THE DIVINE KINGDOM (Shaykh Nazim, 104 pages, 1/6)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6000
THE DIVINE KINGDOM
The Divine Kingdom © The Haqgani Trust, 1994 The Divine Kingdom © The Haqgani Trust, 1994
SHAYKH MUHAMMAD NAZIM ADIL AL-HAQQANI AN- NAQSHBANDI
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqgani is the world leader of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis (tarigah an-Nagshbandiyya-t-il- ‘awliya). Shaykh Nazim is both a scholar of the Divine Law (shari’‘ah), being the mufti of Turkish Cyprus, as well as the Shaykh of the Way (tariqah).
A resident of Turkish Cyprus, he was born in Larnaca, Cyprus on April 23, 1922 (12th Rabi'ul Awwal, 1341 AH). He is a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) on both his mother and his father's side, being both a Hasani and Husayni Sayyid. On his father's side, he is a descendant of Sayyid "Abdul Qadir Gilani, the founder of the Qadiri Sufi order and on his mother's side, his ancestry comes from Jalal al-Din Rumi, the founder of the Mawlawi Sufi order.
Shaykh Nazim finished high school in Cyprus 1940 CE/1359 AH. He then traveled to Istanbul for higher education. He studied at the University of Istanbul, completing an MA in Chemical Engineering. During his years in Istanbul, he also completed the requirements of the Divine Law and Arabic language. He received his "permission" (‘ijaza) from Shaykh Jamal al-Lassuni (d. 1955 CE / 1375 AH). Shaykh Nazim then directed his attention to the study of the spiritual path of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi. He then increased his study of the Naqshbandi order under his shaykh at that time, Sulayman Arzurumi (d. 1938 CE / 1368 AH). After a few years, Shaykh Sulayman told him, "O my son, the one who is carrying your secrets is not me, but my spiritual teacher who migrated from Daghistan to Turkey and who is now residing in Damascus in the Midan district (sa‘ahat il-Midan). He is known as the Master of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order in our time."
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani then moved to Syria. On the way to Damascus, he first visited Aleppo, Hama and Homs. In Homs, under the direction of his Shaykh, he stayed for one year in seclusion in the mosque and tomb of the famous Companion of the Prophet (saws), Khalid ibn Walid. There he received more intensive instruction in the Divine Law, the Traditions (ahadith), and the Science of the Qur'an (ilm al-Qur’an) under the Shaykhs Muhammad 'Ali 'Uyun as-Su'ud, ‘Abdul ‘Aziz 'Uyun as-Su'ud, mufti of Homs, Abdul Jalil Murad and Sayyid as-Suba'i, who are all Nagshbandi shaykhs as well as famous scholars of the Traditions (muhaddithun) and religious scholars Culama) of the Divine Law (shari‘ah). In 1944 CE/ 1364 AH, he moved to Tripoli, Lebanon, where he was the guest of Shaykh Munir al-Malik, the mufti of northern Lebanon and Shaykh of the Qadiri, Rifa'i’ and Naqshbandi Sufi orders. In 1945 CE/ 1365 AH, he went from Tripoli to Damascus to Ha'i al-Midan where he finally met Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani an-Naqshbandi. He stayed with his Grand Shaykh until his Grand Shaykh passed away on October 4, 1973 (4th of Ramadan, 1398 AH). During that period of almost forty years, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani (may God bless him) continued to receive the heavenly fountain of spiritual knowledge which poured forth from the heart of Shaykh ‘Abdullah ad- Daghistani (may God sanctify his soul) into his heart.
Shaykh Nazim continuously traveled to the Middle East and Turkey during these 40 years. Upon the death of his Grand Shaykh and by his spiritual order, he enlarged his scope of travel to include Europe, America and the Far East. He established hundreds of centers all over the world, spreading Islam together with Sufi spiritual knowledge which has brought hundreds of thousands of converts to Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the mujaddid of this century as was Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Gilani, in his time; Shah Bahauddin Nagshband, in his time; Sayyid Ahmad al-Fa'ruqi, in his time; and Jalal al-Din Rumi, in his time.
Shaykh Nazim carries the secret of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi, through a chain of authorization from his master, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ad-Daghistani, through the chain of 39 Grand Shaykhs linking him to the Prophet | (saws).
He has entered many seclusions during his lifetime ranging in duration from 40 days to one year. These took place in many different places including the Prophet's city, Madinah, Baghdad in the presence of Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Gilani, Konya in the presence of Jalal al-Din Rumi and Damascus at many holy places. He has written numerous books on spirituality and Divine Knowledge (gnosis, ma'’rifah) which have been published throughout the world. He has written many poems on Divine Love (‘ishg) in both Arabic and Turkish. He is a source (marja’) for many modern juristic matters. He follows a moderate line in approaching people and issues of contemporary life.
Shaykh Nazim has a very charismatic personality which moves people and attracts them to the manifestation of Divine Love which continues to pour forth from his heart. His resplendent smile is ever present. when he speaks, it is as if a Divinely-inspired waterfall had been opened connecting his heart to the hearts of the listeners. It is that nectar of love that draws thousands of new converts to Islam every year.
Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani, MD.
2 INTRODUCTION THE HAQQANI TRUST FOR NEW MUSLIMS
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani an-Naqshbandi four years ago appointed Shaykh Hisham Kabbani the sole designated representative of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis in the Western Hemisphere. During this time, the students and disciples (murid) of the Naqshbandi order have flourished and the order has vastly expanded in America.
