Mercy Oceans, Book 12 (192 pages, 8/15)
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et. If you can't do it the whole day, you may do it for some hours, even for one hour; you may say, "For one hour I am going to fast with my eyes, with my tongue, with my hands, with my feet." And most important, also, is to be able to fast through your thoughts, not allowing any
false thoughts to come to your heart; every tariqat, all forty-one tariqats, teach their followers to finally make a control on their hearts through their thoughts. If your heart is not clean from bad thoughts, it is impossible for the power and lights of real faith to enter into your heart.
You must know how your heart is going to be clean. If at any time a bad or false thought comes into your heart, it means that you are not guarding the doors of your heart, you are not controlling it. Satan is always looking around to find a way to enter your heart. When he enters, he puts bad thoughts into your heart, and those bad thoughts become bad intentions, and bad intentions go through your veins.
When they go through your veins, then your eyes start to look and your hands want to touch and your feet want to run after prohibited things.
Therefore it is impossible for someone to claim that his heart is all right; if he does, I am asking, "You never think bad thoughts? They never come to your heart when you go outside, when you are not in the mosque?" Outside - yes! If he is able to say "No," then I am asking, "You are telling the truth, or lying?" And Allah knows who is true and who is a liar; and whoever tells a lie, "La'natu-Llahi 'ala-i-kadhibin75". Allah curses liars.
Once a grandsheikh, 'Abdul-Khaliq al-Ghudjdavani, may Allah bless him, ordered a murid of his to keep his thoughts under control; if anything came to his heart of this world, this life's pleasures, he was to make ghusl, complete washing. And that grandsheikh also said the same about thoughts concerning Akhirah, the Hereafter. He meant to say that if a person thinks about rewards for his worshipping, such as, "I am fasting and I am expecting rewards from Allah Almighty because I fasted," or, "I am praying and I am expecting the rewards of Paradise because I am worshipping," that thought is falsehood.
75 The curse af God is upon those who lie. (III:61)
You must not expect a reward from Allah Almighty for your worshipping because, firstly, it is not suitable to be presented in the Divine Presence, our worshipping. You must not look at it as something good to present to Allah Almighty's Divine Presence; rather, you must be ashamed.
What are we doing? As He ordered us, we are praying. Then what is the reason that the Prophet advised to make istighfar, to ask forgiveness, after praying, ordering that, when you finish salat, prayers, you must say, "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, ya Rabbana. Ya Rabbi, aghfir wa arham, wa anta Khairu-l-Rahimin76"? Because you must be ashamed of that prayer. It is not suitable to be presented to Allah Almighty; then how can you say that you are proud of your worshipping or your praying, and ask for a reward, also? Instead, you must be ashamed; you must say, "O my Lord, it is not suitable for You."
Once a good-hearted person came to pray; after all the others had come to the masjid, he was the last one, coming and praying at the door. He was afraid and said to himself, "If people look at me, they may beat me and throw me out as a person not necessary to come to this masjid, saying, "Go away!'" He saw himself as the last one, as the dirtiest,one, as the most false one, so that he was the last to enter the jama'at77 and the first one to quickly run away.
That is a very good characteristic, humbleness, and it is right; everyone must look at himself in such a way in order to be humble. If Allah Almighty did not cover our bad actions, it would be difficult for anyone to walk in the streets, but Allah Almighty covers with His mercy our 'ayub, bad deeds. And in the orders of tariqats, if anyone asks a reward for his praying and worshipping, that is a bad thought he must take it away and renew his wudu because of that bad thought.
76 Forgiveness, forgiveness, o our Lord. O my Lord, forgive and have mercy, and you are the Best of Those Who Show Mercy
77 Congregation of worshippers
We are praying and fasting only because He ordered it and because He is that one whom we must worship or who is to be worshipped - that One. As Rabi'at al-Adawiyah, may Allah bless her, said, "O my Lord, I am not praying to you for the sake of Paradise and I am not praying to You for the fear of Your Fire. But You are that one who must be praised, must be worshipped; You are the Lord. Even if you had not ordered it, still we would have to worship You because You are that one who must be worshipped and praised and glorified."
Then that murid of Ghudjdavani, may Allah bless him and forgive that murid and ourselves with him - so many thoughts came to that murid one after the other, one after the other, thoughts about dunya, about this life; and he had been ordered to make a new ghusl each time. That day he couldn't find time to pray five times because of ghusi, washing.
That is an important practice to take away bad thoughts. They do not go quickly; Satan does not go quickly or easily - never! You stop him from this side and then he comes from that side, saying, "Come with me, come with me! With me you may find pleasure." And our ego says that, also; our ego is also too much pleased with him, running after him.
Allah gives us a chance every Ramadan but we lose it after Ramadan. Up to the end we are trying to make a control but each day we are only guarding our stomachs. And our thoughts - thoughts are more difficult; we do not even guard our eyes, our tongues, our feet. Thoughts are more important than that because thoughts are thrown into your heart; if you do not control your heart, thoughts are thrown into it.
