Maghrib Suhbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
Allahumma salli `alaa Sayyidina Muhammad hattaa yardaa Sayyidina Muhammad.
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa azheem fee haadha 'l-masjid.
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ
Wa inna ‘l-masaajida lillah.
The mosques are for Allah. (Surat al-Jinn, 72:18)
Inna al-masaajida lillah, masaajid are for Allah, we don’t own any, Allah (swt) owns everything.
He said:
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ
Allaahu nooru 's-samaawaati wa 'l-ard.
Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth. (Surat an-Noor, 24:35)
That means that His Light, His Nour, is the Light that can accomodate under it Heavens and Earth. The whole universe is under that one Beautiful Attribute. If that one Attribute were to shut down its Light, what would happen? Everything would disappear, because we are qaaimoona billah, we exist through the manifestation of this Beautiful Name an-Nour. For example, for example for us to understand. If you turn this lamp off what will happen? You cannot see anything. It is gone. So that light is not really a normal light; we see that light because we use an instrument, through the technology of energy that made that light, light. What is energy? Qudrah. Through the Ocean of Qudrah Allah gave:
َسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا
Wa sakhkhara lakum maa fi ’s-samawaati wa maa fi 'l-ardi jamee`an.
We subject to you whatever is in Heavens and in the Earth. (Surat al-Jaathiya, 45:13)
Allah made under your control whatever is in Heaven and in Earth, but be clever and get it! Don’t be lazy and say, “Okay, I don’t want to be clever, I’m receiving.” Okay, you receive the lamp but you cannot receive a huge energy plant. An energy plant can give light to a whole country. What do you think if the Light, a manifestation of Allah’s Beautiful Name an-Noor went into the heart of the believer, what the believer can see? Can he see like when he is seeing by a lamp? Even you have the energy plant or the whole source of energy that comes from these huge plants that they have built, for example an atomic plant where they use uranium and so on, they give light to a whole city, if Allah (swt) will manifest His Light in the heart of the believer, as He said, the heart of the believer contains that Light.
ما وسعني أرضي ولا سمائي ولكن وسعني قلب عبدي المؤمن
Maa wasi`anee ardee wa laa samaa'ee wa laakin wasi`anee qalbi `abdee al-mu'min.
Neither My Heavens nor My Earth contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant contains Me.
(Hadith Qudsi, Al-Ihya of Imam al-Ghazali)
قلب الموءمن بيت الرب
Qalbu ’l-mumin baytu ’r-rabb
The heart of the believer is the House of Allah.
So we are coming to the House of Allah here, which is a masjid, but qalbu ’l-mumin baytu ’r-rabb, that means if Allah turns the House of Allah in your heart to open, what will happen? You will see Signs (of Allah) that come that no one can (normally) get, when Allah opens your heart, the Signs no one will understand it except that individual; you cannot express it. There is no way to express these inspirations, these knowledges. Allah (swt), look the difference, Allah said in Holy Qur'an:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ
Law anzalna haadha ’l-quraana `alaa jabalin la-raaytahu khaashi`an mutasaddi`an min khashyatillaah. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:21)
“Anzalna,” there is a meaning in “nuzool,” the Holy Qur’an was revealed, inzaal `uloom ul-qur’an, whatever comes from heavens is through nuzool. Law anzalna haadha ’l-quraana `alaa jabal, “if We sent this Holy Qur'an on a mountain,” la-raaytahu khaashi`an mutasaddi`an min khashyatillaah, “You see the whole mountain falling in kushu`a, mutasadi`an, cracked, and khaashi`an, in fear of Allah (swt).” He is fearing from Allah (swt) from khashyatillaah. If it is a huge mountain, the biggest mountain, which is the biggest mountain on Earth? Everest. But which is heaviest? Jabalun yuhibbunaa wa nuhibbahu, Jabal Uhud.
عن أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ أُحُدًا جَبَلٌ يُحِبُّنَا وَنُحِبُّهُ
Innaa uhudan jabalun yuhibbuna wa nuhibbahu.
