Mercy Oceans, Book 12 (192 pages, 5/15)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6177
is servant and messenger." Istighfar: asking forgiveness
controlling their actions; but those uncontrolled minds and hearts are in the hands of Satan, and they are building on one side and destroying from the other side.
Allah Almighty likes good actions, but they must be clean actions. Clean actions are only going to be with clean thoughts; otherwise, if you haven't clean thoughts, you are not going to do good actions or good activities. And in our days, Satan and his armies are claiming that they are taking everyone from mankind, in the East and the West, in their hands, Satan saying, "In my hands! One hand of mine is in the East, one hand in the West, and I am commander over the Children of Adam and controller of their thoughts.".
Therefore we are seeing that day by day satanic methods are increasing among people, satanic inventions are growing. If you sit down to think, you can't think, such things people are inventing! Originally everything may be useful for beliefs, for goodness, for charity; but Satan never lets people use such new inventions for charity or for the benefit of the Children of Adam, and they are preparing themselves to use every opportunity for the East to take away the West and for the West to take away the East. Nothing is useful for the Children of Adam without there quickly coming another thing to harm the Sons of Adam.
Therefore we must be very careful in our steps and we must try to take control of ourselves. And if you are able to take control of your body, then, when Allah Almighty gives you an opportunity for your heart, and your heart becomes stronger and able to keep your limbs and organs on a good path, at that time you will be an obedient servant.
Now we are hearing that a new disease is spreading, and also that no one may be able to take it away. No cure for so many illnesses; it is not only one or two or three - also that cancer; everywhere, with everyone. That disease is only going to appear in uncontrolled bodies; if a body is controlled, it is
impossible for such an incurable disease to grow. Therefore, to take control of yourself gives you benefit physically and spiritually.
And we have an opportunity during Holy Ramadan more than at any other time. The one who is able to control himself during this Ramadan is going to be able, by Allah Almighty's support, to take control of himself for the other eleven months. Everything begins small and grows, good things and bad things, good habits and bad habits; for each one we have a beginning. And the beginning is difficult, but you must be patient and continue; if you know that something is right, you must continue to keep that way, even though it may be so difficult. Difficulties may be overcome by a strong faith, and strong faith must always be with those people who are able to control themselves.
Allah Almighty gave us His messages through His prophets, and the summary of those messages is only to make people be able to take control of themselves. Therefore Allah Almighty orders prayers five times a day, plus sunnah worshipping, also. There are the five times of prayer which Allah Almighty makes obligatory on His servants, but the Prophet, p.b.u.h., did sunnah prayers in the daytime and nighttime, also, so that those times of praying are always making a control on our limbs and on our hearts.
The Prophet, p.b.u.h., did so many sunnah prayers that if you keep them day and night, there is going to be perfect control on your ego; because as long as you leave your ego free, it escapes, running away, and if your ego runs away, no more control on it. Some people are objecting, "Why five times a day?" but they are ignorant people. They do not understand what are the divine wisdoms in making a lot of worshipping in a day, when so much worshipping always makes a strong control on ourselves, on our organs and on our limbs, and then on our thoughts.
It is a good opportunity for everyone to look after his nafs, after his ego, what it is doing and what it is ordering, particularly during this holy month. And at
every time we are asking forgiveness from Allah Almighty for our bad thoughts, and asking to make our hearts clean from dirty thoughts.
When they are going to be clean, then you will go to the station of awliya, who are still living everywhere on earth, although mostly they are hidden in our time; they may meet with us but we do not know who they are. And they are following the ways of the prophets by controlling every action of their limbs and organs, and controlling their thoughts. Therefore, more than anything tariqats teach people to look after their hearts, because hearts are the sources of goodness and badness. And we are asking from our Lord to guard our hearts and to help us control our thoughts and actions.
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Everyone must ask how we can make our Lord, Allah Almighty, pleased with us; everyone must ask about that point: how I may be able to make my Lord pleased with me. The one who can make his Lord pleased with him, he has reached the main goal here and Hereafter.
If you can't make your Lord pleased with you, what are you doing? Why are you alive, what is the meaning of your life? It is nonsense! Therefore, for so many people, to be inside the earth is better for them than to be on the face of it. And everyone must see for himself whether to be inside this earth is better for him or whether to be on it is better; everyone must ask this question and must look for an answer from himself to himself.
Each day, each morning, we are awakening. Each night Allah Almighty takes our souls temporarily, and our souls are returning to their homeland, to the Heavens, Allah Almighty permitting them to be free from this prison. Our bodies are prisons for our souls; when we sleep, they get their freedom and return to their homelands. And, according to traditions, if a person sleeps
taher46, clean, then his soul reaches up to the Throne, the Divine Throne, making sajdah47, worshipping till that person awakes. If he does not sleep taher, it also gets to Heaven but it is imprisoned in a dark place till that person awakes and it comes back to him. Therefore, when the one who sleeps clean awakens, he feels lightness; if not, he feels a heavy burden on himself. Then, each night you must look after yourself.
