrow path; but space to work in towards evil ends cannot be found, and we don’t
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accept tolerance of actions that are harmful to people as being really liberal.
We must make this distinction clear. Nothing that is forbidden in the Hberal system of Islam is beneficial for mankind. Some people may make claims to the contrary, but sooner or later they will have to admit that they are at fault, as science and medicine eventually confirm that these things are harmful to people’s health, character or produc- tivity. What then is the essence of Islamic tolerance? Islamic teaching guides people, according to their own capacity, to an awakening of the conscience, the most valuable faculty of man, which, once awa- kened, will prevent him from falling into ways harmful to himself and others. The sincere seeker asking guidance in Islam will be led to understand the saying of the Holy Prophet: “Oh people, do your best and harm no one’, That is the utmost tolerance as it makes people able to hear the inner voice of the heart that always inspires to the best of ‘ways.
To lead people to an awakening of the con- science is the only effective way of bringing them to a good end of their lives, to prevent them from wasting their lives in activities that weigh them down and degrade them to the level of animals, If a religion fails to establish man’s contact with his own conscience, no amount of prohibition, no amount of courts and judges will be able to keep a population from evil.
Therefore, the main principle of Islam is “There is no compulsion in religion” (Qu’ran, Surah 2, Ayat
257). Faith is a voluntary action, and declaration of faith under compulsion is not valid. No one likes to be told, "Do this’ or ‘Don’t do that’: the ego always rebels when given such direct orders. The opject of Divine Guidance is not, of course, to make people rebel, but to make it easy for them to follow. There- fore, especially with matters of interest to the ego {that hit close to the ego’s desires), prohibition was declared gradually and not directly. For example, the prohibition of wines was not revealed all at once, rather the use of spirits was more and more discour- aged. When the prohibition came more specifically, it came not in the form of a prohibition at all, but in the form of a question: “Will you not desist?” Now the harm of drinking to one’s health and char- adter is clear and has been duly established by science and medicine, no one may dispute this. But Allah Almighty, when addressing mankind on this subject, says — in His endless wisdom: “You must stand informed of the harmful effects of drinking, and leave it by means of your willpower. That gives you more honour.”
Therefore, who believes in the Lord and in the Prophets of the Lord, makes himself honourable in the sight of his Lord and in the sight of his Prophet by preparing himself to follow goodness and aban- don evil. This ability to distinguish is the greatest Divine Gift to man. So why are you awaiting orders when you yourself can know what you must do? It is as if your Lord says to you: “I have given you existence in this Universe, now use it in the best of
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ways’. Who can find a school of thought, a sect or religion with such wide-ranging vision?
During the lifetime of our Grandsheikh, Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani Sultan Al-Awliya, may Allah Almighty sanctify his blessed soul, a number of western people visited him in Damascus. An eld- erly lady from New Zealand who had met our Grandsheikh wrote a letter to her friend, also an old lady of about eighty years : “Oh my sister, I have attained my life’s goal. I have arrived at my desti- nation in this life and am ready to step into the life of the hereafter without sorrow. If you wish to find the goal of your life and attain inner peace to carry you into the hereafter, you must visit a person named Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani who lives on Mount Qasiyun in Damascus. You must look for his servant Sheikh Nazim, and he will lead you to him. I have met them, taken my trust and reached my goal. I hope that you will visit them also, so that you may be among the fortunate few who reach their destination.”
This lady had received her friend’s letter and had travelled to Damascus. When she found me she began to weep. I took her to our Grandsheikh and she wept some more and kissed his hands. Then Grandsheikh bade her be seated and addressed her, while I translated for him. She continued to weep the whole time he spoke to her; when it was time for prayer and we stood up to pray, she prayed with us of her own accord — hat, shoes and all. It
was a great blessing for her to have prayed with our Grandsheikh.
