Mercy Oceans, Book 10 (239 pages, 4/21)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6138
d we live in a time and in a place where everything is urging our egos to ask more and more - unlimited desires.
Firstly, we must stop that. You must say, "That is your limit" for eating, for drinking, for dressing, for working, because all the holy books came by divine orders to put limits for the Sons of Adam, and this is well-known as halal and haram, permissible and prohibited. Allah Almighty puts limits: don't pass over them. Those are the limits, and if you do not put up that barrier, you must exceed them. And the whole of the Shari'ah17 is for all people, for eyery Son of Adam; everyone has responsibi lities for keeping that Shari'ah.
17 The unchangeable Divine Law; that is, the rules of right and wrong which were revealed by God through His prophets throughout man's history and finalized in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (practise) of the Last Prophet, p.b.u.h.
Allah Almighty knows our egos and their desires; He knows perfectly. If not putting a limit, it is dangerous and terrible. The first step is to know those limits. Don't leave your ego to ask everything from you without limits.
Now we are in the holy month of fasting. That fasting teaches us how we may be able to put a limit on our egos' desires; therefore it is the most important worship. Without that worship, it is impossible to stand in front of your ego and address it, order it, "Do this, leave that." If you can't do that, you are weak and your ego is riding on you and leading you anywhere it wants, and it is dangerous and terrible. Therefore, fasting is the main door to every worship, because it is useless to do worship while you are unable to stand in front of your ego and command it.
And when we move toward Allah Almighty, when servants ask for their Lord and go toward His Divine Presence, He also makes His divine will to approach His servants. When you take one step, He orders your goal to come ten steps nearer. Sometimes our goal comes so near; we can reach it if we can move one more step, but our ego, our nafs, cuts the way. When that happens, we find ourselves far away. We do not take care about small things, but they give us so much harm, making us to be as we were at the first step, falling down.
Therefore, every believer, every Muslim, must know that when he moves toward his Lord, there are four enemies 18around him; to make him turn from his way. If you want to take one step, one hundred satans come to prevent you from stepping; then one thousand attack you, to bring you back. You can't do it without your Lord's power, Therefore, we say, "La hawla wa la quwwata illa bil-Lah al-'Ali al-'Adhim19; we say, "O our Lord, we can't turn from the bad way to Your good path without Your power, without Your will, o our Lord, give us from Your divine power, to make our feet firm on Your path."
These days and nights of Ramadan come once each year and they are soon going to be ended. They are the days of ghanimah, days of treasures, precious things, and also the days most open for divine Mercy Oceans. And our Lord is waiting for us to ask more and more of His divine mercies and powers, and more and more divine support for ourselves.
18 That is, Satan, nafs, dunya and hawa, base desires
19 There is no might nor power except in God, the Most High, the Almighty. A phrase often used by Muslims to express total reliance upon God in unusual or difficult circumstances
You must ask, particularly during the last third of Holy Ramadan, in which one night is going to be the Night of Power, Lailat al-Qadr 20particularly to search for that night. To find that manifestation in that holy Night - that is our goal throughout our lives, and the one to whom it is given to find that Night, Allah Almighty takes him under His divine protection. The one who finds the Night of Power is granted by his Lord endless Mercy Oceans and endless favours, and he is protected. If prophets are innocent21, the one who has found the Night of Power has the attribute of being protected; and for the one who is protected by divine favours, it is impossible for Satan to come and take him out of our Lord's protection.
We must try. We are such weak people in our faith for finding that Night, but we are asking our Lord to give us from that Night's barakah, its blessings, and that barakah may also give us protection forever.
SAYING "ALHAMDULILLĀH" AND INTENDING THE BEST
Allah Almighty likes His servants to be always in pleasure and to be pleased. That is important.
You must be pleased with your Lord. Therefore He begins His Holy Book, the Qur'an, by saying, "Al-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l-'alamin." Yes, you must understand what He means. Awliya, saints, say that it means, "O My servants, all of you, say, 'Alhamdulillah - all praise is for Allah.'" He is asking us to be pleased with Him; that is important.
Be pleased with your Lord. If you are pleased with Him, He is going to make you pleased with Him, pleased with everything. Say, "O my Lord, I am pleased with You."
This order covers our lives, from beginning to end. When you are able to understand yourself22, you are ordered to be pleased with your Lord. When you reach fifteen years, the age of maturity, you must say that you are at the
20 The Night during which the Holy Prophet received the first revelation of the Qur'an in the Cave of Hira outside Mecca. Its anmal observance is commemorated with night-long vigils for worship. According to hadiths, it falls on one of the odd- numbered nichts during the last ten days of Ramadan.
21 According to Islamic tradition, one of the attributes of a prophet is that he is free of any defects of character and innocent of arry major sins.
22 Referring to puberty, the season of the unfolding of the personality and the flowering of the body, mind and heart
age which is like a new rose; you must look at yourself and you must say, "Alhamdulillah." From that age up to the end, you must say, "Thanks to my Lord; all praise and thanks to my Lord Almighty". That is Holy Qur'an's teaching to us.
"Wa akhiru d'awahum an il-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l-'alamin23." - the first and last word of servants to their Lord is to say, "Al-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l- 'alamin24, endless thanks and most respectful praises only to our Lord, Almighty Allah." That is the divine teaching: Allah Almighty teaches people through His prophets and through the Seal of the Prophets, p.b.u.h., and through his inheritors, awliya, to say "Alhamdulillah - thanks be to our Lord, endless thanks." He is going to be pleased when His servants to say "Alhamdulillah." If you live your life from the beginning up to the end and say, "Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alham dulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah..." and nothing else, you are going to reach your Lord. You are going to be a neighbor to the Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., and you are going to be a neighbor to Allah Almighty Himself.
