From Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's Personal Notes
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi ta`ala wa barakaatuh.
I think my brother has introduced my dad, my father, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani. He is the one who is the scholar. He is the one who has various students around the world. I’m just following in his footsteps and also the footsteps of my grandfather, Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani. He is from Cyprus. Both of them are masters in their fields. What is their field? Their field is how to acquire Noor.
First we say, a`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen, wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `alaa Sayyidina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.
Alhamdulillah, we are all Muslims. Muslims believe in Allah (swt) and believe in Yaum al-Akhirah, the Last Day. A Day will come where everybody is going to stand up. Everybody knows that so there is no need to address it. On that day, there will be a group of people who will look up to the Muslims or the mu’mins and say, “Why don’t you give us some of your Noor?” Why? Because the Day of Judgement is darkness upon darkness for the unbeliever and darkness upon darkness for the munafiq. You can be a Muslim externally. You can say, “I believe in Allah (swt). I believe in the Messenger (s) and I’m doing what you’re doing. I’m praying. I’m fasting. I’m reading the Qur’an.” But internally, he is not. He is a pretender or a fake one or somebody who wants to acquire something.
In Surah al-Hadid, Allah (swt) says, asta`eedhu billah:
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱنظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ٱرْجِعُوا۟ وَرَآءَكُمْ فَٱلْتَمِسُوا۟ نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُۥ بَابٌۢ بَاطِنُهُۥ فِيهِ ٱلرَّحْمَةُ وَظَـٰهِرُهُۥ مِن قِبَلِهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ
One Day will the Hypocrites- men and women - say to the Believers: "Wait for us! Let us borrow (a Light) from your Light!" It will be said: "Turn ye back to your rear! then seek a Light (where ye can)!" So a wall will be put up betwixt them, with a gate therein. Within it will be Mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be (Wrath and) Punishment! (Surat Al-Hadid, 57:13)
On that day, the munafiq, the one who says, “I’m a believer. I say, ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s),’” will look upon the true mu’min and will say, “Look at us, so we can take some of your Noor.” What do the mu’mins say to them? The mu’mins will say: Qeela arji`u wara’akum. “Turn back.” Faltamisoo noora. “Find the Noor.”
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ارْجِعُوا وَرَاءكُمْ فَالْتَمِسُوا نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ
Yawma yaqoolu ‘l-munafiqoona wa ‘l-munafiqaatu li ’Lladheena amanoo anzhuroona naqtabis min noorikum qeela arji`u wara’akum faltamisoo nooran faduriba baynahum bi-soorin lahu baabun baatinuhu feehi ar-rahmatu wa zhahiruhu min qibalihi al-`adhaab.
One day will the hypocrites, men and women, say to the believers, "Wait for us! Let us borrow (a light) from your light!" It will be said, "Turn ye back to your rear! Then seek a light (where ye can)!" So a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Within it will be mercy throughout, and without it, all alongside, will be (wrath and) punishment! (Surat al-Hadid, 57:13)
Where do they find the Noor? In dunya. Your position, your job, O insaan. You are all human beings. A human being has to understand what he or she believes in is for that Noor. Why do you need that Noor? So you can find your way upon the Siraat on the Day of Judgement. If you have no Noor and you are passing over the Siraat al-Mustaqeem, the Bridge that has been put upon Jahannam, you will fall. In dunya, your job, O Muslim, O mu’min, is not to waste too much of your time outside doing this and doing that. You have to find that Noor. Faltamisoo noora. Why? Because you need that Noor to know where to step. If you step in the wrong space, you will fall down.
It is said that on that Day there will be levels of Noor. Some Muslims will only have Noor on their tongues that will flicker. It will light up and fade, light up and fade but it might be enough for them to see their way. In this world you have to find that Noor. What is that Noor? That is iman. What is iman? Iman is how much you know Allah (swt), ma`rifatullah. How much of Allah (swt)’s Characteristics, His Attributes, His Names, do you know? Ask yourself. When you think of Allah (swt), what do you think of? You might think of one word, one name, one sentence and then you don’t. But when somebody asks you about Facebook in detail, about Instagram in detail, about Microsoft in detail, about whatever it is in detail, mashaa-Allah, you can write a volume. But when Allah (swt) is the topic, every mu’min and Muslim struggles to find a few things about Him.