The next morning Grandsheikh called her in for breakfast, and after the meal we sat for an as- sociation, What Grandsheikh said on that occasion is very important, and I have been ordered to relate it to you now, as an excellent instruction for our brothers and sisters on how to treat newcomers. Particularly our brothers who were raised as Mus- lims in Muslim countries must heed this lesson if they propose to teach Western people about Islam.
Grandsheikh ordered me to tell her the follow- ing: “Oh Nazim Efendi, last night in the private assembly of the Holy Prophet I asked him, peace ibe upon him, ‘Oh Prophet of Allah, this elderly woman from your Nation has come to me and en- tered Islam. What shall I instruct her to do, what shall I teach her, being that she is so old and cannot remain here with us a long time’?”
“The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, replied : ‘Instruct her and all others from my Nation who may embrace the faith but may not perhaps, be able to alter their situations so easily, on the following three points: firstly, let them repeat the Kalimat-i- shahada ‘the profession of faith) three times a day, saying: Oh my Lord, I accept Thee alone as God, and I accept Muhammad as Your Prophet and Rep- resentative. The second point is for them to learn the five prayer periods: dawn, noon afternoon, evening and night; and to give their respects to their Lord in those appointed times by prostrating
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themselves to the ground once, facing any direction, and saying: “Subhanallah” (Glorified be God Al- mighty). And if it is too difficult for them to learn this phrase it is sufficient to only prostrate. That is enough for this lady and for others in similar situ- ations. This practice is a seed being planted in her heart, and as it sprouts and grows she may be inspired to learn more of the ritual prayer, but in the beginning it is enough for her just to prostrate. What could be simpler and easier: no directional orientation, no ablution, no recitation’.”
““Thirdly, she, and all new Muslims, should keep love in their hearts towards the community of Muslims and not allow themselves to hate them, in spite of their bad actions and characteristics. Tell them to overlook the shortcomings of the people and peoples of my Nation and try to love them despite their pathetic state. Even if Muslims do bad actions under the banner of Islam, Islam is always above this, innocent of the blame. To try and use the name of Islam to attain one’s selfish ends is the greatest sin, and Islam disclaims responsibility for
yo»
such people’.
These are the three points our Grandsheikh related from his meeting with the Holy Prophet, and these conditions are so wide that thousands and thousands of people may enter Islam and fulfill them, becoming sincere servants of the Lord.
Now, no doubt, many Muslims who are reading this, will say : “What, shall we believe that the Holy
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Prophet has declared it to be so easy to become Allah’s obedient servant, when our Islamic Law spells out so many different types of obligatory worship and prohibitions which we are meticulously observing?”
Oh Muslims! Do not imagine that Allah Al mighty is waiting for your prayers, your fasting, your covering your heads or your dressing in Is- lamic clothes! No! He Almighty is looking to your hearts to see if they contain an atom’s weight of sincerity, and only if He finds that sincerity does He accept anything from you! None of your actions are, of themselves, pleasing to your Lord if they are not motivated by sincere intentions.
The heart of that old woman who came to Dam- ascus may have been full of sincerity, so that her performance of these simple devotions may have been more acceptable in the Divine Presence than my prayers. Yes, that is all there is to it and it is enough for you to now know how to relay the mess- age of servanthood of Allah Almighty to Western people.
We are seeking servanthood in the Divine pres- ence, nothing else, and we are trying to commu- nicate some details of that servanthood in the Di- vine Presence to everyone. When we are praying we are not going to let our prayer be a cause of pride and conceit, We are not looking down on people. You must try only to keep your servanthood, nothing else, and this is the latest message from our
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Prophet on what is the least degree of worship to attain that goal.
Look, a king may have thousands of subjects in his employ. Each of the king’s servants has a distinct rank and a distinct duty to perform. The king will be pleased with the servant who performs the duty that has been assigned him well, as pleased with the common infantryman as with a Field Marshall. That Field Marshall has an awesome responsibility towards his king, and he will have attained that rank, presumably, because he is qualified for it, and will be expected to live up to his immense responsibilities. But the foot-soldier is not expected to perform the duties of a Field Marshall; his duties are simpler, but they are also important, and doing them well will earn him the good pleasure of the ‘king.
