Mercy Oceans, Book 10 (239 pages, 19/21)
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cause all patience is bitter in the beginning but finally it is tasteful.
And, as we are believers (you may believe in God Almighty in any religion; every believer believes in his Lord Almighty), the true belief is that we must believe in the absolute perfection of the Lord Almighty from every direction. If you look at your Lord, you may see Him in absolute perfection: being merciful, being just, knowing, seeing, hearing, acting, willing, being powerful; every absolute perfection is for Him Almighty in His attributes.
And the one who knows his Lord in the absolute perfection of His attributes, that is enough to make him perfect, because perfection is a possibility for the Sons of Adam; everyone may reach perfection. But the way goes through belief in his Lord's absolute perfection; then that perfection comes from the Lord to His servant. But the one who does not believe, or who believes but does not have certainty, is going to be late in reaching perfection during this life; perhaps it will go on after this life into the second life. But he must reach that point here or Hereafter because no one can be accepted, no one is going to be acceptable, in the Divine Presence without being perfect.
Therefore, some people reach perfection during this life. As much as a person knows his Lord in the absolute perfection of His divine attributes, it is going to be easy for him to attain perfection during this life. Otherwise he is going to attain it afterwards.
We have been ordered to reach upwards. In front of us there is a hard, steep mountain and lower down there is also a valley. We have been ordered to reach that mountain because we have our treasures and our destination on it. But when we look at the difficulties, we escape and enjoy ourselves by running down into the valley and playing there.
But you must not suppose that we will be left without climbing that mountain. What we are doing is only to make the short way long. When we go down into the valley, one day we will be ordered to go from down below up to that mountain. Then it will be so difficult, but at that time we will be ordered, by force.
Now we have our will power to use for climbing. But when we stop climbing and use our will to go down to the level of the valley, to be there to play, to enjoy with our zoo, our will power is not going to give us any benefit. Then
the ways will be twice as long, starting from the valley up to the first station where we were at the time of maturity 159
People are now choosing, when they reach maturity, to go down to the valley to be with the zoo, to enjoy themselves, to enjoy their egos, and only a very few people choose to climb up to their destinations. Therefore, it is foolishness, complete foolishness, to choose to go down, because when the time comes, you will be forced to go from the bottom of the valley to the first stop where you had been, and then from there up to the mountain, also. It is impossible for the Sons of Adam to be left to their wills except for a short time, and then by force - with whips; yes, beating - they must return and go up.
ON BEING A SERVANT TO OUR LORD
We shall look to Allah Almighty, what He is granting for us today, and what His Holy Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., grants to us, and what is coming from Grandsheikh. It is easy for them to make me speak excellent English; it is so easy, and to give strange [esoteric) knowledges. But for our level, as we are beginners, not more, when beginners begin school, they begin with ABC. Now it is only something about ABC we are saying.
About what are we speaking? How we can be a servant to our Lord. That is the main aim for the Sons of Adam: to learn how they are to be obedient servants to their Lord Almighty. But we have left off knowing, learning, how we can be an obedient and sincere and beloved servant to our Lord, and we are quarrling and fighting for nothing - for nothing!
All the world is going to be nothing. All things, all properties, are going to be nothing; all our works, our deeds, are going to be nothing. We are also going to be nothing with our physical bodies. But we are not going to be nothing with our souls. We are eternal creatures because of our souls.
Allah Almighty created the Sons of Adam, first creating Adam, p.b.u.h., from clay and then blowing into him from His Divine Spirit. Whoever belongs to Allah Almighty is eternal, everything that belongs to Him. He blew into Adam and his sons, his descendants up to the end of the world, from His Holy Spirit. Therefore, our souls came from Heaven, from the Divine Presence,
159 That is, puberty, the time at which an individual is considered in the Islamic Shari'ah to be capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and to be accountable for his/her own behaviour
and when we are going to be nothing with our physical bodies, that soul and spirit will return, going back into that Ocean from which it came.
Everything is going to be nothing, and we are working, we are tiring, for nothing now. We are working hard and tiring - for what? For this life's temporary enjoyment, while it is impossible to make a person's whole life full of enjoyments. He may be the richest one, he may be the most honourable person, he may be the most powerful person, he may be the most handsome, most beautiful person, he may be the most majestic person, but he will never be the happiest person or the one who is able to enjoy himself the most during his lifetime.
There is a tale about Yazid, the son of Sayyidina Mu'awiyah. We are asking our Lord to give us authority or power and to use us for good things, for goodness, because we are living in a life in which there is goodness and badness. Some people have been employed, engaged, for goodness and some for badness.
Yazid was a king, a caliph. He was able to enjoy himself with every thing; nowadays you can't find such a possibility for a person to do everything. Yazid was able to enjoy himself; he was a powerful and majestic emperor, ruling from China to the Atlantic Ocean, one of the most important empires of his time. And he was thinking of enjoying himself, but he was never able to enjoy himself without some suffering coming on him; something always came which caused him to suffer, which gave him trouble.
One day he ordered, "Today I must be free from every care, and I am going to sit in my assembly with every means of enjoyment. Today I must enjoy fully, completely. I am leaving everything outside, every problem of the people. This day is only for my enjoyment. I am not going to listen or to look at anything that gives me sadness or makes me suffer. All day long there must be enjoyment, gathering together everything for singing, all kinds of music, all kinds of girls, every kind of drink - everything, sitting for enjoyment from morning to night and no trouble for this day," he was intending.
Allah Almighty teaches His servants, making some people examples for others. That person, the powerful emperor who thought of doing everything for himself and enjoying fully that day - toward the end of his assembly someone brought him a pomegranate. It was not their season; it had come from some distant place and was very beautiful.
