A`oodhu billahi ‘s Sami` al-Aleem min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidee, yaa Sultanu ‘l-Anbiya. Dastoor yaa Sultan al-Awliya. Madad, yaa RijaalAllah.
Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. `Azeez Allah.
Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Kareem Allah.
Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Sultan Allah.
Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. Allah, Allah. SubhaanAllah.
Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
It’s nice to be here again. Alhamdulillah. Hajji Sadek and Hajjah Soraya are always opening their homes. May Allah (swt) open the doors of Jannah to you. May Allah (swt) open the doors of Jannah to all of us, inshaa-Allah. May Allah (swt) make us do the right work, make us acquire the right knowledge. I’m not speaking because I know something, astaghfirullah. I will share with you what I have learned from my masters. May Allah (swt) allow that knowledge to enter our hearts.
Allah (swt), the Lord of Heavens, told Sayyidina Dawud (a), “Empty a house for me that I can stay in.”
Sayyidina Dawud (a) said, “Yaa Rabbee. You don’t stay in houses. You don’t need houses. You are far away from houses.”
He said, “Yaa Dawud, empty your heart for Me.”
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said that Allah (swt) looks at the heart 360 times a day. He wants to see what’s in your heart. What lingers in your heart? He told Sayyidina Dawud (a), “Empty your heart for Me so I can be in it.”
This is our Way in Tariqah, in Islam, and in following prophets: to empty our hearts from everything other than Allah (swt). One of the biggest diseases of the heart is forgetfulness of Allah (swt). People have forgotten the Lord of Heavens and are consumed with everything else. It’s very rare that people think about Allah (swt), His Favors, or praising Him. They think about the greatness and favors of others and forget Allah (swt)!
As he the biggest disease of the heart is forgetting Allah (swt), that is why we do Dhikrullah, remembering Him, which is the opposite. When we remember Allah (swt), we are opposing that disease in our hearts, giving it the antidote. When you have a poison, you need an antidote. The poison of the hearts is forgetfulness of Allah (swt), so we try to remember Allah (swt) and take out from our hearts everything other than Him.
What is in the hearts of human beings? So much nonsense that will not benefit us here or Hereafter. A saint named Dhul-Nun al-Misri (r) was traveling in Antakya, near Turkey and Syria. It used to also be a very strong Christian fort or castle surrounded by seven mountains, so it’s very difficult to enter. When it came under Muslim rule, he was walking there. He saw a lady and she looked at him.
She said, “Aren’t you Dhul-Nun?”
He said, “How did you know?”
She said, “I knew you by the knowledge of my Beloved.”
When you know Allah (swt), you know the name of everything He created and their function and wisdom. Awliyaullah and Anbiyaullah don’t reveal it, but they know. They say a human being is like an open book, and what’s in your mind and heart.
She asked him, “What is generosity?”
He said, “Generosity is openhandedness, giving freely.”
She said, “That is in dunya. What is genuine generosity in the Way of Allah (swt) and Akhirah?”
He said, “To run to the orders of Allah (swt).”
Generosity in dunya is your wealth, while generosity of Akhirah is your being. When you give yourself for Allah (swt), you are giving something valuable in His Way. That is the generosity of Akhirah!
When you use your body in the obedience of Allah (swt), you are spending from yourself for Him. Who’s watching the Olympics? Alhamdulillah. Everybody spends hours watching it. They are giving from themselves. You are giving from your principles. Allah (swt) has given us life. Life is your principle. How do you use it? You should use your principle in a profitable transaction. In business, you have a principle to use in a transaction that yields you profit, otherwise you have lost it. La fee khusr.
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ
Verily Man is in loss. (Surat al-`Asr, 103:2)
The human being is certainly losing their capital, their life. It means your time, your hours, your minutes. When you waste eight hours of your life watching the Olympics, nothing is going to happen to you. You’re not going to get the gold or fame yourself, somebody else is getting all of it.