And so, Allah Almighty has called all mankind to His service, everyone according to his rank. Ac- cording to her circumstances that elderly woman was given a light load, and if she carried it well she will be rewarded. If you are carrying more than that you must persevere in carrying your appointed burden and not throw it off halfway towards your goal — then you may attain your Lord’s pleasure.
And you should know also that a Field Marshall should not be proud because of his position, glo- rying in the edge that he has over those who have been assigned lower ranks. He must be thankful to his king who has honoured him with such respon-
sibilities, and must strive to fulfill that trust. It is not seemly for him to boast and gloat, saying : “Look at me, I am a Field Marshall’.
Oh foolish mankind, so given over to false pride, know that this Universe is full of the servants of the Almighty. What do your poor devotions amount to? Nothing! Now very many of our Muslim brothers from Islamic countries who have been raised on the strict observances of Islam look at themselves approvingly and say: “Maashaallah, we are as we should be or nearly so”, and now, perhaps, their way of seeing themselves and others, some of their conceit and complacency, as well as their false self opinion, is spreading like a contagious disease to some of our new Muslim brothers from Western countries, who have begun to observe the prescribes of the Divine Law.
Beg your Lord to fres you of such vain self- opinion, for it is the self-opinion of Satan. All the Prophets have said: “Glory to You, I have been a wrongdoer’. Seek earnestly the honour of being a sincere servant of your Lord in humility and lowli- ness.
“Wa min Allah at-Taufiq **
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4°
TRYING TO FIT SPIRITUAL REALITIES INTO BLOCK HEADS
Nowadays you cannot find two people whose hearts are in accord. In every Nation and within every community one may observe mounting civil strife and discord. This is because Allah Almighty is punishing the people of this time by setting them loose on each other.
Because of this Divine Punishment one may find all Nations divided into two main groups — even the Jewish people who are generally known to be strongly united and close-knit are divided. Muslims nowadays are also divided: one party holds to traditional Islamic beliefs, following in the 'way of the Prophets and Saints, while the other party is trying to negate all spiritual power, explaining away all mira
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but what do they have to celebrate? Another year has rushed past them like water under a bridge, and no dam can stem the flow of that current. No, they only celebrate the loss of another piece of a dwindling treasure. Every white hair that appears in the mirror is like a dagger piercing their hearts, But I am looking every day to see if there are still any black hairs left in my beard. I am looking forward to its turn- ing all white. Why? Because it is a sign that I am approaching eternal life; and I have been preparing for that jump from this world to the next,
All believers look forward to that homecoming with great longing and anticipation, just as our brother here who has been away from home for two months is looking forward each day to reaching his home. Every day he is looking at me hoping to make me hurry - but yet I am sitting. Just as each day he feels more and more longing to reach his home and his darling, so my soul, with time pass- ing, has fresh desire to jump to that eternal life. As it approaches I feel within myself such pleasure that cannot be described, for that day will be for me a High Holy Day (Fid). I am ready and waiting anxiously for that transference, listening for that call that I may heed it, But who is not on that level,
who believes in nothing but this life, every day presses down on him like a heavy weight.
Have you heard of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, the world-famous Master of the order of the ‘‘whirl- ing dervishes”’, the Mevlevis? He made a will in- structing people not to weep or lament at the time of his leaving this life. He said that that night would be his “wedding night’, and that his joy upon that event would be greater than that of a groom being Jed into the bridal chamber to be alone with his bride. Therefore, in accordance with his wishes they made a wedding procession of his funeral: with tambourines and pipes he was taken to the grave.
