a`oodhu billah mina ‘sh-shaytani ‘r-rajeem
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu'l-arba`een, nawaytu'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaadah,
nawaytu's-salook, nawaytu'l-`uzlah lillahi ta`ala fee hadha'l-masjid
We might not be too long as we are waiting for a signal from Cyprus to switch for broadcasting there for Jum`uah Prayer. We were discussing the subject of Qubbat al-Arzaaq, the Dome of Provisions given to Prophet (s). Yesterday we spoke of the importance of doing mawlid for Prophet (s) and we spoke of the story of how Shah Naqshband was ordered by Prophet (s) to observe the mawlid on 12th Rabi` al-Awwal. We discussed what happened that day when he was inviting all his followers and presenting to them all, and what Prophet (s) has given of rewards. He said that they had done more than what Prophet (s) had asked for, and he rewarded them for what they did and referred the rest of the extra to Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (q) to reward them. It is important that when you do something voluntarily you get rewarded extra, and this all occurred in a vision that was in Masjid Quba.
Prophet (s) said to Grandshaykh (q), "O my son, I am giving you that support and extra rewards, and asking Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) to explain to you."
At that moment Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) entered with the same features he had in time of Prophet (s). Grandshaykh said, "I saw him; he was khalifah of Prophet (s) and as if he was in his chair of khilafah and speaking to people. He was in that environment, speaking to people and he welcomed me. When he welcomed, I looked and I saw behind him jam`an ghaafir, a huge gathering, and I looked at them and I knew who these people are."
Grandshaykh saw all those people, a huge gathering sitting with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (q) and he said, "I knew them one by one and there was no way to count them. They were all taking from Sayyidina Abu Bakr, who was putting on their tongue the loud dhikr and the hidden dhikr.” Hidden dhikr is not like loud dhikr. If loud dhikr is 100%, the hidden dhikr cannot be counted less than one million percent. So that is why Naqshbandis are known as "People of hidden dhikr".
Grandshaykh said, "I knew them all and I knew the names given to them on the Day of Promises and I knew them without one overlapping the other. Sayyidina Abu Bakr said that Prophet (s) asked him to give for the extra and that is to tell us the importance of Mawlid an-Nabi. Don't put in your mind this is too much. The secrets that are given by Prophet (s) and by awliyaullah cannot be known or counted in greatness. That will be reserved for you for akhirah. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (q) said, 'I am giving to you what was put by Prophet in my heart,' and that was authenticated by the saying ma sabb-Allahu fee sadree sababatahu fee sadri Abi Bakr as-Siddiq (whatever Allah has poured in my heart I poured in the heart of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq)."
Grandshaykh continues, "Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) said, 'I am giving you from the inheritance of that power that you will be able to prepare everyone that has the ability to be a Naqshbandi. I am giving you authority to pour in the heart of the one who says they are following the path of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, to all those lahum isti`daad li ahliyya at-tariqat an-naqshbandiyyatil-aliyya (qualified for Naqshbandi Tariqah). I am giving power for them to intercede for their ancestors and their relatives on the Day of Judgment. That is a reward for the extra you have done of Mawlid an-Nabi. Additionally what awliyaullah cannot achieve in seclusion of nine years duration, I am giving to you for all of your followers. That is from the secret of the name al-Kareem.'"
When we sit in that, we are drowning. We don't know what we have been given in Mawlid an-Nabi and that is why it is very important for Ahl adh-Dhikr, People of Dhikr, to observe Mawlid an-Nabi.
He said on top of that what those giudes, not representatives of murshids; with all respect to the representatives. He is speaking of the real murshids: Murshid at-Tabarruk, Murshid at-Tasfiyyah, Murshid at-Tazkiyyah and Murshid at-Tarbiyyah for Sultan al-Awliya and aqtaab. He said when a murshid reaches level of irshad and when Allah (swt) dresses him from secrets of Prophet (s) nothing can change the position of that murshid. He will carry the darkness and sins of Muslims and if he carries them on his shoulder, not only Muslims but the sins of non-Muslims and unbelievers, all this darkness thrown on his shoulders in one shot, his covenant with Allah will not be changed. He will keep him as murshid and he will give level of irshad that says I am follower of Naqshbandi Sufi order. That will intercede for a large group of whomever he likes.
That is why it is very bad to speak ill about each other, backbiting. Allah (swt), Prophet (s), and awliyaullah are dressing you with these secrets. La yaleeq lishaanikum, "it does not befit what you have been given," because you are like a shining star and if you backbite someone who is also a shining star, it looks bad. So Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q) said,"I am giving you all these rewards besides what Prophet has given you."
That is why we brought the story of Grandshaykh and the mawlid. He told about the Qubbat al-Arzaaq, that the angels there are different from all other angels and their features are such that you know when you see them that these are angels for Prophet (s), like Secret Service bodyguards of a president that you recognize in the street and when the car comes you move away quickly. Similarly no prophet or angel very near to Divine Presence knows anything about these angels. Their features and their powers are hidden and only Sayyidina Muhammad (s) knows what these special angels can do. They descend in huge numbers that you cannot count la kathra wa ziada `addahum (?). Countless angels will descend on anyone as in the hadith that when people sit together for dhikr, angels will descend and surround them. These are different, these are for those observing Mawlid an-Nabi. They descend when you sit for mawlid and carry your gifts, the recitation. They take and perfect and present your gift; they don't take it as it is. If you have a gift to give, what you do? You wrap it nicely. Our gift is soup, mixed with all kinds of ego and sins. Our hearts are not present, so they clean these gifts with heavenly cleaning; process and present to Prophet. If you are observing mawlid they present to Prophet (s) and if you are presenting these gifts to Rawdat al-Mutahharah, which is the pure, heavenly rawdah as mentioned in hadith.
