Advice for Students at Hamidiye Academy
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani ‘r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. Dastoor yaa Sayyidee, madad. Allahumma salli wa ‘s-sallim wa baarik `alaa Sayyidina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. We are going to start very low, at the beginning with 'Alif', 'Baa', and I will ask you a question. After we say, "A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani ‘r-rajeem," and we want to read Al-Qur’an, what do we have to say next?
Students: “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.”
What is the first letter you say there?
Students: 'Baa'.
“Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem” starts with 'Baa', but if you look at the word it is actually 'Bi-ismillah' and what is 'Ism' in Arabic?
Students: '`Ism' equals “name”.
Right! `Ism, Bismillah equals “In the name,” or “by the name.” What happened to the 'Alif'? Why don't we say, 'Bi-`ismillah' ar-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, instead we say 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem', the 'Alif' was taken away, hidden. And we start the Holy Book, the Holy Qur'an with 'Baa'. Why? Why not 'Bi-`ismillah'? There's a secret there. Since we are reading Holy Qur'an, and we start Qur'an al-Kareem with 'Bismillah', you have to know why. Look at the 'Baa', you write it sideways, and you write 'Alif' straight up, it is elongated, it goes up higher and higher and higher. But we have to be humble, and more humble, and more humble, according to the teaching of Prophet (s). We human beings have to be like the 'Baa', not elevating, elevating, elevating ourselves.
Allah (swt) is saying,"Aakhirah, the Jannah, Paradise, is for the people that do not want any status and highness in the world, and the 'Baa' teaches us to be humble. So everytime you open the Holy Book, you say 'Bismillah', you remember the 'Baa' and that you have to be humble.
Second, the 'Baa' has the kasra under it, indicating that human beings (Baa) will have a broken heart. When you love Allah (swt) and Prophet (s) you have a broken heart, because you don't see them. When you love somebody and you don't see them you become sad. When you say 'Bi', that kasra is for us to know we have to be broken, humble, in front of our Lord, Allah (swt). That's why when we pray we lower our head, that's the 'Baa', not 'Alif', we don’t elevate ourselves.
Also, the 'Baa' has a dot under it, a nukta, not two, three or four, not on top, just one underneath it. That means Allah (swt) has given the 'Baa' something, because it can be without a dot, but no, it was given a dot. There are some Arabic letters that have no dots, but 'Baa' was given something. It’s a reminder that when Allah (swt) created you, He gave you something which is the secret you discover when you read the Qur'an. What did He give you and what does He want from you? Human beings must be humble and not pretend to be something high, so keep that in mind.
Read the Qur'an with sadness and teachers say cry if you can, to humble yourself and be lower like the kasra. You bring yourself down, although you know Allah (swt) gave you something, a secret in your heart that you'll know when the time comes, such as what is your function in this world. We don't know yet, but when time comes it will be known and that's called Awliya, Saints, Shuyukh that reached a high level and know what they must do and what Allah (swt) gave them.
So you're a 'Baa', don't forget! The Arabic letter 'Noon' has a nukta on top, the 'Taa' has two nuktas on top, a sign of what you should not want, because the 'Baa' has the nukta under it, meaning the human being should not run after things or grants, the human being seeks Allah (swt), he wants His Lord and His Lord is not a nukta, a thing.That means we know, "O my Lord! I accept what You have given me, but again, this is not what I want. I still want You!” If you know the whole Qur'an and every Hadith and teach people, is that really what you want or do you want your Lord? So you say, "O my Lord! I'm going to use what You gave me, but I still want You.” That is 'Baa', to put what He gave under you. Don't forget that.
So when you open the Qur'an and say, “A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani ‘r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,” when you say 'bi' remember the 'Baa': be humble, ask only for the Lord, lower yourself, and inshaa-Allah Allah (swt) will open to you from the secrets of 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem'.
It is said ‘Allah’ is Ismullah al-`Azham. His Highest Name. When you say, “In the Name of Allah,” what does that mean? We know the Names 'Allah dhu ’l-jalaal', 'Ar-Rahmaan', 'Ar-Raheem', but what is the Name, 'In the Name of Allah, ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem'? We don't know, but it is said it is the highest, grandest Name of Allah (swt), Ismullah al-`Azham. Also, it is said Allah (swt) has 3,000 Names that He opened to His Creation: He gave 1,000 to Angels, 1,000 to Prophets, 300 are in the Holy Book az-Zaboor (Psalms of David), 300 are in the Holy Book al-Injeel (New Testament), 300 are in the Holy Book at-Tawraat (Old Testament), and 99 are in the Holy Qur’an, which totals 2,999. ‘Allah’, Ismullah al-`Azham, the Highest Name is hidden and makes 3,000.
Our teachers say these 3,000 Names are all contained in 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem', so when you say, “In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem,” you are mentioning all 3,000 Names and they open to you! When you do something, start by saying, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.” You open the Qur'an, enter your home, eat, always first say, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem” for everything, don't forget! It is said the key to Paradise is 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,’ so this is the most important thing a human being must remember, all Allah (swt) Names!
It is said the knowledge of all four Holy Books, the Zaboor, Tawraat, Injeel and Holy Qur’an, are contained in the Holy Qur'an, and all the knowledge of Holy Qur'an, it’s heart, is contained in Surat al-Fatihah, and all the knowledge of Surat al-Fatihah is in 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem' and the secret of 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem' is in the 'Baa', the first letter of 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem'. So if you say “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem” ten times a day, a hundred times a day, a thousand times a day, do it! Say, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem” as much as you are able and inshaa-Allah, Allah (swt) will open to you from His Knowledge, His Light, His Mercy, His Baraka, success, all of that! So don't forget the 'Baa', be humble, remember not to elevate yourself. In Istanbul and other places, people recite 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem' as dhikr. They sit together or alone and repeat it. If you recite it 7 times, 10 times, 100 times, do it, don't feel shy. You are mentioning Allah’s (swt) Beautiful Names and Attributes. We can do it now. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.... It is dhikr, remembering. Do it by yourselves or with your teacher and inshaa-Allah Allah (swt) will be happy with all of us.
Pray for me, too, that Allah (swt) protects us from Shaytan because we don't want him or his waswasa, whispering around us. Do you want him to be your friend? No, because you go with your friends everywhere they go, right? Do you want to be friends with somebody who will go to Jahannam? Be careful! Shaytan tells you to do the opposite of Qur'an and Prophet (s) and your parents. When your parents tell you do something, Shaytan say, “No, don't do that!” Remember to obey your parents and obey Prophet (s) and obey Allah (swt), as He says in Holy Qur’an:
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
May Allah bless you. As-salaamu `alaykum.
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