We are now, all of us, like fish who have been caught and hauled out of the sea. Look at the fish jumping about: you may think they are dancing, but no, they are slowly dying. If those fish are thrown back into the ocean in time they will be content, not now. I am waiting for that day of relief from the difficulties of this life, the day of immer- sion in endless Mercy Oceans, Beauty, Oceans, Fa- vour Oceans, Knowledge Oceans in the Divine Presence. That is my hope, to the fulfillment of which every day brings me a step closer, and so I am more joyful with each passing day, I am ad- vising you, as my sons and daughters, how to be happy during this life and throughout eternity.
Your attendance of such a meeting as this one is a sign that something inside of you is stirring. Among millions of people you are but a handful, but considering the conditions under which we are now living we are happy that even such a few distinguished people may seek to awaken their inner realities.
We are like people imprisoned in a dark moun- tain cave — we are seeking a way out. Therefore, we are not just sitting and feeling sorry for ourselves, but are groping towards the places where the air currents lead us, to see if, by moving a rock or two, we can at least let in some sunshine. But for blind peo- ple it is all the same: illumination and darkness — and most of the people living now are blind in their hearts.
And so, most people are making do with their lives in the cave, and it never even occurs to them that such a thing called “light” may exist, nor can they imagine such a thing or what it may be like. But those whose hearts’ eyes are ready to be opened feel the longing to see. They are certain that there is a realm of light, and so they are doing what they can to emerge from the cave.
—27 —
Shaeaedeeatedlededtedteats SEEK TO MAKE THINGS EASY FOR PEOPLE, NOT HARD
Allah Almighty knows and understands His creatures, the Descendants of Adam, best. He AI- mighty knows their capacities and debilities, their excellences and their shortcomings, and He only expects from them in accordance with what He knows about them, As our Lord has decreed that, throughout the ages, it should become increasingly difficult for human beings to live in accordance with what is good for them, Allah, their Lord, has lessened His expectations of them. He Almighty knows full well that the people of the last time will not be capable of much obedience or devotion to Him, and therefore He has made the successive Divine Laws revealed through His Prophets pro. gressively easier and less demanding, culminating in the Law revealed to the Last and the Seal of Propheis, Muhammed, Peace be upon him, the tclerant Law of Islam.
Even during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, Allah Almighty lightened the burdens that He Himself had imposed on believers, knowing that these practices would be too difficult for them to bear. For example, fasting used to commence after the evening meal, or from when a person went to sleep at night, and continue to the next sunset.
— 28 —
Then Allah eased fasting for the believers by per- mitting that they partake of a pre-dawn meal and fast only from the first crack of dawn until sunset.
Although the revealed Law of Islam need never change throughout history, as it is the Law revealed for the people of the Last Time — still, from the time of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an until the end of this world, the level of observance expected of us by our Lord, and the strictness or lenience with which He will judge our actions, is not the same now as it was in the time of the Prophet,
Yes, the complete Divine Law as revealed to our Prophet stands unaltered as the model of perfection to be striven for by believers of high aspiration and degree. But according to the following tradition of our Prophet it is clear that the actions of thse people of such a degenerate time as our own will only be judged relative to the conditions they had to endure. According to Tradition, the Holy Prophet once ad- ressed his companions, saying : “Oh my companions, if one of you abandons one Divine Command from among one hundred, he will be in danger of losing his faith, but there will come a time when anyone of my Nation who holds firmly to even one Com- mand from among one-hundred, may hope to save himself and his faith’.
‘We must understand the’ full implications of this prophecy, but generally our Islamic scholars read such a tradition and never pause to reflect on it. Therefore, it is their habit to be too rigid and intolerant in their dealings with new Muslims from
Western countries, As scon as a person agrees to be- come Muslim, those scholars proceed to load them down with instructions on the full level of worship, fasting, etc. required of a fully responsible Muslim, and the complete list of forbidden actions as well — all in all five-hundred orders and eight-hun- dred prohibitions! What should be the reaction of such new people who, in our times, are not even converting from another religion with practices and prohibitions of a roughly corresponding nature, but often from a completely unregulated way of life? If we are to present Islam in such a way they will certainly think twice before committing themselves to Islam, as they are not prepared to instantly ob- serve the whole of the Law. This is why so many Western people come to me and ask if it is possible to follow a Sufi Way without embracing Islam : be- cause they view Islam as a gigantic mountain which they would be ordered to scale to the peak, imme- diately, without training, without equipment — so, naturally they are hesitant.
