We Have honored the Children of Adam (Shaykh Nazim, 110 pages, 10/10)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6069
eavens. May Allah forgive me and bless you! For the honour of the most honoured one, Sayyidina Muhammad is— Fateha! ▲
174
The End
**********************
Perhaps hundreds of thousands of|books^^S can be written on the meanings of one verse ; . ' of the Holy Qur’an, “X’erily Vie have hort^ ored the Children of Adam”; :VCliar about vou? You can sit down and say what is in your heart from heavenly knowledge,?or from holy knowledge from our human spin; tuality You will never stop writing! But how ever much vou take from that knowledge ocean, do you think that ocean diminishes^ Never. The importance of human beings before the*.AlmightyI^d must not be underestimated. And that importance is only a grant, not something achieved. However to attain the rights to that grant there are conditions and stipulations that must be kept. Just like an inheritance, if any condition is breached the entire will is discarded. In this book, learn the conditions and stipulations behind the Divine Grant to human beings in order that you too mav be a candidate to receive that grant in full.
About the Author
Most teachers, lecturers, professors and scholars, when they speak, address the minds of their listeners, attempting to provoke new thought patterns, impart fresh information and describe what they know. However the Sufi masters • speak “from the heart to the heart”. For this reason, rather than falling into a listless torpor after ten.minutes, the students are actually energized, for the Shaykh*s words address their needs, desires and deepest needs with spiritual nourishment. Under the heavenly manifestations-that accompany the Shaykh’ssimple but pithy words, those seeking realities are showered with holy impressions, whose mere touch sets the heart afire with Divine Love. Partake here of one such Sufi saint, who, from his humble abode on the island of Cyprus addresses the hearts and souls of seekers around the world.
About Shaykh Nazim
I had been fortunate enough to accompany Shaykh together with his son-in-law, Shaykh Hisham During States in 1998 for a period of 1three weeta. Durmg this time we toured New York, visited the
and met with politicians on Capitof Hill Washgton.
Also part of the entourage were the muftis of Albania and Kosovo as well as the [late] Chechen president, Aslan Maskhadov. These activities were the precursor to the 2nd
International Conference of the Islamic Supreme Council of America in Washington. As the resident photographer I was privileged to wit
ness first-hand something of the essence of the fortieth
Grand Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, an order that traces its lineage back in a "golden chain" to the Prophet Muhammad © through his greatest companion Abu Bakr asSiddiq
In 1998 I wrote that Shaykh Nazim was a spiritual co lossus of the twentieth century. And while his contribution to the mner peace of humanity will never win him a Nobel Prize it has to be remembered that at least half a million
people have embraced Islam at his feet.
-
Prince Charles. In that regard T™ say that he was a collector of souls.
GVen alle§ K edly Shaykh Nazim
We Have Honored the Children of Adam
Of this I have no doubt, as in America I saw non Muslims become mesmerised by his spiritual luminosity. In one instance I remember a crack junkie becoming a Muslim after meeting the Shaykh for two hours and in another, a CNN journalist saying shahada (Islam's testification of faith) after hearing him speak.
►
I saw complete strangers take his hand in the foyer of the United Nations, in the streets of New York and in the tree-lined avenues of Capitof Hill. But in spite of all this, Shaykh Nazim remained downto-earth, humble, sweet natured and loving to all. A pauper was treated as equally as a prince was in his company, and I never saw him ever turn anyone away. His recent visit to Cape Town, South Africa, typified all of this. Whether playfully beating video man Dawood Schroeder with his stick on Table Mountain, bantering with tourists, or conversing with the late Shaykh Nazim Mo hamed at the Muslim Judicial Council, he was always at the same time serious, witty and incredibly insightful. His apparently simple sohbets or talks were often exactly the opposite, deep, cryptic, metaphysical - and extremely challenging. I mean, for example, how many 'alims can ex plain ibn 'Arabi’s wahdat al-wujud (the unity of being) in three sentences? After witnessing him in action for a week in Cape Town, my feelings about Shaykh Nazim have been recon firmed. Yes, he is definitely a spiritual giant of our times. But in so saying, describing him has become even more dif ficult! ...
ShaykhNazimAdil al-Haqqani
As a multi-layered personality, Shaykh Nazim is many things to many people. In his presence, one feels strangely secure. He is definitely the kind of person you would like to share a bomb shelter with.
As a person who treads lightly in the dunya he may ap pear soft and bending (like the proverb of the Malaysian rice plant in the wind) but when it comes to submitting to his Creator, he is unwavering. Here, it is easy to sense that his iman is like steel. Perhaps the uniqueness of Shaykh Nazim in this arro gant day and age is his manner of approach. His presence does not announce itself to you as king or conqueror but ra ther as a servant. What is so engaging is that he essentially humbles himself to you with a fine-tuned subtlety before you realise that you must humble yourself to him. One of his favourite English expressions is "Mercy Oceans," his Grand Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghestani's way of explaining the Sunnah and its countless mercies. And for those who think the Sunnah—the way of our beloved mas ter Muhammad — is a simple matter of beard length and counting the rewards like bank notes, there is a very rude awakening. For Shaykh Nazim the Sunnah is strict Shari'ah—as a well as charity, generosity, hard work, heart knowledge and compassion. Of all the people I have encountered on this earth, Sayyid Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani is the closest I have seen anybody come to epitomise the Sunnah. In his commanding presence I felt like an unclean grain of sand being washed around in the depths of his ’’Mercy Oceans.”