And each morning when you awaken, you begin a journey, traveling on earth. So many steps - going, coming, going, coming; you are going a long way each day. If you put your steps in a straight line, perhaps you would reach ten miles', twenty miles', distance, or more.
We are running, every day, but no one is asking to understand for what we are running, to where we are running, or which thing we are intending to reach. It is a long journey, every day. Everyone runs and tires, works and tires; but if you ask for what that is, people may say, "This is only for my provision, to eat and drink." And the pubs are waiting for them: the whole day working like robots, and every night, after finishing, those pubs are waiting for them, to go there and be there up to midnight. And they are living without asking what is the meaning of this life.
Each one of us must think at nighttime whether today I did something that made my Lord pleased with me. If he can say within his conscience that I did some good things or that I did my best with my Lord and with His servants, then he may know that to be on the earth is better for him than to be under the earth; otherwise, to be under the earth is better for him than to be on it because every day he is carrying more responsibility and a heavier burden on himself. If he is not making his Lord pleased with him, his life, to be in this life, is nonsense for him. And if we do not reach that point during our life, it is difficult to make our Lord pleased with us after death.
46 The Holy Prophet, p.b.u.h., recommended sleeping in a clean state; that is, after making wudu, ablution, or, if necessary, ghusl, taking a shower
47 Prostrating oneself in worship
A grandsheikh sent his murid to a cemetery and ordered him, "Go and stand in the middle of it. Go to the middle of the cemetery and call, 'O people lying in this cemetery, listen to me!'"
They can hear but they can't answer. Sometimes they may look and see; but at any time, if a person goes to a cemetery and says, "As-salamu 'alaikum, ya ahla-l-qubur - peace be on you, o people of the graveyard," they hear him. The one who is of the people of Paradise answers, receiving our salam, our greeting; the one who isn't, doesn't reply but he hears it.
Now it is the holy month, and each day they may look at their visitors, also; during Ramadan, each day, each night, they may hear and see anyone who comes to visit them. After Ramadan, only each Thursday and Friday until Saturday morning's sunrise, for two complete days, they may see their visitors and hear their salams and their prayers for them, but during Holy Ramadan it is always open. Therefore, it is important for living people to visit cemeteries from time to time; Allah Almighty permits them.
You may pass through cemeteries in Europe, also. As I have been ordered, when I pass through cemeteries, I say, "La ilaha illa-llah," three times, saying, "Muhammadu-r-rasul-Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam48," and calling: "O people who are lying in this graveyard, you who accepted, even at the last moment of your lives, and said 'La ilaha illa-Llah' and passed away on that holy word - as-salamu 'alaikum49, Then you may recite a Fatehah for those who may be in that graveyard of those people who said the holy word, "La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu-r rasul-Allah," sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, even at the last moment; and if none of them is there, it may go to another cemetery in which there may be one or two or more50. At
48 Allah's peace and blessings be upon him
49 Peace be upon you
50 Fatehah is recited for the believers in "La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu-r-rasul- Allah," i.e., the Muslims, while the greeting of peace, "As-salamu 'alaikum," is for all the believers in "La ilaha illa-Llah," Almighty God's existence and oneness
the least, at the least, you say "La ilaha illa-Llah" when you pass through that cemetery. That is a holy word which all the prophets said, from the beginning up to the end, and it is written on the Divine Throne, "La ilaha illa-Llah," there is no God but Allah; and after "La ilaha illa-Llan," as we are looking and seeing and knowing, there is written "Muhammadu-r-rasul-Allah," sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam - Muhammad is His messenger, the Seal of the Prophets.
In every cemetery that saying gives refreshment; yes.
Then, that sheikh ordered his murid to go and stand in the middle of that cemetery, and ordered him to ask, "O people who are lying in this cemetery, what do you want? What is your wish?" And as he commanded, that murid went and asked it.
Allah Almighty can do anything; you must believe that the Lord of the Heavens can do anything - yes. The people lying in that graveyard, they were listening. Then Allah Almighty gave them permission to answer that murid's question.
The one who makes his Lord pleased with him, Allah Almighty grants him miracles, giving them to His servant; if you are a sincere and obedient servant, He grants to you miracles from His endless favors. And that sheikh was from those beloved people and an obedient servant to his Lord; and he was teaching his murid, and teaching ourselves and teaching all mankind.
Then Allah Almighty permitted those people in that graveyard to answer. They were answering there, saying, "O our Lord's servant, o 'abd-Allah51! Our only wish, our only desire, is that we are asking from our Lord to give us one hour, or even one minute, from your life."
Why were they asking for a part of his life? To teach him what is the value of his life, to teach him that he was spending it as we are spending our lives,
51 servant of God
leaving them without value. Yes. "Our desire is only to be given one hour from your life to make our Lord, during that hour, pleased with us.
"Because we are lying here, we can never think of making our Lord pleased with ourselves. We spent our lives uselessly, and now we understand what is the value of the life on earth. Therefore, all of us, our Lord's servants, we are asking from our Lord to give us one hour from your life, and we hope to make our Lord pleased with us during that hour." That was their desire.