The generosity for Akhirah is to give from your time. That’s why if you give one hour here, it’s for Allah (swt). What are you gathering here for? Not only to eat food, but you came for Allah (swt) and that is generosity for Akhirah.
She said, “Do you expect anything in return?”
Who reads Surah Waqi`a every night? Why do you read it? You want something in return. Some people read expecting something in return and that’s what Allah (swt) has promised. He said, “For one hasanah, good deed, I give you ten.” He is giving. He is Kareem. If you want it, you will get it.
She said, “Are you expecting anything in return?”
He said, “Yes.”
She said, “You’re expecting ten for one.”
He said, “Yes.”
She said, “How is this generosity? It’s not your generosity.”
The generosity of this world is to give from your money. The generosity for the Hereafter is to give from your time, but in both instances you’re expecting a return from Allah (swt). If you give sadaqa, zakat, you expect Allah (swt) to multiply it.
Your ego desires things. That is why it is said: wa la tamnun tastakthir. Don’t give to take more.
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ
Nor expect, in giving, any increase (for yourself)! (Surat al-Muddaththir, 7)
They give sadaqa, charity, but they’re expecting something in return. This is the generosity of dunya. The generosity of Akhirah is to be obedient to Allah (swt). “I go to Hajj so Allah (swt) can forgive me. I fast in Ramadan so I can enter Jannah. I do my prayers so Allah (swt) will bless me and my family. .”
You’re always expecting something in return. That is from the ego.
She said, “This is not generosity either because when you are obeying Allah (swt) and expecting something in return, you are not giving.”
In that case, you are investing. People love to invest: give a little and take more. If you read Surat al-Waqi`a every night, you will become very rich insha'Allah. Allah (swt) gives. If you read Surah Tabarak, Allah (swt) will protect you from `adhaaba l-qabr, punishment of the grave. Read, no problem, but she is teaching us something. She is Waliyullah, a saint. He asked her to explain generosity.
She said, “Real generosity is when Allah (swt) looks into your heart and finds nobody but Him there.”
That means you have given away everything in your heart, all desires that linger there, good or bad. Everything is out. You have given everything. Only Allah is there. That is the true generosity, the true openhandedness, the purest giving, the iman.
Allah (swt) says:
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3)
Alladhina yu’minoona bi ‘l-ghayb wa yukeemuna ‘s-salata wa mimma razaqnahum yunfikoon.
They believe in the Unseen and they establish the prayer, that is the obedience, and they give from what Allah (swt) has given.
If you take the verse in reverse, you are generous in dunya when you give, and then you do the prayers. You are generous, giving yourself or Akhirah. But the best is Ghayb. You should look for the Unknown, the Unseen, The One you cannot reach. That is Allah (swt). This is what she is teaching.
Pass over everything—dunya, Akhirah—and look for Allah (swt) only. When He looks into your heart, there’s nothing but Him and you have given everything away. That is why He said, “Empty your heart, a house for Me so I can be in it.” That is your pure heart, O insaan!
“Da-wudda.” “Dawee” means heal, treat, cure. Treat the heart, cure your hearts, heal your hearts. What happens? Wudda. Love. When you clean your heart, when you heal your heart from all the desires that linger there, Allah (swt) will love you.
Our Way is to empty our hearts, heal our hearts from the desires of dunya and the Akhirah. You take yourself out of dunya. Detach from dunya and in Akhirah, be only for Allah (swt), don’t be for Jannah, and only for Allah (swt). That name, Dawud, by itself means “heal your heart from every lingering desire and Allah (swt) will love you.”
What are the desires? There are six. To the people, Allah (swt) decorated the love of these desires: women or men; children; heaps of gold and silver; the cattle and the lands; the branded rides. They had horses back then, but now Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces are their ‘branded rides’.
Generosity is to give away your desires, then you heal your heart, fee quloobihim marad. “A disease lingers in their hearts.” AwliyaAllah say the disease is hubbu ‘d-dunya, the love of dunya.