On the Day of Resurrection, all people will come to Mahshar, the place of judgment. It is going to be on the Plain of Damascus, the Prophet said. All people, from East and West, from North and South, will come, some of them walking, some of them riding.
Who will walk on the Day of Resurrection? Those who did not know how to ride on their egos, they will walk, and they will carry their egos on their shoulders, also. And for those who rode on their egos, Allah Almighty will send Buraq25, the holy horse from Paradise, and they will ride, coming to the plain of Judgment Day.
All those people will fill up that plain, so many people, from the beginning to the end, are going to be present there. There will be so many people that one thousand people will try to put their feet on a space one foot square. But those people who have come to that plain on their Buraqs, their heavenly mounts, will have private stations of their own.
23 "And the end of their call will be, 'Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds" (X:10). For conciseness, "al-hamdu lil-Lah," an expression frequently used by Muslims, is ordinarily written as "Alhamdulillah."
24 "Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds." (1:1)
25 Buraq is the name of the celestial steed sent from Paradise as the Holy Prophet's mount during his Night Journey arxit Ascension
Then, before beginning judgment, Allah Almighty will order an angel to call out to all the people, saying, "Those who always said "Alhamdulillah', who, at every occasion, for every condition they were in, said, 'Alhamdulillah, thanks, endless thanks and most respectful praises to our Lord' - those people stand up."
They will stand up among all the people and angels will come to them, one taking them from this side, one from that side, and will go from Mahshar. And Allah Almighty will order, "Take them to My Paradise; no judgment, no accounting for them. They were pleased with Me at all times, and I am pleased with them. No need for judgment here. They may enter My Paradise, they may enjoy themselves, because they were pleased with Me."
We are trying be pleased with our Lord, But as much as our egos are with us, it is difficult to be pleased with Him because we are mostly trying to make our egos pleased with us. Wrong way, wrong method! Your ego, your nafs, is not going to be pleased with you, ever; as much as you may give it, doing everything for it, your nafs is not going to be satisfied and to say "Thank you" to you.
You know this? Does it say "Thank you" to you? It never says "Thank you," a very proud creature! It never says "Thank you" to Allah Al mighty; then how is it going to say "Thank you' to you? Yes; as much as our ego is with us and we listen to it, it is so difficult to say to Allah Almighty, "Thanks to my Lord." Therefore, it is a great fight, a great war, between you and your nafs. When you win that war, then your nafs is going to say to you, "O my master, thank you, and as you like."
This fasting is a most important worship. It produces respect, teaching your nafs, so that when you are fasting and hungry and then you break your fast, it will feel like saying "Alhamdulillah," teaching you how you may be pleased with your Lord.
Now your ego, your nafs, cries, "Too hungry, too thirsty!" Then you say, "No! Wait until the time comes." And it says, "It's all right - doesn't matter about the time," and you say, "Two minutes more."
"Leave two minutes out of this! Give me something to drink, to eat!" And you say, "No. You must wait two minutes more... one minute more... now26!"* And your nafs learns to say "Thanks," firstly to you and then to say to its Lord, "Thanks, endless thanks to my Lord, Allah Almighty."
26 The Islamic fast is broken at sunset
May Allah Almighty help us with our egos. You can't receive divine help without intention. When you intend, divine help comes to you and supports you. If you do not have that intention, you cannot recieve divine help and support.
We are living in a very difficult time and if you look around yourself, you may decide that it is impossible to be a Muslim or to keep the divine orders in a Western country, in a circle that surrounds you with doubts. Everyone is trying to catch you out and you are weak. But you are intending and saying, "O my Lord, I am a weak servant to You and I am surrounded by devils. And everything is catching me from one side, to take me from iman, to kufr, from belief to unbelief, from Islam to non-Muslim circles, from obedience to rebellion against You, from honor to dishonor, from light to darkness, from goodness to badness. And I am weak, perhaps the weakest one, and I am asking Your divine protection and divine help, divine support." Then you may find yourself protected - fasting, praying, keeping yourself far away from devils. Rather, devils will run away from you and you will become like Sayyidina Umar27. Shaytan said, "If I see "Umar coming from this way, I turn to that way in order not to come face to face with him." Yes; as much as we feel our weakness, comes more help, more support.
Now a sister has brought a baby in a basket. If she comes with three little children, her eyes are going to be on the weakest one, to give more support to him. Then, as much as you say, "O our Lord, I am the weakest one among those people," more divine support will come to you. But if you say, "I am a doctor," "I am a murid," "I am a sheikh," "I am a scholar," "I am a worshipper," you will be left to yourself, you will be left in the hands of your ego.
When you say, "I am sufficient for myself; I have enough knowledge, I have enough prayers," you are left in the hands of your nafs. Therefore, throughout all his life the Prophet, p.b.u.h., called to his Lord, Allah Almighty, saying, "O my Lord, please don't leave me in the hands of my ego." He was the Prophet, he was divinely protected, but he meant to teach us. The one who is left in the hands of his ego has lost his honour here and Hereafter, and he is disgraced and shamed.
We must ask our Lord so that He may keep and protect and support us in front of our egos, because our ego is the wildest creature that has been created. It has been given to the Sons of Adam because the ranks of the Sons of Adam are the highest among creatures, and, as you know, kings or heroes ride on gigantic horses (but someone like me rides on a donkey: if I ride such a horse, it will throw me).
