LIBERATING THE SOUL, Book 5 (Shaykh Nazim, 199 pages, 11/13)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6097
serve i‘tikaf
(seclusion or retreat) during the last ten days of Ramadan.
37: TRYING TO BE GOOD ONES
We have been ordered to be good ones. And we are sitting here for what? We are sitting and asking from His endless favors to make our faith get stronger.
All prophets were sitting and making association, and those who were attending with them, their faith was growing and getting stronger. We are in need to renew our faith, iman; that is our purpose in meeting with people and asking from Allah Almighty’s endless blessings. And which thing helps you to make your iman stronger?
When you are trying to good ones, that helps you. If your faith does not get strong, you can’t be a good one; good ones always have strong faith. But ones with no faith, they are not strong; bad-intending and bad-acting people, no faith.
Bad actions and, even more, intentions, destroy faith. Actions are with organs; intentions are in the heart. And faith is also in the heart. Bad inten- tion comes near to faith in your heart and destroys it; no more can that per- son taste the sweet taste of faith. Bad intentions spoil and poison faith. Impossible to correct our actions without correcting our hearts. And with- out correcting intentions, our hearts cannot be corrected.
As long as your intentions are bad, your actions are going to be bad and worse. That destroys your faith. The whole of religion revolves around that good intentions. If anyone has good intentions, he is on the right path. If a person has bad intentions, he may be inscribed as a Muslim or a be- liever, but he is not a real believer.
If you see wrong actions, look at the heart; must be something wrong in the heart that appears as bad action. If you look at your heart, you must
find a bad intention that pushes you to a bad action. If a person intends to do some bad thing, you must know that faith has disappeared.
The Prophet saw made everything clear. During twenty-three years, he was explaining the Holy Qur’an down to the very finest detail, as a doctor comes and students’ eyes observe his operating with the finest scalpel. The Prophet , during twenty-three years, spoke millions of hadiths about the meaning of the Holy Qur’an, because the Qur’an is for all mankind; as long as time and space go on, as long as life continues on earth, the Qur’an is for mankind. And its first explainer is Sayyidina Muhammad saw.
He was saying, “A person can’t drink and be a believer; a person can’t do adultery and be a believer; a person can’t steal and be a believer.” Faith in his heart makes everything clear. If there is faith in a person’s heart, it is impossible for him to drink intentionally. When he intends that bad thing, his faith goes on his head and stands over his head. His heart is in dark- ness; no more light of faith.
Then that person does a forbidden act. If death comes to that person while he is doing a forbidden act, he goes without faith. That is a fearful thing, because a person may worship one hundred years and at the end, if death comes to him and he has left the way of obedience, he has changed his way towards Paradise and gone to the way of Hell. Therefore, he must be taken to Hell.
Allah is not an oppressor. “Where did you find My servant? Which- ever way he was going, take him there.” Maybe for one hundred years he went towards Paradise and then he turned towards Hell, and Allah orders, “As he likes, take him to Hell!”
We must control our hearts frequently, and the Prophet saw was asking, “O my Lord, la taj’alna mina-l-ghafilin.”156 A terrible thinq may happen to that person who is heedless, as, at the end of thousands of years, Shaytan went to the way of disobedience and Allah’s anger quickly turned on him.
156“Do not make us among the heedless.”
Hell’s way is under cursed arrows. Therefore, the Prophet saw says, “Whoever shoots at us is not from my nation,” and the Prophet takes his guarantee [for that] from Someone. Cursed arrows fall on that one; each day his troubles and sufferings increase. Don’t think that a curse comes like mercy.
Mostly curses are coming to people; that is making people suffer. But Allah promises to His beloved servant saw, “Even if the whole world is under the divine anger and curse, those who are on the way of obedience, never should any troubles or misery touch them. They are moving on the way of obedience, the way of Paradise, and no curse can touch them.”
We need to learn and to practice. We must look every time at our ac- tions, whether our actions are suitable for being obedient or disobedient, and control them. Each day we have thousands of actions and breaths. We must control ourselves. As much as you are controlling yourself, Allah gives you more blessings, and more blessings feed your faith. And as much as faith is strong, you are able to be a more obedient servant, and obedient servants are good ones.
The Seal of the Prophets saw made it clear that if a person wants to know about himself, whether he is a good one or a bad one, he can test himself. If you want to hear about yourself, you can go to an assembly of people, and then you can leave that group and go out. Leave your ear with them; your ear may hear what they will say about you. If they say about you, “A very good one,” that is a test of yourself. You may find a witness whether you are a good one or not.
A good one must be merciful to creatures, to mankind, particularly. Faith feeds a person with mercy; according to your faith, your mercy grows and covers everyone. The most famous sunnah to follow is to be merciful to everyone because the Seal of the Prophets saw was “the Mercy for Man- kind,”157 for creatures and for all the universes. He is absolute rahmah, mercy.
15721:107.
As long as you give mercy to people, your faith grows and you can be happy that you are a good one. With bad ones, no mercy; mercy is with good ones. Without having faith, you can’t give mercy; according to your faith, mercy comes and fills your heart. When you have a line from Mercy Oceans, mercy never finishes; always that mercy runs to creatures through you.
