Mercy Oceans, Book 11 (183 pages, 3/17)
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give a name to him; you must wash his body and you must pray over him with respect. Even if the sultan came, he would pray over him, and if there were no one but the sultan, he must pray, must give his respect, to the Sons Adam, and that baby is one of the Sons of Adam, yes? That is true adab, good manners or the best manners; we must keep it. And you must make a grave for that baby, not just throwing stones and dust on that body.
That is true Islam. You can't find this in any other path, in any religion except Islam - the excellent manners which give perfect respect to the Children of Adam. Thus, one day a funeral procession was going by where the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was sitting. When it came near, he stood up, teaching people adab, manners. Someone said, "Ya Rasul-Allan, o Prophet of Allah, that person was a mushrik, an idol-worshipper." But still the Prophet remained standing.
It was no good for a person to say this to the Prophet, p.b.u.h. - without adab, but at the beginning it didn't matter because the Prophet was teaching his Sahabah, companions; step by step they were reaching perfection. But it was no good. Then that person regretted that he had reminded the Prophet, saying that this is a mushrik's or unbeliever's dead body. The Prophet did not
18 Innovation in religion; a newly-invented practice
know? As much as he knew, he didn't know that? How would he have been a prophet if he didn't know? You know and he doesn't know?
What did the Prophet, p.bu.h., say then? He said one word according to the common level of people, because the Prophet kept so much knowledge in his heart, and he gave common knowledge to common people and private, special knowledge to special people, and some other knowledge was for himself and some for his Lord Almighty alone. He said only, "I am standing because the Angel of Death is going with him. I see that and am standing up." And that is a form of respect, also. He was indicating that he could give respect, even for dead bodies, for everyone. When a funeral procession goes by, we may look, we may stop, because the dead body is not going alone.
It is protected by angels, going with it, also. You must look and you must say, "Subhana-l-Hayy al-ladhi la yamut19"; you must remember death and you must say that Allah Almighty alone never dies. Those are teachings for everyone from Allah Almighty to His beloved Prophet, p.b.u.h., and to ourselves.
What is the measure of respect among people now, when we are claiming that we have reached the top of civilization? Rather people are coming down; they have reached the lowest point of civilization, not the topmost. No, the lowest. Islam comes with most high respect to our Lord, Almighty Allah, and out of respect for our Lord Almighty we respect His servants. We must respect them because everyone has been honored to be a deputy to our Lord Almighty and to be a manifestation of a Holy Name of our Lord, Almighty Allah.
Then, every trouble and every problem can be easily solved if we can do this for everyone, because the fruit of respect is respect. When you respect someone, you can find respect from that person to you, but when you are proud, trying to make him low, he will make you low, also. Therefore this world is now like a bell, people falling into it, every day going down lower, because we have lost respect for the sake of Allah Almighty
This is the excellent manners that the Prophet, p.b.u.h., teaches believers in Islam, so that our respect begins from the day of birth, from the birth-day.
Everyone has a birthday, not just certain people. But you must not think of giving some value to a person only on one day and then throw that away; no.
19 Glory be to the Living One who never dies
Respect must continue from the birthday on, and you must be trained, from the beginning to the end, to give respect. Islam brought respect to mankind, men and women; no one can give rights to men and women except Islam. Islam bases good manners or the best manners for men and women, and the relationship between them, on respect - respect for the sake of Allah Almighty only.
What makes our Lord pleased with us? Everyone must try to make his Lord pleased with him; that is the important thing for us throughout our lives. We must make Him pleased with us. And if you are asking what thing makes Allah Almighty pleased with us, you must know that it makes our Lord pleased with us to respect His servants. Give your respect to everyone for the sake of your Lord and it is enough; He is going to be pleased with you.
I was, by my Lord's favor, with my Grandsheikh for forty years. He was teaching me, and everyone who came to him, to give our respect to everyone. "O my son, give your respect to everyone because that makes your Lord pleased with you." And Grandsheikh, if a little child, three years old, four years old, two years old, came to his assembly, if he was sitting he would get up for him, saying, "Welcome, ahlan wa sahlan." As we said, if that baby is born, taking three breaths and then dying, if no one else is there, the sultan and all statesmen must give their respects to him be cause he is a candidate for being a deputy of Allah Almighty.
That is what we have been given by our Grandsheikh, and we are trying to give you also those good or best manners. And you must keep them. To the extent that you keep them, you are going to be happy and in peace within yourself, and you can find satisfaction and you will be respected among creatures and among heavenly beings, also, and that is honor for us.
Therefore, don't say that that person is a Christian, that one is Jewish, that is another kind; that is black that is white, that is red, that is yellow; that is rich, that is a peasant, that is a worker, that is a miner; that is a learned one, that is an unleamed one - no. You must look at every one as a manifestation or one of your Lord's Holy Names, and Allah Alrighty looks at him through that Holy Name, and he is under tarbiyah, training, by that Holy Name. Therefore everyone is perfect in that manifestation. Our Lord, Allah Almighty, gave to them from His holy attribute and you must keep that respect for the sake of your Lord, Almighty Allah.
Once Jalaluddin Rumi, a famous one among grandsheikhs, was walking in the marketplace, and a priest was approaching. When that priest saw that
Jalaluddin Rumi was coming, he bowed. Then Jaluuddin Rumi bowed lower than that priest.