27 A great Campanion of the Holy Prophet, p.b.u.h., and second caliph of Islam
The most respected creatures among all creatures are the Sons of Adam, and therefore Allah Almighty gives them such a horse as our ego, so powerful, for riding on and going into the Divine Presence. But we must very careful, because nafs is going to cheat us and ride on us, quickly ask for divine support. That is the characteristic that Allah Almighty likes most to see among Bis servants: To say, "I am Your weak servant, O my Lord; I can't do anything. I am only a helpless and powerless servant." And Allah Almighty is going to be pieased with that servant, quickly sending His divine power, divine support, to keep him.
This fasting teaches us these good manners and gives us divine support when we intend that. Therefore, in Islam intention is the most important thing, and for every action, for every worship, intention is fard, obligatory, the most important order from Allah Almighty. There fore, a person may have lived as an unbeliever for ninety years and his death is approaching. Then he intends to be a believer, to be a humble servant to his Lord, but there is no more movement, no more activity with him; he can't even move his hands or feet, nothing. He only makes intention in his heart that if he were to be healthy, he would be his Lord's obedient, humble servant. Even if he is not able to say with his tongue, "I accept You, O my Lord, as my Lord," when Allah Almighty looks at his heart and sees that he is coming from unbelief to belief, without any action but intending, He sends His mercy angels to take his soul, with mercy, to Mercy Oceans.
Therefore intention is the most important order of our Lord, and by means of intention we are going to be on the path of the prophets and awliya. May Allah Almighty give us inspirations and correct our intentions from badness to goodness, from unbelief to belief, changing our intentions to the best.
LIMITING THE DESIRES OF THE NAFS
Everything happens as a result of our deeds. Good things bring good things bad deeds bring bad things.
You must believe in this; it must be well-known: nothing comes upon a person who intends goodness and whose deeds are good; goodness brings goodness, badness brings badness. Therefore, in America, in Asia, in the Middle East, in England, in the East, in the West, every trouble is to be found. Peoples' deeds are causing that; they are always playing with fire.
Some individuals are influencing or, instigating others, and people are following them, not asking who that person is and what his intentions may be. All are running after him.
Here, also. Yesterday I was coming )through a demonstration in the streets). For one these peoples' "Hur-r-rah! Hur-r-rah!! Hip hip hurrah!!!" did not finish. People were running like a river. For what is this? What is the meaning?
In England Welfare is at the highest point; in what other country are there as many people on Welfare as in England? But we are not saying "Thanks" to Allah - we are asking for more. You may be able to eat everything, drink everything, wear everything; your cars, your houses, your hospitals, everything, is there. For what is this asking for more, asking for more?
Never satisfied: that is our ego's characteristic. We know that. As much as you may give it, the ego does not see what you gave it but asks for that, also. "Now I am finished with this; that also I am asking." You can't find any limit to stop it.
Therefore, religions make a limit for our endless debes. But now, without religion, people are atheists, saying, "No God." Therefore they must be punished. That punishment has not come yet, but a big punishment is arriving now. Allah Almighty never jokes; no, no joking for Allah. We must fear him.
LIVING WORDS
This my English is strange English. Not everyone can understand because, subhanallah, meanings are coming to my heart, and when running in my heart to give to you, I am using any means, from here, from there, bringing every word which may be useful.
I am like a person waiting for a tap of water. Then, when suddenly it comes and he knows that it is going to be cut off, also, he may take any cup, any vessel- no-good shape, broken on one side, or anything he may find there - quickly bringing them to take that. Therefore, when meanings come to my heart, I am trying to explain with any word which you may understand or not. But you must understand, because we have a saying, "Listeners must be more wise than speakers." Therefore, when inspiration comes, we must explain.
They are living words, not plastic - bananas, plastic; apples, plastic, and grapes. Even if the shapes are not much, they are living. real. When you are going to make them in measures, good system (grammatically correct), when you are going to be engaged by outside forms, you are losing meanings.
GUARDING YOUR HEART FROM DUNYA
We mumins, believers, must know about this world and about Akhirah, the Hereafter. If we do not understand what is the value of dunya, we will never be safe from dunya’s fitnah (strijd), this world's mischief, and dunya's fitnah is the worst fitnah for believers, particularly in such a country where people are worshipping dunya, not worshipping anything else. Therefore, the one who knows what dunya is may be protected by his Lord Almighty.
We must know that this life is a temporary life. All of us know this, but heedlessness is making us like drunk people. We are going; whether we want to stay or not, we are passing from this life to Akhirah, believers and non-believers, also. No one can stay here, even if he says, "I don't believe in Akhirah and I'm not going"; everyone must go. We believe that this life is for a temporary period for all people but that after this life will come a permanent, eternal life for everyone, for both believers and unbelievers.
Now, we know that we are going, passing on. Everything around us is going to cheat us, but the mumin's face must be in front of Allah Almighty's Divine Face. Your must ask for your Lord, not for dunya. That is the main goal of the munin: to reach his Lord's satisfaction and pleasure.
You must be careful, because dunya is a temporary place. At any time the Angel of Death, 'Izrail, p.b.u.h., may come and say, "Give back the ananah, the trust that Allah Almighty gave to you." And when he comes to take your soul to your Lord, Allah Almighty will ask, "How did you find My servant?
Was his face turned to Me, or to dunya? Where was his heart, with Me or with dunya?"
O people, o believers, we must understand about this life. We have been ordered to be with our Lord, Allah Almighty, and He is with us. At the first level, Allah Almighty says, "Wainna 'alaikum la-hafidhina, kiraman katibin"28 - o people, you have two angels, two honourable angels, with you. Therefore you must know that you are not alone. Anywhere you may be, those two honourable angels are going with you.
That is the first stage for the mumin, for the believer. But concerning the highest degree, Allah Almighty says, "Wa Hua ma'akun aina ma kuntum"29 -
28 "And verily over you are guardians, noble inscribers (of your deeds)." (LXXXII:10- 11)
29 "And He is with you wherever you may be." (LVII:4)
O My servants, you must know that, more than angels, I am with you. And we must keep that.