You can think about poor people while you are restraining yourself and fasting—their being hungry, being thirsty; fasting also teaches us to be merciful to poor people. For fifteen days, they put an advertisement around London. You saw it, perhaps, written on it, “Give more power to the poor,” and that is a Christian aid organization; they wrote that. They may advise people in that way, but for affecting people, there is no practice in Christianity.158 The practice for understanding poor people is to fast.
It is obligatory for believers during this month to do some charity, to give zakat al-fitr,159 to awaken mercy’s sources in our hearts. Each person must give that sadaqah160 before the ‘Eid prayer. In Christianity, no [such practice].
People are like walls and rocks. If you don’t force yourself to fast, to know what their condition is, you won’t develop mercy for people. Ask to be stronger in your belief. As much as belief is strong, mercy for people grows.
Now zakat al-fitr is only two pounds, but if you like to give £25 or
£100. . . ! Pakistani scholars are saying one pound. They are such greedy and mean [stingy] people; they must say two pounds at least and more, no limits. Give and don’t be afraid! They have been given everything here, they are rich. Why are their scholars saying one pound?
158Meaning that although Christian groups urge the giving of charity during the Christmas season, at the same time they celebrate the occasion by feasting and drinking, never tasting the sufferings of the poor and hungry, as Muslims do by fasting for a month.
159The obligatory charity of ‘Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, equivalent to the amount of an average meal for each member of one’s family.
160Charity.
Must be support for poor people! Christians may order charity for Christmas but they are only drinking beer and wine and whiskey. More than one billion people must give charity now.161 ▲
161That is, for the 1.3 billion Muslims throughout the world, the charity of ‘Eid al-Fitr is a religious obligation.
38: TAKING ONLY AS MUCH AS YOU NEED FROM DUNYA
The Seal of the Prophets saw is teaching people, through every hadith, to reach that horizon where he is.
The Prophet is not happy to have his nation to be on a lower level, asking for everyone from his nation to reach his most high level in the Di- vine Presence. Any hadith that he spoke—if anyone can practice that, that hadith takes that person from the lowest to the highest level. That is a wis- dom that I learned from my Grandshaykh.
Everyone must respect the Seal of the Prophets , and everyone gives respect according to his knowledge of that Prophet saw. Each one’s rank or value in the Divine Presence is according to his respect for the Seal of the Prophets . No one can advance in rank without giving more respect to the Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad saw. And you can’t be a per- son who gives proper respect until your knowledge about that Prophet advances and improves; everyone gives respect according to his knowledge about him.
Scholars know about the Seal of the Prophets , but awliya know more than all scholars. All scholars’ respect and knowledge all together can never reach one wali’s knowledge and respect. And also for awliya, there are several different ranks and levels.
All the imams of tariqats respect that Prophet , but the level of the Naqshbandi Order is the highest level of all orders. It is the most distin- guished order among forty-one tariqats, all orders ending in the Naqshbandi Order. The knowledge of the Naqshbandi Order is the highest knowledge and its respect for the Prophet is more than anyone else’s. And how do they give value to the Prophet and his hadith?
Grandshaykh was saying that each hadith includes something from Sayyidina Muhammad’s knowledge because it is part of the knowledge that Allah granted to him from His divine knowledge. He created His be- loved Muhammad’s soul and his lights. He trained him five times, 500,000 years, and gave him ‘ulum al-awwalin wal-akhirin, knowledge of all beginnings and all endings; of everything created, the beginning and the end, here and Hereafter. He has knowledge about the creation of mulk wal- malakut162—of this world, heavenly worlds and everything coming into exis- tence, he has been given knowledge. He is the main reason for every crea- ture and for all creation, because Allah created all creatures for the honor of that one, that beloved one.
He is the only and single beloved one in the Divine Presence. “For his honor,” Allah declares, “I created the Heavens, Adam, everything.” If he had not been created, Jesus Christ ¡ would not have come into existence; none of the prophets would have been created if he had not been created.
When Adam asked forgiveness from Allah, he asked forgiveness for the honor of Sayyidina Muhammad . And Allah asked him, “How do you know him, when he has not yet been created?”
Adam said, “When my soul first came into my body, I opened my eyes and looked at the Divine Throne, and I saw written on it ‘La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu Rasul-Allah,’ and I knew that that one must be the most be- loved one of Your creatures because his name is written next to Yours. He will be Your representative among all creatures. And I am asking forgive- ness for his honor.”
And Allah answered, “Very true. If I hadn’t created him, I would not have created you or anything else. Just for his honor, you have been for- given.”
The most honor, he has been given, and all creation has come into ex- istence to be an honor for him and everyone gets honor from him. His name is Muhammad , the Praised One, throughout creation. Everyone
162The material and the spiritual realms.
must know and praise him; otherwise it is impossible to come into exis- tence.
Everyone, according to his respect for him, is reaching a nearer rank in the Divine Presence. We are trying to give our utmost respect to him through our salat was-salam,163 as Allah is ordering us to give our respects to His beloved Prophet saw.164
He was teaching his nation, and through each hadith you can find ways to reach the highest level, which ends at beloved Muhammad’s level or station. Each hadith is an ocean of knowledge. All awliya are taking what they need of knowledge and wisdoms through his hadiths.
