Center for Spiritual & Cultural Advancement (CSCA)
Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullahi ‘l-`Azheem.
Astaghfirullahi ‘l-`Azheem wa atubu `ilay.
Astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullahi ‘l-`Azheem wa atubu `ilay.
A`oodhu billahi ‘s Sami` al-`Aleem min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
Allahumma yaa Rabbee, shay’an lillah. Yaa RijaalAllah. Yaa RijaalAllah, shay’an lillah.
Yaa Saadatina ‘l-Kiraam.
We are asking for something that will benefit us.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi, Qutb al-Mutasarrif, madad yaa Sultan al-Awliya. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi wa Mawlay, yaa Sayyidi Shaykh Nazim. Madad, yaa RijaalAllah.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) has said there are two kinds of `ilm, ‘ilmu'n-nafi`, beneficial `ilm. Rasoolullah (s) asked Allah (swt), اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا, Allahumma innee asaluka `ilmu 'n-nafi`a. “I’m asking You for `ilm, knowledge that is beneficial..”
Beneficial `ilm gives you goodness that makes you happy, not only here but in Akhirah, the Hereafter. What you need from Allah (swt) is to learn what makes you closer to Him, not what makes you farther away from Him. When you know what makes you farther away from Him you will be unhappy, because in dunya and in Akhirah you will end up far away. You need to know what makes you nearer to Him, and that is Dhikrullah.
Our Way is not showing off too much `ilm, to say, “I know, I am big, I am this, I am that.” Ours is the Way of Rasoolullah (s), to humble yourself, then the ego's power decreases, as the more Allah (swt) grows in your heart, the more you grow spiritually and the more there is no room for anyone else.
You have to be careful who is in your heart and what you are learning. I heard from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim that Sayyidina Luqman al-Hakeem (q) said, “I accompanied four-thousand prophets, Anbiya of Bani Israel,” who were in the thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands. He was from the Jewish nation and he accompanied Sayyidina Dawud (a), as well.
Sayyidina Luqman (a) said, “I learned eight things from them. If you are in prayer, guard your heart.” Shaytan comes in prayer to take you away from Allah (swt). “When you are at the table eating, guard your throat. Don’t eat haraam. Don’t drink haraam.” See how easy is it? “When you are among people, guard your tongue.” Don’t gossip about others. Don’t make stuff up. “When you are in the house of another, guard your eyes,” so you don’t become envious of his family or what he has. That is four things.
He said, “Remember two things: Allah (swt) and death, the day you will meet Him. Remember the goodness you have done to others and forget the badness they have done to you.”
So their way is not to memorize thousands of volumes and write a dissertation. The other day somebody Whatsapped me a link to their five-thousand page dissertation on the Naqshbandis! Mawlana calls you to make Dhikrullah to be with Allah (swt). Ad-dhaakir ma` al madhkoor. The one who is making Dhikr will end up being with the One he is remembering. That is our Way. He wrote five-thousand pages, quoting this one and that one, with footmarks and end notes. There's no need!
Luqman al-Hakeem, the Wise Luqman, accompanied four-thousand Anbiya. He said, “I took eight (wisdoms).”
OUR WAY IS:
1 Guard your tongue among people.
2 Guard your eyes when in other's houses.
3 Guard your throat when eating and drinking.
4 Guard your heart in prayer.
5 Remember Allah (swt).
6 Remember the Day you will meet Him.
7 Don’t forget your goodness towards others.
8 Forget the badness they did to you.
If we can practice this, we have reached. If we cannot, we must try our best. Our Way is Dhikrullah, and not to be visible, but rather to be invisible.
Mawlana Shaykh (q) gave an example of exactly what I’m trying to say. Awliyaullah exist among people as if they are nothing important. He said one time a grand pasha entered a masjid and worshippers jumped up to show respect, except one man remained seated and spread his legs.