He broke open the pomegranate and took out the seeds. There was one slave girl whom he loved too much; she was the most beloved person to him. He put the seeds in her mouth, and Allah Almighty's will was working. He gave her those seeds and one seed got stuck, not going down and not
coming out, and falling down, she died. The person who had intended to spend a day enjoying fully, such an emperor - you can imagine what sadness came on him at the end of his enjoyment. And after three days he died, also; yes, Yazid died, as well.
This whole life that people are running after is going to be nothing, and enjoyment from this life is so difficult. Enjoyment is only what you can find through your soul; that is enjoyment, not anything coming from outside of you. As much enjoyment as you may get from this life, it is going to decrease. Only for the one who gets enjoyment through his soul is it improving and increasing, but bodily enjoyment always becomes less. It is not the same as the first night. We are imagining that everything is going to be like the first night, but, no - the second night is less, the third night is less; the third year, the fourth year, less.
Therefore, don't be cheated. Everyone is cheated by this life except the ones who are listening to the call of the prophets and their inheritors, the awliya: they are happy. Don't be worried; if your soul is enjoying, you are always at the first night. I do not accept it to be the second night! It must always be the first night's enjoyment, because the soul is enjoying, and the body, also. If you do not accept the first night, it is more than the first night! But people now are running. They are like drunk people, never understanding never listening or realizing.
But we gave our promises to our Lord on the Day of Promises : "O our Lord, we are your servants”. And if we keep our promises, He says, “I will keep My promises to yöu.
You must improve, you must develop. Obedient servants, sincere servants, do not go down; they always go up, in their physical bodies and in their souls, because enjoyment comes through souls. Yes; look at those who fast. Allah Almighty gives to such fasting people in such a way that each day they do not feel less enjoyment; every day it is more . Physically it seems the same, but, if you are not at the level of animals, spiritually you are feeling more enjoyment every day; because animals enjoy themselves by eating and drinking, but for human beings, although they may enjoy that physically, their real enjoyment is with their spiritual life . Therefore , for a fasting person at the time of breaking fast, his enjoyment is not with eating and drinking.
Don't reduce your level to the level of animals. No, our spiritual enjoyment must be more. We are being refreshed; Allah Almighty sends refreshment on fasting people. Don't think, "What is there to eat this night of soup, of kebab, of sweets?" You must be careful, because at the time of breaking fast there comes a mercy, rahmah, refreshing our bodies, our hearts. Wait for that mercy to come on you, for lights to come on you. Only fasting people may
feel that, not others. They may sit at the same table with you but they can't feei it. It is forbidden; only fasting people may feel that.
HOW ONE MAY PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY
[In a morning session, a murid speaks: )
MURID: I 'm thinking of how to progress to more freedom and knowledge, happiness, wisdom and effectiveness.
SHEIKH: You are asking for so many things, And everything you may have carries a responsibility; Allah Almighty never gives something to you without a responsibility; "If We give you eyes, you have a responsibility. if We give you a tongue, you have responsibility for It . "
If you are given ears, you are given responsibility; it given hands, feet, heart, every part of your body that your Lord has given you as a grant, you are also given at the same time a responsibility. It you have been given honour, you are given responsibility for as much as you have been given. Some people have been given so much; their responsibility is more than any ordinary person‘s. You understand? Therefore, what are you asking for?
MURID: For enough strength to obey Allah.
SHEIKH: Not enough strength; you need more. Hu-u. Rabbi. O my God! Give me more power. For what! For worshipping You, for obeying.
MURID: And to understand.
SHEIKH: The one who is going to be Solomon understands. "Fa fahmna Sulaiman160," - Allah Almighty says; "We gave Solomon exact understanding." Therefore, you must be Solomon so that you may be given.
Solomon, p.b.u.h., was given the whole world; all kinds of creatures from among mankind and jinn and wild animals were under his command. And you may ask, "How can I be like Solomon?"
Yes, he had been given the whole world; no one had been given something like his kingdom, his incomparable kingdom. But in spite of that, he was the most ascetic person of his time. The whole world was under his hand, under his dominion, but in his heart there was only One; in Sulomon's heart, on his
160 XXI:79
heart's throne, was only his Lord. That is the meaning when we say, "Be Solomon." Then Allah may give you divine knowledge and wisdoms from among His wisdoms.
Our hearts are yet too dirty, dirty with this dunya, with this life's pleasures; occupied, engaged, by this life, no place in our hearts for our Lord. Therefore we have not been given an understanding. But Allah says, "I gave exact dominion to Solomon," because even though all the world was under his dominion, he kept his heart only for his Lord. If you can keep that, you may be given, also.
MURĪD: How to begin?
SHEIKH: At the beginning. The beginning is intention: to intend, to ask. When we ask for such a pure heart, that is a beginning; when we intend to have a heart private, alone, for our Lord, Allah Almighty, that is a beginning. And when you begin, "Wa'ala-Llahi-l-ikmal161" - when you intend to make a beginning, Allah Almighty brings completion. He brings completion.
Therefore, when you intend, it means that you are asking. You must continue on your intention every day, at every time, keeping your heart on the same intention: "I am asking my Lord." Then you will be given an improvement.
Once Abraham, p.b.u.h., was in the desert, walking, and he was thirsty. Then he looked around to find something to drink. And he saw a shepherd, a black slave.
Abraham went to him to ask for something to drink. Then that shepherd addressed him, saying, "O Abraham!"
He was surprised. "How do you know that I am Abraham?"
And the shepherd replied, "The one who knows his Lord knows His servants." Understand? The one who knows his Lord knows his Lord's servants. "It is not so big a thing for me. You are Abraham. O Abraham, do you prefer milk or water?" - and there was nothing with him.