The description of this world came through hadiths. If you do not un- derstand the Prophet’s description of this world, you can’t save yourself from this world’s dangerous wadis.165 The Prophet says, “O people, this world is for all people. All of you are partners in this world. Allah is appor- tioning for everyone according to His wisdoms, giving more to some, a lit- tle bit to some, and to some nothing.” [Correcting himself:] Not nothing; they are taking their share, but minimum and maximum. So many different favors they have been given.
O people, even if you are given the whole world, if all of dunya is for you, you must take from it only what is enough for you. Don’t take more for yourself! If you take more, it may be others’ share. If anyone takes more than enough for himself, he takes from dunya a bit of its poison, a dangerous thing for him. No good; don’t take! May destroy you physically or spiritually.
You can understand from this hadith the whole meaning of this dunya and its quality; it makes you be always at the edge of precaution. You don’t know which thing harms you or destroys you physically or spiritually. If you take too much, it poisons you.
163Our invoking peace and blessings upon the Holy Prophet saw.
16433:56.
165Valleys, low-lying places.
You can’t take except what you need. There is no meaning of saving up dunya when you can’t use it. But Shaytan wants everyone to make big amounts to save, not to put to use for mankind, not to give benefit. That is the worst characteristic of egos.
Meanness [stinginess] is like a tree and its branches are coming on earth. If a man is mean, he catches a branch of that tree. That tree grows in Hell; if anyone catches hold of that tree, it takes him to Hell. And gen- erosity is also like a tree, its branches on earth. If anyone catches one branch, that tree takes him to Paradise. Even if not believing yet, Allah may finally take generous people to Paradise.
You must know about this dunya and take only your needs from it. If you take more, it is dangerous for you. Everyone can see so many rich ones, but they are never reach more than their needs. They are only collect- ing and holding; without payment, they are the guardians of collections. Then there comes a sickness into their hearts, never becoming happy or in pleasure. It is impossible to be rich and to be in peace; their hearts are oc- cupied.
Shaytan comes and makes them afraid for their gold, their possessions that they want to keep only for themselves, while it is impossible. Shaytan comes and says, “Oh, tomorrow you are going to die. Your relatives will be too happy that you have kept all of it for them.” And when Shaytan comes and says, “Look, tomorrow you may die,” that is enough punishment for them.
For everyone who gives, Allah gives him pleasure and peace and en- joyment in his heart. Therefore, this month, for generous people, is the season of charity. The sahabah, the Companions of Sayyidina Muhammad
saw, said that he was more generous than the spring winds that make every- thing wake up. The Prophet says, “In the autumn wind, protect your chest.” For the spring wind, you can open it to come in, as on trees, also; the spring wind gives life to everything and reaches everything. And the Prophet was more generous than that spring wind.
The followers of his Sunnah may follow as much as they are able. That gives honor and pleasure and saves you here and Hereafter, and makes you to reach the highest level with the Prophet .
Our egos are against everything that the Prophet brings, but our egos are sick, ill. Try to cure your ego through the sayings of the Prophet and to think about his hadith; so many wisdoms, taking humanity from nar- row paths to high happiness, here and Hereafter. We are asking forgiveness for every action against hadith. ▲
39: THE PROPHET’S INTERCESSION ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Ya Jami’u-n-Nas,166 Allah Almighty! Only He gathers people. Any time He wants to gather them, He may do it. Before this creation came into ex- istence, He first created the souls of people; He gathered and brought them.
Each one of mankind was present at that meeting, and Allah Almighty addressed our souls. That was the Day of Promises. Everyone was pre- sent; perhaps there was no time and no space in the Divine Presence. He addressed His servants and asked them, “Alastu bi-rabbikum—do you accept Me as your Lord?” Then, “Qalu, ‘Bala”; at that gathering, each soul de- clared, “Yes, we accept You.”167 All of them declared that He is the Lord and they promised to worship only Him.
Allah keeps that gathering, and still we are in that Divine Presence and we are giving our respects to the Lord Almighty. No one has moved from that state of being deputy, as Allah honored them and clothed them in that endless honor. From that Day, out of time and space, we are giving our endless respects to Him. Only He can gather. His divine Will is to give His deputies more lights and to make them be crowned with extra lights, nurun ‘ala nur.168
He created man and gave to him from His divine soul, blowing it into him.169 Originally our soul is from His divine soul. Our physical body, without our soul, is nothing, can’t live; it stays alive through our souls. Our
166O Gatherer of Mankind.
1677:172-173.
16824:35.
16915:29, 32:9, 38:72.
original souls, that Allah clothes with divine deputies’ lights, have never yet moved from the Divine Presence. Allah sends, from that soul, only one ray to our physical body, and that is enough to keep it.
He made for us an ability to take more and more lights during this life. We have been created like a river, running from beginning to end, one after the other. Every moment, every second, everything changes; in every unit of time, everything changes, but with our hearts’ vision, we are saying that everything is all right. Like a river from Adam to the Day of Resurrection, everyone coming is taking something from Allah’s endless favors.