O servants of our Lord, He is with us every time, everywhere. You must keep His being with you. He knows where you are looking, He knows to what you are listening, He knows what you are thinking about. Keep your heart, even during Ramadan, and then Allah Almighty will keep your heart the whole year.
ABOUT EATING AND DRINKING
When you eat or drink something, as much as you are with your Lord, it is going to be very light for your body. But if you eat heedlessly, ghafil 'an-Illah, without reflection, thinking about making your ego pleased, then it all comes on you as a burden.
Therefore you may eat and drink every halal thing, but on the level of nafs you must be very careful. When you have had enough of food and drink, you must stop. If not stopping, it may hurt you, may disturb you, may destroy your body.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NAFS AND THE SOUL BECOMES TOO INTENSE
At the time when Sayyidina 'Ali and Sayyidina Mu'awiyah were fighting to arrive at a decision concerning the caliphate, one Sahabi, Companion, at the time of prayers, went to pray with Sayyidina 'Ali. At the time of eating, he went to Mu'awiyah. And at the time of fighting, when it was too hard, he sat on the hill.
Both sides were very angry with him, asking, "Why? What is this? At the time of prayers you come to pray with Sayyidina 'Ali, at the time of meals you go to Mu'awiyah, and when they fight you go up to the hill!"
Then he said, "The imam is Sayyidina 'Ali; he has the imamate and praying behind him is more acceptable than behind anyone else. And Mu'awiyah's meals are the best."
"What about for fighting?"
"At the time of fighting, there is safety on the hill. I go there to be safe."
When fighting takes place between your soul and your ego, you go on the hill, stay there until they finish and come down. You understand? it means that when your soul and ego fight too much, sleep. "An-naum adh-dhalim al- 'ibadah" 30- when an oppressor sleeps, people can rest from him and it is 'ibadah, worship, for him. Let him sleep; don't awaken him. When he comes, he comes with cruelty.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF A SERVANT: TO AGREE WITH HIS LORD'S WILL IN EVERYTHING
Knowledge is one thing and to live is something else. Allah Almighty sent His prophets to teach people how they must live - how they must live as His servants; the real purpose was not just to give them holy books for reciting. And when Umm ul-Muminin, Sayyidatina 'Aishah31, may Allah bless her, was asked about the Prophet's attributes, she replied, "Khulquhu-l-Qur'an" - his attributes were just like the Qur'an.
You can't find the attributes of the Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., deviating from the Holy Qur'an; whatever the Holy Qur'an presents, you can find his attributes agreeing with it. Therefore Allah Almighty orders His servants, believers, to take His beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., as their example. You must use the Prophet's attributesas examples for yourself, and you must know that he is the most perfect example for the sons of Adam.
You can look at the Prophet, p.b.u.h., from every direction and you will find him perfect from every direction. If we can be correct from only one direction (not from every direction; that is too remote for us), it may be enough for us; if we can follow our Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., even in one sunnah, it will be safety and pleasure and happiness and success for us forever. Therefore, as much as we are trying to learn, that is good, but we must also try to do as much as we are able, and if we can keep even one percent out of one hundred, it is a good thing for us.
30 "The sleep of the oppressor is worship." (Hadith) صالحافله عمل من
31 The Mother of the Believers, the Prophet's wife 'Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr Siddiq.
What was our Prophet's main attribute? His main attribute, according to all the books of our knowledge, was that he was in perfect agreement with his Lord Almighty for everything, agreeing with his Lord on behalf of himself and everyone else. He was the perfect one in ma'rifat, knowledge of his Lord; in knowledge of Allah, no one can reach the point that our Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., reached. He has an ocean of divine knowledge, and if we could take all the divine knowledge that all creatures have been given, including the knowledge of other prophets, of awliya, of angels, it is only a little drop in that ocean. They have only a little drop, and that little drop, compared to other creatures, is itself oceans.
Perfect knowledge among all creatures is for beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.n.; and therefore he was the first among all creatures to be in agreement with his Lord in everything.
As much as we can approach that point, we will reach perfect servanthood. But it is difficult. It is not an easy way; it is steep. Whoever is asking for high positions must be tired. Whoever wants easy things, easy is cheap; easy products are cheap products. But difficult products are expensive, precious.
Therefore, that is our Prophet's main attribute: to be in agreement with his Lord for every action, seeing it as perfect. And once you step on that path, everything is going to be easy for you. Therefore your level is always going to be above the level of rebellious people.
People are of two groups, one group seeing, the other group blind people. Those to whom Allah Almighty gives from His divine lights can look and see Lauhi-l-Mahfudh, the Preserved Tablet32. Those who can see that are always going to be in agreement with every action of their Lord Almighty, no objection. But those who do not see are always fighting with their Lord.
Therefore, 'Abdul-Qadir Jilānī, may Allah bless him, a "king sized" wali, said, "The one who makes objections against the divine orders being carried out, who makes objections to the Divine Will, falls into shirk, associating partners with Allah. He is going to be like a partner to Allah Almighty because he says, 'This is not right. I object to this point, I give veto.'"
'Abdul-Qadir Sayyidi means that when someone says, "What is this? This is wrong," he is going to be like a partner in Allah's sovereignty, going against Him. Who is he? Why was Satan cast aside?
That is the reason: objecting to Allah's will, so that everyone who goes against and objects to our Lord's will is the same; at that moment he is the
32 The heavenly record of God's decrees for all time, past, present and to come
same as Iblis, as Satan. Therefore we must say, "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah; may Allah forgive us. We repent and turn back to yo
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d we live in a time and in a place where everything is urging our egos to ask more and more - unlimited desires.
