A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.
Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbi ‘l-`Alameen wa ‘s-salaatu wa ‘s-salaam `alaa Sayyidina wa Habeebina wa Mawlana Muhammadin wa `alaa alihi tayyibeen wa Sahaabatihi ‘l-kirami ‘l-barara ajma`een.
Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi, yaa Sultan al-Awliya, madad. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi wa Mawlay. Madad, yaa RijaalAllah.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Alhamdulillah, people from Texas send their salaams. Alhamdulillah, we had a nice weekend. People from Houston came up to Dallas. People from San Antonio came up. People from Austin came up. Alhamdulillah, we had a lot of people from Dallas. May Allah (swt) accept their worship. May Allah (swt) accept their prayers. May Allah (swt) grant them the best. They are keeping love to Mawlana (q), they are keeping love to Awliyaullah and they’re trying to navigate their lives through what’s happening.
What is suhbah? Suhbah is hasbu haal. That is Arabic but they also use it in Turkish. It means, let’s evaluate what’s going on. I am not the shaykh. Astaghfirullah. They are looking at us, so I am not worried. Our masters are looking. If you don’t think they are haadir naazhir then don’t be here. If you don’t think that Waliyullah, Nabiyullah, Rasoolullah (s) are not able to watch their Ummah, not able to watch their followers from wherever they are then you have not understood who they are.
Alhamdulillah, our shuyookh are supporting us. What I am saying is from them, not me. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said that when the shaykh sits with people, he knows what’s blocking them from moving forward. Where does your journey lead? Not to the 7-Eleven down the street after dhikr. A lot of mureeds do that. After dhikr they go to Qamaria, a coffee shop, Starbucks, McDonald’s or whatever.
Your journey is not towards anything to this dunya. Your journey is to be accepted in Allah (swt)’s Divine Presence, al-hadrat al-Ilahiyya because it is Qudsiyya, it’s pure. When Sayyidina Musa (a) spoke to Allah (swt), Allah (swt) said, pay attention.
إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ رَبُّكَ فَٱخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِٱلْوَادِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
Verily I am thy Lord! therefore (in My presence) put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa. (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:12)
Innaka bi ‘l-Wadi ‘l-Muqqadas. You are standing in a valley that is sacred and pure. Take off your shoes that belong to dunya. Don’t come here with dunya shoes. Don’t come here with dunya baggage. Don’t come here with dunya belongings. Take off your shoes. That means take off the dunya and whatever is related to dunya. You are in a valley purified from the wants and desires of dunya.
When Sayyidina Musa (a) approached the Divine Presence and he was accepted, Allah (swt) told him, “Take off your shoes.” What are the shoes? You step on dunya with shoes, so anything you walked on dunya to: Qamaria, 7-Eleven or your movie theater or whatever it is, these pleasures of dunya do not belong here. Your journey is not to dunya, it is to Wadi ‘l-Muqqadas.
The name of that Sacred Valley is Tuwa, which means “folded.” The dunya has been folded from under you. The ego has been folded from under you. The ego and desires have been folded under you. You are now in the area of the ruh, the spirit. That spirit has nothing to do with dunya. That spirit was blown into this body for a reason. We will come to the reason soon.
Your journey is to purification in order to be able to stand in front of the Divine Presence. When the shaykh sits with the mureeds, and again, I am not the shaykh, the shaykh is present. Astaghfirullahi ‘l-Adheem. Keep adab with the masters. Astaghfirullah. We have lost adab with our shuyookh. The mureed never sees himself as the shaykh. That is what they call Fana fi ‘l-Shaykh. In tariqah they talk about Fana. What is Fana? It means “annihilation.” Why are you still in the middle? If you are saying, “I am looking for annihilation. I am not here. My shaykh is present.” Why are you still in the middle? Astaghfirullahi ‘l-Adheem.
Our Way is a little bit higher than the regular way. Adab. The shaykh looks at the hearts of people who are sitting and he knows what’s blocking them from advancing forward, so he treats them with words of wisdom. If you take these words of wisdom and work on your obstacles, you will advance in maqamatu ‘l-qurb, the stations of closeness to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says: Fa innee qareeb. I am close to you. Why don’t you come here? You get closer and closer.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
When My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:186)
That is why we sit. We don’t sit in order to open a topic, “Let’s talk about this today,” like these Islamic topics. We are not in a university or madressa. We are not in a school, rather we are in suhbah. Suhbah means “friendly sitting.” We are sitting together to discuss a few things. That is hasbu haal, to discuss the state of what is going on.
