The Sufi Path of Love (Shaykh Nazim, 15 sohbets, 90 pages, 4/8)
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d, upon whom be peace, was such a pure medium for the transmission of that love that the hearts of his companions were overwhelmed with his love, and were transported to
the love of Allah. He was the representative of Allah, who is the Absolute Truth; therefore, the Prophet declared: “Who has seen me has seen the Absolute Truth”.
When a delegation of non-Muslims came to visit Medina, they were amazed at the love and respect shown to the Prophet by his companions. When they returned home they said to their leaders: “We have met many emperors, kings and tribal chiefs, but never have we seen one whose subjects or courtiers treat him with such sincere love and devotion. How can this be?” They were not able to comprehend the secret of this love, as their egos caused them to deny Mohammed’s prophet hood. The love of the companions towards the Prophet was such that they used to say to him: “I am ready to sacrifice for you even my mother and father”, which, for the Arabs, is much stronger than saying: “I would sacrifice myself for you”. And in reality many of them underwent nearly unbearable hardships for the sake of their belief in the mission of the Holy Prophet: exile, disinheritance, boycott, torture and death.
Who represented the Holy Prophet after his life on Earth? They are those who evoked such love. The Prophet himself described them: “Those who see them are reminded of Allah”. He who thirsts for Divine Love must seek out such people, but in our time they are mostly hidden, and Islam has come to mean for many people only a set of rules of conduct and forms
of worship - an empty shell. Who can derive taste from such a thing? Shall mosques be only gymnasiums? And now the “gym teachers” are opposing Sufi Paths, which are the ways of the heart, ways that lead to the Love of God.
Our Lord has given us an instrument that measures not your blood pressure but our “love pressure” and our goal is to make it high! Yes, seek to improve with every new day, for the Holy Prophet said: “Whoever does not improve with each day is losing ground.” What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that if we pray forty rakats of prayer today, we should pray forty- one tomorrow and forty-two the next day. No, that is not required, what is intended is that you fill your worship with ever more love of your Lord, so that He will observe: “My servant has sent Me more love today than yesterday.” One of our Grandsheikhs summarized perfectly what I am trying to say: “An atom’s weight of love is worth more than seventy years’ worship without love”.
Today we speak about love for Allah and His Prophet. Our Grandsheikh was telling this hadith, that one day the Prophet was giving a sermon when one Bedouin came to the door of the mosque and shouted: “Oh Prophet, when is the Last Day coming?” There was no answer, so he called out again and still again. The Prophet was waiting for Allah to provide him with an answer, as only He knows when the Last Day is. Then the Angel Jibril came to him saying: “Ask him what he did in preparation for the Last day”. The man replied: “Muhammed, I love you and I love your Lord, nothing else, only this”. Then Jibril told Muhammed: “Answer him that he will be with you and your Lord like two fingers together.
Everyone who loves another must be with him on the Last day.” On hearing this, Abu Bakr asked: “Oh Prophet, is not action a necessary condition, is only love enough?” He answered: “No, Ya Aba Bakr, actions are not a condition, what is important is love. Everyone will be with his beloved friend.”
The End
7-THE GUIDE AND GUIDANCE and the NEED TO FOLLOW A SHEIK
-The Pilot at the Controls
Yes, sometimes we are entering into sins through our worship because we are proud of our worship. This retards our progress towards the heavens. Therefore we need a controller over us. Now supersonic aeroplanes are fully automatic. Or are they? Is there a pilot controlling it? If he is not controlling it, why is he sitting there? Even though the plane is fully automatic yet it is in need of a pilot for controlling it. In the same way although you may be fully automatic in your prayers, yet you are in need of a pilot to guide you and control you.
Therefore we are in need of a Sheik (spiritual guide). The Sheik knows the finer points of our egos which are in need of correction.
Today new fashioned Muslims are giving fully automatic power to everyone. They are denying and cursing to let a Sheik control them because of their egos. It is their egos that are cursed. They say that holy books alone are enough. Fully automatic. But it is not enough without a controller. Those foolish people quote Quran, Sunnah, Quran Sunnah and Kitab Sunnah. What about he pilot? No pilot. Do you think that you are doing and knowing your best through Kitab and Sunnah only, without having some one to look after and control you. Almighty Allah says to His Prophet (Sal) “Wa sahabi amfil amar” - that is to control the Sahaba. Everyone knows to read the Holy Quran and Holy Hadis. So many priests and so many professors they too are reading Holy Quran and Holy Hadis, but what is the benefit they derive from it? Therefore we are asking from Allah Almighty for good understanding and to give us some one to control our actions and our worship.
Yes like students who do their homework and the teacher who goes through it. These people are not even intelligent as these students who at least have their homework corrected. Yes these people are so proud of the way they are following and it is the way of Shaitan. Shaitan was fully automatic, and Allah Almighty asked him to take Adam (alai) as his pilot. He rejected this. He said “I won’t accept Adam (alai) as controller over me. I won’t carry any one to be above me” that is the pride that destroyed Shaitan or Iblis. Likewise these people say that they are able to read and understand what is in the Holy Quran and they say that only they may look and that they may understand and that they are not in need of a controller.
