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)
Mawlana (q) and Grandshaykh (q) always in every session and in every meeting used to make an intention. And they said that if you make the same intention, Allah will write it for you as if you have done it. First, nawaytu 'l-arba`een, “Yaa Rabbee, my intention is to be in a seclusion of forty days.” Second, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, “to make a seclusion in this meeting, like you do in the masjid (mosque).” Third, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, “I’m asking for seclusion for forty days.” Forth, nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, “I’m asking to do more prayers, continuously.” Fifth, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah, “I’m asking to be secluded by myself in this mosque.” And then sixth, nawaytu 's-sulook, “I am making intention to seek the way of Gnostics.” So if you make that intention in every `amal (action), Allah will right it for you as if you have done all these six different categories.
That’s why a guide is important in your life, because he can give you hints of things that you don’t know, so you will be able to achieve the highest level of reward; although you are doing the smallest possible level, like the difference between an ant and an elephant. You get the benefit of an elephant even if you are walking like an ant, making tiny steps. Which one has more speed, the lion, tiger, cheetah or the black panther? The cheetah is fastest. Our movement towards Islam, towards Prophet (s), towards Allah (swt), is like an ant. But if you make the intention, “Yaa Rabbee, I’m weak, my movement is like an ant,” Allah will make your movement like a cheetah, very quick, and reward you according to the fastest speed.
Therefore, intentions are important in the lives of human beings. That’s why guides are important, because they give you a speed. Even with a small `amal, you can get a huge reward. Wa lillahi fee khalqeehee sha`oor, “Allah knows best about His servant.” Allah (swt) gave everyone something different. How do we know that? Hajji Ghulam, yaa Habeeb. Do you see how Allah gave him something different? Look. Why Allah (swt) gave him something different, because he gave me something different. Allahu Akbar, Pakistanis mashaa-Allah are very respectful towards Prophet (s), and anything related to him, they do it with the best adab. I didn’t see people like them. That doesn’t mean that Malaysians, Indonesians, or Middle Eastern people are not respectful, but they are very meticulous in showing love to Sayyidina Muhammad (s).
So Allah gave everyone something different. How do we know that? Is it something in their personality, in their self, in their way of approaching, or in their character? Allah gave one thing that shows that everyone is different. It’s one thing, in your life. And because of that, you cannot say, “These people are alike.” Except in some cases like twins, but even twins’ behaviors and characters are different. Allah (swt) gave something to everyone that differentiates one from the other. What is that?
The thumbprint is different from one person to another. You cannot find two people with the same thumbprint. You press it on ink and then on paper. There are millions and millions of thumbprints that are different; you cannot find two of the same kind. We are six-billion people on Earth now, meaning six-billion different thumbprints. How? The One who did that must be beyond our understanding. No one can create six-billion different inscriptions on fingers. This thumbprint is a code. They don’t know the meaning of the code or what is in it. There are encrypted knowledges in it.
Why do awliyaullah give you bay`a (initiation)? (Mawlana holds a mureed’s hand.) See, his thumbprint is already copied here (Mawlana points to his own hand). People don’t understand the meaning of bay`a. As soon as awliyaaullah put their thumb, it’s like a scanning procedure; they can scan the thumb of that person, and immediately all these encrypted knowledges are decoded for them. That’s why they know everything about you. And this knowledge comes from Prophet (s). Why Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) and many people in Ahl as-Sunna wa’l-Jama`ah are following that procedure? I don’t see it here, but I see it in Middle Eastern countries and in the Indian Sub-Continent. When the name of Prophet (s) comes, what do you do? You take these two fingers, kiss them and put them on your eyes. The first one who was doing that was Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q), and he was saying, “My eye is content and happy with you, yaa Muhammad (s).”
Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) wants to express that feeling and sanctify it. When you apply for immigration, you ask for a passport. They stamp your application and seal it or else it will be thrown in the garbage. Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) wants to seal his love and make it authentic. Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was using his two shahaadah fingers and two thumbs, kissing them and putting them around his eyes, and that was his seal. Why? Ask yourself. If we think about why Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) was doing that, and if we were given a little bit of knowledge for understanding science, we could immediately extract some knowledge about it, which happened 1,400 years ago. Fourteen-hundred years ago, people were doing what Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) did, but maybe never knew why they did it. Why is he kissing his shahaadah fingers and thumbs and putting them on his eyes?
