The Only Way Is to Follow

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

14 February 2014 Maryland

Private Residence

كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان فى الميزان حبيبتان إلى الرحمن سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم

Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala al-lisaan thaqeelataan fi ’l-meezaan habeebataan li’r-rahmaan: SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.

There are two words that are very easy to say, yet very heavy on the Scale, most beloved to The Merciful, “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.”

Allah, always through His Prophet (s), gives good tidings to Ummat an-Nabi (s) and to human beings. Allah knows we are weak servants struggling in all kinds of bad things, and Allah knows He gives us an age to live and with this age to live, Allah ordered us to follow the way of the Prophet (s). There is no other way, there is one way. You have many different roads, but every road might end in the same middle way. Always there is this highway and if you see some other roads you might be lost. If you take the highway it takes you to the end, like when we went to Agra, we went on one highway, no right, no left. Were there exits? Very few. Two-hundred kilometers straight forward, no stops, nothing except maybe some cows, but it is a place that brings you to Agra and that is the way. Allah gave to the Prophet (s) a way for his ummah to follow, no other way. Other ways are all corrupted, oxidized; you have to polish them to clean them in order to make the pipe a good pipe that water can go through. The only pipe that does not oxidize and is not corrupted is the Way of the Prophet (s). Why we have to invent and try to say this or say that? It is one way. Let's face the truth: it is one way, there are no two ways!

The Prophet (s)...no one can claim that Islam does not encompass everything. No one can say that or that Islam does not contain; if Islam does not contain everything, then why are there too many ayahs about Sayyidina Musa (a) and Sayyidina `Isa (a)? Then, we would only have about Sayyidina Muhammad (s), but (the Holy Qur’an includes) so many verses about different prophets, including Sayyidina Musa (a) and Sayyidina `Isa (a). So no one can claim from any religion, the religion of the Prophet (s), where Allah said:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُُ

The religion in Allah’s view is Islam (submission to His Will). (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:19)

Can you say that Islam does not contain other religions? We contain them and we build bridges by accepting them; by accepting Sayyidina Musa means we build bridges with the Jewish community. Allah mentioned Sayyidina Musa (a), which means we accept their religion. By accepting Sayyidina `Isa means we build bridges with the Christian community, we extended the bridges, we made the highway, we paved it ready, although they did not accept the way of the Prophet (s) and they did not accept Islamic teachings, which is their mistake. They have to acknowledge that they go back to their religion, and be sure that they accept our prophet as we accept their prophets. What is interfaith dialogue based on? The three Abrahamic religions. What is “Abrahamic”?

وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

I have directed my face towards the One who created the Heavens and the Earth, as a Haneef, and I am not of the idolaters. (Narrated `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Tirmidhi)

Prophet (s) said, “I have directed my face,” haneefan muslimah, innee wajahtu wajhiya lilladee fatara ‘s-samaawaati wa ‘l-ardh haneefan, wa maa ana min al-mushrikeen. “I directed my face to the One that created the Heavens and Earth,” wa maa ana min al-mushrikeen, “I am not one that associates anyone with Allah.” Haneefan muslimah, “I am a pure Muslim.” What is a ‘pure Muslim’? It contain all religions: it contains the Jewish community and contains the Christians.

So this highway is a straight highway that does not accept nifaaq. We are al-muslihoon, we are the people who make islaah. Prophet (s) is al-Muslih; we can call one of his names “al-Muslih.” In Holy Qur’an it is mentioned ‘al-muslihoon’and ‘islaah’ and ‘muslih,’ in different ways, more than fifty times in different verses. The Prophet (s) is al-Muslih; Allah Himself called him al-Muslih, “the One Who Rectifies Affairs.” Muslihoon are the people who first make islaah to themselves, when they make sure that they make islaah to their ego, to their desires, to their whatever it is, when they make sure that they are signed off, certified that they passed the test, that they are muslihoon, and this word is not to be used in a hanky-panky way, to be muslih. We have to be responsible, not everyone can carry that title.

So the Prophet (s) did islaah, he was muslih, to bring people together in reconciliation. The Prophet (s) tried, he worked with Jews and the Holy Qur’an is full of ayats of Sayyidina Musa (a) and Sayyidina `Isa (a). So we don’t want to go right or left to make it a decoration, like these lamps here. No, go to the bottom point: if there is no electricity these lamps will never shine, if there is no energy you don’t see them shining. So that shining is the outcome, or the importance of the energy within you, it makes you shine and you become like a spotlight because of what they have put in you. You know that a representative in the Naqshbandi Order or any order, from fulfilling the basic steps he can ascend as soon as he sits for his awraad and connects, and the whole silsilah will respond and it gives a sound like a chain, like reaching to the Prophet (s). That chain will have a sound, like when you carry a chain and move it, it makes a ringing sound.

