LIBERATING THE SOUL, Book 5 (Shaykh Nazim, 199 pages, 8/13)
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ne who claims something without its be- ing among his attributes must be brought low. Proud people are not reach- ing even the lowest level during this life, and on Resurrection Day, all proud people should be under the feet of the one over whom they were proud, must be under the feet of that one. (O men, don’t be oppressors of your ladies. Only ignorant people beat their wives and give them troubles. On Resurrection Day, they will be under their wives’ feet!)
Then Allah Almighty sent a servant to destroy Pharaoh’s kingdom and his claim to be God—one simple servant with one stick, not weapons. That stick had come from Paradise with Adam, and it went from one prophet to the other as a trust, up to Shu’ayb, Jethro saw.110
When Moses ¡ escaped from Egypt and came to Jethro, he made a contract with him to be his shepherd. Jethro could not see; [he was blind]. He said to Moses ¡, “Go to that room and take a stick to use as a shep- herd.”
Moses ¡ went and chose one. Jethro said, “Bring it to me.” Moses brought it but Jethro said, “Take it back and bring another one.”
110Moses’ father-in-law.
Moses ¡ went and brought another one. Jethro said, “This is the same one!” And Jethro was very angry. He did not yet know about Moses.111
And Moses ¡ said, “Whenever I want to take another one, this one comes!”
Then an angel came and said, “No argument. I shall be the judge be- tween you.” That angel planted the stick into the earth and then said, “If anyone takes it, it belongs to him.”
Jethro ran towards it but he was sweating and tiring; he couldn’t take it. Moses ¡ easily took it. With that stick, he could destroy super powers. (Those Russians need a shepherd and a stick, also!)
Then Allah said, “Go to that edebsiz112 one and call him to be a servant to his Lord, Almighty Allah!”
Moses ¡ did not say, “With which thing can I go?” Allah had said, “Go!” That stick was for him now. When throwing that stick, it became a serpent, opening its mouth.
When more than 200,000 magicians threw their sticks and made a ter- rible show on that plain, Moses ¡, by Allah’s command, threw that stick down. It became a huge serpent and swallowed all of those illusions, then opened its mouth as high as the castle of Pharoah and rushed on the castle. Pharoah ran away from fear, and from that day on, he had to go every day forty times.
That is the chacteristic of ego—to be proud. Allah makes us to be in need of eating, drinking and resting, and sleep is more powerful than the strongest man. Allah could have made eating once enough for our whole life, but He made us in need of eating several times a day to remember that we are in need of His provision.
111That he was a prophet.
112Mannerless, referring to Pharaoh, who was mannerless because he did not acknowledge and worship his Creator who had given him his powers.
In our time, Allah is making people also to be in need of drugs, pills, tablets—everyone; handfuls. “Why are you taking them?” I am asking. “If not taking them, I can’t live.”
Western countries’ physicians are giving medicines you can’t find in our countries. Patients are very upset, saying, “If this finishes, I will finish.” Twentieth century people are basing their lives on tablets, yet they are dis- obedient. They can’t live without these tablets, every color, every size; even for sleeping they need tablets.
Everyone in our days is using those tablets. They are too fearful that if they do not taking those tablets, a heart attack will come. From every direc- tion, Allah is sending fear to people. Yet they aren’t thinking of trusting in their Lord, not saying, when going to sleep, “O my Lord, I am entrusting my soul to You.” They are trusting in those pills, not in peace to say, “My life is in Your hands.”
That is the reason that people are falling into deeper depressions day by day, not connecting their lives to Allah, to their Creator; that is the rea- son. It is so easy! Who created you? He created you! You must give your- self to your Lord. “O my Lord, my life and death, my body and soul, are in Your hands.” Then you can sleep peacefully and live happily.
That is the reason that Allah created man to be in need of so many things. Grandshaykh always said, “O people, do you know the most lovely attribute to Allah Almighty? It is to know and to say, ‘O my Lord, I am in need of You for everything.’ When you are saying this, He is so happy with you.”
But we are forgetting it when we sleep and in the morning when we get up. “O my Lord, You created my soul and my ego. Only You can cure my ego’s bad characteristics. I give myself to You.” If you can practice [the advice in] this Association, you may find too much benefit. ▲
27: CONCERNING MANKIND, THE DEPUTIES OF ALLAH, AND THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
When Allah Almighty, before bringing Adam saw into existence, in- formed the angels, saying that I am going to create a deputy for Myself on earth, the angels had some knowledge that Allah had given them. They knew that there would be a deputy on earth, and malaika, the angels, were expecting themselves to be the deputies.
Then Allah declared, “I am going to create another creature. He will be My deputy.”
The angels said, “O our Lord, are You creating a creature who will make fasad, dissension, and giving deputyhood to him, while we are wor- shipping You without doing anything against Your Will?”
Then Allah said, “You don’t know! You are rejecting, you are not happy with that new creature. But I am happy and am giving My deputy- hood to him.”
It is written for mankind that they should make dissension, they should fight and do evil, they should follow devils and try to do everything against divine orders. But Allah knows best about His creatures.
We have been given, from the heavens, a soul. Our bodies are from this world, its material. The honor that we have been given has not been given to the angels. They only have spiritual being from divine Light Oceans.