There is a kind of fly which goes on meat, a black fly. (Your country is too improved; you don't see it here, but in our country we have too many. If you need some, we may send them to you for exhibiting; you can make money, too much money, if exhibiting!) That kind of a fly goes on flesh in the butchery, quickly putting its eggs there, and quickly they grow. After a week
with no frigidaire, they multiply too much - multimillionaire! That opens the way.
Like this, if a person is heedless of his heart, quickly Satan puts eggs there. While you turn from this side to that side, those eggs, bad thoughts' eggs, open and become intentions: thoughts are thrown into your heart as the eggs of Satan; then satanic intentions open, and then, if you do not control your thoughts first, for intentions it is impossible. You must run after them - by looking, by speaking, by running; yes. That is terrible. Intention is in connection with thoughts. Therefore you must be very careful of your heart, controlling it.
In airports there is strict control of people so that useless people do not come into the country, making it bad. Yes, the English government keeps security, saying, "This person is no good; we don't accept him." But our hearts are open; everything comes and goes - doesn't matter, like a pub. In a pub, is any person forbidden? Everyone goes, comes, goes, comes - putting money, drinking, going. And on your heart, no control! If there is no control on your heart, Satan throws in false thoughts and bad intentions, and then endless troubles and problems come, and you say, "How can we solve it?"
No solution! If we do not look after our hearts, this world's, this life's complexities are never going to be solved; no solution. You must clean yourself from bad thoughts, you must look after your heart. People always are looking outward; even Muslim people, the Muslim world, also, have been cheated by external things. They are neglecting their hearts, saying, "No function for the heart. Islam is only outward things: tahārah78, wudū, ghusl,
78 The Islamic rules of cleanliness and hygiene
praying," and praying for half-an-hour like this, half-an-hour like this, half-an- hour like this79.
That is not praying; you must pray with your heart. It is not to show that you are so long in praying; instead, you must pray with your heart. Allah Almighty looks at your heart and says, "My servant is praying now, but his heart is with whom?" And when your heart is with your Lord Almighty in salat, that is real prayer.
Once a scholar came to a sheikh; he had heard that he was a great grandsheikh came to visit him. When he arrived, that sheikh was the imam in the Maghrib prayer. Then the scholar, that 'alim, prayed behind him and heard him reciting too incorrectly, with too many mistakes. Then he said to himself, "Oh, I must pray alone. It is no good to pray with that person."
He prayed, and then he was in need to go out to repeat his wudu. When he went out, suddenly a lion rushed out, attacking him, and he ran - oh-h-h! And the sheikh was looking. "Go! I am saying that you must not disturb my guest. Go away!" the sheikh said, and the big lion ran away.
That 'alim was very surprised, saying, "O my Lord, how can it be?"
"O my brother," the grandsheikh said, "you are trying to make your outward appearance perfect, ornamented. Therefore you are afraid of the lion. But we are trying to make our hearts perfect with our Lord, and that lion is afraid of ourselves."
You understand? May Allah forgive us. We are in need to listen too much so that perhaps some good thoughts may be in our hearts, opening during this holy month. That is our hope from our Lord, Allah Almighty.
79 That is, pralonging the prayer, as if the length of time spent in recitation or in the various postures made it more valuable
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Who is a prophet? Prophets must be well-known because we are living in a time when people are fighting against prophets and going with devils. And from the beginning, devils have been coming to people to cheat them and deceive them, beginning by deceiving Adam, p.b.u.h., the first man, who was created in Paradise. Allah Almighty gave him the honor of being His deputy, but then jealousy and envy made everything worse, and then worst.
If a person is not a sincere servant to his Lord, envy destroys his faith, and it destroys every good action of people. The worst and most dangerous and terrible bad characteristic is envy; you can't find anything worse than envy. And envy is in hearts; its maqar, abode, is the heart. Where envy is settled in a heart, it burns every good deed that we do.
Satan was a worshipper. He did not leave even one square-foot on the earth or in the Heavens without putting his forehead on it in sajdah, prostration, to his Lord, Allah Almighty. And Allah Almighty also gave him from knowledge; as much as he asked He gave, and Allah Almighty made him also a teacher for the angels. He had a special station, a high station, among creatures; everything was excellent. But, as our Grandsheikh was always saying, if anyone wants a reward in return for his actions, his worshipping, that person is on the same level as the one who goes and worships the Cross, no difference. It is so terrible, because Allah Almighty is asking, "Ala lil-Lahi-d- dinu-l-khalis80?" asking worshipping to be for the sake of His Divine Face only.
If He did not promise His servants to give them Paradise for their worshipping or if He did not threaten them with Hell, it would be enough of a favor for us, as His servants whom He brought from nothing into existence, to give our glorifying and praise, our endless thanks, to Him, even if there
80 Is not the sincere faith for God (alone)? (XXXIX: 3)
was nothing else. And, o believers, eyerything in existence is glorifying its Lord, and saying "Subhanallah81!" glorifying Him with so many kinds of tasbih82. Even ants or creatures which are less than ants are saying it and glorifying their Lord.
