5 February 2011 Lefke, Cyprus
(Translated from Turkish)
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani ‘r-rajim. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Welcome, O servants of Allah! What is our huviyet, identity? They don't know what “huviyet” is. They throw away the old and replace it with rubbish. For example, if someone were to throw away palace furniture claiming it is old, and afterwards replaced it with modern cubical elements, would there be any value in that? You see, these people have become such foolish ones now, following the fabrications of who came after the period of sultanate rule. They say, "Throw away the old and bring in the new!" Yaa Hu! Could the old and new ever be equal in value? Never! But there is nothing left of "logic;” they have gone too far ahead with their irrationalities! But to whom should we say this? (We talk) in the sense of, "You speak and you listen."
(Mawlana Shaykh addresses his guest.) May Allah be pleased with you for bringing these youngsters to me. What can we do? Our Prophet (s) said, "To draw even one youth toward Allah is more valuable than earning the wealth of this whole world.” Sultan al-Anbiya, Habeeb ar-Rahman. (Mawlana Shaykh Nazim stands, sits.)
The value of Man is determined by the value of whom he is associated with. Who is attached to a monk has the value of a monk; who is attached to a Jewish (rabbi) and that faith has a value according to it; who is attached to dunya has the value of dunya; and, who is attached to Akhirah has the value of Akhirah.
We are attached to the one who, when his honorable name is mentioned we stand up: our Master, Hazrati Muhammad Mustafa (s)! (Mawlana Shaykh stands) Whoever connects to him will take from his value. (Mawlana Shaykh sits) We must pay attention to this.
A person affiliated with a coffee shop employee takes from the value of that employee and a person who goes to a goldsmith takes from the value of that goldsmith. Can these two be compared, are they equal in value? Can the value of one who lives for this world and one who lives for the Hereafter ever be the same? Look, the world is vanishing! Now there are those who, when they get off a plane at an airports... tayyare, “airplane,” is a living word, not a made up one. Now they use the word "ucak" for airplane; was the word "tayyare" insufficient so you’ve invented the word "ucak"? Don't you have anything else to do? For ninety years you’ve fabricated things. Why did you replace the word mektep, “school,” with the word okul? Why do you disrupt the language of the people? That is a mere fabrication, which is why we’ve become what we are today with a broken down foundation!
Our ancestors did sound work and not fabrication! Our ancestors have carried this empire, the flag of the Ottomans, the flag of Islam, for 700 years! What are you carrying? But if you say this to those so-called “beys,” fine gentlemen, they reply, "Don't say ‘bey,’ O Shaykh Effendi! Instead, say ‘bay,’ male/gentleman.” And now they are not happy with "bay," so they changed it back to "bey." Effendim, Bayanlar baylar, “O ladies and gentlemen!” (Mawlana Shaykh impersonates them.) Bayilsinlar, may they faint! (Wordplay on the word bayanlar and baylar.) (Mawlana Shaykh laughs.)
Were the terms “bey” (gentleman) and “hanim” (gentlewoman) insufficient? Why have you changed these? Why did you attack the language and belief of Turkish people? Why did you work to eliminate their religious beliefs by replacing them with fabricated beliefs? Why would you erect a statue in front of people who know and believe in their Lord? What is a statue? It doesn’t speak or do anything, it just keeps standing there. Egypt, Rome and Greece are full of them, but are they able to speak? If so, what can they say? So this is complete absurdity! Alhamdulillah that we are a people who are watch over our way. How can we stand in front of an idol which cannot see, hear, or speak to us?
One time I visited Singapore; Allah Almighty has made us to travel the whole world from east to west, all the way to Singapore. When I first arrived, we went to a religious meeting. We stayed for a few days. But first let us describe this place called, "Singapore" so they will feel ashamed. Singapore is maybe one-tenth the size of Cyprus or even less; however, it is the most industrial country in the world. How strange. And we can say that it is twice as large as Nicosia, with buildings, bazaars, and businesses. Everyone there is hard at work, and what effort and zeal they have! And then we say, “Why can't we do as they?”
If twenty Singapores were put side by side, it would be just as big as the Turkish side of Cyprus. If you saw the sea, you would think it was a forest from all the ships coming and going, transporting cargo. When you arrive at the airport, you see planes taking off and landing without pause; three planes land every minute, and not like planes we have here; they have the latest system. Also, when you pass through the checkpoint, they never stop you to ask how much money you’ve brought with you, what you are bringing, or what you’ll be taking back. They only ask, "Is there anything in this luggage?" They don't check or search anything. Also, they offer free seaport and airport transit; visitors come and go very easily. It's not like here, where you go through torture upon torture: "Write this!" "Sign that!" "Go to this place!" "Deposit this and give that!" Is this civilization?
So among the people in Singapore, you find Muslims, Christians, and also Buddhists (who worship Buddha. Haasha, astaghfirullah!) They worship it; that is what they do. Our tour guide said, "Shaykh Effendi, people here are crazy about Buddha's statue and they worship him. There is no formal ruling pressuring them to visit; anyone who likes may go and anyone who doesn't is not required. No one takes them there by force; they go if they like to. Singapore has a temple containing the world's largest Buddha statue and if you want, we can take you there."
I said, "We are currently available, so we can go and take a look." Our tour guide took us there and we said, "It is a strange structure." Similar to those Chinese structures, the structure there is quite odd. We entered and saw a building with an enormous hall, like a huge movie theater. I entered and saw something forty meters high, sitting like this in the “lotus position.” Never once has he opened his eyes! Whichever of his statues you look at, he's always sitting with his eyes closed. That which they worship never opens its eyes to look at the people!
The keeper of the temple quickly came running to us and said, "Welcome, sir!"
"Thank you," I said.