Firstly, we must stop that. You must say, "That is your limit" for eating, for drinking, for dressing, for working, because all the holy books came by divine orders to put limits for the Sons of Adam, and this is well-known as halal and haram, permissible and prohibited. Allah Almighty puts limits: don't pass over them. Those are the limits, and if you do not put up that barrier, you must exceed them. And the whole of the Shari'ah17 is for all people, for eyery Son of Adam; everyone has responsibi lities for keeping that Shari'ah.
17 The unchangeable Divine Law; that is, the rules of right and wrong which were revealed by God through His prophets throughout man's history and finalized in the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah (practise) of the Last Prophet, p.b.u.h.
Allah Almighty knows our egos and their desires; He knows perfectly. If not putting a limit, it is dangerous and terrible. The first step is to know those limits. Don't leave your ego to ask everything from you without limits.
Now we are in the holy month of fasting. That fasting teaches us how we may be able to put a limit on our egos' desires; therefore it is the most important worship. Without that worship, it is impossible to stand in front of your ego and address it, order it, "Do this, leave that." If you can't do that, you are weak and your ego is riding on you and leading you anywhere it wants, and it is dangerous and terrible. Therefore, fasting is the main door to every worship, because it is useless to do worship while you are unable to stand in front of your ego and command it.
And when we move toward Allah Almighty, when servants ask for their Lord and go toward His Divine Presence, He also makes His divine will to approach His servants. When you take one step, He orders your goal to come ten steps nearer. Sometimes our goal comes so near; we can reach it if we can move one more step, but our ego, our nafs, cuts the way. When that happens, we find ourselves far away. We do not take care about small things, but they give us so much harm, making us to be as we were at the first step, falling down.
Therefore, every believer, every Muslim, must know that when he moves toward his Lord, there are four enemies 18around him; to make him turn from his way. If you want to take one step, one hundred satans come to prevent you from stepping; then one thousand attack you, to bring you back. You can't do it without your Lord's power, Therefore, we say, "La hawla wa la quwwata illa bil-Lah al-'Ali al-'Adhim19; we say, "O our Lord, we can't turn from the bad way to Your good path without Your power, without Your will, o our Lord, give us from Your divine power, to make our feet firm on Your path."
These days and nights of Ramadan come once each year and they are soon going to be ended. They are the days of ghanimah, days of treasures, precious things, and also the days most open for divine Mercy Oceans. And our Lord is waiting for us to ask more and more of His divine mercies and powers, and more and more divine support for ourselves.
18 That is, Satan, nafs, dunya and hawa, base desires
19 There is no might nor power except in God, the Most High, the Almighty. A phrase often used by Muslims to express total reliance upon God in unusual or difficult circumstances
You must ask, particularly during the last third of Holy Ramadan, in which one night is going to be the Night of Power, Lailat al-Qadr 20particularly to search for that night. To find that manifestation in that holy Night - that is our goal throughout our lives, and the one to whom it is given to find that Night, Allah Almighty takes him under His divine protection. The one who finds the Night of Power is granted by his Lord endless Mercy Oceans and endless favours, and he is protected. If prophets are innocent21, the one who has found the Night of Power has the attribute of being protected; and for the one who is protected by divine favours, it is impossible for Satan to come and take him out of our Lord's protection.
We must try. We are such weak people in our faith for finding that Night, but we are asking our Lord to give us from that Night's barakah, its blessings, and that barakah may also give us protection forever.
SAYING "ALHAMDULILLĀH" AND INTENDING THE BEST
Allah Almighty likes His servants to be always in pleasure and to be pleased. That is important.
You must be pleased with your Lord. Therefore He begins His Holy Book, the Qur'an, by saying, "Al-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l-'alamin." Yes, you must understand what He means. Awliya, saints, say that it means, "O My servants, all of you, say, 'Alhamdulillah - all praise is for Allah.'" He is asking us to be pleased with Him; that is important.
Be pleased with your Lord. If you are pleased with Him, He is going to make you pleased with Him, pleased with everything. Say, "O my Lord, I am pleased with You."
This order covers our lives, from beginning to end. When you are able to understand yourself22, you are ordered to be pleased with your Lord. When you reach fifteen years, the age of maturity, you must say that you are at the
20 The Night during which the Holy Prophet received the first revelation of the Qur'an in the Cave of Hira outside Mecca. Its anmal observance is commemorated with night-long vigils for worship. According to hadiths, it falls on one of the odd- numbered nichts during the last ten days of Ramadan.
21 According to Islamic tradition, one of the attributes of a prophet is that he is free of any defects of character and innocent of arry major sins.
22 Referring to puberty, the season of the unfolding of the personality and the flowering of the body, mind and heart
age which is like a new rose; you must look at yourself and you must say, "Alhamdulillah." From that age up to the end, you must say, "Thanks to my Lord; all praise and thanks to my Lord Almighty". That is Holy Qur'an's teaching to us.
"Wa akhiru d'awahum an il-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l-'alamin23." - the first and last word of servants to their Lord is to say, "Al-hamdu lil-Lahi Rabbi-l- 'alamin24, endless thanks and most respectful praises only to our Lord, Almighty Allah." That is the divine teaching: Allah Almighty teaches people through His prophets and through the Seal of the Prophets, p.b.u.h., and through his inheritors, awliya, to say "Alhamdulillah - thanks be to our Lord, endless thanks." He is going to be pleased when His servants to say "Alhamdulillah." If you live your life from the beginning up to the end and say, "Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alham dulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah..." and nothing else, you are going to reach your Lord. You are going to be a neighbor to the Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., and you are going to be a neighbor to Allah Almighty Himself.