And Abraham, p.b.u.h., was surprised even more. There was nothing with that shepherd, neither water nor milk. And he said, "I prefer water."
Then the shepherd stamped his foot and, whsh-h! a spring came out. And he said, "Drink."
161 And the completion is on Allah
Abraham drank from that spring. He said, "Never have I tasted such fresh, cool, sweet water." And he was astonished saying, "O my Lord" (he was Khalil162,' the friend of Allah), looking at that shepherd.
"O Abraham," said Gabriel, coming to him163, "you are astonished at My servant. He is My servant, a coloured one." (White people think that they are better. But it is Allah Almighty who colours people, not you that are colouring yourself. Sibghat-ullāh, Allah's dye, is the best.) "He is a slave, a coloured one, but I am looking at his heart and I do not find any thing in his heart except Me. I am the only one, alone in his heart. There fore he has been given such a miracle. And to anyone who keeps me alone in his heart I give karamat, miracles, granting them to him by My favour."
Therefore, the important thing is to keep our hearts for our Lord only. But we put everything into them, like a dustbin; you can find everything except Allah in our hearts.
That is true. Therefore we will never be given a correct understanding. We may recite Holy Qur'an we may recite holy hadiths, but understand nothing. For every verse of the Holy Qur'an there are 24,000 meanings, and all awliya are given 24,000 different meanings. You are given 24,000 meanings of a verse, and you are given another 24,000, and he, 24,000 other meanings, because each verse is an ocean of meaning: you can't write it all so that it is finished. Those wisdoms in the Holy Qur'ān have been given to awliya for their improvement in heavenly stations. If you are in need. you will be given. If you are not in need, you are not given.
Now, for a rocket, how many people are putting something into it to give it that power to go up? It is not a simple thing, like your car going to a petrol station, in two minutes filling up and going; a long time was needed to put the power into it to send that rocket up. Therefore, the one who is asking for an improvement in the Divine Presence takes that power from Allah Almighty, and if he does not ask for that, if he is not in need, he is not given. Every verse has such powers, miraculous powers; every verse is a miracle of miracles and contains divine power. He who is prepared may take it and go.
Understandings have been given to people so that they may know and obey. When you know, you must obey; if knowing and not obeying, that is terrible, dangerous! Shaytan was given knowledge but he didn't obey He obeyed when it pleased him; when he was not pleased with that order, he did not
162 IV:125: "And Allah took Abraham as a friend (khalilan)."
163 Here Allah is speaking to Abraham through the Angel Gabriel, the heavenly messenger to all the prophets. Although Gabriel is the transmitter, the words are in first person because he is conveying his Lord's speech
obey it. And he was not pleased with making saydah to Adam: therefore he didn't obey his Lord. His obedience was not for the sake of Allah Almighty but for the sake of his ego. Therefore he fell and was cast aside.
When you look at those people who have reached heavenly stations and you ask to be one of them, it is that intention which begins to give you power. Step by step, step by step, you may continue to improve. And as much as you improve, understandings come proportionately.
GIVING UP SOMETHING TO GET SOMETXING
In relation to spiritual pleasures, our physical bodies, our egos are never satisfied. If we take care of our physical bodies! pleasure, our spiritual life goes down; physical attractions cover it and do not let a person taste spiritual pleasures.
Everyone must pay something to get something, must give so that he may receive. You must give up something of physical pleasures so that you may take spiritual pleasures; otherwise you will give up spiritual pleasures and take physical, bodily pleasures. If one side comes down, the other side goes up. As much as you give up, you may receive more: if no giving, no taking. It is the same road from the beginning up to the end, the same road in the Torah, the same road in the Injil, the same road in the Holy Qur'an you must give so that you may receive.
Do you understand? Everything has a value; for everything there is a price. I am going sometimes to Dalston Market. There are these rings and chains; for £ 5 I can bring a lot of rings and earrings. And there are jewelers' shops; it you show them £ 5, they will say, "Go away
You can find everything in this life: a cheap one, an expensive one; low price, high price; valuable, of no value. And you are free; as much as you are able, you may buy. And everyone will finally see what he has bought.
The prophets, peace be upon them, are like a person with a caravan. At nighttime it stops in a place. Then that person shouts at the others. "O people, don't sleep tonight. You are in a valley full of diamonds and Jewels, but it is up to you to take them."
Since it is dark, no one can see whether they are diamonds or whether they are just stones, but he calls out, "Take as many as you can because this whole valley is the valley or diamonds."
And then those who believe in him fill their bags and take the diamonds away. Some of the others say. "We can put in half from our own goods and half from these stones." Some others take only a little, saying "We can put some of these stones in our pockets. We will keep our own goode and we can take some of these. They may be real diamonds."
And that person calls to them, "When it is morning and the sun rises, finished; you will leave this valley. You can’t return to take any more Take as many as you can now!"
And the people are watching. Night goes away and the sun shines. Everyone quickly looks at the stones he has gathered. "What is this? Real diamonds! Why, why, did we leave them instead of taking?" One of them says to himself, "You are a big donkey! Why didn't you take more? Only one pocketful you took; why didn't you put them here, also?" And the ones who took half say, "What? What a foolish person I was not to leave my own goods and take all of these!"
And happiness is only for those who have taken all diamonds.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
No one can live in this life without knowing something. Therefore knowledge is the first order from Allah Almighty to all people, and for this Allah Almighty sent His prophets, from the beginning, to be teachers for the Sons of Adam.