In order to support the growing needs of these students and disciples to establish Sufi teaching centers, mosques, itinerant study centers (zawiyyah), to publish literature, videos and tapes relevant to the teachings of Sufism and the Naqshbandi order, and to establish contact with similar organizations, an association for managing these matters was established called the Haqqani Islamic Trust for New Muslims. Founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization, it is dedicated to the purpose of spreading Sufism and the spiritual teachings of the Naqshbandi order throughout the Western Hemisphere. For the last four years, the Haqqani Islamic Trust, under the dedicated leadership of its president, Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani, has established thirteen centers and mosques in the US and Canada including a large convention and camping center in the Midwest (near Detroit, Michigan). Several large conventions have been held under the auspices of the Haqqani Islamic Trust. The Trust also sponsored the visit of the Grand Shaykh of the Naqshbandi order, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, to America in 1991 and 1993.
The Haqqani Islamic Trust continues its ongoing mission of spreading the teachings of Sufism (tasawwuf), Divine Love and Divine Gnosis (ma‘arifah). One of its goals is to reach the maximum number of readers through its publications such as this one and subsequent works to be published in the near future. HONORABLE WORKS MAY 3, 1985
"We must try to give our support to His Kingdom on earth. We must be supporters of His Kingdom. That is the honorable work for the honored Children of Adam."
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Time is running, taking everything away, No one can stop it. No one, up to this day, has tried to stop it. It is our Lord's favor. Time is running and everyone is also running to the speed of time. Everything in time runs by time. We are running, also. If the speed of the running of time were to appear, no one would be able to bear that vision, but God Almighty takes care of that for us, so that we say, "It is all right. " Praise be to God (al-hamd Allah), thanks to our Lord Almighty.
We feel that time is running. Islam says, "Oh people, you must guard against time." How can we guard against time? Time runs, but you must put something into that time so that your activities, your works, guard time for you. And on the Last Day, all that time we guarded by actions and works is going to come to us.
Now, here is a cassette. If it is left alone, it runs without recording anything, but if we speak, record, it will fill up. Time may only be kept by actions, and you, as your Lord's vicegerent on earth, have been ordered to fill your time by actions that your Lord Almighty likes because your whole life's cassette will come into the Divine Presence. He will look. His beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws) and all the prophets are going to look at the record. All believers (mumin) and all the Children of Adam crowding onto that Plain of Mashar’ will look at them. If we do something secretly, it is going to be open one day, that Day which is coming. Everyone must be afraid of that, because all our actions and words are going to appear. Oh believers in holy books, every holy book speaks about the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will come and will show his book, his workbook, on that Day.
Now, we know that time is passing, running, and our lives are running and passing. You must look after it - how are you filling your life. As Children of Adam, you have been honored by the Lord of the heavens to be his vicegerents on earth. No one has been honored as the Children of Adam have been honored. From honored people the Lord expects honorable works.
This is a simple thing to understand and to know and to do. When you have been honored, your works must be honorable. But most, the majority, of the Children of Adam fight against the prophets, fight against the Friends of God (awliya)’, attack them with the intention of killing them. At one time, during a single day, one thousand prophets were killed at the time of the Children of Israel, more than one thousand.
What is the reason that people attacked the prophets? Each one was attacked and Jesus Christ (as) also was attacked or intended to be crucified. Why? Why did the Children of Adam attack the prophets? They attacked the Last Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, also. Muhammad (saws) was attacked by his nation. They tried to kill him. Nimrod attacked Abraham (as), the father of the Prophets. what was his sin? What was his crime? Why did people rush to attack the prophets? They were pure people. They asked only for the happiness of humanity. Why were they attacked? What is the reason? And those who attack them are among those who have been honored by the Lord, Almighty God. Honored! And then to attack His prophets? And all people who are following the ways of the prophets have been attacked, as well.
Who is making the Children of Adam be enemies to their prophets? Prophets are pure people, the best and the most merciful among the Children of Adam. what was the sin of Noah? What was the crime of Abraham? The crime of Moses? Of Jesus? Of Muhammad, peace be upon them all? Who makes human beings enemies of each other? Have you thought about that point? I don't think so. But it is an important point. You have read histories, full of fighting, crimes, full of cruelties. What is this’? What makes the Children of Adam enemies to each other and enemies to good people’?
There is evil. There must be evil that makes us be enemies to prophets because the importance of all prophets is to remove evil from the face of the earth. That is their importance. They came to fight evil so that no more evil may be on earth. Our first and most dangerous enemy, the most terrible enemy of the Children of Adam, Satan, produces evil. He produces evil and makes a big market for it from the East to West, the evil market now in this world. We have been honored by the Lord, God Almighty, but we see that the whole world is now the market of evil. Is it correct or not? Everyone is looking now. After a little, after a while, there will come so much evil destroying everything on earth. Satan will say, "Oh, I am very happy. The Children of Adam are finished!" Yes, that is so.
And people are also sellers and buyers of evil in this big market, dirt-market, evil-market. From East to West, in every place you put your foot, you can find evil. Everywhere you may spread your hand you can find evil. Everywhere you may send your gaze, you can find evil. We are living in a world that is full up with evil, because the Children of Adam are not supporting the Kingdom of the Lord, God Almighty. Instead, they are supporting the kingdom of Satan on earth.
