Mercy Oceans, Book 11 (183 pages, 14/17)
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you are the richest one, I never saw even the richest person wearing two coats, three coats, four coats. (I did see some people in our countries, particularly in Damascus, wearing two, three, four, five coats and walking through the marketplace, but then I understood that such a person was selling, not wearing them; I thought he was the richest one but he was a seller.)
Therefore, O my brothers, my sons and my daughers, everyone who is a believer in Allah, Allah Almighty honored you by His faith. You must believe that this life is a temporary one, and you may have everything but finally you must leave it and give up this life. Everything is going to be taken from you.
136 This is a statement of the principle underlying Zakāt, the obligatory poordue which is the fourth of the five "Pillars" or obligatory acts of worship in Islam - namely, that what is in excess of one's needs is to be returned to the community in the form of charity to the needy
Even your body will be taken from you; your soul will go to its first station in the spiritual world, returning to that place from where it came, and your body will be taken from you and buried underground. If you would like to be in satisfaction and peace here and Hereafter, keep only a handful, just enough, from this world. If everyone thought about that point, now you wouldn't see communism on earth, which is akbar balah, the greatest disaster. Our egoes never know to say "Enough," but your souls and your wisdoms say to you, "Take only enough." Ego says, "No - take everything." Don't listen to your ego. Keep only what is enough for you.
And we are asking from our Lord, Allah Almighty, forgiveness, and we are asking from Allah Almighty to make us successful, to ask more of our permament life's materials. You may ask for more of that, as much as you can, Almighty Allah saying, "Ask for your Etemal Life, ask more and more. Don't say, 'It is enough.' No - ask more." But for this temporary life, keep just enough. That makes you honorable, here and Hereafter. When you do not quarrel, when you do not run after more than enough, people will hold you in honor and in respect, and you are going to be someone admired.
'Isha/June 18, 1985
Holy Ramadan has passed, quickly going, and that is a mercy from Allah Almighty. If it went slowly, in our condition we couldn't bear it.' Therefore Allah Almighty makes it pass easily and quickly. But Satan - Satan shows that it is a long way to thirty days. "One, two, three, four, five never-ending days, and now it is nineteen hours, long days, long fasting. You can't do this!" Then happy is the one who fasts. It is a favor from Allah Almighty. If you do not have the intention, it is going to be difficult.
Once - this is an important tale; everyone must know it - once a prophet was traveling. All prophets traveled, because people are too lazy to visit or to look for prophets. If a Satan came and called, all people would run after him; particularly when Dajjal comes, - no need for advertising. People will run after him, gigantic crowds. Cities will not be able to hold them; they will run to the countryside and flow like a river. There fore when Dajjal appears and walks about, at every moment people will crowd after him, crowding,
crowding, crowding. If a prophet came, people would say, "I don't care," but when Dajjal comes137, they will give too much attention to that satan.
Thus, prophets travel, because they have divine lights through their hearts, through their eyes, and their whole body gives forth rays. Saints, also, are the inheritors of prophets. They have rays through their hearts, through their eyes, and their bodies give, also, these rays. Whoever is caught by that light, it is impossible to escape. Therefore they have been ordered to look because their eyes hunt people, catching them. Tuba, happiness, for those eyes which saw the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; tuba for those people who saw those eyes which saw the Prophet, in such a way reaching up to ourselves. You have seen eyes which saw the Prophet, and whoever sees eyes which saw the Prophet, they must see, also.
That prophet was traveling. One night he dreamt a dream, and a dream is a kind of wahy, revelation. In his dream he was ordered that tomorrow, whichever thing faces you first on your way, you must swallow it. Then the next day he began his journey, and the first thing that appeared, facing him, was a gigantic black mountain. As it was mentioned in his dream, when he saw that the first thing which appeared was that gigantic mountain, according to the holy command he went toward that mountain to swallow it. At each step he took toward that gigantic mountain to swallow it, the mountain became smaller, smaller, smaller, till he reached it. There it was aly a piece of bread, which he took and put in his mouth and swallowed.
This is a good lesson for everyone about what power comes through intentions. You must know it. This is a little boy. You are fasting? Yes, this little boy is fasting. My grandson, seven years old, called me last night. My daughter said, "Little Nazin fasted one day, and without even eating suhur138 because he was sleeping. No matter how hard we tried to make him wake up, he didn't. And the second day he said, 'I must fast again.'"
Intention gives power. If a person intends, that is allright; everything is going to be easy. Allah Almighty hides a secret power in intention which no one can imagine, because when you intend to do something for the sake of Allah, He is your Helper and He is your supporter. No matter how difficult that action may be, it is not difficult for Allah. If Allah Almighty is with you,
137 The fearsome imposter, foretold in hadiths, who will come at the End-time of this world and mislead people with the display of his satanic powers
138 Pre-dawn breakfast an days of fasting
everything is easy. When you are with your Lord, everything is easy, no difficulties.
Therefore we intended, alhamdulillah, at the beginning and up to the end; then finished. And you are happy and you are healthy, and you are in peace and enjoyment and satisfied in your heart, becoming a person who fulfills his obligations toward his Lord, Allah Almighty.
Morning/ June 19, 1985
I am asking Allah Almighty to give me understanding because if a person hasn't been given understanding, it is impossible to make people understand. Therefore, if you do not understand, you can't teach people, you can't make them understand.
