Fenton Zawiya, Fenton Michigan USA
A`udhoo billah min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem.
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba'een, nawaytu'l-'itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaada, nawaytu's-salook, nawaytu'l-'uzlah, nawytu as-siyam lillahi ta'ala fee hadha'l-masjid. allahuma alhiqna bis-saliheen. Madad, ya Rijalullah.
Salam `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Alhamdulillah, our place is always busy with guests. May Allah give you what you came for: you came for love of Allah, love of Rasoolullah (s), and love of Awliyaullah until they say you are diwane, majnoon.
There is a story I mentioned a few weeks ago, in which Sayyidina `Isa, Jesus (a) was a Prophet of Allah and a Breath, Soul, Spirit of Allah and His Word that Allah cast into Sayyida Maryam al-Azra, the Virgin Mary (a).
Sayyidina `Isa (a) was a ‘tourist’, siyaah, wandering all over. On one of his journeys he came across an `abid, devout servant of Allah (swt).
Sayyidina `Isa (a) asked him what he was doing and he said, “Ya `Isa, Allah has given me a small garden to grow food and a small fountain that I can drink from and take wudu and tahara, and He gave me everything except one thing. I've been worshiping Him for 80 years.”
The devoted servant lives in a secluded place and Allah gives him food and drink: when you are for Allah (swt), He is for you, you don't have to worry about the food and water. Who created all these rivers and clouds that we don't even see? How can water be stored in clouds, something the plane goes through without any apparent effect? How does it hold water? That is the power of Allah, to put water in thin air. He can get water to you if you have that iman.
So he said, “I am worshiping my Creator, Sustainer and Beloved for 80 years and I am asking Him for true love.”
Awliyullah have given the meaning to the verse "in kuntum tuhiboon Allah."
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ
Say: 'O God, Lord of All Dominion! You grant dominion to whomYou will, and take away dominion from whom You will; and You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will.' (Surat Aali `Imran, 3:26)
They said al wujood al-muhibee, your existence that loves Allah is substituted by the wujood al-mahboobee, by the Beloved's existence. Your existence is to love Allah Almighty and when Allah accepts you, yuhbibukumullah, Allah gives you an existence that is beloved to Him. So you come with imitated love, al-hubb al-majazee, not 100% pure, but when you approach with that love, He (swt) will give you pure love for Him! If you follow Habeebullah (s), you reach a love that is pure. That `abid asked for true love.
Sayyidina `Isa (a) made du`a, asked Allah to give him true love, and left. He came back some time later and could not find that man. He looked for the fountain, saw it had dried out, and there was no longer any food.
He asked, “Ya Rabb, what happened to that servant?”
Allah (swt) said, “Don't you know that I will only be found in kharaab ad-dunya, the ruins of this world, and this one's dunya has been destroyed? So saw that man's eyes were fixated upward, not seeing anything, for in fact, he was actually looking at `Arsh ar-Rahman: he was gone. Sayyidina `Isa (a) shook him and tried unsuccessfully to get his attention.
Allah (swt) told Sayyidina `Isa (a), “Even if you grind him to pieces, he will not feel anything.”
Those are people who want to go to Allah directly. If Allah gives you from that love, you will be diwani. May Allah make us reach love of Awliyaullah and love of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, from who's suhbahs we are speaking. These suhbahs have deep meaning that you don't hear from people outside. They might not accept what we hear.
Sometimes Mawlana Shaykh Nazim says something, then Grandshaykh says something even deeper, and you ask yourself, “Is this really true?” Some shuyookh speak from outer knowledge of Shari`ah as they understood it, while others teach you from secrets of Shari`ah that you cannot reach because it is unknown. Our shuyookh speak of deep secrets Shari`ah secrets.
وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِٱلْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلسِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى
Wa in tajharu bil-qawli innahu ya`alamu s-sirr wa akhfaa.
And if you say anything aloud, [He hears it] since, behold, He knows [even] the secret [thoughts of man] as well as all that is yet more hidden [within him]. (Surat TaHa, 20:7)
Qawl is the power of speech.
,وَلَقَدْ وَصَّلْنَا لَهُمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
Now, indeed, We have caused this word [of Ours] to reach Mankind step by step, so that they might [learn to] keep it in mind. (Surat al-Qasas, 28:51)
That means Holy Qur'an can be called 'qawl' and some speak from its outer meaning and others speak of its sirr, Hidden meaning (secret). Allah knows the deepest secrets of speech. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim says Grandshaykh `AbdAllah knew the deep secret of the Holy Qur'an, as mentioned in this verse of Surah Taha. There is a Sirr, and what is more hidden than the secret is Akhfaa.