We are coming one after the other and disappearing, and no-mind people are think that whoever disappears from this life is finished, while Allah is declaring to each prophet that only He is Jami’u-n-Nas, that He will gather them a second time. No one can disappear finally, forever; no one can hide himself. When He calls, everyone must listen and come and be present in the Divine Presence. And we are waiting for the last stop of this dunya. It is not far off.
So many millions went and disappeared from the streets of London; they are only waiting for Allah’s invitation and call to them to come. As He gathered everyone at the first, finally, also, on the Day of Resurrection, He will gather everyone in the Divine Presence.
In that gathering, everyone is going to know who is the Seal of the Prophets, who is the first one in the Divine Presence to address his Lord Almighty.170 He should be called to the Divine Presence, the first to speak and to be addressed.
When He gathers all creatures, He will give His judgment for every- one, putting some people in the direction of Paradise; they will be ready to move. And the second group of people, Allah will give judgment for them for Hells
Then He will address Sayyidina Muhammad , the most honored one of all creatures. All people will listen and look and see and understand;
170This is mentioned in numerous ahadith in Bukhari, Muslim and Mishkat al-Masabih.
nothing will prevent people’s seeing, nothing will prevent them from hear- ing and understanding. They will have sharp vision and hearing and under- standing that Day.
The Prophet will come, and all people will look and listen. Allah will make judgment for everyone at the same time. No need to look at the first and second and third, but everyone will think that only he is being judged. (For ladies, men will be judged—long beards! You always kept them back; now come on! Ladies will be sitting very quiet and fearful.)
Abu Yazid, Sultan al-‘Arifin, knew about his Lord and knew His at- tributes, and he was saying, “Everyone is afraid of that Day. But I am wait- ing for that Day to be in the Divine Presence, only to hear my Lord say, ‘O Abu Yazid!’—only waiting for that addressing from my Lord to me. Even if He throws me into Hells, seven Hells’ fires may even be extinguished from my joy at that addressing!” He was an ‘arif, knowing about his Lord, Allah Almighty.
We are nothing. When Allah says your name, you can’t imagine that joy, you should be so happy! Allah created us and gave everyone eyes and noses and cheeks and color. He is working on us and creating, but yet we are not happy, fighting, asking to be another color, also. People are angry with their colors, although He says “Ahsani taqwim,171 so beautiful.”
Abu Yazid will be so happy. And you must be happy! If Her Majesty the Queen addressed you, you would be so happy. I am nothing, and if you are really nothing, no judgment for “nothing.” Ladies cry quickly, very weak; they can easily be nothing. But you must declare it. The one who says “I am nothing” goes to the right. The one who is “something” goes among the left-wing people.
A person once asked Sayyidina ‘Ali how Allah Almighty is. Sayidina ‘Ali said, “For the One who created ‘How?’ you can’t ask ‘How?’ about Him.” No one knows how Allah Almighty will give His judgment on the
171“The most beautiful form.” (95:4)
Day of Resurrection. But He will call to His Throne that one whose name is written on the Throne together with His.
People will look, and Muhammad will come and sit on that Throne. And Allah will give the divine Pen to him. Allah Almighty will say, “Now I have finished My judgment for Paradise and Hells. As I said, I did; now, as I promised, My judgment is correct. I am that One who does everything as He likes; no one compels Me, but I compel everything to happen as I like. Now I am giving authority to you [Muhammad] and I am saying, ‘Take this pen. If you would like to take anyone or everyone to Paradise, you may take.’”
I am the weakest one, and I would take them all. Now one Mercy Ocean is offered to creatures; now it is only the Mercy Oceans of ar- Rahman.172 That Day, ninety-nine Mercy Oceans will open to creatures. The Prophet saw will look and see that no one can be out of those Mercy Oceans.
We are happy with our Lord’s endless favors! ▲
172The Most Merciful.
40: THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL SUPPORT IN OUR TIME
The following talk was given on the afternoon of the 27th of Ramadan.
The Night of Power, or the Power of Nights? The holiest night, the Night of Power. When Allah created man weak, He granted to him some means; he may catch them to be powerful. Some of them are material means, some of them spiritual means.
Material means, all of them are only for using temporarily, not perma- nently. But spiritual powers’ sources are going to be for mankind perma- nently. They may continue throughout their lives, and after this life, also, their power continues.
Men are created weak, and Allah Almighty prepared something for them that they may trust in and continue throughout their lives. If a person feels he is weak, he isn’t able to do anything, to act. We are in need to do something and we are asking for something to support us so that we may be able to act.
Allah made so many things on earth which mankind may trust in. Most people are asking for material support; it comes through riches. Eve- ryone likes to be a rich one; no one likes to be poor—a double weakness [for one already weak]! Therefore, people are escaping from poverty and running after power. They think that when they reach to riches, support is perfect. But only for a period.
We are in need of spiritual support. Our time is proof that riches do not take away weakness. Maybe that rich person is more weak.
This tape recorder can work on batteries. But there are two openings in each recorder. It means that it can work from the main sources of power, also. If you are in contact with power sources, powers never end.
Material powers are only like batteries; must be finished. But you are created suitable to be connected with heavenly powers. Allah sends some heavenly people, heavenly power sources, and you are suitable to come into connection with those heavenly power sources. That gives you perfect sup- port, never ending.