The way of Rasoolullah (s) was to leave dunya and whatever is in it and turn towards Mawla. He taught that to Sahaabata ‘l-kiraam. The Sahaabah, Companions, Ahlu ‘l-Bayt, Awliyaullah, Anbiyaullah have all taught people to turn to the real target, the real goal, Allah (swt).
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَـٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ
Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals (To return to). (Surah Aali `Imran, 3:14)
That is the enjoyment of worldly life. It is difficult to empty your heart from all of that. Actually, every day we wake up with it. We go about our day with the love of dunya and we finish our day with the love of dunya. But alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) has given us the opportunity to mention His Name.
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and don't reject faith. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:152)
“If you mention My Name, I will mention you.” Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) blessed with that ni`mah, the favor of mentioning His Name! At least we can perform our prayers, if not five then two, and if not two then one, if not one then at least sajda. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said one sajda is enough to show Allah (swt), “Yaa Rabbee! I am still Your servant. I can do one sajda, I am bowing my head for you.” Of course, if you can do more, it’s better.
“Da-wudd.” Heal your heart and you will be loved. If you are into dunya, you are moving from Allah (swt).
She said, “The real generosity is when you give away all your desires.”
When you worship, when you are generous in dunya, you desire something in return, especially in mosques. They give money and they put a big plaque showing your name. People often give money for name recognition. There is no need. Who are you? After a while, you’re going to be underground. In a few years, people will even forget you lived. Maybe the children and grandchildren will remember, but after that it’s over. Empty your heart from desires.
She said, “For twenty years, I have been shy to ask my Lord for anything because I don’t want to be someone who works only for payment in return. I am worshiping my Lord, mentioning my Lord, and remembering my Lord for His Love, not expecting anything in return.”
That is the high status of that lady saint. Inshaa-Allah, we can try to be like that. It’s difficult, but if Allah (swt) opens your heart to receive His Love, you will be consumed by it!
I heard from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) and Mawlana Shaykh Hisham (q) that one time Sayyidina Musa (a) was going to Mount Sinai to speak to Allah (swt). On the way, he saw an `abid, worshiper, who asked, “Where are you going, O Musa?”
He said, “I’m going to speak with my Lord.”
He said, “Can you ask Him to send His Love to my heart?”
He said, “I will ask,” and he went.
After he spoke with Allah (swt), he said, “This servant of Yours has asked for Your love.”
Allah said, “I already sent it to him.”
Allah (swt) makes you ask because He wants to send it to you. It is said when you make du`a, that is a sign that Allah (swt) has prepared something to give you, so He inspires your heart to ask for it. When you make du`a, whatever you ask for, Allah (swt) has inspired your heart to say that.
He said, “I already sent him a drop from My Love Oceans.”
Sayyidina Musa (a) was happy and went back looking for the `abid. He was not in his place anymore. He was on the ground [in a trance], looking up to the Heavens, to `Arshu ‘r-Rahman at his Beloved!
Allah (swt) said, Ar-Rahman alaa Arshi ‘s-stawa.
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ
(Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority). (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:5)
Ar-Rahman, the Merciful and Compassionate One, has settled over His Throne as He knows. That lover is only looking at his Beloved, not anything else: no food, no drink, nothing. He is only looking at Arshu ‘r-Rahman, the Throne. Allah (swt) only sent him a drop! Sayyidina Musa (a) started to shake him, “Wake up, wake up.” The man was completely consumed by what he was seeing, `Arshu ‘r-Rahman and he did not wake up.
From that `Arsh, idh yaghsha ‘s-sidrata maa yagshaa.
إِذْ يَغْشَى ٱلسِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ
Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!) (Surat an-Najm, 53:16)
The tree of Sidra is next to the Throne at the end of Creation. Manifestations of Allah’s Divine Lights come down on it. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said there are 70,000 lights of different colors and manifestations (tajalliyaat) every moment from Nooru ‘r-Rahman coming down on that tree and on the `Arsh.