For what? Because He created them and is looking after them, creating and giving them a position in existence. That is an ant, that is another insect among millions of kinds of insects or other creatures: but we are saying that even the smallest one is so happy because it is an honor to come into existence. And what is that honor? Because the Creator created them, giving them a personality in existence: they are something in existence, and they are glorifying their Lord.
But what about you, o Children of Adam, when the whole universe was created for you? Allah Almighty just created it for the honor of His deputy; and you are that deputy, you are candidates to be deputies. If you are walking on the same steps as those who reached the real stations of deputies, you will arrive; you must reach, also.
But we are not walking on that path. We are in need of gadam as-sidq. What is that? Qadam as-sidq means true steps, not "Thumma amanu, thumma kafaru; thumma amanu, thumma kafaru83," as Allah Almighty says: "Sometimes, o people, o servants, you are coming to Me, worshipping Me, glorifying Me, but sometimes I see you running after Iblis, after Satan, after devils. You are respecting and listening to and working for devils. What is this? Your footsteps are not correct!"
Qadam as-sidq is that, if you put your foot on the right path, with the right step, you must be firm, not taking it back. But we are living in a time when it
81 Glory be to God
82 Litanies of glorification
83 A paraphrase of IV:137, meaning: "Then they believe (amanu), then [kafaru); then they believe, then they disbelieve (again)
is so difficult: if anyone intends or puts his foot on the right path, one thousand devils rush on him, attacking him and trying to take that foot back from that right step, some of them crying, some of them saying, "Oh-h! You must not do this because we are too young. We are still young people, we must live some of our lives." Yes, for ladies, for young men; don't they cry to you? Yes, crying and saying: "It is not the time to be on truth or on the true way - not time yet. We are young! When you are going to be like that sheikh, it won't matter."
Yes, they are saying this. Too many advisors, devils, giving advice; not. millions - billions of advisors you may find for yourself: "Don't put this foot there; take it back. You must live!" Therefore the most miraculous thing for a servant is to continue, because it is not easy to put your foot on the right path, on the true way, and to continue; because you must move it forward for stepping on the next step, and one thousand devils are all catching at you.
You must be strong enough, powerful enough, to carry all of them, to move to the second and third and fourth step. When it is "Thumma amanu, thumma amanu, thumma amanu84," you must reach; but when you listen to those devils and their armies, then you must take your foot back: "Thumma amanu, thumma kafaru." The Prophet, p.b.u.h., says that Paradise is going to be so close to a person that after just one step he may be in Paradise, but then he takes back his steps and goes to the way of Hell.
Therefore it is so difficult to be firm on the right steps, and Allah Almighty is asking right steps from you, not with Him here (in the mosque) but outside with devils, with Satan. Therefore, if a person can worship as if with the worshipping of all people, it is not important. Important is to fix your feet or your steps on the true way - on truth, toward Allah. Don't turn your face away from qiblah.
84 Then they believe; then they believe; then they believe
And you are putting this face toward qiblah, but what about your heart? To where is your heart looking? You must know; you must control your heart, the direction of your heart's face. That is the meaning of “Ala lil-Lahi-d-dinu-l- khālis?"
You are saying, "Mustaqbil al-qiblah; o our Lord, we are turning our face toward qiblah," but what about your heart? Qiblah is the K'abah but where is your heart? Your face is toward that K'abah and the K'abah is the House of the Lord; you are entering it but not looking for the Lord?
Therefore, it is a difficult time, or the most difficult time, that we are living in in our days. One century or fifty or sixty years ago you could find most people asking for faith, for religions, for the ways of the prophets, but now you can't find people to help you on the ways of the prophets. Most people are becoming advertisers for devils, cheating each other, deceiving each other, saying, "Come - leave that. It is superstition." Super-foolish people; and making the prophets to be of no value in our time but making devils too important!
The Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., told about this, and just as he said, it is appearing. What is prophethood, and who is a prophet? The one who informs people about the future, about what will come on them, that is a prophet; because no one can know by ordinary means what is coming tomorrow or after tomorrow - even after one hour, let alone the future. Who can know what is coming after centuries or after thousands of years? Only prophets; and those are miracles for the prophets, to tell about something which will come after centuries. And as much as all the other prophets informed people about the last days and about the Last Day, and what are the signs and what will come on people, the Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., informed us about what is going to happen day by day, and it is correct. If you look at his life and at his
sayings, you can find everything among his hadith, among his holy sayings, that is now appearing.
And we are saying now, today, that he informed and warned his nation, his ummah, about dajjalin, anti-Christs; so many. Dajjal85, the Anti-Christ, is the one who is well-known, but the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said that thirty anti-Christs would come, but not "king-sized" ones; the king-sized one is one, so big, but thirty little ones will come to make people ready or to prepare them for his acceptance, for his reception. And thirty dirty dajjals have already been among people on earth, living or passed away; you can see. I am not saying their dirty names - it is not an honor - but everyone knows who they are, these dirty people who are calling people to deny the existence of the Lord, Almighty Allah.