The one who has been given wisdoms may understand what the meaning is. Knowledge you can find everywhere but widsoms are a grant from Allah Almighty to certain people, not for everyone. Therefore Allah Almighty praises the one who has been given wisdons, saying that he has been given a great favor by his Lord Almighty.
Perhaps someone may make an objection concerning such a grandsheikh. “Why, that is a priest and he is a grandsheikh. Why did he bow like that, more than that priest? That priest is a humble person in front of such a grand sheikh."
Who is grand? The one who is more humble than anyone else - he is grand. Grand is not the one who is proud over people. You must understand. That is one point. But the other thing that made Jalaluddin Runi bow lower than that priest was because he saw a manifestation of a Holy Name in that priest, also. Although he was a priest, he had a manifestation from one or Allah Almighty's Holy Names. Yes.
So many sins we are carrying concerning people, and conceming our selves, also. We must ask forgiveness every time. May Allah bless you and forgive you, and forgive us.
Morning/June 3, 1985
(During a morning session, Sheikh Nazim Islam spoke about the spread of Islam among non-Muslims :-)
Do you think that if you put a big cage, a lion in the forest will come and enter it, saying, "Shut the door, I will sit inside"? Do you think this? It is so difficult now to catch hold of people and to make them be in a situation in which everything is in measures, with discipline.
Now it is, as they say, "the Age of Freedom." It began from the year 1789. You know that date? The French Revolution. Heads fell down, feet rose up. The fitnah, turmoil, of the whole world began from that time, the time when
they put the noble people under their feet and the lowest level took their place20. The door was opened at that time and it is still going on.
It is impossible to close it except by Allah Almighty's will and power. No one can stop it, and now, each day, from those seeds, is coming that terrorism. Finished; all governments are trembling from terrorism everywhere. They can't stop it, because they opened - they opened - the door for every wild nature to come out and to do everything under the title of "democracy." Yes.
There is the zoological garden here, the Zoo. You went to it? I went, eleven years ago. I saw a strong building, stronger than any other, and on it was written "Lion House." I went through that passage. On both sides tigers and lions were sitting and looking, like this, very angry at the Sans of Adam. Why have you put us here? Let us have our freedom." Yes. Can you think, if they give freedom to those animals, what they will do? And I also saw poisonous snakes and lizards inside, well-protected. Why do they not leave them free? They must; we have democracy! Democracy is for people only? They must give it to animals, also; yes, they must give.
And I went also to Safari Park, where they give more freedom to wild animals. They say, "Lions walk around here as they like, but I saw a wall, perhaps ten meters high, with iron bars all around, also. Then they say, "We gave them freedom," but it is not true. The animals are very angry, sitting by the walls, looking around. What is this freedom?" they say. “It is not freedom." As so many people in our time are saying, they also say, "This is not yet freedom. We want more freedom." It means, take down all the walls; leave them, and anything that may come in front of them they will eat and destroy. That is their freedom, and they are asking for more. Very angry, because guards are waiting with rifles, and those big doors open by electric commands. If one of them rushes at a guard, a bullet will come on his head. This is freedom? They do not want such a freedom!
So many people in Western countries, everywhere, are asking for more freedom, more freedon. What more freedom"? They mean to say, "We must be like lions in the jungle, African jungles or Indian jungles. We can move everywhere without any hindrance. We may see, we may like a woman and
20 This should not be understood to mean that titled people or the upper classes are necessarily “noble" by character or actions, but rather that the indiscriminate killing of the stable, educated middle and upper classes during the French Revolution by the rabble destroyed all that was of value within the society and allowed the ascendancy of the lowest, least-civilized elements of the population.
we must ride on her. We may like to eat; from anywhere we may take. Any car we may take, any jewels, anything - we may do anything as we like." their "freedom."
That freedom, that bad freedom - I mean to say, what we have of those wild animals within ourselves – wants more freedom, and the first step was from that time, 1789, the French Revolution. They have opened that door and they are unable to shut it now. And from there it spread to every place, and now they are trembling from terrorism - the French government, the English government, the Turkish government. Only the Russian government is not trembling; communist governments never tremble. But democratic countries, all of them, are trembling, like this. Yes, it is good for them; may they continue with democracy; then the dragon of terrorism will swallow all of them. That is coming now.
We are giving the Prophet's information, and it is something which has to happen. No one can stop it because democracy is feeding them, feeding them, and it must be. Therefore, from that time, we gave freedom for everyone – for good ones and for bad ones, and bad ones have more courage, no shame to rule over others, but good people are ashamed, without courage. Therefore. bad people have covered the whole world; that is why we say that governments are trembling from bad people, from terrorists. They do so many bad things but governments still say, "There is a law, there is humanity. We must protect them, not punish them. They may kill but we can't kill them."
Those who do not give their voice or their vote for the execution of of killers, they will be killed, also, because it is impossible to stop killers without killing. Everyone must know that whoever kills is going to be killed. Put a guillotine in Champs Elysées, and every day put one murderer on it and cut off his head, all the people looking. They will begin to tremble, or not? In the Tower of London there is a big wooden log; with an axe they were cutting off the heads of kings and queens. Bring killers; put one there with an axe on his head. Then see who becomes bold to do such things. But you are saying about dragans, “Oh, we must keep those. Democracy - we have democracy. What shall we do? Even if you eat us up, we must keep democracy!" They are swallowing people and yet they are saying, "May you be pleased with us! Eat as many as you like but we must keep you in the name of democracy." You understand?