- The Prophet (sal) accepts a Guide
Our Grandsheik is saying an important good manner for guidance. Everyone must look for a guide, as we are in need to reach to our destinations and it is so difficult. Look to our Prophet, peace be upon him. All creation is for his honour and sake; Allah made the universe for his Habib (beloved). Yet the Prophet accepted a guide, Jibril (alai). All Prophets accepted Jibril as their guide. Our Prophet is of the highest station in the Divine Presence, a representative of Allah among his people, and he is taking a guide. It is indicating that for everyone asking to reach the Divine Presence a guide is necessary.
This is the most important adab. Our Prophet was always following the orders of Jibril, doing every action and speaking according to Allah’s orders as brought by Jibril. It means that no one may reach the Divine Presence without a guide and guidance. You must give yourself to the hands of a guide, surrender, or else no benefit can you take. A guide is one who knows
your destination. He is an open-eyed person. A blind man can’t guide, he is in need for one. In our days very few persons are accepting a guide for themselves, everyone is so proud, saying, “I am clever, I know better”. They may know this world’s knowledge, but this guidance is not such that you can read in books and follow. You only know it with a murshid. You must have a guide; only pride is keeping people away. There is no reaching the Divine Presence without a real guide.
For a humble Mureed following a Murshid, if he is consulting the murshid in every matter it is good, but for three things it is a must. These are marriage, divorce, and far journeying.
Also for the pilgrimage is necessary consultation with the Sheik. If not consulting, one may fall in a bad condition. The Sheik may give his orders by dreams, as it is prohibited for jinn or devils to appear in the form of the Prophet or the Sheik.
Whoever is asking improvement in the Way of Allah must ask for a guide. It is the quickest and shortest way. Seyyidina Ali asked the Prophet, “what is the easiest way to our Lord? He said, Oh Ali, look for one Friend of Allah and stay in his shadow. A shadow is not going to separate from a man. Then you may reach easily and quickly to the Lord’s Presence”. The beginning of the way is to agree with a guide.
Our Grandsheik says that Iblis is the most learned of people for all religious knowledge, knowing very will the contents of the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and Quran. But he is prohibited from taking Divine knowledges; he can never know about the secrets of those books. If he knew, he would not want people to make them like himself. What closes these secrets? It is to be proud of knowledge or worshipping. This puts one far away. Iblis would never take a guide for himself. Allah intended Adam to be his guide but be would never accept Adam or his knowledge. This is the power of his proud ness, and the reason for which he was thrown out of the Divine Presence.
Our Grandsheik is saying about the signs of a Murshid, one who is leading people into the right ways and is an inheritor of the Prophet. Murshid in Arabic is also one who pilots ships into unfamiliar harbours. Everyone has a special destination; no two persons are alike, thinking the same thoughts. Everyone who does not know how to go on to his destination is in need of a guide. The future is unknown, commonly, but knowledge of it is given to Prophet and Saints. We are in darkness in need of lights, the light of Prophet hood is to inform us what is ahead generally, and the light of sainthood to guide us to our personal destinations.
Signs of a Guide
The sign of a Murshid is that you are able to trust him. It is an action of the heart and cannot be measured with a yardstick or scales. Your heart gives the signal and the heart is never mistaken. If a person is sitting with a true Murshid, he feels peace, rest and satisfaction. Very happy, this is the sign. He forgets everything from troubles; he is just in an ocean. Now so many people are going to the sea-side. Why? Because when they enter the water, they find rest and enjoyment. As the body is drawn, so the soul is asking for a sea. We need in our life one person like an ocean, so that our hearts can be in enjoyment and satisfied with that person.
Sheik Abd-ul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani was speaking about the attribute of a Mureed as to how he should be in front of his Sheik. Surrendering is a good attribute for all followers, without it comes no benefit or development. The meaning of surrender is to leave one’s will and to follow the will of the Sheik; to turn to him for everything, saying; “As you like, oh my master”: Our Grandsheik quotes Abd-ul Khaliq as saying, “Oh my sons, we are not accepting a surrender like a dead person’s surrender to the hands of the washer. They sometimes complain that the water is too hot or too cold, though not with their tongues, but spiritually speaking. If a Mureed is saying objections in himself, it is not acceptable- . Surrender must be inward and outward, like a dry leaf in the wind. Even if it gets blown into a fire, nothing will you hear from it. Such a Mureed is taking 100% benefit from the sheik. As much as the Sheik takes from blessings, he is also receiving. If surrender is not complete, then only half and half. This is the way for one who is asking. Who says to his ego: “As you like”, - how can there occur development? Step by step, a sheik teaches his followers how to surrender. It is not so easy a thing. Prophets sent from the Divine Presence to teach this were rejected by their people. We are training now, If we are saying: “As you like” to the Sheik, then we may say likewise to the Prophet, and then we may say so to our Lord. We are training how to be with our Lord.
Our Grandsheik’s advice to everyone is that they must look for a holy person who may guide them to their Lord’s Way. He stresses, furthermore, that this is an obligation for every believer, and that once the seeker has found his guide, the most important point for him as a follower is always to firmly believe that his guide is absolutely right and correct in his actions. You must believe in your guide, must believe that he knows at least fifty times more than you; your having this attitude is a necessary condition for his being able to guide you. If you think that he knows feels or looks at things the way that you do, then you will never be able to derive any benefit nor receive any guidance from that person.
