Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah, nawaytu 'r-riyaada, nawaytu 's-salook, lillahi ta'ala al-`Azheem fee hadha 'l-masjid, nawana as-siyam fee hadhal-makan.
[Khatm.] Al-Fatihah. [Du`a and ihda.]
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان فى الميزان حبيبتان إلى الرحمن سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم
There are two words that are very easy to say, yet very heavy on the Scale, most beloved to The Merciful, “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `alaa ashrafi 'l-mursaleena Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.
One of the main aspects of knowledge in Tasawwuf is tahamal al-`addaad, to carry all obstacles. That is why they said, at-Tariqatu kulluha adaabun, all of Tariqah consists of adab, respect: to give people their honor, not to create fitna or do anything Allah and the Prophet (s) don't like. Awliyaullah insist that all of Tariqah is adab: either you want to enter the highway or remain at the exit. The highway takes you miles and miles in one straight way to Reality, but if you don't want that at least stay at the exit. May Allah (swt) give us power to stay on the highway.
Who is the highest in the Naqshbandi Tariqah? We have many names that come to mind and everyone will think something different, but in reality, Tariqat an-Naqshbandiyya al-`Aliyya was named after one: Sayyidina Shah Baha’uddin Naqshband (q). The Tariqah is “al-`Aliyya” for sure, we don’t want to say something that is incorrect. Now after that, whoever you want to mention is okay.
I will tell a story about Sayyidina Shah Baha’uddin Naqshband (q) and then I will leave. Sayyidina Shah Naqshband (q) often meditated, not like they do these days, which is really just entertainment. Real meditation is to not raise your head from sajda!
وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ
Contemplating the creation of the Heavens and the Earth. (Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:191)
All power is in contemplating whether you are going to be on Earth or in Heaven, so choose which way you want to go. Sayyidina Shah Naqshband (q) was the only one in his time to make tafakkur, contemplation, and it is very important to remain within limits. Tariqah is full of adab: kulluha adaabun, all of it is adab! So if you backbite this one or that one, that is not adab. If you have courage, face that person, don’t speak behind his back as it is not accepted.
One day, Sayyidina Shah Naqshband (q) was in sajda making tafakkur, which is not for just five minutes and then you wake up, it is from evening to morning. Awliyaullah never let the opportunity to contemplate from evening to morning escape them.
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ .قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا .نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا .أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا
O you, wrapped in garments! Stand (in prayer) by night, but not all night, of one-half thereof or less, or add to it (at will), and recite the Qur'an calmly and distinctly with your mind attuned to its meaning.
(Surat al-Muzzammil, 73:1-4)
“Yaa ayyuha ‘l-Muzzammil” refers to Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Allah called him al-Muzzammil because he (s) wrapped himself when he was sick, waiting to receive Wahiyy. Allah (swt) sent Sayyidina Jibreel (a) to give him a boost. Sayyidina Jibreel brought the Revelation, Yaa ayyuhal-Muzzammil, qumi ’l-layla illa qaleela, “O, covered one! Stand up and wake from your sleep. Although you are awake most of the night, it is better than not to do so, or if you cannot remain awake all night, then at least from the middle of the night.”
Those who meditate, for how long, half an hour or two minutes? They think they are meditating, but Shaytan is laughing at them. We are also among them; we say this in order to straighten our highway, otherwise we will call the engineer to ask, “Why did you make the highway crooked?” “I didn’t make it crooked, you did.” Shaytan made it crooked.
On a very windy and cold night, there was snow everywhere, more than here, today the snow is very high, like sixty centimeters. Sayyidina Shah Bahauddin Naqshband (q) was in a very violent, miserable situation, making sajda and tafakkur as snow fell on his head. What must we do if snow covers our head? First of all, we are in an Eskimo country and we have to dress very warm. If you break your tafakkur, you have lost whether there is snow or not. If you make the intention for tafakkur, you must make it perfectly.
When Shah Bahauddin Naqshband (q) was making tafakkur and reciting Holy Qur'an, he began to smell a very nice fragrance, and he began to think, “From where is that smell coming?” He pushed himself to follow it and as he followed it, it guided him.
إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِعَبْدٍ خَيْرًا ، جَعَلَ لَهُ وَاعِظًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ يَأْمُرُهُ وَيَنْهَاهُ
If Allah (swt) wants goodness for His servant, He will make for him a guide in his heart.
(Abu Na`eem al-Ispahani in Hilyat al-Awliya fom Ahmad bin Hanbal)
Allah (swt) made a guide in his heart guide him to his shaykh.
It is mentioned in Kitaab al-Ma`arif that it was a wide alley, the scent of heavenly food came, he followed it and it lead him to a gathering where his shaykh was sitting with his followers. As soon as he came to the door of the masjid, he sensed something would happen to him, then he heard his shaykh shout, “What are you doing here? Who called you? You never kept my way!” But although Shah Naqshband (q) had never made a mistake, the shaykh told the mureeds to throw him out, which they did. They cried because after their shaykh, Shah Bahauddin was their shaykh, but they did not know the hikma. It was snowing and snowing and snowing, and Shah Bahauddin went into sajda at the threshold of the masjid, and said, “Yaa Rabbee! I will not raise my head until You tell me, what did I do wrong? I am under Your will, taslimiyya, so do what you want with me! I submit to You.”
Shah Bahauddin Naqshband (q) remained in sajda until Fajr approached. His shaykh came, passed over the threshold as if he did not see him, and stepped on Shah Naqshbandi’s head, pressing hard, which pained him.
He said, “O my shaykh, you are here?”
The shaykh replied, “Yes, of course! I have come to give you your Amanah because you behaved well. I am sorry for the pain I gave you, but this is our way.”
Tariqatuna is adab: Tariqah has to teach you adab, if you don’t have adab you don’t have Tariqah. To shout at a friend or cheat someone is not adab, so we must not harm anyone and we must respect everyone.
May Allah (swt) give us from love of the Prophet (s) and love of Awliyaullah. If there were no Awliyaullah, people would be lost! Unfortunately, today even with Awliyaullah people are lost. On one hand, Awliyaullah struggle to boost their followers to reach spiritual heavens, and on the other hand they don't want them to go to Hellfire. So they are between these two: pushing them not to go astray and pushing them to reach heavens. May Allah (swt) not make us go astray. Awliyaullah are ready. If you call on them here, “Yaa Awliyaullah,” for sure they will say, “Naam, yes sir!” They want one mureed after one mureed, whereas before they used to get tons, hundreds of thousands, but now they have to follow up with the mureeds to get them into Tariqah. That is not enough, but there is more coming inshaa-Allah.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, wa’s-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
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