Now, you must look to yourself. Everyone must look to himself or herself. You may say, "What can we do?" Yes, you can do something. When Nimrod wanted and intended to burn Abraham (as), he made a big fire. Its flames could be seen from Damascus, although it was near Baghdad - so big, so gigantic a fire. Only one stick of wood is enough to burn a human being, but Nimrod made a gigantic fire because he represented Satan and his kingdom. He wanted to burn the Kingdom of Truth,
Reality (Hagq), the Kingdom of the Lord of the heavens and worlds. It was because of that that he made such a big fire. And Traditions coming up to our day say that a little ant was running toward the fire and in its mouth it carried a small drop of water. It was seen and was asked, "Where are you running?” It said, "I am running to put out the fire of Nimrod. I am carrying water to save Abraham, the Friend of the Lord Almighty God."* God Almighty rewarded that ant. It is mentioned in Holy Books and in the Holy Qur'an. God Almighty made that ant enter into Paradise.
Look, Oh believers! Don't say, "What can I do?" Don't be an evil-seller or buyer. You must open your eyes, your mind, your heart. You can't open your eyes and your mind and your heart without believing. You must believe and you must be able to refuse the kingdom of Satan on earth. That is the most important duty for us now in our time. You can be like a little ant that was rewarded by its Lord Almighty for carrying a drop of water in its mouth to put out that gigantic fire. You, the Children of Adam, can do more than that ant did.
Therefore, this is an important point today. We must understand* what is happening and what is going to happen in this world by reason of our heedlessness. We are heedless people, not heeding evil, never looking to ourselves - what we are doing, whether we are selling evil or buying it. We must be open-eyed, open-hearted.
What opens hearts? Belief. We must believe in our Lord Almighty. We must try to give support to His Kingdom on earth. We must be supporters of His Kingdom. That is the honorable work for the honored Children of Adam. If you can do this, you will be honored. Otherwise, most people are going to be ashamed on the Day of Resurrection. They will wish that there were a crack in the earth and that it would swallow them up. So many people will wish that on the Last Day, the Day of Resurrection. When they see that, all their works, all their actions, their selling and buying evil, they will wish that this earth would crack open and swallow them up in it. Oh people, it is not too far away. As I was coming to the congregational prayer (jumah) today, I met a funeral procession. I saw a brown coffin. A man was lying in it. His eyes were closed. He will open them for that Day. It is so near. Don't imagine it to be too far away. No, when you close your eyes, and at the next moment, open them, you will be in that Divine Presence for Judgment Day. We will all be there. That Day is coming for everyone.
Fill your life's cassette with honorable works because you have been honored by your Lord. That is the word of all prophets, from the beginning up to the end. But, Oh Children of Adam, your egos never leave you to do honorable work because egos always want evil, tasting and living in evil. Therefore, do not be with your ego. Rather you must be with your Lord and His representatives. Prophets are the representatives of God Almighty and after the prophets, the saints are the representatives of their Lord on earth because God Almighty created the Children of Adam to be His vicegerents. Some of them have reached the true station of being His vicegerents, but most people are still just candidates. If you are going to do honorable works, then you will be clothed, also, in the true station of vicegerent, given the true vicegerent's crown. That is all. Think about these words. ILLUSIONS MORNING, JUNE 1, 1985
"Ninety-nine may be illusions, but one may be a real oasis for you because the
Lord Almighty says, ‘Don't cut off your hope; don't despair’.
You don't have forty hands to go everywhere to take forty Shaykhs' hands. Therefore, if you are traveling on a spiritual journey, when you meet with your guide or with your destination, I think it is enough for you at that time to be in one place. However, if you are doing it as a pleasure for your ego, you may travel from East to West, looking at this or that.
Sometimes I go to the market, looking at one thing or another and then another, from beginning to end. If you are buyers, you must look for what you want. You must know that you want that thing and you must see where it may be. If you find it, you may buy it and go on because no one can take the whole market and carry it, or all the markets. Rather, everyone who goes shopping knows what he is going to buy. Thus your Shaykh sent you here, understanding that you were asking for something. If you can find it with someone, names are not important, but it is important that you are able to find your desire in him. If you can find the thing you want with a young person, it is all right. Anyone you can find it with, it is all right. Your Lord of the Heavens may put our purposes with anyone. You must not be cheated by someone's outward appearance, passing him by, saying, "Who is that person? What thing can be with that one?" While there may be with him that of which you are in need.
We are most in need of wisdom. Knowledge is one thing, but wisdom is something else. Knowledge you may find everywhere. Wisdom is also written, written in books, but when it is written down, it also becomes a part of knowledge. Wisdom comes directly from the tongue, from hearts. when it is put as writing in books, it becomes knowledge. You may use that, but more important is wisdom. The Lord may place something of His endless wisdom with anyone. It may be a peasant, or a boy, or a woman, or an old man. It may be with a young man, with a black man. It may be with an ignorant one, as you might say. He may not have been educated in schools or universities, but he may have been given wisdom. We have a saying that treasures are mostly under ruins. No one comes and asks for treasures among huge buildings in the center of a city, no. The one who wants to find treasures looks where there are old ruins. From the outside no one could say there may be something there, but underground, among ruins, you may find them. And that person is pleased if he can find broken cups or other broken things. He says even though they are broken, still they are antiques, they are precious, and he takes them, not taking
8 such an unbroken, new thing. If you say, "Do you prefer this or that'?" he may say, "No, this. I prefer it though it is broken. I don't prefer to have this new and whole cup."