Everybody wants to be rich in this world. If you’re so rich, feed Allah (swt)’s creation one meal. Can you do that? All of His creation, from the insect to the whale. Feed His creation one meal if you think that you are rich and that you can provide. Who is The Rich? Who is Al-Ghani. Allah (swt). Know that about your Lord, O insaan. Don’t say, “Mashaa-Allah, I’m feeding ten people. I’m feeding twenty people. I’m feeding my village. I’m feeding my city. I’m feeding my country.” How about feeding the universes, not only this world? Allah (swt) has endless creations. Why don’t you feed all of them? You can’t. Know that you are faqir. Antumu ‘l-fuqaraoo illa ’Llah.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ
O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah. but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise. (Surah Fatir, 35:15)
You are the faqir. You are the needy. You are the penniless one. Can you get yourself to say that? No. The doctors, no, of course not. I used to be a doctor. I know my colleagues. They think that they own everything. They think they are on top of the world. They walk with pride and arrogance. Mukhtaalan fakhoora.
وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا وَبِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلْجَارِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْجَارِ ٱلْجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلْجَنۢبِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا
Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:36)
The gait that they walk with, the steps that they take, it’s like pride is just pouring from their faces. Allah (swt) does not like the one who walks with pride and arrogance. Allah (swt) is Al-Ghani. You have to always know that you are faqir. No matter how much you have, you are always faqirun illAllah. Allah (swt) is the One. Understand that about your Lord.
Second, you think you’re powerful. “Mashaa-Allah, I’m so strong. I can do anything I want. I can move mountains. I can shake the earth.” Mashaa-Allah, you are so strong. Awliyaullah have said, itqa anqal mawt, “Why don't you push death away?” Can you push death away? Where is your strength? When you are on that hospital bed, when you are at home in bed, pretending to be the king of the universes, pretending to be He-Man, “I’m so strong,” push away death from yourself, O insaan! You can’t. You have to know that you are da’eef. You are weak.
وَخُلِقَ الإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا
Wa khuliqa 'l-insaana da`eefa.
We have created man weak. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:28)
Allah (swt) is saying this Himself in the Holy Qur’an. The human being was created weak. Why the arrogance and pride, O human being?
Third, if you think that you are strong, if you think that you are rich, Allah (swt) is Al-Ghani. Allah (swt) is Al-Qawi. May Allah (swt) forgive us. You see it. Every time you go to bed, you see yourself out. Can you push that sleepiness away? You can’t. Can you prevent yourself from waking up? You can’t. You have to know that you are in the Hands of Allah (swt). You are in the hands of someone else that has taken over your power, that has taken over your body, that has taken over your soul. You have to come to terms with that, O insaan. You have to understand that Allah (swt) is the Only One capable, the only Razzaq, the only Qawi, the only `Azeez. Allah (swt) will give you Noor. When you believe in Him as such, Allah (swt) will give you Endless Noor and that is Marifatullah. That’s what you need to know.
O human being, obtain that Noor. Follow what Rasoolullah (s) has brought. Follow what his Sahaabah (r) have conveyed. Follow what the Tabi`een and Taabi Tabi`een have followed. Follow in their footsteps and you will find your way on the Day of Judgement. You will find that Noor that the munafiq is asking for when he says, “Give us from that Noor so we can find our way to Jannah.” Allah (swt) has sent Rasoolullah (s) to show you the door to Jannah. Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur’an, asta’eedhubillah:
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجْتَنَبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ أَن يَعْبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ
There is good news for those who shun the worship of false gods and turn to God, so [Prophet] give good news to My servants. (Surah az-Zumar, 39:17)
Walladheena ‘j-tanabu ‘l-taghoota an ya`budoohaa wa annaaboo ila’Llah. Give glad tidings, to whom? How can you reach ma`rifatullah? How can you reach that Jannah? You reach that Jannah when you avoid taghoot. What is taghoot? Taghoot is anybody that has gone overboard in disobedience. The first one is Shaytan. Shaytan has gone overboard with his disobedience to Allah (swt) and the ones that have followed. There are tawaagheet, there are taghoot everywhere. They are the supporters of Shaytan. The soldiers of Shaytan are everywhere. You have to stay away from them. You have to run away from them and what? Wa annaaboo ila’Llah. You have to come to Allah (swt).
Where do you find Allah (swt)? Sayyidina Musa (a) asked Allah (swt) , “Yaa Rabbee! How can I find You.” He said, “Yaa Musa, idha qasadta ilayya faqad wasalta ilayya.” The minute you turn your face towards Me, the minute you take to Me, the minute you remember Me, you have reached Me, instantly.” It’s not on Mars, it’s not here, it’s not there. The minute you turn to Allah (swt), you have reached Him. The minute you say, “Allahu Akbar. Yaa Rabbee, I’m pushing dunya and whatever is in it behind me. I’m done.” How many are present? How many of us do that? When you go into namaaz, how many of us say, “Yaa Rabbee, I’m done with all of this dunya and its junk. I’m turning my face to You.” What do you do? Say, “Yaa Rabbee, I come in humbleness.”