• •• Vlll
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WeHaveHonoredtheChildrenofAdam
Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
I remember him once saying on the lawn of a murid's house: "My people, are you happy? Allah is happy. The An gels are happy. They are not for crying..." Indeed, in just a few words he had taught us the excellence of a positive out look on life and the fact that other people's hearts will open like flowers to a smile.
Shaytan asks for them not to be known. He wants the um mah to forget them...that's the reason for no tombstones!
But on a deeper level with these simple words he had actually taught the real lesson, the adab of viceregency.
In another instance he said that man was chasing ze roes. "Are you going to show your checkbook to Allah?" he asked with a chuckle. "The aim of mankind today is to col lect zeroes, but you have been created for Allah's divine ser vice. Service for dunya is not for Allah Almighty..." After being rudely challenged from the floor in a Cape Town mosque and accused of contravening the Sunnah, Shaykh Nazim came up with the following sohbet a few hours later. "Rasulullah # called people to him, he was a saviour of souls. Some came to him 'save our souls' and he saved them as they surrendered. These (pious) people were respected whether living or dead. Shaytan became angry
"Allah says don't forget people who did their best for Me, these people who gave their souls for Islam, but Shay tan wants them to be forgotten. Shaytan wants his people to destroy everything that was against Shaytan. Shaytan is cry ing for his hatred..Shaytan (is jealous of good) and wants to destroy the graves of those who killed Abu Jahl..." It was a devastating critique of the Salafis but no less a serious warning directed at our very own nafs. I could go on forever quoting Shaykh Nazim's pearls of wisdom dropped into the "Mercy Oceans" net for the seeker throughout the day. In nearly a month of observing his be haviour I have never seen him talk from notes. He sleeps little and his day starts well before Fajr (dawn) and often ends in the early hours of the morning. For those who challenge the credentials of Shaykh Nazim it is perhaps best to remember that he is an orthodox Sunni Muslim down to his fingertips and studied Shari* ah, Qur'anic sciences and Hadith under great masters in Tur key, Syria and the Lebanon. . ; . . .
because of this...
"Shaytan becomes angry if a saved person is (particu larly) from the sahabis or the awliya. Shaytan wants these people to be taken away. He is the biggest enemy of the pi ous. People destroy tombs and mazars of the awliya because
stands for “Salla-Lahu ‘almjhi wa sallam," meaning, "Allah's peace and
He is the mufti of Turkish Cyprus and is an acknowl edged of Hanafi /i’qh, apart from possessing a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Istanbul University. Academic qualifications aside, Shaykh Nazim is a Sayyid (a descendent of the Holy Prophet &) on both the Hasani and Husayni lines. Through his father he traces his lineage back to Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani < (the great 10th century saint) and through his mother to Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi
blessings be upon him," the Islamic invocation for Prophet Muhammad d.
x
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We Have Honored the Children of Adam
Shaykh NazimAdil al- Haqqani
As a Grand-Shaykh of the Naqshbandi tariqat Shaykh Nazim also carries ijozdi (permission to teach) in other or ders such as the Qadiri and Rifa'i'.
"We are living in a time that truth is lost and defenders of truth have disappeared.. .1 ask for you to be defenders of truth."
Physically, Shaykh Nazim is small of stature but some how seems to be much taller than he actually is. He may well be past his 80th year, but when he strides out (his walk ing stick before him like an n/$, it's always as if one is trying to keep up with him. I have also never seen him miss his salat, even when on travel... He has performed the Hajj 27 times, has undergone rigorous spiritual seclusion on many occasions and has established Islamic centres around the
The "Oh my people" rang like a bell. "Oh my ummah!" At that moment it seemed as if it was not Shaykh Nazim talking, but the Prophet Shaykh Nazim had become the Sunnah! Great men, friends of Allah, who see with the eyes of Allah and whose hearts beat with the unison of the kalimah, enjoy vision through the agency of the Prophet
Indeed, the baraka of Shaykh Nazim spreads wherever he travels. Cape Town was no exception. A person I know was embraced by the Shaykh and shortly afterwards dreamt of Sayyidina Abu Bakr £. Another who had not met Shaykh Nazim or any of his entourage was given advice in a dream by one of his khalifas (Shaykh Hisham).
A moment on his last night in a country mosque out side Cape Town will stay in the memory for a long time. Shaykh Nazim had asked the question: "What goodness has the modem (university) graduate brought to society without the Holy Books?" After suggesting that "Tariqat says keep Sunnah, the essence of Shari'ah," he then went on to talk about the threat of secularism. "Oh my people, 20th century education is aimed at bringing people to the level of animals...higher education is not leading to Allah when the name of Allah is prohibited," he said.
t-d
Perhaps, in conclusion, it would be fitting to recall something remarkably profound that Shaykh Nazim uttered on top of Table Mountain, an event that lent itself to much symbolism. Before that the Shaykh had "communed" with nature, admiring the view of the city and ocean 1,000 metres below and playfully eying a rock rabbit. As Hafiz Mahmoud Sahib made the adhan for Dhuhr, a bird on a ledge before him sang its heart out. After making Dhuhr salat on one of the viewing platforms that faced north from the southernmost city of Africa, he turned around and then challenged those in Cape Town who had been attack ing him but who had declined to confront him in debate.
"They come here, we all jump together, and then we see who floats," he said, ominously waving his hand like a but terfly settling on a flower.
Shafiq Morton Cape Town, South Africa November, 2000
Copyright al-Qalam Magazine
Foreword (BismiUaHi-r-^flUmani-r-^Heem In the Name ofQod, the Most (Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to God Almighty, Allah the Exalted and Bounteous and the most fluent, abundant and sweet praise and blessings be upon His perfect servant, the mercy to all creation and exemplar of perfect character, ethics and mo rality Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions. This book is a compendium of sohbets or spiritual dis courses by our master—chief of saints and reviver of the Prophetic path to divine enlightenment, teacher of millions and worldwide leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Or der, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, may Allah grant him health and long life.