If we hadn’t been given a physical body, we would be like angels, also, always worshipping, nothing else to do. But our honor is our physical body. Souls come into bodies, and we have been ordered to take complete
control of our physical bodies, to make them reach real deputies’ stations in the Divine Presence.
Now we are candidates to be deputies, but Allah is asking from His servants to reach real deputies’ stations. We have been given those real sta- tions but they are still hidden from most people. Only a few exceptions have reached them and know their stations, but commonly, people have not reached them yet.
No one can know about that station completely till he reaches it. If a person has never tasted honey, as much as you try to give a description of the taste of honey, is it possible? A little child, as much as you try to de- scribe the pleasure of marriage, can he understand? And those people who have reached real deputies stations—as long as you are far from those sta- tions, you can never understand.
But Allah is asking His servants to know the way to make themselves reach those deputies’ stations. Therefore He sent prophets to mankind, perfect ones who have complete control of their physical bodies and egos. The one who can take control of his ego quickly gets in touch with heav- enly positions; if not, he is always at the lowest-standard level.
The angels were looking at the lowest-standard level of mankind.113 At that level, they are fighting, killing each other, making their blood to run like rivers, doing every evil—the first, lowest-standard of mankind. But according to their beliefs and understandings, believers’ life standards are changing, and according to their control over their egos, they are improving from first to second, third, fourth, fifth. But at the first level, they like to fight and disturb each other.
I was with my Grandshaykh at the holiest place in Hijaz, in Mecca, during the days of pilgrimage. We were making tawaf114 around Holy K‘abah. It was during the heaviest time because people were coming from Mina to complete their hajj, and it had to be completed in a limited time.
113Referring to the angels’ dialogue with Allah when He informed them about Adam’s crea- tion.
114Circumambulation of the Holy K‘abah, one of the rites of the Hajj.
And people were pushing and struggling with each other to make a way for themselves, like fighting.
Then Grandshaykh said to me, “Nazim Efendi, close your eyes.”
Just for a second I closed them and then I found myself with Grand- shaykh at the top level among people. There, another group was making tawaf, but they were so smooth, polite and gentle ones, like butterflies. Then I looked down: they were still were fighting, shouting.
Above the second level is a third one, a fourth one. The K‘abah is on earth but, in the same direction, above it, there are seven heavens, seven levels making tawaf. At every level of the heavens, there is a holy building of a different kind of level—not, like the Holy K‘abah, made of black stone; those buildings in the seven heavens are made of the most precious jewels. You can’t imagine that beautiful view; you can’t look at it with these eyes. After that, there is the Divine Chair, Kursi, and then the Throne, ‘Arsh.115 At each of them, at every moment, 70,000 angels are coming for tawaf and going. Up to Qiyamah,116 there is no chance for the first group to make it again.
It was only to give an understanding to me that Grandshaykh took me up to the second level. All of them117 are from mankind, but they have reached real deputies’ stations. They have passed through that stormy space; their spiritual power keeps them making tawaf there.
Prophets just came to take people up to that level. All people were fighting the prophets; they were against their ways, their teachings, their attributes. According to the number of their enemies, prophets’ ranks im- proved. Therefore, prophets therefore were disturbed and made to suffer by tyrants, devils; no one among prophets, up to his death, saved himself from the harm of devils or those who represented devils. But in spite of it, they tried to complete their messages; always they tried to proclaim haqq,
115Kursi and ‘Arsh refer to the limitless domains of Allah’s infinite glory, power and majesty.
116The Day of Resurrection.
117Those making tawaf in heavenly realms.
truth, to make it rule everywhere, from East to West, and to make people servants to truth and to those people who represent truth.
[Yes], prophets were disturbed and harmed by those first-standard people among mankind. They like to follow their egos and do not like true ways; always they are happy to follow egos’ desires and may even harm oth- ers. They don’t think. Prophets came to prevent them from following their egos. Therefore they became their enemies.
We are asking to follow the ways of all the prophets. The Seal of the Prophets, peace be upon him and upon them all, just came on the same way as all the others. No difference among the prophets; they all came to fight and destroy devils, to make people reach divine stations. Therefore we are following the Seal of the Prophets, and it means to follow all the prophets, fighting devils.
Christians are blaming Muslims, saying, “Islam brought the sword. And Our Lord,” they are saying, “was not a prophet.”118 They claim that he didn’t come with a sword; they believe that people captured him and put him on the cross.
If a prophet does not show power, devils may kill him. Therefore Al- lah sent prophets with power, but not to use against good ones: against dragons and wolves, against wild animals. Their forms are the forms of men but their characteristics are animals’ characteristics.
[After that], for forty years, no more devils, no more fighting. It should be in Damascus;119 I am waiting for Damascus to open. You should come after me; you should meet Mahdi ¡ and then we should be in the biggest mosque.120
118That is, they say he was the Son of God.
119As mentioned in ahadith, these events will take place in Damascus,
120Referring to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, formerly a cathedral, which contains the grave of John the Baptist, the Islamic prophet Yahya saw. Here Shaykh Nazim add, “ Each day I am [spiritually] with John the Baptist, one hour each day.”