Real spiritual guides are inheritors of the Prophets and in spiritual contact with them. It is a well known fact about Prophets that they had extraordinary powers and characteristics that enabled them to serve as guides for people to their Lord’s Divine Presence. You must know that whatever is the number of people in a Prophet’s Nation, and be it millions or billions, that Prophet must know at least that number of times more than any of his people may know. You can only know for yourself, but a Prophet must know for his whole Nation, so that he can complete his Prophet hood by means of them. Because of the spiritual connection that real guides have with the Prophet, and by virtue of their being his inheritors, they also have such extraordinary powers and characteristics which enable them to know at least fifty times more than we know.
The most important thing for a seeker (Murid) who follows a guide (Murshid) in order to move toward the Divine Presence is to understand that his guide is going to try him time and again. The Murshid has been ordered by the Prophet to try his Murids, and everyone knows that a trial is not an easy thing ‘- or else it isn’t a trial. When a Murshid tries his Murid, he sends toward him some trial in which that Murid can see no Divine Wisdom at all. Perhaps he orders some thing which the mind of that Murid cannot accept and protests against loudly to itself: “It is not right to do this; why does he order me to do such a thing?” If the Murid should openly express such rebelliousness to his Sheik, or if it just comes to his heart without him even letting anyone know about it, the Divine Power between him and his Sheik is cut - like a blown fuse; he is then stuck at that level and unable to progress.
Grandsheik says: “For a Murid to rebel, either openly or secretly, against his Sheik is as terrible as someone cursing the Prophets; it is abominable to think bad thoughts about one’s own guide. One’s changing of heart in relation to his Sheik is like cursing the Prophets, for if not for your guide you are never going to reach to knowledge of the Prophet’s realities.” Therefore, a follower must have utmost respect for his Murshid, not only in what he expresses, but also in what he conceals in his heart.
This is training for believers so that they may learn to always keep respect in their hearts for the Prophet, and never to object in nay way to anything that the Prophet did in the way of actions and judgments. If someone says, regarding the Prophet, “This action of his was totally correct, but that one not so much,” then immediately the power is cut between the Prophet and that person, and the connection is in need of being reestablished.
Ultimately, this training is essential in enabling us to keep our faith and to become real slaves of the Almighty, as in the course of our lives so many strange, terrible and unthinkable events may occur whereby people’s hearts will be disturbed, and many will say, “What is this, is this justice?” So many people are asking this question nowadays, when, according to the understanding of their minds, there is no justice and no mercy in certain events - this is unbelief. If a person believes in his Lord, he must believe that his Lord is always guiding events in the most excellent of ways, and that in everything that happens you may find the Lords absolute Mercy and Justice.
- Training by a Guide
If you do not accept training at the hands of a Murshid, you won’t be able to tolerate many events which are happening all around you in this life, but over which you can exercise no control whatsoever. If you are going to object to the occurrence of these events, you are, in effect, accusing Allah of wrong judgement and injustice. Therefore, every believer must first be trained at the hands of a Murshid; then, when he has stopped saying, “No”, and “Why?”, in relation to his Sheik, the perfume of good actions will begin to issue forth from that Murid.
What this means is that you will not find any objection in a real believer to what his Lord decrees, nor can you witness any breach of manners toward the Lord. He says: “Oh my Lord, You are right, I am wrong; oh my Prophet, you are right, I am wrong; oh my Grandsheik, you are right, I am wrong.” This is the peak and the perfume of good manners and actions; whoever obtains these characteristics will improve more rapidly than anyone else.
The trials that come to us from our Sheik will be much lighter trials than those coming from the Prophet, and the trials that the Prophet sends will, in turn, be much easier trials than the ones send by Allah Almighty - and you must be ready for your Lord’s trial, then you will be alright - not before. When you can say, “What my Lord decrees is right, and what I might desire contrary to that is wrong,” you have attained the highest degree of good manners with your Lord (Adab). All Prophets have been sent in order to teach this point.
How can a person really believe in his Lord when he sometimes objects, saying that his Lord is not performing the best of possible actions? A person has really overcome this pitfall and attained to real faith when he can wholeheartedly say, “Allah knows best what is good for His creatures, the Prophet knows what is best for his Nation and the Murshid for his followers “ we can be wrong, but they can’t.- When he can always acuse himself in this manner, it means that he has attained the first station of faith (Iman).
The basic and common level for man is to be at all times one with his ego, and when man is one with his ego, he is in the darkness of unbelief (Kufr). People on that level many be heard saying, “I am just fine, but the problem is with the others - they are all wrong.” As long as a person is on that level, he will never accept a guide or believe in a Prophet; how should he, when he thinks that he knows everything better than anyone else? He is under the control of the commanding-self, nafs ul-ammara bis-suu), and s long as he is under its command he will remain on the level of unbelief.
When one climbs from that level to the second level, he improves to the awakening of the self-accusing self (An-nafs ul-lawwamah); once awakened, that self always makes the person see himself as being blameworthy, and accuse himself by saying, “You are wrong, oh my ego.” At that stage he will seek some guide to show him what is right, as he has recognized that his ego is always wrong; it’s praying is wrong, its fasting wrong, its alms-giving wrong and its pilgrimage is wrong- nothing is right because he is not right, not yet purified from the tyranny of his lower self. Once he has accepted the fact that his ego is preventing him from doing any goodness, he is ready to accept a guide to lead him to real goodness, and at that point he is prepared to be a follower; even if his guide tries him severely, he will say, “I am wrong, he is right.” When a person has reached this point, he has attained the first level of real faith (Haqiqi Iman).
