Shaykh `Abdus-Sattar Khan
Qad qaala Allah swt b`ad Audhu billah min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem ya ayyuhalladheena aamanoo ittaqoollah wa koonoo ma` as-sadiqeen
[speech in Urdu]
Shaykh Jamaluddin
I did not come to here speak my only intention to come here was to hear Shaykh Hisham speak.
My first meeting with Shaykh Hisham was in Madinat al-Munawwarah and he was there at the grave of Sayyida Fatima az-Zahra, and he was praying there and I was watching him and he was praying for so long, I don’t know what kind of supplications he was making, for 45 minutes and after that I went and kissed his hand.
I am not a great orator, Allahuma innee asa’luka bi sirri Abu Bakr as-Siddiq…
Fadilat ash-shaykh Hazrat Kabbani sahib is a well known shaykh and well-known scholar, may Allah bless him and we are so proud that shaykh is here and I don’t have to say anything because everyone is aware of that.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
After your permission.
As-salama layaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakutuh.
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem alhamdulilahi rabbi’l-`alameen was-salaat was-salaam ala sayyid al mursaleen … wa nashadu an la ilah ila-Allah wa nashadu anna Sayyidina Muhammad (s) …khatim ar-rusul sayyid al-bashr, rasuli rabbi’l-`alameen.
I don’t know from where I begin. May Allah bless Husayn Haqqani we are very happy we are here in this place that he opened with a lot of difficulties but this is a place for Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`at.
And I asked for a title of what to speak and he said, "spirituality in Islam” and in front of Mawlana Abdus Sattar Khan I feel I have nothing to say and he is a role model for everyone to follow and brother Jamaluddin he brought a story that is many, many years behind.
And I will bring the story from the beginning.
That is one day I was in Jeddah and I decide to visit, because every Friday and Thursday I used to go to Madinat al-Munawwara to pray there as I was most of the time living there. So one day I was going and to the house I received a call form my Shaykh who is
So I went and I said it yesterday and I repeat it today: that when the Prophet (s) went into Isra and Mi’raj - and this is problem many of us are facing today and the answer comes with this story, and this is the meaning of spirituality. Spirituality is not something you hav to do but it is something besides charity and fasting and prayer and hajj but it is the way to reach the maqam al-ihsan that Mawlana Abdus Sattar quoted the hadith of Sayyidina `Umar (r) to reach state of Ihsan, you have to do the five pillars of Islam and accept the 6 pillars of iman and how to reach the state of Ihsan. And especially that is very complex and difficult to something you say I will go to that station by myself and then find oneself turning in circles. You must have guide. And if you seek out you will find the guides. Saints. And all saints are brothers and all of them love each other. I am not speaking about false saints but I am speaking about real saints that give their lives for their students.
So that time I went and that time I was driving 150, 160 km./hour about 120 miles per hour in order to reach quickly. Because he said, "go and kiss the threshold of the Prophet (s). There must be an opening. So I reached there safely and quickly by baraka of the Prophet (s). And I have to take a shower and go that holy place that Allah made piece of
So when we visit the Prophet (s), it is adab to stand as much as we can in his presence even not making du`a but only standing there trying to connect our heart with his heart. In a way that taffakur sa`atin khayran min ibaadati saba`een sunnah. That is for one hour when you are contemplating by yourself. How do you think it is when in presence of the Prophet (s)?
Everyone when passing there might stand 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes and then go. Some might stand more and more and more and depends on how much they are in that connection. So in the guidance of our shuyukh we have visited the Prophet (s) with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim many times and may Allah give him long life and give long life to Mawlana Abdus Sattar. And I have seen how Mawlana Shaykh used to stand there and make du`a three and It is not a du`a really it is more like a conversation. You feel that you don’t see that but you need a lot to reach that level of mushaahada. But you feel the presence.
Since I used to go with my shaykh since 1967 he used to spend one hour or 1.5 hour there was no barrier as there is today. You have to kiss and move today.
So he used to stand one and a half hour and then he moved to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and he stood another half hour and then to Sayyidina `Umar (r) another half an hour and then to Bab Jibreel, mahbit al-wahy - you know where Sayyidina Jibreel used to come with wahy to the Prophet (s) - and then we go back to the maqam of Sayyida Fatima az-Zahra that Grandshaykh said, "that angels have moved Sayyidina Fatima holy body to the end to the place where Sayyidina `Isa is to be buried” that is why awliyaullah see Sayyida Fatima there. and there he spends 45 minutes and then he goes to Bab at-Tawbah where he makes special du`a there (which is now closed) and makes sajda.
