A`oodhu billahi ‘s Sami` al-`Aleem min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.
Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi, yaa Sultan al-Awliya, madad. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi wa Mawlay.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
Mashaa-Allah. Beautiful people. Beautiful faces. Beautiful hearts. I sound like Trump. Beautiful, everything is beautiful! Alhamdulillah. Really, we have beautiful hearts that are decorated with the beauty of Rasoolullah (s). Your heart is nothing but a house, bayt, so pick the best tenant or the best guest to come to your house. That is how your heart is also, you allow the Best of Creation to be in your heart. When he enters into your heart or his Noor enters into your heart, your heart becomes beautiful and then you deserve it. Inshaa-Allah, Allah (swt) will decorate our hearts with the jewels of Rasoolullah’s (s) Noor and beauty.
I’m sure everybody here has a high IQ. Have you ever taken an IQ test? When I finished high school and was trying to get into university, they gave us an IQ test. One of the questions was, “What is a repeating pattern?” “This, now. This, now. This, now. What is the repeating pattern?” Our master, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, may Allah (swt) bless his soul and raise him higher and higher, and may his light also decorate our hearts and the light of Mawlana Shaykh and all Awliyaullah. He said, your life is only three days. You have to think of your life as no more than three days: the day that has passed, the day that you are in and the day that is coming.
When the day has passed and you are done with it, what happens to the day? It’s a day that has passed. What becomes of tomorrow? It becomes the day that you are in, and then there’s another tomorrow. That is the pattern. Once you finish your three days, they repeat themselves. Mashaa-Allah, you have a high IQ. The IQ test reminds you of this pattern: yesterday, today and tomorrow.
That is how our teachers have taught us to think and Qur’an al-Kareem has taught us to think like that. Asta’eedhubillah. Ka’an lam taghna bi ‘l-ams. Speaking about one of the tribes, Allah (swt) said, I took them away as if they never existed. Allah (swt) talks about the past as ams. Ams means “yesterday” in Arabic. He didn’t say one month or two months, one year or two years.
إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
The likeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies: by its mingling arises the produce of the earth--which provides food for men and animals: (It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it: There reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before! Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect. (Surah Yunus, 10:24)
Allah (swt) talks about the past as yesterday and about the future as, wa ‘l-tanzhur nafsun ma qadamat li ghadin. Let every one of you look at what they have offered for tomorrow.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
O you who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah. for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that you do. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:18)
Mawlana is teaching us about three days: one that passed, one that’s coming and one that you’re in. What do you do with the day you are living in now? What do you do today?
سَابِقُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Saabiqoo illa maghfiratin mi ‘r-Rabikkum wa jannatun `arduhaa ka `ardi ‘s-samaa’i wa ‘l-ardi u`idhat li ‘l-ladheena aamanoo billahi wa rusulihi. Dhalika fadlu ’Llahi yu’tihi mayashaa’u w’Allahu dhu’l-fadli’l-`Azheem.
Be foremost (in seeking) Forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss), the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles: that is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom he pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding. (Surat al-Hadid, 57:21)
Run, race, be quick and as the translation says, hasten. Run to what, yaa Rabbee? Run for forgiveness. That means you are in today and everything that has passed has to be coupled with maghfiratullah of Allah (swt). Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today. I say, “Yaa Rabbee. I am asking for forgiveness for yesterday,” as if they never existed yesterday. They were taken away. Your three days have to be used for asking for forgiveness and Allah (swt)’s overlooking the mistakes you have made.
What do you ask for tomorrow? Allah (swt) is telling you, look at what you are going to offer tomorrow. Tomorrow is Akhirah. Wa ‘l-tanzhur nafsun maa qadamat li ghadin. Everybody reads it, mashaa-Allah. All the Arabs, the Turks, the Pakistanis, the Indians and they attach a melody to it. It is Surat al-Hashr.
Asta`eedhu billah.
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Huwa ’Llahu ladhee laa ilaha hu `alimu ‘l ghaybi wa’sh-shahadah. Huwa ’r-Rahmanu ’r-Raheem.
Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:22)
Two or three verses before, Allah (swt) is saying, O the ones who have believed in Me, be aware of Me. Don’t be heedless. Do what I tell you to do. Obey Me because your end is Jannah. It’s as if Allah (swt) has put obligations on you because He wants to admit you to Jannah. That’s what Awliyaullah have said. The obligations that Allah (swt) has imposed on Muslims are not because He wants to make them suffer or be in hardship, no. He wanted to admit you to Jannah but so you know you did not do anything wrong, Allah (swt) is telling you, make namaz and fasting. Do your amal but still Allah (swt) admits to Jannah with His Mercy.
You have to run to ask for forgiveness for yesterday. In the daily salah we recite three times, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” and then we do astaghfirullah. In Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, etc. you have to renew your Shahadah. Ask forgiveness for the past, renew your Shahadah everyday and see what you have offered for Akhirah. What did you send there? Awliyaullah have said, when a person dies, the family says, “What did he leave behind?” What do the mala’ikah say? Ma qadam, “What did he offer forward?” Mala’ikah are looking for what you offered. What was your advance paycheck? Are you sending your paycheck to Akhirah or not? Are you giving your body, your soul, your mind, and your heart for Allah (swt) and Rasoolullah’s (s) pleasure or not? You have to look.