It is related that in the Last Days of this world—which, based upon the predicted indications is taking place even as I pen these words—those who adhere to the pure teachings of the prophets and saints will become rare. On the contrary, those who breach the Prophetic Tradition, the Sunnah, will be commonplace.
No prior prophet ever mentioned in such detail what Prophet Muhammad $ foretold fourteen hundred years ago. In the seventh century, he gave a precise description with specific details which were not fully understood until their manifestation in the present age. The Prophet $ ex plained what would transpire in the Last Days so that the
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Shaykh NazimAdil al- Haqqani
We Have Honored the Children of Adam
people witnessing those events could recognize their place in time. The Prophet warned that when bedouin Arabs compete to construct lofty buildings in the desert the Hour of Judgment would be close. He predicted that in the Last Days, trustworthy people would be vilified regarded as trai
tors by the people. In a Prophetic Tradition2 it is related that a bedouin came to Prophet Muhammad £ and asked when Judgment Day would take place. He said, "When the trust (al-amana) is lost, then await Judgment Day." The bedouin asked, "How will it be lost?" The Prophet « replied, "When power and authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for
the Judgment Day."3 He also has said that "the trustworthy one will be called a traitor." As the Prophet $ predicted, the psychology of people in our time is the opposite of what is prescribed and it is nearly impossible to find a trustworthy person. At the same time, everywhere on earth, different groups are busy destroying what remains of faith and spirituality, each one following its own agenda. Even "spiritual" groups and individuals slan der each other, and through their corrupt behavior, support falsehood - all the while claiming to be believers. The words of the tradition, "The trustworthy, al-amin, one will be said to be a traitor," has an interpretation. AlAmin is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad and one of the signs of the Last Days is that people will attack the Prophets of God, in particular the Last Messenger,
Muhammad
and the message he brought for mankind's
felicity. Alhamdulillah—praise God—we are fortunate to be stu dents or disciples of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. As long as he, and Sufi masters like him, continue to teach the ways of the the prophets and saints, hope remains for humankind. For his teachings, while outwardly plain, are endowed with a wisdom and grace seldom found today. The shaykh's words take you back to a simpler time, when people were straight forward, when they what they meant, and when they did what they said.
May God bless you as you pick up this volume and read some of the holy teachings he has brought. It is well known in the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition, that pure words of guidance are able to elevate the reader to the stations and states described simply through the blessed character, baraka, of one authorized to teach them. Futher, these teach ings will remain with you and part of you in this life and on,
into the hereafter. I am only a student and I have been learning from my teacher Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, who, despite his 85 years of age is still incredibly active spreading the teachings that come to his heart from the spiritual "central headquarters." What I saw and learned from my master I cannot express because those fountains are always pouring forth, continu ously flowing. The hearts of such saints are like waterfalls: giving always and they are not asking to take anything, ask ing only to give. As the world around us seems to slide further into its darkest chapter, in a time when negativity and skepticism
2 Arabic, hadith,
insistently challenge faith, the faithful of all beliefs seek a
3 Sahih Bukhari.
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WeHaveHonored the Children of Adam
beacon that will lead them to a divine shelter of peace and
protection. Presented in this volume are essential aspects of a spiritual discipline which dates back to the time when Prophet Muhammad delivered the divine message—a mes sage preserved by Sufi masters over forty generations. In these times when Islam is more and more visible on the world stage, it is hoped through this humble work that readers will come to better understand the true teachings of Islam, namely, the universal endorsement to practice mod eration and follow the middle course, to hold patience, to uphold tolerance and respect for others, to approach conflict resolution in peaceful ways, to condemn all forms of terror ism, and above all, to love God, appreciate His Divine fa vors, and strive in His divine service. The greatest Islamic teaching is that there is no higher station than to serve the Lord Almighty.
Introduction Endless praise and thanks be to God Most High, who guides His servants to His light by means of other servants of His
whose hearts He illuminates with His divine love. Since the beginning of human history, God Most High has conveyed His revealed guidance to mankind through
His prophets and messengers, beginning with the first man, Adam The prophetic line includes such well-known names as Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Lot, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, peace be upon them all,
ending and culminating in Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets & a descendant of Abraham jS, jjSwho brought the >54
final revelation from God to all mankind.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani Fenton, Michigan •a October 28,2007
But although there are no longer prophets upon the earth, the Most Merciful Lord has not left His servants with a out inspired teachers and guides. Awliya—holy people or saints—are the inheritors of the prophets. Up to the Last Day, these "friends of God," the radiant beacons of truth, righteousness and the highest spirituality, will continue in the footsteps of the prophets, calling people to their Lord a and guiding seekers to His glorious Divine Presence. One such inspired teacher, a shaykh or murshid of the
Naqshbandi Sufi Order, is Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani. A descendant not only of the Holy Prophet Muhammad but also of the great Sufi masters 'Abul Qadir Gilani and Jalaluddin Rumi, Shaykh Nazim was born in a the period of British rule of Larnaca, Cyprus, in 1922 during
the island. Gifted from earliest childhood with an extraor-
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WeHaveHonored the Children of Adam
dinarily spiritual personality, Shaykh Nazim received his spiritual training in Damascus at the hands of Mawlana Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghestani (fondly referred to as "Grandshaykh"), the mentor of such well-known figures as Gurjieff and J. G. Bennett, over a period of forty years. Before leaving this life in 1973, Grandshaykh designat ed Shaykh Nazim as his successor. In 1974, Shaykh Nazim
went to London for the first time, thus initiating what was to become a yearly practice during the month of Ramadan up to 1990s. A small circle of followers began to grow around him, eagerly taking their training in the ways of Islam and
tariaah at his hands.