Therefore, for teachers - when you speak you must come down to the level of an infant; otherwise it is impossible. Allah Almighty, the Lord of creatures, the Lord of all existence, has tanazzulat subhani139. In spite of His glorious existence, in spite of His greatness, you can find Allah Almighty with every level of His creatures. If He is not with an ant, not knowing in what conditions ants live and of what things they may be in need, He can't be its Lord, let alone mankind's. Therefore we are saying tanazzulāt subhāni, glorified coming down to the level of every creature, even microscopic entities. He must be with them, on their level, so that He knows of what they may be in need, because He is the Creator. "Ala ya'lamu man khalaq140?" You must under stand. He is asking, "O people, does the one who created not know?" Must know. That is important.
Therefore you may be at all levels when you teach people, you may be able to come quickly to any level of people. Only prophets can do this and their true inheritors, and for others it is impossible. Therefore they are mostly unsuccessful. You must see on what level the one who is addressed is standing and you must come down. And when he looks and sees you at his level, he catches hold of you. Concordes never land on this street. If need be, helicopters come here; no need for a private area. They go anywhere - on the sea, on mountains, on fire, on roofs, going to the bottoms of valleys,
139 Divine condescension, coming down to the level of creatures
140 Does not He know who who created (them)? (LXVII:14)
taking their load and going up. A Concorde, never. Our scholars are like Concordes, such proud people because they are Concordes. Only a few statesmen may enter them, like themselves, but they never go down to the bottom.
And I am asking from my Lord, "Give me, O my Lord, an understanding," and it is enough for me. When I understand simply, I may also give that understanding from the bottom. Even if someone is such a proud person, I know where bottom is for him; he can't escape from me - must become simple, with us. I do not leave people to be on Mount Everest, on top of the Himalays; they must come to my level when I am sitting to speak and must understand. It is an important point to be successful in teaching, in training, in leading people; otherwise no success for that person and it is useless.
Yes. If you see that it is useless, you must leave it; no benefit. Why are you wasting your time and their time? Better to leave it.
Our brother has asked a question but it is a difficult question. I think no one understands it except the one who is in that state. When you ask someone to describe how honey is, don't ask a person who has never tasted honey; don't ask a person who has never understood a honeymoon to tell this little boy about honeymoons. It is useless. Ask about a honeymoon to a married man; don't ask a child.
Therefore, when our brother is asking about fana fil-Lah and baqa bil-Lah141, or fani fil-lah and baqi fil-lah142, that is an ocean. When you may be able to melt yourself, your being melting in Unity Oceans, you may understand what is the meaning of fana fil-lah or fani fil-Lah.
When you leave your position as a being in existence, when you see yourself as a drop of rain, falling from the skies and reaching the ocean, then you can't ask where that drop is. Just finished; the drop has become ocean. As long as it is falling, it thinks, "I am something." But when it reaches that ocean, it thinks, “Where am I? I am finished, I am with Him. I am here but I am not here. Only He is here. But I am now with Him, I am in His oceans. I have that consciousness but nothing more can you say about that drop; finished. The drop has become the ocean, in the ocean."
141 Fanā fil-Lāh: to be annihilated in Allah. Baqā bil-lah: to remain forever with Allah 142 Fani fil-Lah: one who annihilates himself in Allah. Baqi bil-lah: one who remains eternally with Allah
That is only a simple, very simple, description or explanation of fana fil-lah and to be baqi bil-lah, to be with Him always. No more does your personality appear, but divine existence covers it; finished. That is the true maqama tauhid, the real Station of Unity. When you want to reach that point, it is a difficult path and it needs difficult training. And everyone's way must reach that station. Therefore we have been asked, as the sixth pillar of faith, to believe in tauhid al-ab'ad. Khairihi wa sharrihi min Allahi Tala143; that is tauhid al-ab’ad.
Therefore we have been ordered and asked to believe that every action is from Him - good actions or bad actions. If a person gives you 1 euro and another person comes and hits you and takes that euro from you, and you see it as his giving me a pound but then that satan came and took that pound from me, then you are not in faith.
At the first level, you must try to see every action as coming from your Lord, Almighty Allah; He is the creator of the actions of people. When you see that person who gave you a coin, you must say that my Lord sent him to give me that coin and I am thanking my Lord, Allah Almighty, and at the same time you say "Thank You" to him because your thanks to your Lord is not complete until you give your thanks to His servants, also. "Man lam yashkuri- n-nass lam yashkur-Allah144. Yes? If you do not give your thanks to servants, you are not giving your thanks to your Lord. That is a very polite teaching for everyone. Even though you know that Allah Almighty sent him to you to give you that coin, you must not forget your Lord under any conditions. First, thanks to my Lord for sending you with this favor for me, and thank you for discharging your trust to me. You look at him and you see that your Lord, your Lord's action, sent him to you.
And again, a person comes and hits you and takes that coin from you. Don't be angry with that one. The Shari'ah says that you can take your rights from him145, but when you are walking on the way of tauhid, then you must see it as coming from Allah Almighty. He is sending that servant to take it from you
143 All good and evil is from God Most High. Tauhid al-ab'ād refers to the oneness of all that is apportioned to creatures
144 The one who does not thank people does not thank Allah
145 'In the Shari'ah equal retaliation (qisās) is permitted, but forgiveness is preferable and is a higher order of action. See V:48 (V:45 in Pickthall) and XLII:40, 43
because the Creator of every action is only your Lord, Allah Almighty, and we have a verse in the Holy Qur'ān about that146.
The Shari'ah speaks about qisās, retaliation, for the common level: if a person does like this to you, you may slap him on the same side; you have that right. But Allah Almighty also says, "Fa-man ‘afa wa aslaha, fa-ajruhu 'ala-l-Lāh147." You can forgive him and forgiveness brings goodness, islah, and then Allan Almighty rewards you, also.