The Seal of the Prophets saw gave information about it. He was in Me- dina, fifty days’ journey by camel from Damascus, and he said that my na- tion will be there in Damascus, and there will be one of the greatest mosques of my nation, a mosque with three minarets, and my brother, Je- sus Christ ¡, will come down on the east minaret of that mosque.
The Prophet saw was in Medina when he said this. But, as he said, his nation conquered Damascus, and they took that big cathedral and made three minarets for it. As he said, up to today everything has happened— everything, just like the sun of the day.121
That day when Jesus Christ ¡ comes with his sword, we should pray with him and then go with him to kill Dajjal. He should kill him. That day, for every believer, there should come heavenly power to defeat devils and evils. He should clean the whole earth of evil; his days should be like Para- dise. Ask to be in those days with Jesus Christ ¡. ▲
121Here Shaykh Nazim adds, “Each day when I passed by there with Grandshaykh, he greeted John the Baptist, and he [John] answered his salam [greeting]. I heard it.”
28: SEEKING HELP THROUGH PATIENCE AND PRAYER
Allah Almighty is the Creator and He knows about mankind; He knows best. And as He arranged mankind to be both heavenly and earthly creatures, and to be His deputies, He arranged every condition that would be suitable for them to reach real deputies’ positions.
From beginning up to end, in His messages, He mentioned what man is in need of to progress and to reach the real position of deputy. He also mentioned in the Last Testament, the Holy Qur’an, what we need in order to reach. In one word, we are in need to be patient to reach those divine deputies’ stations.
Allah Almighty is asking from His servants to reach those positions. “O believers, you must ask help from Me. But, as the way of asking for My divine help, I am leading you to some practices, so that you may reach My divine help to yourselves.”
For what are we asking help? We are asking so that by His divine help He may support us, to make us able to take total, complete control over our selves—I mean, over our egos.
If Allah says to you to go like this, ego must say the contrary. Allah created ego and said, “Come!” and it went back; He said “Go!” and it went forward, from the beginning going against Him. If you can’t take complete control over your ego, it is not going to take you to your heavenly stations.
You must know what ego is. Allah created ego as a horse to carry us, to ride on it and go. Allah showed the example of our egos: when He in-
vited Sayyidina Muhammad saw to the Night Journey, first came Buraq.122 The archangels Gabriel and Michael brought it under complete control, and the Prophet went on it for the Night Journey.
When Allah Almighty gave the Prophet , the honor of mankind, the honor of the heavens, the honor of the universes and worlds, from His endless favors, the Prophet saw always asked Gabriel, “Is this for myself only or for my nation, for my ummah, also?” If Allah granted to him from His favors and gave him an honor, he always asked it to be for his ummah, also.
When he was born, his mother looked at him and his lips were mov- ing. Now, for a new baby to speak is a miracle; it also happened when peo- ple accused Maryam ¡, the honored mother of Jesus Christ ¡, but Jesus spoke and refuted their accusations.123 And the Seal of the Prophets saw spoke when he was born. His mother listened, and he was saying, “Ummati, ummati, wa ummataa.”124
Christians say that Jesus Christ ¡ was the most merciful one for man- kind because he sacrificed himself for them. But we don’t accept that he was a ‘lamb’ to be sacrificed for mankind. It is wrong; they have been de- ceived since two thousand years. It is not true.
The most merciful one was the Seal of the Prophets , whether peo- ple accept it or not; reality is never changed by their denying. He was the most merciful prophet; perhaps he was the Mercy Ocean for all creatures. Jesus Christ ¡ just took his mercy from the Mercy Oceans of the Seal of the Prophets . And the Prophet said, “Oh, my ummah!”
Who is his ummah? The Prophet is the honor of all creation, the honor of mankind. He was informed that on the Day of Resurrection he would be given a flag, the Flag of Thanks. Whoever would be under that flag, he would be in safety from Allah Almighty’s anger, in safety from the
122The heavenly steed upon which the Holy Prophet saw rode during his Night Journey.
1233:46, 19:30-34.
124This means, “My nation, my nation,” addressed to Allah, “and [O] my nation,” addressed to his community.
seven Hells, the seven places where the divine anger appears. The Prophet
saw says, “From Adam and after Adam, all prophets will be under the holy flag that will be granted to me by the Lord of the universes. All of them— that flag will cover all the prophets and their nations. I am that one,” says the Prophet .
It means that he is asking for all mankind, with its unbelievers, also— asking from his Lord, Almighty Allah. But Allah is saying, “O My beloved Muhammad, the believers are for you. Don’t be worried about the others. I am their Creator and I am carrying them!”
The main attribute of the Seal of the Prophets is to be the most merciful one for all mankind, and ultimately all mankind is his nation. He fought against devils who made mankind suffer, he fought against those people who represented devils. Throughout his life, he always said, “Um- mati, ummati, wa ummataa.” Everything he was granted by his Lord, Allah Almighty, he asked, also, for his nation.
When he passes over the Bridge which reaches Paradise125 (he will be the first one who passes over that Bridge), he will say, “O my Lord, give safety and protection to my ummah!” He will be the first one who comes to the entrance of Paradise, the first to knock at the door of Paradise. The first guardian of Paradise, the angel Ridwan, will ask, “Who is that one?”
It will be said to him, “Muhammad!”