We must be wise and aware of our responsibili- ties towards people whose hearts incline towards Islam. We must. remember that our Lord is the One who Himself stresses His Mercy Oceans above all other Attributes in His Holy Book, and we musi learn from our Lord’s tolerance towards us to be tolerant with those with whom we want to forge bends of the heart, with those whom we want to guide toward our Lord’s Love and take as our own brothers and sisters.
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No one from among the Muslims can dispute the fact that the full command of the Divine Law was revealed to our Prophet gradually over a period of ten years in Medina, and this only efter an initial thirteen year preparation period in Mecca, when nothing specific was demanded of the believers except to believe in Allah, the Last. Day, His Proph- eis, and to do good deeds. The Holy Prophet sum- marizes the wisdom of this approach in a famous Tradition: “Seek to make things easy for people, not hard. Bring them gcod tidings, don’t drive them away”.
Look, we all know that, for example, the school- ing of a child from Kindergarten to University in- velves much studying and effort on the part of the student. But don’t say to that little child: ‘“Educa- tion is a long process involving the learning and even memorization of so many big books, the solving of difficult problems in math and science, and doing lots of homework instead of playing.” If ycu paint such a picture for that small child of what he is eniering into, he will try to escape in sheer terror. But we, as adults, know that in education the stu- dent will be prepared by his teachers for solving every problem he is asked to solve, that he will be given challenges that accord to his level and draw him to the next. First graders are never expected to read the bcoks or solve the math problems in the fifth grade curriculum. To a first grader you must say, "Come here and I will teach you A, B, C... yes, this is your lesson nothing else”. Step by step that pupil
will learn to read everything. And so, in Islam, we lead people step-by-step, There is a beginning and an end, but first we must help people take the first steps; if they don’t take the first steps they will never take the last ones.
Unfortunately, Islam’s having been both re- vealed and propagated in this gradual manner — without difficulty for the learner — is understood by neither Muslims nor non-Muslims. Therefore, in this time we are in need of new guidance, and we are not anticipating that it will come from our scholars. It is understanding and guidance that comes through the heart, from heart to heart; not merely instruction as to what we should or should not do with our bodies.
Muslims and non-Muslims alike must under- stand this point, as a real understanding of Islam is capable of saving the whole world. But if we per- sist in our misunderstanding it will be impossible to reverse the movement toward the brink of disas- ter.
The Holy Qur'an addresses the whole of man- kind, and we are in need of people who are capable of understanding it. Only such people are capable of helping people to their shares of the Holy Book. The Holy Qur'an is a fountain, a gushing source that may quench the thirst of billions, but very few people are following the river to its source: every- one is drawing from it far downstream. We must seek the source : it is the lifespring for all mankind.
** Wa min Allah at-Taufiq **
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THREE ESSENTIAL PRACTICES FOR BEGINNERS
It is the outstanding attribute of all Prophets and Saints to exhibit the utmost tolerance and for- bearance in calling their peoples to their Lord’s Guidance. It was the duty of the Prophets, Allah’s representatives among mankind, to invite people to eternal felicity by a method suited to their tempera- ment, a method which would find acceptance with all except those completely hard of heart. A main pillar of these methods was extreme patience and not looking after people’s shortcomings.
But along the course of history, Divine Wisdom has constantly lightened the load of responsibilities; a continual increase in tolerance as mankind’s weak- ness and inconstancy grew throughout the ages, cul- minating in the people of our time who, in general, are barely able to admit the existence of God, what to speak of worshipping Him.