Indeed, the mountain of Uhud loves us and we love it. (Sahih Muslim)
If it was revealed on that mountain, which is the most holy mountain, Law anzalna haadha ’l-quraana `alaa jabalin, “`alaa jabal” has significance of the mountain, and no significance of any mountain around the world except Jabal Uhud. He came to take Prophet (s) in Ghazwat Uhud, in the cave (during the Battle of Uhud), can any mountain move? Take Prophet (s) and goes back? No only that mountain, to save the Prophet (s). Look at Allah’s Love to the Prophet (s), He sent the mountain to move to take Prophet (s) in. And Allah is saying “If We sent the Holy Qur'an on that mountain, on a mountain, you will see it cracking down, shattered,” from the t`azheem ul-qur’an, from the greatness of the Holy Qur’an, it’s Allah’s Words. What will happen? Shattered. As when Sayyidina Musa (a) asked:
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ
Qaala rabbee arinee anzhur ilayk.
He said, "O my Lord! Show Yourself to me, that I may look upon You." (Surat al-`Araaf, 7:143)
“O my Lord, let me see You!” when he thought himself special, and he is special, but not as special as the Prophet (s). What happened? Allah (swt) said:
قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَـكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ موسَى صَعِقًا فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Qaala lan taraanee wa laakin unzhur ila ’l-jabali, fa in istaqarrra makaanuhu fa-sawfa taraanee, fa lamaa tajalla rabbuhu li 'l-jabali ja`alahoo dakkan wa kharra Moosa sa`iqan, falamma afaaqa qaala subhaanaka tubtu ilayk, wa anaa awwal al-mu’mineen.
Allah said, "By no means can you see Me (directly), but look upon the mountain; if it abides in its place, then you shall see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the mount, He made it as dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses, he said, "Glory be to You! To You I return in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (Surat al-`Araaf, 7:143)
Lan taraanee, “No way!” When Allah manifested His Beautiful Names and Attributes on the mountain, the mountain shattered and Sayyidina Musa (a) fainted. Finished! But Allah (swt) revealed the Holy Qur'an on the heart of Prophet (s) and the Prophet (s) did not shatter. Did the Prophet (s) shatter? Kalaamullah. We read it today, but is this how Jibreel (a) read it? Is this how Prophet (s) heard it? It is tanzeel; it comes with its manifestation.
That is why the tongues of awliyaullah, Muslims, mu’mins, mufassiroon, `ulama, cannot get everything of knowledge. No. When Angel Jibreel (a) said to the Prophet (s):
Iqra! “Read!”
The Prophet (s) didn’t learn knowledge by reading but through talqeen. Talqeen means “to put on the heart of someone,” or “on the tongue of someone,” like the huffazh of Qur’an, those who memorise the Holy Qur’an, they cannot get the Holy Qur'an except from the talqeen, from the tongue of the quraa’, they look at them and listen, they get the same sounds by seeing how he is moving lips and tongue etc. and they learn Qur’an. That’s why Prophet (s) said, “I didn’t read! What are you telling me to read?” maa anaa bi qaaree, has two meanings like I said before. Maa anaa bi qaaree, which means, “I am not one who reads, but I am the one who is taught directly.” Allah (swt) revealed the Holy Qur'an on the Prophet (s) as tanzeel: immediately the Prophet (s) takes it directly and he is not taking it from reading books. That `ilm is:
وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma.
We had taught knowledge from Our Own Presence. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65)
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانََ
Ar-Rahmaan. `Allama 'l-qur'an. Khalaqa 'l-insaan.
(God) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur'an. He has created Man.
(Surat ar-Rahman, 55:1-3)
“We taught.” Allah is saying, “I taught Qur’an,” to Jibreel (a)? No, it must be to Prophet (s) as his ta`leem is from Allah. `uloomu ’l-awwaleen wa ’l-akhireen, he got it from Allah (swt). Maybe through as-Siffat al-`Ilm al-`Alim, Allah's Beautiful Name al-`Alim and from the knowledge of that, Allah's Beautiful Name and Attribute the Prophet (s) was dressed completely with `ilm. Allah is not going to make the Prophet (s) the same as you and me; we learn from the teacher, but Prophet (s) learned from Allah (swt). Is there a difference or not? Of course there is a difference! Allah is showing the greatness of Prophet (s), as Sayyidina Musa (a) fainted from that tajalli. “For My Beloved One, Sayyidina Muhammad (s)...” standing, he didn’t faint. And he said, maa anaa bi qaaree, “I am not a person who reads,” which means, “I never read in my life.” It means he has been given the `ilm on his heart directly. Wa maa anaa bi qaaree, “What do you want me to read? Read what?”