You have to take opportunity and whatever in my heart I was taking opportunity usually many guard come and tell you to move. But usually I don’t stand by the beginning I stand by the wall. And that night however many guards and one of them with red beard and he is head of these guards. And he didn’t approach me and didn’t let one guard to come to me. It is strange. Because you cannot stand one hour there or one and a half hours. They will come and say move even after five minutes.
So I finished and I went to kiss the pillar the big pillar which is in back as no one will see you. Then one of the big guards the head of them, came to me and I said to myself, it is finished now. He came to me and said you want to kiss the threshold of the Prophet (s) . I said yes. He took me to the door of the Prophet (s) and I was able to kiss the threshold of the Prophet (s) and everything disappeared no guards and I was seeing nothing but the threshold of the Prophet (s). And I kissed the threshold, and then I stood up and then everything came back as normal and then he came to me and said, "give my salaams to Shaykh Nazim” that is where you saw me there. I went and left. He never knew Shaykh Nazim and Shaykh Nazim never called him and he never called Shaykh Nazim.
I left and went to a school that is called Madrasat ash-Shoonah,
So I was so into it I was as if lost. So you cannot understand it though I don’t understand it now.
But is the mind in the head or the mind is in the heart Shaykh Abdul Haqq. They asked the students this question and they said, "is the mind in the head.” And he said, " no the mind is in the heart.” Is the mind in the heart bigger or the mind in head bigger. The mind in the heart is bigger. Evidence? The mind in the head with hit can you understand the universe.
ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِأً وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ
Thumma irji`il-basara karratayni yanqallib ilayk al-basar khasiyan wa huwa haseer. Again turn thy vision a second time: (thy) vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited, in a state worn out. Al-Mulk, 67:4
Look at one star. Look two times even. Look at one star even.
Yanqalib ilayk al basaru khasiyan wa huwa haseer. Your sight returns back defeated. Your eyes are defeated from one star. What do you think about 80 billion stars in our galaxy? So what do we know? Nothing. So by mind in the head we know nothing.
But by mind in our heart we know everything. What did Allah say to the Prophet (s) and the Prophet (s) said to us?
يقول الله : ما وسعني أرضي ولا سمائي ولكن وسعني قلب عبدي المؤمن
That is why Allah, the Exalted, said, “Neither heavens nor earth contained Me, but the heart of My believing servant contained Me.”
Meaning: “the believer’s heart contained My light, My attributes, the understanding of the universe.” Not the Essence.
You think awliyaullah don’t have power to pass beyond this universe. They have or they don’t have? [they have!] Evidence? The Prophet (s) went beyond this universe or not? That universe that we are not seeing even one star. The Prophet (s) passed through 80 billion stars in our galaxy and then he passed 60 billion galaxies he passed all that and even further. Beyond this universe even. He reached Qaaba qawsayni.. so adna is what? It is so less that might be one centimeter might be 1 millimeter.
So Allah said to prophets, but specially to his saints. Qul in kuntum tuhiboon Allah fatabi`oonee yuhbibkumullah - Say (ya Muhammad) if you would love Allah follow me, Allah will love you." This is khaas understanding for them.
Do awliyaullah follow the Prophet (s) or not. We might struggle to follow but they do not. They gave up their lives for the Prophet (s). That is spiritually. That means to follow the Prophet (s) in every step. That means that if prophet went for Mi’raj you go for Mi’raj. Else you are not a wali. Wali must follow in footsteps of prophet. Does wali love Allah or n ot. Yes that is condition to be wali. That means they are following in footsteps and going in Mi’raj. That is why they can guide. They are following and learning and giving.
Look what Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani قدس سرّه said? This is Fath ar-Rabbani. I was reading this today and I said, "I have to mention it.” I hope I still have it.
He said, "Ya Ghulam!” He calls his students who are big scholars, sitting facing them. They are sitting facing him and he is the Ghawth. He says, “Ya Ghulam!” You are a child still. You didn’t reach maturity yet. That is dangerous if we ware not mature how are we going to obey? How are we going to be responsible? Are you going to be responsible Abdul Haqq, yes or no? I am asking you. You have to understand when he says, “Ya Ghulam!” There is a secret there.