On the Day of Resurrection, all people will come to Mahshar, the place of judgment. It is going to be on the Plain of Damascus, the Prophet said. All people, from East and West, from North and South, will come, some of them walking, some of them riding.
Who will walk on the Day of Resurrection? Those who did not know how to ride on their egos, they will walk, and they will carry their egos on their shoulders, also. And for those who rode on their egos, Allah Almighty will send Buraq25, the holy horse from Paradise, and they will ride, coming to the plain of Judgment Day.
All those people will fill up that plain, so many people, from the beginning to the end, are going to be present there. There will be so many people that one thousand people will try to put their feet on a space one foot square. But those people who have come to that plain on their Buraqs, their heavenly mounts, will have private stations of their own.
23 "And the end of their call will be, 'Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds" (X:10). For conciseness, "al-hamdu lil-Lah," an expression frequently used by Muslims, is ordinarily written as "Alhamdulillah."
24 "Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds." (1:1)
25 Buraq is the name of the celestial steed sent from Paradise as the Holy Prophet's mount during his Night Journey arxit Ascension
Then, before beginning judgment, Allah Almighty will order an angel to call out to all the people, saying, "Those who always said "Alhamdulillah', who, at every occasion, for every condition they were in, said, 'Alhamdulillah, thanks, endless thanks and most respectful praises to our Lord' - those people stand up."
They will stand up among all the people and angels will come to them, one taking them from this side, one from that side, and will go from Mahshar. And Allah Almighty will order, "Take them to My Paradise; no judgment, no accounting for them. They were pleased with Me at all times, and I am pleased with them. No need for judgment here. They may enter My Paradise, they may enjoy themselves, because they were pleased with Me."
We are trying be pleased with our Lord, But as much as our egos are with us, it is difficult to be pleased with Him because we are mostly trying to make our egos pleased with us. Wrong way, wrong method! Your ego, your nafs, is not going to be pleased with you, ever; as much as you may give it, doing everything for it, your nafs is not going to be satisfied and to say "Thank you" to you.
You know this? Does it say "Thank you" to you? It never says "Thank you," a very proud creature! It never says "Thank you" to Allah Al mighty; then how is it going to say "Thank you' to you? Yes; as much as our ego is with us and we listen to it, it is so difficult to say to Allah Almighty, "Thanks to my Lord." Therefore, it is a great fight, a great war, between you and your nafs. When you win that war, then your nafs is going to say to you, "O my master, thank you, and as you like."
This fasting is a most important worship. It produces respect, teaching your nafs, so that when you are fasting and hungry and then you break your fast, it will feel like saying "Alhamdulillah," teaching you how you may be pleased with your Lord.
Now your ego, your nafs, cries, "Too hungry, too thirsty!" Then you say, "No! Wait until the time comes." And it says, "It's all right - doesn't matter about the time," and you say, "Two minutes more."
"Leave two minutes out of this! Give me something to drink, to eat!" And you say, "No. You must wait two minutes more... one minute more... now26!"* And your nafs learns to say "Thanks," firstly to you and then to say to its Lord, "Thanks, endless thanks to my Lord, Allah Almighty."
26 The Islamic fast is broken at sunset
May Allah Almighty help us with our egos. You can't receive divine help without intention. When you intend, divine help comes to you and supports you. If you do not have that intention, you cannot recieve divine help and support.
We are living in a very difficult time and if you look around yourself, you may decide that it is impossible to be a Muslim or to keep the divine orders in a Western country, in a circle that surrounds you with doubts. Everyone is trying to catch you out and you are weak. But you are intending and saying, "O my Lord, I am a weak servant to You and I am surrounded by devils. And everything is catching me from one side, to take me from iman, to kufr, from belief to unbelief, from Islam to non-Muslim circles, from obedience to rebellion against You, from honor to dishonor, from light to darkness, from goodness to badness. And I am weak, perhaps the weakest one, and I am asking Your divine protection and divine help, divine support." Then you may find yourself protected - fasting, praying, keeping yourself far away from devils. Rather, devils will run away from you and you will become like Sayyidina Umar27. Shaytan said, "If I see "Umar coming from this way, I turn to that way in order not to come face to face with him." Yes; as much as we feel our weakness, comes more help, more support.
Now a sister has brought a baby in a basket. If she comes with three little children, her eyes are going to be on the weakest one, to give more support to him. Then, as much as you say, "O our Lord, I am the weakest one among those people," more divine support will come to you. But if you say, "I am a doctor," "I am a murid," "I am a sheikh," "I am a scholar," "I am a worshipper," you will be left to yourself, you will be left in the hands of your ego.
When you say, "I am sufficient for myself; I have enough knowledge, I have enough prayers," you are left in the hands of your nafs. Therefore, throughout all his life the Prophet, p.b.u.h., called to his Lord, Allah Almighty, saying, "O my Lord, please don't leave me in the hands of my ego." He was the Prophet, he was divinely protected, but he meant to teach us. The one who is left in the hands of his ego has lost his honour here and Hereafter, and he is disgraced and shamed.
We must ask our Lord so that He may keep and protect and support us in front of our egos, because our ego is the wildest creature that has been created. It has been given to the Sons of Adam because the ranks of the Sons of Adam are the highest among creatures, and, as you know, kings or heroes ride on gigantic horses (but someone like me rides on a donkey: if I ride such a horse, it will throw me).