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ * خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَق
Iqraa bismi rabbika ’Lladhee khalaq, khalaqa 'l-insaana min `alaq.
Read! In the Name of your Lord Who created, Who created Man from a clot. (Surat al-`Alaq, 96:1-2)
Jibreel (a) answered, “Read in the Name of that One Who created.” Okay, if I give you the book and say that this book is for you, if I give you cover without the inside, what is benefit? The cover of Holy Qur'an is not considered Qur’an, the cover is a cover of dunya, but the inside of Holy Qur'an is Allah’s Holy Words. That is why if you have no wudu, you can touch the cover but you cannot touch the Qur’an inside. So, if I give you that book and say, “Take only the cover, not the inside,” … you need the inside. So when Allah (swt) said to him, Iqraa bismi rabbika ‘Lladhee khalaq, “In the Name of The One Who created,” He will give him the knowledge of Creation!
Sayyidina `Isaa (a) was able to raise the dead; therefore, can Sayyidina Muhammad (s) not raise the dead from the grave? When Sayyidina Ibrahim (a) asked, “Yaa Rabbee, show me how You create,” Allah (swt) said, Awalam tu’min, “Will you not believe?” Qalaa balaa, wa laakin li-yatma'inna qalbee. He replied, “Yes, but (I am asking) to make my heart tranquil.” Prophet (s) never said, li-yatma'inna qalbee, he said, aamana wa sadaqnaa, sami`ana wa ata`ana (I believe and trust, I hear and obey!”
Then what happened? Allah (swt) said:
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَى
قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قَالَ بَلَى وَلَـكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي قَالَ فَخُذْ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلَى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًا وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Wa idh qaala ibraaheemu rabbee arinee kayfa tuhyee al-mawta qaala awalam tu'min qaala balaa wa laakin li-yatma'inna qalbee qaala fa-khudh arba`atan mina at-tayri fasurhunna ilayka thumma ij`al `ala kulli jabalin minhunna juz'an thumma 'd`uhunna yateenaka sa`yan wa`alam anna Allaha `azeezun hakeem.
Behold! Abraham said, "My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead." He said, “Do you not then believe?" He said, "Yes, but to satisfy My own undertaking." He said, "Take four birds, tame them to turn to you, put a portion of them on every hill and call to them. They will come to you (flying) with speed, then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise." (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:260)
“Put one piece on each side of the mountain,” on four mountains, “and call them.” He called them and they came together. He showed him how He create a bird. Allah did not show the Prophet (s)? So, when He said, “Read in My Name!” means “Represent Me!” So when you sit in this chair, if the mufti goes and says, “Walid sit in my chair!” they cannot say to you, “You are young,” or “You are not `alim,” or “You are`alim,” when you are sitting in the chair it means you are representing the one who owns that chair. When Allah says to the Prophet (s), “Read in My Name!” Iqraa bismi Rabbika ’Lladhee khalaq, in His Name you read, “I am giving you authority, power of attorney. Read!” What is he going to read? Bismi Rabbika ’Lladhee khalaq, “Read in the Name of the One Who created.” When Allah opened that secret He showed him how creation goes, khalaqa 'l-insaana min `alaq, and he went on from there. So Allah (swt), from the first ayah of Holy Qur'an Allah is showing the ta`zheem an-Nabi (s). There is no way anyone can understand the meaning of “Iqraa!” Is it easy to read in the Name of Allah (swt)? That means Allah gave power to the Prophet (s) to be His Representative:
إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً
Innee ja`ilun fi 'l-`ardi khalifah.
