A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan ir-rajeem
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem
Dastoor Ya sayyidi madad
Nawaytu'l-arba`een, nawaytu'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaadah, nawaytu'l-`uzlah, nawaytu's-salook, lillahi ta`ala fee hadha'l-masjid
Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-Rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum
T
his suhbah was given on Friday, Safar 17, 1392 Hijri. May Allah ? bless his soul, Grandshaykh said, ”This dunya that we are living in is a toy.” It is like a toy. It has no meaning. Like children how they like toys, so all of us this is our example. This is how to know yourself: as much as you love dunya, as much as it means you are so connected with that toy. You see girls they are so happy when they have a girl toy. And you see boys are so happy when they have a car toy.
Mawlana is saying that this dunya is like a toy, you play, you play and you play and at the end what are you going to do. You throw it away, it becomes broken.
He said this dunya is a maskhara, a joke. To awliya this dunya is a joke. What is important to them is the Divine Presence, to them the dunya does not mean anything. What means something is how much they are nearer to Sayyidina Muhammad ? and the Divine Presence.
Why then he says, a question, “Why Allah ? created dunya maa annahu la asla laha? - Although it has no background, like a toy, but Allah ? created it and gave it existence?”
“Because,” he said “That aata`ullah, Allah’s ? Divine Grants, giving, cannot be compared with what you do in dunya, that if you do this or that you will be given that.”
Aata`ullah has no limits. What Allah ? grants you or favors will never be related to what you achieve in dunya or do in dunya because the dunya like a toy, it is a joke. So for a joke you don’t give diamonds. You don’t take from the child a toy and give diamonds. So Allah ? gives diamond regardless of this dunya, this toy.
His endless favors that he gave to us to tell us that regardless of this toy, I am giving you the highest level that you can imagine that I will give.
He said that with the munajaat, prayers and supplications, munajaat are usually done by awliyaullah in supplication or in tahajjud time. These du`a will not be rejected, especially in salaat an-najaat before Fajr. He said that because of their du`a, their supplications, awliyaullah in general and especially the nine walis, the big nine walis in the Naqshbandi Sufi order with their special du`a that Allah ? inspired thru their hearts, they were able, and Grandshaykh is saying, they were able to bring all of us, meaning all the followers of the Prophet ? thru the Golden Chain, from the Prophet ? to Grandshaykh to Shaykh Nazim ?, they were able to bring us directly in the line behind the prophets and behind Sahaaba all this way, he said, and we will be resurrected and brought into paradise in Jannat al-Firdaws, that one that is described as alladheena an`amallaha alayhim min an-nabiyyin… was-saliheen. Those followers of that Golden Chain will find themselves in that first line in the presence of Prophet ?, who will present them to the Divine Presence to Allah ?. He said that has been given to us, because of their du`a, not because of our achievement because our achievement is to love the toy, that toy that is between our hands. And whenever you don’t get it you get upset.
That is true. You find some of awliyaullah that Allah ? sent them always favor and honor and wealth, because they have suffered a lot of pain in their lives and faced difficulties and always they kept their covenant with their Lord, they never changed. Allah ? knows the hearts. Allah ? doesn’t give according to what people see of you behavior, he gives thing according what is in your heart. You might be hiding yourself. You might appear as a normal person. Grandshaykh often said, “I have to treat my family as a normal person because they cannot understand wilayah.” “I have to sit with them, play with them, eat with them, sleep with them, because this is the way [of a man with wife and children].” The Prophet ? was always with his family. And more than that he was always with Fatima az-Zahra ?, always taking her to Ka`bah and taking her there and going around or her taking him. Always showing that relationship with Fatima az-Zahra ?. Don’t say why is he following and listening to the girl with him the daughter. Prophet ? knows the hikmah, wisdom and teaching.
When he used to pray Sayyidina Hasan ? and Sayyidina Husayn ? used to ride on his back and when they ride on his back he used to stay longer in sajda so they can ride on his back longer. He used to yuteel as-sajda extend the prostration, to keep them on his back. And they jump and sit in his lap in front of Sahaaba. And taking Fatima az-Zahra ?, going when she was young to pray and she takes him. To accompany them. Showing us to give them a goodtime. To show the family ties. That is why Islam is great, it doesn’t like family ties to be broken. Sahaaba didn’t say why Prophet ? is taking Fatima az-Zahra ? everywhere. That is why Grandshaykh said, “Don’t look at the wali how he behaves with his family then you will be lost.”
Don’t say why does he give attention to the wife or daughter or son more than me. You are the student. That closeness will burn you. That will make your faith go down and make you ask, “Why did he do that?” That is a test going thru your heart. That is why it is said don’t approach the sultan too much as you are approaching fire. That is why Prophet ? said the prayer in Makkah is like 100,000 prayers and the sin there will be written more. There even bad inspiration will be written. Outside Makkah and Madina bad inspirations are not written as sin, but there they are written as sin, showing the holiness of the place.
Awliyaullah have that karamah, that Allah ? gave them that honor. Allah ? gave them that holy aura around them. So when you do something not good behavior, complaining thru your heart or thru your tongue, then your imaan is failing and you are falling down.
