2 September 2023 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan
[Partial transcript.]
Our Master, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said: "I asked my teacher: 'Ya Sayyidee, ya Murshidee, O my Guide, O my Master. Rasulullah (s) is forgiven and he has no sin, he is pure, so why did he make istighfar?'"
Rasulullah (s) said: "I recite 'astaghfirullah' every day 70-100 times."
What's the purpose? Grandshaykh AbdAllah al-Fa'iz ad-Daghestani (q) said: "There are two reasons why Rasulullah (s) said 'astaghfirullah' 70 times a day." One that has to do with him personally, and one has to do with the Ummah.
استعذ بالله
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you, [O Muḥammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Accepting of Repentance and Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa': 4:64)
Allah (swt) has ordered Rasulullah (s) to ask forgiveness for his Ummah.
وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنٰتِۚ
ask forgiveness for thy sins and for [the sins of] all other believing men and women (Surah Muhammad, 47:19)
"Ask forgiveness for your dhanb." Dhanb: Allah (swt) knows best the meaning, and to ask forgiveness for the Mu'mins and the Mu'minas. Rasulullah (s) is ordered to ask forgiveness for every member of his Ummah, and he does.
When Rasulullah (s) makes istighfar, asks forgiveness for his Ummah, his request is never turned back, because Allah (swt) said:
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيْكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضٰىۗ
[O Muhammad!] Allah will give you what you like until you are pleased. (Surah ad-Duhaa, 93:5)
So one of the reasons Rasulullah (s) asks Allah's (swt) forgiveness for his Ummah is because Allah (swt) will never turn down that request. You are forgiven by RasulAllah's shafa'ah (intercession). His one istighfar outweighs, and is worth more than all istighfar of all human beings! His istighfar is not like ours. And he continues to this day asking forgiveness for his Ummah. You are a blessed Ummah, O those who believed in Rasulullah (s)!
The second reason slightly pertains to himself. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said Allah (swt) promised to increase his rank non-stop.
لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَنْ طَبَقٍۗ
You will progress from stage to stage. (Surat al-Inshiqaaq, 84:19)
"I will make you move from one level to another endlessly."
Grandshaykh is saying Rasulullah's (s) Ascension in each moment is doubled. So if he jumps one level, in the next moment he jumps two levels, then four, then eight…until when? Until the powers he receives cannot be counted! Allah (swt) is able to raise Rasulullah (s) that much.
When he is ascending in that level, Ma`rifa, Rasulullah's (s) Knowledge of His Lord, is increasing. His honor, might, is and closeness to Allah's (swt) is increasing. And whenever Rasulullah (s) goes from one level to the next, new tahameed, ta`zheem, tabareek, tahaleel, tamajeed are opened to him (s). How do you explain this?
New forms of praising, glorifying, tahleel, tabreek, du`a, and tasbeeh that were not known to the Prophet (s) on the level below are the opened to him.
When the Prophet (s) ascended from one level to the next, the dhikrAllah that opened to him is completely new. The Beauty of the Light of Allah (swt) perceived by Rasoolullah (s) is higher. The Secrets he discovers are higher. The Realities he observes, Haqaa'iq, are higher. He (s) is ascending to higher levels of knowledge, beauty, noor, rahmah….
Therefore, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) is saying that Rasulullah is completely obedient, surrendering in servanthood (`Uboodiyya) at that level. However, but he saw there was an even higher level of excellent worship, he says astaghfirullah for his previous worship that was lower.
"Ya Rabbee, I could have praised you in much higher forms and in much better ways, but I didn't know, astaghfirullah."
When RasulAllah (sws) reached a higher level, he again repeats that istighfar, saying, "Why did I stay in the lower level, astaghfirullah. I am now in a higher level."
Higher levels have no end. That's why he made one istighfar for his Ummah every day. Allah (swt) does not turn away his request: they are forgiven. Allah's (swt) mercy is so huge!
https://sufilive.com/Shari-ah-Is-to-Leave-the-Forbidden-Tariqah-Is-to-Lessen-the-Permitted-8093.html
© Copyright 2023 Sufilive. All rights reserved. This transcript is protected
by international copyright law. Please attribute Sufilive when sharing it. JazakAllahu khayr.