On the last day when the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was on his journey to the Divine Presence just before he went from this life, he said that anyone who has any claims against me may ask. A Sahabi said that one day your stick struck me. "Take your right from me," the Prophet said. But that Sahābi said, "I was not fully dressed then, no shirt on." The Prophet uncovered himself, and that Sahādi came and kissed him. The Prophet understood why he did that. It Because my lips have touched your holy body, Hellfire will never burn me.
That is why I asked. I am not claiming any right, but that was what I was asking for – to kiss your holy body."
Yes. It means that anyone may claim his rights, but Allah Almighty is speaking for those who have reached a level at which they see, they understand, that every action is from their Lord, Almighty Allah. Therefore Allah Almighty asks those second-level people, "O people, fa-man ’lafa wa aslaha, fa-ajruhu 'ala-l-Lah. Now forgive him because I sent him. You will not look at him as guilty at that time, and you may forgive him." But that is not the level of the Shari'ah148. That becomes ‘azimat ash-Shari'ah, 'azāim149; that is the level of people of true faith, Ahl al-'Azāim. They are able to forgive. We can’t do it because at our level our egos are like Vesuvius, the fiery mountain. the volcano, yes - they can't bear that. And I see that in Western countries even more than in our countries, people are fire. I look at cars. For a little mistake their drivers may pour out everything from their mouths, and I say, What if there is equal to that inside those people? They
146 Probably refers to XXXVII:96: "And Allah created you and that which you do
147 Then whoever forgives and does good, his reward is with Allah." (XIII:40)
148 “The level of the Shari'ah" means, in this instance, to avail oneself of the permission to retaliate given in V:48 and XLII:40, while 'azimat ash-Shari'ah refers to the highest form of what is enjoined by the Shari'an, namely, "And for the one who is patient and forgives, surely that pertains to the height of determination ['azmi-l- umūr]" (XLII:43)
149 Determination or resolve in keeping the highest level of what Allah has enjoined
were so polite but a very small thing makes them erupt. Yes, their egoes. I have seen that. That is a dangerous, dangerous illness for egoes.
MURID: Sheikh, what about the method - the method to get to those higher stages?
SHEIKH: We are telling the ways, but it is too difficult for everyone; it is so difficult. Therefore I am saying that all people now are full-up with ego: their egoes command them, and where can you find "Fa-man 'afa wa aslaha"? You can't find that. In Westem countries, finished; no tolerance for each other, and for foreigners, even less than that. By their looks you can understand that they are fire. I am saying that this England is not going to be for you forever, or for us; all of us are guests. But Allah Almighty has sent me here to be with you for some time, sending people to America, to France, to Germany, to be, as you are, guests.
We are all guests. You may say, "Homeland," but your homeland is in the grave, not outside it. Don't ask for any homeland except graves, the cemetery. Alhamdulillah, when they bury people in a cemetery, they do not fight, saying, "How, why, are you coming to our cemetery?" No. Colored people, non colored people, all of them the cemetery accepts, saying, "Welcome. Colored people, white people, red people - Welcome! German, American, a Turkish one, a Cypriot one, a beautiful one, an ugly one - it doesn't matter; no worry. Ahlan wa sahlan150. - I am your homeland. Come to me." Yes. Doesn't it call you?
Therefore, it is so difficult. That is the level about which Allah Almighty teaches, "You must understand who I am. I am the Creator of people and their works and their actions.". When you reach that level, quarreling finishes. Once I was making tawāf151 with Grandsheikh in Makkah al- Mukarramah, may Allah give it more honor. He said, "Nazim Efendi, look up," and I saw another group, above the heads of the people. They were making tawaf, also, but such calm people, such peaceful people. On the first level we were fighting, pushing, -o-oh! so much fighting, quarreling among
150 Welcome (Arabic)
151 Making the circuits around the Holy, K'aba in Makkah which are the central rites of Hajj, pilgrimage, or "Umrah, the minor pilgrimage
the people on the first level152. And I looked at that upper level. Those people were from the Children of Adam, not from angels, no; that level was just for the children of Adam. Those people had reached the level at which they saw every action of everyone as coming from Allah Almighty. They had finished fighting and quarreling, they had reached peace and calm.
People say, "Khairihi wa sharrihi min Allahi Ta'ala." They accept it but do not yet have tahqiq, certainty; they have not yet reached that. "Sudanese people are tall ones, coming and pushing us, or a group of Hijāzi people, bedouins, all of them together, coming and pushing or pulling people." They look at that group as being from bedouins, those from Senegal, tall and heavy ones, falling on them. That fighting and quarreling is at the first level. When you go up, this air carries you. It can carry you; no need to have that earth under your feet. No need for those people; they go smoothly.
Yes, they have jet powers from their souls, jet motors carrying that heavy body. No one objects, seeing those gigantic Boeings flying, that jet motors carry them. If a man can make that, Allah Almighty cannot do that for us? We have jet powers, jet motors, through our souls but not yet can you use them. Those people, all of them, have that. Therefore, no gr-r, gr-r grr, noise, with them; smoothly they may move. They are in peace with their Lord and they have reached peace with everyone in creation. Therefore everything may carry them. You may also move when you reach that level.
That is the first step that Islam offers to people, to make this life like a paradise, en joining on people that. O people, you must believe that the works of servants and their actions are according to the will of their Lord, Almighty Allah. Therefore you must admire your Lord's will if it appears through His servants.