In old days, emperors sent previous gifts like diamonds for the holy rawdah of Prophet where everyone goes to pray two raka`ats in the piece of Paradise on Earth. These angels are responsible to receive the gifts sent by anyone for Rawdat an-Nabi as they purify the offering of mawlid and those gifts. They also add their own praise of Prophet (s), glorification of Allah (swt), and they give all of it to Prophet (s). Their gifts are 77 times greater than any gifts in heavens, which means if you do anything good you will be rewarded higher than any gift you have been rewarded. These are presented to Prophet (s) and he will ask that you be given a reward 77,000 times more than is rewarded to you.
He said that those angels are under obligation when you send any gift to Prophet (s). They are asking forgiveness on your behalf and every moment their duty is talab al-maghfirah, to request forgiveness, for whoever offers Mawlid an-Nabi or sends a gift to Rawdat ash-Sharif. Those angels are dispatched to any home or mosque where mawlid is observed and they encompass all the way up to `Arsh ar-Rahman. All your homes will be reflected as homes under the Throne. Wherever you are reciting the mawlid, your homes in dunya will be full of light and this will make a reflection of your heavenly homes in the presence of Allah (swt) for those observing Mawlid an-Nabi. Our minds cannot understand this. Awliyaullah give it very simply, but it is loaded with more than what is described.
He said that anyone invited to the mawlid observing it and staying only five minutes, not coming to listen but coming only to eat, and there are people like that, law dhahab faqad li'l akal, "his intention is only to eat at the mawlid," Allah will waive all his sins big and small, and he will return home as if he was born that day! That is all coming from Qubbat al-Arzaaq, the Dome of Provisions that Allah gave to Prophet (s) to reward those who observe mawlid.
(NOTE: They are now switching to Cyprus and we hope we will be with Mawlana Shaykh as soon as they switch.
Allahu akbar al-kabeera, walhamdulillahi katheera.)
This is from what you are hearing and you are drowned. If you are hearing and saying that attending just to eat will remove your sins, what better than that do you want? That is why it is good tidings for someone who makes every day for Prophet a mawlid. As Sayyidina Muhammad al-Busayri (r) said, even if every day you recite Mawlid an-Nabi, it is not considered sufficient. (Question: Is "Dalayl al-Khayrat" considered mawlid?) Yes of course; that is remembering and reciting the praise on Prophet (s) and it is different from mawlid because that is to observe celebration of the day the Prophet (s) came to this dunya in spite of the Wahabis. These treasures are for those people who observe it.
May Allah bless us and support us and make every day of our lives to be observing Mawlid an-Nabi. That is what we can say by tongue because we are weak. We might not be able to do it, but say this is our intention, Ya Rabbee. All works are by intention. If your intention is bad, angels cannot write it. If your intention is good they write it. Any good intention is written as Allah says "From My mercy, he might do it." So a good intention is written and a bad intention isn't. Only in Mecca and Madina if you have bad intention it is written. Even bad thoughts will be written and good thoughts will be rewarded. Bad thoughts are a sin as Mecca and Madina are restricted, highly guarded, pure areas. That is why first they tell someone going for Hajj, don't get in a fight, and don't back bite. As if Shaytan is telling them to go drink nargheela, smoke cigarettes, and fight with everyone. Shaytan wants to ruin it for them.
If you can control your anger you can go. If you did one time it is obligation, but make sure you don't have any bad thought there. It is difficult. Once I was with Mawlana Shaykh and carrying the burden of lot of Cypriot pilgrims, men and women 60 years and older. You have to carry them and that woman cannot walk, "carry me," like that he brings them. I don't know why? He likes difficulties. It was a very tough Hajj with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, as they carry burdens. One time they wanted to move from one place to another, going and coming. That lady, 80 years of age, pulling behind her not only a suitcase, a buggy! They have a duffel bag, wrapped and carrying. She wants to carry the old stove with kerosene inside it and saying, "I don't want to lose it and I want to go to that place, a masjid, and come back." She wanted to bring it, so Mawlana Shaykh carried that to the masjid and came back.
Mawlana was patient, patient. One day he wanted to change money and he asked the exchanger the rate and someone then recommended another person to change the money and he asked the rate there. That one said, "This much". Mawlana Shaykh looked at him and said, "That one is giving more," and that money-exchanger looked at him and said, "O you bad people! You are coming to our country and you are bad people!" Some make politics when pilgrims come to Hijaz to make ziyara and Hajj. That man began to call him all kind of bad names and then at the end he spit on Mawlana. What did Mawlana do? Mawlana rubbed it on his face, as if for barakah! I said, "Mawlana, why are you rubbing it on your face?!" I was going to jump on that man, but Mawlana said, "No, leave it; Allah will take from him our right." He left it as if someone threw on him water. That is the training of seclusion and it reminds me of the story of Sayyidina `Ali with the wrestler who spat on him.
bi hurmati' l-habeeb bi hurmati' l-Fatihah.