He will quickly open, saying, “O my lord, we have been ordered to open to no one before you. Welcome! Come in!”
And he will say, “I can’t enter before my ummah.”
Then Allah Almighty will say, “Let all his ummah inside. Open all the gates!” And all of them will enter.
125An extremely narrow bridge across Hell over which all mankind must pass on the Last Day.
If you want to be proud, be proud of being from his nation! Every- thing that our Prophet was granted, he asked for his nation, also. And when Buraq was brought to him, he asked, “Is that only for me?”
And he was told, “O Muhammad, O beloved one, as you have, they have. For your honor, they have been given it, also. Tell them the condi- tions by which they may have that Buraq.”
When you are able to take total control over your ego, then quickly that ego is changed to a Buraq, to be taken up. And the first conditon for taking control over your ego is that you need to be patient.
For the way to be patient, Allah was sending verses to His beloved servant: “If they want to be patient, they may use two kinds of worship- ping. O servants who believe in My beloved one and are asking to be with him here and Hereafter, use two kinds: use sabr, patience, and you must ask help for total control over your egos by the way of praying, salat.”126
That sabr is explained as the way of fasting. To fast teaches you pa- tience; without fasting, it is impossible to take control. If you are asking for divine support over your ego, you must fast; during fasting you may reach divine help.
Secondly, you must pray. Without praying, you can never get control over your ego, so that that ego goes away and Buraq comes. Don’t forget these two important pillars.
Adam, the first man, ordered his children to fast and to pray, to make sajdah. Jesus Christ ¡ was fasting and making sajdah, fasting and ordering his nation to fast. Christians have been ordered to fast as we are fasting, but they changed it and made it fifty days before Easter.127 But if you are not able to control your ego, you can never reach divine deputy stations. And if not fasting, no control over ego! ▲
1262:45, 153.
127While in Catholicism the Lenten fast is forty days, in the Greek Orthodox tradition it is fifty.
29: THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING BELIEFS TO PEOPLE
All prophets were tested and tried by their Lord, and every prophet was surrounded, and also their followers were surrounded, by devils and their representatives. Any time a prophet came and proclaimed his Mes- sage, quickly those devils rushed to surround him and defeat him and make him vanish so that their false kingdom could continue. Therefore, all the prophets and their followers were disturbed and suffered.
Allah Almighty knows best why prophets were surrounded by devils and what was the benefit of being disturbed by ignorant people. And any- one who is ignorant of prophets, he is a devil; anyone who gives harm and disturbs prophets belongs to devils and is their representative.128
That is the normal rule for believers. Whoever believes in Allah and His prophets must be patient in carrying devils. Prophets are the examples for mankind, and firstly they are examples for their followers, because their followers must try to be on the same path. Prophets came to give benefit to people—to take away harmful things and to bring them benefits. And benefit should begin for a person in his heart. Therefore, prophets began to work in the hearts of people.
The first benefit which must be given to the hearts of people is to make their hearts in peace. If no peace in your heart, what benefit can be given to you? Physically and spiritually there must be peace. If someone is spiritually disturbed, he can’t be in peace physically. You must take rest through your heart; then you may be in peace physically. Therefore, proph-
128Devils or evil ones may be either of humankind or jinn, as mentioned in 6:112; 7:38, 179; 11:119; 32:13; 41:25, 29; 46:18; 72:6; 114:1-6.
ets came to give spiritual benefits. Physically they gave too many benefits also, but peace for people comes through hearts.
First, it comes to our heart if we believe. If no belief, no peace can be established in your heart. Belief is like water, the heart is like a pot. When you put water in it, so many fishes can live in it; if it is dry, nothing can live in it. And the elements of peace can live only through belief. Without be- lief, the conditions or elements of peace never live in a heart. Therefore, first all prophets tried to give real faith to the hearts of people. Then the elements of peace could live in them.
First, prophets tried to establish faith, to make people believe in Someone who is our Lord. Allah declares, “The one whose heart is full of iman, his heart is in satisfaction.”129 Nothing can give satisfaction to the hearts of people except belief in the Lord, Almighty Allah. Then faith is founded in your heart and your physical body is in satisfaction, and you can give others benefit. But mankind now is losing faith day by day, their hearts drying out and their physical bodies suffering. Nothing from around them- selves can give them benefit.
When a prophet came, he established among the hearts of people strong belief in the Creator and then belief in the Eternal Life. These two pillars give benefit to hearts; then physically we are taking support and benefit from those beliefs.
When prophets asked people to follow them people attacked them and fought them because they were ignorant ones, standing against prophets, and prophets defeated them till they could understand or finally vanished. Each prophet was surrounded by devils and evil, and according to their enmity and the severity of attacks of those devils, divine support came to prophets. Also, as long as their followers were fighting devils, spiritual support came to them. Only, in the beginning, a little bit of patience is nec- essary; only in the first moments, if an attack comes on you, you must try to fix yourself. Then, when Allah sees that you are firm, He quickly sends divine support. Only in that moment, the first shock, you must keep your-
12913:28.
self. That is important; then you can be victorious. Every time that distur- bance came to prophets and their followers, when they were patient, they were improving, step by step.