Therefore, Divine wisdom makes wisdom to be found with anyone. Don't suppose that it must be with people who look suitable from the outside. No. The doors of Islam are open from the East to the West. We can look anywhere. If we find that wisdom, we may take it from anyone. No need to be a special person, no. Anyone may have it. The Lord may give it to you. However, we must be humble enough to listen to anyone and to look at what his product is, what is he selling. We may take from anyone when we are humble enough.
God Almighty gives His wisdom and He speaks wisdom. You have knowledge. You have so much knowledge. Everyone who comes to me has it - learned people, perhaps scholars, because most Western people are educated. But, as we said, wisdom is something else. We must be humble. We must look among ruins to dig it out.
Yes. You are traveling, seeking wisdom, and you may find it anywhere. It is all right. Knowledge is like a plane and wisdom is its fuel. Without fuel planes can't fly. Thus, there are so many scholars, but they are still waiting for fuel. They are so proud of their wings that sometimes they go around like this, like that, on the plane but not flying. Perhaps they say that the knowledge of Sufis is not knowledge because to them, the only knowledge to be found is what we read in books. We call this products of the mind. These products grow bigger and bigger. It becomes a load, a heavy load for our heads to bear because we have to carry it around with us. Knowledge from the heart differs from this.
Products of the heart carry us. We have to carry mind-products, but heart- products carry us. It was because of this that Abu Yazid Bistami, a famous Grand Shaykh in the most distinguished Naqshbandi order, addressed scholars, saying, "Oh scholars, you carry your knowledge about. You are always looking to see whether that knowledge is becoming less and less, going down. You are always looking because when you put aside the knowledge that you got through books, you then have to carry those books around with you to refresh your minds. You are like horses, putting too heavy a load on yourselves, carrying it around, and you are always tired. But we are not in need of carrying books, to be like a horse bearing so heavy a load. Rather our knowledge carries us. Therefore you are bearing a heavy burden, while our knowledge carries us along."
For this reason, all mind-products are a heavy load for scholars. The Prophet, beloved Muhammad (saws), said, in the original words of a Tradition (hadith), "The calamity of knowledge is forgetfulness." The thing that destroys
9 knowledge is to forget it. Therefore, each scholar is always worried about that point because he or she is growing older. At every moment his or her mind's power grows weaker. Everything it may hold little by little leaves. Scholars are always thinking about this, about forgetting. There are so many things that causes our memory to grow weaker and weaker.
Now people, even if they are scholars, are under the command of their egos. They do as their egos want so that their memories weaken. They do not use their hearts. Hearts are never weak. Hearts are strong, but we do not use them. My Grand Shaykh, Sultan of the Friends of God, Shaykh Abdullah ad-Daghistani, may God Almighty bless him, was about 113 when he died. He used heart memory. when the heart's memory is all right, it never weakens. Such a person may know from the beginning of his life up to its end. He never loses his memory. However, those who leave their heart and use only their mind's memory, are going to find that their knowledge decreases in time.
Therefore that Grand Shaykh, Abu Yazid Bistami, said to scholars, "If you have no books, you are finished. If you forget what is in your memory, you are going to be empty vessels with nothing in them. You bring from outside and put into the minds' memory. When your minds are finished, they are like empty cups. Our knowledge, on the other hand, are springs in our hearts.” Therefore, you can see that when they are old people, they lose everything. They lose what they say, what they do. But it is impossible to stop the springs of wisdom of those who have them in their hearts. It is impossible to stop those springs. The springs carry them, as well. Wisdom is a Divine power. It does not have ordinary properties, no. Divine powers come through wisdom and may take that person, by his physical body, from the East to the West in a second, may take them from earth to the heavens.
I am seeing that there are some desires appearing among western people, because I have never seen people who like to read books like western people. Muslims always tried to read the Holy Qur'an. They never tired of reciting the Holy Book. Now, however, most people are occupied with their egos. This is also true of the Islamic world. Therefore, they have put aside reciting the Holy Qur'an and also they do not really want to read other books in the way that western people do. You have a hobby of reading books. But for what? A person may say, "I have read perhaps one thousand books and I still want to read more and more, but - for what? What is the main purpose for which I am reading and reading, and am still hungry to read and read'?"
Then it comes to their hearts. After all that reading there must be something else. Therefore, now a lot of people are asking about Sufi knowledge. Then, also, they are beginning to read more and more and more, reading, reading. But
10 yet they feel that they are still thirsty. They are thirsty, even though they say that it is a spring, still it is not enough to quench their thirst. Now they are asking the Real springs as a person in a desert asks for water and springs. But most people see only illusions, so many illusions. And now in our time, so many western people are running after such illusions. They imagine that there may be a spring there, water. They run toward it, but find that it is only an illusion. It is very rare to find an oasis amidst huge deserts. Very rare, but there are so many illusions, mirages. Now, I am sorry to say, western people are all like a person in a huge desert and thirsty. They are looking everywhere, asking for water that will give them life - looking and running and finding that finally, that they are all illusions. Still they must run after an oasis.