The shahaadah finger, or the finger of shahadah, what does that mean? It means “to witness” or “witnessing”. When we say, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa rasooluh, “ I bear witness that Allah is the Creator, and I bear witness that Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is the Messenger,” we say it by tongue only, as we didn’t witness it. Witnessing is what you see. For example, when you are called to testify as a witness and asked, “Did you witness that accident?” if you reply, “No sir, someone told me about it,” then are you a witness? They need testimony from an actual eye-witness. When we say, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa rasooluh (s), we say it by tongue, but in reality it didn’t come yet to the heart to witness what we are saying.
When Sayyidina Bilal (r) was being tortured, when they were beating, slapping, crushing him with huge, burning-hot rocks, what was he saying? “Ahad, Ahad.” Why didn’t he say, “Waahid, Waahid.” Ahad is the station of Ahadiyyah, Uniqueness. Waahid is the station of Wahdaaniyah, Oneness. There is a difference in the meaning. Waahid means that Allah cannot be seen, but His signs indicate His Oneness. Everything indicates His Power. Look at people for example, all with different faces, different features; this is an indication of His Oneness. Look at the trees. Can you count these leaves? It is in the Holy Qur’an, “Allah counted them without the need to count them.” Allah (swt) counted His creation. “After He encompassed them all, He counted them one by one.” And all of them are coming to His Presence on the Day of Judgment.
Nothing can be out of His Power and His Knowledge. Everything is being written, being signed. Allah’s Will overtook everything. When His Will comes, creation comes. His Beautiful Name and Attribute, “al-Khaliq” is “The One that Creates”. When He wills Creation to exist, al-Khaliq creates. From that Beautiful Name a creation, a blueprint comes. From Bahr ul-Qudrah, the Ocean of Power, with al-Qadir, they appear. So Allah knows everyone of His Creation. Not just by name, like Hajji Ghulam, or Shaykh Omar, or Shaykh `AbdAllah. He knows every cell in your body with His Knowledge. He knows every hair in your beard. Can you count them? You cannot, I’m sure. Allah knows how many hairs you have and how many cells there are in your body. How many cells are there in the human body? There are nearly three trillion—not billions, trillions! How long are the veins in your body if you put them all together? If you put them in one line—the veins, the arteries, the capillaries—they make up hundreds of thousands of miles or kilometers. An airplane takes approximately 10,000 kilometers of wiring. The veins in the human body can be hundreds of thousands, up to millions of miles long. Who created them? The One who created knows. Wa qad ahsahum wa`addahum `adda, “He brought them, He counted them, and He knows them one by one.”
This also means His Creation must be known to Him, with everything in your body being calculated. How old are you? (Someone answers.) So 17-years-old, but this is not how they count in Heavenly counting, this is dunya counting. Heavenly counting is by breath: how many breaths you have, not how many years. If you count by years then you have to say which one? There is the lunar, the solar, there are Persian years, and there are old Bani Israel years also; there are many different years, but angels count by breath. The moment you begin to breathe out of the mother’s womb and up to the last breath, that is your age. So they say for example, “This one has a certain amount of breaths, when that is finished, it’s over.” Sayyidina `Azra`il (a) will come and take the soul back. Therefore it is not like how we count.
Sayyidina Bilal (r) was saying, “Ahad, Ahad.” This means he was in the state of Uniqueness. He was unable to get signs from whatever was around him because he was being tortured, but Allah (swt) raised him because of his love for Allah and Prophet (s). We know this because Sayyidina Bilal (r) was able to carry that difficulty. Allah (swt) raised him to a state of Vision, of feeling the uniqueness of witnessing where he was in the Divine Presence. In the maqam of Oneness (Wahdaaniyah), your eyes can see the indications of Allah’s Oneness. But in the realm of Uniqueness (Ahadiyyah), you can see where you are in that Divine Presence.
So Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) wants a witness to his love for Prophet (s). The shahaadah finger is the finger of witness. He reached the level of seeing, not like a regular person sees, they would kick that person out of court, saying, “We don’t need you. Get us someone who was able to see.” Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) wants to say, “Yaa Rasoolullah (s), I am seeing you. I am seeing the reality.” That’s why anything Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was asked, he would say, “Sadaqah Muhammad (s),” he said the truth, without question.
When Prophet (s) went for `Israa wa'l-Mi`raaj (the Night Journey and Ascension), Sayyidina `Umar (r) wanted to confirm it, so he asked Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q), “Your friend is saying that he (s) went for `Israa wa'l-Mi`raaj. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) said, “Yaa `Umar, sadaqah Rasoolullah (s), no question (it is correct).” Look at the imaan! He wants to bear witness that Prophet (s) is seeing him. He is confirming his love to Prophet (s) by touching these two fingers loaded with all the encryptions and codes of Heaven. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) is saying, “Yaa Rasoolullah (s), I’m coming with the reality that is encrypted in my thumb, together with the witnessing of my shahaadah finger, saying that you are Muhammad Rasoolullah (s). I am happy with your friendship, I am believing in you (s), and I want to seal it.”