Prophets’ ways are not easy, but they are honored ways. The most honored group of people among mankind are prophets and their inheritors, because prophets only want to give people
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ne who claims something without its be- ing among his attributes must be brought low. Proud people are not reach- ing even the lowest level during this life, and on Resurrection Day, all proud people should be under the feet of the one over whom they were proud, must be under the feet of that one. (O men, don’t be oppressors of your ladies. Only ignorant people beat their wives and give them troubles. On Resurrection Day, they will be under their wives’ feet!)
Then Allah Almighty sent a servant to destroy Pharaoh’s kingdom and his claim to be God—one simple servant with one stick, not weapons. That stick had come from Paradise with Adam, and it went from one prophet to the other as a trust, up to Shu’ayb, Jethro saw.110
When Moses ¡ escaped from Egypt and came to Jethro, he made a contract with him to be his shepherd. Jethro could not see; [he was blind]. He said to Moses ¡, “Go to that room and take a stick to use as a shep- herd.”
Moses ¡ went and chose one. Jethro said, “Bring it to me.” Moses brought it but Jethro said, “Take it back and bring another one.”
110Moses’ father-in-law.
Moses ¡ went and brought another one. Jethro said, “This is the same one!” And Jethro was very angry. He did not yet know about Moses.111
And Moses ¡ said, “Whenever I want to take another one, this one comes!”
Then an angel came and said, “No argument. I shall be the judge be- tween you.” That angel planted the stick into the earth and then said, “If anyone takes it, it belongs to him.”
Jethro ran towards it but he was sweating and tiring; he couldn’t take it. Moses ¡ easily took it. With that stick, he could destroy super powers. (Those Russians need a shepherd and a stick, also!)
Then Allah said, “Go to that edebsiz112 one and call him to be a servant to his Lord, Almighty Allah!”
Moses ¡ did not say, “With which thing can I go?” Allah had said, “Go!” That stick was for him now. When throwing that stick, it became a serpent, opening its mouth.
When more than 200,000 magicians threw their sticks and made a ter- rible show on that plain, Moses ¡, by Allah’s command, threw that stick down. It became a huge serpent and swallowed all of those illusions, then opened its mouth as high as the castle of Pharoah and rushed on the castle. Pharoah ran away from fear, and from that day on, he had to go every day forty times.
That is the chacteristic of ego—to be proud. Allah makes us to be in need of eating, drinking and resting, and sleep is more powerful than the strongest man. Allah could have made eating once enough for our whole life, but He made us in need of eating several times a day to remember that we are in need of His provision.
111That he was a prophet.
112Mannerless, referring to Pharaoh, who was mannerless because he did not acknowledge and worship his Creator who had given him his powers.
In our time, Allah is making people also to be in need of drugs, pills, tablets—everyone; handfuls. “Why are you taking them?” I am asking. “If not taking them, I can’t live.”
Western countries’ physicians are giving medicines you can’t find in our countries. Patients are very upset, saying, “If this finishes, I will finish.” Twentieth century people are basing their lives on tablets, yet they are dis- obedient. They can’t live without these tablets, every color, every size; even for sleeping they need tablets.
Everyone in our days is using those tablets. They are too fearful that if they do not taking those tablets, a heart attack will come. From every direc- tion, Allah is sending fear to people. Yet they aren’t thinking of trusting in their Lord, not saying, when going to sleep, “O my Lord, I am entrusting my soul to You.” They are trusting in those pills, not in peace to say, “My life is in Your hands.”
That is the reason that people are falling into deeper depressions day by day, not connecting their lives to Allah, to their Creator; that is the rea- son. It is so easy! Who created you? He created you! You must give your- self to your Lord. “O my Lord, my life and death, my body and soul, are in Your hands.” Then you can sleep peacefully and live happily.
That is the reason that Allah created man to be in need of so many things. Grandshaykh always said, “O people, do you know the most lovely attribute to Allah Almighty? It is to know and to say, ‘O my Lord, I am in need of You for everything.’ When you are saying this, He is so happy with you.”
But we are forgetting it when we sleep and in the morning when we get up. “O my Lord, You created my soul and my ego. Only You can cure my ego’s bad characteristics. I give myself to You.” If you can practice [the advice in] this Association, you may find too much benefit. ▲
27: CONCERNING MANKIND, THE DEPUTIES OF ALLAH, AND THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
When Allah Almighty, before bringing Adam saw into existence, in- formed the angels, saying that I am going to create a deputy for Myself on earth, the angels had some knowledge that Allah had given them. They knew that there would be a deputy on earth, and malaika, the angels, were expecting themselves to be the deputies.
Then Allah declared, “I am going to create another creature. He will be My deputy.”
The angels said, “O our Lord, are You creating a creature who will make fasad, dissension, and giving deputyhood to him, while we are wor- shipping You without doing anything against Your Will?”
Then Allah said, “You don’t know! You are rejecting, you are not happy with that new creature. But I am happy and am giving My deputy- hood to him.”
It is written for mankind that they should make dissension, they should fight and do evil, they should follow devils and try to do everything against divine orders. But Allah knows best about His creatures.
We have been given, from the heavens, a soul. Our bodies are from this world, its material. The honor that we have been given has not been given to the angels. They only have spiritual being from divine Light Oceans.