MURID: Sheikh Efendi, what is the meaning of the verse which says that every khair, good, is from Allah but every sharr, evil, is from yourselves153?
SHEIKH: At the first level, your ego says to you, "Don't believe." That is the source of evils, making you quarrel. When you believe in God Almighty, why
152 He is referring to the rough and unmannerly behaviour which one often encounters among some of the pilgrims during tawaf in the extremely crowded conditions of Hajj
153 Referring to IV:79: Whatever happens to thee (O man) of good is from God and whatever happens to thee of evil, it is from thy own self (or, from thy own nafs (nafsika)
are you still quarreling? Because your ego does sharr. And Allah Almighty changes it. If something comes to you in a form that is disliked, Allah changes it by your patience into good and rewards you. Therefore we have been ordered to be patient for everything that is disliked by us, and it is a training. We begin by saying it and then by practicing we must reach that level. If not reaching, you still remain behind.
When you reach the unity of actions, then you are going to know, to understand, the unity of the Holy Names. When you reach the unity of the Holy Attributes, the divine attributes of Allah Almighty, then you improve to sink down into the unity oceans of Allah Almighty's existence and essence. Then, finished. That is the final station - that that drop comes and falls into the Unity Oceans of the Lord, Allah Almighty, and finishes. It does not come back at all, and it is happy because it has reached everything - everything eternal endless, forever, and it is endless pleasure for drops to reach that Ocean.
"Ya ayyuha-l-insānu, innaka kādihun llā Rabbika kadhan, fa-mulāqihi154." This verse indicates that drops try to reach that Ocean, the Unity Oceans of Allah Almighty. And on earth, 0 people, you are running like this, like that, from morning up to night, from night up to day, running East, running West, struggling, but finally, 0 people, you are asking to reach your Lord's endless Unity Oceans, although you can't understand that meaning. You are only run ning, your soul making you like this, like that, between East and West. You are running but your soul is asking for its Lord Almighty. And finally you will reach your Lord; it must be.
We are asking forgiveness and saying "Astaghfirullah" for every misunderstanding. It should be clear, I think, because it is impossible to speak about matters after the first level of Unity, Unity of Actions. it you can't enter into that station, it is so difficult to reach an explanation of the unities of the Holy Names, of the Divine Attributes, and of the Divine Existence, the Essence, the Unity of Essence. Therefore I think it is enough for an understanding according to our level. Everyone may understand this, whether scholars or simple people.
MURĪD: Does everyone have a chance to reach that level?
154 O thou man, truly thou art struggling toward thy Lord with painful struggle; then thou shalt meet Him." (LXXXIV:6)
SHEIKH: Yes, everyone has a chance to reach those divine stations because they are all candidates for being deputies; therefore it is right for everyone. We read a verse, "Ya ayyuhā-l-insanu, innaka kādihun ilā Rabbika kadhan, fa-mulaqihi." If anyone does serious work to reach that, he may reach, must reach; that verse is clear enough. No one is prohibited or prevented; all of them may reach on the condition that they work seriously. If you walk one step and then take two steps back, you can't reach; if a person is "Thumma 'amānu" and "Thumma kafaru, thumma 'amanu, thumma kafaru155," he is never go ing to reach. If someone is firm in his steps toward that station, one day he must reach, but not by sometimes listening to Allah Almighty's invitation, going toward Him, and sometimes giving a hearing to Satan and leaving, going to Satan - in that case he will never reach.
Therefore, by being firm, sabat, steady in his walking, even little by little he may reach. If not reaching, still Allah Almighty finally takes him, yes.
Grandsheikh often said, concerning that point, "It is such a difficult work. If it is said to a person that there is a treasure for you under these seven layers of earth, and you must dig it and must get it, even if he has been given a broken shovel and a broken pickaxe, he must not say, 'How can I do this?' No. He has been ordered to do it and he has been given such instruments; he must go and start to dig. He must not say, 'Even with machines you can't dig this, even with drilling machines you can't do that. Then how can I do it?' If you say this, finished; you will lose. Rather, My Lord has ordered me to do it and has given me these instruments. I must look after it.' And when you do it, you finish it, then Allah Almighty's divine help cames in less than a moment and takes it out for you."
Therefore you must be steadfast in your steps, you must look after yourself for reaching such a divine station. An ant with a broken leg may say that I am going from London this year to Hijāz, to Makkah, for pilgrimage. Yes, it may intend that - no difficulty, and when intending it makes its way toward the Klaba. Do you think it is possible for that ant to reach there? But one person from among the pilgrims comes, putting his bag there, and by and by that ant comes and sits in it to see what is in it. Then it is announced that the plane for Hajj is ready. Quickly that person runs into the plane, and that ant is in his bag, looking at what is happening. And aftan two hours, three hours, Jiddah, and after Jiddah, one hour to Makkah Mukarramah. That bag is
155 A paraphrase of IV:137, referring to "those who believe, then disbelieve; then believe, then disbelieve," continuously vacillating between imān, faith, and kufr, disbelief
important to that pilgrim; he carries it, coming to the K’aba, and puts it there, and by and by that ant comes out. "What is this? Where are we now?"
Yes, Allah Almighty does everything, making a way for that ant because it intended to go with a broken leg; Allah makes it reach there, quickly taking it. Then why are you going to be hopeless?
We are like such a broken-legged ant. We are directing our faces to the Divine Presence and we are asking to reach it. He may take us to that station. Don't suppose that you may be able to reach it by your own power, no; you are only like that broken-legged ant.
