15 November 2011 Lefke, Cyprus
(Translated from Turkish)
When people read from these books, everyone wants to run away from Islam. They say, “If we need to learn such things, it is impossible for us,” and they quit and leave. Therefore,
خاطبوا الناس على قدر عقولهم
kalimoo/khatiboo’n-naasa `alaa qadara`uqoolihim
“Speak to people according to their level of understanding.” (Hadith).
Is it not so? Now, these are not the books that common people can understand. Now we have no one left (who understands) either. The shaykhs, when they are training dervishes, taught these things slowly, over many years. This cannot be given to the hands of common people.
I am looking at all of them (books) and it is impossible to understand. “Taba`a an-na`lu bi ’n-na`li. Try to understand this now, if you can! A pair of shoes... one shoe searches for it’s other half: impossible to understand! The saalik (spiritual traveller) says, “Whoever reads, listens to this lesson, saying, ‘I have so many failures, my situation is still desperate. Nafs al-lawwaama, the blame-worthy self, should not let anyone lose hope because one should not lose hope in Allah Almighty’s mercy. Allah Almighty says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Qul yaa `ibadiya alladheena asrafoo `alaa anfusihim laa taqnatoo min rahmatillaahi inna Allaaha yaghfiru ’dh-dhunooba jamee`an innahu huwa ’l-ghafooru ‘r-raheem.
Say, "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat al-Zumar, 39:53)
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا
laa yukallifullahu nafsan illa wusa`aha.
Allah does not put a burden on anyone more than he can bear. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:286)
This is not something to speak to the people, but these are realities that great shaykhs wanted to teach to dervishes over a long period of time, over many years so they may comprehend it. Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. It is better to know about a matter than to be ignorant about it.