This point must be well-understood. Don’t ask for power thro
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6097
serve i‘tikaf
(seclusion or retreat) during the last ten days of Ramadan.
37: TRYING TO BE GOOD ONES
We have been ordered to be good ones. And we are sitting here for what? We are sitting and asking from His endless favors to make our faith get stronger.
All prophets were sitting and making association, and those who were attending with them, their faith was growing and getting stronger. We are in need to renew our faith, iman; that is our purpose in meeting with people and asking from Allah Almighty’s endless blessings. And which thing helps you to make your iman stronger?
When you are trying to good ones, that helps you. If your faith does not get strong, you can’t be a good one; good ones always have strong faith. But ones with no faith, they are not strong; bad-intending and bad-acting people, no faith.
Bad actions and, even more, intentions, destroy faith. Actions are with organs; intentions are in the heart. And faith is also in the heart. Bad inten- tion comes near to faith in your heart and destroys it; no more can that per- son taste the sweet taste of faith. Bad intentions spoil and poison faith. Impossible to correct our actions without correcting our hearts. And with- out correcting intentions, our hearts cannot be corrected.
As long as your intentions are bad, your actions are going to be bad and worse. That destroys your faith. The whole of religion revolves around that good intentions. If anyone has good intentions, he is on the right path. If a person has bad intentions, he may be inscribed as a Muslim or a be- liever, but he is not a real believer.
If you see wrong actions, look at the heart; must be something wrong in the heart that appears as bad action. If you look at your heart, you must
find a bad intention that pushes you to a bad action. If a person intends to do some bad thing, you must know that faith has disappeared.
The Prophet saw made everything clear. During twenty-three years, he was explaining the Holy Qur’an down to the very finest detail, as a doctor comes and students’ eyes observe his operating with the finest scalpel. The Prophet , during twenty-three years, spoke millions of hadiths about the meaning of the Holy Qur’an, because the Qur’an is for all mankind; as long as time and space go on, as long as life continues on earth, the Qur’an is for mankind. And its first explainer is Sayyidina Muhammad saw.
He was saying, “A person can’t drink and be a believer; a person can’t do adultery and be a believer; a person can’t steal and be a believer.” Faith in his heart makes everything clear. If there is faith in a person’s heart, it is impossible for him to drink intentionally. When he intends that bad thing, his faith goes on his head and stands over his head. His heart is in dark- ness; no more light of faith.
Then that person does a forbidden act. If death comes to that person while he is doing a forbidden act, he goes without faith. That is a fearful thing, because a person may worship one hundred years and at the end, if death comes to him and he has left the way of obedience, he has changed his way towards Paradise and gone to the way of Hell. Therefore, he must be taken to Hell.
Allah is not an oppressor. “Where did you find My servant? Which- ever way he was going, take him there.” Maybe for one hundred years he went towards Paradise and then he turned towards Hell, and Allah orders, “As he likes, take him to Hell!”
We must control our hearts frequently, and the Prophet saw was asking, “O my Lord, la taj’alna mina-l-ghafilin.”156 A terrible thinq may happen to that person who is heedless, as, at the end of thousands of years, Shaytan went to the way of disobedience and Allah’s anger quickly turned on him.
156“Do not make us among the heedless.”
Hell’s way is under cursed arrows. Therefore, the Prophet saw says, “Whoever shoots at us is not from my nation,” and the Prophet takes his guarantee [for that] from Someone. Cursed arrows fall on that one; each day his troubles and sufferings increase. Don’t think that a curse comes like mercy.
Mostly curses are coming to people; that is making people suffer. But Allah promises to His beloved servant saw, “Even if the whole world is under the divine anger and curse, those who are on the way of obedience, never should any troubles or misery touch them. They are moving on the way of obedience, the way of Paradise, and no curse can touch them.”
We need to learn and to practice. We must look every time at our ac- tions, whether our actions are suitable for being obedient or disobedient, and control them. Each day we have thousands of actions and breaths. We must control ourselves. As much as you are controlling yourself, Allah gives you more blessings, and more blessings feed your faith. And as much as faith is strong, you are able to be a more obedient servant, and obedient servants are good ones.
The Seal of the Prophets saw made it clear that if a person wants to know about himself, whether he is a good one or a bad one, he can test himself. If you want to hear about yourself, you can go to an assembly of people, and then you can leave that group and go out. Leave your ear with them; your ear may hear what they will say about you. If they say about you, “A very good one,” that is a test of yourself. You may find a witness whether you are a good one or not.
A good one must be merciful to creatures, to mankind, particularly. Faith feeds a person with mercy; according to your faith, your mercy grows and covers everyone. The most famous sunnah to follow is to be merciful to everyone because the Seal of the Prophets saw was “the Mercy for Man- kind,”157 for creatures and for all the universes. He is absolute rahmah, mercy.
15721:107.
As long as you give mercy to people, your faith grows and you can be happy that you are a good one. With bad ones, no mercy; mercy is with good ones. Without having faith, you can’t give mercy; according to your faith, mercy comes and fills your heart. When you have a line from Mercy Oceans, mercy never finishes; always that mercy runs to creatures through you.