They are speaking in the name of "knowledge," but they are liars and they are deputies for the big Dajjal. Now, throughout East and West. and even in the Muslim world, they are working. Their bad ideas are planted among the hearts of Muslim people as well; there are so many followers for them there, also. Therefore, it is a terrible time. Tuba, good tidings and honor and happiness for the one who can put his feet in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h..
You must be very careful, because their followers are not millions but billions on earth. Therefore there is coming a punishment from Allah Almighty - the greatest war, which will kill six out of every seven. During the big wars only millions were going; but now, because most people are followers, millions following the ways of the Dajjal, the Anti-Christ, for that reason that punishment is coming, and out of seven, six will die.
85 Ad-Dajjal (meaning "Arch-deceiver") is the title of the fearsome imposter, foretold in many hadiths, who will appear during the end-time of this world to deceive and lure people to the path of Satan, prior to the return of Jesus Christ to this world
Don't be sorry about what is happening on earth; all awliya are saying this. Don't be sorry, even if they are from your friends, from your family. Allah Almighty will ask them: "Wasn't there anything that proved My existence? Didn't you ever see anything that might be a proof or might be a witness for My existence in the universe? What was in your head - straw, or a brain?
What was in your head? How could you say that no Lord is in existence?" Yes. Therefore, don't be sorry that those who are denying the existence of Allah Almighty should be punished by the death penalty which is coming.
You must look after yourself, and Allah Almighty likes your steps to be toward Him. As your face is turned to qiblah, your heart must be turned to Allah, not to dunya, to this world. Allah Almighty created this world without looking; and dunya is the enemy of Allah because it takes people to itself, taking peoples' hearts to itself, taking the love of people to itself, not leaving peoples´ love to be for their Lord.
Therefore dunya is the enemy of Allah, the enemy of prophets, the enemy of mumins, believers, and the enemy of all people. Yes, if Allah Almighty had been looking when He created it, it would have been Paradise. But it is not Paradise. People are quarreling, fighting, saying, "This is for me"; and you are saying, "It is not, it is for me," while it is not for me or for you but it is for Him only, under His command. And you are coming as customers come to a hotel and fight: "This is for me! This belongs to me!" Yahu86, not for you!
There is an Owner, a Proprietor - yes? And people are claiming that they are such clever ones, but still they are fighting for this world, for this life.
Therefore, o believers, Allah Almighty gives to everyone a throne, a throne in his heart, and says, "Let Me be there! Don't let anyone else come in; only let me be there. For that throne which is in your heart, don't let anyone else come there." And we are opening it - free country, free territory, everyone going, coming. I have a key which I brought from from Cyprus in my pocket
86 Turkish colloquial expression, meaning "Good gracious!" or its equivalent
because I closed my house so that no one can enter it except me. Yes; you, also? But for our heart, we are not thinking to make it under control. We are leaving it; anyone may come and go - free house.
Yes, you must think about it. This life is not really a life. We are created for real life, and real life cannot be obtained until you give your heart to its Owner and put its Owner there. Otherwise you may be with the Anti-Christ and his followers. Everyone has been given enough mind to understand, and Allah Almighty is asking from ourselves at least the minimum of understanding. If we don't have that, we are not mukallif, without responsibility; if we can't understand, no responsibility, but I think that Allah Almighty gives everyone enough mind for understanding about this life and the Creator.
May Allah Almighty forgive us. We are in need to ask forgiveness from Allah Almighty, and the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "O my nation, I am asking forgiveness from my Lord seventy times every day.".
If he asked seventy times, seventy million is too little for ourselves. We must ask forgiveness. Asking forgiveness, istighfar, makes our wrong steps to be correct steps and turns our hearts' toward His Divine Face. And we are asking and saying, "Astaghfirullah..."
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. People are coming into Islam, alhamdulillah87. That is a good tidings, good news, for believers. And most are coming into Islam in Western countries. Alhamdulillah, it is a proof that the active power of Islam is like the day it came.
Here there are so many brothers and sisters, and all of them except me are young people; I am not seeing any old ones. All of you are young,
subhanallah al-'Aliu-l-'Adhim88! If Islam acts on young people it is right; it is perfect, also, because you can run out, and this is London - everything that your egos are asking for, you can easily find. Which thing is keeping you here? That is a spiritual power that affects your hearts and that is going to be so victorious on devils and evils.
Now, there is an important question about something which is a problem for new Muslims coming into Islam in Western countries: What they should do for learning and practicing Islam.
Now in our time, a lot of people are coming to Western countries to call people into Islam, but, as I see, they are the most fanatical people in their countries and they are also such hard people. Islam is the most tolerant religion which Allah Almighty has sent to His servants, but they never understand about tolerance in Islam. They want Muslims to be as they were in the time of the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; they say that anyone who believes and accepts Islam must keep all the rules in Islam.
That is perfection, but they do not consider that all the rules in Islam did not come at once, on the first day. Allah Almighty could have sent all the rules and all the Qur'an in one day, in one hour; Angel Gabriel could have brought it all, saying, "This is your Book; all the words in it, you may use." But Allah Almighty did not do that. Instead He sent all the rules of Islam over a period of twenty-three years. Is it not true?
