23 August 2010 Lefke, Cyprus
(Mawlana Shaykh stands)
Allah Allah, Allah Allah, Allah Allah, `Azeez Allah
Subhaan Allah, Sultaan Allah, `Azeez Allah, Kareem Allah
Allah Allah, Allah Allah, Allah Allah, SultaanAllah
Zid habeebika `izzan wa sharafa nooran masroora. Yaa Rabbal `izzati wal-`azhamati wa 'l-jabaroot. Zidhu yaa Rabbana wa mani 'ttaba`ahu wa 'l-mu`mineen wa 'l-muslimeen wa `ibaadika ‘s-saaliheen. Yaa Rabbee ishrah sudoorana. Rabbi 'shrah lee sadree wa yasir-lee amree wahlul `uqtadan min lisaanee yafqaahu qawlee. Subhaan sen, Sultaan sen! (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
O our Attenders! As-salaamu `alaykum ayyuha 'l-mu`mineen wa 'l-muslimeen! We are asking our Lord to grant us much more understanding from the holy knowledge of Heavens, and they are not our mindly productions, which are nonsense. Therefore, we are asking a heavenly grant for understanding, and heavenly grants are just granted to those servants who are not thinking of anything else in their lives except servanthood. They are never asking for anything else, only servanthood. They are on the right path, the right road. Tooba lahum, such endless pleasures are for them. They are the luckiest people in this life! They are keeping their oath from the Day of Promises. They understand something and they are trying to understand more and more about the Day of Promises and why it happened.
O Mankind! As-salaamu `alaykum, who are asking for their Lord's Pleasure. Pleasure to you also, that you are giving pleasure that the Lord Almighty is granting to you.
O Salafi `ulamas! Marhaban! Where are you? We are saying now, a`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem, because Shaytan is always asking to make people on the wrong way. That is Shaytan's last or final desire. The final purpose of Shaytan, what is that? It is to make people understand the wrong understanding; that is making Shaytan and his agents so happy. True happiness is when people understand the messages of Heavens, and when their understanding is in the wrong way, then Shaytan and its agents are so happy. Therefore, we must take shelter from Shaytan, not to touch us and not to play with our understandings, because he is coming and saying this and that, making people accept wrong understandings. All shaytanic centers are trying to do that. And we are saying, (Mawlana Shaykh stands) Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem! O our Lord, we are running to You, to Your shelter. (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
Madad yaa Sultan al-Awliyaa, you are our protector! The Lord of Heavens is never leaving His servants without a protector. There are countless protectors with countless shelters. Therefore, when we are saying Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, they are ready to shelter you from Shaytan's false demands. Shaytan is asking to carry people on the wrong way, quickly running and saying, "It is the not true way, it is a wrong idea! Listen to me, I may carry you and lead you to the true way, and I am sheltering you from them." Shaytan and its agents are saying this.
O People! That is an introduction. We are now beginning to fight Shaytan and its agents, yes. We are in a holy month and Shaytan and its agents are looking and running after people to make a bad understanding of fasting and this holy month, and asking to do everything based on wrong understandings!
O People! O People! The first responsibility is going to be on that group of people who are saying, "We are ayaatullah," or, "We are hujjatullah." And soon they are taking away ayat and hujjat, and there is remaining only “Allah,” Ayaatullah. Shaytan is saying to them, "Why are you saying 'ayaatullah'? Take that away and say, 'I am Allah;' it is better for you. Why are you making such useless titles, 'ayaatullah, hujjatullah,' and there are so many! Leave that and say, 'I am Allah!' Finished, so easy.” That is a shaytanic teaching, to use such titles that common people aren’t able to say for themselves, "I am ayaatullah, I am hujjatullah." Therefore, Shaytan uses this to attack people's faith. No, you must consult someone whose level is above yours! If a person makes himself "ayaatullah", it means there is no more care for his physical being; it will be taken away and only “ayah” or “hujjah" remains, and no other existence.
They create this fitnah so people will walk on the wrong way. Say only, "I am a weak servant." There is nothing above that title. The highest and most beloved title for Mankind is to say, "I am `AbdAllah, Allah's Servant." If anyone is asking you, “Who are you?” don’t say, "I am ayaatullah,” or, “hujjatullah," but say, “I am `AbdAllah.” So beautiful, such a true title for humanity to be able to say, "I am `AbdAllah." Leave all titles and say, "I am only `AbdAllah, a servant of my Lord."
O People! They are making me fight Shaytan and its works. I am trying to be a fighter against shaytanic efforts. Yes, try to be against all shaytanic efforts. Shaytan's effort is only to make people say for themselves, “We are going to be something.” Shaytan is never saying to people, "You are a servant of your Lord, so try to do good, better, and the best service for your Lord." Why are you not saying this, `ulamas and rabbis, bishops and holy ones? How are you going to be holy ones if you are not saying, "I am a servant.” A real holy one accepts that he is a servant of his Lord. Only He is the Lord, and we are His servants.