Mashaa-Allah. Allah (swt) has given us our shuyookh who gave us words of wisdom. You know what the situation is nowadays. I remember something that Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said a long time ago. Have you accepted, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah? Yes. If you are in trouble, where do you go? You go to the Qur’an, you go to Allah (swt).
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
Fa in tanaz`atum fi shay’in faruduhu ilAllahi wa ‘r-Rasooli in kuntum tu’minoona.
O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
If you have a dispute about something, go back to Allah (swt) and Rasoolullah (s), which means go back to the Qur’an and Sunnah. We don’t know what to do nowadays. Why don’t you go back to the Qur’an and Sunnah? If you have accepted, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah, if you have accepted iman, why don’t you go back to the Qur’an? Because we don’t know and that’s why we seek the advice of Awliyaullah, not the shuyookh who exist nowadays. They all talk about politics. Leave that. We are not interested in that. You have to find your way to Allah (swt) through the difficulties of this time.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) said Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an, asta’eedhubillah: wa man yu’min billahi yahdi qalba.
مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
No kind of calamity can occur, except by the leave of Allah. And if any one believes in Allah, (Allah) guides his heart (aright): for Allah knows all things. (Surat at-Taghabun, 64:11)
You have said, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah, and that means you have accepted iman. Allah (swt) promises that I will guide your heart. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) “yahdi” can also mean “calmness.” The stronger your belief in, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah, the stronger your iman, not by tongue but by heart. You know Allah (swt) is God. Allah (swt) is Lord. Allah (swt) is the Owner of Everything. Allah (swt) is doing everything as He likes. If you can get up to that level in the knowledge of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, that means your iman is getting stronger. If you have accepted that, Allah (swt) will put your heart at ease. Allah (swt) is Mussabibu ‘l-Asbab. He creates causes. He creates reasons. He creates events. He creates circumstances. He creates everything you are seeing and hearing.
You pass from the common people to Allah (swt). When you know Allah (swt) is in control of everything and He is ordering everything to happen, your heart will be at ease. Yaa Rabbee, whatever is happening in this world, You are wishing it, You are willing it, You are wanting it, therefore, I am believing in You and accepting what You have destined. That’s why I delegate my affairs to You. I put my trust in You. This is iman.
The stronger your trust in Allah (swt) is, the stronger your delegation of affairs to Him is, the stronger your iman and the calmer you get. You don’t get wishy-washy, scared, “What do we do? What don’t we do?” Believe in, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah. How much do you believe in that? Only by the tongue. Do you believe that Allah (swt) has created all people? Yes. Do you believe that Allah (swt) created what is going to happen to these people from good or bad? In tariqah, you have to go deeper into Islam. Just by accepting, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, Allah (swt) will put your heart at ease. What does He say in the Holy Qur’an? SubhaanAllah. I read it two days ago. Go read the Qur’an. Nobody reads. We say what we have understood. Asta’eedhubillah. Wa ma yastawi ‘l-bahr.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْبَحْرَانِ هَـٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَآئِغٌ شَرَابُهُۥ وَهَـٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى ٱلْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Nor are the two bodies of flowing water alike - the one palatable, sweet, and pleasant to drink, and the other, salt and bitter. Yet from each (kind of water) do you eat flesh fresh and tender, and you extract ornaments to wear; and you see the ships therein that plough the waves, that you may seek (thus) of the Bounty of Allah that you may be grateful. (Surah Fatir, 35:12)
The two seas are not alike. There is the freshwater and the saltwater and they don’t mix. That is true but go deeper. Awliyaullah dig deep. The two seas are not alike. Hadha `adhbun furaatun saa’ighun sharaabuhu. This one is sweet, fresh and pleasant to drink. It is very easy to drink. And this one is salty, bitter and when you drink it, it burns the back of your throat.
Awliyaullah have said that, yes, there are two waters that come together. One is fresh and the other is salty. We know all of that. We see pictures and have heard about it. But there is also a mu’min and a kafir. The true mu’min is fresh and excessively sweet, very kind. Saa’ighun sharaabuhu, pleasant to be around.
The other sea is the one that has not said, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, that has disbelieved in it and denied it. That is the kafir, the one without faith. You see them around. How are they? They are salty, bitter and they will burn the back of your mouth.