The Law revealed to Moses was too severe for the people at the time of Jesus Christ, therefore, God lightened the load and relaxed the discipline; and the Law observed by Jesus was too difficult for the people living at the time of Muhammed and fol- lowing generations, Peace be upon all the Prophets of Allah But Divine Religion along the course of
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history. has always contained the element of tol- erance, and every Prophet has been tolerant, Divine Tolerance Oceans are with our Lord, and the tol- erance of anyone else is confined; therefore, all re- ligions, governing not only man’s relation to God ‘but also man’s relation to his fellow man, contain not only tolerances, but limits to tolerance.
The Lord's telerance and leniency with His ser- vants is endless; otherwise, how would the world be al- lowed to continue? Were it not for our Lord's utmost indulgence, He would instantly punish the whole hu- man race for what goes on among us, but He is in- dulgent; and among all Prophets and all religions the Last and Seal of the Propheis, Muhammad. Peace be upon him, represents his Lord’s attribute of forbearance mosi perfectly. The Last Prophat was Sent with the most liberal of the Divinely Re- vealed Laws, a Law which is as wide as the distance between East and West.
When I say that the Islamic Law is “liberal”, I do not, of course, mean liberal in the sense that it has come to be known nowadays, meaning to tolerate all evil and degeneracy, no! What I mean by a liberal method is that within it one can find endless possi- bilities for doing good, for developing one’s human- ity along lines that are pleasing to the Lord, not endless possibilities for evil. There is unrestricted space in Islam for healthy human development, not just a very narrow path; but space to work in towards evil ends cannot be found, and we don’t
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accept tolerance of actions that are harmful to people as being really liberal.
We must make this distinction clear. Nothing that is forbidden in the Hberal system of Islam is beneficial for mankind. Some people may make claims to the contrary, but sooner or later they will have to admit that they are at fault, as science and medicine eventually confirm that these things are harmful to people’s health, character or produc- tivity. What then is the essence of Islamic tolerance? Islamic teaching guides people, according to their own capacity, to an awakening of the conscience, the most valuable faculty of man, which, once awa- kened, will prevent him from falling into ways harmful to himself and others. The sincere seeker asking guidance in Islam will be led to understand the saying of the Holy Prophet: “Oh people, do your best and harm no one’, That is the utmost tolerance as it makes people able to hear the inner voice of the heart that always inspires to the best of ‘ways.
To lead people to an awakening of the con- science is the only effective way of bringing them to a good end of their lives, to prevent them from wasting their lives in activities that weigh them down and degrade them to the level of animals, If a religion fails to establish man’s contact with his own conscience, no amount of prohibition, no amount of courts and judges will be able to keep a population from evil.
Therefore, the main principle of Islam is “There is no compulsion in religion” (Qu’ran, Surah 2, Ayat
257). Faith is a voluntary action, and declaration of faith under compulsion is not valid. No one likes to be told, "Do this’ or ‘Don’t do that’: the ego always rebels when given such direct orders. The opject of Divine Guidance is not, of course, to make people rebel, but to make it easy for them to follow. There- fore, especially with matters of interest to the ego {that hit close to the ego’s desires), prohibition was declared gradually and not directly. For example, the prohibition of wines was not revealed all at once, rather the use of spirits was more and more discour- aged. When the prohibition came more specifically, it came not in the form of a prohibition at all, but in the form of a question: “Will you not desist?” Now the harm of drinking to one’s health and char- adter is clear and has been duly established by science and medicine, no one may dispute this. But Allah Almighty, when addressing mankind on this subject, says — in His endless wisdom: “You must stand informed of the harmful effects of drinking, and leave it by means of your willpower. That gives you more honour.”