So what we speak here from Grandshaykh is from the sirr of Shari`ah. You heard the open meaning, but not the secret. What Grandshaykh `AbdAllah is saying is from the Sirr as-Sirr.
Inna fee kullu salaatin... in all five prayers roohaniyya of Rasoolullah (s) guides the people. When you sit in at-Tahiyaat you are greeting and addressing an-Nabi (s) directly, which means he is with you. Certainly, they cannot object to that!
In your prayer, when you say, "As-salamu `alayk ayyuha 'n-Nabi (s)," you are addressing Rasoolullah (s). When you go to Muwajjah ash-Sharifa to greet Rasoolullah (s), they push you away. Who is not blind will see the one he is addressing. You are addressing Rasoolullah's salam on you. Are you talking to thin air, to the room? To whom are you talking? To an-Nabi (s)! If you are not blind by heart you see his spirituality in front of you: you see him guiding you to where you need to go.
Man laysa bi atrash yasm`a kalaam ar-rasool, who is not blind will see roohaniyyat an-Nabi (s) speaking to you. And Allah will increase, it doesn't stop there, but He gives better in returning your greeting, so that when you say "as-salamu `alayka ayyuhan-Nabi" he (s) will respond and increase by "wa rahmatullahi" and who is that mercy to all Creation? Then He increases "wa barakaatuhu". But we are blind, we are thinking of the bank account and the agendas of right and left and whatever when we are saying "as-salamu `alayka ayyuhan-Nabi (s)." Why are we not hearing the response of Rasoolullah (s)?
So many Wahabis and Salafis object to that: why? These are secrets of Holy Qur'an. Allah (swt) says in Surat al-Hujuraat, "Know that Rasoolullah (s) is among you." Is that only for Sahaba? What about for his Ummah? From the secret of that verse, kullu insaan yukhaatib Rasoolullah (s) yuwajhu ummatuhu ila ma`boodihi, he guides his Ummah to keep its promise given to Allah (swt), so that on Judgment Day He does not say, "You are a liar!" but rather, "you are truthful and you go with Siddiqeen."
وإعلموا أن فيكم رسول الله
W`alamoo anna feekum rasoolullaah.
And know Allah's Messenger is in you. (Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:7)
Instructions are coming in from Rasoolullah (s) like a broadcast center that reaches all, but not everyone in the Ummah has his receiver working. If your TV is working to receive, then you receive the signal otherwise you don't receive it.
So Rasoolullah (s) is guiding every member of the Ummah according to their `ahad, contract and promise with Him, and Rasoolullah (s) will show to every member of his Ummah the One he worships: not only to hear and to guide but to actually see. That is the Haqiqat Maqam al-Ihsan.
There are three levels in religion: Islam, Iman and Ihsan, as related in the hadith of Jibraail. Al-Ihsan an ta`bud Allah ka-annaka taraahu, Ihsan is the level of worshiping Allah as if you are seeing Him. How do you reach that level?
Don't forget those who’s heart is dead will not hear Rasoolullah (s), and those whose hearts are blind will not see Rasoolullah (s). But Rasoolullah (s) is sending instructions to every member of the Ummah in every namaz to help them to reach Allah (swt). So may Allah open our hearts’ ears and eyes so that we hear and see. When Rasoolullah (s) says, "wa `alayka as-salam," he is making dua to Allah to send peace and tranquility on you. That is why in Madina you say, "as-salamu `alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu" and he replies and he is guide to the entire Ummah, and to all humanity who have accepted him (s).
First the mureed must ssy, "Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah Muhammad Rasoolullah" and repeat it. That is the first thing given to the mureed: to become truthful to the Lord. The more you repeat and understand it, the closer you come to Allah (swt). The first level of Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah is by tongue, but the heart is still wishy washy, it did not yet confirm it. That is still a siffah of a munafiq, hypocrite. Don't be munafiq. That is how we all start at first. At the end of Surat al-Hujurat Allah (swt) says:
قَالَتِ ٱلْأَعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوٓا۟ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ
The Bedouin Arabs say, “We have attained faith.” Say [to them, O Muhammad]: “You have not [yet] attained faith; you should [rather] say, 'We have [outwardly] surrendered,' for [true] faith has not yet entered your hearts. (Surat al-Hujurat, 49:14)
Laa taqoolu aamanna. First say, "I submit," then iman will enter the heart. Then you repeat it, and at some point your heart will confirm "Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah Muhammad Rasoolullah", the level of common Muslims. The third level of Kalimat Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah is to see Allah (swt) is The One from whom everything comes from His Divine Presence.