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et. If you can't do it the whole day, you may do it for some hours, even for one hour; you may say, "For one hour I am going to fast with my eyes, with my tongue, with my hands, with my feet." And most important, also, is to be able to fast through your thoughts, not allowing any
false thoughts to come to your heart; every tariqat, all forty-one tariqats, teach their followers to finally make a control on their hearts through their thoughts. If your heart is not clean from bad thoughts, it is impossible for the power and lights of real faith to enter into your heart.
You must know how your heart is going to be clean. If at any time a bad or false thought comes into your heart, it means that you are not guarding the doors of your heart, you are not controlling it. Satan is always looking around to find a way to enter your heart. When he enters, he puts bad thoughts into your heart, and those bad thoughts become bad intentions, and bad intentions go through your veins.
When they go through your veins, then your eyes start to look and your hands want to touch and your feet want to run after prohibited things.
Therefore it is impossible for someone to claim that his heart is all right; if he does, I am asking, "You never think bad thoughts? They never come to your heart when you go outside, when you are not in the mosque?" Outside - yes! If he is able to say "No," then I am asking, "You are telling the truth, or lying?" And Allah knows who is true and who is a liar; and whoever tells a lie, "La'natu-Llahi 'ala-i-kadhibin75". Allah curses liars.
Once a grandsheikh, 'Abdul-Khaliq al-Ghudjdavani, may Allah bless him, ordered a murid of his to keep his thoughts under control; if anything came to his heart of this world, this life's pleasures, he was to make ghusl, complete washing. And that grandsheikh also said the same about thoughts concerning Akhirah, the Hereafter. He meant to say that if a person thinks about rewards for his worshipping, such as, "I am fasting and I am expecting rewards from Allah Almighty because I fasted," or, "I am praying and I am expecting the rewards of Paradise because I am worshipping," that thought is falsehood.
75 The curse af God is upon those who lie. (III:61)
You must not expect a reward from Allah Almighty for your worshipping because, firstly, it is not suitable to be presented in the Divine Presence, our worshipping. You must not look at it as something good to present to Allah Almighty's Divine Presence; rather, you must be ashamed.
What are we doing? As He ordered us, we are praying. Then what is the reason that the Prophet advised to make istighfar, to ask forgiveness, after praying, ordering that, when you finish salat, prayers, you must say, "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, ya Rabbana. Ya Rabbi, aghfir wa arham, wa anta Khairu-l-Rahimin76"? Because you must be ashamed of that prayer. It is not suitable to be presented to Allah Almighty; then how can you say that you are proud of your worshipping or your praying, and ask for a reward, also? Instead, you must be ashamed; you must say, "O my Lord, it is not suitable for You."
Once a good-hearted person came to pray; after all the others had come to the masjid, he was the last one, coming and praying at the door. He was afraid and said to himself, "If people look at me, they may beat me and throw me out as a person not necessary to come to this masjid, saying, "Go away!'" He saw himself as the last one, as the dirtiest,one, as the most false one, so that he was the last to enter the jama'at77 and the first one to quickly run away.
That is a very good characteristic, humbleness, and it is right; everyone must look at himself in such a way in order to be humble. If Allah Almighty did not cover our bad actions, it would be difficult for anyone to walk in the streets, but Allah Almighty covers with His mercy our 'ayub, bad deeds. And in the orders of tariqats, if anyone asks a reward for his praying and worshipping, that is a bad thought he must take it away and renew his wudu because of that bad thought.
76 Forgiveness, forgiveness, o our Lord. O my Lord, forgive and have mercy, and you are the Best of Those Who Show Mercy
77 Congregation of worshippers
We are praying and fasting only because He ordered it and because He is that one whom we must worship or who is to be worshipped - that One. As Rabi'at al-Adawiyah, may Allah bless her, said, "O my Lord, I am not praying to you for the sake of Paradise and I am not praying to You for the fear of Your Fire. But You are that one who must be praised, must be worshipped; You are the Lord. Even if you had not ordered it, still we would have to worship You because You are that one who must be worshipped and praised and glorified."
Then that murid of Ghudjdavani, may Allah bless him and forgive that murid and ourselves with him - so many thoughts came to that murid one after the other, one after the other, thoughts about dunya, about this life; and he had been ordered to make a new ghusl each time. That day he couldn't find time to pray five times because of ghusi, washing.
That is an important practice to take away bad thoughts. They do not go quickly; Satan does not go quickly or easily - never! You stop him from this side and then he comes from that side, saying, "Come with me, come with me! With me you may find pleasure." And our ego says that, also; our ego is also too much pleased with him, running after him.
Allah gives us a chance every Ramadan but we lose it after Ramadan. Up to the end we are trying to make a control but each day we are only guarding our stomachs. And our thoughts - thoughts are more difficult; we do not even guard our eyes, our tongues, our feet. Thoughts are more important than that because thoughts are thrown into your heart; if you do not control your heart, thoughts are thrown into it.
There is a kind of fly which goes on meat, a black fly. (Your country is too improved; you don't see it here, but in our country we have too many. If you need some, we may send them to you for exhibiting; you can make money, too much money, if exhibiting!) That kind of a fly goes on flesh in the butchery, quickly putting its eggs there, and quickly they grow. After a week
with no frigidaire, they multiply too much - multimillionaire! That opens the way.