MURĪD: Is it the same thing to
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you are the richest one, I never saw even the richest person wearing two coats, three coats, four coats. (I did see some people in our countries, particularly in Damascus, wearing two, three, four, five coats and walking through the marketplace, but then I understood that such a person was selling, not wearing them; I thought he was the richest one but he was a seller.)
Therefore, O my brothers, my sons and my daughers, everyone who is a believer in Allah, Allah Almighty honored you by His faith. You must believe that this life is a temporary one, and you may have everything but finally you must leave it and give up this life. Everything is going to be taken from you.
136 This is a statement of the principle underlying Zakāt, the obligatory poordue which is the fourth of the five "Pillars" or obligatory acts of worship in Islam - namely, that what is in excess of one's needs is to be returned to the community in the form of charity to the needy
Even your body will be taken from you; your soul will go to its first station in the spiritual world, returning to that place from where it came, and your body will be taken from you and buried underground. If you would like to be in satisfaction and peace here and Hereafter, keep only a handful, just enough, from this world. If everyone thought about that point, now you wouldn't see communism on earth, which is akbar balah, the greatest disaster. Our egoes never know to say "Enough," but your souls and your wisdoms say to you, "Take only enough." Ego says, "No - take everything." Don't listen to your ego. Keep only what is enough for you.
And we are asking from our Lord, Allah Almighty, forgiveness, and we are asking from Allah Almighty to make us successful, to ask more of our permament life's materials. You may ask for more of that, as much as you can, Almighty Allah saying, "Ask for your Etemal Life, ask more and more. Don't say, 'It is enough.' No - ask more." But for this temporary life, keep just enough. That makes you honorable, here and Hereafter. When you do not quarrel, when you do not run after more than enough, people will hold you in honor and in respect, and you are going to be someone admired.
'Isha/June 18, 1985
Holy Ramadan has passed, quickly going, and that is a mercy from Allah Almighty. If it went slowly, in our condition we couldn't bear it.' Therefore Allah Almighty makes it pass easily and quickly. But Satan - Satan shows that it is a long way to thirty days. "One, two, three, four, five never-ending days, and now it is nineteen hours, long days, long fasting. You can't do this!" Then happy is the one who fasts. It is a favor from Allah Almighty. If you do not have the intention, it is going to be difficult.
Once - this is an important tale; everyone must know it - once a prophet was traveling. All prophets traveled, because people are too lazy to visit or to look for prophets. If a Satan came and called, all people would run after him; particularly when Dajjal comes, - no need for advertising. People will run after him, gigantic crowds. Cities will not be able to hold them; they will run to the countryside and flow like a river. There fore when Dajjal appears and walks about, at every moment people will crowd after him, crowding,
crowding, crowding. If a prophet came, people would say, "I don't care," but when Dajjal comes137, they will give too much attention to that satan.
Thus, prophets travel, because they have divine lights through their hearts, through their eyes, and their whole body gives forth rays. Saints, also, are the inheritors of prophets. They have rays through their hearts, through their eyes, and their bodies give, also, these rays. Whoever is caught by that light, it is impossible to escape. Therefore they have been ordered to look because their eyes hunt people, catching them. Tuba, happiness, for those eyes which saw the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; tuba for those people who saw those eyes which saw the Prophet, in such a way reaching up to ourselves. You have seen eyes which saw the Prophet, and whoever sees eyes which saw the Prophet, they must see, also.
That prophet was traveling. One night he dreamt a dream, and a dream is a kind of wahy, revelation. In his dream he was ordered that tomorrow, whichever thing faces you first on your way, you must swallow it. Then the next day he began his journey, and the first thing that appeared, facing him, was a gigantic black mountain. As it was mentioned in his dream, when he saw that the first thing which appeared was that gigantic mountain, according to the holy command he went toward that mountain to swallow it. At each step he took toward that gigantic mountain to swallow it, the mountain became smaller, smaller, smaller, till he reached it. There it was aly a piece of bread, which he took and put in his mouth and swallowed.
This is a good lesson for everyone about what power comes through intentions. You must know it. This is a little boy. You are fasting? Yes, this little boy is fasting. My grandson, seven years old, called me last night. My daughter said, "Little Nazin fasted one day, and without even eating suhur138 because he was sleeping. No matter how hard we tried to make him wake up, he didn't. And the second day he said, 'I must fast again.'"
Intention gives power. If a person intends, that is allright; everything is going to be easy. Allah Almighty hides a secret power in intention which no one can imagine, because when you intend to do something for the sake of Allah, He is your Helper and He is your supporter. No matter how difficult that action may be, it is not difficult for Allah. If Allah Almighty is with you,
137 The fearsome imposter, foretold in hadiths, who will come at the End-time of this world and mislead people with the display of his satanic powers
138 Pre-dawn breakfast an days of fasting
everything is easy. When you are with your Lord, everything is easy, no difficulties.
Therefore we intended, alhamdulillah, at the beginning and up to the end; then finished. And you are happy and you are healthy, and you are in peace and enjoyment and satisfied in your heart, becoming a person who fulfills his obligations toward his Lord, Allah Almighty.
Morning/ June 19, 1985
I am asking Allah Almighty to give me understanding because if a person hasn't been given understanding, it is impossible to make people understand. Therefore, if you do not understand, you can't teach people, you can't make them understand.