No intelligence with people now; finished. And this is correct, this is the meaning of democracy: to give the good person and the bad person the same chance, and you must know that bad people have courage. They quickly conceal everything, taking matters into their own hands, and then good people become like sheep under a shepherd. What mentality can accept this? If people are bad, you must give no chance for badness, for evil. That is the perfect government, not to give every bad one an opportunity to do as he likes. With democracy, everything is all right for bad people.
Then, how can a person in our time agree to come and to say, "I agree to be in a cage"? They see that, if they come into Islam, they must be under a discipline. There is discipline in it, but they want freedom. That is the reason why people are running away from Islam, nothing else. Nothing else. What is wrong with Islam? Nothing; it is wrong with them.
Who can agree to be in a cage without doing anything that his ego says to him? People want to make everything ibahiyah21, a kind of thought in which they say that everything is halal, permissible, for them; no harm. The can do anything that their egoes dictate and then they say, "It is all right”.
That is an old way of thinking, and now most people practice that school of thought. They say, we must give our ego everything that we are able to give it. We must make our ego pleased with us by any means, without any hindrance." Men can be women, women can be men. That is the worst thing.They are asking for this, making laws, also; you can understand from this in what condition people are now in. This is one of the fruits of democracy, also. In democratic countries people are fighting against nature, changing nature. Therefore the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said that the time will come when men be women and women will be men, and a curse will fall on them.
Once Jesus Christ, p.b.u.h., was walking. He saw a man and a boy.The man was on fire, burning the boy, and the boy was on fire, burning the man. And he was astonished; what was that punishment for the two of them? That is the worst action; those people are making fire come on them. Therefore Allah Almighty is punishing, His curse coming on earth by fire. It impossible to stop that third world war now - Armageddon, they say in all books. It must be. Don't suppose that that fire from nuclear weapons is without wisdom; no. It is by the will of Allah Almighty, to burn them, to burn every dirtiness on earth, astaghfirullah!
21 considering permissible what God has prohibited; religious libertinism
Whoever comes to a Muslim teacher to listen and to say, "You are right," then his ego or her ego, like a dragon, catches him by his ear, taking him out. "I do not give you permission to do more than only to go and see what is in this Regent's Park Mosque - to see how it is built, what is inside, what they are eating and drinking, what they are saying; to look at as an exhibit, not to learn Islam from these teachers. We do not give that permission. You can just go and look around; then it is like an exhibition in Alexander's Palace.
Go out; it is enough. Who said to you to sit dow to learn what religion is, what Islam is, what it orders? What is this? Get out," it says.
Therefore, the one who may be able to put his ego under bis feet, he is a real hero. All of you, without putting your egos under your feet you can't come to me - from Germany, from America, from Sweden, also; from every part of the world so many people are coming. You are putting your ego under your feet so that you can come, yes. And you have been written in Heaven as heroes; the names of every one of you are written as heroes on the Heavenly Tablet22. It is not an easy thing to put your ego under your feet, and almost all of you are young people, with egoes like spirited horses. All of you, all of you, you may fly - strong ones, your egos. That is the reason that you have been written as heroes on earth, and wherever you may go there is nur, light, lighting you, as we look at the stars at nighttime, and heavenly people are looking an earth and seeing you also with lights. Say, "Alhamdulillahi Rabbi-l-'Alamin23."
MURID: You were speaking yesterday about respect, and I would like to understand. How do we respect those people who are like animals, or people who are oppressors or who are really wicked?
SHEIKH : The Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "Unsur akhāka dhaliman au nadhluma. You must help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or oppressed." You must give your help because all people have been created for the manifestation of the Holy Names of Allah Almighty and they are candidates to be Allah Almighty's deputies. That is their honor.
Now, we are fighting against Satan or against egos. A surgeon does an operation but he does not cut a person to kill him; he is not a butcher. Butchers kill, and surgeons do the same kind of thing but they do it to preserve life. Thus, every one of the Sons of Adam has been honored originally but our egos take people under their command, and egos are like
22 Lawi-l-Mafudh, the Preserved Tablet of God's decrees for all etemity
23 Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds
wild animals. We must help them or save them by any means. For this reason, the Prophet said, "Whether oppressor or oppressed, you must help your brother."
Then people asked, "O Prophet, how can we help an oppressor?" and he said, "You must catch hold of his hand." If you see one person beating another, catch his hand, or if in his hand there is a sword, ready to kill, catch his hand. That is help to the oppressor. And you can help the oppressed person by taking him from the hands of his oppressor.
Now, all people, even oppressors, like to be respected. Respect is a kind of protection for you. In front of the oppressor you are weak, you can't keep him away. Therefore, when you give him your respect, you may have a protection from him, and by that means - because your respect works on him, also - you may be able to make him give at least something of respect for your life.
Therefore, although oppressors may do bad deeds, they are not bad originally24 but by the path of following their egos they are going to bad ways. Man is not bad originally, he is not dirty originally, but you may make yourself dirty by dirty actions, by following satanic ways and by following your ego.