Like this, if a person is heedless of his heart, quickly Satan puts eggs there. While you turn from this side to that side, those eggs, bad thoughts' eggs, open and become intentions: thoughts are thrown into your heart as the eggs of Satan; then satanic intentions open, and then, if you do not control your thoughts first, for intentions it is impossible. You must run after them - by looking, by speaking, by running; yes. That is terrible. Intention is in connection with thoughts. Therefore you must be very careful of your heart, controlling it.
In airports there is strict control of people so that useless people do not come into the country, making it bad. Yes, the English government keeps security, saying, "This person is no good; we don't accept him." But our hearts are open; everything comes and goes - doesn't matter, like a pub. In a pub, is any person forbidden? Everyone goes, comes, goes, comes - putting money, drinking, going. And on your heart, no control! If there is no control on your heart, Satan throws in false thoughts and bad intentions, and then endless troubles and problems come, and you say, "How can we solve it?"
No solution! If we do not look after our hearts, this world's, this life's complexities are never going to be solved; no solution. You must clean yourself from bad thoughts, you must look after your heart. People always are looking outward; even Muslim people, the Muslim world, also, have been cheated by external things. They are neglecting their hearts, saying, "No function for the heart. Islam is only outward things: tahārah78, wudū, ghusl,
78 The Islamic rules of cleanliness and hygiene
praying," and praying for half-an-hour like this, half-an-hour like this, half-an- hour like this79.
That is not praying; you must pray with your heart. It is not to show that you are so long in praying; instead, you must pray with your heart. Allah Almighty looks at your heart and says, "My servant is praying now, but his heart is with whom?" And when your heart is with your Lord Almighty in salat, that is real prayer.
Once a scholar came to a sheikh; he had heard that he was a great grandsheikh came to visit him. When he arrived, that sheikh was the imam in the Maghrib prayer. Then the scholar, that 'alim, prayed behind him and heard him reciting too incorrectly, with too many mistakes. Then he said to himself, "Oh, I must pray alone. It is no good to pray with that person."
He prayed, and then he was in need to go out to repeat his wudu. When he went out, suddenly a lion rushed out, attacking him, and he ran - oh-h-h! And the sheikh was looking. "Go! I am saying that you must not disturb my guest. Go away!" the sheikh said, and the big lion ran away.
That 'alim was very surprised, saying, "O my Lord, how can it be?"
"O my brother," the grandsheikh said, "you are trying to make your outward appearance perfect, ornamented. Therefore you are afraid of the lion. But we are trying to make our hearts perfect with our Lord, and that lion is afraid of ourselves."
You understand? May Allah forgive us. We are in need to listen too much so that perhaps some good thoughts may be in our hearts, opening during this holy month. That is our hope from our Lord, Allah Almighty.
79 That is, pralonging the prayer, as if the length of time spent in recitation or in the various postures made it more valuable
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. Who is a prophet? Prophets must be well-known because we are living in a time when people are fighting against prophets and going with devils. And from the beginning, devils have been coming to people to cheat them and deceive them, beginning by deceiving Adam, p.b.u.h., the first man, who was created in Paradise. Allah Almighty gave him the honor of being His deputy, but then jealousy and envy made everything worse, and then worst.
If a person is not a sincere servant to his Lord, envy destroys his faith, and it destroys every good action of people. The worst and most dangerous and terrible bad characteristic is envy; you can't find anything worse than envy. And envy is in hearts; its maqar, abode, is the heart. Where envy is settled in a heart, it burns every good deed that we do.
Satan was a worshipper. He did not leave even one square-foot on the earth or in the Heavens without putting his forehead on it in sajdah, prostration, to his Lord, Allah Almighty. And Allah Almighty also gave him from knowledge; as much as he asked He gave, and Allah Almighty made him also a teacher for the angels. He had a special station, a high station, among creatures; everything was excellent. But, as our Grandsheikh was always saying, if anyone wants a reward in return for his actions, his worshipping, that person is on the same level as the one who goes and worships the Cross, no difference. It is so terrible, because Allah Almighty is asking, "Ala lil-Lahi-d- dinu-l-khalis80?" asking worshipping to be for the sake of His Divine Face only.
If He did not promise His servants to give them Paradise for their worshipping or if He did not threaten them with Hell, it would be enough of a favor for us, as His servants whom He brought from nothing into existence, to give our glorifying and praise, our endless thanks, to Him, even if there
80 Is not the sincere faith for God (alone)? (XXXIX: 3)
was nothing else. And, o believers, eyerything in existence is glorifying its Lord, and saying "Subhanallah81!" glorifying Him with so many kinds of tasbih82. Even ants or creatures which are less than ants are saying it and glorifying their Lord.
For what? Because He created them and is looking after them, creating and giving them a position in existence. That is an ant, that is another insect among millions of kinds of insects or other creatures: but we are saying that even the smallest one is so happy because it is an honor to come into existence. And what is that honor? Because the Creator created them, giving them a personality in existence: they are something in existence, and they are glorifying their Lord.