All different kinds of situations may befall a person during his life. One may encounter both goodness and badness, and indeed it may be one’s lot to have to suffer the most troublesome and harmful events. Whenever such events befall one, the sign of real faith is one’s being able to put up with them - for example, to eat an unliked food (unliked by the ego, not by the Divine Law); to see hear or come in contact with something one detests. In all these cases, one just be able to keep hold of oneself without flinching, without undergoing any change within oneself and without saying, “This is wrong and I am right.” This is steadfastness, a sign of real faith.
- Guides are the Inheritos of the Prophet (sal)
The value of human beings is well-known, completely known, by Allah Almighty, who created them and gave them their values. Then, the most knowledgeable person concerning the value of man is the Seal of the Prophets, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., and the other Prophets take their knowledge concerning the value of the Sons of Adam from him. And then, the true followers of the Prophets and of the Seal of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, the Awliya (Saints), know the value of mankind, and they take human beings and arrange them from every side. Then their values, their true forms, appear, and they take them to the Divine Presence. But without a Prophet or their inheritors, people are like discarded stones. Even if they are diamonds, without their being cut and made suitable, they are not going to be put on a crown.
Therefore, every Prophet came to make people ready to go into the Divine Presence, to their heavenly stations in the Divine Presence. Whoever comes and submits to the Prophets, the Prophets arrange them. But if they run away from them, escaping, they can’t do it. Then they are like stones, thrown away.
Therefore, the most important work of the Prophets and of their successors, the Awliya, is to make everyone’s value clear by arranging each one according to his promises on the Day of Promises. If anyone is asking to be in the Divine Presence, in the first rank, he must follow
the Prophets or those who follow them, the Awliya. Those who do not follow - no value for them; they still remain like stones. Then ultimately they must be treated by some training after they leave this life and in Barzakh (the stage of existence between death and the Day of Judgment of the Eternal life) and in the next life in order to allow their values to appear, but they are not going to be in the first rank of those who will be with the Prophets and Awliya.
No value for a person who stays by himself and never follows the Prophets and their inheritors! Even is this life, if a person does not follow a college or university course, he never gains any value in his community; people say, “A simple or ordinary, standard person” But the one who follows a course in a university or college or academy, and it is proved by a certificate or diploma, has value. No matters how much you may know by yourself, if you do not follow one of them, no one gives you value. You can’t be a doctor, you can’t be an engineer, and you can’t be a lawyer because you aren’t following any school.
Therefore, in the spiritual life, whoever is asking for improvement, insofar as he may be by himself, he may acquire something, but it is of no value. You must follow a Prophet. For this reason, philosophers, who are asking to reach a point by themselves without following any one of the Prophets, have no value. We must follow.
To the extent that you can follow one of them, you may reach your real value, and that value will appear among creatures on earth and in Heaven. No one can attain to that, particularly to heavenly stations, without following someone who belongs to Heaven. All Prophets belong to Heaven; if a person has no relationship to Heaven, he is not going to be a Prophet.
Whoever has no relationship to Heaven is also not going to be Wali, a Saint; it is impossible. There must be a relationship between that person and Heaven, and you must follow such a person who has a relationship between himself and heavenly beings; otherwise, the one who is walking on earth (that is, a person who is worldly and not strongly connect to Heaven), is not going to be a guide to you. You many find everything on earth, but without a guide you can’t find the way to Heaven; it is so difficult and so far and so full of danger.
Therefore, there must be a guide for you. Even for a rocket which is sent into space, it is so difficult and so dangerous to be in it or to have the control of it; you can’t send a rocket into space through just anyone. He must be a person specially trained for that purpose, knowing best how he can send it. To send a person from earth to Heaven - it is more difficult than sending a rocket into space; not everyone can do that. The one who can do that is the one who has been sent to Heaven by the Prophet (Sal). He knows the way and he knows how he may send others. He comes through the Prophet up to his own Grandsheik, never making a mistake.
Don’t tell me, “Why are you not sending us now?” Go an tell that engineer or scientist who is preparing that rocket, “Send it into space now.”? Would he listen to you? He is working on it. A person is going to be ready to be sent up to Heaven, Grandsheik said to me, if forty scholars who know the Shariah excellently are with him for forty days and they give a report saying, “This person is all right from every direction. We forty scholars have been looking at him day and night for forty days. In every action and behavior that person is perfect. According to our knowledge, there is nothing wrong with him.” If they give such a report, it is all right to send him.
We are trying now, but then our egos come, destroying this path and damaging us; every bad action damages our inner structure. We are trying to build it but it is so difficult. But, as we
are beginners, it doesn’t matter. We are practicing, we are building, we are learning, we are preparing ourselves. It is enough to be here humbly and listening; that gives us divine help and makes us be ready. Even at the last moment we must be complete, insha allah; we are going to be complete and go to Heaven, and we will see doors opening to us. So many people, When they go from earth to Heaven, find doors closed to them because they are not ready; then they are sent back to make them ready to go up. But those whom come and listen and accept and believe, they must be prepared, even at the last moment before leaving this life, to reach their heavenly stations in the Divine Presence.