Therefore, for teachers - when you speak you must come down to the level of an infant; otherwise it is impossible. Allah Almighty, the Lord of creatures, the Lord of all existence, has tanazzulat subhani139. In spite of His glorious existence, in spite of His greatness, you can find Allah Almighty with every level of His creatures. If He is not with an ant, not knowing in what conditions ants live and of what things they may be in need, He can't be its Lord, let alone mankind's. Therefore we are saying tanazzulāt subhāni, glorified coming down to the level of every creature, even microscopic entities. He must be with them, on their level, so that He knows of what they may be in need, because He is the Creator. "Ala ya'lamu man khalaq140?" You must under stand. He is asking, "O people, does the one who created not know?" Must know. That is important.
Therefore you may be at all levels when you teach people, you may be able to come quickly to any level of people. Only prophets can do this and their true inheritors, and for others it is impossible. Therefore they are mostly unsuccessful. You must see on what level the one who is addressed is standing and you must come down. And when he looks and sees you at his level, he catches hold of you. Concordes never land on this street. If need be, helicopters come here; no need for a private area. They go anywhere - on the sea, on mountains, on fire, on roofs, going to the bottoms of valleys,
139 Divine condescension, coming down to the level of creatures
140 Does not He know who who created (them)? (LXVII:14)
taking their load and going up. A Concorde, never. Our scholars are like Concordes, such proud people because they are Concordes. Only a few statesmen may enter them, like themselves, but they never go down to the bottom.
And I am asking from my Lord, "Give me, O my Lord, an understanding," and it is enough for me. When I understand simply, I may also give that understanding from the bottom. Even if someone is such a proud person, I know where bottom is for him; he can't escape from me - must become simple, with us. I do not leave people to be on Mount Everest, on top of the Himalays; they must come to my level when I am sitting to speak and must understand. It is an important point to be successful in teaching, in training, in leading people; otherwise no success for that person and it is useless.
Yes. If you see that it is useless, you must leave it; no benefit. Why are you wasting your time and their time? Better to leave it.
Our brother has asked a question but it is a difficult question. I think no one understands it except the one who is in that state. When you ask someone to describe how honey is, don't ask a person who has never tasted honey; don't ask a person who has never understood a honeymoon to tell this little boy about honeymoons. It is useless. Ask about a honeymoon to a married man; don't ask a child.
Therefore, when our brother is asking about fana fil-Lah and baqa bil-Lah141, or fani fil-lah and baqi fil-lah142, that is an ocean. When you may be able to melt yourself, your being melting in Unity Oceans, you may understand what is the meaning of fana fil-lah or fani fil-Lah.
When you leave your position as a being in existence, when you see yourself as a drop of rain, falling from the skies and reaching the ocean, then you can't ask where that drop is. Just finished; the drop has become ocean. As long as it is falling, it thinks, "I am something." But when it reaches that ocean, it thinks, “Where am I? I am finished, I am with Him. I am here but I am not here. Only He is here. But I am now with Him, I am in His oceans. I have that consciousness but nothing more can you say about that drop; finished. The drop has become the ocean, in the ocean."
141 Fanā fil-Lāh: to be annihilated in Allah. Baqā bil-lah: to remain forever with Allah 142 Fani fil-Lah: one who annihilates himself in Allah. Baqi bil-lah: one who remains eternally with Allah
That is only a simple, very simple, description or explanation of fana fil-lah and to be baqi bil-lah, to be with Him always. No more does your personality appear, but divine existence covers it; finished. That is the true maqama tauhid, the real Station of Unity. When you want to reach that point, it is a difficult path and it needs difficult training. And everyone's way must reach that station. Therefore we have been asked, as the sixth pillar of faith, to believe in tauhid al-ab'ad. Khairihi wa sharrihi min Allahi Tala143; that is tauhid al-ab’ad.
Therefore we have been ordered and asked to believe that every action is from Him - good actions or bad actions. If a person gives you 1 euro and another person comes and hits you and takes that euro from you, and you see it as his giving me a pound but then that satan came and took that pound from me, then you are not in faith.
At the first level, you must try to see every action as coming from your Lord, Almighty Allah; He is the creator of the actions of people. When you see that person who gave you a coin, you must say that my Lord sent him to give me that coin and I am thanking my Lord, Allah Almighty, and at the same time you say "Thank You" to him because your thanks to your Lord is not complete until you give your thanks to His servants, also. "Man lam yashkuri- n-nass lam yashkur-Allah144. Yes? If you do not give your thanks to servants, you are not giving your thanks to your Lord. That is a very polite teaching for everyone. Even though you know that Allah Almighty sent him to you to give you that coin, you must not forget your Lord under any conditions. First, thanks to my Lord for sending you with this favor for me, and thank you for discharging your trust to me. You look at him and you see that your Lord, your Lord's action, sent him to you.
And again, a person comes and hits you and takes that coin from you. Don't be angry with that one. The Shari'ah says that you can take your rights from him145, but when you are walking on the way of tauhid, then you must see it as coming from Allah Almighty. He is sending that servant to take it from you
143 All good and evil is from God Most High. Tauhid al-ab'ād refers to the oneness of all that is apportioned to creatures
144 The one who does not thank people does not thank Allah
145 'In the Shari'ah equal retaliation (qisās) is permitted, but forgiveness is preferable and is a higher order of action. See V:48 (V:45 in Pickthall) and XLII:40, 43
because the Creator of every action is only your Lord, Allah Almighty, and we have a verse in the Holy Qur'ān about that146.
The Shari'ah speaks about qisās, retaliation, for the common level: if a person does like this to you, you may slap him on the same side; you have that right. But Allah Almighty also says, "Fa-man ‘afa wa aslaha, fa-ajruhu 'ala-l-Lāh147." You can forgive him and forgiveness brings goodness, islah, and then Allan Almighty rewards you, also.