Therefore, who believes in the Lord and in the Prophets of the Lord, makes himself honourable in the sight of his Lord and in the sight of his Prophet by preparing himself to follow goodness and aban- don evil. This ability to distinguish is the greatest Divine Gift to man. So why are you awaiting orders when you yourself can know what you must do? It is as if your Lord says to you: “I have given you existence in this Universe, now use it in the best of
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ways’. Who can find a school of thought, a sect or religion with such wide-ranging vision?
During the lifetime of our Grandsheikh, Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani Sultan Al-Awliya, may Allah Almighty sanctify his blessed soul, a number of western people visited him in Damascus. An eld- erly lady from New Zealand who had met our Grandsheikh wrote a letter to her friend, also an old lady of about eighty years : “Oh my sister, I have attained my life’s goal. I have arrived at my desti- nation in this life and am ready to step into the life of the hereafter without sorrow. If you wish to find the goal of your life and attain inner peace to carry you into the hereafter, you must visit a person named Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani who lives on Mount Qasiyun in Damascus. You must look for his servant Sheikh Nazim, and he will lead you to him. I have met them, taken my trust and reached my goal. I hope that you will visit them also, so that you may be among the fortunate few who reach their destination.”
This lady had received her friend’s letter and had travelled to Damascus. When she found me she began to weep. I took her to our Grandsheikh and she wept some more and kissed his hands. Then Grandsheikh bade her be seated and addressed her, while I translated for him. She continued to weep the whole time he spoke to her; when it was time for prayer and we stood up to pray, she prayed with us of her own accord — hat, shoes and all. It
was a great blessing for her to have prayed with our Grandsheikh.
The next morning Grandsheikh called her in for breakfast, and after the meal we sat for an as- sociation, What Grandsheikh said on that occasion is very important, and I have been ordered to relate it to you now, as an excellent instruction for our brothers and sisters on how to treat newcomers. Particularly our brothers who were raised as Mus- lims in Muslim countries must heed this lesson if they propose to teach Western people about Islam.
Grandsheikh ordered me to tell her the follow- ing: “Oh Nazim Efendi, last night in the private assembly of the Holy Prophet I asked him, peace ibe upon him, ‘Oh Prophet of Allah, this elderly woman from your Nation has come to me and en- tered Islam. What shall I instruct her to do, what shall I teach her, being that she is so old and cannot remain here with us a long time’?”
“The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, replied : ‘Instruct her and all others from my Nation who may embrace the faith but may not perhaps, be able to alter their situations so easily, on the following three points: firstly, let them repeat the Kalimat-i- shahada ‘the profession of faith) three times a day, saying: Oh my Lord, I accept Thee alone as God, and I accept Muhammad as Your Prophet and Rep- resentative. The second point is for them to learn the five prayer periods: dawn, noon afternoon, evening and night; and to give their respects to their Lord in those appointed times by prostrating
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themselves to the ground once, facing any direction, and saying: “Subhanallah” (Glorified be God Al- mighty). And if it is too difficult for them to learn this phrase it is sufficient to only prostrate. That is enough for this lady and for others in similar situ- ations. This practice is a seed being planted in her heart, and as it sprouts and grows she may be inspired to learn more of the ritual prayer, but in the beginning it is enough for her just to prostrate. What could be simpler and easier: no directional orientation, no ablution, no recitation’.”
““Thirdly, she, and all new Muslims, should keep love in their hearts towards the community of Muslims and not allow themselves to hate them, in spite of their bad actions and characteristics. Tell them to overlook the shortcomings of the people and peoples of my Nation and try to love them despite their pathetic state. Even if Muslims do bad actions under the banner of Islam, Islam is always above this, innocent of the blame. To try and use the name of Islam to attain one’s selfish ends is the greatest sin, and Islam disclaims responsibility for
yo»
such people’.
These are the three points our Grandsheikh related from his meeting with the Holy Prophet, and these conditions are so wide that thousands and thousands of people may enter Islam and fulfill them, becoming sincere servants of the Lord.