In other religions they say, "We are cardinals." What does that mean? Why aren’t you saying, “I am a servant of the Lord of Heavens.” What does it mean, "cardinal, “bishop" or, “patriarch.” Why are you saying this? Was Jesus Christ (a) saying of himself, "I am the chief cardinal," or, "I am the chief bishop." Was Moses, peace be upon him, saying, “I am chief rabbi,” or was he saying, “I am a servant of my Lord.” And Muslims are also saying, “We are ‘Salafi’ `ulamas," or "We are Wahhabi’ `ulamas. We have a different appearance here and Hereafter.” In the Hereafter, the Lord of Heavens will ask you ,"Who gave you that imitated title? Who granted that to you? Did it come from the Heavens?" Why aren't you saying, “We are followers of Ahlu ‘l-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jammah.”
Leave all titles and say, "We are servants!" What was the title of the Seal of Prophets (s) ? (Mawlana Shaykh stands) His title was, “I am `AbdAllah, the servant of my Lord! I am Rasoolullah, because He is ordering me to teach His servants about servanthood. I am that one, and nothing else!" (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
All `ulamas! You must leave everything and try to teach people about servanthood. You are writing and reading thousands and thousands of books, but what is your main purpose? The purpose of all prophets and the Seal of Prophets (s) was to teach Mankind about their servanthood, not to make for them this or that special title! Every title you assign to yourselves gives imitated honor that makes you to be proud. And Shaytan, for the reason of pride, became Shaytan. Why are you proud of something you learned to read or write? What is your proof that you are a servant, that you are writing so many books and you are keeping in your memory hundreds or thousands of holy ahadeeth? If you you are keeping it, is that a speciality? They are not asking for a specialty, they are asking for servanthood! Learn and teach! For all nations, for all religions, a holy command came from Heavens, because He sent the Seal of Prophets (s) and all prophets to teach people servanthood!
From where are you bringing such nonsense titles, saying, “We are this and that,” and you are never going to be happy if anyone calls to you, "Yaa `AbdAllah!" You are going to be very angry. “Why are you saying `AbdAllah'? I am a Salafi `alim! I am a Wahhabi `alim! I am a doctor! How are you calling me, '`AbdAllah'? You may call common people by that, but we are specialized ones! You can't say to me, 'Ta`al yaa `AbdAllah, Come here, O my Lord's servant.'"
O our Attenders! Be happy if you can be malik, sultan, amir, president, and such nonsense titles you have been given, but their value is of no value in the Divinely Presence. In the Divine Presence you must say, "I am `AbdAllah."
O People! When you stand up for the Friday khutbah, say, (Mawlana Shaykh stands) Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh. (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
I am only asking to remind people to remember their real missions and their real purpose for their creation.
O Imaams! Say every time, "O People! The real reason we were created is to know that we are servants, to do what servants do, and to continue in servanthood up to Eternity." No one is getting out from servanthood; they are beginning from pre-Eternal up to Eternal, filling their lives for billions of years with worship, and their level is always going to be a level of servanthood. Over that level is the Lordship of our Lord, Allah Almighty. He is the only Lord, and no one else! (Mawlana Shaykh stands and sits) You may use some titles but:
فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا
laa taghurrannakum al-hayaat ad-dunya.
Do not be cheated by this life on Earth. (31:33)
O People! You must not be cheated with nonsense titles in this short lifetime. Don’t run after that. You are coming into this world as a servant of your Lord, and you are leaving this world as a servant of your Lord. May Allah forgive us.
O People! Give your attention! What did you do today for servanthood? Don't say to me, "I can't find any time for servanthood, because I was so busy with my business. Therefore, I never found time to be obedient to my Lord, because I was so busy in this holy month, which was the most busy time ever!" That is the dirtiest report from anyone and the dirtiest declaration to make of himself, "Because I am so busy and I can't find time to do my Lord's servanthood."
O `ulamas! First, you must say to people, “You are servants, so do as servants do for their Lord. If you are first keeping our responsibility of our Lord's servanthood, this dunya is going to be like Paradise." But people are forgetting the main purpose of their creation. Therefore, daily we find more cursing comes on them and much more tasteful things are taken from them (life, health, wealth, status). And you must know that yesterday was more tasteful than today, and tomorrow is going to be less than today's happiness and enjoyment. Day-by-day what you were given is coming down, because you lost or forgot the reason you were created: you are servants! And for those who forget, heavenly cursing runs on them, not on those who say, “We have been created for servanthood for our Lord Almighty Allah.”
(Mawlana Shaykh stands) Allah Allah, Allah Allah, Allah Allah, `Azeez Allah! (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
Forgive us for the honor of Your most beloved servant, Sayyidina Muhammad (s)! (Mawlana Shaykh stands) Give him much more honor, O our Lord! (Mawlana Shaykh sits)
Fatihah.
May Allah forgive us.
(Mawlana Shaykh speaks to Shaykh Hisham Effendi and Hajjah Naziha on the phone.)
(Mawlana Shaykh prays two raka'at Salaat ash-Shukr.)