Because he is Ghawth. I never said that before, because we were going through that book in Ramadan every morning. But they are saying to throw it now.
So it means you aren’t responsible. You are still the the one responsible. Awliyaullah are responsible. If you take hand of your guide he is responsible to guide you. If not he is the one responsible.
Fee katab al-`ilmi wa hifshizh bi ghayri `amal. Without doing it. That is why it is dangerous. Many, many, many scholars spend their lives in doing what. They are doctors and scholars writing presentations but they are not doing what they learned.
He said, " aysh yanf`ak. This is not literature Arabic, this is slang. They put I like that as it is important. What is it going to benefit you if you are not doing it and not practicing it. It means "You donkey." Spirituality is practice. Even you practice one `amal a day it is better than memorizing thousands of them.
And he quoted hadith of the Prophet (s) which I like to mention yaqool Allah azza wa jall bi ’l-anbiya wa ’l-`ulama, Allah says on Judgment Day to the prophets and scholars, which means the pious people, “O if you thought yourself antum kuntum ru’atu khalqee, that you are the ones authorized to be shepherds for the nations, what you have done with your sheep, with your flocks? What you showed them and what you taught them. You are responsible and you are liable.”
That is why all prophets in Judgment Day where do they run towards Sayyidina Muhammad (s). As what are they gong to answer. So if anbiya run to the Prophet (s) where is the `alim on that day. Is there any more `alim? Even Anbiya are shaking. Where are the `ulama that are sitting on chairs in dunya and giving fatwas as if they are the biggest peacocks.
Then they have to run to the Prophet (s) - not directly to Allah. If not accepting then go to hell directly.
So you see too many kings today, sitting on his chair like rooster on his chickens. We are thinking ourselves kings. We ourselves think we are kings. Ask 2 people that are similar in their understanding. Do you find. No you won find. Because each has his own opinion. So the Prophet (s) said, "If you are three, put one an amir.” If you do that now they will fight one hour to see who is amir.
That is no spirituality it is to submit. Taslimiyya.
Allah says to them antum kuntum khazaan kunuzikum you were the trustees or the containers of my treasures. Because all the treasures are in hands of kings. Hal wasaltum al-fuqara. Did you make relation his with the poor. Sayyidina `Umar (r) when he became calipha, he was crying. His wife asked him why are you crying you became calipha. He said, now I have to cry. Now anyone is hungry I am responsible. he sued to carry sacks of food on his back and distribute to the poor people.
They are kings and queens they are holding the treasures of the world. They are raising the price of oil and sucking the blood of people. Today it is 60 from 160. Who raised it and who lowered it. In order to build their Gulf nations into prostitution. Go and see there. How that happened by them raising the price as a monopoly. And the poor become poorer and rich become richer.
And that is hadith of the Prophet (s) and quoted by Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani قدس سرّه and mentioned in Kanz al-`ummaal. Did you take care of the poor and did you take care of the aytam, orphans, how much food is sent to orphans and you find it next day in the market being sold. Wherever there are orphans and the food is sent to them like
Did you take from your money that is written on you as my right and give to poor people.
So were do we stand now. Are we ghulam now or not? We are ghulam now because we are responsible. But since we are ghulam we are not responsible. It is not me saying, it is Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani قدس سرّه saying it. He will take responsibility for them. One wali is enough to take everyone and put in
Be happy, smile! that is maqam at-tashrif. And we go back to what we were saying.
When the Prophet (s) went in ascension, he saw Musa and always Sayyidina Musa has questions; he likes to ask questions.
Musa said ya rabbeee arinee anthur ilayk. It is so easy like that. Never the Prophet (s) has any question. Listen and obey. Listen to Sayyidina Jibreel. Never did he have questions.
Only one time. When he left seven heavens and he was going up he asked are you not coming with me. He asked for him to accompany as friend. He said, "I cannot.” The
Prophet moved to Divine Presence alone. He was in maqam at-tawheed. Today that is all they speak about tawheed, tawheed and all Muslims are kafir. Tawheed al-iloohiyya, tawheed ar-ruboobiyya and tawheed I forgot. Is prophet going to be alone with only this group that came recently. What about the Muslims who came before they were not on tawheed.