Verily, I am making a deputy on Earth. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:30)
That’s for Sayyidina Ibrahim (a), but for Sayyidina Muhammad (s), I cannot say it, if I say it some scholar will not be happy, but I recommend to you the book of Sayyid Muhammad `Alawi al-Maliki, Mafaaheem yajib an tusaha, Understanding Has to Be Corrected. In it he quotes from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya about where Allah asked Prophet (s) to sit. I am not going to say it, let them go do their homework and check what Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, the student of Ibn Taymiyyah, said. But I will that Allah said to him, “Yaa Muhammad! Read in My Name!” which means, “Represent Me. If Ibrahim (a) is My khalifah, can you not be My khalifah? You are above His khilafah! All anbiya come to you on the Day of Judgment.”
Prophet (s) met all anbiya on the night of Israa’ wa'l-Mi`raaj:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ
مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ
Subhaan-alladhee asraa bi `abdihi laylan min al-masjid al-haraam ila 'l-masjidi 'l-aqsaa 'Lladhee baaraknaa hawlahu li-nooriyahu min ayaatinaa innahu huwa ‘s-samee`u 'l- baseer.
Glory be to He Who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship (at Mecca) to the Remote House of Worship (at Jerusalem), the environs of which We had blessed so that We might show him some of Our symbols, for verily He Alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
(Surat al-Israa’, 17:1)
Allahu Akbar! He is glorifying Himself by Himself to Himself, Subhaan-alladhee, “Glory be to He.” He is glorifying, exalting Himself and raising Himself, saying, “I am the One to be glorified, no one can glorify Me, if all the world will be together to glorify they cannot. I am glorifying Myself to Myself and I don’t need anyone!” Glorifying in what? “In the biggest abnormal, impossible, unimaginable journey that I brought My Beloved One to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa and still his bed is warm.” Subhaan al-ladhee asraa bi-`abdihi, brought His servant to Maqaam al-`Abdiyya, the Level of Servanthood. He reached the Level of Servanthood and Allah dressed him, and Allah said, “I am glorifying Myself for this extraordinary, one-time event that cannot happen more than once.” Why once? Can’t it be twice? It cannot, just one time; not one time for Prophet (s), no, but one time that we have to understand it.
Do you think Prophet (s) stopped his Ascension, his Mi`raaj? Everything would collapse! His Mi`raaj is continuous, it cannot be stopped as he is ascending from level to level. When He says, “Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa,” he reached to that small proximity of Allah’s Presence, proximity, and what happened to the Prophet’s presence? Prophet (s) is finished, in the Presence of Allah he does not appear, his existence is only for Allah (swt) in that Light! Subhaan-Allah!
How Allah (swt) is showing the ummah the greatness of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), his importance and greatness. As we said, the soul of a human being is coming when the mother is pregnant, when the sperm meets the egg and after four months the soul comes. Allahu Akbar, from where? From Bahr al-Arwaah, which is in Bahr ul-Qudrah, the Ocean of Power, the Ocean of Souls. Doctor, how many children are born around the world every day? You don’t know. I read an article that said that 10 million are born every day. Do you know? Whatever it is, Allah ordered every soul to go and reach a special place, a womb, or the womb of that particular individual, with no mistakes. Any mistakes? Might be one soul goes to this one and one soul goes to that one? No. It goes directly to the right place, its destination. How does that happen, crossing from Bahr al-Arwaah, from Bahr ul-Qudrah, from that Beautiful Name of Allah, al-Qadir, al-Khaliq and in an instant it reaches. Not at the speed of light anymore; to see the star you have to calculate how many billions of light years that light is coming and that star might no longer exist. No, that soul comes very quick by Allah’s order, with “Sami`naa wa at`anaa” it is there, correct? Or will Allah say to the soul, “Take your journey and move forward,” and it takes two years, ten years, light years, billion of years? From where does the soul come? All the way, crossing from no place, no time zone, no place, nothing, it is completely...we can express it only in the Beautiful Name of al-Qadir, reaching so quick!