And he said that honor and favor given to them was originally given from Allah ? to his servants, when he crated them in the day alastu bi-rabbikum.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ
Wa idh akhadha rabbuka min bani adama min dhuhoorihim dhurriyyatahum waashhadahum `ala anfusihim alastu bi-rabbikum qaloo bala shahidna an taqooloo yawma al-qiyamati inna kunna `an hadhaa ghafileena.
When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”-- They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful” [7:172]
When We took form the Children of Adam ? and all their offspring We brought them in our presence and We asked them, “Am I not your Lord?” and they said, “Yes!” at that moment they said “yes” Allah ? gave them, they acknowledged, although when they went to dunya they forgot. So there they were pure so Allah ? gave them, at that moment Allah’s ? mercy encompassed them:
وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَـاةَ وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِآيَاتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
warahmatee wasi`at kulla shayin fasaaktubuha lillatheena yattaqoona wayutoona alzzakata waallatheena hum biayatina yuminoona.
but My mercy extendeth to all things. That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practise regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs; [7:156]
But when they come to dunya Allah ? said, “Don’t say I didn’t say ‘yes’ there.” Don’t say, “I was heedless.” Although we are heedless that is why we are running after the toy, the dunya. But regardless, Allah ? gave there.
Wa ma kaana aata`ullah mahdhoora. Never are Allah’s ? grants going to be limited or forbidden. Always giving. When he gave we are dressed.
بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
Inna Allaha la yaghfiru an yushraka bihi wayaghfiru ma doona thalika liman yashao waman yushrik biAllahi faqadi iftara ithman `atheeman.
Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed. [4:48]
Everything Allah ? forgives the only one thing that Allah ? does not accept, anyone knows, that shirk, Allah ? does not like anyone to make shirk with Him. And shirk is many kinds, 3 different kinds.
Other than that Allah ? grants you everything. Dressed us with that unlimited mercy. But shirk, He does not like and shirk are of 3 kinds. Akbar, awsat and khafi. The big, the middle and the hidden one.
So if we look at the hidden one, the smallest one, an example of that is someone is praying his intention is to pray to Allah ?. And as he is praying he came to pray. And he was praying. And he saw someone coming. He begins to perfect his prayer. Why are you perfecting your prayer? Why were not perfecting your prayer before, praying slowly, praying like a rooster or a chicken? Always the chicken moving its head. So the Prophet ? said, “Don’t pray like chickens, pecking up and down, up and down.” When someone comes however, we begin to pray in a very pious slow manner. That is showing off. That is hidden shirk. Shaytan comes quickly. Look shaytan is clever. Pray better so that people see your praying good. Allah ? is not seeing you. Is he better or Allah ?? Now you are praying for that man. And that hidden shirk is forgivable.
The second shirk, which is also forgivable. These are the three parts that Allah ? forgives, the Akbar, awsat and khafi. These [first two] are the ones that Allah ? forgives.
The second is that you come to mosque in order to show people you are praying. When there is no one you don’t pray. That is intentional riya. Showing off. When you aren’t praying to Allah ?, form the beginning your niyyah is going there only to show your presence. That is the middle shirk.
And the big one, is the third one, that is not forgivable, is of three kinds: One kind is that you believe, and you know there is a creator, you know that Allah ? created you but you don’t care. You say I am not going to pray for you. That is kufr. The 2nd kufr is to associate someone with Allah ?. The 3rd kufr is to make someone as a son to God, not only associating but making that person Allah ?.
Other than that, the other two, awsat and khafi Allah ? forgives. This one you die with it, there is no forgiveness.
The other riya' and intentional riya, someone came and you begin to pray better. The 2nd middle is you went to show you are praying. That is doing something to show people. These first two are easy [to clean], by the ayah.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Qul ya `ibadiya allatheena asrafoo `ala anfusihim la taqnatoo min rahmati Allahi inna Allaha yaghfiru alththunooba jamee`an innahu huwa alghafooru alrraheemu.
Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [39:53]
But the 3rd where you insist on doing kufr Allah ? will throw you away.
Allah ? sent to dunya messengers and prophets and gave awliyaullah inheritance form them in knowledge so that from their prayers, Allah ? will grant us more and more regardless of the toys, as long as we are accepting Allah ? and believing in the creator and worshipping. Not leaving their prayers. Not like people who say we like “diet Islam.” Very light. Don’t ask me to pray, don’t ask me to fast. The light one. That is not Islam, Islam with a name but no body.
Grandshaykh said that Allah ? grated that tajallis to those who said, “yes” on yawma alastu gave them and sent them to dunya and gave them that toy, and in akhira gave them and increased it by the du`a of the seal of messenger and by recommendation and prayers of awliya. Allah ? will grant the students of the awliya with endless mercy and tajallis.
That is why it is important to have a guide how will cross you the desert not on a camel but on a rocket he knows its districts and already he knows how to move where there is no sandstorm.
Because when Prophet ? migrated from Makkah to Madina with Sayyidina Abu Bakr ?, he took a guide. He doesn’t need a guide, he is messenger of Allah ?. But to teach us you need a guide in the desert. Because he knows where there is no sandstorm because if hit by sandstorm you will be finished. Awliyaullah know where there is a sandstorm or there is not and take you to reach the shore of safety.
May Allah ? bless you. We will continue next time, bi-hurmatil-Fatiha.