But what about you, o Children of Adam, when the whole universe was created for you? Allah Almighty just created it for the honor of His deputy; and you are that deputy, you are candidates to be deputies. If you are walking on the same steps as those who reached the real stations of deputies, you will arrive; you must reach, also.
But we are not walking on that path. We are in need of gadam as-sidq. What is that? Qadam as-sidq means true steps, not "Thumma amanu, thumma kafaru; thumma amanu, thumma kafaru83," as Allah Almighty says: "Sometimes, o people, o servants, you are coming to Me, worshipping Me, glorifying Me, but sometimes I see you running after Iblis, after Satan, after devils. You are respecting and listening to and working for devils. What is this? Your footsteps are not correct!"
Qadam as-sidq is that, if you put your foot on the right path, with the right step, you must be firm, not taking it back. But we are living in a time when it
81 Glory be to God
82 Litanies of glorification
83 A paraphrase of IV:137, meaning: "Then they believe (amanu), then [kafaru); then they believe, then they disbelieve (again)
is so difficult: if anyone intends or puts his foot on the right path, one thousand devils rush on him, attacking him and trying to take that foot back from that right step, some of them crying, some of them saying, "Oh-h! You must not do this because we are too young. We are still young people, we must live some of our lives." Yes, for ladies, for young men; don't they cry to you? Yes, crying and saying: "It is not the time to be on truth or on the true way - not time yet. We are young! When you are going to be like that sheikh, it won't matter."
Yes, they are saying this. Too many advisors, devils, giving advice; not. millions - billions of advisors you may find for yourself: "Don't put this foot there; take it back. You must live!" Therefore the most miraculous thing for a servant is to continue, because it is not easy to put your foot on the right path, on the true way, and to continue; because you must move it forward for stepping on the next step, and one thousand devils are all catching at you.
You must be strong enough, powerful enough, to carry all of them, to move to the second and third and fourth step. When it is "Thumma amanu, thumma amanu, thumma amanu84," you must reach; but when you listen to those devils and their armies, then you must take your foot back: "Thumma amanu, thumma kafaru." The Prophet, p.b.u.h., says that Paradise is going to be so close to a person that after just one step he may be in Paradise, but then he takes back his steps and goes to the way of Hell.
Therefore it is so difficult to be firm on the right steps, and Allah Almighty is asking right steps from you, not with Him here (in the mosque) but outside with devils, with Satan. Therefore, if a person can worship as if with the worshipping of all people, it is not important. Important is to fix your feet or your steps on the true way - on truth, toward Allah. Don't turn your face away from qiblah.
84 Then they believe; then they believe; then they believe
And you are putting this face toward qiblah, but what about your heart? To where is your heart looking? You must know; you must control your heart, the direction of your heart's face. That is the meaning of “Ala lil-Lahi-d-dinu-l- khālis?"
You are saying, "Mustaqbil al-qiblah; o our Lord, we are turning our face toward qiblah," but what about your heart? Qiblah is the K'abah but where is your heart? Your face is toward that K'abah and the K'abah is the House of the Lord; you are entering it but not looking for the Lord?
Therefore, it is a difficult time, or the most difficult time, that we are living in in our days. One century or fifty or sixty years ago you could find most people asking for faith, for religions, for the ways of the prophets, but now you can't find people to help you on the ways of the prophets. Most people are becoming advertisers for devils, cheating each other, deceiving each other, saying, "Come - leave that. It is superstition." Super-foolish people; and making the prophets to be of no value in our time but making devils too important!
The Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., told about this, and just as he said, it is appearing. What is prophethood, and who is a prophet? The one who informs people about the future, about what will come on them, that is a prophet; because no one can know by ordinary means what is coming tomorrow or after tomorrow - even after one hour, let alone the future. Who can know what is coming after centuries or after thousands of years? Only prophets; and those are miracles for the prophets, to tell about something which will come after centuries. And as much as all the other prophets informed people about the last days and about the Last Day, and what are the signs and what will come on people, the Seal of the Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, p.b.u.h., informed us about what is going to happen day by day, and it is correct. If you look at his life and at his
sayings, you can find everything among his hadith, among his holy sayings, that is now appearing.
And we are saying now, today, that he informed and warned his nation, his ummah, about dajjalin, anti-Christs; so many. Dajjal85, the Anti-Christ, is the one who is well-known, but the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said that thirty anti-Christs would come, but not "king-sized" ones; the king-sized one is one, so big, but thirty little ones will come to make people ready or to prepare them for his acceptance, for his reception. And thirty dirty dajjals have already been among people on earth, living or passed away; you can see. I am not saying their dirty names - it is not an honor - but everyone knows who they are, these dirty people who are calling people to deny the existence of the Lord, Almighty Allah.
They are speaking in the name of "knowledge," but they are liars and they are deputies for the big Dajjal. Now, throughout East and West. and even in the Muslim world, they are working. Their bad ideas are planted among the hearts of Muslim people as well; there are so many followers for them there, also. Therefore, it is a terrible time. Tuba, good tidings and honor and happiness for the one who can put his feet in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet, beloved Muhammad, p.b.u.h..