Ya akhee. Even he said, "Ya akhee” but he said, "Ya sayyidee, Ya Rasulullah! Of course he said, ana sayyidi waladi adam wa la fakhr. He said, “Can I ask this question as this comes to my heart all the time.
You said, "`ulama ummatee ka anbiya Bani
You said, "They are inheritors of the Prophet (s), could it be their knowledge is like our knowledge? Inheritors are not like prophets but they have knowledge like prophets.
“Can you give me the answer ya Rasulullah how these people are going to inherit from prophets?”
He called one, through the souls, fil arwaah, as Allah said, "alastu bi rabbikum qaaloo bala. So the Prophet (s) can bring any soul he wants in past and in future. He brought one and that is one coming in future after time of the Prophet (s). He said, "That is one.”
Musa said, "What is your name?” He said, "Muhammad bin Muhammad,… Ghazali. Seven times. If he were able to say it 100 times he would have said it. But he felt shy form the Prophet (s). Musa said, "what is this? I thought you were an inheritor of the Prophet (s). Why did you say ‘Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ghazali’?”
If I can say Muhammad (s) until Judgment Day it will not sop. Why because as much as you say the name of the Prophet (s), Allah send angels to say salaams on you.
So he said, “Ya Musa , why you object when I say ‘Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ghazali’ why didn’t you object on yourself?” He said, " why?” because when Allah asked you what is in your hand, you said, " … you gave all the classifications of the can that you are going to use in your lifetime. Why? Because that is an honorary place. Maqam at-tashrif.
He said, "That is place of honor for me to be with the Prophet (s).
So that is difference between `alim and wali. How ot imitate the Prophet (s). He is happy to say Muhammad bin Muhammad. He can say Muhammad (s) Rasulullah, I can say Muhammad (s) Sayyid ar-Rusul. I can say ...
So practice is what is important.
And I would like to add to what Mawlana Abdus Sattar said that hadith of `Umar (r), that after he mentioned maqam al-ihsan and Sayyidina Jibreel said, "sadaqta” and then Sayyidina Jibreel had other questions. And he asked, “mata` as-sa`at ya Rasulullah.” Then the Prophet (s) said, "the one asked doesn’t know more than the one who is asking.” That is humbleness that he wants to hide himself. Then give the signs of it: “An
So that is not humiliating anyone but that is hadith of the Prophet (s).
“When you see the barefooted naked Bedouins competing in building high buildings.” Are we seeing that or not? There is no more time, O Muslims!
Allah shook the earth three weeks ago. Did you see that earthquake? Allah can make the earth to shakes when He wants to - that was the stock market crash. That day [of judgment] is coming. So don’t let it to cheat us.
Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani قدس سرّه says in this book another place, yunaadee munadee yawm al-qiyama ayn adh-dhalamah – on the Judgment Day a caller will call out, “Where are the oppressors? Let them come!”
We are afraid to be oppressor to ourselves. Are we oppressors or not? We don’t know. Even he who doesn’t know if he is oppressor, he is struggling. If we are not oppressors to ourselves it means we don’t make sins. Then he is not oppressor. Do we make sins? Yes, say, "yes”, and ask forgiveness. That is better than saying, “no”.
Did we do hidden shirk or not? Anything related to themselves is hidden shirk.
And then it comes ayna awwaam adh-dhalama. Ayna man yara min qalaman. The oppressors used pen to judge people and send them to prison though the are innocent. Dhalama is one who will benefit from anyone, even they kill people. That is what we call mafia.
Look today mafia everywhere. Today if you don’t pay your car ticket what happens they send you to jail even. For a ticket that costs 60 or 10 you are afraid and you try not to go to jail. These CEOs that sucked billions of dollars of human being no one said I will put one of them in prison. Are they oppressors or not. All these people who benefit form stock market will be asked on Judgment Day, they made rich richer and the poor poorer. Where are the brokers. They made the rich richer. They are the commissioner. He knows them the commissioner they chat you. They buy for you gold sell gold. They come to you when gold drops, they say, "Sell quickly. Where are these one he says.
Ayna liman yara lahu qalamun. Did you find anyone in this crowd that has ink bottle?
Has anyone seen an ink bottle? Come here to witness on them.
Ajma`oohum waj`alhum fee taaboot min an-nar. Akhrajahu adh-Dhahabi and ibh Hajr.
That is from Sayyidina Abdul Qadir