From this humble beginning, the circle has grown to in clude thousands of murids or disciples in various countries of the world, among whom are to be found many eminent individuals, both religious and secular. Shaykh Nazim is a luminous, tremendously impressive spiritual personality, radiating love, compassion and goodness. He is regarded by many of his murids as the qutub or chief saint of this time. The shaykh teaches through a subtle interweaving of personal example and talks ("Associations" or sohbets), in variably delivered extempore according to the inspirations that are given to him. He does not lecture, but rather pours out from his heart into the hearts of his listeners such know ledge and wisdoms as may change their innermost beings and bring them toward their Lord as His humble, willing,
loving servants. Shaykh Nazim's language and style are unique, so elo quent, moving and flavorful that not only do his teachin seem inspired but also his extraordinary use of words. His sohbets represent the teachings of a twentieth century Sufi
Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
master, firmly grounded in Islamic orthodoxy, speaking to the hearts of the seekers of God of any faith tradition from his own great, wide heart, in a tremendous outpouring of truth, wisdom and divine knowledge which is surely un the seeker toparalleled in the English language,
ward the Divine Presence. The sum total of Shaykh Nazim's message is that of hope, love, mercy and reassurance. In a troubled and uncer tain world in which old, time-honored values have given place to new ones of confused origins and unclear prospects, in which a feeling heart and thinking mind is constantly troubled by a sense of things being terribly disordered and out of control, in which the future seems forebodingly dark and uncertain for humanity, he proclaims God's love and care for His servants, and invites them to give their hearts to Him. Shaykh Nazim holds out to seekers the assurance that even their smallest steps toward their Lord will not go un noticed and unresponded to. Rather than threatening sin ners with the prospect of eternal Hell, he offers hope of sal vation from the Most Merciful Lord, and heart-warming en couragement and incentive for inner change and growth. As one who has traversed every step of the seeker's path and reached its pinnacle, he offers both inner and practical sidelines for attainin the highest spiritual goals.
The talks in this book were given in spring 2004, at Mawlana's home in Cyprus. Each of these talks is entirely extempore, as Shaykh Nazim never prepares his words but invariably speaks according to inspirations coming to his heart.
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WeHaveHonored the Children of Adam
In keeping with the shaykh's methodology—the meth odology of the prophets, particularly of the Last Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him and upon them all, and of the Qur'an itself—of reinforcing vital lessons by repetition and reiteration, the same themes and anecdotes recur again and again. The talks seem to come in unannounced clusters,
centering around a primary theme, which develops and evolves according to the spiritual state of the listeners.
Thus, Shaykh Nazim may cite the same verse or hadith, or tell the same tale on different occasions, each time reinforc
ing a slightly different aspect of the eternal message of love
and light which is Islam. The shaykh's talks are interspersed with words and
phrases from Arabic and other Islamic languages. These are translated either in the text itself, in footnotes the first time they occur, or, for general and recurrent terms, in the Glos sary at the end of this volume. Qur'anic verses quoted in the text have been referenced for easy access. Every attempt has been made to retain the shaykh's original language with minimal editing. However, since these talks were transcribed from audio tapes recorded on amateur equipment by listeners for their own personal use (or, in the case this volume, by a murid extremely familiar with the shaykh's language and ideas, by hand), some inad vertent errors may have found their way into the text. For these, we ask Allah's forgiveness and your kind indulgence. May He fill your heart with light and love as you read and reflect upon these inspired words, and guide you safely to His exalted Divine Presence.
Publisher’s Note Shaykh Nazim is fluent in Arabic, Turkish and Greek, and semi-fluent in Engish. Over three decades, his llectures have been transated into twenty or more languages, and to date have reached the furthest corners of the globe. We sincerely hope the reader will appreciate the author's unique lan guage style, which has been painstakingly preserved in this ’Si
work. As some of the terms in this book may be foreign, to as sist the reader we have provded transliterations, as well as a detailed glossary.
Notes The following symbols are universally recognized and have been respectfully included in this work: The symbof £ represents sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam
(Allah's blessings and greetings of peace be upon him), which is customarily recited after reading or pronouncing the holy name of Prophet Muhammad £. The symbof represents 'alayhi 's-salam (peace be upon him/her), which is customarily recited after reading or pro nouncing the holy names of the other prophets, family members of Prophet Muhammad the pure and virtuous women in Islam, and the angels. The symbof */i represents radi-Allahu 'anhu/'anha (may Allah be pleased with him/her), which is customarily recited after reading or pronouncing the holy names of Compan ions of the Prophet ft.