A soul can see that, so then why can’t Prophet (s)? The hadith says that Prophet went and came back and his bed was still warm. Why? Did it take time, two or three hours and still the bed is warm? Because Allah wants to show His Love to Prophet (s), that he is Rahmatan lil-`Alameen, that He dressed him with that mercy for human beings, for everyone! He wants to show the greatness of His Beloved One. Like today if a king’s son is coming from another country, what do they do? They don’t take him directly to the palace, they make a parade for him, arriving at the airport there will be a 21-gun salute and raising flags, fireworks, a parade, procession, and everyone saluting the one who is coming.
Was the Prophet (s) not able to go with the speed of the soul? Can’t it reach where he reached in Israa’ and Mi`raaj? He can, but Allah sent for him a vehicle, a markab, to ride on that vehicle and on that vehicle, as described through history and Allah knows best, but it has wings, because angels have wings. When Jibreel (a) used to come to the Prophet (s), he opened two wings, not all his wings. In some narrations they say he has 600 wings. And he opened is wings and in one second he is there. Can’t Allah say to the Prophet (s), “Come to Me in the blink of an eye.” Why did He gave him those processions? He sent him the most beloved angel of Paradise in beauty, the Buraaq, to ride on that vehicle, to ride on that creature that is described in many books as “the most beautiful of expressions” and “most beautiful of definitions” of that Buraaq, that Allah made His Prophet (s) to sit on it. And it was moving to Masjid al-Aqsa. Why, why not going up to Allah directly, why to go to Masjid al-Aqsa? He wants to show those who are unbelievers, when the Prophet (s) came back he was explaining to them where are their caravans just then, and they were surprised. That gave authenticity to His Prophet (s). And why did he go up from Palestine? To show all prophets, because most prophets are from that area, “All of them are under you, yaa Muhammad (s)! I am raising you alive!” and he went. Someone to whom Allah gave power to fly against the law of physics.
Physics says you cannot do that. Even a space shuttle will burn with heat of the cover of the Earth, but the Prophet (s) did not get any harm. He went against all laws of physics and all laws of Earth, and all laws of any one thing, he went against it. Not against it, but he went and he passed it. And when he reached the first Paradise was he not greeted? Allah ordered all Paradises to decorate themselves. And the decoration is what? We put balloons here and there and papers. That is the decoration? Or Allah ordered the Heavens to dress in best, the most beautiful dress we can imagine; welcoming Prophet (s) from one to another, from one to another, until he reached...where? Until, as we know, he reached Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa. Allah made his Buraaq, that angel, to be the means for Prophet (s) to show his greatness, that, “I am making special parade and special procession until he reaches Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa.” Is that it? Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa? In Surat al-Inshirah, He said:
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
Wa rafa`na laka dhikrak.
Have We not raised your remembrance? (Surat ash-Sharh, 94:4)
He raised his name with His Name. So the Chair there is empty, only a name on it? Or is Allah bringing Prophet (s) in an Ascension to reach a sitution where he will sit in a designated place to sit as the Best of Servants, the Best of Creation? So He raised him to that level to show all angels, in a place that no one can reach, “This is My Beloved One, on whom I ordered you to make salawaat!”
Wa laa yata`adda min maqaam al-`abdiyya ila maqaam al-haqq. It is impossible that the Prophet (s) will yata`adda, transgress the limit of the border of the Level of Servanthood. So who is the real muwwahid? The one who reached that place where there is no one except him, Rasoolullah (s), and saying there whatever he wanted to say from Maqaam at-Tawheed, “Yaa Rabbee...” And:
وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى
Wa ’n-najmi idhaa hawaa maa dalla saahibukum wa maa ghawaa. Wa maa yantiqu `ani 'l-hawaa in huwa illa wahyun yoohaa.
By the star when it goes down, your Companion is neither astray nor being misled, nor does he say (aught) of (his own) desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. (Surat an-Najm, 53:1-4)
Wa maa yantiqu, never he opened his mouth to say anything that is not revelation, in huwa illa wahyun yoohaa, he doesn't utter anything except that it is wahiyy! Even if he says, “uh, uh,” this cough is wahiyy. Wa maa yantiqu, un-nutuq. We have doctors here: what is “nutuq,” that I want to speak but I have a cough, “Agh, agh,” it is anything that comes from the throat, and anything that comes from the throat of the Prophet (s) is a wahiyy.