Adam, p.b.u.h., was the first man and also the first prophet - I mean to say, the first teacher of mankind, because without teaching, without knowing anything, we are not human beings. The Sons of Adam have been honoured by knowledge. Allah Almighty gave them more knowledge than any other of His creatures, even angels; He gave Adam that portion of His divine knowledge that is meant for creatures, for there is certain knowledge specifically for Allah Almighty which no one can know. That is ghaibu mutlaq, the absolutely unknowable; there is some knowledge reserved for Allah Almighty which it is impossible for even any angel or any prophet, including the Seal of the Prophets, to reach because it pertains to divinity. But there is knowledge that has been given to creatures for m'arifat, so that they may know their Lord, and from that knowledge even atoms have been given.
All things in existence have lives, seeing, hearing, speaking and living - everything, even atoms. If not seeing or hearing, how are they coming from non-existence into existence? When everything was invisible in endless Power Oceans - everything - their Lord called them and they appeared in
existence164. If not hearing our Lord's call, inviting us, no one would come into existence.
"Wa in min shayin illa yusabbihu bi-hamdihi165" - for everything there must be a language, a tongue, a speech; there must be a speech for saying, "Glory be to my Lord, who brought me into existence." Yes, everything; they know. Allah Almighty gave to everything, to every creature, from that part of his knowledge which pertains to creatures. But, la y'alamu-l-ghaiba illa-Llah166: that knowledge belongs specifically to our Lord Almighty.
But then, in order that every creature might know its Lord, its Creator, and give its respects and praises to Allah Almighty, certain knowledges must be for everyone. And Allah Almighty gave Adam knowledge for m'arifat, knowledge of Himself, which He did not give to the angels and by which Adam was honoured over the angels. Therefore the rank of knowledge is the highest rank, and for that reason the Prophet, p.b.u.h., says, "Rubtatu l-'ilmi 'ala-r-rutab167."
We have been ordered to learn, to teach and to learn. Without learning, we can't keep the honour of being the Sons of Adam. By knowledge, divine knowledge of our Lord Almighty, we have been crowned, and Allah Almighty ordered the angels to make sajdah to Adam because he had been given divine knowledges.
RESPECTING PROPHET MUHAMMAD, P.B.U.H.
We are not in a classroon, and you are not students and I am not a teacher, but rather all of us are humble servants to our Lord Almighty.
We are nothing; we must know this. The beginning of servanthood is to know that we are nothing. But our egos are never going to agree to be nothing claiming to be something but nevertheless being nothing. And we are asking barakah from Allah Almighty, as His beloved Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "Yad- Ullahi ma'-l-jama'ah, yad-Ullahi 'ala-l-jama'ah168." When Allah Almighty's servants meet, it is an occasion or opportunity to ask, from His endless
164 That is, even in seeming "non-existence" they were alive, possessing every faculty, and when their Lord called them out of that state, they became apparent or manifested in those material forms in which He clothed them
165 And there is nothing which does not glorify Him with praise. (XVII:44)
166 No one knows the Unseen except Allah
167 The rank of knowledge is above all (other) ranks. (Hadith)
168 Allah's hand is with the assembly (of Muslims), Allah's hand is over the assembly (Hadith)
favours, that He send to us, to our meeting, from His endless Mercy Oceans, from His endless Favour Oceans, from His endless Knowledge Oceans.
For what? To make us know Him better, because there are endless steps for the ranks of knowledge, and m'arifat-Ullah, the knowledge of Allah Almighty, is endless oceans, not only one ocean - endless oceans, and each ocean is also endless. No matter how far down you may go, you can never find bottom, and no matter how much you may go around, you can't find any shore: endless oceans with the characteristic that each ocean has no shore, no bottom. Allahu akbar wa lil-Lahi-l-hamd169! - everything that pertains to our Lord Almighty is endless, from pre-eternity to post-eternity; yes, eternal. From Your endless Knowledge Oceans we are asking!
As much as we may know or learn, if you could put the whole of creatures' knowledge in a single place, in comparison to the Prophet's knowledge about his Lord Almighty, no one can know Allah Almighty as beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., knows Him. Allah Almighty gave to him from His divine Knowledge Oceans, and the Prophet's knowledge is itself an ocean.
If all prophets' knowledges and saints' knowledges and scholars' knowledges and angels' knowledges were to come together, it would be only a little drop from the ocean that the Prophet has been given. All the knowledge of all scholars, all awliya, all prophets, is swallowed up by his knowledge. Therefore the one who knows Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h., must be as he is. You understand? Must be like him, another Muhammad; if he is not another Muhammad, no one can know his personality and his greatness in the Divine Presence.
The knowledge of Muhammad, p.b.u.h., was complete knowledge with Allah Almighty, with his Creator. And what did that Prophet teach the Sons of Adam? As a summary, he came to teach people how they may respect their Lord, Allah Almighty. That is his job or duty: his duty, his task, is to teach people how they can give more perfect respect to their Lord Almighty, and he was the first and most perfect respecter of Allah Almighty. No one can reach that point.
Now, our respect is going to be according to our knowledge about our Lord Almighty; as much as you know about a person, you give more respect to him. Therefore, when our Prophet, Muhammad, p.b.u.h., was asked, "What is afdalu-l-a'mal, the best of deeds," he said, "Al-'ilmu bil-Lah, the knowledge of Allah."
169 Allah is the most great and all praise is for Him
What is this? The Prophet, p.b.u.h., was urging people to gain more knowledge about their Lord Almighty, because when they asked about deeds, he said, "The knowledge of Allah," since when we do a deed, it acquires value according to our respect for our Lord. Therefore, don't suppose that the Prophet's tauhid170, his saying "La ilaha illa-Llah," is like your saying "La ilaha illa-Llah." If all creatures', all prophets', all angels', all awliyas', all s
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cause all patience is bitter in the beginning but finally it is tasteful.
