Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi, yaa Sultan al-Awliya. Yaa Sayyidi Qutbu ‘l-Mutasarrif, madad.
Why do people come here? Because they feel something. Isn’t that true? We are not talking about the food. We are talking about your heart. People are coming here because they feel there’s something special. They feel it. It’s not that they are thinking they are something special, they feel that there is something different here.
Try to go out in the world for a week or two, a month or two and then try to come back here. I’ve heard so many eyewitness testimonies. I don’t want to say the names but these are big ones who are running Naqshbandi dergahs all over Pakistan. They said the minute they entered, they felt tranquility, calmness, happiness and joy. They have not felt it in any masjid down in Ohio. They are not mureeds of Mawlana Shaykh Hisham (q). They are not mureeds of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q). They are not mureeds of Grandshaykh (q) or Shaykh Sharafuddin (q). They branch off at Sayyidina Muhammad Masoom (q), if I remember correctly. After Sayyidina Muhammad Masoom (q), of course there are so many khalifahs, so many branches. Our branch continues with Sayyidina Saifuddin (q) all the way down to Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi (q), all the way down to Grandshaykh Mawlana Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) and Shaykh `AbdAllah (q).
They said when they entered the door, the driveway, they felt something they have not felt in any masjid in Ohio. They were doing some events and conferences in Ohio. People come here and feel something different because there is something different here. There is a legacy of three shuyookh here, not only one, a second one and a third one who said, “Let people come and visit me.” This center is not one you can build anywhere you want in the US or anywhere in the world.
According to our beliefs and what we have heard from our shuyookh, from this center Allah (swt) will send through Awliyaullah some comfort to the hearts of the attendees that they are not finding outside. He will send to their hearts mercy, love, compassion, kindness, tenderness and all of these good characteristics that they are not seeing outside. This is why you come. In Hollywood you can feel so many things, but not this. You can go into VR, virtual reality, and dream. You’re up in the mountains, down in the lakes, but that is not real because if it was real you would continue feeling it. Dhikrullah is real. When you start into that ocean, that feeling never leaves your heart. That’s called sakina.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
Huwa ’lladhī anzala ’s-sakīnata fī qulūbi ’l-muʾminīna li-yazdādū īmānan maʿa īmānihim, wa li’Llāhi junūdu ’s-samāwāti wa ’l-arḍ, wa kāna ’Llāhu ʿalīman ḥakīmā.
It is He Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the Believers, that they may add faith to their faith; for to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom. (Surat al-Fath, 48:4)
To the mu`mins Allah (swt) descends tranquility, sakina. It is Noor. With that Noor your heart finds comfort, solace, and happiness. Why? Because Allah (swt) wants to increase their iman levels, multiple levels. With their iman, Allah (swt) is increasing their iman by descending this sakina. This place has sakina. This place has tu’maneena. This place has such a feeling, that’s why we keep coming. Alhamdulillah, the ones who are living here are fortunate. The ones who find this place and come to visit every once in a while, they’re fortunate because they are taking what they need and going back home to your problems, your finances, your work and projects, whatever it is.
When you come here, you take that sakina and you move. May Allah (swt) always keep us in such majalis, such associations. They teach us love and respect to Rasoolullah (s) in such associations, that’s why it is blessed because you are respecting the one that Allah (swt) respected. You are loving the one that Allah (swt) loved. You are showing your utmost respect to the one that Allah (swt) showed utmost respect. He said, you send your prayers, I have sent My prayers on him. Mala’ikah send their prayers on him. You send your well-wishes, blessings, whatever you want, pray for him and his family. Send your prayers. Ask from Allah (swt) to bless him and his family because Allah (swt) has blessed him.
You are respecting the one who is utmost respected in Heavens, together with other prophets. Of course, all prophets are respected, all prophets are appreciated and thanked in Heavens and on earth. It’s not only our Rasool and we keep the others out. That is tarku ‘l-adab. Allah (swt) is ordering us to believe in all Rusul. Āmantu bi’Llāhi wa malāʾikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi.
Rasool is from Rusul but Allah (swt) wants you to accept all messengers. They’re all respected. We have nothing against any one of them, actually we have love towards all of them. That is the proper adab, the proper way. Allah (swt) likes you to love His beloved. They say, “I love Allah (swt).” Allah (swt) will tell you, “How about My beloved? Did you love him?”
“No, no, we come straight to You.” You cannot come straight. What happened to him? Why are you ignoring him? That’s why we do Mawalid, not to ignore him, to remember Rasoolullah (s).