All people in cemeteries would say this, if they could speak and we could hear. We are doing israf, wasting; we are wasting our precious, precious lives. If people who are lying in cemeteries had all the treasures, all the gold on earth, and under the earth, also, they would be ready to give it all if the Lord, Almighty Allah, were to ask payment for that minute or that hour; if they had all treasures, they would be ready to pay them all for one moment of life. But we do not know; we are heedless still. We never know what is the value of this moment's breaths, of even one breath. They would give all treasures to say only once "La ilaha illa-Llah"; but finished - breath finished, everything finished.
Therefore it is a very, very great opportunity for ourselves to know the value of our breaths. People know something, but they have no certainty and then they can do nothing. So many people read books and know about religion or about Paradise and Hell, about the Day of Resurrection, but no praying, no worshipping, doing nothing for their Lord. A person may know, but the important knowledge is the knowledge of certainty which pushes you to worship, which gives you power to worship, to be an obedient servant of your Lord. Therefore, the important thing is to know and to obtain certainty for our knowledge. And from where can you obtain that certainty?
Once the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; asked a Sahabi, one of his Companions, "Kaifa asbaht - how did you awaken today?".
He said, "O Rasul-Allah, o Messenger of God, Allah Almighty, I awoke and came to this day muminan, as a believer."
Then the Prophet asked him, "What is the sign of your faith?"
And he said, "O Messenger of God, Almighty Allah, I was in the position of seeing the Day of Resurrection, the place of Judgment Day, which will be in Damascus. I saw it. People were gathering, a huge crowd of people from the beginning up to the end, crowded on that Plain of Mahshar52. And I saw at my right hand Paradise and at my left hand Hell, and I put my foot on the Bridge that everyone must pass over" - if passing, entering Paradise. "I saw the Scales, also, for weighing peoples' actions, worshipping and goodness."
Then the Prophet said, "That is correct, the true sign of your faith. It is right. Keep yourself on it."
That is certainty - to know something exactly. Otherwise, anyone can read but he does not reach that certainty; it is not enough for him to say it himself. And now we are also asking certainty from Allah Almighty concerning the value of our lives.
The people of the graveyard, they had reached that certainty because the veils had been taken away from their hearts' eyes. Then they were able to look and see what is unseen to us now, and they knew, asking for one hour's time from that murid's life to be given to them so that they could make their Lord pleased with them. That was their only aim; they were not asking to come to this life to do business. Finished; all business had been put aside.
Yes, nothing; their only desire was to make their Lord pleased with them. .
Now we have that opportunity, everyone. We must try at every time to make our Lord pleased with us. And the way, the only way, is that you must think
52 The gathering place of the Last Judgment, which, according to hadiths, will take place an the Plain of Damascus
before every action - think whether it is something that makes my Lord pleased with me or not. Only this we must ask ourselves.
I am sitting here; I am speaking and you are listening. If this activity of ours makes our Lord pleased with us, if our conscience says "Yes, it is all right; it is something that makes your Lord pleased with you," then you must do that.
This is only an example, but for everything that you want to do think about it a little bit. If your conscience signals that it is all right - now your Lord is looking at you and He is going to be pleased with you - you may do it. And if you are in doubt about it, there is another method you may use:
- For every, action that you want to do, you must say "Bismillahi-r Rahmani- r-Rahim53"; it means, "O my Lord, I am doing this for Your divine pleasure." If you can say "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim" for that action, it is all right; you may do it. It makes your Lord pleased with you and makes you pleased, also, here and Hereafter.
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Grandsheikh was saying that every way is now closed, locked; but one way, to say for every action, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim, " opens every locked door. You may use it as much as you wish. As much as you may say it, it is all right; it is not going to be too much. Say, always, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim."
When a servant says "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim," he makes himself non-existent, considering himself nothing. "Wa khuliqa-l-insanu dha'ifa54" - Allah Almighty says that I created man weak, and if He says he is weak, he
53 Literally, "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving," or, in Sheikh Nazim's own translation, "By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent
54 And man was created weak. (IV:28)
is weak; he can't be powerful. Yes, weak, and we are in need of help. And every time the one who thinks or knows that he is weak says "Bismillahi-r- Rahmani-r-Rahim," it means, "O my Lord, I am nothing. I can't do anything if you are not going to support me or help me; I can't do anything. And I am saying, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim. By Your power I may do; by Your power I may live; by Your power I may do everything, every difficult thing.'" All difficulties are going to be made easy by saying "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r- Rahim."
A good tiding for fasting people: Grandsheikh was saying that when a person gets to be hungry, Allah likes him. Allah Almighty never likes someone to be full of food, but when he has an empty stomach He likes him because He never eats, never drinks. If He didn't like that being hungry, He wouldn't have allowed His Prophet to be hungry and to put a stone on his stomach55.
One day some Sahabah, the Prophet's Companions, were saying to him, "O Rasul-Allah, we are tying stones onto our stomachs from hunger." Then the Prophet did like this and showed them the two stones he had put.