Why do we put our hands down and our necks down in front of Allah (swt)? What are you doing? You are coming down from maqaam at-takkabur to maqaam at-tawad`a. You are coming down from the level of pride and arrogance to the level of humbleness and humility. How do you pray in front of Allah (swt), like this or like this? You have to pray like this. Why? Because Allah (swt) has said:
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلَاتِهِمْ خَـٰشِعُونَ
Those who humble themselves in their prayers. (Surat al-Mu’minoon, 23:2)
Alladheena hum fee salaatihim khashi`oon. Where is your kushoo`? The mu’mins that will make it are the ones who are humble in their prayers. When you push dunya away saying, “Yaa Rabbee, You are Greater. Dunya is not great and Akhirah is not great. You are Greater.” When you say, “Allahu Akbar,” you have turned everything away. You have turned everything back, “I am going towards you, O my Lord.” When you humble yourself down in your qiyam, you are coming down from that level of arrogance or the station of arrogance to the station of humbleness. That’s what you need to do. You have to understand why you do these stages in prayer. Of course, Rasoolullah (s) taught us how to pray and Sayyidina Jibril (a) taught Rasoolullah (s) how to pray but there are always meanings. It is not only dhahir, external knowledge. There are some meanings to it.
You are putting your ego down. You are humbling yourself in front of the Majestic One, in front of the Great One. When you go into rukoo` what happens? Rukoo` is submission to Allah (swt). That is hudoor. When you bow down to Allah (swt), what is that? I don’t want to say that but it’s just for us to understand. When you are pulling a goat with a rope or pulling a sheep or a camel with a rope, where does that animal go? It goes anywhere you go. When you are making rukoo`, you are allowing Allah (swt) to guide you to wherever He wants you to be guided. You are telling Allah (swt), “Yaa Rabbee! I’ll do what you show me.” I am not saying we are animals, no. Don’t understand me wrong. I’m trying to bring that image to you. First, humble yourself down. Second, tell Allah (swt) in your prayer, “Yaa Rabbee, whatever way You show me, I’m following.” And then you go into sujood, “I’m fully in submission to You.” That is one of the meanings of why we perform these positions. Of course, there are so many other meanings.
That is what you need to do, O insaan, humble yourself down. Don’t be proud. Don’t be arrogant. The third thing is, mashaa-Allah, you are knowledgeable. You write volumes. You have written books. You have advised the presidents. You have advised the councilors. You have advised the prime minister. Why? Because you have so much knowledge. Okay, tell me when you will die. Where is your knowledge? Allah (swt) has hidden that to make you understand that you are still jahil. When do you die? “I don’t know.” Finally one, “I don’t know,” has come out. Actually, you don’t know too much. There is ghayb. Allah (swt) knows the ghayb. Laa ya`amu ‘l-ghayba illa ’Llah. How much of the ghayb do you know? Do you know what will happen tomorrow? No. Do you know when you will die? No. What happens when you die? Who comes to you when you die, O insaan? “There is good news for those who shun the worship of false gods and turn to God, so [Prophet] give good news to My servants.”
The ones who avoid Shaytan and his whisperings and the agents of Shaytan. Wa annaaboo ila’Llah. They come to Allah (swt), coming down from wanting dunya and everything else in dunya and wanting Akhirah. “I want you, yaa Rabbee. You are Akbar. You are the Greatest thing in my heart.” Come down from that arrogance to humility. Wa innabuoo ilAllah. They turn to Allah (swt). Lahumu ‘l-bushra. “The glad tidings will come to them.”
That’s what you need to look for, O insaan. When you die, the glad tidings will come to you, the bushraa, good tidings. Bushra of what? Bushraa of Jannah, of course. Do you know if you are going to get the bushra of Jannah or not? How do you know? How do you know that you are from these lucky ones that will have the glad tidings that you are from Ahlu ‘l-Jannah? It continues in the same verse.
لَهُمُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ ذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ ٱلْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُۥٓ
Fabashira `ibadilladheena yastami`oona al-qawla fa yatibioona ahsana.
Give the glad tidings to My servants that have listened to the words and they have followed the best of it. (Surah az-Zumar, 39:17, 18)
That means a mu’min is the one who has an open ear to whatever Allah (swt) has ordered. The minute a mu’min hears about the actions and deeds as Allah (swt) has ordered, he does it. The minute he knows that Rasoolullah (s) ordered certain things, he does them. The one who has open ears to that, not open ears to Google News, not open ears to politics, not open ears to bagging systems, no open ears to digital currencies, not open ears to what’s going to happen. Leave that. You will leave and go.