I read somewhere, at-takabbur `alaa mutakabbir sadaqah. If there’s a mutakabbir, somebody who sees himself as high, if you see yourself above him it is okay at that time. Don’t humble yourself in front of a tyrant, rather show yourself shadeed, powerful.. Ashda'oo `alaa 'l-kuffar, be strong towards him, don’t humble yourself. Huffazh, the Carriers of Qur’an always have to be honorable, but ruhama'oo baynahum, when you encounter other mu’mins [... inaudible 08:48].
He spread his legs and stayed seated. He didn’t care who came or who’s around him. That pasha entered with a big entourage, but the man didn’t stand up and salute him. The pasha noticed that and said loudly, man huwa hadha naaqisu'l-adab, “Who is this one with no manners?”
Without looking at him, he took his miswak and hit the leopard skin he was sitting on, which immediately jumped like a live leopard to attack the pasha! Terror came to the heart of that governor and his entire entourage, who all ran away as fast as they could.
How did he reach that level of knowledge? Waliyullah don’t normally show themselves. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) is saying (in his notes) they show themselves as nothing, but they are capable of miracles. They didn’t reach that by compiling a lengthy dissertation. They show themselves as normal. He sat normally, so how did he reach that? Through Dhikrullah, he is with Allah (swt).
Before Sayidinna Musa (a) split the sea, what did he say?
وَقَالَ إِنِّى ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّى سَيَهْدِينِ
And [Abraham] said: “Verily, I will [leave this land and] go wherever my Sustainer guides me!” [Surat al-Saffat, 37:99]
“I am with my Lord, Allah (swt). He will show me what to do next.” He left the tyrant with his people. He was not ordered to fight with a sword. He said, “Just leave him. We’ll go.”
They saw the sea. The people around him said, “What is this? Where do we go? In front of us is the sea. Behind us is the enemy. Where did you bring us to?” He said:
فَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰٓ أَنِ ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْبَحْرَ
Thereupon We inspired Moses thus: Strike the sea with thy staff!” [Ash-Shu'ara, 26:63]
“Hit that sea.” Why? Because you will be with Allah (swt). If Allah (swt) is with you, you can do anything.
By the permission of Allah (swt), Sayyidina `Isa (a) revived the dead. By the permission of Allah (swt), Rasoolullah (s) split the moon. You can do anything you want. Musa (a) split the ocean.
By Dhikrullah, mentioning Allah (swt), you can do everything with His Permission. If there’s no permission there’s no need, but if He tells you there’s permission, show that. Show that pasha that what you have is greater than what he has. What Awliyaullah have from the sultanate, from power and highness is much more than anything a pasha or any sultan can have.
The other day I was listening to a verse, “O Ahu ‘l-Bayt! The sultans wish they had a trace of your lineage.” They are not the sultans, the salaateen. They think, “If we are the kings of this country, we have become something huge.” No! You don’t have genuine greatness. You have what people have pumped you up with. After forty years, what do they do? The people throw them out, they refuse to go, then they fight.
What happened four years earlier? They all wanted you. Why not now? Because the sultanate of dunya is temporary. You can be up today and down tomorrow. You can be hung the next day. You can be cut to pieces the following day.
Awliyaullah and Anbiyaullah power is from their being with Allah (swt). Sayyidina Musa (a) stood in front Fir`awn's magicians and fear entered their hearts. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said there were 70,000 magicians all lined up with their magic against one person with a stick. Who was with him? Allah (swt).
They said, “What do we do? This is not a normal person. You can see. If he is a magician like us we will beat him, but if he’s not a magician like us we can never beat him.” They knew.
Mu’min, Waliyullah have the Majestic Power of Allah (swt) dressed on them. That’s what happens when you repeat, “Yaa Allah, yaa Allah, yaa Allah, yaa Allah.” He will dress you from Ismu ‘l-`Azham, that name, “Allah” points to the Essence that contains all Divine Attributes, Ad-Dhaatu'l-Ilahiya. When you say “Allah,” it includes all His Sifaat, Divine Attributes.