If it wasn't useful for building personalities, Allah Almighty would never have let them be hungry. From hunger no harm comes, but from eating harm comes to people. When a person is hungry his heart opens, and when it opens, blood runs everywhere easily. No pressure on the heart from hunger; rather, it makes the heart to open. Its outward part opens and also it opens within itself. When you are hungry, wisdom's sources open in your heart; when you are full that closes.
Therefore Allah Almighty made the Sahabah, the Companions of the Holy Prophet, to be hungry from time to time, and the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was also hungry, because hunger makes a good personality. Everything affects the
55 The Holy Prophet and his Companions used to tie stones onto their stomachs to stifle the pangs of hunger during periods of extreme want
personality but hunger has the most effect on our personalities. Therefore, mostly the Sahabah were hungry, or, if they were fasting, they might find only dates, one or three56, eating very little. But that hunger established Islam in their hearts, establishing iman, faith, also; and they were such strong people both physically and spiritually, because to the extent that you eat less, the physical body takes more power. People who eat too much become weaker and weaker, and carriers of flesh.
Now, one most important point on which Grandsheikh was speaking: We are in need of faith, iman, yes? Faith may be imitation or it may be real, and we are in need of real faith, not imitation, only saying it with our lips. Everyone is in need of real faith; if we haven't real faith, at the last moment Satan may carry it away and leave a person without faith. We are in need of faith that controls our whole body, its inner side and its outer. That is important, and that is what Allah Almighty is asking from His servants - real faith. And our Grandsheikh, may Allah bless him, was giving a description of how real faith is going to enter into our hearts, and it is very important to know.
We have been ordered, as believers, to believe in what is real. "Ya-ayyuh-l- ladhina amanu, aminu bil-Lahi wa rasulihi wal-kitabi-l-ladhi nazzala ala rasulihi57" - Allah Almighty is saying "Ya-ayyuha-l-ladhina amanu," addressing the believers and commanding them to believe. That means, "O believers by imitation, you must really believe in God or in the Lord, Allah Almighty, and you must believe in His Prophet and you must believe in His Book." And the important point is how we can believe or how we can obtain real faith.
That is an important point. You may ask this, but how can you find an answer? You may find the answer through people who have reached real faith. They know the way; others can't know that way. And Grandsheikh was
56 For breaking their fast or for the evening meal
57 O you who believe, believe in God and His Prophet and the Book which He sent down upon His Prophet. (IV:136)
saying, "If Allah Almighty wants to put real faith in the heart of a servant, He looks at his heart. For what reason? Because the dwelling-place or station of faith is the heart. And He looks there. If the conditions which Allah Almighty wants are right in your heart, He gives that real faith to your heart."
What are those conditions, what is Allah Almighty looking for in our hearts? Grandsheikh was saying that when every enjoyment of this world is taken away from your heart, then it is ready to be the station of real faith. If He sees that in your heart you are still putting somewhere enjoyment of this life, of dunya, hubb ad-dunya, love of this life, of this world - if He looks and sees a little bit, even from one side, He never gives, because it is dirtiness to put the love of this life, of this world, into a heart that belongs to the Lord, Allah Almighty. It is dirty, dirtiness.
You know (ladies more than gentlemen know) that if you put milk in a pot in which there is a little bit of dirtiness, it is going to be sour. Therefore, don't say, "What does it matter if there is a little bit of enjoyment of this life in our hearts? If we keep it there, what does it matter?"
No. During the Night Journey58, the Angel Gabriel brought to the Prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., wine in one pot and milk in another pot, saying, "You may choose one of these." He chose milk, and Gabriel said," you have chosen the one of fitrah, nature."
That means that milk makes the physical body grow; that is nature, suitable for nature. And milk also represents fitrat al-Islam, the nature of Islam. Wine, no; wine destroys. Therefore he chose milk. And as milk is destroyed, soured, by a small amount of dirtiness in a pot, so our hearts are a pot for faith, and a little bit of dirtiness from this world makes our faith sour.
58 The Holy Prophet's miraculous Night Journey (al-Isra) and Ascension (al-Me'raj) to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens during the tenth year of his prophethood
Therefore, Allah Almighty is looking. When you are going to be finished with this world's enjoyment, then it may be put in there, Allah Almighty giving you real faith. Don't be foolish and say, "How can I leave the enjoyment of this life?". Do you know, when real faith gets into your heart, what kind of enjoyment you will feel? - do you know that? If you do not know, don't say, "How can I leave my enjoyment? I am enjoying a little bit during this life; I am still looking around and enjoying." But what are you going to enjoy in prison?
You are in prison. What is enjoyment in prison? But real faith takes you out of prison, taking you from darkness to the lighted Heavens. Such a person may put one foot on earth and the other he may put in the Heavens, being free for everything. Now you are in prison, but when that real faith enters, you will not be in need to ask enjoyment from this dirty world. It was the "toilet" for the other, that great world; yes. What enjoyment can you have in the toilet? Nothing!