Where did he seal it? Why on his eyes? Scientists found today that everyone’s iris is different from the other. That’s why now they use it in airport scans to identify passengers. When you go to get a passport, especially in England, they have a place called “iris.” If you are registered with them, they take a picture of your eyes. You put your face in the machine, the machine opens the door, and you have clearance to enter because your eye-scan matches. There is no so stamp because they already identified you. This is always your identification or on your ID card.
So the iris from one person to another is different. Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) wants to say, “Yaa Rabbee, I love your Prophet (s). My shahaadah finger is witnessing, my thumbprint is witnessing, and I’m sealing it with another identification; with the iris of my eyes.” That’s why he put his fingers on his eyes; that is an interpretation. That karamah, miracle, happened 1400 years ago. Look how much Sahaabah (r) were following, and today we are finding why they were doing that. It’s something unbelievable. No one knew in the time of Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r), not even until recent years; 50 or 60 years ago, who knew about the iris? Now they discovered that reality.
So the guide, murshid, is advanced in his knowledge through different means. And that’s why I said in the beginning that when the shaykh gives you initiation, he scans your thumb, then your encrypted ID will always be with him, because he wants to know everything about you. When he wants to know more, he looks at your ID which is in your thumb. Today they send encrypted messages through emails and then you have to analyze it. Doesn’t Allah have heavenly encryption?
Allah gave to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) things that we cannot imagine! Look, Sajeda is standing; I mentioned Prophet’s (s) name, she is standing, which she learned from her grandfather, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, who said that in the time of the Ottomans, when the name of Prophet (s) was mentioned in their cabinet meetings, everyone stood up out of respect to Prophet (s)! (Mawlana stands).
Today they tell you not to do salawaat, saying it’s too much. They say, “Why are you praying after Maghrib?” We ask, “What do you want from me? I want to pray sunnah after Maghrib, I want to pray before Fajr, so why are you bothering me?” They don’t like it. They say you are doing something different. Am I praying my five obligations? If so, then I can pray nafl as much as I want and they have no right to interfere. They don’t like that. They don’t like you to do salawaat on Prophet (s). Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) wants to show his love which he expressed in such a unique way.
Awliyaullah guide us through small things. With small things you get huge rewards because you say, “Yaa Rabbee, my intention is to do this, and this, and this, but I am weak, like an ant,” and still Allah will reward you. There are angels especially for such gatherings as this. They will not go from here without everyone’s name being written, and they present that to the Divine Presence. In the saheeh hadith narrated by Sayyidina Abu Hurayra (r) in Bukhari and Muslim, what I mentioned two days ago. There are angels who roam the streets, searching for people sitting together and remembering Allah (swt). And these angels make a circle, then above it another circle, then above that another circle, all the way up to heavens. They present those who are in that meeting to the Divine Presence. Everyone’s name will be written from their real name that is in their thumb.
Everyone has seven names. One of them is what your parents call you. Six of them are your names in Heaven. You have a name when you pray, and when you say, Allahu akbar, you cannot enter without your heavenly name. You have to know your heavenly name. If you do not know it, angels will open it for you. It is your code. Anyone who wants to enter something, you need a card key like in a hotel to open your room. In a prayer when you say, Allahu akbar, they have to open for you the place where you are going to pray, there between the hands of Allah. You have a presence there, and the angels will open it.
There is a name for you when you breathe, you are breathing with that name. There is a name for you when death comes. There is a name for you in the grave. There is name for you when Allah calls you on the Day of Judgment. There is a name for you in heavens. These are the seven names. We are shortsighted, we cannot see it. But really if people open their hearts to their Lord and follow what Allah (swt) wants us to follow, the way of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) (Mawlana stands) We are standing for Prophet (s), it is barakah. Allah said,
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ
Qul in kuntum toohibboonallah, fattabi`ooni yuhbibkumullah
Say (O Muhammad!): "If you really love Allah, if you want Allah’s love, follow me, Allah will love you.”(3:31)
We have explained about salawaat on Prophet (s). If we say salawaat from beginning of dunya until the end of dunya, we will not give the right to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) (all stand) as it should be. Even if you have life from the time of Sayyidina Adam (a) until Judgment Day, standing in the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) making salawaat, it’s not enough to give him his right. That’s why Sayyidina Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) had a vision, he was being dictated to in a dream. Prophet (s) confirmed with Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) that salawaat, which is a very heavy salawaat on the scale, on the balance. We want Allah’s love, that’s why people are coming. Why do you think people are coming here from far away? As I was coming, I sat in the car and I had a really bad headache and was not feeling well. Now mashaa-Allah that headache is gone with the barakah of people, because the love of people attracts you and gives you energy.