Therefore we may give respect, particularly to oppressors, to put ourselves under protection by that respect. That is a wisdom that we may use in our time. Our Grandsheikh lived in a time when there were so many oppressors around, so many enemies for sheikhs and tariqats during his time; they would come to visit him often, and they wanted to do some harm to him, also. But he had heavenly wisdoms, keeping respect for them. When he gave respect to an official person, too much respect, too much praise, then his murids, his students, would sit and look; they thought that it was allright. But his wife often said, "O my sons, when you hear your Grandsheikh praising someone too much, run away from him. It is only for protection from his evil so that no harm comes to you."
Therefore, respect takes away troubles and harms from you. There is no problem in giving your respect, and originally all people are respectable in the Divine Presence. And, according to your intention, you are going to apologize to Allah for what you did, but it is something that Allah Almighty's tolerance covers. Allah Almighty never punishes a person because of his respect to His servants because respect keeps harm away from you.
24 That is, bad intrinsically or by nature
MURID: So, even if you meet Hitler or Stalin, for example worst of the worst - you should behave respectfully to him?
SHEIKH: Then what can you do? You have power to stand in front of him, to kill him, to take his harm from you? No. Once a sheikh was sitting at the entrance of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. A new pasha, general, came by on a horse and all the people stood up to salute him. That sheikh looked to see who he was; then everyone stood up, saluting, except him.
The sheikh had a tigerskin in front of him. Then with his stick he hit the tigerskin. A tiger - grr-r! rushed at the people, at that pasha, also. If you can be such a person, no worry about facing Hitler or Stalin or any other one!
'Asr/June 3, 1985
There are so many tapes here, but which is the best one? The best one is japanese, they say, or British, because they have a certain stamp or seal, a trademark. Then, if people see that seal or trademark, they say, "This is a famous one. It must be the best."
What about yourselves, the Children of Adam? You have a stamp in your heart, the stamp of the Creator. Do you think that? Sometimes certain newspapers put some photographs, saying that the word "Allan" is written here25, - but it is written so weakly (if there is something useless, photographs fill the whole world and people look at that so much). And on the heart, they say, is written "Allah," also, the Lord's stamp on it, but not too many people are looking for that.
But everyone's heart has been sealed by the divine signature. The Children of Adam bear the divine stamp, the divine signature - all of us. That is tashrif, to be honored, by the divine seal. We have that honor. Now, insha'Allah, as They give to me, as my "Spiritual Headquarters" gives to my heart, I am going to translate to you, according to your spiritual desires.
Now, there are two kinds of people who have knowledge. One kind of people claim that they are scholars, they have knowledge. And another kind of people - they have wisdoms. Scholars may get their knowledge by looking at
25 A reference to some recently-published photographs in which the word "Allah" is seen to be faintly inscribed on leaves, the palm of the human hand and the heart.
everything, testing and observing, obtaining knowledge, but wisdoms are heavenly knowledges, and they are given to certain people, not given generally.
Then, those who have been given knowledge, their vision is different from the vision of wise people. Scholars may look at you, but wise people look and see you in another shape or form. Wisdom gives honor to everyone, as Allah Almighty honored them, even though they may do bad actions.
What is the proof? When Allah Almighty, the Creator, the Lord of the Children of Adam, the Lord of the universes, the Lord of the angels, the Lord of the Heavens, decided to create Adam, or when He decided to make him appear in existence, Adam was our Lord's deputy from the time when there was no time. Thime is created by this world. If the sun does not move or the world does not turn, no more time; time would finish. Allah Almighty made Adam and his children to be deputies from etemity to eternity. That is in the sight of Allah Almighty but it was appointed by His divine will that he appear when He declared to all the angels that now is the time when I am going to create. He meant to say, "The time has now come to appear, O My deputy Adam."
Then the angels said, "O our Lord, what are you doing? What are you creating? Are you going to create creatures who do evil and kill each other, doing every dirty thing, while we are always, from beginning to end, glorifying You?" They meant to say that those creatures whom You are going to create or to cause to appear in existence are creatures of such bad actions, while we are correct, glorifying You, servants to you. If You need to make someone Your deputies, then it must be ourselves. We are suitable for that.
Yes, that was the meaning of their statement. But Allah Almighty said, "I know whom I am making My deputies because I gave them something I didn't give to you," A ruby or diamond may fall into the dirt but no one would leave it there and go away. If it fell from someone's hand into the dirt, no one would leave it there. Yes, he would take it from there and wash it, putting so much soap on it, and also cologne. Then no one would say to him, "Why did you take it out of the dirt and put it here?" No, it is right. Why? It has its value and dirt never affects it.
"Therefore, even if they kill each other, they make so many troubles, sufferings, wars - every kind of dirtiness, yet they have something from My divine secrets; My precious divine thing I have given to everyone. Even though they may do everything, they are still deputies because I gave them
that divine secret which I never gave to anyone else. Therefore, the Sons of Adam, the Children of Adam, they are the top. No one can reach their ranks." Then all the angels said nothing. They knew.