Therefore, our brothers who have come to visit us this morning are among those people who feel that they are in a desert and thirsty, asking to reach an oasis to drink. Otherwise, they will see only illusions everywhere. I am seeing here in England, in France, in Germany, in Holland, in America everywhere, everywhere - so many illusions; in India, in Pakistan, in Tibet, in China, in Russia, in the
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6000
THE DIVINE KINGDOM
The Divine Kingdom © The Haqgani Trust, 1994 The Divine Kingdom © The Haqgani Trust, 1994
SHAYKH MUHAMMAD NAZIM ADIL AL-HAQQANI AN- NAQSHBANDI
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqgani is the world leader of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis (tarigah an-Nagshbandiyya-t-il- ‘awliya). Shaykh Nazim is both a scholar of the Divine Law (shari’‘ah), being the mufti of Turkish Cyprus, as well as the Shaykh of the Way (tariqah).
A resident of Turkish Cyprus, he was born in Larnaca, Cyprus on April 23, 1922 (12th Rabi'ul Awwal, 1341 AH). He is a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) on both his mother and his father's side, being both a Hasani and Husayni Sayyid. On his father's side, he is a descendant of Sayyid "Abdul Qadir Gilani, the founder of the Qadiri Sufi order and on his mother's side, his ancestry comes from Jalal al-Din Rumi, the founder of the Mawlawi Sufi order.
Shaykh Nazim finished high school in Cyprus 1940 CE/1359 AH. He then traveled to Istanbul for higher education. He studied at the University of Istanbul, completing an MA in Chemical Engineering. During his years in Istanbul, he also completed the requirements of the Divine Law and Arabic language. He received his "permission" (‘ijaza) from Shaykh Jamal al-Lassuni (d. 1955 CE / 1375 AH). Shaykh Nazim then directed his attention to the study of the spiritual path of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi. He then increased his study of the Naqshbandi order under his shaykh at that time, Sulayman Arzurumi (d. 1938 CE / 1368 AH). After a few years, Shaykh Sulayman told him, "O my son, the one who is carrying your secrets is not me, but my spiritual teacher who migrated from Daghistan to Turkey and who is now residing in Damascus in the Midan district (sa‘ahat il-Midan). He is known as the Master of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order in our time."
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani then moved to Syria. On the way to Damascus, he first visited Aleppo, Hama and Homs. In Homs, under the direction of his Shaykh, he stayed for one year in seclusion in the mosque and tomb of the famous Companion of the Prophet (saws), Khalid ibn Walid. There he received more intensive instruction in the Divine Law, the Traditions (ahadith), and the Science of the Qur'an (ilm al-Qur’an) under the Shaykhs Muhammad 'Ali 'Uyun as-Su'ud, ‘Abdul ‘Aziz 'Uyun as-Su'ud, mufti of Homs, Abdul Jalil Murad and Sayyid as-Suba'i, who are all Nagshbandi shaykhs as well as famous scholars of the Traditions (muhaddithun) and religious scholars Culama) of the Divine Law (shari‘ah). In 1944 CE/ 1364 AH, he moved to Tripoli, Lebanon, where he was the guest of Shaykh Munir al-Malik, the mufti of northern Lebanon and Shaykh of the Qadiri, Rifa'i’ and Naqshbandi Sufi orders. In 1945 CE/ 1365 AH, he went from Tripoli to Damascus to Ha'i al-Midan where he finally met Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani an-Naqshbandi. He stayed with his Grand Shaykh until his Grand Shaykh passed away on October 4, 1973 (4th of Ramadan, 1398 AH). During that period of almost forty years, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani (may God bless him) continued to receive the heavenly fountain of spiritual knowledge which poured forth from the heart of Shaykh ‘Abdullah ad- Daghistani (may God sanctify his soul) into his heart.
Shaykh Nazim continuously traveled to the Middle East and Turkey during these 40 years. Upon the death of his Grand Shaykh and by his spiritual order, he enlarged his scope of travel to include Europe, America and the Far East. He established hundreds of centers all over the world, spreading Islam together with Sufi spiritual knowledge which has brought hundreds of thousands of converts to Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the mujaddid of this century as was Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Gilani, in his time; Shah Bahauddin Nagshband, in his time; Sayyid Ahmad al-Fa'ruqi, in his time; and Jalal al-Din Rumi, in his time.
Shaykh Nazim carries the secret of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi, through a chain of authorization from his master, Shaykh ‘Abdullah ad-Daghistani, through the chain of 39 Grand Shaykhs linking him to the Prophet | (saws).
He has entered many seclusions during his lifetime ranging in duration from 40 days to one year. These took place in many different places including the Prophet's city, Madinah, Baghdad in the presence of Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Gilani, Konya in the presence of Jalal al-Din Rumi and Damascus at many holy places. He has written numerous books on spirituality and Divine Knowledge (gnosis, ma'’rifah) which have been published throughout the world. He has written many poems on Divine Love (‘ishg) in both Arabic and Turkish. He is a source (marja’) for many modern juristic matters. He follows a moderate line in approaching people and issues of contemporary life.
Shaykh Nazim has a very charismatic personality which moves people and attracts them to the manifestation of Divine Love which continues to pour forth from his heart. His resplendent smile is ever present. when he speaks, it is as if a Divinely-inspired waterfall had been opened connecting his heart to the hearts of the listeners. It is that nectar of love that draws thousands of new converts to Islam every year.
Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani, MD.
2 INTRODUCTION THE HAQQANI TRUST FOR NEW MUSLIMS
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani an-Naqshbandi four years ago appointed Shaykh Hisham Kabbani the sole designated representative of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis in the Western Hemisphere. During this time, the students and disciples (murid) of the Naqshbandi order have flourished and the order has vastly expanded in America.