Wa maa yantiqu `ani 'l-hawaa in huwa illa wahyun yoohaa, yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah, yaa Shafi` al-mudhnimeen, unzhur `alaynaa bi nazharika yaa Habeebullah, yaa man arsalakallahu ta`ala rahmatan li ’l-`alameen.
So Allah gave him a procession, that’s why He sent the Buraaq, otherwise He would have called him directly, but He gave him a parade to welcome him. Allah is able to bring him in a second, like the soul of the human being reaches the womb of mother in one second: if Allah says, “Kun!” will it happen or not?
Kun fayakoon.
(Allah said) “Be!” and it is. (Surat al-YaSin, 36:82)
If Allah says, “Yaa Muhammad, come!” then finish, he will be there, but He (swt) sent Buraq. Then we have to understand why He sent Buraq, tashreefan li ’n-nabi, tashreefan, honoring the Prophet (s), tashreefan li ’n-nabi, and honoring him by a company of Jibreel (a), Mika`eel (a), Israfeel (a) taking him in a group. When he passed all this universe and said, “Allah gave me `Uloom al-Awaaleen wa ’l-Akhireen,” when you are driving a car here, do you see left or right? Don’t you know what is on your right and on your left? So you think the Prophet (s) didn’t see what is on his right and on his left as he was sitting on the Buraq and looking, and they were going higher and higher, was he not able to see where he was passing in this universe? Because he passed this entire universe. Jannah is not in the universe, it cannot be in something created; it is in its creation, up somewhere. Prophet (s) went up through the universe against the laws of physics, and couldn’t he see right or left? When he was going from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa, he was able to see, going and coming back, so was he not able to see in the universe, going and coming? But he didn’t say, because we cannot learn it, know it, until the Noorullah comes into your heart:
قلب الموءمن بيت الرب
Qalb al-mu'min bayt ar-rabb.
The heart of the believer is the House of the Lord.
That’s the meaning of the Love of Allah (swt), that He sent His Prophet (s) as His servant, and there is no partner to Allah as His servant. To Him as the Best Servant, He sent him to humanity, sent him to Creation, sent him as Rahamatan lil-`Alameen, a title that cannot be explained. We are speaking on the greatness of the Prophet (s), and Allah (swt) is saying:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ
مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ
Subhaan-alladhee asraa bi `abdihi laylan min al-masjid al-haraam ila 'l-masjidi 'l-aqsaa 'Lladhee baaraknaa hawlahu li-nooriyahu min ayaatinaa innahu huwa ‘s-samee`u 'l- baseer.
Glory be to He Who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship (at Mecca) to the Remote House of Worship (at Jerusalem), the environs of which We had blessed so that We might show him some of Our symbols, for verily He Alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
(Surat al-Israa’, 17:1)
Glorifying Himself by Himself that He brought His Prophet (s). That means it is something so big we cannot know it. We are speaking like drops, might be drops of an ocean or less from the Ocean of Greatness, the love that Allah showed to Prophet (s), the nobility, the honor that Allah showed to Prophet (s), we cannot see it! All `ulama's knowledge is not even a drop in the Ocean of Knowledge of Prophet (s)! You cannot see what is above this roof; how you can see Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa and speak about Prophet (s)? It is the nicest topic that I like to speak about, but it is also the most painful topic to speak about because you cannot give the greatness and right of the Prophet (s)! Even the biggest wali, not like us by the door at the shoes, but the biggest wali cannot; he can only describe something. Like the ayah in Surat al-Kahf when Allah was talking to Sayyidina Musa (a) as he felt very close, familiarity, no more formality, informal, asking what is this and what is that. Allah (swt) said, “Okay, you want to learn, you want to know? Go to the ocean where your whale, hoot, fish jumped in the ocean and there you will find a secret.” And he found Sayyidina Khidr (a) there. Some scholars say that he was a wali and some say he was a prophet. He found him there from among many:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
fa wajadaa `abdan min `ibaadinaa aataynaahu rahamatan min `indinaa wa`alamnaahu min laddunaa rahma.