On the last day when the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was on his journey to the Divine Presence just before he went from this life, he said that anyone who has any claims against me may ask. A Sahabi said that one day your stick struck me. "Take your right from me," the Prophet said. But that Sahābi said, "I was not fully dressed then, no shirt on." The Prophet uncovered himself, and that Sahādi came and kissed him. The Prophet understood why he did that. It Because my lips have touched your holy body, Hellfire will never burn me.
That is why I asked. I am not claiming any right, but that was what I was asking for – to kiss your holy body."
Yes. It means that anyone may claim his rights, but Allah Almighty is speaking for those who have reached a level at which they see, they understand, that every action is from their Lord, Almighty Allah. Therefore Allah Almighty asks those second-level people, "O people, fa-man ’lafa wa aslaha, fa-ajruhu 'ala-l-Lah. Now forgive him because I sent him. You will not look at him as guilty at that time, and you may forgive him." But that is not the level of the Shari'ah148. That becomes ‘azimat ash-Shari'ah, 'azāim149; that is the level of people of true faith, Ahl al-'Azāim. They are able to forgive. We can’t do it because at our level our egos are like Vesuvius, the fiery mountain. the volcano, yes - they can't bear that. And I see that in Western countries even more than in our countries, people are fire. I look at cars. For a little mistake their drivers may pour out everything from their mouths, and I say, What if there is equal to that inside those people? They
146 Probably refers to XXXVII:96: "And Allah created you and that which you do
147 Then whoever forgives and does good, his reward is with Allah." (XIII:40)
148 “The level of the Shari'ah" means, in this instance, to avail oneself of the permission to retaliate given in V:48 and XLII:40, while 'azimat ash-Shari'ah refers to the highest form of what is enjoined by the Shari'an, namely, "And for the one who is patient and forgives, surely that pertains to the height of determination ['azmi-l- umūr]" (XLII:43)
149 Determination or resolve in keeping the highest level of what Allah has enjoined
were so polite but a very small thing makes them erupt. Yes, their egoes. I have seen that. That is a dangerous, dangerous illness for egoes.
MURID: Sheikh, what about the method - the method to get to those higher stages?
SHEIKH: We are telling the ways, but it is too difficult for everyone; it is so difficult. Therefore I am saying that all people now are full-up with ego: their egoes command them, and where can you find "Fa-man 'afa wa aslaha"? You can't find that. In Westem countries, finished; no tolerance for each other, and for foreigners, even less than that. By their looks you can understand that they are fire. I am saying that this England is not going to be for you forever, or for us; all of us are guests. But Allah Almighty has sent me here to be with you for some time, sending people to America, to France, to Germany, to be, as you are, guests.
We are all guests. You may say, "Homeland," but your homeland is in the grave, not outside it. Don't ask for any homeland except graves, the cemetery. Alhamdulillah, when they bury people in a cemetery, they do not fight, saying, "How, why, are you coming to our cemetery?" No. Colored people, non colored people, all of them the cemetery accepts, saying, "Welcome. Colored people, white people, red people - Welcome! German, American, a Turkish one, a Cypriot one, a beautiful one, an ugly one - it doesn't matter; no worry. Ahlan wa sahlan150. - I am your homeland. Come to me." Yes. Doesn't it call you?
Therefore, it is so difficult. That is the level about which Allah Almighty teaches, "You must understand who I am. I am the Creator of people and their works and their actions.". When you reach that level, quarreling finishes. Once I was making tawāf151 with Grandsheikh in Makkah al- Mukarramah, may Allah give it more honor. He said, "Nazim Efendi, look up," and I saw another group, above the heads of the people. They were making tawaf, also, but such calm people, such peaceful people. On the first level we were fighting, pushing, -o-oh! so much fighting, quarreling among
150 Welcome (Arabic)
151 Making the circuits around the Holy, K'aba in Makkah which are the central rites of Hajj, pilgrimage, or "Umrah, the minor pilgrimage
the people on the first level152. And I looked at that upper level. Those people were from the Children of Adam, not from angels, no; that level was just for the children of Adam. Those people had reached the level at which they saw every action of everyone as coming from Allah Almighty. They had finished fighting and quarreling, they had reached peace and calm.
People say, "Khairihi wa sharrihi min Allahi Ta'ala." They accept it but do not yet have tahqiq, certainty; they have not yet reached that. "Sudanese people are tall ones, coming and pushing us, or a group of Hijāzi people, bedouins, all of them together, coming and pushing or pulling people." They look at that group as being from bedouins, those from Senegal, tall and heavy ones, falling on them. That fighting and quarreling is at the first level. When you go up, this air carries you. It can carry you; no need to have that earth under your feet. No need for those people; they go smoothly.
Yes, they have jet powers from their souls, jet motors carrying that heavy body. No one objects, seeing those gigantic Boeings flying, that jet motors carry them. If a man can make that, Allah Almighty cannot do that for us? We have jet powers, jet motors, through our souls but not yet can you use them. Those people, all of them, have that. Therefore, no gr-r, gr-r grr, noise, with them; smoothly they may move. They are in peace with their Lord and they have reached peace with everyone in creation. Therefore everything may carry them. You may also move when you reach that level.
That is the first step that Islam offers to people, to make this life like a paradise, en joining on people that. O people, you must believe that the works of servants and their actions are according to the will of their Lord, Almighty Allah. Therefore you must admire your Lord's will if it appears through His servants.