You can think about poor people while you are restraining yourself and fasting—their being hungry, being thirsty; fasting also teaches us to be merciful to poor people. For fifteen days, they put an advertisement around London. You saw it, perhaps, written on it, “Give more power to the poor,” and that is a Christian aid organization; they wrote that. They may advise people in that way, but for affecting people, there is no practice in Christianity.158 The practice for understanding poor people is to fast.
It is obligatory for believers during this month to do some charity, to give zakat al-fitr,159 to awaken mercy’s sources in our hearts. Each person must give that sadaqah160 before the ‘Eid prayer. In Christianity, no [such practice].
People are like walls and rocks. If you don’t force yourself to fast, to know what their condition is, you won’t develop mercy for people. Ask to be stronger in your belief. As much as belief is strong, mercy for people grows.
Now zakat al-fitr is only two pounds, but if you like to give £25 or
£100. . . ! Pakistani scholars are saying one pound. They are such greedy and mean [stingy] people; they must say two pounds at least and more, no limits. Give and don’t be afraid! They have been given everything here, they are rich. Why are their scholars saying one pound?
158Meaning that although Christian groups urge the giving of charity during the Christmas season, at the same time they celebrate the occasion by feasting and drinking, never tasting the sufferings of the poor and hungry, as Muslims do by fasting for a month.
159The obligatory charity of ‘Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, equivalent to the amount of an average meal for each member of one’s family.
160Charity.
Must be support for poor people! Christians may order charity for Christmas but they are only drinking beer and wine and whiskey. More than one billion people must give charity now.161 ▲
161That is, for the 1.3 billion Muslims throughout the world, the charity of ‘Eid al-Fitr is a religious obligation.
38: TAKING ONLY AS MUCH AS YOU NEED FROM DUNYA
The Seal of the Prophets saw is teaching people, through every hadith, to reach that horizon where he is.
The Prophet is not happy to have his nation to be on a lower level, asking for everyone from his nation to reach his most high level in the Di- vine Presence. Any hadith that he spoke—if anyone can practice that, that hadith takes that person from the lowest to the highest level. That is a wis- dom that I learned from my Grandshaykh.
Everyone must respect the Seal of the Prophets , and everyone gives respect according to his knowledge of that Prophet saw. Each one’s rank or value in the Divine Presence is according to his respect for the Seal of the Prophets . No one can advance in rank without giving more respect to the Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad saw. And you can’t be a per- son who gives proper respect until your knowledge about that Prophet advances and improves; everyone gives respect according to his knowledge about him.
Scholars know about the Seal of the Prophets , but awliya know more than all scholars. All scholars’ respect and knowledge all together can never reach one wali’s knowledge and respect. And also for awliya, there are several different ranks and levels.
All the imams of tariqats respect that Prophet , but the level of the Naqshbandi Order is the highest level of all orders. It is the most distin- guished order among forty-one tariqats, all orders ending in the Naqshbandi Order. The knowledge of the Naqshbandi Order is the highest knowledge and its respect for the Prophet is more than anyone else’s. And how do they give value to the Prophet and his hadith?
Grandshaykh was saying that each hadith includes something from Sayyidina Muhammad’s knowledge because it is part of the knowledge that Allah granted to him from His divine knowledge. He created His be- loved Muhammad’s soul and his lights. He trained him five times, 500,000 years, and gave him ‘ulum al-awwalin wal-akhirin, knowledge of all beginnings and all endings; of everything created, the beginning and the end, here and Hereafter. He has knowledge about the creation of mulk wal- malakut162—of this world, heavenly worlds and everything coming into exis- tence, he has been given knowledge. He is the main reason for every crea- ture and for all creation, because Allah created all creatures for the honor of that one, that beloved one.
He is the only and single beloved one in the Divine Presence. “For his honor,” Allah declares, “I created the Heavens, Adam, everything.” If he had not been created, Jesus Christ ¡ would not have come into existence; none of the prophets would have been created if he had not been created.
When Adam asked forgiveness from Allah, he asked forgiveness for the honor of Sayyidina Muhammad . And Allah asked him, “How do you know him, when he has not yet been created?”
Adam said, “When my soul first came into my body, I opened my eyes and looked at the Divine Throne, and I saw written on it ‘La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu Rasul-Allah,’ and I knew that that one must be the most be- loved one of Your creatures because his name is written next to Yours. He will be Your representative among all creatures. And I am asking forgive- ness for his honor.”
And Allah answered, “Very true. If I hadn’t created him, I would not have created you or anything else. Just for his honor, you have been for- given.”
The most honor, he has been given, and all creation has come into ex- istence to be an honor for him and everyone gets honor from him. His name is Muhammad , the Praised One, throughout creation. Everyone
162The material and the spiritual realms.
must know and praise him; otherwise it is impossible to come into exis- tence.
Everyone, according to his respect for him, is reaching a nearer rank in the Divine Presence. We are trying to give our utmost respect to him through our salat was-salam,163 as Allah is ordering us to give our respects to His beloved Prophet saw.164
He was teaching his nation, and through each hadith you can find ways to reach the highest level, which ends at beloved Muhammad’s level or station. Each hadith is an ocean of knowledge. All awliya are taking what they need of knowledge and wisdoms through his hadiths.
