Audhu billahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-rajeem
Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
Nawaytul arba`în, nawaytul ‘itikâf, nawatul khalwat, nawaytur-riyâda, nawaytus-sulûk, nawaytul `uzla, fî hâdha al-masjid
Alhamdulillah Allah swt has made us from Ummat an-Nabi (s).
That means that we are under the mercy that Allah said, “wa ma arsalnaaka illa rahmatan lil-`alameen” and Allah has made use to be from the last Ummah, the last nation of the last prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), whom Allah gave the Holy Qur’an. Allah sent different books and the last book was the Holy Qur’an.
And that Allah said,
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
“al-Rahman `alam al-Qur’an – the Merciful taught the Qur’an.”
And He said,
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
Fa-idha qara’naahu fatabi’a quraanah.
But when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated): Al-Qiyamah [75:18]
“When we revealed it to you O Muhammad, follow it.” I.e. “We have revealed it to you. In which way have We revealed it to you? In that way you follow? When We recite it to you by revelation, follow the order [therein].”
If we continue the verse,
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ
“thumma inna `alayna bayaanah - then upon Us is its explanation” – what does that mean? It means that not only is the literary meaning there, when we read it to you follow it as it is revealed. But then there is an interpretation, a clarification, hidden meanings and secretive meanings to follow. Where are these? The Ummah is not understanding that today there are meanings, that mufasiroon, after the time of the Prophet (S) until today, there are a lot of different meanings that ulama are able to deduce - different meanings of the Holy Qur’an – it is an ocean that never ends.
Allah swt did not reveal the Qur’an for the alfaadh, the pronunciation, or its outer meaning alone, but there are hidden meanings that we need to know. Therefore He said, “fas’al ahl adh-dhikri in kuntun la ta`lamoon.” And Allah said,
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ
La tuharrik bihi lisanaka lita`jala bihi
Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur'an) to make haste therewith. Al-Qiyamah [75:16]
“laa tuharik bihi lisaanak..” it is for us to collect it and give it to you O Muhammad.” So We are giving, Allah’s Ancient Word, kalaamullah il-qadeemi. Because the Qur’an is not makhluq, created. Anyone who says the Qur’an is created is outside the range of Islam.
We are the one to collect it and give it to you.
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
Fa-idha qara’naahu fatabi’a quraanah.
But when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated): Al-Qiyamah [75:18]
“When We have read it to you, then follow its reading.”
But today the people read the verse, “go and kill” and they take it out of context. Those who want to make militancy in Islam find the verses and extract what they want.
But Allah is saying, “With all the high levels I gave you and the perfection I gave you, you need Me to clarify to you the secrets of the Holy Qur’an.” That is why He said “thumma inna `alayna bayaanah” it is not up to anyone to come and say “ now I will give the meaning and explain the Qur’an.” Big mufasireen like Ibn `Abbas were afraid to explain the Qur’an.
That was for the Prophet ie. “Wait for its explanation.”
اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مَّعْرِضُونَ مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مَّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَسَرُّواْ النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ هَلْ هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بَلْ قَالُواْ أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلاَمٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الأَوَّلُونَ مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Iqtaraba lin-naasi hisaabuhum wa hum fee ghaflatin mu`ridoo. Maa yateehim min dhikrin min rabbihim muhdathin illa istama`oohu wahum yal`aboon Laahiyatan quloobuhum waasarroo an-najwa allatheena dhalamoo hal haadha illa basharun mithlukum afataatoona as-sihra wa antum tubsiroon Qaala rabbee ya`lamu ’l-qawla fee as-samaa’i wa’l-ardi wa huwa as-samee`u ’l-`aleem. Bal qaaloo adghaathu ahlaamin bali ’ftaraahu bal huwa sha`irun fa’l-yatinaa bi-aayatin kamaa ursila ’l-awwaloon. Maa aamanat qablahum min qaryatin ahlaknaahaa afahum yuminoon. Wa maa arsalnaa qablaka illa rijalan noohee ilayhim fasaloo ahla ’dh-dhikri in kuntum laa ta`lamoon.
Closer draw unto men their Reckoning: and yet they remain stubbornly heedless [of its approach]. Whenever there comes unto them any new reminder from their Sustainer, they but listen to it with playful amusement, their hearts set on passing delights; yet they who are [thus] bent on wrongdoing conceal their innermost thoughts [when they say to one another], “Is this [Muhammad] anything but a mortal like yourselves? Will you, then, yield to [his] spellbinding eloquence with your eyes open?’’ Say: “My Sustainer knows whatever is spoken in heaven and on earth; and He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing.” Nay,” they say, “[Muhammad propounds] the most involved and confusing of dreams!” “Nay, but he has invented [all] this!” - “Nay, but he is [only] a poet!” - [and,] “Let him, then, come unto us with a miracle, just as those [prophets] of old were sent [with miracles]?” Not one of the communities that We destroyed in bygone times would ever believe [their prophets]: will these, then, [be more willing to] believe? For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] “If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation” 21:1-15.
In verse 75:19, Allah said, “We are going to clarify it to you, Ya Muhammad.”
And He said, “ask the people of the Reminder [the scripture, the Torah, the Gospel] if you do not know.”
It means He sent to them also and they came against their books also. They did not believe in Sayyidina Musa who brought the Torah. They didn’t believe in the Injeel, many to whom the Bible was brought.
“So ask the People of Knowledge, of Dhikr, then you learn.- Fas’alu ahl adh-dhikr. Who are the People of Dhikr. The normal meaning, it means the people who are learned, the scholars. But in reality the people of dhikr are of four different categories:
1 - The description of وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ “adh-dhaakireen Allah wadh-dhaakiraat -- Those who remember Allah from men and from women.” [33:35]Those who in every moment their heart is connected to Allah.