And, as we are believers (you may believe in God Almighty in any religion; every believer believes in his Lord Almighty), the true belief is that we must believe in the absolute perfection of the Lord Almighty from every direction. If you look at your Lord, you may see Him in absolute perfection: being merciful, being just, knowing, seeing, hearing, acting, willing, being powerful; every absolute perfection is for Him Almighty in His attributes.
And the one who knows his Lord in the absolute perfection of His attributes, that is enough to make him perfect, because perfection is a possibility for the Sons of Adam; everyone may reach perfection. But the way goes through belief in his Lord's absolute perfection; then that perfection comes from the Lord to His servant. But the one who does not believe, or who believes but does not have certainty, is going to be late in reaching perfection during this life; perhaps it will go on after this life into the second life. But he must reach that point here or Hereafter because no one can be accepted, no one is going to be acceptable, in the Divine Presence without being perfect.
Therefore, some people reach perfection during this life. As much as a person knows his Lord in the absolute perfection of His divine attributes, it is going to be easy for him to attain perfection during this life. Otherwise he is going to attain it afterwards.
We have been ordered to reach upwards. In front of us there is a hard, steep mountain and lower down there is also a valley. We have been ordered to reach that mountain because we have our treasures and our destination on it. But when we look at the difficulties, we escape and enjoy ourselves by running down into the valley and playing there.
But you must not suppose that we will be left without climbing that mountain. What we are doing is only to make the short way long. When we go down into the valley, one day we will be ordered to go from down below up to that mountain. Then it will be so difficult, but at that time we will be ordered, by force.
Now we have our will power to use for climbing. But when we stop climbing and use our will to go down to the level of the valley, to be there to play, to enjoy with our zoo, our will power is not going to give us any benefit. Then
the ways will be twice as long, starting from the valley up to the first station where we were at the time of maturity 159
People are now choosing, when they reach maturity, to go down to the valley to be with the zoo, to enjoy themselves, to enjoy their egos, and only a very few people choose to climb up to their destinations. Therefore, it is foolishness, complete foolishness, to choose to go down, because when the time comes, you will be forced to go from the bottom of the valley to the first stop where you had been, and then from there up to the mountain, also. It is impossible for the Sons of Adam to be left to their wills except for a short time, and then by force - with whips; yes, beating - they must return and go up.
ON BEING A SERVANT TO OUR LORD
We shall look to Allah Almighty, what He is granting for us today, and what His Holy Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., grants to us, and what is coming from Grandsheikh. It is easy for them to make me speak excellent English; it is so easy, and to give strange [esoteric) knowledges. But for our level, as we are beginners, not more, when beginners begin school, they begin with ABC. Now it is only something about ABC we are saying.
About what are we speaking? How we can be a servant to our Lord. That is the main aim for the Sons of Adam: to learn how they are to be obedient servants to their Lord Almighty. But we have left off knowing, learning, how we can be an obedient and sincere and beloved servant to our Lord, and we are quarrling and fighting for nothing - for nothing!
All the world is going to be nothing. All things, all properties, are going to be nothing; all our works, our deeds, are going to be nothing. We are also going to be nothing with our physical bodies. But we are not going to be nothing with our souls. We are eternal creatures because of our souls.
Allah Almighty created the Sons of Adam, first creating Adam, p.b.u.h., from clay and then blowing into him from His Divine Spirit. Whoever belongs to Allah Almighty is eternal, everything that belongs to Him. He blew into Adam and his sons, his descendants up to the end of the world, from His Holy Spirit. Therefore, our souls came from Heaven, from the Divine Presence,
159 That is, puberty, the time at which an individual is considered in the Islamic Shari'ah to be capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and to be accountable for his/her own behaviour
and when we are going to be nothing with our physical bodies, that soul and spirit will return, going back into that Ocean from which it came.
Everything is going to be nothing, and we are working, we are tiring, for nothing now. We are working hard and tiring - for what? For this life's temporary enjoyment, while it is impossible to make a person's whole life full of enjoyments. He may be the richest one, he may be the most honourable person, he may be the most powerful person, he may be the most handsome, most beautiful person, he may be the most majestic person, but he will never be the happiest person or the one who is able to enjoy himself the most during his lifetime.
There is a tale about Yazid, the son of Sayyidina Mu'awiyah. We are asking our Lord to give us authority or power and to use us for good things, for goodness, because we are living in a life in which there is goodness and badness. Some people have been employed, engaged, for goodness and some for badness.
Yazid was a king, a caliph. He was able to enjoy himself with every thing; nowadays you can't find such a possibility for a person to do everything. Yazid was able to enjoy himself; he was a powerful and majestic emperor, ruling from China to the Atlantic Ocean, one of the most important empires of his time. And he was thinking of enjoying himself, but he was never able to enjoy himself without some suffering coming on him; something always came which caused him to suffer, which gave him trouble.
One day he ordered, "Today I must be free from every care, and I am going to sit in my assembly with every means of enjoyment. Today I must enjoy fully, completely. I am leaving everything outside, every problem of the people. This day is only for my enjoyment. I am not going to listen or to look at anything that gives me sadness or makes me suffer. All day long there must be enjoyment, gathering together everything for singing, all kinds of music, all kinds of girls, every kind of drink - everything, sitting for enjoyment from morning to night and no trouble for this day," he was intending.
Allah Almighty teaches His servants, making some people examples for others. That person, the powerful emperor who thought of doing everything for himself and enjoying fully that day - toward the end of his assembly someone brought him a pomegranate. It was not their season; it had come from some distant place and was very beautiful.