The Guide guards his Followers
If we are separate, we are like parts of a tasbih (Rosary), beads. If there is no string, they will be lost, scattered, but when they are on this string that can never happen. And for each person, if alone there is danger of being lost, but if coming with an imam, (The alif or long, terminal bead connecting a tasbih or string of prayer beads), on a string, he is protected. Look, everyo
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d, upon whom be peace, was such a pure medium for the transmission of that love that the hearts of his companions were overwhelmed with his love, and were transported to
the love of Allah. He was the representative of Allah, who is the Absolute Truth; therefore, the Prophet declared: “Who has seen me has seen the Absolute Truth”.
When a delegation of non-Muslims came to visit Medina, they were amazed at the love and respect shown to the Prophet by his companions. When they returned home they said to their leaders: “We have met many emperors, kings and tribal chiefs, but never have we seen one whose subjects or courtiers treat him with such sincere love and devotion. How can this be?” They were not able to comprehend the secret of this love, as their egos caused them to deny Mohammed’s prophet hood. The love of the companions towards the Prophet was such that they used to say to him: “I am ready to sacrifice for you even my mother and father”, which, for the Arabs, is much stronger than saying: “I would sacrifice myself for you”. And in reality many of them underwent nearly unbearable hardships for the sake of their belief in the mission of the Holy Prophet: exile, disinheritance, boycott, torture and death.
Who represented the Holy Prophet after his life on Earth? They are those who evoked such love. The Prophet himself described them: “Those who see them are reminded of Allah”. He who thirsts for Divine Love must seek out such people, but in our time they are mostly hidden, and Islam has come to mean for many people only a set of rules of conduct and forms
of worship - an empty shell. Who can derive taste from such a thing? Shall mosques be only gymnasiums? And now the “gym teachers” are opposing Sufi Paths, which are the ways of the heart, ways that lead to the Love of God.
Our Lord has given us an instrument that measures not your blood pressure but our “love pressure” and our goal is to make it high! Yes, seek to improve with every new day, for the Holy Prophet said: “Whoever does not improve with each day is losing ground.” What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that if we pray forty rakats of prayer today, we should pray forty- one tomorrow and forty-two the next day. No, that is not required, what is intended is that you fill your worship with ever more love of your Lord, so that He will observe: “My servant has sent Me more love today than yesterday.” One of our Grandsheikhs summarized perfectly what I am trying to say: “An atom’s weight of love is worth more than seventy years’ worship without love”.
Today we speak about love for Allah and His Prophet. Our Grandsheikh was telling this hadith, that one day the Prophet was giving a sermon when one Bedouin came to the door of the mosque and shouted: “Oh Prophet, when is the Last Day coming?” There was no answer, so he called out again and still again. The Prophet was waiting for Allah to provide him with an answer, as only He knows when the Last Day is. Then the Angel Jibril came to him saying: “Ask him what he did in preparation for the Last day”. The man replied: “Muhammed, I love you and I love your Lord, nothing else, only this”. Then Jibril told Muhammed: “Answer him that he will be with you and your Lord like two fingers together.
Everyone who loves another must be with him on the Last day.” On hearing this, Abu Bakr asked: “Oh Prophet, is not action a necessary condition, is only love enough?” He answered: “No, Ya Aba Bakr, actions are not a condition, what is important is love. Everyone will be with his beloved friend.”
The End
7-THE GUIDE AND GUIDANCE and the NEED TO FOLLOW A SHEIK
-The Pilot at the Controls
Yes, sometimes we are entering into sins through our worship because we are proud of our worship. This retards our progress towards the heavens. Therefore we need a controller over us. Now supersonic aeroplanes are fully automatic. Or are they? Is there a pilot controlling it? If he is not controlling it, why is he sitting there? Even though the plane is fully automatic yet it is in need of a pilot for controlling it. In the same way although you may be fully automatic in your prayers, yet you are in need of a pilot to guide you and control you.
Therefore we are in need of a Sheik (spiritual guide). The Sheik knows the finer points of our egos which are in need of correction.
Today new fashioned Muslims are giving fully automatic power to everyone. They are denying and cursing to let a Sheik control them because of their egos. It is their egos that are cursed. They say that holy books alone are enough. Fully automatic. But it is not enough without a controller. Those foolish people quote Quran, Sunnah, Quran Sunnah and Kitab Sunnah. What about he pilot? No pilot. Do you think that you are doing and knowing your best through Kitab and Sunnah only, without having some one to look after and control you. Almighty Allah says to His Prophet (Sal) “Wa sahabi amfil amar” - that is to control the Sahaba. Everyone knows to read the Holy Quran and Holy Hadis. So many priests and so many professors they too are reading Holy Quran and Holy Hadis, but what is the benefit they derive from it? Therefore we are asking from Allah Almighty for good understanding and to give us some one to control our actions and our worship.
Yes like students who do their homework and the teacher who goes through it. These people are not even intelligent as these students who at least have their homework corrected. Yes these people are so proud of the way they are following and it is the way of Shaitan. Shaitan was fully automatic, and Allah Almighty asked him to take Adam (alai) as his pilot. He rejected this. He said “I won’t accept Adam (alai) as controller over me. I won’t carry any one to be above me” that is the pride that destroyed Shaitan or Iblis. Likewise these people say that they are able to read and understand what is in the Holy Quran and they say that only they may look and that they may understand and that they are not in need of a controller.