In order to support the growing needs of these students and disciples to establish Sufi teaching centers, mosques, itinerant study centers (zawiyyah), to publish literature, videos and tapes relevant to the teachings of Sufism and the Naqshbandi order, and to establish contact with similar organizations, an association for managing these matters was established called the Haqqani Islamic Trust for New Muslims. Founded in 1991 as a non-profit organization, it is dedicated to the purpose of spreading Sufism and the spiritual teachings of the Naqshbandi order throughout the Western Hemisphere. For the last four years, the Haqqani Islamic Trust, under the dedicated leadership of its president, Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani, has established thirteen centers and mosques in the US and Canada including a large convention and camping center in the Midwest (near Detroit, Michigan). Several large conventions have been held under the auspices of the Haqqani Islamic Trust. The Trust also sponsored the visit of the Grand Shaykh of the Naqshbandi order, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, to America in 1991 and 1993.
The Haqqani Islamic Trust continues its ongoing mission of spreading the teachings of Sufism (tasawwuf), Divine Love and Divine Gnosis (ma‘arifah). One of its goals is to reach the maximum number of readers through its publications such as this one and subsequent works to be published in the near future. HONORABLE WORKS MAY 3, 1985
"We must try to give our support to His Kingdom on earth. We must be supporters of His Kingdom. That is the honorable work for the honored Children of Adam."
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Time is running, taking everything away, No one can stop it. No one, up to this day, has tried to stop it. It is our Lord's favor. Time is running and everyone is also running to the speed of time. Everything in time runs by time. We are running, also. If the speed of the running of time were to appear, no one would be able to bear that vision, but God Almighty takes care of that for us, so that we say, "It is all right. " Praise be to God (al-hamd Allah), thanks to our Lord Almighty.
We feel that time is running. Islam says, "Oh people, you must guard against time." How can we guard against time? Time runs, but you must put something into that time so that your activities, your works, guard time for you. And on the Last Day, all that time we guarded by actions and works is going to come to us.
Now, here is a cassette. If it is left alone, it runs without recording anything, but if we speak, record, it will fill up. Time may only be kept by actions, and you, as your Lord's vicegerent on earth, have been ordered to fill your time by actions that your Lord Almighty likes because your whole life's cassette will come into the Divine Presence. He will look. His beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws) and all the prophets are going to look at the record. All believers (mumin) and all the Children of Adam crowding onto that Plain of Mashar’ will look at them. If we do something secretly, it is going to be open one day, that Day which is coming. Everyone must be afraid of that, because all our actions and words are going to appear. Oh believers in holy books, every holy book speaks about the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will come and will show his book, his workbook, on that Day.
Now, we know that time is passing, running, and our lives are running and passing. You must look after it - how are you filling your life. As Children of Adam, you have been honored by the Lord of the heavens to be his vicegerents on earth. No one has been honored as the Children of Adam have been honored. From honored people the Lord expects honorable works.
This is a simple thing to understand and to know and to do. When you have been honored, your works must be honorable. But most, the majority, of the Children of Adam fight against the prophets, fight against the Friends of God (awliya)’, attack them with the intention of killing them. At one time, during a single day, one thousand prophets were killed at the time of the Children of Israel, more than one thousand.
What is the reason that people attacked the prophets? Each one was attacked and Jesus Christ (as) also was attacked or intended to be crucified. Why? Why did the Children of Adam attack the prophets? They attacked the Last Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, also. Muhammad (saws) was attacked by his nation. They tried to kill him. Nimrod attacked Abraham (as), the father of the Prophets. what was his sin? What was his crime? Why did people rush to attack the prophets? They were pure people. They asked only for the happiness of humanity. Why were they attacked? What is the reason? And those who attack them are among those who have been honored by the Lord, Almighty God. Honored! And then to attack His prophets? And all people who are following the ways of the prophets have been attacked, as well.
Who is making the Children of Adam be enemies to their prophets? Prophets are pure people, the best and the most merciful among the Children of Adam. what was the sin of Noah? What was the crime of Abraham? The crime of Moses? Of Jesus? Of Muhammad, peace be upon them all? Who makes human beings enemies of each other? Have you thought about that point? I don't think so. But it is an important point. You have read histories, full of fighting, crimes, full of cruelties. What is this’? What makes the Children of Adam enemies to each other and enemies to good people’?
There is evil. There must be evil that makes us be enemies to prophets because the importance of all prophets is to remove evil from the face of the earth. That is their importance. They came to fight evil so that no more evil may be on earth. Our first and most dangerous enemy, the most terrible enemy of the Children of Adam, Satan, produces evil. He produces evil and makes a big market for it from the East to West, the evil market now in this world. We have been honored by the Lord, God Almighty, but we see that the whole world is now the market of evil. Is it correct or not? Everyone is looking now. After a little, after a while, there will come so much evil destroying everything on earth. Satan will say, "Oh, I am very happy. The Children of Adam are finished!" Yes, that is so.
And people are also sellers and buyers of evil in this big market, dirt-market, evil-market. From East to West, in every place you put your foot, you can find evil. Everywhere you may spread your hand you can find evil. Everywhere you may send your gaze, you can find evil. We are living in a world that is full up with evil, because the Children of Adam are not supporting the Kingdom of the Lord, God Almighty. Instead, they are supporting the kingdom of Satan on earth.