He broke open the pomegranate and took out the seeds. There was one slave girl whom he loved too much; she was the most beloved person to him. He put the seeds in her mouth, and Allah Almighty's will was working. He gave her those seeds and one seed got stuck, not going down and not
coming out, and falling down, she died. The person who had intended to spend a day enjoying fully, such an emperor - you can imagine what sadness came on him at the end of his enjoyment. And after three days he died, also; yes, Yazid died, as well.
This whole life that people are running after is going to be nothing, and enjoyment from this life is so difficult. Enjoyment is only what you can find through your soul; that is enjoyment, not anything coming from outside of you. As much enjoyment as you may get from this life, it is going to decrease. Only for the one who gets enjoyment through his soul is it improving and increasing, but bodily enjoyment always becomes less. It is not the same as the first night. We are imagining that everything is going to be like the first night, but, no - the second night is less, the third night is less; the third year, the fourth year, less.
Therefore, don't be cheated. Everyone is cheated by this life except the ones who are listening to the call of the prophets and their inheritors, the awliya: they are happy. Don't be worried; if your soul is enjoying, you are always at the first night. I do not accept it to be the second night! It must always be the first night's enjoyment, because the soul is enjoying, and the body, also. If you do not accept the first night, it is more than the first night! But people now are running. They are like drunk people, never understanding never listening or realizing.
But we gave our promises to our Lord on the Day of Promises : "O our Lord, we are your servants”. And if we keep our promises, He says, “I will keep My promises to yöu.
You must improve, you must develop. Obedient servants, sincere servants, do not go down; they always go up, in their physical bodies and in their souls, because enjoyment comes through souls. Yes; look at those who fast. Allah Almighty gives to such fasting people in such a way that each day they do not feel less enjoyment; every day it is more . Physically it seems the same, but, if you are not at the level of animals, spiritually you are feeling more enjoyment every day; because animals enjoy themselves by eating and drinking, but for human beings, although they may enjoy that physically, their real enjoyment is with their spiritual life . Therefore , for a fasting person at the time of breaking fast, his enjoyment is not with eating and drinking.
Don't reduce your level to the level of animals. No, our spiritual enjoyment must be more. We are being refreshed; Allah Almighty sends refreshment on fasting people. Don't think, "What is there to eat this night of soup, of kebab, of sweets?" You must be careful, because at the time of breaking fast there comes a mercy, rahmah, refreshing our bodies, our hearts. Wait for that mercy to come on you, for lights to come on you. Only fasting people may
feel that, not others. They may sit at the same table with you but they can't feei it. It is forbidden; only fasting people may feel that.
HOW ONE MAY PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY
[In a morning session, a murid speaks: )
MURID: I 'm thinking of how to progress to more freedom and knowledge, happiness, wisdom and effectiveness.
SHEIKH: You are asking for so many things, And everything you may have carries a responsibility; Allah Almighty never gives something to you without a responsibility; "If We give you eyes, you have a responsibility. if We give you a tongue, you have responsibility for It . "
If you are given ears, you are given responsibility; it given hands, feet, heart, every part of your body that your Lord has given you as a grant, you are also given at the same time a responsibility. It you have been given honour, you are given responsibility for as much as you have been given. Some people have been given so much; their responsibility is more than any ordinary person‘s. You understand? Therefore, what are you asking for?
MURID: For enough strength to obey Allah.
SHEIKH: Not enough strength; you need more. Hu-u. Rabbi. O my God! Give me more power. For what! For worshipping You, for obeying.
MURID: And to understand.
SHEIKH: The one who is going to be Solomon understands. "Fa fahmna Sulaiman160," - Allah Almighty says; "We gave Solomon exact understanding." Therefore, you must be Solomon so that you may be given.
Solomon, p.b.u.h., was given the whole world; all kinds of creatures from among mankind and jinn and wild animals were under his command. And you may ask, "How can I be like Solomon?"
Yes, he had been given the whole world; no one had been given something like his kingdom, his incomparable kingdom. But in spite of that, he was the most ascetic person of his time. The whole world was under his hand, under his dominion, but in his heart there was only One; in Sulomon's heart, on his
160 XXI:79
heart's throne, was only his Lord. That is the meaning when we say, "Be Solomon." Then Allah may give you divine knowledge and wisdoms from among His wisdoms.
Our hearts are yet too dirty, dirty with this dunya, with this life's pleasures; occupied, engaged, by this life, no place in our hearts for our Lord. Therefore we have not been given an understanding. But Allah says, "I gave exact dominion to Solomon," because even though all the world was under his dominion, he kept his heart only for his Lord. If you can keep that, you may be given, also.
MURĪD: How to begin?
SHEIKH: At the beginning. The beginning is intention: to intend, to ask. When we ask for such a pure heart, that is a beginning; when we intend to have a heart private, alone, for our Lord, Allah Almighty, that is a beginning. And when you begin, "Wa'ala-Llahi-l-ikmal161" - when you intend to make a beginning, Allah Almighty brings completion. He brings completion.
Therefore, when you intend, it means that you are asking. You must continue on your intention every day, at every time, keeping your heart on the same intention: "I am asking my Lord." Then you will be given an improvement.
Once Abraham, p.b.u.h., was in the desert, walking, and he was thirsty. Then he looked around to find something to drink. And he saw a shepherd, a black slave.
Abraham went to him to ask for something to drink. Then that shepherd addressed him, saying, "O Abraham!"
He was surprised. "How do you know that I am Abraham?"
And the shepherd replied, "The one who knows his Lord knows His servants." Understand? The one who knows his Lord knows his Lord's servants. "It is not so big a thing for me. You are Abraham. O Abraham, do you prefer milk or water?" - and there was nothing with him.