You must be very careful, because their followers are not millions but billions on earth. Therefore there is coming a punishment from Allah Almighty - the greatest war, which will kill six out of every seven. During the big wars only millions were going; but now, because most people are followers, millions following the ways of the Dajjal, the Anti-Christ, for that reason that punishment is coming, and out of seven, six will die.
85 Ad-Dajjal (meaning "Arch-deceiver") is the title of the fearsome imposter, foretold in many hadiths, who will appear during the end-time of this world to deceive and lure people to the path of Satan, prior to the return of Jesus Christ to this world
Don't be sorry about what is happening on earth; all awliya are saying this. Don't be sorry, even if they are from your friends, from your family. Allah Almighty will ask them: "Wasn't there anything that proved My existence? Didn't you ever see anything that might be a proof or might be a witness for My existence in the universe? What was in your head - straw, or a brain?
What was in your head? How could you say that no Lord is in existence?" Yes. Therefore, don't be sorry that those who are denying the existence of Allah Almighty should be punished by the death penalty which is coming.
You must look after yourself, and Allah Almighty likes your steps to be toward Him. As your face is turned to qiblah, your heart must be turned to Allah, not to dunya, to this world. Allah Almighty created this world without looking; and dunya is the enemy of Allah because it takes people to itself, taking peoples' hearts to itself, taking the love of people to itself, not leaving peoples´ love to be for their Lord.
Therefore dunya is the enemy of Allah, the enemy of prophets, the enemy of mumins, believers, and the enemy of all people. Yes, if Allah Almighty had been looking when He created it, it would have been Paradise. But it is not Paradise. People are quarreling, fighting, saying, "This is for me"; and you are saying, "It is not, it is for me," while it is not for me or for you but it is for Him only, under His command. And you are coming as customers come to a hotel and fight: "This is for me! This belongs to me!" Yahu86, not for you!
There is an Owner, a Proprietor - yes? And people are claiming that they are such clever ones, but still they are fighting for this world, for this life.
Therefore, o believers, Allah Almighty gives to everyone a throne, a throne in his heart, and says, "Let Me be there! Don't let anyone else come in; only let me be there. For that throne which is in your heart, don't let anyone else come there." And we are opening it - free country, free territory, everyone going, coming. I have a key which I brought from from Cyprus in my pocket
86 Turkish colloquial expression, meaning "Good gracious!" or its equivalent
because I closed my house so that no one can enter it except me. Yes; you, also? But for our heart, we are not thinking to make it under control. We are leaving it; anyone may come and go - free house.
Yes, you must think about it. This life is not really a life. We are created for real life, and real life cannot be obtained until you give your heart to its Owner and put its Owner there. Otherwise you may be with the Anti-Christ and his followers. Everyone has been given enough mind to understand, and Allah Almighty is asking from ourselves at least the minimum of understanding. If we don't have that, we are not mukallif, without responsibility; if we can't understand, no responsibility, but I think that Allah Almighty gives everyone enough mind for understanding about this life and the Creator.
May Allah Almighty forgive us. We are in need to ask forgiveness from Allah Almighty, and the Prophet, p.b.u.h., said, "O my nation, I am asking forgiveness from my Lord seventy times every day.".
If he asked seventy times, seventy million is too little for ourselves. We must ask forgiveness. Asking forgiveness, istighfar, makes our wrong steps to be correct steps and turns our hearts' toward His Divine Face. And we are asking and saying, "Astaghfirullah..."
By the name of Allah, All-mighty, All-merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent. People are coming into Islam, alhamdulillah87. That is a good tidings, good news, for believers. And most are coming into Islam in Western countries. Alhamdulillah, it is a proof that the active power of Islam is like the day it came.
Here there are so many brothers and sisters, and all of them except me are young people; I am not seeing any old ones. All of you are young,
subhanallah al-'Aliu-l-'Adhim88! If Islam acts on young people it is right; it is perfect, also, because you can run out, and this is London - everything that your egos are asking for, you can easily find. Which thing is keeping you here? That is a spiritual power that affects your hearts and that is going to be so victorious on devils and evils.
Now, there is an important question about something which is a problem for new Muslims coming into Islam in Western countries: What they should do for learning and practicing Islam.
Now in our time, a lot of people are coming to Western countries to call people into Islam, but, as I see, they are the most fanatical people in their countries and they are also such hard people. Islam is the most tolerant religion which Allah Almighty has sent to His servants, but they never understand about tolerance in Islam. They want Muslims to be as they were in the time of the Prophet, p.b.u.h.; they say that anyone who believes and accepts Islam must keep all the rules in Islam.
That is perfection, but they do not consider that all the rules in Islam did not come at once, on the first day. Allah Almighty could have sent all the rules and all the Qur'an in one day, in one hour; Angel Gabriel could have brought it all, saying, "This is your Book; all the words in it, you may use." But Allah Almighty did not do that. Instead He sent all the rules of Islam over a period of twenty-three years. Is it not true?
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