- The Prophet (sal) accepts a Guide
Our Grandsheik is saying an important good manner for guidance. Everyone must look for a guide, as we are in need to reach to our destinations and it is so difficult. Look to our Prophet, peace be upon him. All creation is for his honour and sake; Allah made the universe for his Habib (beloved). Yet the Prophet accepted a guide, Jibril (alai). All Prophets accepted Jibril as their guide. Our Prophet is of the highest station in the Divine Presence, a representative of Allah among his people, and he is taking a guide. It is indicating that for everyone asking to reach the Divine Presence a guide is necessary.
This is the most important adab. Our Prophet was always following the orders of Jibril, doing every action and speaking according to Allah’s orders as brought by Jibril. It means that no one may reach the Divine Presence without a guide and guidance. You must give yourself to the hands of a guide, surrender, or else no benefit can you take. A guide is one who knows
your destination. He is an open-eyed person. A blind man can’t guide, he is in need for one. In our days very few persons are accepting a guide for themselves, everyone is so proud, saying, “I am clever, I know better”. They may know this world’s knowledge, but this guidance is not such that you can read in books and follow. You only know it with a murshid. You must have a guide; only pride is keeping people away. There is no reaching the Divine Presence without a real guide.
For a humble Mureed following a Murshid, if he is consulting the murshid in every matter it is good, but for three things it is a must. These are marriage, divorce, and far journeying.
Also for the pilgrimage is necessary consultation with the Sheik. If not consulting, one may fall in a bad condition. The Sheik may give his orders by dreams, as it is prohibited for jinn or devils to appear in the form of the Prophet or the Sheik.
Whoever is asking improvement in the Way of Allah must ask for a guide. It is the quickest and shortest way. Seyyidina Ali asked the Prophet, “what is the easiest way to our Lord? He said, Oh Ali, look for one Friend of Allah and stay in his shadow. A shadow is not going to separate from a man. Then you may reach easily and quickly to the Lord’s Presence”. The beginning of the way is to agree with a guide.
Our Grandsheik says that Iblis is the most learned of people for all religious knowledge, knowing very will the contents of the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and Quran. But he is prohibited from taking Divine knowledges; he can never know about the secrets of those books. If he knew, he would not want people to make them like himself. What closes these secrets? It is to be proud of knowledge or worshipping. This puts one far away. Iblis would never take a guide for himself. Allah intended Adam to be his guide but be would never accept Adam or his knowledge. This is the power of his proud ness, and the reason for which he was thrown out of the Divine Presence.
Our Grandsheik is saying about the signs of a Murshid, one who is leading people into the right ways and is an inheritor of the Prophet. Murshid in Arabic is also one who pilots ships into unfamiliar harbours. Everyone has a special destination; no two persons are alike, thinking the same thoughts. Everyone who does not know how to go on to his destination is in need of a guide. The future is unknown, commonly, but knowledge of it is given to Prophet and Saints. We are in darkness in need of lights, the light of Prophet hood is to inform us what is ahead generally, and the light of sainthood to guide us to our personal destinations.
Signs of a Guide
The sign of a Murshid is that you are able to trust him. It is an action of the heart and cannot be measured with a yardstick or scales. Your heart gives the signal and the heart is never mistaken. If a person is sitting with a true Murshid, he feels peace, rest and satisfaction. Very happy, this is the sign. He forgets everything from troubles; he is just in an ocean. Now so many people are going to the sea-side. Why? Because when they enter the water, they find rest and enjoyment. As the body is drawn, so the soul is asking for a sea. We need in our life one person like an ocean, so that our hearts can be in enjoyment and satisfied with that person.
Sheik Abd-ul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani was speaking about the attribute of a Mureed as to how he should be in front of his Sheik. Surrendering is a good attribute for all followers, without it comes no benefit or development. The meaning of surrender is to leave one’s will and to follow the will of the Sheik; to turn to him for everything, saying; “As you like, oh my master”: Our Grandsheik quotes Abd-ul Khaliq as saying, “Oh my sons, we are not accepting a surrender like a dead person’s surrender to the hands of the washer. They sometimes complain that the water is too hot or too cold, though not with their tongues, but spiritually speaking. If a Mureed is saying objections in himself, it is not acceptable- . Surrender must be inward and outward, like a dry leaf in the wind. Even if it gets blown into a fire, nothing will you hear from it. Such a Mureed is taking 100% benefit from the sheik. As much as the Sheik takes from blessings, he is also receiving. If surrender is not complete, then only half and half. This is the way for one who is asking. Who says to his ego: “As you like”, - how can there occur development? Step by step, a sheik teaches his followers how to surrender. It is not so easy a thing. Prophets sent from the Divine Presence to teach this were rejected by their people. We are training now, If we are saying: “As you like” to the Sheik, then we may say likewise to the Prophet, and then we may say so to our Lord. We are training how to be with our Lord.
Our Grandsheik’s advice to everyone is that they must look for a holy person who may guide them to their Lord’s Way. He stresses, furthermore, that this is an obligation for every believer, and that once the seeker has found his guide, the most important point for him as a follower is always to firmly believe that his guide is absolutely right and correct in his actions. You must believe in your guide, must believe that he knows at least fifty times more than you; your having this attitude is a necessary condition for his being able to guide you. If you think that he knows feels or looks at things the way that you do, then you will never be able to derive any benefit nor receive any guidance from that person.