When malaa’ikah come to you and say, “It is your turn. Come with us,” you will go. You will leave everything and go. Nothing is going to go down with you in the grave except one thing: your shroud. That’s it. What you take from dunya is your coffin shroud. It is also makruh for it to be expensive. It has to be average. That is what you have from this dunya on the way out, O insaan. Wait for the glad tidings to come to you. Avoid Shaytan and turn to Allah (swt). How do you do that? It’s so simple. You do it every day but you don’t have that understanding. That is Laa ilaaha. Dunya not what I follow and want. Shaytan is not what I follow and want. My ego’s desires are not what I follow and want. What I want is illa-Llah. When you say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” and repeat it, you are confirming, “Yaa Rabbee! I don’t want anything but You. Nothing has power over me. Shaytan has no power over me. Dunya and whatever is in it, its pleasure and its power and its prestige has no power over me. All of the desires that I crave in this world have no power over me. I follow You and I want You.”
That is bushra. If you say that Kalima ‘t-Tayyiba as much as you can, repeat, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” the malaa’ikah will come to you and give you the glad tidings that you are from Ahlu ‘l-Jannah. That is why you sit in halaqatu ‘d-dhikr. Do it at home by yourself. Do it at home with your family. Do it in the masjid with people. You recite, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah wahdahu laa shareeka la,” loudly, silently, with people or without people. You have to make yourself say that because when you say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” that Noor enters into your heart. Kalima ‘t-Tawheed is made up of 12 letters. It is said these 12 letters are the external image of the Noor that Allah (swt) will send to your heart, the Noor of iman and Marifatullah. When you know Allah (swt), that Noor will guide you here, on the Siraat and will guide you into Jannah.
O insaan! Turn to Allah (swt). Leave what you are doing and take what is enough for you. Be busy with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. Be busy with listening to Allah (swt)’s Holy Words. Be busy with Rasoolullah’s (s) holy words and his `ibaadah and what he has taught us. Be busy with befriending good ones. Let go of the ones who will not benefit you here or over there.
May Allah (swt) forgive us. I don’t want to make it any longer. Mashaa-Allah, everyone is knowledgeable. Everyone knows what I have said but it is a reminder. Our teachers have said, don’t say, “I am teaching you.” I have to be taught as well. Allah (swt) taught Rasoolullah (s) in the Holy Qur’an to say, Rabbee zidna `ilma. “Yaa Rabbee! Increase my knowledge.” That means there is so much knowledge to take. Don’t say, “I have mastered the knowledge.” Don’t be a proud one. Even Rasoolullah (s) was told to say, “Oh my Lord! Increase my knowledge.” That means you and I need to also. Always humble yourself but remind.
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
But teach (thy Message) for teaching benefits the Believers. (Surah adh-Dhariyat, 51:55)
Wa dhakkir fa inna ‘d-dhikra ya tanfau ‘l-mu’mineen. Remind the Muslims because reminding them will benefit them in dunya and Akhirah. May Allah (swt) make us from the ones who remember.
يُؤْتِى ٱلْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَن يُؤْتَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِىَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:269)
Wa maa yadhakkaru illa oolul al-baab. The ones who remember are the ones with clear minds. Clear minds from what? From the whispers of Shaytan and the wants of dunya. When you clean your mind from the dirtiness of this world, when you clear your mind from the whisperings of Shaytan then you will start thinking clearly. When you think clearly, you know that your time is coming. “How am I going to stand in front of my Lord?” May Allah (swt) dress us with the best way to be in His Presence. That is the best taqwa. Don’t forget. Libaasu ‘t-taqwa dhaalika ‘l-khayr.
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition! (Surah al-A`raf, 7:26)
Allah (swt) is telling you there is a dress that is the best of dresses. Not your Gucci or Armani. There is a better dress. What is it? Libaasu ‘t-taqwa. What is taqwa? Taqwa maa siwaa ’Llah. Leave everything other than Allah (swt) and turn to Him wholly. Turn to Him as much as you can. Allah (swt) knows that we cannot turn to Him fully and that’s why He said:
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُمْ
wa ‘t-taqu ’Llaha maa ’stat`atum.
remain, then, conscious of God as best you can… (Surat at-Taghaabun, 64:16)
Turn to Allah (swt) as much as you can. He has given you everything and He wants you to take everything in Jannah and here in dunya. Allah (swt) has given us the chance and that chance is by following, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” and following Sayyidina Muhammad (s) as His Messenger and His servant.
Aqoolu qawlee hadha wa astaghfirullah al-`Azheem lee wa-lakum li-mu’mineen fa-astaghfiroohu fa yaa fawzan li ‘l-mustaghfireen astaghfirullah.
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