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`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Ati`ullaha wa ati`u 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
Q: What is the language of Ahlu 'l-Jannah (People of Paradise) and what is the fastest way to learn Islam?
MSH: The language of Ahlu 'l-Jannah is Arabic. When Allah taught Adam (a) the names in Paradise, many scholars say, it was in Arabic. And Allah revealed His words to the heart of Adam (a). Adam (a) understood, he (a) didn’t need to talk. But when he (a) came on earth, the language of Sayyidina Adam (a) was different, but the language in Paradise was Arabic. So on earth, we don’t know because it is not mentioned, but we know in Paradise it is Arabic.
The fastest way to learn Islam is to say Ashhadu an Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadun Rasoolullah. "من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة - Man qaalla Laa ilaaha illa-Llaah dakhala' l-jannah - Whoever says La ilaaha illa-Llaah enters Paradise" with the Prophet (s). This means keep saying Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s), Allah will open to your heart the way of Islam, Insha-Allah.
Q: What can you say about Sayyidina Imam Mahdi (a)?
MSH: Prophet (s) said, “One of my grandchildren will come with a heavenly support that will fill this Earth with justice, as it is filled with oppression." So that is our belief, the belief of Ahlu 's-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama`ah. You can read the ahadeeth about Mahdi (a); many are authentic and have been authenticized in different collections.
Q: What is the difference between true guidance and as people are saying today, the "mind/body/spirit" connection?
MSH: It is so easy. What Allah said in Holy Qur’an about hidayah (guidance). Do you love Allah in your heart or not? Do you love Him or not? Do you love Allah (swt)? How much? (Person answers “So much”). Allah said in Holy Qur’an, “قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ - in kuntum tuhibboonallah fattabi`oonee yuhbibkumullaah - If you love Allah, follow Muhammad, Allah will love you.” Follow the Prophet (s), Allah will love you. So the importance is to follow what Prophet (s) has indicated for us: the Shari`ah. We don’t like to do anything against Shari`ah. Anything done against Shari`ah is unacceptable. So that is how to really get hidaayah, because Allah said in Holy Qur’an to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء la tahdee man ahbabt inn'Allaaha yahdee man yashaa - Don’t guide whom you love, Allah will guide whom He likes.” (28:56) So guidance comes from Allah (swt), through ittib`a an-Nabi (s) - by following Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Then you get hidayah Insha'Allah, and it will be the fastest way.
Q: Some people say the end of the world will be in 2012. Is that true?
MSH: Standing to Prophet (s) is standing to Allah, man `atta ar rasool faqad `attallah. And in reference to the first question about the end of 2012 why not 2010? Laa y`alamu' l-ghayba Ill-Llah, “Allah knows the unseen.” Might be 2009, end of this year, who knows? And why we have to take everything in the Western way? Why we don’t believe in what the Prophet (s) said about it? (Mawlana stands.) Now we are standing for Prophet (s), which means we are standing for Allah (swt).
And the last question about soul, mind, and body, for that you need to come to America to stay one month with me. I recommend you read my book, The Sufi Science of Self-Realization, science for the body and mind. All these things have been mentioned in the book. Now I don’t see the time here, but we know that even an atom has a mass, and electrons, which are the energy of the atom. The energy in these electrons is circumbulating around the mass always in the speed of light. Also, the soul is circumbulating around the mass of the body. There is a relationship between mass and soul. You cannot have mass alone without soul and vice versa, just like you cannot have an atom without an electron, proton, or a neutron. All these combinations have to be balanced. That’s why in the Islamic balancing where Prophet (s) really explained very eloquently about how the atom works, He (s) combined Maqam ul-Islam together with faith. Islam plus faith plus Ihsan (moral excellence) is the combination of the obligations. When you accept Islam, you accept to pray. So with this movement of the body there has to be movement of the faith. You cannot be moving the body without faith. That faith that is within you is acting like the energy in the atom, like the electrons in the atom. Everything is in a balanced situation. Speaking about the mind, yes the mind has control, big control over our system. But I don’t agree with you that the mind can love the real love, because if someone is in a coma his heart is still beating, he is still alive. The mind is completely gone but still he is alive. That life is not affected by the mind.
When you submit to Allah (swt) you will be in full position, the heart submitting to the Creator and that’s why people will go into a coma of dunya and come to a vision of akhira. So that combination of many different issues; I don’t think is going to be understood in one session. There have to be certain procedures to understand that. Since you are reading a lot of literature, you can read my book on that issue and insha'Allah you will get an answer, or you come to America for one month; we will send you an invitation and you come there insha'Allah.
I think people are happy. Any more questions or finished? The last one now can ask ten questions in one question.
Q: Is it advisable to do dhikr and awraad all day, and not work?
MSH: That is the worst thing you can do. Because Allah said, رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً Rabbana aatina fi 'd-dunya hasanatan fi 'l-akhirati hasanah, “Give us in dunya hasanah and give us in akhira hasanah.” You cannot leave dunya and say, “I’m waiting,” and sit in the corner, then everything will shut down. No, you keep working until the last moment. Prophet (s) ordered Sahaabah (r) to plant, he didn’t say to them to stop. When they asked him (s) about grafting the tree and sowing the palm, he (s) said to work. So we cannot sit and wait, but this is not for everyone. There are some people that Allah made them concerned only about akhirah, for them that is okay. They are in a process of daw`ah, that’s okay for them. But the rest have to work. If you are sick, where do you go? Do you sit in the basement and say Allah, Allah, laa ilaaha illa-Llah or do you go to a hospital? If there is no hospital what happens? You die. So I think when somebody is sick, immediately you leave your prayer and run to the hospital. This means we have to work until the last moment of our life, but balancing between the work of dunya and the work of akhirah. As we work for dunya, we need to work for akhirah.
May Allah (swt) forgive us. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, du`a from Shaykh Abdur Rahman.