A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.
A`oodhu billahi ‘s Sami` al-`Aleem min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbi ‘l-`alameen wa ‘s-salaatu wa ‘s-salaam `alaa Sayyidina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa as-habihi ajma`een wa man tabi`ahu bi ihsanin illa Yawmi ‘d-deen wa `alaa saa’iri ‘l-Anbiya wa ‘l-mursaleen wa ‘l-Awliya wa `ibaadillahi ‘s-saliheen wa `alayna ma`ahum ajma`een, yaa Arhamu ‘r-Rahimeen.
Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
Nawayna ‘l-arba’een, nawayna ‘l-`itikaaf, nawayna ‘l-khalwah, nawayna ‘l-uzla, nawayna ‘l-riyada, nawayna ‘s-siyam, nawayna ‘s-sulook lillahi ta`ala ‘l-Adheem fee hadha ‘l-masjid.
Dastoor, yaa Sayyidee wa Mawlay, yaa Sultan al-Awliya. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidee wa Mawlay. Madad, yaa RijaalAllah.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
Alhamdulillah. What happened to you yesterday? It’s gone. As Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) used to say, Hayal âlemine kapanda. “The world of dreams has closed, it has gone to the world of dreams, to the world of images.” What happened to the conference? It’s a mental picture, isn’t it? What remained of it? It is done. The three days, four days, five days, ten days, whatever it is that we spent over there, what happened to it? It became a mental image. That’s about it, it’s gone.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) used to say that this whole universe is nothing but an image. Your whole life is nothing but a mental image. Ask Shaykh `Abdullah. He’s almost 80 years old, but he looks 60. Mashaa-Allah. What happened to your past life? It became a memory! It’s somewhere in the back or maybe it’s all gone. Not all of it, it’s nothing but a mental picture, a dream.
If we were back upstate, if we were chasing dunya, what happened to dunya? Finished. If you were chasing Akhirah over there, what happened? You got your rewards. In that conference, how many speakers came? The first of them was me. If I was chasing dunya over there, if I am from the people that have chased prestige, fame, name recognition, elevation over others, “Mashaa-Allah. Mashaa-Allah,” everyone is praising you, if me and others have looked into that, that is dunya isn’t it? You are asking for people to recognize you so you can get higher over others in dunya. What happened to that? It has become a dream now, it’s an image, it’s gone. If you are from ahlu ‘d-dunya, that means you are from ahlu ‘l-hawaa. Awliyaullah have said the people who are chasing dunya are the people that are chasing their desires. They are chasing nothing but a mirage. You think you got it? You say, “A little bit more.” You think you got it, “Little bit more. A little bit more. Little bit more,” until you die in that desert. Dunya is a desert. You have to find that oasis of Awliyaullah so that you can eat and drink and find life within that desert. Awliyaullah have set up an oasis.
If we were from ahlu ‘l-dunya, from the people desiring dunya that means we are the people of desires, hawaa. If we went to New York, chasing dunya, that means you are from ahlu ‘l-hawaa, you are chasing desires.
Have you ever heard of Sayyideena Bahlul (q)? Bahlul was majdhoob. He was attracted by Divine Love. He said, I was in the streets of a certain city and lo and behold, a group of kids were playing. They had some toys and were playing in the street. Next to them there was another kid looking at them and crying. He looked and maybe this kid was crying because he didn’t have any toys to play with. So he went to him and said:
“O my son, why do you cry? Do you want me to buy you some toys so you can play with the kids?”
That boy turned to Bahlul (q) and said, “Yaa qaleel al-`aqal, O the one that has barely any mind! O mindless person! O no faculty, no IQ. We were not created for playing.”
“O my son, so what were we created for?”
“We were created to acquire knowledge and to be in worship.”
Sayyideena Bahlul said, “Mashaa-Allah. Barakallah feek. May Allah bless you! Where did you get this from, that we are created for acquiring knowledge and for worship?”
“From Kalaamu ‘Llah, from Allah’s Holy Words. Asta`eedhu billah.
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ عَبَثًۭا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Afa hasibtum annamaa khalaqnaakum abbathan wa annakum `ilayna la turja`oon.
Did you then think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" (Surat al-Mu’minoon, 23:115)
Did you think that We have created you in vain? Allah is addressing people, “Do you think I have created you in vain? Did you think I have created you for no purpose? Did you think that you would not be brought back to Us? Did you think that you would not be come back to Us?”
Do you think you were created for no purpose? What were you created for? You were created for acquiring knowledge about the Creator and to be in His service and worship. Are you acquiring knowledge about the Creator? This guy is! He took me to his house one time and made me enter a room. I didn’t know if it was a wall or bookshelves. Four walls were full of books. When did we last acquire knowledge? If you went to the conference to acquire knowledge, if you went to the conference to be in the service of Allah (swt), glad tidings for you, you are from Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah!
If you went there, O speaker, and I’m talking about myself first or whoever was there, if you went there for dunya, if you went there for prestige and fame, you have followed your desires. If you went there for `ilm and `ibaadah, if you went there to acquire knowledge from the scholars, `ulama, from the Ahadith, from the verses of Qur’an, and if you went there to be in the service of Allah (swt), you are from Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah. You are trying to acquire Allah (swt)’s thawab, rewards.
Where did yesterday go? It went into the world of images and dreams. If you have done good in it, glad tidings for you. If you have done bad in it, it means if you have followed your desires, for a fleeting shadow. Does this dunya escape you or not? It escapes!