Awliya, they know the hidden wisdoms, secret wisd
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6177
is servant and messenger." Istighfar: asking forgiveness
controlling their actions; but those uncontrolled minds and hearts are in the hands of Satan, and they are building on one side and destroying from the other side.
Allah Almighty likes good actions, but they must be clean actions. Clean actions are only going to be with clean thoughts; otherwise, if you haven't clean thoughts, you are not going to do good actions or good activities. And in our days, Satan and his armies are claiming that they are taking everyone from mankind, in the East and the West, in their hands, Satan saying, "In my hands! One hand of mine is in the East, one hand in the West, and I am commander over the Children of Adam and controller of their thoughts.".
Therefore we are seeing that day by day satanic methods are increasing among people, satanic inventions are growing. If you sit down to think, you can't think, such things people are inventing! Originally everything may be useful for beliefs, for goodness, for charity; but Satan never lets people use such new inventions for charity or for the benefit of the Children of Adam, and they are preparing themselves to use every opportunity for the East to take away the West and for the West to take away the East. Nothing is useful for the Children of Adam without there quickly coming another thing to harm the Sons of Adam.
Therefore we must be very careful in our steps and we must try to take control of ourselves. And if you are able to take control of your body, then, when Allah Almighty gives you an opportunity for your heart, and your heart becomes stronger and able to keep your limbs and organs on a good path, at that time you will be an obedient servant.
Now we are hearing that a new disease is spreading, and also that no one may be able to take it away. No cure for so many illnesses; it is not only one or two or three - also that cancer; everywhere, with everyone. That disease is only going to appear in uncontrolled bodies; if a body is controlled, it is
impossible for such an incurable disease to grow. Therefore, to take control of yourself gives you benefit physically and spiritually.
And we have an opportunity during Holy Ramadan more than at any other time. The one who is able to control himself during this Ramadan is going to be able, by Allah Almighty's support, to take control of himself for the other eleven months. Everything begins small and grows, good things and bad things, good habits and bad habits; for each one we have a beginning. And the beginning is difficult, but you must be patient and continue; if you know that something is right, you must continue to keep that way, even though it may be so difficult. Difficulties may be overcome by a strong faith, and strong faith must always be with those people who are able to control themselves.
Allah Almighty gave us His messages through His prophets, and the summary of those messages is only to make people be able to take control of themselves. Therefore Allah Almighty orders prayers five times a day, plus sunnah worshipping, also. There are the five times of prayer which Allah Almighty makes obligatory on His servants, but the Prophet, p.b.u.h., did sunnah prayers in the daytime and nighttime, also, so that those times of praying are always making a control on our limbs and on our hearts.
The Prophet, p.b.u.h., did so many sunnah prayers that if you keep them day and night, there is going to be perfect control on your ego; because as long as you leave your ego free, it escapes, running away, and if your ego runs away, no more control on it. Some people are objecting, "Why five times a day?" but they are ignorant people. They do not understand what are the divine wisdoms in making a lot of worshipping in a day, when so much worshipping always makes a strong control on ourselves, on our organs and on our limbs, and then on our thoughts.
It is a good opportunity for everyone to look after his nafs, after his ego, what it is doing and what it is ordering, particularly during this holy month. And at
every time we are asking forgiveness from Allah Almighty for our bad thoughts, and asking to make our hearts clean from dirty thoughts.
When they are going to be clean, then you will go to the station of awliya, who are still living everywhere on earth, although mostly they are hidden in our time; they may meet with us but we do not know who they are. And they are following the ways of the prophets by controlling every action of their limbs and organs, and controlling their thoughts. Therefore, more than anything tariqats teach people to look after their hearts, because hearts are the sources of goodness and badness. And we are asking from our Lord to guard our hearts and to help us control our thoughts and actions.
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Everyone must ask how we can make our Lord, Allah Almighty, pleased with us; everyone must ask about that point: how I may be able to make my Lord pleased with me. The one who can make his Lord pleased with him, he has reached the main goal here and Hereafter.
If you can't make your Lord pleased with you, what are you doing? Why are you alive, what is the meaning of your life? It is nonsense! Therefore, for so many people, to be inside the earth is better for them than to be on the face of it. And everyone must see for himself whether to be inside this earth is better for him or whether to be on it is better; everyone must ask this question and must look for an answer from himself to himself.
Each day, each morning, we are awakening. Each night Allah Almighty takes our souls temporarily, and our souls are returning to their homeland, to the Heavens, Allah Almighty permitting them to be free from this prison. Our bodies are prisons for our souls; when we sleep, they get their freedom and return to their homelands. And, according to traditions, if a person sleeps
taher46, clean, then his soul reaches up to the Throne, the Divine Throne, making sajdah47, worshipping till that person awakes. If he does not sleep taher, it also gets to Heaven but it is imprisoned in a dark place till that person awakes and it comes back to him. Therefore, when the one who sleeps clean awakens, he feels lightness; if not, he feels a heavy burden on himself. Then, each night you must look after yourself.
And each morning when you awaken, you begin a journey, traveling on earth. So many steps - going, coming, going, coming; you are going a long way each day. If you put your steps in a straight line, perhaps you would reach ten miles', twenty miles', distance, or more.