Preface In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent and The Munificent
This, my English, is strange English. Not everyone can understand because, subhanallah, meanings are coming to my heart, and when running in my heart to give to you, I am using any means - from here, from there - bringing any word which may be useful. I am like a person waiting for water to run out from the faucet Then, when suddenly it comes, and he knows the water is going to be turned off, stop running, he may take any container - with a no-good shape, broken on one side, or anything he may find there - quickly bringing them to take that water and store it. Therefore, when meanings are coming to my heart, I am trying to explain with any word, which you may understand or not. But you must under stand, because we have a saying, "Listeners must be more wise than speakers." Therefore, when inspiration comes, we must explain. They are living words, not plastic - bananas, plastic; apples, plastic, and grapes. Even if the shapes are not much, they are living, real. When you are going to arrange them in
measures, good system; when you are going to be engaged by outside forms, you are losing meanings. ▲
xxiv
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6069
eavens. May Allah forgive me and bless you! For the honour of the most honoured one, Sayyidina Muhammad is— Fateha! ▲
174
The End
**********************
Perhaps hundreds of thousands of|books^^S can be written on the meanings of one verse ; . ' of the Holy Qur’an, “X’erily Vie have hort^ ored the Children of Adam”; :VCliar about vou? You can sit down and say what is in your heart from heavenly knowledge,?or from holy knowledge from our human spin; tuality You will never stop writing! But how ever much vou take from that knowledge ocean, do you think that ocean diminishes^ Never. The importance of human beings before the*.AlmightyI^d must not be underestimated. And that importance is only a grant, not something achieved. However to attain the rights to that grant there are conditions and stipulations that must be kept. Just like an inheritance, if any condition is breached the entire will is discarded. In this book, learn the conditions and stipulations behind the Divine Grant to human beings in order that you too mav be a candidate to receive that grant in full.
About the Author
Most teachers, lecturers, professors and scholars, when they speak, address the minds of their listeners, attempting to provoke new thought patterns, impart fresh information and describe what they know. However the Sufi masters • speak “from the heart to the heart”. For this reason, rather than falling into a listless torpor after ten.minutes, the students are actually energized, for the Shaykh*s words address their needs, desires and deepest needs with spiritual nourishment. Under the heavenly manifestations-that accompany the Shaykh’ssimple but pithy words, those seeking realities are showered with holy impressions, whose mere touch sets the heart afire with Divine Love. Partake here of one such Sufi saint, who, from his humble abode on the island of Cyprus addresses the hearts and souls of seekers around the world.
About Shaykh Nazim
I had been fortunate enough to accompany Shaykh together with his son-in-law, Shaykh Hisham During States in 1998 for a period of 1three weeta. Durmg this time we toured New York, visited the
and met with politicians on Capitof Hill Washgton.
Also part of the entourage were the muftis of Albania and Kosovo as well as the [late] Chechen president, Aslan Maskhadov. These activities were the precursor to the 2nd
International Conference of the Islamic Supreme Council of America in Washington. As the resident photographer I was privileged to wit
ness first-hand something of the essence of the fortieth
Grand Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, an order that traces its lineage back in a "golden chain" to the Prophet Muhammad © through his greatest companion Abu Bakr asSiddiq
In 1998 I wrote that Shaykh Nazim was a spiritual co lossus of the twentieth century. And while his contribution to the mner peace of humanity will never win him a Nobel Prize it has to be remembered that at least half a million
people have embraced Islam at his feet.
-
Prince Charles. In that regard T™ say that he was a collector of souls.
GVen alle§ K edly Shaykh Nazim
We Have Honored the Children of Adam
Of this I have no doubt, as in America I saw non Muslims become mesmerised by his spiritual luminosity. In one instance I remember a crack junkie becoming a Muslim after meeting the Shaykh for two hours and in another, a CNN journalist saying shahada (Islam's testification of faith) after hearing him speak.
►
I saw complete strangers take his hand in the foyer of the United Nations, in the streets of New York and in the tree-lined avenues of Capitof Hill. But in spite of all this, Shaykh Nazim remained downto-earth, humble, sweet natured and loving to all. A pauper was treated as equally as a prince was in his company, and I never saw him ever turn anyone away. His recent visit to Cape Town, South Africa, typified all of this. Whether playfully beating video man Dawood Schroeder with his stick on Table Mountain, bantering with tourists, or conversing with the late Shaykh Nazim Mo hamed at the Muslim Judicial Council, he was always at the same time serious, witty and incredibly insightful. His apparently simple sohbets or talks were often exactly the opposite, deep, cryptic, metaphysical - and extremely challenging. I mean, for example, how many 'alims can ex plain ibn 'Arabi’s wahdat al-wujud (the unity of being) in three sentences? After witnessing him in action for a week in Cape Town, my feelings about Shaykh Nazim have been recon firmed. Yes, he is definitely a spiritual giant of our times. But in so saying, describing him has become even more dif ficult! ...
ShaykhNazimAdil al-Haqqani
As a multi-layered personality, Shaykh Nazim is many things to many people. In his presence, one feels strangely secure. He is definitely the kind of person you would like to share a bomb shelter with.
As a person who treads lightly in the dunya he may ap pear soft and bending (like the proverb of the Malaysian rice plant in the wind) but when it comes to submitting to his Creator, he is unwavering. Here, it is easy to sense that his iman is like steel. Perhaps the uniqueness of Shaykh Nazim in this arro gant day and age is his manner of approach. His presence does not announce itself to you as king or conqueror but ra ther as a servant. What is so engaging is that he essentially humbles himself to you with a fine-tuned subtlety before you realise that you must humble yourself to him. One of his favourite English expressions is "Mercy Oceans," his Grand Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghestani's way of explaining the Sunnah and its countless mercies. And for those who think the Sunnah—the way of our beloved mas ter Muhammad — is a simple matter of beard length and counting the rewards like bank notes, there is a very rude awakening. For Shaykh Nazim the Sunnah is strict Shari'ah—as a well as charity, generosity, hard work, heart knowledge and compassion. Of all the people I have encountered on this earth, Sayyid Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani is the closest I have seen anybody come to epitomise the Sunnah. In his commanding presence I felt like an unclean grain of sand being washed around in the depths of his ’’Mercy Oceans.”