If you drink from this water, you find life. I don’t want to make a commercial. If you drink this, it says “nice.” If you drink this, you live. If you drink salty water, you die. The water that is fresh and sweet and easy to drink is the one that gives you life. These are mu’mins. Who are they? Awliyaullah. When you go to them, they give you water, `ilm, how to reach Allah (swt). If you reach Allah (swt), you reach Eternal Life.
But if you hang out at the salty sea and drink from it, you die. If you hang out with the people of no faith, or maybe the people of little faith and Allah (swt) takes them in His Rahmah, you die. That means you don’t reach Eternity.
One sea is fresh, pure and sweet which is the mu’min. But all you see around is the salty water. Every human being has become like salty water. Don’t approach. Why are you approaching them? Allah (swt) said, li taakullu minhu lahman tariyan.
لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا
hat you may eat thereof flesh that is fresh and tender, (Surat an-Nahl, 16:14)
There is benefit from both seas. There is benefit from both the mu’min and the kafir. Even if he is a kafir doing bad things, there is still benefit for some. But the mu’min is wholly beneficial. From both you eat fresh, tender meat. Wa tastakhrijoo minhu hilyatan talbasoonaha. You take out from both seas ornaments to wear: pearls, coral and whatever is in the sea. You will benefit from a mu’min and also from a kafir but this one is easy, pure and sweet and the other one you have to tolerate the saltiness, the bitterness and the burning that comes with it. That is one explanation.
Look around you. You are seeing what Allah (swt) has told you to exist in this world. Why are you upset? Allah (swt) told you there are two groups of people. Calm down. Be a calm person with the iman of Allah (swt). There are two seas: one is mu’min, one is kafir.
The other explanation given by Awliyaullah is that the two seas are the ruh, which is pure, and the ego, which is impure and you carry both. You benefit from both but they are different. Allah (swt) continues in that same verse:
وَتَرَى ٱلْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Wa tara ‘l-fulka fihi mawakhira li tabtaghoo min fadlihi wa la`alakum tashkuroon.
And you see the ships sailing through it that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful." (Surah Fatir, 35:12)
You see the ships sailing through these seas. Awliyaullah have said that one is the ship of Shari`ah. One ship sails from the spiritual world to the ego, to the lower world. What does it carry? Al-awaamir wa ‘n-naawahiyy, the permissible and non-permissible, what you are supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do. With His Rahmah, Allah (swt) is sending. Sayyidina Jibreel (a) is ar-Ruhu ‘l-Amin. He represents the soul, the spirit. He sends heavenly messages to your ego: the dos and don’ts. What is Shari`ah? It tells you what to do and what to avoid.
He also sends heavenly messages that go in the other sea, in the ship of the soul. That ship carries Haqa’iq wa ‘l-maali, secrets and meanings, to take you from your iman all the way to Allah (swt)’s Presence. Shuyookh tell you how to reach the Divine Presence with meanings and secrets and that was the way of Sayyidina Khidr (a) and shuyookh also teach you how to reach the ego by the dos and don’ts. That was the way of Sayyidina Musa (a).
True Awliyaullah of Ummata Muhammad (s) know both ways. They know the ‘dos’ and ‘donts’ that Sayyidina Musa (a) carried. Sayyidina Khidr (a) carried Haqqiqah or tariqah. Awliyaullah give you both ways and what is the end goal? To reach the Divine Presence. What happens when you reach the Divine Presence? You see, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. Back to square one. It’s a full circle because your, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, is taqleedi, imitation, by the tongue only.
You have to go through the first ship of Shari`ah, deliver to your ego what it needs, and the second ship delivers to your ruh what it needs so you can reach the Divine Presence. When you reach the Divine Presence, you will know the reality of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. Everything is in Allah (swt)’s Control. Your heart is at ease, in peace and tranquility. If it is not then you still have not reached the full circle. You go around until you reach, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. That is why Rasoolullah (s) said iman has 70 branches and the highest is, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.