These majalis teach us love of Rasoolullah (s), respect to Rasoolullah (s) because when you respect Rasoolullah (s), when you love Allah (swt), you will be from As-haabu ‘l-Jannah. There’s no other way. You are with the one you love. Who do you love? (Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, zindabad!] I don’t want to say Hollywood starts? You’re Arab, I’m Arab, we understand each other from looks. Who do you love? You love Awliyaullah. You love Anbiyaullah. You love the holy ones, the saints. If you find one, you have found all. If you miss one, you have missed all because they’re all the same. They teach us respect to Rasoolullah (s). They teach us love for Rasoolullah (s). Every muhaddith and faqih, `alim and wa’idh has to preach love of Rasoolullah (s). How do you love him? By doing what he is doing and following his way. That’s how you show respect to them by saying, “I appreciate the way you have shown us. I will follow it.”
Imagine if your boss tells you, “Do it this way,” and you say, “I’ll do it my way.” Will your boss like you? No but if you do it the way he wanted, you show that, that way is really working then he will be happy with you. Rasoolullah (s) came to show you the way to Allah (swt)’s Love. He said, “I am a beloved one to Allah (swt). Follow me.” Who teaches you how to follow Rasoolullah (s)? If an `alim doesn’t teach you how to follow Rasoolullah (s) correctly, why are you following him? How many Muslim `ulama are teaching this and that? You have to see, “Are they teaching me how to follow Rasoolullah (s) correctly or not?” Did Rasoolullah (s) have any constriction in his chest against anyone? His heart was open. He had no problems. But he was angry when people did not obey the One he loved?
Al-bughdulillah wa ‘l-hubbulillah. You love them because they love the one you loved. You dislike the one who dislikes the one you love. That is something different but the heart of Rasoolullah (s) was always open to all. Awliyaullah teach us that way. They teach us the utmost respect to Rasoolullah (s). Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) taught me one verse from Surah Tawbah. Asta’eedhubillah. Laqad ja’akum Rasoolun min anfusikum.
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Now has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves: it grieves him that you should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful. (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:128)
To you has come a Prophet from amongst yourselves. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) has said there is another qira’ah: anfasakum. Anfaas means “most valuable.” Some Awliyaullah have said that Rasoolullah (s) has come from the highest, most valuable human beings. From amongst you but not from the low ones, from anfasakum, the highest levels. In the Holy Qur’an Allah (swt) says, Rasoolullah (s) is from among you. Awliyaullah have said, he is from among us but also from the best of us.
Imam Shibli (r) is a big Wali. One time he came to visit a qari by the name of Abu Bakr Ibn Mujahid al-Muqri. He had a big madressa and taught people Qur’an, Sunnah and all the rest. Imam Shibli (r) entered his majlis and the `alim stood up and greeted him. After the meeting was over, the students of Ibn Mujahid asked, “Yaa Sayyidi. You did not stand up for the wazir that came to visit you.”
When a mayor comes to visit you, what do you do? “Oh yes, please sir, come on.” You are so humble and so nice. That `alim did not stand up for the minister, Ali bin Isa, who came to see him. He was a very famous wazir in the Abbasid period. They asked, “You did not stand for that one. Why do you stand for a dervish?” Do you think Imam Shibli came with an entourage? Did Awliyaullah used to come with entourages behind them to tell people they are great ones?
He came like any other folk, a regular person, not with fancy clothes and not with cheap clothes, average, moderate. They did not know who Imam Shibli was. He did not say, “I am Waliyullah. Respect me. I am this and that.” They don’t say that. If you think they say that, you are wrong. They don’t enter a masjid and expect people to flock to them saying, “I am one. I am here. Come see me.” They don’t. They mingle with others just like other people. They sit with others, eat with others, drink with others and pray with others. They don’t seek to be up front. Did you read stories about the lives of Awliya? If you have not, read. See how humble they were. They were the humblest of people. People would not think they were Waliyullah because they don't have a big crown or fancy things or one thousand followers following them wherever they go. That is not necessary for Waliyullah.
He came like a regular person and this imam stood up for him. After Imam Shibli left the majlis, he said, “I saw Rasoolullah (s) in a dream two nights ago. Rasoolullah (s) said, ‘Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, a man will enter your masjid. He is from ashabu ‘l-Jannah. Stand up for him, greet him and welcome him.” When the next day came, Imam Shibli entered. Ibn Mujahid, the `alim, remembered the dream.