If we hadn’t been given a physical body, we would be like angels, also, always worshipping, nothing else to do. But our honor is our physical body. Souls come into bodies, and we have been ordered to take complete
control of our physical bodies, to make them reach real deputies’ stations in the Divine Presence.
Now we are candidates to be deputies, but Allah is asking from His servants to reach real deputies’ stations. We have been given those real sta- tions but they are still hidden from most people. Only a few exceptions have reached them and know their stations, but commonly, people have not reached them yet.
No one can know about that station completely till he reaches it. If a person has never tasted honey, as much as you try to give a description of the taste of honey, is it possible? A little child, as much as you try to de- scribe the pleasure of marriage, can he understand? And those people who have reached real deputies stations—as long as you are far from those sta- tions, you can never understand.
But Allah is asking His servants to know the way to make themselves reach those deputies’ stations. Therefore He sent prophets to mankind, perfect ones who have complete control of their physical bodies and egos. The one who can take control of his ego quickly gets in touch with heav- enly positions; if not, he is always at the lowest-standard level.
The angels were looking at the lowest-standard level of mankind.113 At that level, they are fighting, killing each other, making their blood to run like rivers, doing every evil—the first, lowest-standard of mankind. But according to their beliefs and understandings, believers’ life standards are changing, and according to their control over their egos, they are improving from first to second, third, fourth, fifth. But at the first level, they like to fight and disturb each other.
I was with my Grandshaykh at the holiest place in Hijaz, in Mecca, during the days of pilgrimage. We were making tawaf114 around Holy K‘abah. It was during the heaviest time because people were coming from Mina to complete their hajj, and it had to be completed in a limited time.
113Referring to the angels’ dialogue with Allah when He informed them about Adam’s crea- tion.
114Circumambulation of the Holy K‘abah, one of the rites of the Hajj.
And people were pushing and struggling with each other to make a way for themselves, like fighting.
Then Grandshaykh said to me, “Nazim Efendi, close your eyes.”
Just for a second I closed them and then I found myself with Grand- shaykh at the top level among people. There, another group was making tawaf, but they were so smooth, polite and gentle ones, like butterflies. Then I looked down: they were still were fighting, shouting.
Above the second level is a third one, a fourth one. The K‘abah is on earth but, in the same direction, above it, there are seven heavens, seven levels making tawaf. At every level of the heavens, there is a holy building of a different kind of level—not, like the Holy K‘abah, made of black stone; those buildings in the seven heavens are made of the most precious jewels. You can’t imagine that beautiful view; you can’t look at it with these eyes. After that, there is the Divine Chair, Kursi, and then the Throne, ‘Arsh.115 At each of them, at every moment, 70,000 angels are coming for tawaf and going. Up to Qiyamah,116 there is no chance for the first group to make it again.
It was only to give an understanding to me that Grandshaykh took me up to the second level. All of them117 are from mankind, but they have reached real deputies’ stations. They have passed through that stormy space; their spiritual power keeps them making tawaf there.
Prophets just came to take people up to that level. All people were fighting the prophets; they were against their ways, their teachings, their attributes. According to the number of their enemies, prophets’ ranks im- proved. Therefore, prophets therefore were disturbed and made to suffer by tyrants, devils; no one among prophets, up to his death, saved himself from the harm of devils or those who represented devils. But in spite of it, they tried to complete their messages; always they tried to proclaim haqq,
115Kursi and ‘Arsh refer to the limitless domains of Allah’s infinite glory, power and majesty.
116The Day of Resurrection.
117Those making tawaf in heavenly realms.
truth, to make it rule everywhere, from East to West, and to make people servants to truth and to those people who represent truth.
[Yes], prophets were disturbed and harmed by those first-standard people among mankind. They like to follow their egos and do not like true ways; always they are happy to follow egos’ desires and may even harm oth- ers. They don’t think. Prophets came to prevent them from following their egos. Therefore they became their enemies.
We are asking to follow the ways of all the prophets. The Seal of the Prophets, peace be upon him and upon them all, just came on the same way as all the others. No difference among the prophets; they all came to fight and destroy devils, to make people reach divine stations. Therefore we are following the Seal of the Prophets, and it means to follow all the prophets, fighting devils.
Christians are blaming Muslims, saying, “Islam brought the sword. And Our Lord,” they are saying, “was not a prophet.”118 They claim that he didn’t come with a sword; they believe that people captured him and put him on the cross.
If a prophet does not show power, devils may kill him. Therefore Al- lah sent prophets with power, but not to use against good ones: against dragons and wolves, against wild animals. Their forms are the forms of men but their characteristics are animals’ characteristics.
[After that], for forty years, no more devils, no more fighting. It should be in Damascus;119 I am waiting for Damascus to open. You should come after me; you should meet Mahdi ¡ and then we should be in the biggest mosque.120
118That is, they say he was the Son of God.
119As mentioned in ahadith, these events will take place in Damascus,
120Referring to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, formerly a cathedral, which contains the grave of John the Baptist, the Islamic prophet Yahya saw. Here Shaykh Nazim add, “ Each day I am [spiritually] with John the Baptist, one hour each day.”