The description of this world came through hadiths. If you do not un- derstand the Prophet’s description of this world, you can’t save yourself from this world’s dangerous wadis.165 The Prophet says, “O people, this world is for all people. All of you are partners in this world. Allah is appor- tioning for everyone according to His wisdoms, giving more to some, a lit- tle bit to some, and to some nothing.” [Correcting himself:] Not nothing; they are taking their share, but minimum and maximum. So many different favors they have been given.
O people, even if you are given the whole world, if all of dunya is for you, you must take from it only what is enough for you. Don’t take more for yourself! If you take more, it may be others’ share. If anyone takes more than enough for himself, he takes from dunya a bit of its poison, a dangerous thing for him. No good; don’t take! May destroy you physically or spiritually.
You can understand from this hadith the whole meaning of this dunya and its quality; it makes you be always at the edge of precaution. You don’t know which thing harms you or destroys you physically or spiritually. If you take too much, it poisons you.
163Our invoking peace and blessings upon the Holy Prophet saw.
16433:56.
165Valleys, low-lying places.
You can’t take except what you need. There is no meaning of saving up dunya when you can’t use it. But Shaytan wants everyone to make big amounts to save, not to put to use for mankind, not to give benefit. That is the worst characteristic of egos.
Meanness [stinginess] is like a tree and its branches are coming on earth. If a man is mean, he catches a branch of that tree. That tree grows in Hell; if anyone catches hold of that tree, it takes him to Hell. And gen- erosity is also like a tree, its branches on earth. If anyone catches one branch, that tree takes him to Paradise. Even if not believing yet, Allah may finally take generous people to Paradise.
You must know about this dunya and take only your needs from it. If you take more, it is dangerous for you. Everyone can see so many rich ones, but they are never reach more than their needs. They are only collect- ing and holding; without payment, they are the guardians of collections. Then there comes a sickness into their hearts, never becoming happy or in pleasure. It is impossible to be rich and to be in peace; their hearts are oc- cupied.
Shaytan comes and makes them afraid for their gold, their possessions that they want to keep only for themselves, while it is impossible. Shaytan comes and says, “Oh, tomorrow you are going to die. Your relatives will be too happy that you have kept all of it for them.” And when Shaytan comes and says, “Look, tomorrow you may die,” that is enough punishment for them.
For everyone who gives, Allah gives him pleasure and peace and en- joyment in his heart. Therefore, this month, for generous people, is the season of charity. The sahabah, the Companions of Sayyidina Muhammad
saw, said that he was more generous than the spring winds that make every- thing wake up. The Prophet says, “In the autumn wind, protect your chest.” For the spring wind, you can open it to come in, as on trees, also; the spring wind gives life to everything and reaches everything. And the Prophet was more generous than that spring wind.
The followers of his Sunnah may follow as much as they are able. That gives honor and pleasure and saves you here and Hereafter, and makes you to reach the highest level with the Prophet .
Our egos are against everything that the Prophet brings, but our egos are sick, ill. Try to cure your ego through the sayings of the Prophet and to think about his hadith; so many wisdoms, taking humanity from nar- row paths to high happiness, here and Hereafter. We are asking forgiveness for every action against hadith. ▲
39: THE PROPHET’S INTERCESSION ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Ya Jami’u-n-Nas,166 Allah Almighty! Only He gathers people. Any time He wants to gather them, He may do it. Before this creation came into ex- istence, He first created the souls of people; He gathered and brought them.
Each one of mankind was present at that meeting, and Allah Almighty addressed our souls. That was the Day of Promises. Everyone was pre- sent; perhaps there was no time and no space in the Divine Presence. He addressed His servants and asked them, “Alastu bi-rabbikum—do you accept Me as your Lord?” Then, “Qalu, ‘Bala”; at that gathering, each soul de- clared, “Yes, we accept You.”167 All of them declared that He is the Lord and they promised to worship only Him.
Allah keeps that gathering, and still we are in that Divine Presence and we are giving our respects to the Lord Almighty. No one has moved from that state of being deputy, as Allah honored them and clothed them in that endless honor. From that Day, out of time and space, we are giving our endless respects to Him. Only He can gather. His divine Will is to give His deputies more lights and to make them be crowned with extra lights, nurun ‘ala nur.168
He created man and gave to him from His divine soul, blowing it into him.169 Originally our soul is from His divine soul. Our physical body, without our soul, is nothing, can’t live; it stays alive through our souls. Our
166O Gatherer of Mankind.
1677:172-173.
16824:35.
16915:29, 32:9, 38:72.
original souls, that Allah clothes with divine deputies’ lights, have never yet moved from the Divine Presence. Allah sends, from that soul, only one ray to our physical body, and that is enough to keep it.
He made for us an ability to take more and more lights during this life. We have been created like a river, running from beginning to end, one after the other. Every moment, every second, everything changes; in every unit of time, everything changes, but with our hearts’ vision, we are saying that everything is all right. Like a river from Adam to the Day of Resurrection, everyone coming is taking something from Allah’s endless favors.