That `abid that received a drop of the love of his Beloved does not care about anything, he is just looking at that `Arsh and the manifestations of his Beloved, looking to see what He sent.
That is what we are trying to reach! Heal your heart from all desires. Allah (swt) will send His Love to you as He sent Haa, Mim, the mystical letters at the beginning of six surah in the Qur’an. AwliyaAllah said Haa is the first letter of love, hubb. Meem represents ma`rifatullah, knowledge of Allah (swt).
The more you know your Lord, the more you love Him. The more you see how much He has given you, the more you love Him. The more you mention Him, the more you love Him. The more you love Him, the more it will lead you to the Eternal life.
They also said Haa is the first letter of hayat, life, and Meem is the first letter of mahabbah. Ma’rifa leads you to love. The more you know someone, the more you love them. If you love Allah (swt) more, then He will keep you with Him. That is how you get the Eternal Life.
Why did Anbiyaullah bring Holy Books? For us to know about Allah (swt). When we know Him, we love Him. When we love, He keeps us with Him. That is the Eternal Life. That is what we are trying to reach. Our Way is to empty your heart of nonsense that will not benefit you here or in the Hereafter.
Sayyidina Abu Yazid al-Bistami (q) said when he was elevating in the spiritual realms, in every station Allah (swt) asked him, “Do you want this maqam?”
He said, “No.”
“How about the other one or the other one?”
It was one thousand maqams and in each maqam he said, “Not this one. Not this one. I don’t want this one.”
Allah (swt) asked him, “What do you want?”
He said, “I want not to want.”
That means he no longer had any will, he gave it away, he relied on whatever Allah (swt) gave him. How many people are content with what Allah (swt) gives them? Sayyidina Abu Yazid al-Bistami (q) reached a level where he said, “Yaa Rabbee. I have no iraada, will of my own. I don’t want anything. Whatever You give me makes me happy and satisfied. If it’s a difficulty, I know it’s from You. I am patient, because that difficulty will go away after a while and patience elevates your level even higher. When You send me a good thing, I will be thankful.”
If you thank Allah (swt) for His favors, Allah (swt) keeps that favor with you and He increases it. If you are patient, Allah (swt) will take that difficulty away from you and raise your station. It is beneficial in both ways.
Sayyidina Abu Yazid al-Bistami said, “Yaa Rabbee. Ureedu an laa ureed. I want not to want. I am not in the middle. Whatever You desire, whatever You send, that’s the best for me.”
These are the highest levels we can reach, but we are still struggling, we are still elevating. AwliyaAllah said:
The first thing is to remember Allah (swt).
The second thing is to know about Allah (swt).
The third thing is mahabbah, to love Allah.
The fourth thing is Eternal Life, where Allah (swt) will keep you with Him always. Whatever is His, becomes yours.
I know this word is not politically correct anymore, or it shouldn’t be said ‘the master and the slave’. The master owns properties and tells the slave, “Do whatever you want in my properties.” The slave becomes a de facto owner. He can do anything he wants.
When Allah (swt) is for you, whatever is for Him is for you: all dominions, all of the Heavens, all of the Earths. Whatever is His has become yours. That is the highest level that we are trying to reach, to be with Allah (swt).
I said this so many times before, but I’ll repeat it again. Sayyidina Dawud (a) said, “Yaa Rabbee. Be for my son, Solomon, as You were for me.”
He said, “O Dawud! Tell your son to be for Me as you were for Me. I’ll be for him as I was for you.”
This is what we are trying to reach. Our masters are for Allah (swt). If you want to be for Allah, follow their ways. Follow the way of Anbiyaullah and Rasoolullah (s) and you will reach. Allah (swt) has shown that in dunya. Rasoolullah (s) reached Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa. He traversed the Seven Heavens. Is that possible? Did you hear about the stranded astronauts? They are still in the First Heaven, unable to go forward or backward, just staying there.