Someone asked me, “Did Mawlana Shaykh Nazim ever vote?" To the best of my knowledge, he did not. I never saw him go in line and put a ballot paper in a box or go to a computer and enter something. I asked why? Because one of Rasoolullah’s (s) 201 Holy Names in Dalaa'il al-Khayrat is Rafi` al-Rutab, ‘Raised up in Rank’.
In Grandshaykh’s suhbahs, he said no one gets any level in dunya or position in Akhira unless Rasoolullah (s) signs on it. So your prime minister has been signed on. It might change: who knows?
Allah (swt)'s Holy Name is Ar-Rafi:` The One Who Uplifts to higher positions. So that is the third level that whoever is in power Allah (swt) is The One Who put him there. You are seeing His Nour, His Actions, and you are seeing Allah (swt) behind all of that. So whoever is on top is the one whom Allah put on top. Do you think your vote will change who Allah wants to be there? A mu'min who repeats "Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah" and sees Divine Actions by heart will observe the appearance of that Name, ar-Rafi`.
We recite from that surah every day:
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ
Say: "O God, Lord of All Dominion! You grant dominion to whom You will and take away dominion from whom You will; and You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will." (Surat Aali `Imran, 3:26)
Tu`tee ul-mulk man tashaau. “You give power to whomever You want and raise up in ranks whomever you want.” Someone might become president, raised up from the bazaar. They bring people now from flea markets to be president. They brought someone from the bazaar and made him president and He is able to bring him down to the lowest ranks. Is that not happening in front of our eyes?
You as mu'min must see that Allah is The One who gives and takes ranks and gives and takes power. When we see that, we see everything coming from the Divine Presence.
So what do we do then? If you want someone to be on top whom you know is good, you go into sajda and make d`ua, asking Allah to put the good ones on top and make the bad ones go away. Not only you, but the whole town and the whole country has to do that. Results are not from riots, not from the Arab Spring. Rather it is to go to the masjid and say, "HasbunAllahu wa ni'mal wakeel, Allah is sufficient for us and the best of Those Put in Trust." Allah is able to put the good ones on top and the bad ones down.
The human being's life is between two breaths. Do you live without breathing? If you cannot inhale or exhale you die. So Allah is able to take that bad one from the top in a second, and collapse instantly. Go into the masjid and ask Allah to put good ones on top, like we say after Jumu'ah: “O Allah! Put our affairs in the hands of good ones and not in the hands of bad ones." But people not doing that, instead they are going to voting machines.
You see voting is not working. I don't vote. I believe my Lord's Will will happen. I ask that Allah put good ones over us. That is the third level of Islam. Don't involve your will, you are making your iman less.
Finally, the fourth level is a big subject. I won't go there now. That is the level when you become absent from yourself, you don't see yourself. When Rasoolullah (s) said, “Al-Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him,” where are you then? Do you see yourself? Rasoolullah (s) wants you to see Allah Alone, not yourself. So you become absent from yourself, from anger, kibr, and from collecting dunya, and from seeking pleasures of your body. Then who do you see in front of you everywhere? La mawjooda illa Allah, there is none in existence except Allah. That is faanee `an nafishi. ‘You’ is not in the middle anymore. It doesn’t mean you become nuclear dust or utterly destroyed: rather, it means you are absent from yourself, you only see Allah's Existence.
We have a cemetery there; go take a lesson from it. Are bodies there? Yes, they are there, but they are not part of dunya anymore: they are with Mawlana. That is the meaning of "Mootoo qabl an-tamoot, die before your death."
That is absence from other than Allah: that you only see Allah's Asmaa wa Siffaat, Holy Names and Attributes. There is no more ‘thing’ because you are not part of this dunya. Don't think you can do that on your own! It only happens by Allah pulling you to Him. That is:
يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ٱرْجِعِىٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً
[But to the righteous God will say,] 'O you human being that has attained inner peace! Return to your Sustainer well-pleased [and] pleasing [Him]. (Surat al-Fajr, 89:27-28]
Irji`ee ila rabbika raadiyatan, Allah (swt) has to address your soul. What we do by tongue is repeat, "Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah", and we certify by heart, and if we are lucky we will be taken by our shaykh to see what is what. (And we think), "I trust my Lord that with my prayer the best will come out."
Remember that Rasoolullah’s (s) spirituality is everywhere, especially in prayer. May Allah make us lucky to see His light and...and may Allah give Mawlana Shaykh Hisham long life and health, and give my mother patience and long life. May He give us life to be at his door.
https://sufilive.com/Many-Seek-Allah-(swt)-but-Few-Are-Sought-by-Allah-(swt)--8052.html
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