• •• Vlll
ix
WeHaveHonoredtheChildrenofAdam
Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
I remember him once saying on the lawn of a murid's house: "My people, are you happy? Allah is happy. The An gels are happy. They are not for crying..." Indeed, in just a few words he had taught us the excellence of a positive out look on life and the fact that other people's hearts will open like flowers to a smile.
Shaytan asks for them not to be known. He wants the um mah to forget them...that's the reason for no tombstones!
But on a deeper level with these simple words he had actually taught the real lesson, the adab of viceregency.
In another instance he said that man was chasing ze roes. "Are you going to show your checkbook to Allah?" he asked with a chuckle. "The aim of mankind today is to col lect zeroes, but you have been created for Allah's divine ser vice. Service for dunya is not for Allah Almighty..." After being rudely challenged from the floor in a Cape Town mosque and accused of contravening the Sunnah, Shaykh Nazim came up with the following sohbet a few hours later. "Rasulullah # called people to him, he was a saviour of souls. Some came to him 'save our souls' and he saved them as they surrendered. These (pious) people were respected whether living or dead. Shaytan became angry
"Allah says don't forget people who did their best for Me, these people who gave their souls for Islam, but Shay tan wants them to be forgotten. Shaytan wants his people to destroy everything that was against Shaytan. Shaytan is cry ing for his hatred..Shaytan (is jealous of good) and wants to destroy the graves of those who killed Abu Jahl..." It was a devastating critique of the Salafis but no less a serious warning directed at our very own nafs. I could go on forever quoting Shaykh Nazim's pearls of wisdom dropped into the "Mercy Oceans" net for the seeker throughout the day. In nearly a month of observing his be haviour I have never seen him talk from notes. He sleeps little and his day starts well before Fajr (dawn) and often ends in the early hours of the morning. For those who challenge the credentials of Shaykh Nazim it is perhaps best to remember that he is an orthodox Sunni Muslim down to his fingertips and studied Shari* ah, Qur'anic sciences and Hadith under great masters in Tur key, Syria and the Lebanon. . ; . . .
because of this...
"Shaytan becomes angry if a saved person is (particu larly) from the sahabis or the awliya. Shaytan wants these people to be taken away. He is the biggest enemy of the pi ous. People destroy tombs and mazars of the awliya because
stands for “Salla-Lahu ‘almjhi wa sallam," meaning, "Allah's peace and
He is the mufti of Turkish Cyprus and is an acknowl edged of Hanafi /i’qh, apart from possessing a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Istanbul University. Academic qualifications aside, Shaykh Nazim is a Sayyid (a descendent of the Holy Prophet &) on both the Hasani and Husayni lines. Through his father he traces his lineage back to Sayyid ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani < (the great 10th century saint) and through his mother to Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi
blessings be upon him," the Islamic invocation for Prophet Muhammad d.
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Shaykh NazimAdil al- Haqqani
As a Grand-Shaykh of the Naqshbandi tariqat Shaykh Nazim also carries ijozdi (permission to teach) in other or ders such as the Qadiri and Rifa'i'.
"We are living in a time that truth is lost and defenders of truth have disappeared.. .1 ask for you to be defenders of truth."
Physically, Shaykh Nazim is small of stature but some how seems to be much taller than he actually is. He may well be past his 80th year, but when he strides out (his walk ing stick before him like an n/$, it's always as if one is trying to keep up with him. I have also never seen him miss his salat, even when on travel... He has performed the Hajj 27 times, has undergone rigorous spiritual seclusion on many occasions and has established Islamic centres around the
The "Oh my people" rang like a bell. "Oh my ummah!" At that moment it seemed as if it was not Shaykh Nazim talking, but the Prophet Shaykh Nazim had become the Sunnah! Great men, friends of Allah, who see with the eyes of Allah and whose hearts beat with the unison of the kalimah, enjoy vision through the agency of the Prophet
Indeed, the baraka of Shaykh Nazim spreads wherever he travels. Cape Town was no exception. A person I know was embraced by the Shaykh and shortly afterwards dreamt of Sayyidina Abu Bakr £. Another who had not met Shaykh Nazim or any of his entourage was given advice in a dream by one of his khalifas (Shaykh Hisham).
A moment on his last night in a country mosque out side Cape Town will stay in the memory for a long time. Shaykh Nazim had asked the question: "What goodness has the modem (university) graduate brought to society without the Holy Books?" After suggesting that "Tariqat says keep Sunnah, the essence of Shari'ah," he then went on to talk about the threat of secularism. "Oh my people, 20th century education is aimed at bringing people to the level of animals...higher education is not leading to Allah when the name of Allah is prohibited," he said.
t-d
Perhaps, in conclusion, it would be fitting to recall something remarkably profound that Shaykh Nazim uttered on top of Table Mountain, an event that lent itself to much symbolism. Before that the Shaykh had "communed" with nature, admiring the view of the city and ocean 1,000 metres below and playfully eying a rock rabbit. As Hafiz Mahmoud Sahib made the adhan for Dhuhr, a bird on a ledge before him sang its heart out. After making Dhuhr salat on one of the viewing platforms that faced north from the southernmost city of Africa, he turned around and then challenged those in Cape Town who had been attack ing him but who had declined to confront him in debate.
"They come here, we all jump together, and then we see who floats," he said, ominously waving his hand like a but terfly settling on a flower.
Shafiq Morton Cape Town, South Africa November, 2000
Copyright al-Qalam Magazine
Foreword (BismiUaHi-r-^flUmani-r-^Heem In the Name ofQod, the Most (Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to God Almighty, Allah the Exalted and Bounteous and the most fluent, abundant and sweet praise and blessings be upon His perfect servant, the mercy to all creation and exemplar of perfect character, ethics and mo rality Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions. This book is a compendium of sohbets or spiritual dis courses by our master—chief of saints and reviver of the Prophetic path to divine enlightenment, teacher of millions and worldwide leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Or der, Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, may Allah grant him health and long life.