They needed all of that stuff to get up there. How did Rasoolullah (s) get there? Because Allah (swt) is for him. No laws of physics apply to Allah (swt). He created all of this. Allah (swt) has shown if you take those steps, you will also ascend in mi`raj!
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
A questioner asked about a penalty to befall the Unbelievers, of which there is none to ward off. (A penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent. (Surat al-Ma`arij, 70:1-3)
Sa’ala sa’ilun bi adhabin waki’il kafireena laysa lahu dafi’un minAllahi dhi ‘l-ma`arij. Allah (swt) has ma`arij, which is the plural of mi`raj, Ascensions. Each has a route to Allah (swt) to Heavens. You have to find that route. That’s why you take a guide. The guide is Anbiyaullah, Rasoolullah (s) and those who have inherited that way.
We are trying to find our way past the Seven Heavens to `Arshu ‘r-Rahman to Sidratu ‘l-Muntaha and beyond, but we have to follow Rasoolullah (s).
Sayyidina Adam (a) is in the First Heaven.
Sayyidina `Isa (a) is in the Second Heaven.
Sayyidina Yusuf (a) is in the Third Heaven.
Sayyidina Idris (a) is in the Fourth Heaven.
Sayyidina Harun (a) is in the Fifth Heaven.
Sayyidina Musa (a) is in the Sixth Heaven.
Sayyidina Ibrahim (a) is in the Seventh Heaven.
Follow them and you will reach the Heavens. What is the way of Sayyidina Adam (a)? Tawbah. “Yaa Rabbee. We have wronged ourselves.” Your Ascension to the First Heaven is when you make clean repentance for the sins tyou committed. “Yaa Rabbee. I have wronged myself. Please forgive me.” If you want to reach the First Heaven, you have to do tawbata ‘n-nasooha, the true repentance. That’s how it starts, with the First Heaven.
That’s why every time we do Dhikr we say, wa ufawidu amree ila ’Llah. “Yaa Rabbee. I delegate my affairs to You.” Inna ’Llaha Baseerun, “You are certainly watchful, seeing everything. I delegate my affairs to You. You are hasbiyy Allahu wa ni`mal-Wakeel. You are my Trust. You are my Support. The best of Support is You. The best Protector is You.”
You have to really understand the meanings of these words. We are only on the surface. Islam has come for you to understand. Dive into the meanings of these words, not only to recite them but to understand what they mean. That’s why you have a guide, to teach you the meanings. You can't learn this by yourself.
Sayyidina Muhammad (s) needed Sayyidina Jibril (a). Why was Jibril there? The Qur’an could have come to the heart of Rasoolullah (s) directly, and He could have said it directly. Why was Jibril in the middle? The guide. The one that’s bringing the Divine Revelation, the Divine Words to the heart of Rasoolullah (s).
Rasoolullah (s) does not need Jibril (a): rather, it is a sign that if your Nabi needed someone to bring the revelations from Allah (swt), to bring the Divine Words, the Divine Way, you need a teacher to show you the Divine Way. They’re in the hearts, so clean your heart.
We wake up in the morning with the silver and the gold. Okay, with Bitcoin. He trades, I trade, you trade, everybody trades. That’s what we wake up with. In our hearts is the love of others. It can be anything. Some people don’t like money but they like something else.
When you empty your heart and there’s only Allah (swt) then your heart has become a clean mirror to reflect what Allah (swt) will send it. Inshaa-Allah, Allah (swt) will guide us to the Right Path. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said if you don’t find a living shaykh, go to the shaykh in the grave. If you find a maqam, Waliyullah or Nabiyullah, linger there, stay with them. If you don’t find them, then call the one who is responsible for this century. That is Imamu ‘z-Zaman or Qutbu ‘z-Zaman.
I think it’s enough. May Allah (swt) allow us to understand. If you understand the name of Dawud, that is a good step. “Dawee” or “dawoo.” When you heal your heart then you will find that Eternal love.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq. Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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