Those who have been given divine wisdoms, they look at all those people who are doing dirty actions; wise people look at them and say, "O our Lord, one drop of Your Mercy Oceans wi
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give a name to him; you must wash his body and you must pray over him with respect. Even if the sultan came, he would pray over him, and if there were no one but the sultan, he must pray, must give his respect, to the Sons Adam, and that baby is one of the Sons of Adam, yes? That is true adab, good manners or the best manners; we must keep it. And you must make a grave for that baby, not just throwing stones and dust on that body.
That is true Islam. You can't find this in any other path, in any religion except Islam - the excellent manners which give perfect respect to the Children of Adam. Thus, one day a funeral procession was going by where the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was sitting. When it came near, he stood up, teaching people adab, manners. Someone said, "Ya Rasul-Allan, o Prophet of Allah, that person was a mushrik, an idol-worshipper." But still the Prophet remained standing.
It was no good for a person to say this to the Prophet, p.b.u.h. - without adab, but at the beginning it didn't matter because the Prophet was teaching his Sahabah, companions; step by step they were reaching perfection. But it was no good. Then that person regretted that he had reminded the Prophet, saying that this is a mushrik's or unbeliever's dead body. The Prophet did not
18 Innovation in religion; a newly-invented practice
know? As much as he knew, he didn't know that? How would he have been a prophet if he didn't know? You know and he doesn't know?
What did the Prophet, p.bu.h., say then? He said one word according to the common level of people, because the Prophet kept so much knowledge in his heart, and he gave common knowledge to common people and private, special knowledge to special people, and some other knowledge was for himself and some for his Lord Almighty alone. He said only, "I am standing because the Angel of Death is going with him. I see that and am standing up." And that is a form of respect, also. He was indicating that he could give respect, even for dead bodies, for everyone. When a funeral procession goes by, we may look, we may stop, because the dead body is not going alone.
It is protected by angels, going with it, also. You must look and you must say, "Subhana-l-Hayy al-ladhi la yamut19"; you must remember death and you must say that Allah Almighty alone never dies. Those are teachings for everyone from Allah Almighty to His beloved Prophet, p.b.u.h., and to ourselves.
What is the measure of respect among people now, when we are claiming that we have reached the top of civilization? Rather people are coming down; they have reached the lowest point of civilization, not the topmost. No, the lowest. Islam comes with most high respect to our Lord, Almighty Allah, and out of respect for our Lord Almighty we respect His servants. We must respect them because everyone has been honored to be a deputy to our Lord Almighty and to be a manifestation of a Holy Name of our Lord, Almighty Allah.
Then, every trouble and every problem can be easily solved if we can do this for everyone, because the fruit of respect is respect. When you respect someone, you can find respect from that person to you, but when you are proud, trying to make him low, he will make you low, also. Therefore this world is now like a bell, people falling into it, every day going down lower, because we have lost respect for the sake of Allah Almighty
This is the excellent manners that the Prophet, p.b.u.h., teaches believers in Islam, so that our respect begins from the day of birth, from the birth-day.
Everyone has a birthday, not just certain people. But you must not think of giving some value to a person only on one day and then throw that away; no.
19 Glory be to the Living One who never dies
Respect must continue from the birthday on, and you must be trained, from the beginning to the end, to give respect. Islam brought respect to mankind, men and women; no one can give rights to men and women except Islam. Islam bases good manners or the best manners for men and women, and the relationship between them, on respect - respect for the sake of Allah Almighty only.
What makes our Lord pleased with us? Everyone must try to make his Lord pleased with him; that is the important thing for us throughout our lives. We must make Him pleased with us. And if you are asking what thing makes Allah Almighty pleased with us, you must know that it makes our Lord pleased with us to respect His servants. Give your respect to everyone for the sake of your Lord and it is enough; He is going to be pleased with you.
I was, by my Lord's favor, with my Grandsheikh for forty years. He was teaching me, and everyone who came to him, to give our respect to everyone. "O my son, give your respect to everyone because that makes your Lord pleased with you." And Grandsheikh, if a little child, three years old, four years old, two years old, came to his assembly, if he was sitting he would get up for him, saying, "Welcome, ahlan wa sahlan." As we said, if that baby is born, taking three breaths and then dying, if no one else is there, the sultan and all statesmen must give their respects to him be cause he is a candidate for being a deputy of Allah Almighty.
That is what we have been given by our Grandsheikh, and we are trying to give you also those good or best manners. And you must keep them. To the extent that you keep them, you are going to be happy and in peace within yourself, and you can find satisfaction and you will be respected among creatures and among heavenly beings, also, and that is honor for us.
Therefore, don't say that that person is a Christian, that one is Jewish, that is another kind; that is black that is white, that is red, that is yellow; that is rich, that is a peasant, that is a worker, that is a miner; that is a learned one, that is an unleamed one - no. You must look at every one as a manifestation or one of your Lord's Holy Names, and Allah Alrighty looks at him through that Holy Name, and he is under tarbiyah, training, by that Holy Name. Therefore everyone is perfect in that manifestation. Our Lord, Allah Almighty, gave to them from His holy attribute and you must keep that respect for the sake of your Lord, Almighty Allah.
Once Jalaluddin Rumi, a famous one among grandsheikhs, was walking in the marketplace, and a priest was approaching. When that priest saw that
Jalaluddin Rumi was coming, he bowed. Then Jaluuddin Rumi bowed lower than that priest.
