8 June 2010 Lefke, Cyprus
Yes sir, we are happy. There was one picture of an old bishop and he was never even smiling. I said, “Who is that one?”
They said, “Our boss, a grand one.”
(Mawlana Shaykh addresses two guests from Germany.) I looked and saw that he was smiling but Your Holiness is never smiling? When I said this, he began to smile; (he was a) very serious one. Serious for what? He is smiling and laughing, and you are not? He began to smile, brought me one bag of chestnuts, and brought me up to the door. He was very happy when I said this to him.
There was one holy bishop who I visited, a holy man who always lived in the forest, not coming out to see people, and no one knew what he was eating or drinking. I went to visit his place. When I approached, I saw a monk sitting there with his wife, frowning.
I said, “Is this holy one never smiling?”
His wife said, “I never saw him laughing or smiling.”
He asked his wife and she said, “Say to Shaykh what is the reason that you are not even smiling.”
He said, “I am trying to smile, but I can’t.”
I said, “I shall teach him how to smile and laugh.”
“What did Shaykh say?”
“He said he may teach you how to smile or laugh.”
“I may try that; what must I do?”
The first lesson I taught him was that everyday he should take a mirror and when no one is sitting there, only him, he must look in the mirror and practice smiling and laughing, “Hahahaha!” (Laughter) Without going outside, he was smiling.
German people are are always frowning. How did this happen? That conduct is barbarian. I will send one regiment from Egyptian people to teach German people how they may laugh or smile. English people are good ones, saying, “Thank you, sir.”
“Yes, I shall try,” said that holy one. With one lesson he learned. He was St. Nicholas in Switzerland. He did not let me pass his area; his spiritual power called me, “Come and visit me,” and I went there. Nuns sat there reciting something very strange. His spirituality is familiar with our spirituality. He was resting when I came.
We were coming down and I know St. Nicholas was in charge of that area. I gave salaams and a salute and said, “Your Holiness, this place?”
He answered me, “O Shaykh! I am not a holy one, don’t say ‘holiness.’ I am not a holy one.”
I said, “What about the Pope? Is he also not holy?”
“Don’t say this to me, holy ones just passed away. No official people can be holy.”
‘Officiality’ never lets people be holy ones because they are with official people always and they are losing it; therefore, everyone that has an official dress or who works for the government is not a holy one, only those who are working for the Lord of Heavens are holy ones.
He said, “Please don’t say that to me, I am not a holy one, I am an official servant here.” May Allah forgive us.
(Du`a)
Fatihah.