The Seal of the Prophets saw gave information about it. He was in Me- dina, fifty days’ journey by camel from Damascus, and he said that my na- tion will be there in Damascus, and there will be one of the greatest mosques of my nation, a mosque with three minarets, and my brother, Je- sus Christ ¡, will come down on the east minaret of that mosque.
The Prophet saw was in Medina when he said this. But, as he said, his nation conquered Damascus, and they took that big cathedral and made three minarets for it. As he said, up to today everything has happened— everything, just like the sun of the day.121
That day when Jesus Christ ¡ comes with his sword, we should pray with him and then go with him to kill Dajjal. He should kill him. That day, for every believer, there should come heavenly power to defeat devils and evils. He should clean the whole earth of evil; his days should be like Para- dise. Ask to be in those days with Jesus Christ ¡. ▲
121Here Shaykh Nazim adds, “Each day when I passed by there with Grandshaykh, he greeted John the Baptist, and he [John] answered his salam [greeting]. I heard it.”
28: SEEKING HELP THROUGH PATIENCE AND PRAYER
Allah Almighty is the Creator and He knows about mankind; He knows best. And as He arranged mankind to be both heavenly and earthly creatures, and to be His deputies, He arranged every condition that would be suitable for them to reach real deputies’ positions.
From beginning up to end, in His messages, He mentioned what man is in need of to progress and to reach the real position of deputy. He also mentioned in the Last Testament, the Holy Qur’an, what we need in order to reach. In one word, we are in need to be patient to reach those divine deputies’ stations.
Allah Almighty is asking from His servants to reach those positions. “O believers, you must ask help from Me. But, as the way of asking for My divine help, I am leading you to some practices, so that you may reach My divine help to yourselves.”
For what are we asking help? We are asking so that by His divine help He may support us, to make us able to take total, complete control over our selves—I mean, over our egos.
If Allah says to you to go like this, ego must say the contrary. Allah created ego and said, “Come!” and it went back; He said “Go!” and it went forward, from the beginning going against Him. If you can’t take complete control over your ego, it is not going to take you to your heavenly stations.
You must know what ego is. Allah created ego as a horse to carry us, to ride on it and go. Allah showed the example of our egos: when He in-
vited Sayyidina Muhammad saw to the Night Journey, first came Buraq.122 The archangels Gabriel and Michael brought it under complete control, and the Prophet went on it for the Night Journey.
When Allah Almighty gave the Prophet , the honor of mankind, the honor of the heavens, the honor of the universes and worlds, from His endless favors, the Prophet saw always asked Gabriel, “Is this for myself only or for my nation, for my ummah, also?” If Allah granted to him from His favors and gave him an honor, he always asked it to be for his ummah, also.
When he was born, his mother looked at him and his lips were mov- ing. Now, for a new baby to speak is a miracle; it also happened when peo- ple accused Maryam ¡, the honored mother of Jesus Christ ¡, but Jesus spoke and refuted their accusations.123 And the Seal of the Prophets saw spoke when he was born. His mother listened, and he was saying, “Ummati, ummati, wa ummataa.”124
Christians say that Jesus Christ ¡ was the most merciful one for man- kind because he sacrificed himself for them. But we don’t accept that he was a ‘lamb’ to be sacrificed for mankind. It is wrong; they have been de- ceived since two thousand years. It is not true.
The most merciful one was the Seal of the Prophets , whether peo- ple accept it or not; reality is never changed by their denying. He was the most merciful prophet; perhaps he was the Mercy Ocean for all creatures. Jesus Christ ¡ just took his mercy from the Mercy Oceans of the Seal of the Prophets . And the Prophet said, “Oh, my ummah!”
Who is his ummah? The Prophet is the honor of all creation, the honor of mankind. He was informed that on the Day of Resurrection he would be given a flag, the Flag of Thanks. Whoever would be under that flag, he would be in safety from Allah Almighty’s anger, in safety from the
122The heavenly steed upon which the Holy Prophet saw rode during his Night Journey.
1233:46, 19:30-34.
124This means, “My nation, my nation,” addressed to Allah, “and [O] my nation,” addressed to his community.
seven Hells, the seven places where the divine anger appears. The Prophet
saw says, “From Adam and after Adam, all prophets will be under the holy flag that will be granted to me by the Lord of the universes. All of them— that flag will cover all the prophets and their nations. I am that one,” says the Prophet .
It means that he is asking for all mankind, with its unbelievers, also— asking from his Lord, Almighty Allah. But Allah is saying, “O My beloved Muhammad, the believers are for you. Don’t be worried about the others. I am their Creator and I am carrying them!”
The main attribute of the Seal of the Prophets is to be the most merciful one for all mankind, and ultimately all mankind is his nation. He fought against devils who made mankind suffer, he fought against those people who represented devils. Throughout his life, he always said, “Um- mati, ummati, wa ummataa.” Everything he was granted by his Lord, Allah Almighty, he asked, also, for his nation.
When he passes over the Bridge which reaches Paradise125 (he will be the first one who passes over that Bridge), he will say, “O my Lord, give safety and protection to my ummah!” He will be the first one who comes to the entrance of Paradise, the first to knock at the door of Paradise. The first guardian of Paradise, the angel Ridwan, will ask, “Who is that one?”
It will be said to him, “Muhammad!”
He will quickly open, saying, “O my lord, we have been ordered to open to no one before you. Welcome! Come in!”