And Abraham, p.b.u.h., was surprised even more. There was nothing with that shepherd, neither water nor milk. And he said, "I prefer water."
Then the shepherd stamped his foot and, whsh-h! a spring came out. And he said, "Drink."
161 And the completion is on Allah
Abraham drank from that spring. He said, "Never have I tasted such fresh, cool, sweet water." And he was astonished saying, "O my Lord" (he was Khalil162,' the friend of Allah), looking at that shepherd.
"O Abraham," said Gabriel, coming to him163, "you are astonished at My servant. He is My servant, a coloured one." (White people think that they are better. But it is Allah Almighty who colours people, not you that are colouring yourself. Sibghat-ullāh, Allah's dye, is the best.) "He is a slave, a coloured one, but I am looking at his heart and I do not find any thing in his heart except Me. I am the only one, alone in his heart. There fore he has been given such a miracle. And to anyone who keeps me alone in his heart I give karamat, miracles, granting them to him by My favour."
Therefore, the important thing is to keep our hearts for our Lord only. But we put everything into them, like a dustbin; you can find everything except Allah in our hearts.
That is true. Therefore we will never be given a correct understanding. We may recite Holy Qur'an we may recite holy hadiths, but understand nothing. For every verse of the Holy Qur'an there are 24,000 meanings, and all awliya are given 24,000 different meanings. You are given 24,000 meanings of a verse, and you are given another 24,000, and he, 24,000 other meanings, because each verse is an ocean of meaning: you can't write it all so that it is finished. Those wisdoms in the Holy Qur'ān have been given to awliya for their improvement in heavenly stations. If you are in need. you will be given. If you are not in need, you are not given.
Now, for a rocket, how many people are putting something into it to give it that power to go up? It is not a simple thing, like your car going to a petrol station, in two minutes filling up and going; a long time was needed to put the power into it to send that rocket up. Therefore, the one who is asking for an improvement in the Divine Presence takes that power from Allah Almighty, and if he does not ask for that, if he is not in need, he is not given. Every verse has such powers, miraculous powers; every verse is a miracle of miracles and contains divine power. He who is prepared may take it and go.
Understandings have been given to people so that they may know and obey. When you know, you must obey; if knowing and not obeying, that is terrible, dangerous! Shaytan was given knowledge but he didn't obey He obeyed when it pleased him; when he was not pleased with that order, he did not
162 IV:125: "And Allah took Abraham as a friend (khalilan)."
163 Here Allah is speaking to Abraham through the Angel Gabriel, the heavenly messenger to all the prophets. Although Gabriel is the transmitter, the words are in first person because he is conveying his Lord's speech
obey it. And he was not pleased with making saydah to Adam: therefore he didn't obey his Lord. His obedience was not for the sake of Allah Almighty but for the sake of his ego. Therefore he fell and was cast aside.
When you look at those people who have reached heavenly stations and you ask to be one of them, it is that intention which begins to give you power. Step by step, step by step, you may continue to improve. And as much as you improve, understandings come proportionately.
GIVING UP SOMETHING TO GET SOMETXING
In relation to spiritual pleasures, our physical bodies, our egos are never satisfied. If we take care of our physical bodies! pleasure, our spiritual life goes down; physical attractions cover it and do not let a person taste spiritual pleasures.
Everyone must pay something to get something, must give so that he may receive. You must give up something of physical pleasures so that you may take spiritual pleasures; otherwise you will give up spiritual pleasures and take physical, bodily pleasures. If one side comes down, the other side goes up. As much as you give up, you may receive more: if no giving, no taking. It is the same road from the beginning up to the end, the same road in the Torah, the same road in the Injil, the same road in the Holy Qur'an you must give so that you may receive.
Do you understand? Everything has a value; for everything there is a price. I am going sometimes to Dalston Market. There are these rings and chains; for £ 5 I can bring a lot of rings and earrings. And there are jewelers' shops; it you show them £ 5, they will say, "Go away
You can find everything in this life: a cheap one, an expensive one; low price, high price; valuable, of no value. And you are free; as much as you are able, you may buy. And everyone will finally see what he has bought.
The prophets, peace be upon them, are like a person with a caravan. At nighttime it stops in a place. Then that person shouts at the others. "O people, don't sleep tonight. You are in a valley full of diamonds and Jewels, but it is up to you to take them."
Since it is dark, no one can see whether they are diamonds or whether they are just stones, but he calls out, "Take as many as you can because this whole valley is the valley or diamonds."
And then those who believe in him fill their bags and take the diamonds away. Some of the others say. "We can put in half from our own goods and half from these stones." Some others take only a little, saying "We can put some of these stones in our pockets. We will keep our own goode and we can take some of these. They may be real diamonds."
And that person calls to them, "When it is morning and the sun rises, finished; you will leave this valley. You can’t return to take any more Take as many as you can now!"
And the people are watching. Night goes away and the sun shines. Everyone quickly looks at the stones he has gathered. "What is this? Real diamonds! Why, why, did we leave them instead of taking?" One of them says to himself, "You are a big donkey! Why didn't you take more? Only one pocketful you took; why didn't you put them here, also?" And the ones who took half say, "What? What a foolish person I was not to leave my own goods and take all of these!"
And happiness is only for those who have taken all diamonds.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
No one can live in this life without knowing something. Therefore knowledge is the first order from Allah Almighty to all people, and for this Allah Almighty sent His prophets, from the beginning, to be teachers for the Sons of Adam.