Now, you must look to yourself. Everyone must look to himself or herself. You may say, "What can we do?" Yes, you can do something. When Nimrod wanted and intended to burn Abraham (as), he made a big fire. Its flames could be seen from Damascus, although it was near Baghdad - so big, so gigantic a fire. Only one stick of wood is enough to burn a human being, but Nimrod made a gigantic fire because he represented Satan and his kingdom. He wanted to burn the Kingdom of Truth,
Reality (Hagq), the Kingdom of the Lord of the heavens and worlds. It was because of that that he made such a big fire. And Traditions coming up to our day say that a little ant was running toward the fire and in its mouth it carried a small drop of water. It was seen and was asked, "Where are you running?” It said, "I am running to put out the fire of Nimrod. I am carrying water to save Abraham, the Friend of the Lord Almighty God."* God Almighty rewarded that ant. It is mentioned in Holy Books and in the Holy Qur'an. God Almighty made that ant enter into Paradise.
Look, Oh believers! Don't say, "What can I do?" Don't be an evil-seller or buyer. You must open your eyes, your mind, your heart. You can't open your eyes and your mind and your heart without believing. You must believe and you must be able to refuse the kingdom of Satan on earth. That is the most important duty for us now in our time. You can be like a little ant that was rewarded by its Lord Almighty for carrying a drop of water in its mouth to put out that gigantic fire. You, the Children of Adam, can do more than that ant did.
Therefore, this is an important point today. We must understand* what is happening and what is going to happen in this world by reason of our heedlessness. We are heedless people, not heeding evil, never looking to ourselves - what we are doing, whether we are selling evil or buying it. We must be open-eyed, open-hearted.
What opens hearts? Belief. We must believe in our Lord Almighty. We must try to give support to His Kingdom on earth. We must be supporters of His Kingdom. That is the honorable work for the honored Children of Adam. If you can do this, you will be honored. Otherwise, most people are going to be ashamed on the Day of Resurrection. They will wish that there were a crack in the earth and that it would swallow them up. So many people will wish that on the Last Day, the Day of Resurrection. When they see that, all their works, all their actions, their selling and buying evil, they will wish that this earth would crack open and swallow them up in it. Oh people, it is not too far away. As I was coming to the congregational prayer (jumah) today, I met a funeral procession. I saw a brown coffin. A man was lying in it. His eyes were closed. He will open them for that Day. It is so near. Don't imagine it to be too far away. No, when you close your eyes, and at the next moment, open them, you will be in that Divine Presence for Judgment Day. We will all be there. That Day is coming for everyone.
Fill your life's cassette with honorable works because you have been honored by your Lord. That is the word of all prophets, from the beginning up to the end. But, Oh Children of Adam, your egos never leave you to do honorable work because egos always want evil, tasting and living in evil. Therefore, do not be with your ego. Rather you must be with your Lord and His representatives. Prophets are the representatives of God Almighty and after the prophets, the saints are the representatives of their Lord on earth because God Almighty created the Children of Adam to be His vicegerents. Some of them have reached the true station of being His vicegerents, but most people are still just candidates. If you are going to do honorable works, then you will be clothed, also, in the true station of vicegerent, given the true vicegerent's crown. That is all. Think about these words. ILLUSIONS MORNING, JUNE 1, 1985
"Ninety-nine may be illusions, but one may be a real oasis for you because the
Lord Almighty says, ‘Don't cut off your hope; don't despair’.
You don't have forty hands to go everywhere to take forty Shaykhs' hands. Therefore, if you are traveling on a spiritual journey, when you meet with your guide or with your destination, I think it is enough for you at that time to be in one place. However, if you are doing it as a pleasure for your ego, you may travel from East to West, looking at this or that.
Sometimes I go to the market, looking at one thing or another and then another, from beginning to end. If you are buyers, you must look for what you want. You must know that you want that thing and you must see where it may be. If you find it, you may buy it and go on because no one can take the whole market and carry it, or all the markets. Rather, everyone who goes shopping knows what he is going to buy. Thus your Shaykh sent you here, understanding that you were asking for something. If you can find it with someone, names are not important, but it is important that you are able to find your desire in him. If you can find the thing you want with a young person, it is all right. Anyone you can find it with, it is all right. Your Lord of the Heavens may put our purposes with anyone. You must not be cheated by someone's outward appearance, passing him by, saying, "Who is that person? What thing can be with that one?" While there may be with him that of which you are in need.
We are most in need of wisdom. Knowledge is one thing, but wisdom is something else. Knowledge you may find everywhere. Wisdom is also written, written in books, but when it is written down, it also becomes a part of knowledge. Wisdom comes directly from the tongue, from hearts. when it is put as writing in books, it becomes knowledge. You may use that, but more important is wisdom. The Lord may place something of His endless wisdom with anyone. It may be a peasant, or a boy, or a woman, or an old man. It may be with a young man, with a black man. It may be with an ignorant one, as you might say. He may not have been educated in schools or universities, but he may have been given wisdom. We have a saying that treasures are mostly under ruins. No one comes and asks for treasures among huge buildings in the center of a city, no. The one who wants to find treasures looks where there are old ruins. From the outside no one could say there may be something there, but underground, among ruins, you may find them. And that person is pleased if he can find broken cups or other broken things. He says even though they are broken, still they are antiques, they are precious, and he takes them, not taking
8 such an unbroken, new thing. If you say, "Do you prefer this or that'?" he may say, "No, this. I prefer it though it is broken. I don't prefer to have this new and whole cup."