She told us, "It is our custom to light a candle or offer incense. If you would like to do this based on our custom, we shall present these for you."
I said, "We don't believe in what you worship, so we will not light a candle or offer incense. We came here only because it was suggested that we see that one whom you call ‘Buddha,’ the cause for the largest temple on the face of the Earth.” She was offended, but I continued. "What do you see Buddha as?"
"According to our belief, Buddha is our lord whom we worship."
I said, "Haasha thumma kallaa!" and stomped my foot. “If this is what you worship, can it see us?"
“No.”
“If we speak, can it hear us?”
“No.”
“If we spit, can it raise its hand?”
“No.”
“If we break it, can it say, ‘O no, I’m broken!’”
“No.”
“How many years has it existed?”
“Over 2,000 years.”
“So for 2,000 years this thing you worship never opened its eyes? It always stays like that? Doesn’t it ever get tired of sitting?”
She said, “This is our belief.”
“But doesn’t it ever lay down?”
She told me, “You are the shaykh of the Muslims. I will prove to you that what we worship can also sleep,” and she took me somewhere in the back. I looked and saw something very tall laying down. She said, “Here he sleeps and there he sits.”
“How many Buddha’s are there?” I asked her.
“There are countless Buddha’s here.”
“And for all of them, you...”
“And for all of them we give reverence. This is our faith, which directs us to the supreme way and empowers our spirituality.”
“What kind of spirituality do you have? Show it!
“Our spirituality guides us.”
I said, “I’m going to show you something with my hand, look carefully!” At that moment, my whole being was dressed with power. I said to their idol, “Go this way and that way!” And with a thundering sound, immediately it moved this way and that way. (Allahu Akbar!) Then I said, “Bow down!” and it bowed down. In a split second that servant lady dropped to the floor, unconscious. I said, “Come on, now that we’ve put their idol down, let’s leave!”
That one over there is a representation of the new idol worshippers, but up to morning none of them will be standing! Their time is coming; surely, their time is coming. May Allah forgive us.
The country with the most statues in the world is Singapore; second is Turkey. We’ve filled the country with statues, too! Everywhere is full. It is said that when the quantity of something increases, it’s value decreases and the price goes down. For sure, it becomes very cheap. In the old days, when an archbishop passed away they dressed him, placed a crown on his head, and had him sit on his throne after which they carried him. Then they stopped somewhere and one person lifted his hand for the people to kiss, while another one held his head to keep it from falling. With such “mascara” they took him to the graveyard, not to lie in his grave, but rather they buried him sitting on a chair!
Now it has become a new fashion for our people within Anatolia, the country that carries the most statues after Buddhist countries is the Republic of Turkey! If they like they may count for themselves, but the number is too great to count! To give an example, we can say that a statue represents a plastic fruit. You offer your guest painted plastic as fruits and say, “Please, help yourself.” The guest takes one banana, sees that it is plastic and puts it back. He takes a bunch of grapes or apples or oranges, but they are all plastic. Finally they will exclaim, “There is no way to eat these! Why have you put this in front of us?”
“But we are offering you this.”
“Hey, do you think plastic can satisfy my hunger? Quickly bring me something to eat, at least dried grapes or roasted chickpeas!”
Just like that, for 90 years you’ve been putting plastic in front of us, something made of bronze, marble, or metal, and then you say, “Believe in this one! Keep his words! Don’t seek other than this or you’ll lose your way!” Well, until now we did not lose our ways, but now we did. Perhaps before they weren’t lost, but now our youth are crying out, “What is this you are giving us? What can it possibly provide? If it does give something, then we shall walk on its path, and if it doesn’t, we are dying from hunger, but our hunger is spiritual, not materialistic! There are plenty of material goods to eat, but these things do not satisfy our spirituality. Since it doesn’t fill our stomachs, don’t keep putting this in front of us!”
Now the nation and the young are hungry and asking, “What is this you are giving us?” If this is showing a way, then why aren’t you following it? Instead, you are fighting with each other. Didn’t the statue you raise show you a way? If so, why won’t you follow it? You’ve now divided into 70 branches in which you slander and fight with each other. What is this? Why won’t you keep to his way? And when I say this, they tell me, “You don’t know.” Not true! I know what your father doesn’t know, and what your grandfather doesn’t know I know that as well! (Aamanna wa saddaqna!) There’s nothing that you know! If there is a man in Turkey who can say what we have just said, let him come forth and say it! May Allah forgive us! May Allah forgive us!
Okay, this will be enough for you, but there is much more to say. If we speak up to morning, it will not finish, and it has only been half-an-hour. This is the blessings of Huseyin and Mehmet. May Allah be pleased with you and forgive me. What can we do? Hide the truth? It is said, “Who doesn’t speak the truth is a dumb devil.” Why won’t you speak the truth? Why do you cheat? The Sultan of Prophets (s) said, “Who cheats us is not from us.” (Mawlana Shaykh Nazim stands and sits) Why do you cheat the people? There now! Because of their deception, they are crumbling away and the whole Islamic world is tumbling down. Who forgets Allah Almighty and neglects to know his Prophet (s), ill will befall him.
Yaa Rabbee! Tawba yaa Rabbee, tawba astaghfirullah. Yaa Rabbee! Send us from Your servants who will guide us, yaa Rabbee! Destroy those who take us toward the opposite direction and may they be vanquished at once! Yaa Rabbee! You know! We are Your weak servants. Yaa Rabbee, yaa Allah! For the sake of Your Beloved, salaatu wa ’s-salaam min al-azali ila ’l-abad, (Mawlana Shaykh Nazim stands) upon him who is Habeebullah, Rasoolullah, Sayyid al-Awwaleen wa ’l-Akhireen, we send peace and blessings, and recite the Fatihah. (Mawlana Shaykh Nazim sits)