Waliyullah does not need to advertise himself. Rasoolullah (s) will do the work for you in the dream. Did you read Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q)’s life story? When he was travelling, Rasoolullah (s) would appear in people’s dreams telling them, “My grandson is coming,” or, “This shaykh is coming. This is his picture.” Not only my grandfather but others. Rasoolullah (s) will tell others the level of the one who is coming. You don’t need to advertise it yourself. That is against our knowledge of tariqah but who knows tariqah anymore? Nobody. As our teachers have said, jehalet tu’tu jehanam, ignorance has covered universes. Sorsan bilmezler iman. If you ask, they don’t know iman.
The imam also said, “I asked Rasoolullah (s) in the dream, ‘Yaa Sayyidi. How come he reached that level?’ He said, ‘For the past forty years, after every prayer Imam Shibli recites, ‘Laqad ja’akum Rasoolun min anfusikum,’ the verse that praises me.’” Doesn’t that verse praise Rasoolullah (s)? “From amongst you came the best of you, your Messenger.” He is azeez. Other people explain it another way but `azeez means he is magnificent. ʿazīzun ʿalayhi mā ʿanittum He cares about your hardships, your difficulties. Ḥarīṣun ʿalaykum. He wants you to find the right way, the way to Jannah. He does everything he can to make you on that way: ḥarīṣun ʿalaykum bil-muʾminīna raʾūfun raḥīm. .
Isn’t that all praise of Rasoolullah (s). Allah (swt) is praising Rasoolullah (s). He is Raʾūf one of the Names of Allah (swt). He is Raḥīm, a Name of Allah (swt). There is no shareek in His Names but Allah (swt) has dressed him from the Noor of Ar-Raʾūf and Ar-Raḥīm. Allah (swt) is praising Rasoolullah (s). The imam described his dream about Sayyidina Shibli, “For the past forty years in every prayer, five times a day, he is praising me by the praises that Allah (swt) praised me with in the Holy Qur’an. That is why he became beloved and honored in our presence and he is from As-haabu ‘l-Jannah.”
Who teaches us that nowadays? Honor Rasoolullah (s) because by honoring Rasoolullah (s), you will reach Jannah. After I heard about that story, I said, “I am going to...” but because I didn’t say “inshaa-Allah,” I keep on forgetting. Inshaa-Allah, I will read the last two verses of Surah Tawbah after every namaz and I forget. Why? Because my brain is in dunya. My heart is in dunya. When your heart is in dunya, how can you remember Dhikrulllah? If you are always remembering dunya, how can you remember Mawla?
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا خَرَجُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفًا أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ
Wa minhum man yastamiʿu ilayka, ḥattā idhā kharajū min ʿindika qālū lilladhīna ūtū ’l-ʿilma mādhā qāla ānifan? Ulāʾika ’lladhīna ṭabaʿa ’Llāhu ʿalā qulūbihim wa ’ttabaʿū ahwāʾahum.
And among them are men who listen to thee, but in the end, when they go out from thee, they say to those who have received Knowledge, "What is it he said just then?" Such are men whose hearts Allah has sealed, and who follow their own lust. (Surah Muhammad, 47:16)
The minute they exit your majlis, O Rasool, O my beloved, they say, “What did he say? We forgot everything.” Because their hearts were not present and their minds were not present. It’s not about reading books, it’s about being present with what you are reading and understanding what you are reading.
Awliyaullah teach us that way. They don’t teach us, you are here and you are there and take this and take that or shout, scream, fight and quarrel. That is nonsense! Awliyaullah teach you to give your most honorable respect to Rasoolullah (s) because that is the way to Jannah. Ibn Mujahid, the great `alim, stood up for a dervish. He had thousands of students, a big center with hundreds of books. He stood up for a dervish who recited one verse from the Holy Qur’an. By reciting that one verse it was better for him than all the books that were surrounding Ibn Mujahid. He was doing it with love. That is our way. Our way is to show respect. Even if you know one way of respecting Rasoolullah (s), if you do it with love and consistency, it is enough for you to be from ashabu ‘l-Jannah.
Inshaa-Allah, we remember. If you don’t know that verse, read it. Fa in tawalaw, but if they turn their backs against you and walk away from you, say, Hasbi Allah, Allah (swt) is enough for me. I am showing you how to reach His Love. Fa in tawalaw Hasbi Allahu la ilaha illa Hu. No Name. Huwiya Mutlaqa, they say, Absolutely Identity nobody knows. Hu. The Name is for us to connect with the Divine. Who is He? If He doesn’t tell you who He is, how would you know?