Don’t forget the three days.
سَابِقُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. (Surat al-Hadid, 57:21)
Run to forgiveness from your Lord for the mistakes that you have done in the past. Jannah has been prepared for the ones who have believed in Allah (swt) and His messengers. You have to that Paradise. When you are living the dhikr you do is, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah. Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” Jannah is for the future. Ask maghfirah for the past. Don’t forget. Don’t say, “I’m going to live for 80 years. I’m going to live for 100 years.” Three days. Don’t give yourself more than that: the time that passed, the time I’m in and the time that is coming. May Allah (swt) make us from those who are admitted to Jannah and whom Allah (swt) forgives for their mistakes.
We all make mistakes but when you make a mistake, you don’t want to repeat it. You don’t want to say, “I’ll make tawbah again. I’ll repent. I’ll do what Allah (swt) and Rasoolullah (s) don't like but I will repent.” Don’t be of that mindset. Say, “I will never approach it again, yaa Rabbee. Yes, I have done it. I have committed something that You don’t like but forgive me. I will not approach it again.” That is the true repentance. You don’t do it again. You take your hands off.
I’ll tell a small story and then we can start because this is all tied together. Remember the IQ test. Your life is a repeating pattern: yesterday, today, tomorrow. Awliyaullah have mentioned in their books that Sayyidina Jibril (a) came to Rasoolullah (s) and he said, “There is a servant from the servants of Allah (swt) who has worshiped for 500 years. That servant was on the top of a mountain on an island, worshiping Allah (swt) in the same spot for 500 years. Allah (swt) created for him spring water at the foot of the mountain and a pomegranate tree.” That is the tree in Jannah.
He gave him a pomegranate tree and a spring at the bottom of the mountain. When this servant finishes his worship, he goes down at the end of the day, refreshes his wudu with that spring, drinks and then takes from that pomegranate tree. Every night that tree gives him a pomegranate that fills him up and he goes back.
As the story goes, he said, “Yaa Rabbee. I have a request. When you take my soul, let it be when I am making sajdah. Don’t allow the earth to eat me. Don’t allow my body to disintegrate until I am resurrected on Yaumu ‘l-Qiyamah. Until then, keep me in that sajdah.” Allah (swt) granted him his wish. He seized his soul while he was making sajdah and he stayed in sajdah.
Sayyidina Jibril (a) was telling Rasoolullah (s) that every time we pass by that area, we see him in sajdah. Every time we go up to Heavens and come down, we always see him in sajdah but we have looked at Lawh al-Mahfouz. We have seen that on the Day of Judgement Allah (swt) will bring him in front of Him. That is the “tomorrow.” Not August 18th, the DNC. Don’t watch that. Alhamdulillah, Abdul Fattah is cut off from the world. You are with Mawlana. You don’t think of the world anymore. Dunya is finished for you. But I live in the city so I will follow the DNC tomorrow or the next day, who knows? Yawmu ‘l-Qiyamah is tomorrow, ghad. Wa tanzur nafsun ma qadamat li ghadin. Let everybody see and make sure to know what he has advanced for tomorrow. Tomorrow is Qiyamah.
Sayyidina Jibril (a) says, “We found a knowledge that this man will stand in front of Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) will ask him, ‘O My servant. Do you want to enter Jannah with My Mercy or with your amal?’” Rasoolullah (s) has said, “Nobody enters Jannah except by the Mercy of Allah (swt).” You have to know that. Don’t be fooled that, “I am praying more than others. I am a better Muslim than others.” Leave that. That does not count.
He said, “Yaa Rabbee. With my work, with what I have done for 500 years.” Allah (swt) orders the angels, “Put his amal on one scale and put My ni`mah, My favors on him in the other.” The angels put only the sense of sight as a ni`mah from Allah (swt) on one pan and they put the worship of 500 years in the other. What happened? The favor of being able to see outweighed all the amal he had done. How about the rest of the favors? He said, “You don't have any more amal to meet My favors so take him to Jahannam.”
How many people cannot see? Many. You can see. Some of them half-half. That is a very valuable favor of Allah (swt). That one favor from Him has tossed up all of his amal, so there is no more to meet the other favors, so he goes to Jahannam. Your amal is not heavy.
On the way to Jahannam he starts to shout and scream, “Bi rahmatika adkhilni ‘l-Jannah. With Your Rahmah, admit me to Jannah, not with my amal.” Allah (swt) orders the angels to come back and bring him. He says, “Yaa `abdi. Who created you when you were nothing?” How old are you Abdul Fattah? [“56”] Where were you 57 years ago? No existence. He asked that servant, “Who created you and brought you into existence?” He said, “Yaa Rabbee! It is You.” He said, “Who gave you the power to worship?” “You.”
