13 May 2011 Lefke, Cyprus
Dhuhr Suhbah
(Translated from Arabic)
Dastoor, yaa RaijaalAllah. A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani ‘r-rajeem, bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem.
“Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem” is a title which is in every book and which is said before every speech. If the blessed “bismillah” is not said, then the gathering becomes like a scavenger’s gathering and those sitting in the gathering become scavengers. Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbaru ‘l-Akbar!
Dastoor, yaa RijaalAllah. When I ask for support to speak from their words the battery is on, but when the battery is finished it is thrown away.
Dastoor, yaa RijaalAllah. At the moment you say this a connection is made. Its’ example is like a stream running freely without a blockage The place where water is stored doesn’t stay for long, it gets over.
Our religion is the religion of haneef, it is open. “Haneef” means it has reached from the Heavens, to the servants of Allah. Whoever wants to reach that stream is saafee, clean. If he uses his mind to reach then it is definite that he will reach his goal. If a scholar’s knowledge is from the Heavens it never becomes less. They have reached the streams from Heavens. For the beginners it cuts down, but for those who have reached those streams it never cuts, it only increases, not stopped by anything. We learn a lesson from the water of ZamZam in the middle of the desert. If you dig 1,000 feet, it never runs out; with Allah's Will it increases and never diminishes. If one thousand, one million, one billion, or one trillion people come to drink from it, it will suffice them!
وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Wa `allamnaahu min ladunnaa `ilma.
And whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence. (Al-Kahf, 18:65)
Min ladunna is a special point. We do not judge the Master of Noble Prophets (s)! (Mawlana Shaykh stands and sits.) It is impossible to describe the greatness of his mission. Allahu Akbar! That is why no one can be at his level. Allah Jalla wa `alaa made him the Possessor of the Absolute Message, granted what no other had ever been given.
Prophet Moses (a) was proud of his knowledge, with his forty tablets (a camel's load) yet he found someone who had unprecedented knowledge as stated in Surah Al-Kahf’s verses, describing his visit to one of Allah's servants whom Allah had taught from His divine knowledge.
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Fa wajadaa `abdaan min `ibaadina ataynaahu rahmatan min `indina wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma.
So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our Presence. (Al-Kahf, 18:65)
Min rahmatinaa means, “from Our mercy.” Similarly, Allah states that He has sent Prophet Muhammad (s):
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِي
wa ma arsalnaaka illa rahmatan li ‘l-`alameen.
And We did not send you (Muhammad) except as a Mercy to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya, 21:107)
To enter such a drop of such an ocean one gains the gushing-forth of this ocean. Allah grants endless oceans from His knowledge. However, an ant gains a different measure of that knowledge from another creature, such as a whale. A small fish gains something and a big fish, a whale, gains something else from knowledge. A fish wishes to drink from the whole ocean because it seeks to gain as much as possible from its possibilities.
Sayyidina Khidr (a) was granted from these oceans and no one was able to gain something directly from Allah without a medium, and as for the knowledge of min ladunna we don’t ask a medium.
وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ
w ’abtaghaw ilayhi ’l-waseelah.
Seek the means of approach to Him. (Al-Ma`idah, 5:35)
The word “waasita” is a heavy word and it is not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, but it is mentioned, “w ’abtaghaw ilayhi ’l-waseelah,” meaning, “If you wished to come closer to Him, then seek a means, otherwise it is not possible to reach without a means of transportation.” For example, if you wish to fly you need a plane. Allah Jalla wa `alaa says, “w ’abtaghaw ilayhi ’l-waseelah.” Here, servants of Allah are addressed and “ilayhi” is “My Beloved, My Messenger who represents Me.” Success is from Allah!
Fatihah.
This is a deep ocean.
Fatihah.
Human beings are proud and think themselves strong; they don’t humble themselves. Mankind seeks to be honored. The Prophet (s) was granted the real ocean of honor and greatness that he deserves. The Children of Adam also like to be honored. We don't want pride from our own egos, but for the sake of Allah, such as the one needed to enter the presence of a king. The human being likes pride for the sake of his own ego. He likes grandeur and greatness; that's why our egos are poisoned, but grandeur for the sake of Allah, on the other hand, is acceptable.
وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَاء فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
Wa lahu ‘l-kibriyaa fi ‘s-samaawaati w ‘l-ard.
To Him be glory throughout the Heavens and the Earth. (Al-Jathiyah, 45:37)
We like grandeur and pride for ourselves for the sake of Allah, because we wish to be suited to be in the presence of the Glorious Lord in the right attire, just like a person who wears the best clothes when invited to be in the presence of a king. This greatness and honor is hidden; this is reality. He made a secret inside us that we ask from Him greatness and honor for His sake!
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: You have corrected the understandings, mashaa-Allah, Sayyidee. Pride used to be from the bad characteristics, but you highlighted the good side of this characteristic.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: SubhaanAllah, there is a secret in this. He is the One Who made this desire in our hearts, we didn’t buy it from markets. He likes His servants to be dressed from the oceans of kibriyaa, grandeur. Allah dresses us from grandeur to be fit to be in His Presence. He likes that all His servants become kings. Allahu Akbar!
Fatihah.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: Let us stay inside the oceans of pride and grandeur. No one wrote about this. It's a fresh understanding of these characteristics.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Fresh? Frais?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: Fraises, strawberries (in French) Mashaa-Allah, your speech is like the perfume of flowers and rayaaheen, basil!
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Allahu Akbar!
(Mawlana Shaykh prays two raka`ats.)
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: Mashaa-Allah, Sayyidee. You spoke wonders, Sayyidee.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: These are wonders.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: What wonders, Sayyidee? You changed the notion of the word “pride,” mashaa-Allah. This means that all the words have a different dimension according to saints. We never heard you speak on this topic.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Tawbah, yaa Rabbee. Tawbah, yaa Rabbee.
Fatihah.
These are oceans, oceans.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: Oceans? Mawlana, you are the ocean from outer space, with no beginning and no ending for it! If the station of kibriyaa is like that, then what about other stations?
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Mashaa-Allah.They dressed with greatness and honor from the presence of the Prophet (s) at the station of Mi`raaj and at every moment he is dressed with kibriyaa.