So when you say, “Yaa Sayyidee, yaa Sultan al-Awliya,” the whole chain has to be shaking like a belt to the presence of Prophet (s)! You are reaching when you mention one name of the silsilah, tuharik al-silsilah, it will move the chain up to Prophet (s), that representative says, “That `abd, yaa Rasoolullah, is now in need of your help. Help him!” That is how they carry when they do baya`: they do baya` and the whole silsilah is moving, every shaykh is putting his hand. It is not like baya`, baya`, baya`! When doing baya`, it is moving the silsilah all the way to the Prophet (s); awliyaullah are moving, everyone is putting because they are under obligation to put their hands on that. If Shah Bahauddin Naqshband (q) does not put his hand then that baya` is not considered, because the tariqah is being called after him, it is not considered up to Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r). That is one way, it is a highway. Siraat al-Mustaqeem is the highway that Allah ordered everyone to follow. You pretend you love Allah (swt) and everyone says, “I love Allah,” but everyone loves their children more than they love Allah. That is an example. So Allah said, “Do you love Me?”

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you and forgive your sins, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat Aali-'Imraan, 3:31)

‘In kuntum’ is the key and shart, condition. In kuntum, “If you were,” tuhibboona 'Llaaha, “If you are really in it, love Allah in every moment,” not one time and then forget about it. Fat-tabi`oonee, “Then follow me,” yuhbibkumullaahu, “Allah will love you.” That is one ishaarah, signal, to Ummat an-Nabi (s): if you love Allah, follow Muhammad (s).

What the Prophet (s) said to make it easy for us?

من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة

Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ enters Paradise.

Say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah!” [Laa ilaaha illa-Llah!] That is enough to take us all to Paradise! Awliyaullah, how they become awliyaullah? Do they become awliyaullah because they were doing awraad? They were struggling in their awraad. As soon as they sit to do their awraad they are struggling, asking every moment with `ishq that Allah (swt) opened for them and living a harsh life. They go twenty meters down, thirty meters down, in a small room not bigger than a person, marble carpet that he was praying on (in Sirhind). They saw a hard time. He (mureed) saw it, and all filled with spiders and biting worms and so on. No light, no food, nothing, and they never complained. They did not become awliyaullah by reading books; wilaya is not achieved by reading books. Allah might give anyone who is struggling in His Way and Allah will dress him because he struggled in His Way!

اَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ

On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:286)

(Someone may say,) “I don’t know more than two pages of Holy Qur’an.” Allah will not burden more than he can take, or, “Not more than ten hadith,” but you struggle in His Way. That is one way and no turning back: you go forward, you struggle, overcome and continue until Allah will send you His Rahmat and put you on the wilaya side!

إن الله تبارك وتعالى لا ينظر إلى صوركم ولا إلى أجسامكم ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وإلى أعمالكم

Allah gives no concern to your appearances nor your bodies, but He only looks to what is in your heart and to your actions.

Allah looks at your hearts, not at your faces. If your heart is good:

الا وان في الجسد مضغة اذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، واذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله، الا وهي القلب‏.

In the body there is a small piece of flesh; if that piece of flesh is rectified then the whole body will be rectified and if it becomes corrupt then the whole body will become corrupt, and truly that is the heart. (Bukhari and Muslim)

If our heart is with dunya, that it is in dunya, if our heart is with Akhirah, then it is with Akhirah, and in-between you are struggling. Struggle in Allah’s Way, as this dunya is a dunya of struggle!

So that lamp cannot be shining if there is not something within it. Allah created you better than a lamp. Allah created you and He passed you, He passed everyone, created them from three Lights: first from Allah's Light, then the Prophet's (s) Light, then Sayyidina Adam's (a) Light, three Heavenly Lights and He put these Lights within you and these Lights will not shine like this lamp. If the Light of a mu’min, or a Muslim will be opened the whole dunya will disappear, you cannot look at it anymore from the intensity of that Light, because Allah will love you when you follow Muhammad (s)! It is very clear in the ayah:

Qul in kuntum tuhibboona 'Llaaha fattabi`oonee yuhbibkumullaahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunoobakum w 'Allaahu Ghafooru 'r-Raheem.

Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you and forgive your sins, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:31)

When Allah loves you, what will happen? If your father loves you too much he will give you everything, is it not? If he doesn’t love you, if he is in this country he will give it to the dogs, or in a Muslim country he will give it to a charity. What do you think about Allah (swt), The Creator? If He loves you, what will He give you? There is no way to describe it. If we describe that He made us from these three Lights, it becomes so big in our minds--from noorullah, noor an-Nabi and noor Sayyidina Adam (a)--because of these three Lights, Allah said in Holy Qur'an:

وإعلموا أن فيكم رسول الله

W`alamoo anna feekum rasoolullah.

And know Allah's Messenger is in you. (Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:7)

“Know that the Prophet’s Light is in you.” So when that begins to appear... look at the lamp, the bottom lamp cannot shine if the first lamp is not shining, because first that energy goes to the first lamp and makes it to shine, then the second, then the third, until the last one. Never it comes to the last one first, it comes to the first one, so that is why the first one is the one you depend on. That is why in tariqah you depend on the murshid, you don’t depend on the rest. The murshid is the one you call upon and sit for meditation and awraad, not like us sitting behind the TV and making dhikr and salawaat. I am not saying don’t do it, but they were struggling, they were doing their best for Ummat an-Nabi (s). There are things you can speak about, but they block. You might all your life be doing awraad, it might not be taking you up more than a finger or one inch, because you are doing it while watching the TV or in a special room, or in a masjid, and it might not take you, but you have to do it. Also, one thing you might do and Allah likes it from you, and He takes you from here to there, and you reach in one shot!

Grandshaykh `AbdAllah (q), I was one time there and there was someone who wanted to marry and that person didn't have money for his son to pay the muqaddam, the dowry for the girl his son wants to marry. It was 2,000 Syrian Lira, in that time it was like around $400, the dowry. He didn't have it, and he came to Mawlana Shaykh `AbdAllah, who called two people and said, “I don’t ask anyone,” as in tariqah you don’t ask, “but I can ask you,” because they will not have any hesitance in their heart. If I ask (this mureed), “Can you give me $1,000?” and he felt shy and says, “Why is he asking? I don’t have it,” and that will become a sickness, an illness in him. If the shaykh asks, you must not have doubts. You don’t know when he asks why he asked, for what purpose and for what problem you will be facing. He called me and my brother and said, “Pay 1,000 and you pay 1,000.” He went and we got the money and Mawlana said, “I never asked anyone because if a little doubt comes in his heart he will be hit immediately, so I don’t ask.” So Allah (swt) gives when someone does something good, for in your eyes it is very simple, but in Allah's eyes it is so great. Does Allah have nothing to give? Allah has everything to give and never….

So, in kuntum tuhibboona 'Llaah, “If you really love Allah, then follow Muhammad in everything,” then Allah loves you and gets all these lights on, they plug it on and from the bottom all the way you are connected. How are the mureeds of the shaykh connected? It is a pyramid, like these lights; it depends on the level of the mureed. They are all being studied well. When the shaykh gives you baya`, with his finger he pulls out everything in your heart, he knows everything. Everyone has a rank and they are in order, even the difference between one and one might be epsilon, so small, but they are different, so he will be second, but they are connected 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in a "v" in the hand of the shaykh. He knows where you are, in which category, he knows where you reached. So all of them are connected by the shaykh and all of them are connected to each other. So all Mawlana's followers around the world and all tariqats around the world are like that: they are connected like a chain, one after one, one after one, until the last one. So if it is beads of ten miles, when that shines the light goes everywhere, but it becomes faint at the end. When Allah (swt) is happy with His servants, it will shine and that barakah of that mureed shines on the rest. So the only way to reach is when the Prophet (s) gives you something to recite, which is so easy.

كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان فى الميزان حبيبتان إلى الرحمن سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم

Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala al-lisaan thaqeelataan fi ’l-meezaan habeebataan li’r-rahmaan: SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.

There are two words that are very easy to say, yet very heavy on the Scale, most beloved to The Merciful, “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.”

Two words very light on the tongue, very heavy in the Scale: SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem, astaghfirullah. Recite that every day and that will make your Scale to be very heavy during the Day of Judgment. Now if you want more, do more. You want more, you want a bigger lamp, but if the wire is thin it is finished and the lamp is not going to shine; it might burn, it might pull more watts and then when happens at the end? It blows and the whole wire burns. So you have to have a strong wire, if you want to have a big lamp, a strong wire. That strong wire is the love to Allah (swt), and love to His Prophet (s), and love to Mawlana Shaykh (q) and love to all his followers!

Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.

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