12 August 2011 London, UK
Fajr Suhbah at CSCA
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Ati`ullaha wa ati`u 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
This is a small space filled with big hearts. In the 1960’s when we first went to Mecca, two million people came and there was no expansion of the haram, but still Mecca and Prophet’s (s) mosque took everyone. As much as they expand, Allah makes it lower because that place is for Allah and Prophet (s); even if ten million come, it will accommodate. Similarly, mashaa-Allah the space has expanded here. It was full five minutes ago but we were still able to accommodate more people.
In the 1960's and 70's, we used to pray Salaat at-Tahajjud and then Salaat al-Fajr with Grandshaykh in his room, and then we would go out to his mosque with Malwana Shaykh Nazim (q) and there, Grandshaykh made suhbah after Fajr. Here today we are following his footsteps. We hope Allah blesses us with His endless mercy!
Don’t listen to me, I am not more than a normal person like you. With Mawlana's barakah I am sitting and talking.
There was one khalifah of Sayyidina `Abdul Qadir Jilani (q) that used to give suhbat after Fajr, `Asr, and Maghrib. Thousands of people would attend his majlis. Awliyaullah are like spotlights or magnets; people are attracted to them even if they do not say a single word. How? It is Allah’s (swt) wisdom; He put something in their hearts that attract people. Even if they are on the street, people want to stop and take pictures with them.
The cousin of Prophet (s), Sayyidina Kuthum Ibn `Abbas (r), resembled Prophet (s) the most. He is buried in Samarkand, from where it probably took one year by camel or horse to reach Madinah as it is far. Then there were no telephones, no sms, no computers, no Internet, no oil, no money, or books for translation. He was just one person, but after Prophet (s) left dunya, with Prophet’s (s) inspiration in his heart he headed to Samarkand. He was not originally from that area and yet he was between them. There were no relatives with him, but he turned Central Asia to Islam by himself. How? He was not familiar with the language; he spoke Arabic, but without speaking with the tongue, the heart spoke. He had a light in his face that attracts anyone, so slowly, slowly, without talking, with what today they call ‘telepathy’ he spoke heart-to-heart, looking into his heart, releasing that light carrying all kind of knowledge, putting change in their hearts in a minute.
Don’t ask how. That light released from his heart is like an electromagnetic wave. When we speak, we release that and the ears hear it. He sent that to the ears of their hearts and they were able to take it because the barakah of his presence. Don’t ask how! This small telephone takes that sound immediately and turns it into a small storage space, so couldn’t a Sahaabee do that? He was under the teaching of Prophet (s) and brought everyone to Islam because of the light of Prophet (s) that was in his forehead. Prophet (s) gave everyone something special. Don’t deny it; we will be wrong to do that as Prophet (s) is with everyone.
وإعلموا أن فيكم رسول الله
w `alamoo anna feekum Rasoolullah.
And know Allah's Messenger is in you. (al-Hujurat, 49:7)
His power and his light are in you; all you have to do to access it is make tafakkur, meditation or contemplation. Zoom in yourself as much as you can to make it sharp. If you take a flashlight and narrow it further and further, it will become a very strong laser. Another example is, if you put a magnifying glass in direct sunlight, the light zooms through the magnifying glass and burns paper, whereas if you put the paper under the sun by itself it will not burn. Awliyaullah have a heavenly magnifying glass in their hearts; they release that power through their foreheads. From there they direct it to the intended person, who will respond and immediately. Awliyaullah carry a strong and powerful light that can move mountains; that is not too much for them!
You cannot lift a block of iron that weighs a ton, but with a crane you can. How does the crane carry a ton or ten tons of iron? The crane is producing a high energy through its engine that enables it to move the iron up or down. The crane is dunya energy and awliyaullah have heavenly energy. Therefore, it is not strange for awliyaullah to move the hearts of people. So what then do you think of a Sahaabee? Prophet (s) sent his Sahaabah everywhere and they spread Islam with only their presence. Their hearts were like a magnet or a magnifying glass; they can move it the way they like and zoom in and burn your love of dunya. When your love of dunya is burned, akhirah appears by itself, because from the beginning of time there has always been a struggle between good and evil. Throughout history, the bad wanted to attack the good, but when baatil vanishes, haqq comes.
وَقُلْ جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
wa qul ja'a al-haqq wa zahaqa al-batil inna ’l-baatila kaana zahooqa.
Say (O Muhammad), “Haqq (Truth) has come and baatil (falsehood) has perished.” (al-'Israa, 17:81)
So when akhirah comes you see your heart change. What attracts you to come here? Your love to akhirah, to awliyaullah, to Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) and Prophet (s). We are not doing any kind of business here; instead, we hope we are doing some business for akhirah so that Allah (swt) will shower us with His Mercy!
وَأَلَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاء غَدَقًا
wa law istiqaamoo `ala at-tareeqati la-asqaynaahum maa’an ghadaqa.
If they had (only) remained on the (right) Way, We should certainly have bestowed on them rain in abundance. (Surat al-Jinn, 72:16)
It means if they keep their ways on Sirat al-Mustaqeem. This is the only place in the Holy Qur’an where tariqah is mentioned by name. “If they keep their belief and faith on the way, tariqah, We will ma'an ghadaqa, shower them with abundant rain,” with water, meaning, “We will give them lots of water to drink.” What is water?
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاء كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ
wa ja`alna min al-maa'i kulla shayin hayy,
We made from water every living thing. (Al-Anbiya, 21:30)
This means if you stay on tariqah you will rejuvenate your heart because you are moving on the Straight Path. The Prophet (s) mentioned:
مَنْ عَمِلَ بِما عَلِمَ أَوْرَثَهُ الله عِلْمُ ما لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
man `amala bimaa ya`alam awrathahullahoo `ilma lam ya`alam.
Who does something according to what he learned, Allah will give him knowledge that he did not learn.
When you teach from what you have learned, as we are sitting here teaching, Allah will give you knowledge that you did not learn. It means you do your job according to what you have learned.
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا
laa yukallifullah nafsan illa wus`ahaa.
On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. (al-Baqarah, 2:286)
Allah does not ask you to do more than your capacity; He doesn't burden you. Allah is ar-Rahman ar-Raheem; He gives according to what you can take. This means if you are sitting with a teacher or with somone at a higher level, a wali, sultan al-awliya or even higher, like Sahaabah sat with Prophet (s), Allah will give you what you did not learn, but on the condition that you do not object. The example of this is, Sayyidina Musa (a) was sent as a messenger and yet he wanted to learn more and he found one of the many servants of Allah (swt).
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
fawajada `abdan min `ibadeena ataynahoo rahmatan min `indina wa `allamnahoo min ladunna `ilma.
So they found one of Our servants on whom We had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence. (al-Kahf, 18:65)
The term “`abd” is mentioned in many seerahs, and it is Sayyidina al-Khidr (a), about whom Allah (swt) said, “We gave him rahmah.” He didn’t say, “We gave him heavenly knowledge (first),” He said, “We gave him rahmah (first),” to prepare him to receive knowledge. You cannot claim to receive knowledge before you are receiving mercy; first you will receive mercy and then knowledge.
Who is the mercy for Khidr (a)? It is Prophet (s). If Prophet (s) did not dress Sayyidina Khidr (a) with what Allah gave him, he would never have received knowledge.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
wa maa arsalnaaka illa rahmatan lil-`alameen.
(O Muhammad!) We have sent you not except as a Mercy for all the Worlds. (al-Anbiya, 21:107)
So Sayyidina al-Khidr (a) was in the Prophet’s presence in a spiritual light, learning from him. Then after he was given his amaanaat, trust, he was able to receive heavenly knowledge that no one can understand. That's why you cannot reach heavenly knowledge without a guide, because that guide is dressed from Prophet (s) with that rahmah to prepare you.You cannot do it by yourself, it has to be from a guide. If you are with a guide for many years and he wants to give you your amaanaat, it cannot be activated without the presence of Prophet (s); he must approve that you are clean or else it will not work. If Prophet (s) certifies to your shaykh that you are alright, the amaanaat codes will be given and you will move in them.
The example is the story of Grandshaykh (q), who said, “Once, by the order of Prophet (s), I made seclusion for Mawlana Shaykh Nazim for nine months in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara. I ordered Shaykh Nazim to make the five prayers in Haram an-Nabawi (s) every day. As he went there he must only look down at his feet, with no permission to look around. As Shaykh Nazim emerged from the Haram on the last day of his seclusion, me, Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) and Prophet (s) were watching him. I said, ‘Yaa Sayyidee! Your son has completed seclusion. May we give him his amaanaat?’” If Prophet (s), Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r), and Sayyidina Shah Naqshband (q) are not present, the shaykh cannot give the mureed his amaanaat. People think everything is simple; it is not. As soon as a shaykh says, “You have permission on this,” you became a big wali. They have to crush you like olives to make oil and then throw you to the dogs to eat you, then they can give you your amaanaat!
Grandshaykh continued, “Prophet (s) replied, ’No, don't give the amaanaat yet because he still sees himself.’” SubhaanAllah, it was a test! Grandshaykh said to Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, “Yaa waladee, I am disappointed.” They may say something to see how you or others react. Others might think, “Oh, this is a bad person.” They are wrong! It means the shaykh is polishing you to see how you react; it is hidden. The shaykh says something but means something else, and this story is a good example of that.