It is related that in the Last Days of this world—which, based upon the predicted indications is taking place even as I pen these words—those who adhere to the pure teachings of the prophets and saints will become rare. On the contrary, those who breach the Prophetic Tradition, the Sunnah, will be commonplace.
No prior prophet ever mentioned in such detail what Prophet Muhammad $ foretold fourteen hundred years ago. In the seventh century, he gave a precise description with specific details which were not fully understood until their manifestation in the present age. The Prophet $ ex plained what would transpire in the Last Days so that the
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people witnessing those events could recognize their place in time. The Prophet warned that when bedouin Arabs compete to construct lofty buildings in the desert the Hour of Judgment would be close. He predicted that in the Last Days, trustworthy people would be vilified regarded as trai
tors by the people. In a Prophetic Tradition2 it is related that a bedouin came to Prophet Muhammad £ and asked when Judgment Day would take place. He said, "When the trust (al-amana) is lost, then await Judgment Day." The bedouin asked, "How will it be lost?" The Prophet « replied, "When power and authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for
the Judgment Day."3 He also has said that "the trustworthy one will be called a traitor." As the Prophet $ predicted, the psychology of people in our time is the opposite of what is prescribed and it is nearly impossible to find a trustworthy person. At the same time, everywhere on earth, different groups are busy destroying what remains of faith and spirituality, each one following its own agenda. Even "spiritual" groups and individuals slan der each other, and through their corrupt behavior, support falsehood - all the while claiming to be believers. The words of the tradition, "The trustworthy, al-amin, one will be said to be a traitor," has an interpretation. AlAmin is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad and one of the signs of the Last Days is that people will attack the Prophets of God, in particular the Last Messenger,
Muhammad
and the message he brought for mankind's
felicity. Alhamdulillah—praise God—we are fortunate to be stu dents or disciples of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. As long as he, and Sufi masters like him, continue to teach the ways of the the prophets and saints, hope remains for humankind. For his teachings, while outwardly plain, are endowed with a wisdom and grace seldom found today. The shaykh's words take you back to a simpler time, when people were straight forward, when they what they meant, and when they did what they said.
May God bless you as you pick up this volume and read some of the holy teachings he has brought. It is well known in the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition, that pure words of guidance are able to elevate the reader to the stations and states described simply through the blessed character, baraka, of one authorized to teach them. Futher, these teach ings will remain with you and part of you in this life and on,
into the hereafter. I am only a student and I have been learning from my teacher Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, who, despite his 85 years of age is still incredibly active spreading the teachings that come to his heart from the spiritual "central headquarters." What I saw and learned from my master I cannot express because those fountains are always pouring forth, continu ously flowing. The hearts of such saints are like waterfalls: giving always and they are not asking to take anything, ask ing only to give. As the world around us seems to slide further into its darkest chapter, in a time when negativity and skepticism
2 Arabic, hadith,
insistently challenge faith, the faithful of all beliefs seek a
3 Sahih Bukhari.
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beacon that will lead them to a divine shelter of peace and
protection. Presented in this volume are essential aspects of a spiritual discipline which dates back to the time when Prophet Muhammad delivered the divine message—a mes sage preserved by Sufi masters over forty generations. In these times when Islam is more and more visible on the world stage, it is hoped through this humble work that readers will come to better understand the true teachings of Islam, namely, the universal endorsement to practice mod eration and follow the middle course, to hold patience, to uphold tolerance and respect for others, to approach conflict resolution in peaceful ways, to condemn all forms of terror ism, and above all, to love God, appreciate His Divine fa vors, and strive in His divine service. The greatest Islamic teaching is that there is no higher station than to serve the Lord Almighty.
Introduction Endless praise and thanks be to God Most High, who guides His servants to His light by means of other servants of His
whose hearts He illuminates with His divine love. Since the beginning of human history, God Most High has conveyed His revealed guidance to mankind through
His prophets and messengers, beginning with the first man, Adam The prophetic line includes such well-known names as Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Lot, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, peace be upon them all,
ending and culminating in Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets & a descendant of Abraham jS, jjSwho brought the >54
final revelation from God to all mankind.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani Fenton, Michigan •a October 28,2007
But although there are no longer prophets upon the earth, the Most Merciful Lord has not left His servants with a out inspired teachers and guides. Awliya—holy people or saints—are the inheritors of the prophets. Up to the Last Day, these "friends of God," the radiant beacons of truth, righteousness and the highest spirituality, will continue in the footsteps of the prophets, calling people to their Lord a and guiding seekers to His glorious Divine Presence. One such inspired teacher, a shaykh or murshid of the
Naqshbandi Sufi Order, is Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani. A descendant not only of the Holy Prophet Muhammad but also of the great Sufi masters 'Abul Qadir Gilani and Jalaluddin Rumi, Shaykh Nazim was born in a the period of British rule of Larnaca, Cyprus, in 1922 during
the island. Gifted from earliest childhood with an extraor-
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dinarily spiritual personality, Shaykh Nazim received his spiritual training in Damascus at the hands of Mawlana Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghestani (fondly referred to as "Grandshaykh"), the mentor of such well-known figures as Gurjieff and J. G. Bennett, over a period of forty years. Before leaving this life in 1973, Grandshaykh designat ed Shaykh Nazim as his successor. In 1974, Shaykh Nazim
went to London for the first time, thus initiating what was to become a yearly practice during the month of Ramadan up to 1990s. A small circle of followers began to grow around him, eagerly taking their training in the ways of Islam and
tariaah at his hands.