And he will say, “I can’t enter before my ummah.”
Then Allah Almighty will say, “Let all his ummah inside. Open all the gates!” And all of them will enter.
125An extremely narrow bridge across Hell over which all mankind must pass on the Last Day.
If you want to be proud, be proud of being from his nation! Every- thing that our Prophet was granted, he asked for his nation, also. And when Buraq was brought to him, he asked, “Is that only for me?”
And he was told, “O Muhammad, O beloved one, as you have, they have. For your honor, they have been given it, also. Tell them the condi- tions by which they may have that Buraq.”
When you are able to take total control over your ego, then quickly that ego is changed to a Buraq, to be taken up. And the first conditon for taking control over your ego is that you need to be patient.
For the way to be patient, Allah was sending verses to His beloved servant: “If they want to be patient, they may use two kinds of worship- ping. O servants who believe in My beloved one and are asking to be with him here and Hereafter, use two kinds: use sabr, patience, and you must ask help for total control over your egos by the way of praying, salat.”126
That sabr is explained as the way of fasting. To fast teaches you pa- tience; without fasting, it is impossible to take control. If you are asking for divine support over your ego, you must fast; during fasting you may reach divine help.
Secondly, you must pray. Without praying, you can never get control over your ego, so that that ego goes away and Buraq comes. Don’t forget these two important pillars.
Adam, the first man, ordered his children to fast and to pray, to make sajdah. Jesus Christ ¡ was fasting and making sajdah, fasting and ordering his nation to fast. Christians have been ordered to fast as we are fasting, but they changed it and made it fifty days before Easter.127 But if you are not able to control your ego, you can never reach divine deputy stations. And if not fasting, no control over ego! ▲
1262:45, 153.
127While in Catholicism the Lenten fast is forty days, in the Greek Orthodox tradition it is fifty.
29: THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING BELIEFS TO PEOPLE
All prophets were tested and tried by their Lord, and every prophet was surrounded, and also their followers were surrounded, by devils and their representatives. Any time a prophet came and proclaimed his Mes- sage, quickly those devils rushed to surround him and defeat him and make him vanish so that their false kingdom could continue. Therefore, all the prophets and their followers were disturbed and suffered.
Allah Almighty knows best why prophets were surrounded by devils and what was the benefit of being disturbed by ignorant people. And any- one who is ignorant of prophets, he is a devil; anyone who gives harm and disturbs prophets belongs to devils and is their representative.128
That is the normal rule for believers. Whoever believes in Allah and His prophets must be patient in carrying devils. Prophets are the examples for mankind, and firstly they are examples for their followers, because their followers must try to be on the same path. Prophets came to give benefit to people—to take away harmful things and to bring them benefits. And benefit should begin for a person in his heart. Therefore, prophets began to work in the hearts of people.
The first benefit which must be given to the hearts of people is to make their hearts in peace. If no peace in your heart, what benefit can be given to you? Physically and spiritually there must be peace. If someone is spiritually disturbed, he can’t be in peace physically. You must take rest through your heart; then you may be in peace physically. Therefore, proph-
128Devils or evil ones may be either of humankind or jinn, as mentioned in 6:112; 7:38, 179; 11:119; 32:13; 41:25, 29; 46:18; 72:6; 114:1-6.
ets came to give spiritual benefits. Physically they gave too many benefits also, but peace for people comes through hearts.
First, it comes to our heart if we believe. If no belief, no peace can be established in your heart. Belief is like water, the heart is like a pot. When you put water in it, so many fishes can live in it; if it is dry, nothing can live in it. And the elements of peace can live only through belief. Without be- lief, the conditions or elements of peace never live in a heart. Therefore, first all prophets tried to give real faith to the hearts of people. Then the elements of peace could live in them.
First, prophets tried to establish faith, to make people believe in Someone who is our Lord. Allah declares, “The one whose heart is full of iman, his heart is in satisfaction.”129 Nothing can give satisfaction to the hearts of people except belief in the Lord, Almighty Allah. Then faith is founded in your heart and your physical body is in satisfaction, and you can give others benefit. But mankind now is losing faith day by day, their hearts drying out and their physical bodies suffering. Nothing from around them- selves can give them benefit.
When a prophet came, he established among the hearts of people strong belief in the Creator and then belief in the Eternal Life. These two pillars give benefit to hearts; then physically we are taking support and benefit from those beliefs.
When prophets asked people to follow them people attacked them and fought them because they were ignorant ones, standing against prophets, and prophets defeated them till they could understand or finally vanished. Each prophet was surrounded by devils and evil, and according to their enmity and the severity of attacks of those devils, divine support came to prophets. Also, as long as their followers were fighting devils, spiritual support came to them. Only, in the beginning, a little bit of patience is nec- essary; only in the first moments, if an attack comes on you, you must try to fix yourself. Then, when Allah sees that you are firm, He quickly sends divine support. Only in that moment, the first shock, you must keep your-
12913:28.
self. That is important; then you can be victorious. Every time that distur- bance came to prophets and their followers, when they were patient, they were improving, step by step.
Prophets’ ways are not easy, but they are honored ways. The most honored group of people among mankind are prophets and their inheritors, because prophets only want to give people
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