When you loose energy, go to a mosque, to the wali, go to a sacred place, and you will get energy. What did Sayyidina Zakariyya (a) do? It is in the Holy Qur’an. Whenever Zakariyya (a) would enter the room of Sayyedah Maryam (a), he found provisions, fruits. Allah (swt) didn’t say, “fruits or food”, he (a) said “provisions.” Now we can expand on the meaning. One meaning is that he found provisions, like fruit or food for her. Another meaning is that whenever he entered her place he found rizq; it might have been spiritual rizq. All these manifestations of Allah’s Beautiful Names and Attributes from which you get strong energy, enlightenment and knowledge, then you can acquire ma`arifatullah, knowledge of the Divine Presence as Allah will give it to you.
Sayyidina Zakariyya (a) said, “Where is this from? Sayyida Maryam (a) said, “Allah is providing.” She never came out of her room, except when she delivered Sayyidina `Isa, she went to a dry palm tree. When she put her back on the tree, it immediately dropped dates for her to eat. From that time Sayyidina `Isa (a) was saying to her, “Eat and drink and be peaceful and happy with what you are going to have. Whenever you see anyone, say ‘I am not going to speak with anyone’.” And then when they pressured her, she pointed at Sayyidina `Isa (a), and he began to talk.
Sayyidina Zakariyya found rizq there. But is that the meaning of “fruit?” What did he do? He stepped out and was thinking, and returned. He knew that this is a blessed room, a blessed niche, mihraab, where she sat and prayed to Allah (swt), a worshipping place. That’s why if you want tranquility or happiness, go to a worshipping place. Meet people who are worshipping their Lord; you will get good energy from them.
So he knew his du`a will be accepted there because it had become a holy place. He went there and asked Allah (swt), “Oh my Lord, give me children.” He was 100-years-old and didn’t have any children. He didn’t say tawwasal bi Sayyida Maryam (a), he said the place there became holy. He is a prophet, Sayyida Maryam is not a prophet. So the place had become holy. He went there to show those who do not accept du`a in the muwajaha of Prophet (s), to tell them in Holy Qur’an. Even in Sayyida Maryam’s place, the du`a was accepted. What do you think of Prophet (s)? Is it not going to be accepted?
Sayyidina Zakariyya asked Allah, “Yaa Allah, give me children,” and Allah gave him Yahya (a). He was thinking, “How am I going to get a child?” He was 100-years-old. It is in the Holy Qur’an that Sayyidina Zakariyya said, “Yaa Rabbee, I am coming to you with your Rahmah,” he was making a du`a within himself, not with a loud voice. Where? He was making that du`a in the niche of Sayyida Maryam’s room because it became a holy. He is a prophet, and she has a room, and that room became holy because of her.
He was asking, “Yaa Rabbee, my bones have become weak, all of them are cracking, and my hair is all white. Give me a child.” When Jibreel (a) came, he said, “Allah is giving you good tidings and if you get a son, you will call him Yahya (a).” Sayyidina Zakariyya said, “How am I going to have a son? I am old already, I cannot breed children, and my wife is 90-years-old. How? It’s impossible.” Jibreel said, “This is what Allah said; finished, don’t argue.” Jibreel took a piece of wood and said, “Yaa Zakariyya (a), look at that piece of wood.” He looked, it was a dry piece of wood, immediately it became green and two leaves came out. Jibreel said, “As this wood became green, Allah will make you and your wife green. Go tonight and make a child”, and Allah gave them Yahya (a).
When Allah (swt) wants, He will give, but you have to love Him. Sayyida Maryam was in love with Allah (swt), Sayyidina Zakariyya was in love with Allah, and Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is in love with Allah. (Mawlana stands.) Allahumma salli was-salim `ala Sayyidina Muhammad (s). If you are in love with Allah, then follow Sayyidina Muhammad (s) In kuntum toohibboonallaha fatta bi`ooni yuhbib kumullah, “If you really love Allah, follow (Muhammad) (s), Allah will love you.”
May Allah (swt) make all of us to be stronger and stronger in the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), and in the love of awliyaullah. May Allah give long life to our shaykh because he is guiding us towards the real way, towards the love of Allah and His Prophet (s).
May Allah bless all of you and all of us, and accept this offering from all of us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Faatihah.