Whatever such people are asked by Allah they do. According to Islamic Shariah there are 500 ma’muraat – 500 recommended actions that are recommended to do in your daily life. Whoever has a seed of the light of that remembrance will obey his Lord in following all 500 ma’murat, 500 principles ordered in Islamic Shariah. And he must be under the tajalli of hifdh, protection in order that he will be able to accomplish these 500 different issues. Like to be patient, to ask Allah swt, to remember Allah, to do obligations, salaat, fasting, charity, hajj, look after people, be hospitable to people and there are 500 of them and one time we shall go through them. We are only describing [now] that they exist.
2 - the kind who are under the tajalli that they are able to accomplish these orders. Then Allah will send them a special manifestation from his Name al-Hafeedh, that He will protect them. He is al-Hafeezh and al-Haafizh. He will protect them from following into 800 forbidden actions.
That is part of the description of those who know (ahl adh-dhikr) . not those on the internet who are giving fatwas or are paid by regimes. No it is those who are love in with Allah and in love with his beauty. This kind of alim knows he must leave 800 types of forbidden actions. Such an `alim, Allah will bestow on him a manifestation of His Beautiful Name al-Hafeedh to protect from such actions.
3 - that individual who has accomplished 500 ma`muraat and prevented himself from 800 manhiyyat, Allah will bestow on him the manifestation of the all-encompassing Name, al-jami` al-asma’ was-siffaat, isma al-jalaala, Allah, ism adh-dhaat – the Name describing the Divine Essence.
From that Name Allah will bestow on you a certain light, which will be raising you to reach what you have promised Allah swt on the Day of Promises - the Day when Allah said, “alastu bi-rabbikum qaalu balaa.” Allah will raise you, when you accomplished the 500 ma`muraat and leave the 800 manhiyaat – forbidden actions - then Allah will raise you under Ism al-Jalaala, to be under the Name Allahu Huwa. The secret of that so that you may understand what you have promised on the Day of Promises.
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 aakhatha rabbuka min banee adama min dhuhoorihim dhurriyyatahum wa ashhadahum `ala anfusihim alastu birabbikum qaloo bala shahidna an taqooloo yawma al-qiyamati inna kunna `an haadha ghafileen.
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": Al-A'raf [7:172]
Allah brought out Bani Adam from the backs of their ancestors. On the Day of Promises, when the souls were junoodun mujannada – gathered troops - when they made the Promise, Allah will bring back to them memory of that promise – those are ahl adh-dhikr.
4 - When he reaches to know what he promised his Lord at that time, Allah will raise him to the level that for him everything has disappeared and there is nothing to him but Allah’s love, maqaam al-fana’. That is described in many books but there is no time to describe it now. That is the station of not seeing except the one to be loved. La yara illa mahboobah. No one can see anything in front of him except his lover. That is why awliyaullah are looking, first to love of Allah, and second to love of the Prophet (s) and third to love of awliyaullah . These are the descriptions of the people of remembrance or reminder. When we accomplish these four levels, we can say “this one is connected.” That one his du`as is accepted. That one if you ask him to make du`a for you, his du`a is accepted and your problem will be solved. May Allah guide us to such people. Such are ahl adh-dhikr and they are following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s).
Today awliyaullah , ahl adh-dhikr, are hidden. You cannot find them. They are rare. You might find them in some countries around the world but they are rare like diamonds. But if you find one, stick with him. Allah said,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
“ya ayyuhalladheena aamanu ittaqullaha wa koonu ma`a as-saadiqeen
O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). At-Tauba [9:119]
…” we are struggling to be righteous. We are struggling to follow what Islam tells us to do. Iblees came to say. Adam and whispered in his ear. So don’t expect that people, Muslims or non-Muslim are not going to follow their desires. They are. Because Shaytaan is whispering in their ears. But awliya are not. They are protected. If you find one stick to one of them.
The ahl adh-dhikr are always asking Allah to forgive humanity. And this 15th of Sha`ban that passed and Muslims around the world celebrated and that Allah forgives sins on that night; it is an important night. And Allah gives the people according to what they are asking.
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (ra ) said, that the Prophet (s) said, “Jibreel came to me on the night of nisfi-Sha`ban and said, ‘Ya Muhammad! Raise your head to heaven’ I said to Jibreel, “Ya Jibreel! What is this night? I am seeing something different that is a perfections night.’ He said, ‘ this is the night of nisfi-Sha`ban in which Allah opens 300 Oceans of Mercy. Allah forgives anyone who does not associate anyone with Him in their prayers.’”
In that night do you think awliyaullah are sleeping or they are up all night praying and asking Allah for forgiveness for the Ummah? That is what the Prophet (s) is saying. Allah will forgive anyone who does not associate a partner to Him. And the Prophet (s) said, “Allah looks to His servants and forgives all of them except the mushrik and the mushaahin.”
In that night, awliyaullah are asking and in that night, may Allah bless our shaykh, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani did not sleep that night. He was awake all that night until ishraaq and in du`a asking for the Ummah. The Prophet (s) used to stay up all night until his feet were swollen. Awliyaullah are awake asking to save humanity from all kinds of difficulties coming in front of them. What we are seeing today is that a lot of punishment is coming on our heads. And awliyaullah are waiting for heavenly support to come and protect people. That protection might come at any moment. Kun fayakun. Allah might say any time “Be!” and it will be. That is what we are waiting for and that is what we expect and for the best for humanity for the best for peace.
Bi-hurmatil fatiha.