We are coming one after the other and disappearing, and no-mind people are think that whoever disappears from this life is finished, while Allah is declaring to each prophet that only He is Jami’u-n-Nas, that He will gather them a second time. No one can disappear finally, forever; no one can hide himself. When He calls, everyone must listen and come and be present in the Divine Presence. And we are waiting for the last stop of this dunya. It is not far off.
So many millions went and disappeared from the streets of London; they are only waiting for Allah’s invitation and call to them to come. As He gathered everyone at the first, finally, also, on the Day of Resurrection, He will gather everyone in the Divine Presence.
In that gathering, everyone is going to know who is the Seal of the Prophets, who is the first one in the Divine Presence to address his Lord Almighty.170 He should be called to the Divine Presence, the first to speak and to be addressed.
When He gathers all creatures, He will give His judgment for every- one, putting some people in the direction of Paradise; they will be ready to move. And the second group of people, Allah will give judgment for them for Hells
Then He will address Sayyidina Muhammad , the most honored one of all creatures. All people will listen and look and see and understand;
170This is mentioned in numerous ahadith in Bukhari, Muslim and Mishkat al-Masabih.
nothing will prevent people’s seeing, nothing will prevent them from hear- ing and understanding. They will have sharp vision and hearing and under- standing that Day.
The Prophet will come, and all people will look and listen. Allah will make judgment for everyone at the same time. No need to look at the first and second and third, but everyone will think that only he is being judged. (For ladies, men will be judged—long beards! You always kept them back; now come on! Ladies will be sitting very quiet and fearful.)
Abu Yazid, Sultan al-‘Arifin, knew about his Lord and knew His at- tributes, and he was saying, “Everyone is afraid of that Day. But I am wait- ing for that Day to be in the Divine Presence, only to hear my Lord say, ‘O Abu Yazid!’—only waiting for that addressing from my Lord to me. Even if He throws me into Hells, seven Hells’ fires may even be extinguished from my joy at that addressing!” He was an ‘arif, knowing about his Lord, Allah Almighty.
We are nothing. When Allah says your name, you can’t imagine that joy, you should be so happy! Allah created us and gave everyone eyes and noses and cheeks and color. He is working on us and creating, but yet we are not happy, fighting, asking to be another color, also. People are angry with their colors, although He says “Ahsani taqwim,171 so beautiful.”
Abu Yazid will be so happy. And you must be happy! If Her Majesty the Queen addressed you, you would be so happy. I am nothing, and if you are really nothing, no judgment for “nothing.” Ladies cry quickly, very weak; they can easily be nothing. But you must declare it. The one who says “I am nothing” goes to the right. The one who is “something” goes among the left-wing people.
A person once asked Sayyidina ‘Ali how Allah Almighty is. Sayidina ‘Ali said, “For the One who created ‘How?’ you can’t ask ‘How?’ about Him.” No one knows how Allah Almighty will give His judgment on the
171“The most beautiful form.” (95:4)
Day of Resurrection. But He will call to His Throne that one whose name is written on the Throne together with His.
People will look, and Muhammad will come and sit on that Throne. And Allah will give the divine Pen to him. Allah Almighty will say, “Now I have finished My judgment for Paradise and Hells. As I said, I did; now, as I promised, My judgment is correct. I am that One who does everything as He likes; no one compels Me, but I compel everything to happen as I like. Now I am giving authority to you [Muhammad] and I am saying, ‘Take this pen. If you would like to take anyone or everyone to Paradise, you may take.’”
I am the weakest one, and I would take them all. Now one Mercy Ocean is offered to creatures; now it is only the Mercy Oceans of ar- Rahman.172 That Day, ninety-nine Mercy Oceans will open to creatures. The Prophet saw will look and see that no one can be out of those Mercy Oceans.
We are happy with our Lord’s endless favors! ▲
172The Most Merciful.
40: THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL SUPPORT IN OUR TIME
The following talk was given on the afternoon of the 27th of Ramadan.
The Night of Power, or the Power of Nights? The holiest night, the Night of Power. When Allah created man weak, He granted to him some means; he may catch them to be powerful. Some of them are material means, some of them spiritual means.
Material means, all of them are only for using temporarily, not perma- nently. But spiritual powers’ sources are going to be for mankind perma- nently. They may continue throughout their lives, and after this life, also, their power continues.
Men are created weak, and Allah Almighty prepared something for them that they may trust in and continue throughout their lives. If a person feels he is weak, he isn’t able to do anything, to act. We are in need to do something and we are asking for something to support us so that we may be able to act.
Allah made so many things on earth which mankind may trust in. Most people are asking for material support; it comes through riches. Eve- ryone likes to be a rich one; no one likes to be poor—a double weakness [for one already weak]! Therefore, people are escaping from poverty and running after power. They think that when they reach to riches, support is perfect. But only for a period.
We are in need of spiritual support. Our time is proof that riches do not take away weakness. Maybe that rich person is more weak.
This tape recorder can work on batteries. But there are two openings in each recorder. It means that it can work from the main sources of power, also. If you are in contact with power sources, powers never end.
Material powers are only like batteries; must be finished. But you are created suitable to be connected with heavenly powers. Allah sends some heavenly people, heavenly power sources, and you are suitable to come into connection with those heavenly power sources. That gives you perfect sup- port, never ending.
This point must be well-understood. Don’t ask for power thro
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