Real spiritual guides are inheritors of the Prophets and in spiritual contact with them. It is a well known fact about Prophets that they had extraordinary powers and characteristics that enabled them to serve as guides for people to their Lord’s Divine Presence. You must know that whatever is the number of people in a Prophet’s Nation, and be it millions or billions, that Prophet must know at least that number of times more than any of his people may know. You can only know for yourself, but a Prophet must know for his whole Nation, so that he can complete his Prophet hood by means of them. Because of the spiritual connection that real guides have with the Prophet, and by virtue of their being his inheritors, they also have such extraordinary powers and characteristics which enable them to know at least fifty times more than we know.
The most important thing for a seeker (Murid) who follows a guide (Murshid) in order to move toward the Divine Presence is to understand that his guide is going to try him time and again. The Murshid has been ordered by the Prophet to try his Murids, and everyone knows that a trial is not an easy thing ‘- or else it isn’t a trial. When a Murshid tries his Murid, he sends toward him some trial in which that Murid can see no Divine Wisdom at all. Perhaps he orders some thing which the mind of that Murid cannot accept and protests against loudly to itself: “It is not right to do this; why does he order me to do such a thing?” If the Murid should openly express such rebelliousness to his Sheik, or if it just comes to his heart without him even letting anyone know about it, the Divine Power between him and his Sheik is cut - like a blown fuse; he is then stuck at that level and unable to progress.
Grandsheik says: “For a Murid to rebel, either openly or secretly, against his Sheik is as terrible as someone cursing the Prophets; it is abominable to think bad thoughts about one’s own guide. One’s changing of heart in relation to his Sheik is like cursing the Prophets, for if not for your guide you are never going to reach to knowledge of the Prophet’s realities.” Therefore, a follower must have utmost respect for his Murshid, not only in what he expresses, but also in what he conceals in his heart.
This is training for believers so that they may learn to always keep respect in their hearts for the Prophet, and never to object in nay way to anything that the Prophet did in the way of actions and judgments. If someone says, regarding the Prophet, “This action of his was totally correct, but that one not so much,” then immediately the power is cut between the Prophet and that person, and the connection is in need of being reestablished.
Ultimately, this training is essential in enabling us to keep our faith and to become real slaves of the Almighty, as in the course of our lives so many strange, terrible and unthinkable events may occur whereby people’s hearts will be disturbed, and many will say, “What is this, is this justice?” So many people are asking this question nowadays, when, according to the understanding of their minds, there is no justice and no mercy in certain events - this is unbelief. If a person believes in his Lord, he must believe that his Lord is always guiding events in the most excellent of ways, and that in everything that happens you may find the Lords absolute Mercy and Justice.
- Training by a Guide
If you do not accept training at the hands of a Murshid, you won’t be able to tolerate many events which are happening all around you in this life, but over which you can exercise no control whatsoever. If you are going to object to the occurrence of these events, you are, in effect, accusing Allah of wrong judgement and injustice. Therefore, every believer must first be trained at the hands of a Murshid; then, when he has stopped saying, “No”, and “Why?”, in relation to his Sheik, the perfume of good actions will begin to issue forth from that Murid.
What this means is that you will not find any objection in a real believer to what his Lord decrees, nor can you witness any breach of manners toward the Lord. He says: “Oh my Lord, You are right, I am wrong; oh my Prophet, you are right, I am wrong; oh my Grandsheik, you are right, I am wrong.” This is the peak and the perfume of good manners and actions; whoever obtains these characteristics will improve more rapidly than anyone else.
The trials that come to us from our Sheik will be much lighter trials than those coming from the Prophet, and the trials that the Prophet sends will, in turn, be much easier trials than the ones send by Allah Almighty - and you must be ready for your Lord’s trial, then you will be alright - not before. When you can say, “What my Lord decrees is right, and what I might desire contrary to that is wrong,” you have attained the highest degree of good manners with your Lord (Adab). All Prophets have been sent in order to teach this point.
How can a person really believe in his Lord when he sometimes objects, saying that his Lord is not performing the best of possible actions? A person has really overcome this pitfall and attained to real faith when he can wholeheartedly say, “Allah knows best what is good for His creatures, the Prophet knows what is best for his Nation and the Murshid for his followers “ we can be wrong, but they can’t.- When he can always acuse himself in this manner, it means that he has attained the first station of faith (Iman).
The basic and common level for man is to be at all times one with his ego, and when man is one with his ego, he is in the darkness of unbelief (Kufr). People on that level many be heard saying, “I am just fine, but the problem is with the others - they are all wrong.” As long as a person is on that level, he will never accept a guide or believe in a Prophet; how should he, when he thinks that he knows everything better than anyone else? He is under the control of the commanding-self, nafs ul-ammara bis-suu), and s long as he is under its command he will remain on the level of unbelief.
When one climbs from that level to the second level, he improves to the awakening of the self-accusing self (An-nafs ul-lawwamah); once awakened, that self always makes the person see himself as being blameworthy, and accuse himself by saying, “You are wrong, oh my ego.” At that stage he will seek some guide to show him what is right, as he has recognized that his ego is always wrong; it’s praying is wrong, its fasting wrong, its alms-giving wrong and its pilgrimage is wrong- nothing is right because he is not right, not yet purified from the tyranny of his lower self. Once he has accepted the fact that his ego is preventing him from doing any goodness, he is ready to accept a guide to lead him to real goodness, and at that point he is prepared to be a follower; even if his guide tries him severely, he will say, “I am wrong, he is right.” When a person has reached this point, he has attained the first level of real faith (Haqiqi Iman).