We are running, every day, but no one is asking to understand for what we are running, to where we are running, or which thing we are intending to reach. It is a long journey, every day. Everyone runs and tires, works and tires; but if you ask for what that is, people may say, "This is only for my provision, to eat and drink." And the pubs are waiting for them: the whole day working like robots, and every night, after finishing, those pubs are waiting for them, to go there and be there up to midnight. And they are living without asking what is the meaning of this life.
Each one of us must think at nighttime whether today I did something that made my Lord pleased with me. If he can say within his conscience that I did some good things or that I did my best with my Lord and with His servants, then he may know that to be on the earth is better for him than to be under the earth; otherwise, to be under the earth is better for him than to be on it because every day he is carrying more responsibility and a heavier burden on himself. If he is not making his Lord pleased with him, his life, to be in this life, is nonsense for him. And if we do not reach that point during our life, it is difficult to make our Lord pleased with us after death.
46 The Holy Prophet, p.b.u.h., recommended sleeping in a clean state; that is, after making wudu, ablution, or, if necessary, ghusl, taking a shower
47 Prostrating oneself in worship
A grandsheikh sent his murid to a cemetery and ordered him, "Go and stand in the middle of it. Go to the middle of the cemetery and call, 'O people lying in this cemetery, listen to me!'"
They can hear but they can't answer. Sometimes they may look and see; but at any time, if a person goes to a cemetery and says, "As-salamu 'alaikum, ya ahla-l-qubur - peace be on you, o people of the graveyard," they hear him. The one who is of the people of Paradise answers, receiving our salam, our greeting; the one who isn't, doesn't reply but he hears it.
Now it is the holy month, and each day they may look at their visitors, also; during Ramadan, each day, each night, they may hear and see anyone who comes to visit them. After Ramadan, only each Thursday and Friday until Saturday morning's sunrise, for two complete days, they may see their visitors and hear their salams and their prayers for them, but during Holy Ramadan it is always open. Therefore, it is important for living people to visit cemeteries from time to time; Allah Almighty permits them.
You may pass through cemeteries in Europe, also. As I have been ordered, when I pass through cemeteries, I say, "La ilaha illa-llah," three times, saying, "Muhammadu-r-rasul-Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam48," and calling: "O people who are lying in this graveyard, you who accepted, even at the last moment of your lives, and said 'La ilaha illa-Llah' and passed away on that holy word - as-salamu 'alaikum49, Then you may recite a Fatehah for those who may be in that graveyard of those people who said the holy word, "La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu-r rasul-Allah," sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, even at the last moment; and if none of them is there, it may go to another cemetery in which there may be one or two or more50. At
48 Allah's peace and blessings be upon him
49 Peace be upon you
50 Fatehah is recited for the believers in "La ilaha illa-Llah, Muhammadu-r-rasul- Allah," i.e., the Muslims, while the greeting of peace, "As-salamu 'alaikum," is for all the believers in "La ilaha illa-Llah," Almighty God's existence and oneness
the least, at the least, you say "La ilaha illa-Llah" when you pass through that cemetery. That is a holy word which all the prophets said, from the beginning up to the end, and it is written on the Divine Throne, "La ilaha illa-Llah," there is no God but Allah; and after "La ilaha illa-Llan," as we are looking and seeing and knowing, there is written "Muhammadu-r-rasul-Allah," sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam - Muhammad is His messenger, the Seal of the Prophets.
In every cemetery that saying gives refreshment; yes.
Then, that sheikh ordered his murid to go and stand in the middle of that cemetery, and ordered him to ask, "O people who are lying in this cemetery, what do you want? What is your wish?" And as he commanded, that murid went and asked it.
Allah Almighty can do anything; you must believe that the Lord of the Heavens can do anything - yes. The people lying in that graveyard, they were listening. Then Allah Almighty gave them permission to answer that murid's question.
The one who makes his Lord pleased with him, Allah Almighty grants him miracles, giving them to His servant; if you are a sincere and obedient servant, He grants to you miracles from His endless favors. And that sheikh was from those beloved people and an obedient servant to his Lord; and he was teaching his murid, and teaching ourselves and teaching all mankind.
Then Allah Almighty permitted those people in that graveyard to answer. They were answering there, saying, "O our Lord's servant, o 'abd-Allah51! Our only wish, our only desire, is that we are asking from our Lord to give us one hour, or even one minute, from your life."
Why were they asking for a part of his life? To teach him what is the value of his life, to teach him that he was spending it as we are spending our lives,
51 servant of God
leaving them without value. Yes. "Our desire is only to be given one hour from your life to make our Lord, during that hour, pleased with us.
"Because we are lying here, we can never think of making our Lord pleased with ourselves. We spent our lives uselessly, and now we understand what is the value of the life on earth. Therefore, all of us, our Lord's servants, we are asking from our Lord to give us one hour from your life, and we hope to make our Lord pleased with us during that hour." That was their desire.