So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65)
. Min `ibaadinaa
-- “Of which We have many!” and he found one.
Ataynahu rahmatan min `indinaa wa `allamnaahu min laddunna `ilma, Allah wants to show Sayyidina Musa (a) that no doors can open without Prophet (s). How? He sent him to Sayyidina al-Khidr (a) and telling him in Holy Qur’an, responding to Sayyidina Musa (a): antu Khidrun `ataynhu Rahmah, “We gave him Mercy!” to Khidr (a), “Why did he become special? Why did he become a focus, or a goal for you to go and see him?” It means that he has a speciality that He wants to show you. What is that speciality He is going to show you? “He is `abd, you are prophet,” he is prophet if we go with the other scholars, “he is prophet but you are Ahlul `Azheema, of the five biggest prophets, still you go to him!” First Allah wants to teach him humility second Allah wants to show him the greatness that through the greatness of that one, means Prophet (s) no one can enter the Door of Knowledge. Because “`uloom al-awwaleen wa’l-akhireen” involves all Knowedges of Before and After. Even the knowledge of Sayyidina Musa (a) is inside what Allah gave to Sayyidina Muhammad (s). What did He say?
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Fawajada `abdan min `ibaadina aataynaahu rahmatan min `indinaa wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma.
So they found one of Our Servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our Own Presence. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65)
“Before I will teach you heavenly knowledge, divinely knowledge, you have to get rahmah first, min `indina,” and who is the rahmah from `indinaa? From us, that Allah has sent? He stated clearly in the Holy Qur’an:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
Wa maa arsalnaaka illa rahmatan li 'l-`alameen.
(O Muhammad!) We have sent you not except as a Mercy for all the Worlds. (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:107)
Wa maa arsalnaaka, He is confirming, “We did not send you except as rahmah!” which means no one can enter the knowledge without being dressed by rahmatun-nabi (s) that Allah dressed on Prophet (s). It means, “You want to come to Me? Come through Prophet.” If Sayyidina al-Khidr (a) was not first dressed with rahmah he would never be able to enter wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma, “We taught him from Our Divinely Knowledge.” So what did he do? Farakibaa fi ’s-safeenati, he told Musa (a), “You cannot come with me. Don’t trouble yourself, you cannot!” innaka lan tastati`a ma`iya sabraa. Then Musa (a) went in there and said, “Never mind, try me!” And so Sayyidina al-Khidr (a) said, “Okay come, I will try you.” farakibaa fi ’s-safeenati kharaqahaa, and then he took him in the boat and he broke a hole in it and that is to say, “Don’t judge My awliyaullah with your mind!
فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّى إِذَا رَكِبَا فِي السَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَا قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا إِمْرًا
Fa’intalaqaa hatta idhaa rakibaa fi ’s-safeenati kharaqahaa qaala akharaqtahaa li-tughriqa ahlahaa laqad ji’ita shayan imra.
So they both proceeded until, when they were in the boat, he scuttled it. Said Musa, "Have you scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing have you done!"
(Surat al-Kahf, 18:71)
قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا
Qaala innaka lan tastati`a ma`iya sabraa.
The other said, “Surely you will not be able to have patience with me." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:67)
“Did you open a hole in order to make it sink?”
He said, “Yes!”
It is too long to discuss here. Why did he open a hole here? It means you cannot reach divine knowledge when you go to Allah's Presence in Tur Sina with your ego. “I put a knife in to kill your ego,” because there on other side is malikun yakhudhu kullu safeenatin ghasban!
أَمَّا السَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَاكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَاءهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا
Amma ’s-safeenatu fakaanat li-masaakeena ya`maloona fi ’l-bahri fa-aradtu an a`eebahaa wa kaana waraahum malikun yakhudhu kulla safeenatin ghasba.
As for that boat, it belonged to some needy people who toiled upon the sea, and I desired to damage it because [I knew that] behind them was a king who wants to seize every boat by brute force.
(Surat al-Kahf, 18:79)
There is a king who is taking every ship by force. We are a ship, a vehicle, a markab, and if we get rid of our ego, it becomes the Ship of