27 A great Campanion of the Holy Prophet, p.b.u.h., and second caliph of Islam
The most respected creatures among all creatures are the Sons of Adam, and therefore Allah Almighty gives them such a horse as our ego, so powerful, for riding on and going into the Divine Presence. But we must very careful, because nafs is going to cheat us and ride on us, quickly ask for divine support. That is the characteristic that Allah Almighty likes most to see among Bis servants: To say, "I am Your weak servant, O my Lord; I can't do anything. I am only a helpless and powerless servant." And Allah Almighty is going to be pieased with that servant, quickly sending His divine power, divine support, to keep him.
This fasting teaches us these good manners and gives us divine support when we intend that. Therefore, in Islam intention is the most important thing, and for every action, for every worship, intention is fard, obligatory, the most important order from Allah Almighty. There fore, a person may have lived as an unbeliever for ninety years and his death is approaching. Then he intends to be a believer, to be a humble servant to his Lord, but there is no more movement, no more activity with him; he can't even move his hands or feet, nothing. He only makes intention in his heart that if he were to be healthy, he would be his Lord's obedient, humble servant. Even if he is not able to say with his tongue, "I accept You, O my Lord, as my Lord," when Allah Almighty looks at his heart and sees that he is coming from unbelief to belief, without any action but intending, He sends His mercy angels to take his soul, with mercy, to Mercy Oceans.
Therefore intention is the most important order of our Lord, and by means of intention we are going to be on the path of the prophets and awliya. May Allah Almighty give us inspirations and correct our intentions from badness to goodness, from unbelief to belief, changing our intentions to the best.
LIMITING THE DESIRES OF THE NAFS
Everything happens as a result of our deeds. Good things bring good things bad deeds bring bad things.
You must believe in this; it must be well-known: nothing comes upon a person who intends goodness and whose deeds are good; goodness brings goodness, badness brings badness. Therefore, in America, in Asia, in the Middle East, in England, in the East, in the West, every trouble is to be found. Peoples' deeds are causing that; they are always playing with fire.
Some individuals are influencing or, instigating others, and people are following them, not asking who that person is and what his intentions may be. All are running after him.
Here, also. Yesterday I was coming )through a demonstration in the streets). For one these peoples' "Hur-r-rah! Hur-r-rah!! Hip hip hurrah!!!" did not finish. People were running like a river. For what is this? What is the meaning?
In England Welfare is at the highest point; in what other country are there as many people on Welfare as in England? But we are not saying "Thanks" to Allah - we are asking for more. You may be able to eat everything, drink everything, wear everything; your cars, your houses, your hospitals, everything, is there. For what is this asking for more, asking for more?
Never satisfied: that is our ego's characteristic. We know that. As much as you may give it, the ego does not see what you gave it but asks for that, also. "Now I am finished with this; that also I am asking." You can't find any limit to stop it.
Therefore, religions make a limit for our endless debes. But now, without religion, people are atheists, saying, "No God." Therefore they must be punished. That punishment has not come yet, but a big punishment is arriving now. Allah Almighty never jokes; no, no joking for Allah. We must fear him.
LIVING WORDS
This my English is strange English. Not everyone can understand because, subhanallah, meanings are coming to my heart, and when running in my heart to give to you, I am using any means, from here, from there, bringing every word which may be useful.
I am like a person waiting for a tap of water. Then, when suddenly it comes and he knows that it is going to be cut off, also, he may take any cup, any vessel- no-good shape, broken on one side, or anything he may find there - quickly bringing them to take that. Therefore, when meanings come to my heart, I am trying to explain with any word which you may understand or not. But you must understand, because we have a saying, "Listeners must be more wise than speakers." Therefore, when inspiration comes, we must explain.
They are living words, not plastic - bananas, plastic; apples, plastic, and grapes. Even if the shapes are not much, they are living. real. When you are going to make them in measures, good system (grammatically correct), when you are going to be engaged by outside forms, you are losing meanings.
GUARDING YOUR HEART FROM DUNYA
We mumins, believers, must know about this world and about Akhirah, the Hereafter. If we do not understand what is the value of dunya, we will never be safe from dunya’s fitnah (strijd), this world's mischief, and dunya's fitnah is the worst fitnah for believers, particularly in such a country where people are worshipping dunya, not worshipping anything else. Therefore, the one who knows what dunya is may be protected by his Lord Almighty.
We must know that this life is a temporary life. All of us know this, but heedlessness is making us like drunk people. We are going; whether we want to stay or not, we are passing from this life to Akhirah, believers and non-believers, also. No one can stay here, even if he says, "I don't believe in Akhirah and I'm not going"; everyone must go. We believe that this life is for a temporary period for all people but that after this life will come a permanent, eternal life for everyone, for both believers and unbelievers.
Now, we know that we are going, passing on. Everything around us is going to cheat us, but the mumin's face must be in front of Allah Almighty's Divine Face. Your must ask for your Lord, not for dunya. That is the main goal of the munin: to reach his Lord's satisfaction and pleasure.
You must be careful, because dunya is a temporary place. At any time the Angel of Death, 'Izrail, p.b.u.h., may come and say, "Give back the ananah, the trust that Allah Almighty gave to you." And when he comes to take your soul to your Lord, Allah Almighty will ask, "How did you find My servant?
Was his face turned to Me, or to dunya? Where was his heart, with Me or with dunya?"
O people, o believers, we must understand about this life. We have been ordered to be with our Lord, Allah Almighty, and He is with us. At the first level, Allah Almighty says, "Wainna 'alaikum la-hafidhina, kiraman katibin"28 - o people, you have two angels, two honourable angels, with you. Therefore you must know that you are not alone. Anywhere you may be, those two honourable angels are going with you.
That is the first stage for the mumin, for the believer. But concerning the highest degree, Allah Almighty says, "Wa Hua ma'akun aina ma kuntum"29 -
28 "And verily over you are guardians, noble inscribers (of your deeds)." (LXXXII:10- 11)
29 "And He is with you wherever you may be." (LVII:4)
O My servants, you must know that, more than angels, I am with you. And we must keep that.