All people in cemeteries would say this, if they could speak and we could hear. We are doing israf, wasting; we are wasting our precious, precious lives. If people who are lying in cemeteries had all the treasures, all the gold on earth, and under the earth, also, they would be ready to give it all if the Lord, Almighty Allah, were to ask payment for that minute or that hour; if they had all treasures, they would be ready to pay them all for one moment of life. But we do not know; we are heedless still. We never know what is the value of this moment's breaths, of even one breath. They would give all treasures to say only once "La ilaha illa-Llah"; but finished - breath finished, everything finished.
Therefore it is a very, very great opportunity for ourselves to know the value of our breaths. People know something, but they have no certainty and then they can do nothing. So many people read books and know about religion or about Paradise and Hell, about the Day of Resurrection, but no praying, no worshipping, doing nothing for their Lord. A person may know, but the important knowledge is the knowledge of certainty which pushes you to worship, which gives you power to worship, to be an obedient servant of your Lord. Therefore, the important thing is to know and to obtain certainty for our knowledge. And from where can you obtain that certainty?
Once the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; asked a Sahabi, one of his Companions, "Kaifa asbaht - how did you awaken today?".
He said, "O Rasul-Allah, o Messenger of God, Allah Almighty, I awoke and came to this day muminan, as a believer."
Then the Prophet asked him, "What is the sign of your faith?"
And he said, "O Messenger of God, Almighty Allah, I was in the position of seeing the Day of Resurrection, the place of Judgment Day, which will be in Damascus. I saw it. People were gathering, a huge crowd of people from the beginning up to the end, crowded on that Plain of Mahshar52. And I saw at my right hand Paradise and at my left hand Hell, and I put my foot on the Bridge that everyone must pass over" - if passing, entering Paradise. "I saw the Scales, also, for weighing peoples' actions, worshipping and goodness."
Then the Prophet said, "That is correct, the true sign of your faith. It is right. Keep yourself on it."
That is certainty - to know something exactly. Otherwise, anyone can read but he does not reach that certainty; it is not enough for him to say it himself. And now we are also asking certainty from Allah Almighty concerning the value of our lives.
The people of the graveyard, they had reached that certainty because the veils had been taken away from their hearts' eyes. Then they were able to look and see what is unseen to us now, and they knew, asking for one hour's time from that murid's life to be given to them so that they could make their Lord pleased with them. That was their only aim; they were not asking to come to this life to do business. Finished; all business had been put aside.
Yes, nothing; their only desire was to make their Lord pleased with them. .
Now we have that opportunity, everyone. We must try at every time to make our Lord pleased with us. And the way, the only way, is that you must think
52 The gathering place of the Last Judgment, which, according to hadiths, will take place an the Plain of Damascus
before every action - think whether it is something that makes my Lord pleased with me or not. Only this we must ask ourselves.
I am sitting here; I am speaking and you are listening. If this activity of ours makes our Lord pleased with us, if our conscience says "Yes, it is all right; it is something that makes your Lord pleased with you," then you must do that.
This is only an example, but for everything that you want to do think about it a little bit. If your conscience signals that it is all right - now your Lord is looking at you and He is going to be pleased with you - you may do it. And if you are in doubt about it, there is another method you may use:
- For every, action that you want to do, you must say "Bismillahi-r Rahmani- r-Rahim53"; it means, "O my Lord, I am doing this for Your divine pleasure." If you can say "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim" for that action, it is all right; you may do it. It makes your Lord pleased with you and makes you pleased, also, here and Hereafter.
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Grandsheikh was saying that every way is now closed, locked; but one way, to say for every action, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim, " opens every locked door. You may use it as much as you wish. As much as you may say it, it is all right; it is not going to be too much. Say, always, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim."
When a servant says "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim," he makes himself non-existent, considering himself nothing. "Wa khuliqa-l-insanu dha'ifa54" - Allah Almighty says that I created man weak, and if He says he is weak, he
53 Literally, "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving," or, in Sheikh Nazim's own translation, "By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent
54 And man was created weak. (IV:28)
is weak; he can't be powerful. Yes, weak, and we are in need of help. And every time the one who thinks or knows that he is weak says "Bismillahi-r- Rahmani-r-Rahim," it means, "O my Lord, I am nothing. I can't do anything if you are not going to support me or help me; I can't do anything. And I am saying, "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim. By Your power I may do; by Your power I may live; by Your power I may do everything, every difficult thing.'" All difficulties are going to be made easy by saying "Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r- Rahim."
A good tiding for fasting people: Grandsheikh was saying that when a person gets to be hungry, Allah likes him. Allah Almighty never likes someone to be full of food, but when he has an empty stomach He likes him because He never eats, never drinks. If He didn't like that being hungry, He wouldn't have allowed His Prophet to be hungry and to put a stone on his stomach55.
One day some Sahabah, the Prophet's Companions, were saying to him, "O Rasul-Allah, we are tying stones onto our stomachs from hunger." Then the Prophet did like this and showed them the two stones he had put.