The one who has been given wisdoms may understand what the meaning is. Knowledge you can find everywhere but widsoms are a grant from Allah Almighty to certain people, not for everyone. Therefore Allah Almighty praises the one who has been given wisdons, saying that he has been given a great favor by his Lord Almighty.
Perhaps someone may make an objection concerning such a grandsheikh. “Why, that is a priest and he is a grandsheikh. Why did he bow like that, more than that priest? That priest is a humble person in front of such a grand sheikh."
Who is grand? The one who is more humble than anyone else - he is grand. Grand is not the one who is proud over people. You must understand. That is one point. But the other thing that made Jalaluddin Runi bow lower than that priest was because he saw a manifestation of a Holy Name in that priest, also. Although he was a priest, he had a manifestation from one or Allah Almighty's Holy Names. Yes.
So many sins we are carrying concerning people, and conceming our selves, also. We must ask forgiveness every time. May Allah bless you and forgive you, and forgive us.
Morning/June 3, 1985
(During a morning session, Sheikh Nazim Islam spoke about the spread of Islam among non-Muslims :-)
Do you think that if you put a big cage, a lion in the forest will come and enter it, saying, "Shut the door, I will sit inside"? Do you think this? It is so difficult now to catch hold of people and to make them be in a situation in which everything is in measures, with discipline.
Now it is, as they say, "the Age of Freedom." It began from the year 1789. You know that date? The French Revolution. Heads fell down, feet rose up. The fitnah, turmoil, of the whole world began from that time, the time when
they put the noble people under their feet and the lowest level took their place20. The door was opened at that time and it is still going on.
It is impossible to close it except by Allah Almighty's will and power. No one can stop it, and now, each day, from those seeds, is coming that terrorism. Finished; all governments are trembling from terrorism everywhere. They can't stop it, because they opened - they opened - the door for every wild nature to come out and to do everything under the title of "democracy." Yes.
There is the zoological garden here, the Zoo. You went to it? I went, eleven years ago. I saw a strong building, stronger than any other, and on it was written "Lion House." I went through that passage. On both sides tigers and lions were sitting and looking, like this, very angry at the Sans of Adam. Why have you put us here? Let us have our freedom." Yes. Can you think, if they give freedom to those animals, what they will do? And I also saw poisonous snakes and lizards inside, well-protected. Why do they not leave them free? They must; we have democracy! Democracy is for people only? They must give it to animals, also; yes, they must give.
And I went also to Safari Park, where they give more freedom to wild animals. They say, "Lions walk around here as they like, but I saw a wall, perhaps ten meters high, with iron bars all around, also. Then they say, "We gave them freedom," but it is not true. The animals are very angry, sitting by the walls, looking around. What is this freedom?" they say. “It is not freedom." As so many people in our time are saying, they also say, "This is not yet freedom. We want more freedom." It means, take down all the walls; leave them, and anything that may come in front of them they will eat and destroy. That is their freedom, and they are asking for more. Very angry, because guards are waiting with rifles, and those big doors open by electric commands. If one of them rushes at a guard, a bullet will come on his head. This is freedom? They do not want such a freedom!
So many people in Western countries, everywhere, are asking for more freedom, more freedon. What more freedom"? They mean to say, "We must be like lions in the jungle, African jungles or Indian jungles. We can move everywhere without any hindrance. We may see, we may like a woman and
20 This should not be understood to mean that titled people or the upper classes are necessarily “noble" by character or actions, but rather that the indiscriminate killing of the stable, educated middle and upper classes during the French Revolution by the rabble destroyed all that was of value within the society and allowed the ascendancy of the lowest, least-civilized elements of the population.
we must ride on her. We may like to eat; from anywhere we may take. Any car we may take, any jewels, anything - we may do anything as we like." their "freedom."
That freedom, that bad freedom - I mean to say, what we have of those wild animals within ourselves – wants more freedom, and the first step was from that time, 1789, the French Revolution. They have opened that door and they are unable to shut it now. And from there it spread to every place, and now they are trembling from terrorism - the French government, the English government, the Turkish government. Only the Russian government is not trembling; communist governments never tremble. But democratic countries, all of them, are trembling, like this. Yes, it is good for them; may they continue with democracy; then the dragon of terrorism will swallow all of them. That is coming now.
We are giving the Prophet's information, and it is something which has to happen. No one can stop it because democracy is feeding them, feeding them, and it must be. Therefore, from that time, we gave freedom for everyone – for good ones and for bad ones, and bad ones have more courage, no shame to rule over others, but good people are ashamed, without courage. Therefore. bad people have covered the whole world; that is why we say that governments are trembling from bad people, from terrorists. They do so many bad things but governments still say, "There is a law, there is humanity. We must protect them, not punish them. They may kill but we can't kill them."
Those who do not give their voice or their vote for the execution of of killers, they will be killed, also, because it is impossible to stop killers without killing. Everyone must know that whoever kills is going to be killed. Put a guillotine in Champs Elysées, and every day put one murderer on it and cut off his head, all the people looking. They will begin to tremble, or not? In the Tower of London there is a big wooden log; with an axe they were cutting off the heads of kings and queens. Bring killers; put one there with an axe on his head. Then see who becomes bold to do such things. But you are saying about dragans, “Oh, we must keep those. Democracy - we have democracy. What shall we do? Even if you eat us up, we must keep democracy!" They are swallowing people and yet they are saying, "May you be pleased with us! Eat as many as you like but we must keep you in the name of democracy." You understand?