Now, no doubt, many Muslims who are reading this, will say : “What, shall we believe that the Holy
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Prophet has declared it to be so easy to become Allah’s obedient servant, when our Islamic Law spells out so many different types of obligatory worship and prohibitions which we are meticulously observing?”
Oh Muslims! Do not imagine that Allah Al mighty is waiting for your prayers, your fasting, your covering your heads or your dressing in Is- lamic clothes! No! He Almighty is looking to your hearts to see if they contain an atom’s weight of sincerity, and only if He finds that sincerity does He accept anything from you! None of your actions are, of themselves, pleasing to your Lord if they are not motivated by sincere intentions.
The heart of that old woman who came to Dam- ascus may have been full of sincerity, so that her performance of these simple devotions may have been more acceptable in the Divine Presence than my prayers. Yes, that is all there is to it and it is enough for you to now know how to relay the mess- age of servanthood of Allah Almighty to Western people.
We are seeking servanthood in the Divine pres- ence, nothing else, and we are trying to commu- nicate some details of that servanthood in the Di- vine Presence to everyone. When we are praying we are not going to let our prayer be a cause of pride and conceit, We are not looking down on people. You must try only to keep your servanthood, nothing else, and this is the latest message from our
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Prophet on what is the least degree of worship to attain that goal.
Look, a king may have thousands of subjects in his employ. Each of the king’s servants has a distinct rank and a distinct duty to perform. The king will be pleased with the servant who performs the duty that has been assigned him well, as pleased with the common infantryman as with a Field Marshall. That Field Marshall has an awesome responsibility towards his king, and he will have attained that rank, presumably, because he is qualified for it, and will be expected to live up to his immense responsibilities. But the foot-soldier is not expected to perform the duties of a Field Marshall; his duties are simpler, but they are also important, and doing them well will earn him the good pleasure of the ‘king.
And so, Allah Almighty has called all mankind to His service, everyone according to his rank. Ac- cording to her circumstances that elderly woman was given a light load, and if she carried it well she will be rewarded. If you are carrying more than that you must persevere in carrying your appointed burden and not throw it off halfway towards your goal — then you may attain your Lord’s pleasure.
And you should know also that a Field Marshall should not be proud because of his position, glo- rying in the edge that he has over those who have been assigned lower ranks. He must be thankful to his king who has honoured him with such respon-
sibilities, and must strive to fulfill that trust. It is not seemly for him to boast and gloat, saying : “Look at me, I am a Field Marshall’.
Oh foolish mankind, so given over to false pride, know that this Universe is full of the servants of the Almighty. What do your poor devotions amount to? Nothing! Now very many of our Muslim brothers from Islamic countries who have been raised on the strict observances of Islam look at themselves approvingly and say: “Maashaallah, we are as we should be or nearly so”, and now, perhaps, their way of seeing themselves and others, some of their conceit and complacency, as well as their false self opinion, is spreading like a contagious disease to some of our new Muslim brothers from Western countries, who have begun to observe the prescribes of the Divine Law.
Beg your Lord to fres you of such vain self- opinion, for it is the self-opinion of Satan. All the Prophets have said: “Glory to You, I have been a wrongdoer’. Seek earnestly the honour of being a sincere servant of your Lord in humility and lowli- ness.
“Wa min Allah at-Taufiq **
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4°
TRYING TO FIT SPIRITUAL REALITIES INTO BLOCK HEADS
Nowadays you cannot find two people whose hearts are in accord. In every Nation and within every community one may observe mounting civil strife and discord. This is because Allah Almighty is punishing the people of this time by setting them loose on each other.
Because of this Divine Punishment one may find all Nations divided into two main groups — even the Jewish people who are generally known to be strongly united and close-knit are divided. Muslims nowadays are also divided: one party holds to traditional Islamic beliefs, following in the 'way of the Prophets and Saints, while the other party is trying to negate all spiritual power, explaining away all mira
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