Right now you say it by tongue and don’t understand what it means but it means a lot. There is nothing in this world that is not by the Order of Allah (swt), by the Will of Allah (swt), by the Wish of Allah (swt), by the Act of Allah (swt), by the Wisdom of Allah (swt), by the Knowledge of Allah (swt). You are a mu’min. You are supposed to know that. When you know that, your heart is at ease because you have delegated everything to your Lord. Allah (swt) will not let His mu’min servant suffer. Actually, if you are in hardship, some Awliyaullah love it. They love the hardship they are in because they keep remembering their Lord. Some Awliyaullah prefer sabr over shukr. They prefer to be in hardship rather than in thankfulness.
"مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِي قَلْبَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ"
Wa man yu’min billah yahdee qalbahu, w’Allahu bi kulli shayin `aleem.
No calamity befalls except by the permission of Allah; and whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart; and Allah is Knowing of all things. (Surat at-Taghabun, 64:11)
The one who believes in Allah (swt), Allah (swt) will put his heart at ease. He will guide his heart and put it at ease. That is what Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) has said. Don’t worry. Whatever is happening is happening. Remember, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, and that is enough for you. Yaa Rabbee, You are in control.
Sayyidina Muhiyiddin ibn `Arabi (q) explained the meaning of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. It means, Yaa Rabbee. You exist by Yourself, by Your Dhat, Essence. You have surrounded everything with Your Characteristics and Attributes. Al-Muhit. You are sending the Manifestation of Your Holy Names. People see You by Your Holy Names. The One Who is visible by His Actions. You are Hidden by what nobody knows. That is different.
Sayyidina Muhyiddin ibn `Arabi (q) looked at the dhahir, outward, the batin, inward, at who is surrounding everything, at who is in existence and he didn’t see anything but Allah (swt). That is the highest level of iman. Don’t worry about who is up or down, right or left, who is eating or not eating, who is dying or living. Everything becomes the same because you are only seeing Allah (swt), the Lord of Heavens and Earth. Our way is to inject iman. Iman is, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.
Rasoolullah (s) said, I came to tell people to say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah and I will struggle to the highest levels to make people say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, to reach that Reality. In this dunya there is no other reality. They talk about realities. First know the reality of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. By, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, you know other realities. When you don’t see Allah (swt) as the One in charge, where is your iman? Your iman is weak and that’s why Shaytan plays with you right and left. He takes you to the extreme right and the extreme left. Don’t be like that, O mu’min. If you have iman in Allah (swt), your heart has to be at peace, otherwise you will struggle.
The third explanation of the two seas is that these two times are not alike. Which times? When you are in tranquility with Allah (swt), it’s not the same as the time of qabd, constriction and restriction when you are crying for Allah (swt). Do you have that sometimes when you are all by yourself? Before Fajr, your wife is asleep, the children are asleep. I don’t know if the iPhone is asleep. Everything is asleep. You pray two raka`ats and you are making Dhikrullah, saying, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah and you feel that happiness. Nobody is around. You feel the tranquility. Allah (swt)’s Name is Al-Basit.
Have you ever heard of Al-Basit? “Yeah, Shaykh Abdul Basit. We always listen to him.” Okay, you know Abdul Basit, the servant of Al-Basit but how about knowing Al-Basit? [Shaykh Abdul Basit] is a blessed man. May Allah (swt) raise his station higher in Jannah. Al-Basit means the One who gives basth, expansion of the heart, joyfulness. Your heart is at ease and happy.
But there will be a time when you are crying, qabd. Allah (swt)’s Holy Name is Al-Qabid. He manifests His Names on His servants. One time He manifests His Name, Al-Basit, on you and you become happy. One time He manifests His Name, Al-Qabid, on you and you cry.
When you are happy, why are you happy? Because you are seeing Allah (swt) with your heart. You are feeling that you are in the Presence of Allah (swt). You have the perception of being with Allah (swt). When you are crying, what do you need to do? Be a servant to Allah (swt) because He has sent both times on you. Don’t break glasses and doors and windows and curse and cuss and gossip. `Uboodiyya means “servanthood.” Yaa Rabbee, I am Your servant. You have sent this down on me by that Holy Name, Al-Qabid, The Constrictor.
If you truly know, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, it is enough for you. Try your best to grasp that knowledge. That is why Allah (swt) told Rasoolullah (s):
فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَىٰكُمْ
Fa`lam annahu la illah illa ’Llah was taghfir li dhanbika wa li ‘l-mu’mineena wa ‘l-mu’minaat.
Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how you move about and how you dwell in your homes. (Surah Muhammad, 47:19)
What are the levels of knowledge? They are unlimited. He said to Rasoolullah (s), “Say, ‘Yaa Rabbee. Increase my knowledge.’” That means there is no end to that limit of iman, knowing what is, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. How would a servant know his Creator? There is no way. You say, “I am far from Him. I am close to Him.” How is He far or close? Does Allah (swt) move far or close? It is your sifaat, attributes, not Allah (swt)’s Attributes. You can never know His Reality. That `ilm of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, does not end.
Try to get to that, O mu’min. You will be happy, in peace, in tranquility here and Hereafter. Don’t stress too much. Know that Allah (swt) is in charge. If you think somebody else is in charge then your iman is in danger. Shaytan is playing with your iman and he might take your iman away. May Allah (swt) forgive us. Ameen.
Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. Who feeds you? Allah (swt). Who shelters you? Allah (swt). One Waliyullah used to travel. He reached a village and found a mosque to pray Dhuhr. He prayed behind the imam. After the imam finished, he looked at the Waliyullah and noticed he was a stranger, a traveller. He asks, “Where do you eat?” He replies, “O imam. Let me renew my prayer because if you don’t know who feeds me, why am I praying behind you? If your iman in Allah (swt) is shaky, I will not stand behind you in prayer.”
Allah (swt) says, O people, mention the ni`mah of Allah (swt) on you. Hal min khaliqin ghayru ‘l-Llahi yarzuqukum.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ هَلْ مِنْ خَـٰلِقٍ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ
O men! Call to mind the grace of Allah unto you! Is there a creator, other than Allah, to give you sustenance from heaven or earth? There is no god but He: how then are you deluded away from the Truth? (Surah Fatir, 35:3)
Is there another creator other than Allah (swt) that is giving you rizq? Who feeds you? Allah (swt). Who shelters you? Allah (swt). Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. If you have, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, on your tongue, in your heart and in your spirit, you don’t fear anything. That is why Awliyaullah are, law khawfun `alayhim wa la hum yahzanoon. They have put their trust fully in Allah (swt), whether it is difficult or easy, whether they have to be patient or thankful. They always know that in His Hand is this world and the other world.
تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Tabaarak alladhee bi yadihi ‘l-mulk wa huwa `alaa kulli shayin qadeer
Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power. (Surat al-Mulk, 67:1)
In His Hand is Mulk. Mulk is the lower world, everything.
فَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِۦ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Fa subhaanAlladhi bi yadihi Malakootu kulli shay’in wa ilayhi turja’oon.
So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will ye be all brought back. (Surah Ya-Sin, 36:83)
Malakoot is the upper world. In His Hand is Malakoot and Mulk. Why are you afraid? Why is your iman not solid? Always say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. May Allah (swt) forgive us. Our Way is to reach that iman. It is not to pray one thousand raka`ats a day or fast all year long. Our Way is to make you understand, love and approach Allah (swt) by heart, not by body. That is iman. That is the best. It is Islam by the body and iman by the heart
وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ
Wa lamaa yadkullu ‘l-imanu fee quloobikum.
“You have not [yet] attained to faith” (Surat al-Hujurat, 49:14)
Iman has not entered your hearts yet. That is our Way. May Allah (swt) grant us His Knowledge, the knowledge of, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, and may we carry it everywhere we go. Of course, the one to teach you that knowledge is Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s). You cannot just say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, and be done. Who is going to teach you that? Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s). May we be on their way to the Divine Presence as accepted ones. Ameen.
The other day I was listening to this very famous guru out of the west coast, a Muslim da’ee, talking about the stars and traveling the heavens. He was talking about the time that we are living in. He was trying to teach all of these imaginary things. Yaa Hu. O my friend, leave that. Say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, and it is enough. He was telling them the realities of the stars in the Heavens and the realities of here and there. Leave all of that. People don’t understand any of it. Tell them to make, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, in their hearts and on their tongues and you have reached. You don’t have to go through the Heavens. Allah (swt) is not only in the Heavens. He is not only on earth. He is not anywhere. He is not limited by time and place. Astaghfirullahi ‘l-Adheem.
If you say, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, you will be in His Presence instantly. If you mention Him, He mentions you. If you remember Him, He remembers you. Don’t make it hard on people, just teach them, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah and it is enough.
Of course, they want to show that they know something. They want to go higher. That is `ujub, kibr. That is the characteristic of Shaytan. May Allah (swt) take Shaytan away from us. Ameen.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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