It is said that a Waliyullah came to the masjid to give advice. He went on the minbar and so many people gathered to listen to him. He just said, “Yaa Allah!” and the crowd was overtaken by haal. The bliss, ecstasy of his Dhikrullah reflected from him. Allah (swt) looked at him with Divine Beauty, Light, Mercy (tajalliyaat) that reflected onto the people who went into wajd (bliss and ecstasy). They were all crying. He did not even say anything yet.
When you say, “Yaa Hu,” He says, “Labbayk yaa `abdee! What do you want, O My servant! Do we believe that or do we think He does not hear? When your child says, “O father,” immediately you answer, “Yes, daughter. Yes, son. What do you want?”
When he said, “Yaa Allah! O my Lord!” Allah said, “What do you want?”
“Something for them.”
He didn’t want anything for himself. He found what he wanted, but they needed something in their hearts. He sent to them whatever Allah (swt) sent to him when he called Him.
There was another Waliyullah. A minister escaped and went to him because they wanted to assassinate him in a coup. He escaped to a Waliyullah to have shelter from the killers. The killers attacked the Waliyullah’s house. That shaykh came out and said, “Yaa Allah!” and all the killers ran away. When he said, “Yaa Allah! Yaa Rabbee,” Allah (swt) looked at him, knew what he needed and sent the terror (to their hearts). Allah (swt) can send terror in the hearts of unbelievers so that they run away. How? Because that Name “Allah” contains Siffatu ‘l-Jamaal wa Sifatu ‘l-Jalaal, all the Divine Attributes.
When the first Waliyullah called that Name, the Siffat of Beauty descended and the people went into a state of ecstasy. When a trace of Jamaalullah comes, people forget everything, including themselves; they’re gone. When that Attribute of Jamaal descended on that Waliyullah, he distributed it to the people. Siffatu ‘l-Jalaal, the Might and Majesty, descended upon the second Waliyullah and he gave it away to the people who were coming to attack the minister and they ran away.
When you are with Allah (swt) and you call Him, He will give you what you need at that moment. This Waliyullah knew that pasha needed to be shown that it is not by your entourage that you become something big; rather, by being with Allah (swt) you can become something great.
That is our Way: dhikrullah. Our Way is not to show ourselves, but rather to humble ourselves. Our Way is to remember Allah (swt) and give from what He gives. Give to the mu’mins what they need and give to the kaafirs what they need.
Rasoolullah (s) was ordered to use this. He was ordered as Jamaal in the beginning but later on he was ordered to use Siffatu ‘l-Jalaal, to show them the other side. Allah’s Wrath is [inaudible]. Allah’s Majestic Power is Great. Show them the other side. That’s why you have to combine both Siffatu l‘-Jamaal and Jalaal. A perfect Waliyullah can have both: sometimes he is Jamali and sometimes he is Jalaali. That is what we are seeking.
May Allah (swt) make us from the ones who can have the Divine Lights. Yaa Rabbee, dress us from Divine Lights. Start with reciting “Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah.” What do Awliyaullah have in their hearts? Allah (swt). The beginner starts with Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah because there are many things other than Allah (swt) in their hearts. When you say “Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah,” you are cleaning until there is nothing else in your heart except Allah (swt) and you reach ‘illa-Llaah.’ What happens then? What’s in your heart? Allah (swt). What is your dhikr then? Laa ilaaha illa-Anta, “There is no one except You.” You only see Him now, nothing else. There’s nothing more to clean as only Allah (swt) is in your heart.
They say Tawheed al-Mubtadi, Tawheed of the beginning is Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah, you clean everything except Allah (swt). When you reach that, when only Allah is in your heart, then Tawheed al-Muttawasit, the middle one, is Laa ilaaha illa-Anta, “You,” because now you are seeing. Nothing is in your heart except Allah (swt).
You are not afraid except of Him. You don’t ask except from Him because there is nobody else around except Him. That is istighraaq, when you dive so deep that the only thing you see around you is water. You don’t see anything else. You are ready. Allah (swt) has encompassed you with His Mercy, with His Being. You cannot exist by yourself. You see the Truth. This is muttawasit, the one in the middle. You’re not afraid except of Him, you don’t ask anyone except Him, you don’t see except Him and you don’t turn to anything except Him because there’s only Him, Allah (swt). Then you start to address Him, “Laa ilaaha illa-Anta.”