MURID: Sheikh Efendi, what is the meaning of the verse which says that every khair, good, is from Allah but every sharr, evil, is from yourselves153?
SHEIKH: At the first level, your ego says to you, "Don't believe." That is the source of evils, making you quarrel. When you believe in God Almighty, why
152 He is referring to the rough and unmannerly behaviour which one often encounters among some of the pilgrims during tawaf in the extremely crowded conditions of Hajj
153 Referring to IV:79: Whatever happens to thee (O man) of good is from God and whatever happens to thee of evil, it is from thy own self (or, from thy own nafs (nafsika)
are you still quarreling? Because your ego does sharr. And Allah Almighty changes it. If something comes to you in a form that is disliked, Allah changes it by your patience into good and rewards you. Therefore we have been ordered to be patient for everything that is disliked by us, and it is a training. We begin by saying it and then by practicing we must reach that level. If not reaching, you still remain behind.
When you reach the unity of actions, then you are going to know, to understand, the unity of the Holy Names. When you reach the unity of the Holy Attributes, the divine attributes of Allah Almighty, then you improve to sink down into the unity oceans of Allah Almighty's existence and essence. Then, finished. That is the final station - that that drop comes and falls into the Unity Oceans of the Lord, Allah Almighty, and finishes. It does not come back at all, and it is happy because it has reached everything - everything eternal endless, forever, and it is endless pleasure for drops to reach that Ocean.
"Ya ayyuha-l-insānu, innaka kādihun llā Rabbika kadhan, fa-mulāqihi154." This verse indicates that drops try to reach that Ocean, the Unity Oceans of Allah Almighty. And on earth, 0 people, you are running like this, like that, from morning up to night, from night up to day, running East, running West, struggling, but finally, 0 people, you are asking to reach your Lord's endless Unity Oceans, although you can't understand that meaning. You are only run ning, your soul making you like this, like that, between East and West. You are running but your soul is asking for its Lord Almighty. And finally you will reach your Lord; it must be.
We are asking forgiveness and saying "Astaghfirullah" for every misunderstanding. It should be clear, I think, because it is impossible to speak about matters after the first level of Unity, Unity of Actions. it you can't enter into that station, it is so difficult to reach an explanation of the unities of the Holy Names, of the Divine Attributes, and of the Divine Existence, the Essence, the Unity of Essence. Therefore I think it is enough for an understanding according to our level. Everyone may understand this, whether scholars or simple people.
MURĪD: Does everyone have a chance to reach that level?
154 O thou man, truly thou art struggling toward thy Lord with painful struggle; then thou shalt meet Him." (LXXXIV:6)
SHEIKH: Yes, everyone has a chance to reach those divine stations because they are all candidates for being deputies; therefore it is right for everyone. We read a verse, "Ya ayyuhā-l-insanu, innaka kādihun ilā Rabbika kadhan, fa-mulaqihi." If anyone does serious work to reach that, he may reach, must reach; that verse is clear enough. No one is prohibited or prevented; all of them may reach on the condition that they work seriously. If you walk one step and then take two steps back, you can't reach; if a person is "Thumma 'amānu" and "Thumma kafaru, thumma 'amanu, thumma kafaru155," he is never go ing to reach. If someone is firm in his steps toward that station, one day he must reach, but not by sometimes listening to Allah Almighty's invitation, going toward Him, and sometimes giving a hearing to Satan and leaving, going to Satan - in that case he will never reach.
Therefore, by being firm, sabat, steady in his walking, even little by little he may reach. If not reaching, still Allah Almighty finally takes him, yes.
Grandsheikh often said, concerning that point, "It is such a difficult work. If it is said to a person that there is a treasure for you under these seven layers of earth, and you must dig it and must get it, even if he has been given a broken shovel and a broken pickaxe, he must not say, 'How can I do this?' No. He has been ordered to do it and he has been given such instruments; he must go and start to dig. He must not say, 'Even with machines you can't dig this, even with drilling machines you can't do that. Then how can I do it?' If you say this, finished; you will lose. Rather, My Lord has ordered me to do it and has given me these instruments. I must look after it.' And when you do it, you finish it, then Allah Almighty's divine help cames in less than a moment and takes it out for you."
Therefore you must be steadfast in your steps, you must look after yourself for reaching such a divine station. An ant with a broken leg may say that I am going from London this year to Hijāz, to Makkah, for pilgrimage. Yes, it may intend that - no difficulty, and when intending it makes its way toward the Klaba. Do you think it is possible for that ant to reach there? But one person from among the pilgrims comes, putting his bag there, and by and by that ant comes and sits in it to see what is in it. Then it is announced that the plane for Hajj is ready. Quickly that person runs into the plane, and that ant is in his bag, looking at what is happening. And aftan two hours, three hours, Jiddah, and after Jiddah, one hour to Makkah Mukarramah. That bag is
155 A paraphrase of IV:137, referring to "those who believe, then disbelieve; then believe, then disbelieve," continuously vacillating between imān, faith, and kufr, disbelief
important to that pilgrim; he carries it, coming to the K’aba, and puts it there, and by and by that ant comes out. "What is this? Where are we now?"
Yes, Allah Almighty does everything, making a way for that ant because it intended to go with a broken leg; Allah makes it reach there, quickly taking it. Then why are you going to be hopeless?
We are like such a broken-legged ant. We are directing our faces to the Divine Presence and we are asking to reach it. He may take us to that station. Don't suppose that you may be able to reach it by your own power, no; you are only like that broken-legged ant.
MURĪD: Is it the same thing to
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