From this humble beginning, the circle has grown to in clude thousands of murids or disciples in various countries of the world, among whom are to be found many eminent individuals, both religious and secular. Shaykh Nazim is a luminous, tremendously impressive spiritual personality, radiating love, compassion and goodness. He is regarded by many of his murids as the qutub or chief saint of this time. The shaykh teaches through a subtle interweaving of personal example and talks ("Associations" or sohbets), in variably delivered extempore according to the inspirations that are given to him. He does not lecture, but rather pours out from his heart into the hearts of his listeners such know ledge and wisdoms as may change their innermost beings and bring them toward their Lord as His humble, willing,
loving servants. Shaykh Nazim's language and style are unique, so elo quent, moving and flavorful that not only do his teachin seem inspired but also his extraordinary use of words. His sohbets represent the teachings of a twentieth century Sufi
Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
master, firmly grounded in Islamic orthodoxy, speaking to the hearts of the seekers of God of any faith tradition from his own great, wide heart, in a tremendous outpouring of truth, wisdom and divine knowledge which is surely un the seeker toparalleled in the English language,
ward the Divine Presence. The sum total of Shaykh Nazim's message is that of hope, love, mercy and reassurance. In a troubled and uncer tain world in which old, time-honored values have given place to new ones of confused origins and unclear prospects, in which a feeling heart and thinking mind is constantly troubled by a sense of things being terribly disordered and out of control, in which the future seems forebodingly dark and uncertain for humanity, he proclaims God's love and care for His servants, and invites them to give their hearts to Him. Shaykh Nazim holds out to seekers the assurance that even their smallest steps toward their Lord will not go un noticed and unresponded to. Rather than threatening sin ners with the prospect of eternal Hell, he offers hope of sal vation from the Most Merciful Lord, and heart-warming en couragement and incentive for inner change and growth. As one who has traversed every step of the seeker's path and reached its pinnacle, he offers both inner and practical sidelines for attainin the highest spiritual goals.
The talks in this book were given in spring 2004, at Mawlana's home in Cyprus. Each of these talks is entirely extempore, as Shaykh Nazim never prepares his words but invariably speaks according to inspirations coming to his heart.
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In keeping with the shaykh's methodology—the meth odology of the prophets, particularly of the Last Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him and upon them all, and of the Qur'an itself—of reinforcing vital lessons by repetition and reiteration, the same themes and anecdotes recur again and again. The talks seem to come in unannounced clusters,
centering around a primary theme, which develops and evolves according to the spiritual state of the listeners.
Thus, Shaykh Nazim may cite the same verse or hadith, or tell the same tale on different occasions, each time reinforc
ing a slightly different aspect of the eternal message of love
and light which is Islam. The shaykh's talks are interspersed with words and
phrases from Arabic and other Islamic languages. These are translated either in the text itself, in footnotes the first time they occur, or, for general and recurrent terms, in the Glos sary at the end of this volume. Qur'anic verses quoted in the text have been referenced for easy access. Every attempt has been made to retain the shaykh's original language with minimal editing. However, since these talks were transcribed from audio tapes recorded on amateur equipment by listeners for their own personal use (or, in the case this volume, by a murid extremely familiar with the shaykh's language and ideas, by hand), some inad vertent errors may have found their way into the text. For these, we ask Allah's forgiveness and your kind indulgence. May He fill your heart with light and love as you read and reflect upon these inspired words, and guide you safely to His exalted Divine Presence.
Publisher’s Note Shaykh Nazim is fluent in Arabic, Turkish and Greek, and semi-fluent in Engish. Over three decades, his llectures have been transated into twenty or more languages, and to date have reached the furthest corners of the globe. We sincerely hope the reader will appreciate the author's unique lan guage style, which has been painstakingly preserved in this ’Si
work. As some of the terms in this book may be foreign, to as sist the reader we have provded transliterations, as well as a detailed glossary.
Notes The following symbols are universally recognized and have been respectfully included in this work: The symbof £ represents sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam
(Allah's blessings and greetings of peace be upon him), which is customarily recited after reading or pronouncing the holy name of Prophet Muhammad £. The symbof represents 'alayhi 's-salam (peace be upon him/her), which is customarily recited after reading or pro nouncing the holy names of the other prophets, family members of Prophet Muhammad the pure and virtuous women in Islam, and the angels. The symbof */i represents radi-Allahu 'anhu/'anha (may Allah be pleased with him/her), which is customarily recited after reading or pronouncing the holy names of Compan ions of the Prophet ft.
Preface In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent and The Munificent
This, my English, is strange English. Not everyone can understand because, subhanallah, meanings are coming to my heart, and when running in my heart to give to you, I am using any means - from here, from there - bringing any word which may be useful. I am like a person waiting for water to run out from the faucet Then, when suddenly it comes, and he knows the water is going to be turned off, stop running, he may take any container - with a no-good shape, broken on one side, or anything he may find there - quickly bringing them to take that water and store it. Therefore, when meanings are coming to my heart, I am trying to explain with any word, which you may understand or not. But you must under stand, because we have a saying, "Listeners must be more wise than speakers." Therefore, when inspiration comes, we must explain. They are living words, not plastic - bananas, plastic; apples, plastic, and grapes. Even if the shapes are not much, they are living, real. When you are going to arrange them in
measures, good system; when you are going to be engaged by outside forms, you are losing meanings. ▲
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Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6069