No intelligence with people now; finished. And this is correct, this is the meaning of democracy: to give the good person and the bad person the same chance, and you must know that bad people have courage. They quickly conceal everything, taking matters into their own hands, and then good people become like sheep under a shepherd. What mentality can accept this? If people are bad, you must give no chance for badness, for evil. That is the perfect government, not to give every bad one an opportunity to do as he likes. With democracy, everything is all right for bad people.
Then, how can a person in our time agree to come and to say, "I agree to be in a cage"? They see that, if they come into Islam, they must be under a discipline. There is discipline in it, but they want freedom. That is the reason why people are running away from Islam, nothing else. Nothing else. What is wrong with Islam? Nothing; it is wrong with them.
Who can agree to be in a cage without doing anything that his ego says to him? People want to make everything ibahiyah21, a kind of thought in which they say that everything is halal, permissible, for them; no harm. The can do anything that their egoes dictate and then they say, "It is all right”.
That is an old way of thinking, and now most people practice that school of thought. They say, we must give our ego everything that we are able to give it. We must make our ego pleased with us by any means, without any hindrance." Men can be women, women can be men. That is the worst thing.They are asking for this, making laws, also; you can understand from this in what condition people are now in. This is one of the fruits of democracy, also. In democratic countries people are fighting against nature, changing nature. Therefore the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said that the time will come when men be women and women will be men, and a curse will fall on them.
Once Jesus Christ, p.b.u.h., was walking. He saw a man and a boy.The man was on fire, burning the boy, and the boy was on fire, burning the man. And he was astonished; what was that punishment for the two of them? That is the worst action; those people are making fire come on them. Therefore Allah Almighty is punishing, His curse coming on earth by fire. It impossible to stop that third world war now - Armageddon, they say in all books. It must be. Don't suppose that that fire from nuclear weapons is without wisdom; no. It is by the will of Allah Almighty, to burn them, to burn every dirtiness on earth, astaghfirullah!
21 considering permissible what God has prohibited; religious libertinism
Whoever comes to a Muslim teacher to listen and to say, "You are right," then his ego or her ego, like a dragon, catches him by his ear, taking him out. "I do not give you permission to do more than only to go and see what is in this Regent's Park Mosque - to see how it is built, what is inside, what they are eating and drinking, what they are saying; to look at as an exhibit, not to learn Islam from these teachers. We do not give that permission. You can just go and look around; then it is like an exhibition in Alexander's Palace.
Go out; it is enough. Who said to you to sit dow to learn what religion is, what Islam is, what it orders? What is this? Get out," it says.
Therefore, the one who may be able to put his ego under bis feet, he is a real hero. All of you, without putting your egos under your feet you can't come to me - from Germany, from America, from Sweden, also; from every part of the world so many people are coming. You are putting your ego under your feet so that you can come, yes. And you have been written in Heaven as heroes; the names of every one of you are written as heroes on the Heavenly Tablet22. It is not an easy thing to put your ego under your feet, and almost all of you are young people, with egoes like spirited horses. All of you, all of you, you may fly - strong ones, your egos. That is the reason that you have been written as heroes on earth, and wherever you may go there is nur, light, lighting you, as we look at the stars at nighttime, and heavenly people are looking an earth and seeing you also with lights. Say, "Alhamdulillahi Rabbi-l-'Alamin23."
MURID: You were speaking yesterday about respect, and I would like to understand. How do we respect those people who are like animals, or people who are oppressors or who are really wicked?
SHEIKH : The Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "Unsur akhāka dhaliman au nadhluma. You must help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or oppressed." You must give your help because all people have been created for the manifestation of the Holy Names of Allah Almighty and they are candidates to be Allah Almighty's deputies. That is their honor.
Now, we are fighting against Satan or against egos. A surgeon does an operation but he does not cut a person to kill him; he is not a butcher. Butchers kill, and surgeons do the same kind of thing but they do it to preserve life. Thus, every one of the Sons of Adam has been honored originally but our egos take people under their command, and egos are like
22 Lawi-l-Mafudh, the Preserved Tablet of God's decrees for all etemity
23 Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds
wild animals. We must help them or save them by any means. For this reason, the Prophet said, "Whether oppressor or oppressed, you must help your brother."
Then people asked, "O Prophet, how can we help an oppressor?" and he said, "You must catch hold of his hand." If you see one person beating another, catch his hand, or if in his hand there is a sword, ready to kill, catch his hand. That is help to the oppressor. And you can help the oppressed person by taking him from the hands of his oppressor.
Now, all people, even oppressors, like to be respected. Respect is a kind of protection for you. In front of the oppressor you are weak, you can't keep him away. Therefore, when you give him your respect, you may have a protection from him, and by that means - because your respect works on him, also - you may be able to make him give at least something of respect for your life.
Therefore, although oppressors may do bad deeds, they are not bad originally24 but by the path of following their egos they are going to bad ways. Man is not bad originally, he is not dirty originally, but you may make yourself dirty by dirty actions, by following satanic ways and by following your ego.