All different kinds of situations may befall a person during his life. One may encounter both goodness and badness, and indeed it may be one’s lot to have to suffer the most troublesome and harmful events. Whenever such events befall one, the sign of real faith is one’s being able to put up with them - for example, to eat an unliked food (unliked by the ego, not by the Divine Law); to see hear or come in contact with something one detests. In all these cases, one just be able to keep hold of oneself without flinching, without undergoing any change within oneself and without saying, “This is wrong and I am right.” This is steadfastness, a sign of real faith.
- Guides are the Inheritos of the Prophet (sal)
The value of human beings is well-known, completely known, by Allah Almighty, who created them and gave them their values. Then, the most knowledgeable person concerning the value of man is the Seal of the Prophets, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., and the other Prophets take their knowledge concerning the value of the Sons of Adam from him. And then, the true followers of the Prophets and of the Seal of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, the Awliya (Saints), know the value of mankind, and they take human beings and arrange them from every side. Then their values, their true forms, appear, and they take them to the Divine Presence. But without a Prophet or their inheritors, people are like discarded stones. Even if they are diamonds, without their being cut and made suitable, they are not going to be put on a crown.
Therefore, every Prophet came to make people ready to go into the Divine Presence, to their heavenly stations in the Divine Presence. Whoever comes and submits to the Prophets, the Prophets arrange them. But if they run away from them, escaping, they can’t do it. Then they are like stones, thrown away.
Therefore, the most important work of the Prophets and of their successors, the Awliya, is to make everyone’s value clear by arranging each one according to his promises on the Day of Promises. If anyone is asking to be in the Divine Presence, in the first rank, he must follow
the Prophets or those who follow them, the Awliya. Those who do not follow - no value for them; they still remain like stones. Then ultimately they must be treated by some training after they leave this life and in Barzakh (the stage of existence between death and the Day of Judgment of the Eternal life) and in the next life in order to allow their values to appear, but they are not going to be in the first rank of those who will be with the Prophets and Awliya.
No value for a person who stays by himself and never follows the Prophets and their inheritors! Even is this life, if a person does not follow a college or university course, he never gains any value in his community; people say, “A simple or ordinary, standard person” But the one who follows a course in a university or college or academy, and it is proved by a certificate or diploma, has value. No matters how much you may know by yourself, if you do not follow one of them, no one gives you value. You can’t be a doctor, you can’t be an engineer, and you can’t be a lawyer because you aren’t following any school.
Therefore, in the spiritual life, whoever is asking for improvement, insofar as he may be by himself, he may acquire something, but it is of no value. You must follow a Prophet. For this reason, philosophers, who are asking to reach a point by themselves without following any one of the Prophets, have no value. We must follow.
To the extent that you can follow one of them, you may reach your real value, and that value will appear among creatures on earth and in Heaven. No one can attain to that, particularly to heavenly stations, without following someone who belongs to Heaven. All Prophets belong to Heaven; if a person has no relationship to Heaven, he is not going to be a Prophet.
Whoever has no relationship to Heaven is also not going to be Wali, a Saint; it is impossible. There must be a relationship between that person and Heaven, and you must follow such a person who has a relationship between himself and heavenly beings; otherwise, the one who is walking on earth (that is, a person who is worldly and not strongly connect to Heaven), is not going to be a guide to you. You many find everything on earth, but without a guide you can’t find the way to Heaven; it is so difficult and so far and so full of danger.
Therefore, there must be a guide for you. Even for a rocket which is sent into space, it is so difficult and so dangerous to be in it or to have the control of it; you can’t send a rocket into space through just anyone. He must be a person specially trained for that purpose, knowing best how he can send it. To send a person from earth to Heaven - it is more difficult than sending a rocket into space; not everyone can do that. The one who can do that is the one who has been sent to Heaven by the Prophet (Sal). He knows the way and he knows how he may send others. He comes through the Prophet up to his own Grandsheik, never making a mistake.
Don’t tell me, “Why are you not sending us now?” Go an tell that engineer or scientist who is preparing that rocket, “Send it into space now.”? Would he listen to you? He is working on it. A person is going to be ready to be sent up to Heaven, Grandsheik said to me, if forty scholars who know the Shariah excellently are with him for forty days and they give a report saying, “This person is all right from every direction. We forty scholars have been looking at him day and night for forty days. In every action and behavior that person is perfect. According to our knowledge, there is nothing wrong with him.” If they give such a report, it is all right to send him.
We are trying now, but then our egos come, destroying this path and damaging us; every bad action damages our inner structure. We are trying to build it but it is so difficult. But, as we
are beginners, it doesn’t matter. We are practicing, we are building, we are learning, we are preparing ourselves. It is enough to be here humbly and listening; that gives us divine help and makes us be ready. Even at the last moment we must be complete, insha allah; we are going to be complete and go to Heaven, and we will see doors opening to us. So many people, When they go from earth to Heaven, find doors closed to them because they are not ready; then they are sent back to make them ready to go up. But those whom come and listen and accept and believe, they must be prepared, even at the last moment before leaving this life, to reach their heavenly stations in the Divine Presence.
The Guide guards his Followers
If we are separate, we are like parts of a tasbih (Rosary), beads. If there is no string, they will be lost, scattered, but when they are on this string that can never happen. And for each person, if alone there is danger of being lost, but if coming with an imam, (The alif or long, terminal bead connecting a tasbih or string of prayer beads), on a string, he is protected. Look, everyo
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