O servants of our Lord, He is with us every time, everywhere. You must keep His being with you. He knows where you are looking, He knows to what you are listening, He knows what you are thinking about. Keep your heart, even during Ramadan, and then Allah Almighty will keep your heart the whole year.
ABOUT EATING AND DRINKING
When you eat or drink something, as much as you are with your Lord, it is going to be very light for your body. But if you eat heedlessly, ghafil 'an-Illah, without reflection, thinking about making your ego pleased, then it all comes on you as a burden.
Therefore you may eat and drink every halal thing, but on the level of nafs you must be very careful. When you have had enough of food and drink, you must stop. If not stopping, it may hurt you, may disturb you, may destroy your body.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NAFS AND THE SOUL BECOMES TOO INTENSE
At the time when Sayyidina 'Ali and Sayyidina Mu'awiyah were fighting to arrive at a decision concerning the caliphate, one Sahabi, Companion, at the time of prayers, went to pray with Sayyidina 'Ali. At the time of eating, he went to Mu'awiyah. And at the time of fighting, when it was too hard, he sat on the hill.
Both sides were very angry with him, asking, "Why? What is this? At the time of prayers you come to pray with Sayyidina 'Ali, at the time of meals you go to Mu'awiyah, and when they fight you go up to the hill!"
Then he said, "The imam is Sayyidina 'Ali; he has the imamate and praying behind him is more acceptable than behind anyone else. And Mu'awiyah's meals are the best."
"What about for fighting?"
"At the time of fighting, there is safety on the hill. I go there to be safe."
When fighting takes place between your soul and your ego, you go on the hill, stay there until they finish and come down. You understand? it means that when your soul and ego fight too much, sleep. "An-naum adh-dhalim al- 'ibadah" 30- when an oppressor sleeps, people can rest from him and it is 'ibadah, worship, for him. Let him sleep; don't awaken him. When he comes, he comes with cruelty.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF A SERVANT: TO AGREE WITH HIS LORD'S WILL IN EVERYTHING
Knowledge is one thing and to live is something else. Allah Almighty sent His prophets to teach people how they must live - how they must live as His servants; the real purpose was not just to give them holy books for reciting. And when Umm ul-Muminin, Sayyidatina 'Aishah31, may Allah bless her, was asked about the Prophet's attributes, she replied, "Khulquhu-l-Qur'an" - his attributes were just like the Qur'an.
You can't find the attributes of the Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., deviating from the Holy Qur'an; whatever the Holy Qur'an presents, you can find his attributes agreeing with it. Therefore Allah Almighty orders His servants, believers, to take His beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., as their example. You must use the Prophet's attributesas examples for yourself, and you must know that he is the most perfect example for the sons of Adam.
You can look at the Prophet, p.b.u.h., from every direction and you will find him perfect from every direction. If we can be correct from only one direction (not from every direction; that is too remote for us), it may be enough for us; if we can follow our Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., even in one sunnah, it will be safety and pleasure and happiness and success for us forever. Therefore, as much as we are trying to learn, that is good, but we must also try to do as much as we are able, and if we can keep even one percent out of one hundred, it is a good thing for us.
30 "The sleep of the oppressor is worship." (Hadith) صالحافله عمل من
31 The Mother of the Believers, the Prophet's wife 'Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr Siddiq.
What was our Prophet's main attribute? His main attribute, according to all the books of our knowledge, was that he was in perfect agreement with his Lord Almighty for everything, agreeing with his Lord on behalf of himself and everyone else. He was the perfect one in ma'rifat, knowledge of his Lord; in knowledge of Allah, no one can reach the point that our Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., reached. He has an ocean of divine knowledge, and if we could take all the divine knowledge that all creatures have been given, including the knowledge of other prophets, of awliya, of angels, it is only a little drop in that ocean. They have only a little drop, and that little drop, compared to other creatures, is itself oceans.
Perfect knowledge among all creatures is for beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.n.; and therefore he was the first among all creatures to be in agreement with his Lord in everything.
As much as we can approach that point, we will reach perfect servanthood. But it is difficult. It is not an easy way; it is steep. Whoever is asking for high positions must be tired. Whoever wants easy things, easy is cheap; easy products are cheap products. But difficult products are expensive, precious.
Therefore, that is our Prophet's main attribute: to be in agreement with his Lord for every action, seeing it as perfect. And once you step on that path, everything is going to be easy for you. Therefore your level is always going to be above the level of rebellious people.
People are of two groups, one group seeing, the other group blind people. Those to whom Allah Almighty gives from His divine lights can look and see Lauhi-l-Mahfudh, the Preserved Tablet32. Those who can see that are always going to be in agreement with every action of their Lord Almighty, no objection. But those who do not see are always fighting with their Lord.
Therefore, 'Abdul-Qadir Jilānī, may Allah bless him, a "king sized" wali, said, "The one who makes objections against the divine orders being carried out, who makes objections to the Divine Will, falls into shirk, associating partners with Allah. He is going to be like a partner to Allah Almighty because he says, 'This is not right. I object to this point, I give veto.'"
'Abdul-Qadir Sayyidi means that when someone says, "What is this? This is wrong," he is going to be like a partner in Allah's sovereignty, going against Him. Who is he? Why was Satan cast aside?
That is the reason: objecting to Allah's will, so that everyone who goes against and objects to our Lord's will is the same; at that moment he is the
32 The heavenly record of God's decrees for all time, past, present and to come
same as Iblis, as Satan. Therefore we must say, "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah; may Allah forgive us. We repent and turn back to yo
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