If Allah (swt) makes you sick and laying in bed for days after days, you cannot even pray, so who gave you that power? He said, “Yaa Rabbee. You did.” He asked, “Who put you on that island on top of the mountain? At the foot of that mountain is a spring that He gave you. From the middle of the salty water is a fresh spring. Who created that for you? Who created your food for you? Your food and drink were supplied to you. That and My Power enabled you to worship when you were nothing 57 years ago.”
He said, “Yaa Rabbee. You have given that.” Allah (swt) said, “I have done all of that by My Mercy.” Allah (swt) has done all of these favors for this servant by His Mercy. Wa bi rahmatika udhkullika ‘l-Jannah. Kullu dhalika bi rahmatee wa bi rahmatee udhkullika ‘l-Jannah. Awliyaullah have narrated in their books, “Everything that I have given was out of My Mercy.” That is why we say, “Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem.” The beginning is Rahmah. With Rahmah appeared creation. Without Rahmah, Allah (swt) would not create this creation because this creation is `aasiy, disobedient. His Ghadab is on the backburner. His Rahmah is upfront. He said, “Yaa Rabbee. You gave me all of that.” He said, “By My Mercy I supplied you with all of that and by My Mercy I admit you to Jannah.”
Look at the Mercy of Allah (swt). Look to the future which is Jannah, Qiyamah and ask Allah (swt), “Yaa Rabbee. Rabbi ’ghfir warham wa Anta Khayru ‘r-Rahimeen. Yaa Rabbee, forgive and have mercy. You are the Best of Merciful ones.” He will forgive your past mistakes and sins and He will grant you tomorrow’s Jannah and He is the Most Merciful for you in the middle, in the beginning and at the end. That is Allah (swt). That is our Lord. That is ma’rifatullah. You have to have a little bit of understanding of Allah (swt)’s Names and Attributes.
Alhamdulillah, we all gained that through the teachings of our teachers. Don’t say, “I know something.” If you were granted `ilm, it is the favor of Allah (swt). If you were granted hikmah, wisdom, it is the favor of Allah (swt). If you were granted power, it is the favor of Allah (swt). He enabled you to worship. He enabled you to fast. He enabled you to pray. He will forgive your shortcomings, as long as you ask for forgiveness, and He will admit you to Jannah tomorrow. Tomorrow is your day.
Inshaa-Allah, Allah (swt) makes us from the pious ones, makes us enter Jannah with the pious ones. I heard Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s (q) du`a, Allahumma adkhilna fee rahmatika. Yaa Rabbee. Admit us in Your Mercy.
Allah said:
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ٱبْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
wa amma’Lladheena abyaddat wujjuhuhum fafee rahmatillahi wa hum feeha khaalidoon.
But as for those with faces shining, they shall be within God's grace, therein to abide. (Surat Ali-`Imran, 3:107)
The ones whose faces become noor, the noor of obedience, Allah (swt) will admit you into His Rahmah Oceans. “Their faces have become luminous with noor. They will enter the Mercy of Allah (swt).” That is why Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said, “Yaa Rabbee. Admit me into Your Mercy along with your pious ones, with the prophets, with the messengers, with the saints, with the Sahaabah, with the Ahlu ‘l-Bayt, with saaliheen, with shuhadah, with siddiqeen.” All of the people that Allah (swt) has praised. Yaa Rabbee. Admit us in Your Mercy. There are other verses, admit us by Your Mercy. That is from Sayyidina Sulayman (a). Wa ‘dhkhilni bi rahmatika fee `ibaadika ‘s-saaliheen. “Yaa Rabbee. Allow me to thank You for the favors You have bestowed on me and bestowed on my parents and enable me to do a good amal.”
Look at Sayyidina Sulayman (a). They say King Solomon but Nabiyullah Sulayman (a) did not depend on his `amal. He said, “Yaa Rabbee. Allow me to thank You for what You have given me.” That means, “I use everything for You.” “And what you have given my parents.” Because both of them came together and then you came. If it wasn’t for your parents, where would you come? The stork has Abdul Fattah in his beak, time to drop him to his family. No. If it weren’t for your parents, you would not be alive, so you have to know their rights.
Sayyidina Sulayman (a) said, “Yaa Rabbee. Allow me to thank You for Your Favors upon me and upon my parents and enable me to do `amalu ‘s-salih.” That means good amal that will lead you to Jannah. “And admit me by Your Mercy in the group of your salih servants.”
Inshaa-Allah, all of us will be there. Don’t become proud. “I am praying.” I went to the hospital for two weeks and I couldn’t pray because I was weak. If Allah (swt) takes that weakness away, what do you do? No Red Bull will benefit you. No Monster drinks will benefit you. If you’re weak, nothing you put inside of you will give you the power. Allah (swt) gives you the power. Always be grateful. Inshaa-Allah, all of us will enter in His Mercy with good servants of His. Ameen, yaa Rabbi ’l-`Alameen.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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