Today, Mawlana says something to people and they put it on the Internet. They want to see your reaction: do you accept and believe, or not? He may humiliate you by saying something and then check you.
So Grandshaykh said, “You disappointed me, as you depended on your `amal too much". That was the key for Mawlana Shaykh Nazim to get his amaanaat; Grandshaykh told this to me and my brother privately. Shaykh Nazim answered, “Yaa Sayidee, how am I not going to be proud of myself? Someone who has a shaykh like you will not be proud of himself?”As soon as he said that, Prophet (s) gave him his amaanaat.” They wanted him to admit that it's coming from his teacher, not from him.
If Mawlana says, “Your shaykh is this stone,” you have to accept. If, because you think of yourself to be so high, your shaykh says, “This one is your teacher,” you have to accept, finished! If you accept, you will not lose anything; instead, you will gain the power of awliyaullah and Prophet (s) because you are accepting what your shaykh is saying.
One day we passed through the very narrow alleyway that leads to Grandshaykh’s house. Grandshaykh was in his room. We heard him shouting and swearing, “You are (this), you are (that), I don't want to see your face!” We were so afraid we didn't dare to move, afraid that Grandshaykh would shout at us, too! Stupid people will look at that and speak badly about the person shouted at. At the time there were five representatives of Grandshaykh (q) and three of them attacked Mawlana. Don't think everyone is going along nicely in this tariqah; they are all attacking each other. If you look at the history of all the tariqahs, after the shaykh passed away his representatives fought. Look at all the Islamic schools of thought, look at Mu`awiyah and `Ali, or `Ali and Aisha, may Allah be pleased with them all. May Allah give Mawlana long life because if he leaves, this tariqah will split up into many branches. Like a chicken, everyone wants to sit on their eggs, or like a rooster that can't sit on eggs but forces himself to sit anyway!
Everyone heard the shouting and we wanted to see who is going to come out. To our surprise, it was Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, smiling as if nothing had happened! Mawlana told us to go up to Grandshaykh, who was waiting for us. He said. “Hisham, Adnan, come here!” We were trembling, thinking we would be next! He laughed and said, “SubhaanAllah! No matter how much I shout at Nazim Effendi, nothing in his heart changes towards me.”
That's why when awliya say something, they check to see your reaction. The test was not with a normal one, but with someone who was with him for forty or fifty years. He was not shouting for Mawlana, but rather to see the reaction of others who heard. They went against Mawlana Shaykh Nazim with such rudeness and crudeness; one even hit him on his head with a miswaak! Grandshaykh said, “His heart never changed,” and that's why he gave Mawlana Shaykh Nazim his amaanaat and at that time he gave him even more!
Recently Mawlana said Shaykh Muhammad (Mawlana Shaykh’s son) is the khalifah of Sham. Alhamdulillah! It is better to be a sheep than a shephard. Mawlana wants to see our reaction, “Don't think you are high and the other is lower.” They will check you until your last breath to see how you react. My brother and I are mentioned in Grandshaykh’s as helpers of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, but they want to test you, to see what is your reaction. Hundred of times we heard from Grandshaykh and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim that if he said, “Follow this one,” (missing) What we did in da`wa, no one else did. We went all around the world bringing up Mawlana Shaykh’s name; he doesn't need that but we did it. So I called Mawlana Shaykh and congratulated him on Shaykh Muhammad’s appointment. He was so happy and began to laugh, saying, "You and your brother have high rank." He also said something else but I won’t repeat it here. (...)
One time I went for Hajj with Mawlana, who was taking fifty elderly people with him.
I said, “Mawlana, why are you taking these people?”
He replied, “I have to test my patience.” All of them were elderly and some could not even move.
I asked, “Why are you taking so many?”
He said, “No, I have to test my patience.”
So we went, but there were no hotels, just homes with no toilets or running water. It was difficult, not like today. Mawlana wanted to convert some money. He asked someone by the door and that person gave him a rate, but Mawlana wanted to check for a better one, so he asked another person, who did not give him not a good price.
Mawlana said, “The other one gave a better price.”
He said, “I don't want to see you here! All of you foreigners are stupid and you come here and think you are something!” Then he collected all his saliva and spat on Mawlana! I rushed to beat him, but Mawlana stopped me and said, “Don't do anything.” He wiped his face and was patient, because he knew Who is behind the one who moved that person to do that. If you don't believe that, you will never understand tariqah.
May Allah forgive us and bless us.
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.