Adam, p.b.u.h., was the first man and also the first prophet - I mean to say, the first teacher of mankind, because without teaching, without knowing anything, we are not human beings. The Sons of Adam have been honoured by knowledge. Allah Almighty gave them more knowledge than any other of His creatures, even angels; He gave Adam that portion of His divine knowledge that is meant for creatures, for there is certain knowledge specifically for Allah Almighty which no one can know. That is ghaibu mutlaq, the absolutely unknowable; there is some knowledge reserved for Allah Almighty which it is impossible for even any angel or any prophet, including the Seal of the Prophets, to reach because it pertains to divinity. But there is knowledge that has been given to creatures for m'arifat, so that they may know their Lord, and from that knowledge even atoms have been given.
All things in existence have lives, seeing, hearing, speaking and living - everything, even atoms. If not seeing or hearing, how are they coming from non-existence into existence? When everything was invisible in endless Power Oceans - everything - their Lord called them and they appeared in
existence164. If not hearing our Lord's call, inviting us, no one would come into existence.
"Wa in min shayin illa yusabbihu bi-hamdihi165" - for everything there must be a language, a tongue, a speech; there must be a speech for saying, "Glory be to my Lord, who brought me into existence." Yes, everything; they know. Allah Almighty gave to everything, to every creature, from that part of his knowledge which pertains to creatures. But, la y'alamu-l-ghaiba illa-Llah166: that knowledge belongs specifically to our Lord Almighty.
But then, in order that every creature might know its Lord, its Creator, and give its respects and praises to Allah Almighty, certain knowledges must be for everyone. And Allah Almighty gave Adam knowledge for m'arifat, knowledge of Himself, which He did not give to the angels and by which Adam was honoured over the angels. Therefore the rank of knowledge is the highest rank, and for that reason the Prophet, p.b.u.h., says, "Rubtatu l-'ilmi 'ala-r-rutab167."
We have been ordered to learn, to teach and to learn. Without learning, we can't keep the honour of being the Sons of Adam. By knowledge, divine knowledge of our Lord Almighty, we have been crowned, and Allah Almighty ordered the angels to make sajdah to Adam because he had been given divine knowledges.
RESPECTING PROPHET MUHAMMAD, P.B.U.H.
We are not in a classroon, and you are not students and I am not a teacher, but rather all of us are humble servants to our Lord Almighty.
We are nothing; we must know this. The beginning of servanthood is to know that we are nothing. But our egos are never going to agree to be nothing claiming to be something but nevertheless being nothing. And we are asking barakah from Allah Almighty, as His beloved Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "Yad- Ullahi ma'-l-jama'ah, yad-Ullahi 'ala-l-jama'ah168." When Allah Almighty's servants meet, it is an occasion or opportunity to ask, from His endless
164 That is, even in seeming "non-existence" they were alive, possessing every faculty, and when their Lord called them out of that state, they became apparent or manifested in those material forms in which He clothed them
165 And there is nothing which does not glorify Him with praise. (XVII:44)
166 No one knows the Unseen except Allah
167 The rank of knowledge is above all (other) ranks. (Hadith)
168 Allah's hand is with the assembly (of Muslims), Allah's hand is over the assembly (Hadith)
favours, that He send to us, to our meeting, from His endless Mercy Oceans, from His endless Favour Oceans, from His endless Knowledge Oceans.
For what? To make us know Him better, because there are endless steps for the ranks of knowledge, and m'arifat-Ullah, the knowledge of Allah Almighty, is endless oceans, not only one ocean - endless oceans, and each ocean is also endless. No matter how far down you may go, you can never find bottom, and no matter how much you may go around, you can't find any shore: endless oceans with the characteristic that each ocean has no shore, no bottom. Allahu akbar wa lil-Lahi-l-hamd169! - everything that pertains to our Lord Almighty is endless, from pre-eternity to post-eternity; yes, eternal. From Your endless Knowledge Oceans we are asking!
As much as we may know or learn, if you could put the whole of creatures' knowledge in a single place, in comparison to the Prophet's knowledge about his Lord Almighty, no one can know Allah Almighty as beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h., knows Him. Allah Almighty gave to him from His divine Knowledge Oceans, and the Prophet's knowledge is itself an ocean.
If all prophets' knowledges and saints' knowledges and scholars' knowledges and angels' knowledges were to come together, it would be only a little drop from the ocean that the Prophet has been given. All the knowledge of all scholars, all awliya, all prophets, is swallowed up by his knowledge. Therefore the one who knows Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h., must be as he is. You understand? Must be like him, another Muhammad; if he is not another Muhammad, no one can know his personality and his greatness in the Divine Presence.
The knowledge of Muhammad, p.b.u.h., was complete knowledge with Allah Almighty, with his Creator. And what did that Prophet teach the Sons of Adam? As a summary, he came to teach people how they may respect their Lord, Allah Almighty. That is his job or duty: his duty, his task, is to teach people how they can give more perfect respect to their Lord Almighty, and he was the first and most perfect respecter of Allah Almighty. No one can reach that point.
Now, our respect is going to be according to our knowledge about our Lord Almighty; as much as you know about a person, you give more respect to him. Therefore, when our Prophet, Muhammad, p.b.u.h., was asked, "What is afdalu-l-a'mal, the best of deeds," he said, "Al-'ilmu bil-Lah, the knowledge of Allah."
169 Allah is the most great and all praise is for Him
What is this? The Prophet, p.b.u.h., was urging people to gain more knowledge about their Lord Almighty, because when they asked about deeds, he said, "The knowledge of Allah," since when we do a deed, it acquires value according to our respect for our Lord. Therefore, don't suppose that the Prophet's tauhid170, his saying "La ilaha illa-Llah," is like your saying "La ilaha illa-Llah." If all creatures', all prophets', all angels', all awliyas', all s
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