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
But if they turn away, Say: "(Allah) suffices me: there is no god but He: On Him is my trust,- He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme!" (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:129)
Allah (swt) sent a hook to human beings to understand what the Divine is about. If Allah (swt) did not tell you that His Names are such, if He did not send you books, if He did not say, “I am God,” how would you know? Nobody would know.
That Ruboobiya is like a hook that hooked creation to the Creator. If He takes away that hook, la ilaha illa Hu, who can understand who He is about unless He tells us what He is. La ilaha illa Hu. Fana. For us Baqa, except He. When I say, “Sheraz, he, Iqbal bhai, he.” There is no “he.” It is only Him, Allah (swt). All khalq is Fana. You cannot say, “I am he” in the third person. When he talks about me, he says, “He.” You are not “he.” La ilaha illa Hu. Whenever Awliyaullah here Hu, Huwa or He, the only thing they think of is Allah (swt), nothing else. There is no existence for anyone. In their eyes, no one exists except Him with His Asma and Sifaat in control of creation.
Fa in tawalaw. If they turn away from you, O My beloved, not respecting you, not loving you and not accepting you as a guide to that Love Ocean that you are taking them to (...) what is Jannah? Jannah is love. It is Jamal of Allah (swt). Jahannam is power, crushing, majestic, Jalal. Allah (swt) does not need Jamal or Jalal, He is Hu. It is for us to understand but not for Him.
May Allah (swt) forgive us.
Remember this one verse. Laqad jāʾakum Rasūlun min anfusikum. Yaa Rabbee, we are not turning back on him, rather we are following him and saying Hasbi Allah. Yaa Rabbee, You are enough for us. You are sufficient for us. La ilaha illa Hu `alayhi tawakaltu. In this world, I am depending on him. I am taking him as my guide, as my support, as my reliance. When you say, “I am relying on my Lord,” that means you have delegated all the affairs to Him, good or bad, rough or soft. Whatever is coming in this world is all from Him, so on Him I am relying. That is Fanau ‘l-Af`al, when you leave your actions to the Actions of Allah (swt). Do you think anything is happening in this world without His Permission? What does your iman tell you? If you say, “No, I have my own actions,” then your iman is this and that, chola-bola they say.
`Alayhi tawwakaltu wa Huwa Rabbu ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-`Azheem, the Lord of the `Arsh. `Arsh is a creation like you. Allah (swt) created the Throne. Allah (swt) doesn’t need the Throne but it is a sign of authority. The one on the throne rules. From there comes all the orders. All the affairs of this world come from `Arshi ‘l-Adheem down the Heavens, down to earth. Whatever Allah (swt) ruled from above the `Arsh comes down to `Arsh and spreads down by angels. They take that Amr and they divide it to wherever it has to go.
Say, Hasbi Allah. Yaa Rabbee, You are enough for us. La ilaha illa Hu. I am depending on You and You are the Lord of the Throne, The Ruler, Al-Malik. You’re depending on Him to make you follow Rasoolullah (s) correctly. Inshaa-Allah, we can do that. The way to do that is to respect Rasoolullah (s), praise Rasoolullah (s). Imam Shibli gained access to Jannah by his love and respect to Rasoolullah (s) and he was just a regular dervish. Don’t think Waliyullah says, “I am a king.” Do you think a Waliyullah goes around saying, “I am sultan”? No. Awliyaullah have figured out Maqamu ‘l-ʿUbūdiyyah, Maqamu ‘r-Rubūbiyyah. The true Waliyullah knows he is always a servant, `abd, and Allah (swt) is always Rabb. That is the Haqqiqah, the Reality. The self has to understand that it is only but a servant, nothing else. `Abd cannot be syed, meaning over Allah (swt). Your ego wants to be over Allah (swt). It says, ana rabbukumu ‘l-`alaa, “I am the highest lord. You have lords, no problem, but I am the highest one.”
The true characteristic of the ego is it wants to propel you above God like Firaun. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said, the true character of the ego appeared in Firaun because Allah (swt) gave Firaun all means to show that He is the Highest Lord. Nafs will claim, “I am lord.” Waliyullah knows that. He claims that he is always `abd. Do you know that Hadith?
اجلس كما يجلس العبد وآكل كما ياكل العبيد
Ajlisu kamā yajlisu ’l-ʿabdu, wa ākulu kamā yaʾkulu ’l-ʿabīd.
“I sit like the servant sits, and I eat like the servant eats.” (al-Asbahani in Akhlaq al-Nabi.
al-Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Īmān and Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah)
It’s a teaching for us. Waliyullah has understood the reality that he has to reach Ḥaqīqatu ’l-ʿUbūdiyyah, Ḥaqīqatu ’r-Rubūbiyyah.
Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (r) bought a slave. Back then there were slaves. Nowadays there are none. He took him to the house and he said, “What do you eat?”
“Whatever you feed me, O master.”
“What do you drink?”
“Whatever you give me to drink, O master.”
“What do you want?”
“As you want, my master.”
Sayyidina Ibrahim looked at himself and told his ego, “O poor one, you were never toward Allah (swt). Because you are supposed to crush your ego. Never allow your ego to think that it has done something. “You were never toward Allah (swt) as this man is in that moment towards you. You never said, ‘Yaa Rabbee, as You wish. I eat whatever You feed me. I drink whatever You water me. I do whatever You want me to do. I have no will. It is Your will, O Master.”
Awliyaullah have understood `uboodiyyatu ‘n-nafs. Your self is nothing but a servant to carry out the Orders of Allah (swt) on earth, the glad tidings and the warnings, nothing else. Imam Shibli (r) was a servant like the rest of us. No announcements, “I’m coming. Prepare.” Astaghfirullah. May Allah (swt) forgive us.
Praise Rasoolullah (s) in any form you know and give him your utmost respect in any language you know. If it is the Qur’an, in the Sunnah, in Kalaamu ‘l-Awliya, if it’s a salawat that was done in the past, pick one up and continue with it like Sayyidi Yusuf. Mashaa-Allah. He loves Salawatu ‘l-Fatih.
Allahumma salli `alaa Sayyidinaa Muhammadini 'l-faatihi limaa ughliq, wa 'l-khaatimi limaa sabaq, naasiri 'l-haqqi bi 'l-haqq, wa 'l-haadi ilaa Siraatika 'l-Mustaqeem, wa `alaa aalihi haqqa qadrihi wa miqdaarihi 'l-`azheem.
O Allah, bless our Master Muhammad, who opened what was closed and sealed what was before. He makes the truth victorious by the truth and he is the guide to Your Straight Path. And bless his Household as it befits his immense stature and splendor.
The Africans and Sidi Zaeim from Pakistan love Salawatu ‘l-Fatih as well. Pick up any salat, any version and read. Mawlana Shaykh Hisham (q) has compiled a book with 70 salawat, Salawat of Tremendous Blessings. Pick one. I like Salawat Nuraniyyah.
Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik `ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadin shajarati ’l-asli ’n-nooraaniyyati wa lam`atil qabdati ’r-rahmaaniyyati wa afdali ‘l-khaleeqati ’l-insaaniyyati wa ashrafi ’s-soorati ’l-jismaaniyyati wa m`adini ’l-asraari ‘r-rabbaniyyati wa khazaaini ’l-`uloomi ’l-istifaaiyyati, saahibi ’l-qabdati ’l-asliyya wa ’l-bahjati ’s-saniyya wa ’r-rutbati ’l-`aliyya, man indarajati ’n-nabiyyoona tahta liwaa’ihi, fahum minhu wa ilayhi, wa salli wa sallim wa baarik `alayhi wa `ala aalihi wa sahbihi `adada maa khalaqta wa razaqta wa amatta wa ahyayta ilaa yawmi tab`athu man afnayta wa sallim tasleeman katheera wa ‘l-hamdulillahi rabbi 'l-`alameen.
O Allah! Exalt, greet and bless our master and liege lord Muhammad, the Tree of Original Light, the Sparkle of the Handful of Divine Mercy, the Best of All Humankind, the Noblest of Physical Frames, the Vessel of the Lord’s Secrets and Storehouse of the Sciences of the Elect, the Possessor of the Original Divine Grasp, Resplendent Grace, and Uppermost Rank, under whose flag line up all the prophets, so that they are from him and point to him. Bless, greet and sanctify him and his Family and Companions, to the number of all that You have ever created, sustained, caused to die, and caused to live again, to the Day You resurrect those You reduced to dust, and greet him with an abundant and endless greeting. Glory and praise belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!
I picked that one up for almost fifteen years. I love it. I forgot the Wali who said that because my memory is failing. Pick one salat and praise Rasoolullah (s) as much as you can. Maybe you will be from ashabu ‘l-Jannah. Maybe Rasoolullah (s) will appear in the dream of others and tell them, “My beloved is coming.” Inshaa-Allah, we can be beloved to him. That is our endeavor. That is our retirement plan. Do you want to be comfortable at the end of your life? This is a spiritual retirement plan.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb wa bi sirri Surati 'l-Fatihah.
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