If it wasn't useful for building personalities, Allah Almighty would never have let them be hungry. From hunger no harm comes, but from eating harm comes to people. When a person is hungry his heart opens, and when it opens, blood runs everywhere easily. No pressure on the heart from hunger; rather, it makes the heart to open. Its outward part opens and also it opens within itself. When you are hungry, wisdom's sources open in your heart; when you are full that closes.
Therefore Allah Almighty made the Sahabah, the Companions of the Holy Prophet, to be hungry from time to time, and the Prophet, p.b.u.h., was also hungry, because hunger makes a good personality. Everything affects the
55 The Holy Prophet and his Companions used to tie stones onto their stomachs to stifle the pangs of hunger during periods of extreme want
personality but hunger has the most effect on our personalities. Therefore, mostly the Sahabah were hungry, or, if they were fasting, they might find only dates, one or three56, eating very little. But that hunger established Islam in their hearts, establishing iman, faith, also; and they were such strong people both physically and spiritually, because to the extent that you eat less, the physical body takes more power. People who eat too much become weaker and weaker, and carriers of flesh.
Now, one most important point on which Grandsheikh was speaking: We are in need of faith, iman, yes? Faith may be imitation or it may be real, and we are in need of real faith, not imitation, only saying it with our lips. Everyone is in need of real faith; if we haven't real faith, at the last moment Satan may carry it away and leave a person without faith. We are in need of faith that controls our whole body, its inner side and its outer. That is important, and that is what Allah Almighty is asking from His servants - real faith. And our Grandsheikh, may Allah bless him, was giving a description of how real faith is going to enter into our hearts, and it is very important to know.
We have been ordered, as believers, to believe in what is real. "Ya-ayyuh-l- ladhina amanu, aminu bil-Lahi wa rasulihi wal-kitabi-l-ladhi nazzala ala rasulihi57" - Allah Almighty is saying "Ya-ayyuha-l-ladhina amanu," addressing the believers and commanding them to believe. That means, "O believers by imitation, you must really believe in God or in the Lord, Allah Almighty, and you must believe in His Prophet and you must believe in His Book." And the important point is how we can believe or how we can obtain real faith.
That is an important point. You may ask this, but how can you find an answer? You may find the answer through people who have reached real faith. They know the way; others can't know that way. And Grandsheikh was
56 For breaking their fast or for the evening meal
57 O you who believe, believe in God and His Prophet and the Book which He sent down upon His Prophet. (IV:136)
saying, "If Allah Almighty wants to put real faith in the heart of a servant, He looks at his heart. For what reason? Because the dwelling-place or station of faith is the heart. And He looks there. If the conditions which Allah Almighty wants are right in your heart, He gives that real faith to your heart."
What are those conditions, what is Allah Almighty looking for in our hearts? Grandsheikh was saying that when every enjoyment of this world is taken away from your heart, then it is ready to be the station of real faith. If He sees that in your heart you are still putting somewhere enjoyment of this life, of dunya, hubb ad-dunya, love of this life, of this world - if He looks and sees a little bit, even from one side, He never gives, because it is dirtiness to put the love of this life, of this world, into a heart that belongs to the Lord, Allah Almighty. It is dirty, dirtiness.
You know (ladies more than gentlemen know) that if you put milk in a pot in which there is a little bit of dirtiness, it is going to be sour. Therefore, don't say, "What does it matter if there is a little bit of enjoyment of this life in our hearts? If we keep it there, what does it matter?"
No. During the Night Journey58, the Angel Gabriel brought to the Prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., wine in one pot and milk in another pot, saying, "You may choose one of these." He chose milk, and Gabriel said," you have chosen the one of fitrah, nature."
That means that milk makes the physical body grow; that is nature, suitable for nature. And milk also represents fitrat al-Islam, the nature of Islam. Wine, no; wine destroys. Therefore he chose milk. And as milk is destroyed, soured, by a small amount of dirtiness in a pot, so our hearts are a pot for faith, and a little bit of dirtiness from this world makes our faith sour.
58 The Holy Prophet's miraculous Night Journey (al-Isra) and Ascension (al-Me'raj) to Jerusalem and to the Seven Heavens during the tenth year of his prophethood
Therefore, Allah Almighty is looking. When you are going to be finished with this world's enjoyment, then it may be put in there, Allah Almighty giving you real faith. Don't be foolish and say, "How can I leave the enjoyment of this life?". Do you know, when real faith gets into your heart, what kind of enjoyment you will feel? - do you know that? If you do not know, don't say, "How can I leave my enjoyment? I am enjoying a little bit during this life; I am still looking around and enjoying." But what are you going to enjoy in prison?
You are in prison. What is enjoyment in prison? But real faith takes you out of prison, taking you from darkness to the lighted Heavens. Such a person may put one foot on earth and the other he may put in the Heavens, being free for everything. Now you are in prison, but when that real faith enters, you will not be in need to ask enjoyment from this dirty world. It was the "toilet" for the other, that great world; yes. What enjoyment can you have in the toilet? Nothing!
Awliya, they know the hidden wisdoms, secret wisd
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