Therefore, Divine wisdom makes wisdom to be found with anyone. Don't suppose that it must be with people who look suitable from the outside. No. The doors of Islam are open from the East to the West. We can look anywhere. If we find that wisdom, we may take it from anyone. No need to be a special person, no. Anyone may have it. The Lord may give it to you. However, we must be humble enough to listen to anyone and to look at what his product is, what is he selling. We may take from anyone when we are humble enough.
God Almighty gives His wisdom and He speaks wisdom. You have knowledge. You have so much knowledge. Everyone who comes to me has it - learned people, perhaps scholars, because most Western people are educated. But, as we said, wisdom is something else. We must be humble. We must look among ruins to dig it out.
Yes. You are traveling, seeking wisdom, and you may find it anywhere. It is all right. Knowledge is like a plane and wisdom is its fuel. Without fuel planes can't fly. Thus, there are so many scholars, but they are still waiting for fuel. They are so proud of their wings that sometimes they go around like this, like that, on the plane but not flying. Perhaps they say that the knowledge of Sufis is not knowledge because to them, the only knowledge to be found is what we read in books. We call this products of the mind. These products grow bigger and bigger. It becomes a load, a heavy load for our heads to bear because we have to carry it around with us. Knowledge from the heart differs from this.
Products of the heart carry us. We have to carry mind-products, but heart- products carry us. It was because of this that Abu Yazid Bistami, a famous Grand Shaykh in the most distinguished Naqshbandi order, addressed scholars, saying, "Oh scholars, you carry your knowledge about. You are always looking to see whether that knowledge is becoming less and less, going down. You are always looking because when you put aside the knowledge that you got through books, you then have to carry those books around with you to refresh your minds. You are like horses, putting too heavy a load on yourselves, carrying it around, and you are always tired. But we are not in need of carrying books, to be like a horse bearing so heavy a load. Rather our knowledge carries us. Therefore you are bearing a heavy burden, while our knowledge carries us along."
For this reason, all mind-products are a heavy load for scholars. The Prophet, beloved Muhammad (saws), said, in the original words of a Tradition (hadith), "The calamity of knowledge is forgetfulness." The thing that destroys
9 knowledge is to forget it. Therefore, each scholar is always worried about that point because he or she is growing older. At every moment his or her mind's power grows weaker. Everything it may hold little by little leaves. Scholars are always thinking about this, about forgetting. There are so many things that causes our memory to grow weaker and weaker.
Now people, even if they are scholars, are under the command of their egos. They do as their egos want so that their memories weaken. They do not use their hearts. Hearts are never weak. Hearts are strong, but we do not use them. My Grand Shaykh, Sultan of the Friends of God, Shaykh Abdullah ad-Daghistani, may God Almighty bless him, was about 113 when he died. He used heart memory. when the heart's memory is all right, it never weakens. Such a person may know from the beginning of his life up to its end. He never loses his memory. However, those who leave their heart and use only their mind's memory, are going to find that their knowledge decreases in time.
Therefore that Grand Shaykh, Abu Yazid Bistami, said to scholars, "If you have no books, you are finished. If you forget what is in your memory, you are going to be empty vessels with nothing in them. You bring from outside and put into the minds' memory. When your minds are finished, they are like empty cups. Our knowledge, on the other hand, are springs in our hearts.” Therefore, you can see that when they are old people, they lose everything. They lose what they say, what they do. But it is impossible to stop the springs of wisdom of those who have them in their hearts. It is impossible to stop those springs. The springs carry them, as well. Wisdom is a Divine power. It does not have ordinary properties, no. Divine powers come through wisdom and may take that person, by his physical body, from the East to the West in a second, may take them from earth to the heavens.
I am seeing that there are some desires appearing among western people, because I have never seen people who like to read books like western people. Muslims always tried to read the Holy Qur'an. They never tired of reciting the Holy Book. Now, however, most people are occupied with their egos. This is also true of the Islamic world. Therefore, they have put aside reciting the Holy Qur'an and also they do not really want to read other books in the way that western people do. You have a hobby of reading books. But for what? A person may say, "I have read perhaps one thousand books and I still want to read more and more, but - for what? What is the main purpose for which I am reading and reading, and am still hungry to read and read'?"
Then it comes to their hearts. After all that reading there must be something else. Therefore, now a lot of people are asking about Sufi knowledge. Then, also, they are beginning to read more and more and more, reading, reading. But
10 yet they feel that they are still thirsty. They are thirsty, even though they say that it is a spring, still it is not enough to quench their thirst. Now they are asking the Real springs as a person in a desert asks for water and springs. But most people see only illusions, so many illusions. And now in our time, so many western people are running after such illusions. They imagine that there may be a spring there, water. They run toward it, but find that it is only an illusion. It is very rare to find an oasis amidst huge deserts. Very rare, but there are so many illusions, mirages. Now, I am sorry to say, western people are all like a person in a huge desert and thirsty. They are looking everywhere, asking for water that will give them life - looking and running and finding that finally, that they are all illusions. Still they must run after an oasis.
Therefore, our brothers who have come to visit us this morning are among those people who feel that they are in a desert and thirsty, asking to reach an oasis to drink. Otherwise, they will see only illusions everywhere. I am seeing here in England, in France, in Germany, in Holland, in America everywhere, everywhere - so many illusions; in India, in Pakistan, in Tibet, in China, in Russia, in the
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6000