Therefore we may give respect, particularly to oppressors, to put ourselves under protection by that respect. That is a wisdom that we may use in our time. Our Grandsheikh lived in a time when there were so many oppressors around, so many enemies for sheikhs and tariqats during his time; they would come to visit him often, and they wanted to do some harm to him, also. But he had heavenly wisdoms, keeping respect for them. When he gave respect to an official person, too much respect, too much praise, then his murids, his students, would sit and look; they thought that it was allright. But his wife often said, "O my sons, when you hear your Grandsheikh praising someone too much, run away from him. It is only for protection from his evil so that no harm comes to you."
Therefore, respect takes away troubles and harms from you. There is no problem in giving your respect, and originally all people are respectable in the Divine Presence. And, according to your intention, you are going to apologize to Allah for what you did, but it is something that Allah Almighty's tolerance covers. Allah Almighty never punishes a person because of his respect to His servants because respect keeps harm away from you.
24 That is, bad intrinsically or by nature
MURID: So, even if you meet Hitler or Stalin, for example worst of the worst - you should behave respectfully to him?
SHEIKH: Then what can you do? You have power to stand in front of him, to kill him, to take his harm from you? No. Once a sheikh was sitting at the entrance of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. A new pasha, general, came by on a horse and all the people stood up to salute him. That sheikh looked to see who he was; then everyone stood up, saluting, except him.
The sheikh had a tigerskin in front of him. Then with his stick he hit the tigerskin. A tiger - grr-r! rushed at the people, at that pasha, also. If you can be such a person, no worry about facing Hitler or Stalin or any other one!
'Asr/June 3, 1985
There are so many tapes here, but which is the best one? The best one is japanese, they say, or British, because they have a certain stamp or seal, a trademark. Then, if people see that seal or trademark, they say, "This is a famous one. It must be the best."
What about yourselves, the Children of Adam? You have a stamp in your heart, the stamp of the Creator. Do you think that? Sometimes certain newspapers put some photographs, saying that the word "Allan" is written here25, - but it is written so weakly (if there is something useless, photographs fill the whole world and people look at that so much). And on the heart, they say, is written "Allah," also, the Lord's stamp on it, but not too many people are looking for that.
But everyone's heart has been sealed by the divine signature. The Children of Adam bear the divine stamp, the divine signature - all of us. That is tashrif, to be honored, by the divine seal. We have that honor. Now, insha'Allah, as They give to me, as my "Spiritual Headquarters" gives to my heart, I am going to translate to you, according to your spiritual desires.
Now, there are two kinds of people who have knowledge. One kind of people claim that they are scholars, they have knowledge. And another kind of people - they have wisdoms. Scholars may get their knowledge by looking at
25 A reference to some recently-published photographs in which the word "Allah" is seen to be faintly inscribed on leaves, the palm of the human hand and the heart.
everything, testing and observing, obtaining knowledge, but wisdoms are heavenly knowledges, and they are given to certain people, not given generally.
Then, those who have been given knowledge, their vision is different from the vision of wise people. Scholars may look at you, but wise people look and see you in another shape or form. Wisdom gives honor to everyone, as Allah Almighty honored them, even though they may do bad actions.
What is the proof? When Allah Almighty, the Creator, the Lord of the Children of Adam, the Lord of the universes, the Lord of the angels, the Lord of the Heavens, decided to create Adam, or when He decided to make him appear in existence, Adam was our Lord's deputy from the time when there was no time. Thime is created by this world. If the sun does not move or the world does not turn, no more time; time would finish. Allah Almighty made Adam and his children to be deputies from etemity to eternity. That is in the sight of Allah Almighty but it was appointed by His divine will that he appear when He declared to all the angels that now is the time when I am going to create. He meant to say, "The time has now come to appear, O My deputy Adam."
Then the angels said, "O our Lord, what are you doing? What are you creating? Are you going to create creatures who do evil and kill each other, doing every dirty thing, while we are always, from beginning to end, glorifying You?" They meant to say that those creatures whom You are going to create or to cause to appear in existence are creatures of such bad actions, while we are correct, glorifying You, servants to you. If You need to make someone Your deputies, then it must be ourselves. We are suitable for that.
Yes, that was the meaning of their statement. But Allah Almighty said, "I know whom I am making My deputies because I gave them something I didn't give to you," A ruby or diamond may fall into the dirt but no one would leave it there and go away. If it fell from someone's hand into the dirt, no one would leave it there. Yes, he would take it from there and wash it, putting so much soap on it, and also cologne. Then no one would say to him, "Why did you take it out of the dirt and put it here?" No, it is right. Why? It has its value and dirt never affects it.
"Therefore, even if they kill each other, they make so many troubles, sufferings, wars - every kind of dirtiness, yet they have something from My divine secrets; My precious divine thing I have given to everyone. Even though they may do everything, they are still deputies because I gave them
that divine secret which I never gave to anyone else. Therefore, the Sons of Adam, the Children of Adam, they are the top. No one can reach their ranks." Then all the angels said nothing. They knew.
Those who have been given divine wisdoms, they look at all those people who are doing dirty actions; wise people look at them and say, "O our Lord, one drop of Your Mercy Oceans wi
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