When you only see Him, you disappear from yourself, you don’t see yourself. There’s no more two, ana/Anta, me and You, because now you’re saying, “There’s no god except You. You. You. You.” There’s no you anymore because yourself disappeared. When you disappear, what is your dhikr? He makes the dhikr for you and you hear it. You hear, laa ilaaha illa-Anaa, as He taught Sayyidina Musa (a). Yaa Musa innahu laa ilaaha illa-Anaa, “It is only Me.”
You will hear Allah (swt) making Tawheed by Himself to Himself, “Laa ilaaha illa-Anaa.” That is the Murshid-i Kaamil, the perfect saint. They don’t see themselves, they only hear and see Allah (swt). He is The One talking and seeing. They are not in the middle anymore.
That is Tawheed al-Qumma, the end, Fanaa. When you are not around anymore, you cannot say “I” because it means, “I am here.” But you hear Allah (swt) saying, “Laa ilaaha illa-Anaa, no god but I.” That is what you should try to reach, O insaan! Try to reach deeper and deeper and deeper.
That one man was not afraid of the pasha because he’s only afraid of Allah (swt). He doesn’t see except Allah (swt). He is not asking anything from the pasha because he only asks of Allah (swt). Why do you think the `ulama run to the sultans and kiss prime ministers’ hands? They follow tails of kings and emperors. Why? Because they’re asking something from them.
This Waliyullah was not asking anything from them. The one who only has Allah (swt) in his heart, mind, ears, eyes, doesn’t ask anything except from Allah (swt). They do not need to ask from kings, prime ministers or anyone in power. They ask Allah (swt). They are not afraid of a king or a prime minister. They’re only afraid of Allah (swt) because as Awliyaullah have said, they only see Huwa. They only see al-mawjoodu 'l-haqqiqi al-Haqq. They only see the One Who is existing really and truthfully. The only Existing Entity is Allah (swt). Wa kulla maa siwaahu baatil wa faannin. Everything else is false and will disappear.
When you see the king in front of you, know after two or three days he might die. When you see the president, know that after four years he’s going to go away. There’s another one. Okay, eight years. Maybe sixteen years. Maybe in our countries fifty years they stay in power. Eventually they will go. Awliyaullah see them as such. Don’t run after ministers, presidents or anybody. Run after Allah (swt) to find Him, ask Him, fear Him, see Him, hear from Him, contain only Him in your heart, and then you will do miracles. You can make the leopard skin rise up as a living leopard.
When Abu Jahl saw Rasoolullah (s), he wanted to harm him, but the minute he approached, he became afraid and turned back. They asked what happened and he said, “I saw two lions behind him looking at me. They were going to attack me.” Allah (swt) will make people see two lions next to you or maybe a hundred lions behind you. They can never touch you. If you are with Allah (swt), He is with you.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said the sultan doesn’t let his dog be captured by the enemy. Don’t say, “I’m a big prince or a big this. I’m the dog.” He will not let the dog go to the enemy, he will save his pet.
If we are dogs or lions, because a dog is also a lion, if you are the lion of Allah (swt) , He will save you and support you. He will send you where needed and bring you back safely with no harm. Try to be from dhakireen, the ones who make dhikr to Allah (swt).
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) is saying, they are not afraid of kings. If they show a little bit of Haybat Rabbaniya, Divine Majesty, no king can stand in front of them, but rather they will fall on their knees. Try to be like that. Let’s not pretend that we are something big. It is better to stay as normal. Awliyaullah are normal, but they are dressed by Allah’s Divine Powers for the benefit of humanity, not to take advantage of others, but to help others.
May Allah (swt) make us with them here and Hereafter. May Allah (swt) make us with them every moment, in every corner, everywhere we go, in every time we are in. May Allah (swt) keep us in their company.
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb (s), wa bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
https://sufilive.com/Awliyaullah-Hide-Themselves-8166.html
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