Mashaa-Allah, it’s Thursday again. What happened to the six days before? Gone. Alhamdullilah, we finished dhikr and everything. I look, and it’s Thursday again. This guy keeps reminding me, “Today is dhikr.” I know, I wake up. What happened to the six days? Week after week is running away from you. Are you pursuing your desires and your prestige in this dunya or are you pursuing knowledge of Allah (swt), Marifatu ‘Llah, that will go with you in the grave?
If you don’t have Marifatu ‘Llah in the grave, you’re in deep trouble. If you don’t know who your Lord is in the grave, you are in deep trouble. If you think your Lord is the banking system and euros and dollars and whatever it is that is related to the wealth of this dunya and the fame and the power of authority of this dunya, in the grave what knowledge are you going to have? Nothing. They’re going to ask you. In your lifetime you have to be pursuing `ilm, knowledge of Allah (swt), pursuing `ibaadah, service of Allah (swt) .
Yesterday is gone. If we were from the people of desires, we have lost. If we were from the people of Akhirah, pursuing knowledge of Allah (swt), glad tidings for you. You have gained Allah (swt)’s Love and Mercy and rewards and Jannah.
So that boy was saying, “We were not created to play, O Bahlul, O crazy one, O feeble minded, O no-mind person. We were not created to play.” Nowadays even the grown-ups are playing. What do they call the playground of the rich and famous? Was it Monaco or Cannes or Los Angeles? Not Los Angeles anymore, it’s a chaotic city, leave that alone. [Las Vegas?] No, they have no more tourists, it’s finished. Las Vegas is done, no one is coming. It’s the playground of the rich and famous. I think it’s Monaco. Monte Carlo!
The grown ups are playing. The little one is saying, “O Bahlul! O mindless one! We were not created to play in this life, we were created to acquire knowledge about our Lord.” These majaalis are to acquire knowledge about Allah (swt), to remember Allah (swt), to fall in love with Allah (swt), to fall in love with Rasoolullah (s), his Sahabah and Ahlu ‘l-Bayt, and Awliyaullah. Where are we? We are not falling in love with anything anymore because there’s nothing to love anymore. Everything has become “me, me me.” Nobody likes that. It doesn’t exist. The hearts have closed up.
Ahlu ‘d-dunya, the ones who have followed their desires, yesterday is closed. If we followed our desires yesterday, they say, waylun lana, “Woe to us.” If we have followed Allah (swt)’s Pleasure yesterday, glad tidings for us. Ahlu ‘d-dunya are the people of desire in the eyes of Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah. In the eyes of the people who want Jannah, the people of dunya are the people of desires. And the people of Akhirah are also the people of desires in the eyes of Ahlu ‘l-Llah, Ahlu ‘l-Mawla, the ones seeking Allah (swt) alone. In their eyes the people who are seeking Jannah are seeking their desires in Jannah.
What is in Jannah? Whatever you wish. Whatever you desire, whatever fun you want. You have earned it with your good `amal, with your good behavior, good conduct. Allah (swt) promised but still it is the land or the place of desires.
لَهُمْ فِيهَا فَـٰكِهَةٌ وَلَهُم مَّا يَدَّعُونَ
Wa lahum feehaa faakihatun wa lahum maa yada`oon.
(Every) fruit (enjoyment) will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for. (Surah Ya Sin, 36:57)
You will have in it whatever you desire! If you are from ahlu ‘l-Jahannam: wa heela baynahum wa bayna maa yashtahoon.
وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِم مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ فِى شَكٍّ مُّرِيبٍۭ
And between them and their desires, is placed a barrier, as was done in the past with their partisans: for they were indeed in suspicious (disquieting) doubt. (Surah Saba, 34:54)
You will be blocked between what you desire. Between you and what you desire there will be a block, there will be a wall, there will be a barrier. It is for ahlu ‘d-dunya. They’re not going to get on the other side unless Allah (swt) forgives them and Allah (swt) is Forgiving. We cannot say, “No, He is not going to forgive.” We leave that alone.
You will have everything you desire in Jannah. Ahlu ‘l-Llah, the people who are desiring Jannah, they are still following their desires because Ahlu ‘l-Llah have purified themselves from everything other than Allah (swt).
If you went to that place yesterday, to upstate New York, not desiring `ilm, not desiring `ibaadah rather you went there for the love of Allah (swt), just to fall in love with Allah (swt) and with Rasoolullah (s), you are not desiring Jannah, you not desiring dunya, you are not desiring anything. If it was just for Allah (swt)’s Holy Face, li Wajhi ‘Llahi ‘l-Kareem, then you are from Ahlu ‘l-Llah, you have separated yourself from the wants of your ego. Your ego wants everything it desires, whether it’s in dunya or Akhirah, it’s the same for it. That's why you come here to dhikr, to say “I can be from Ahlu ‘l-Jannah. I can get what I want in the other life. I couldn’t get what I wanted in this life. Look what’s happening around the world, I cannot get what I want, but I come to dhikr,” your ego. Why? “Because I want my desires to be satisfied on the other side.”
Allah (swt) said, yes, you can get them, but Ahlu ‘l-Llah are the ones who have surpassed that. Ahlu ‘l-Llah are the ones who have gone beyond the desires of the self, they have no self. When you have no self, you have no desires. Awliyaullah have said, maa `abadu illa Mawlaahum, “They did not worship except their Lord.” Wa maa talabu illa Mawlaahum, “And they did not want except their Lord.” Wa maa ahhabbu illa Mawlahum, “And they did not love except their Lord.” Wa maa ra’aw illa Mawlahum, “And they did not see except their Lord.”
They did not want anything except Allah (swt), they did not love anything except Allah (swt), and they did not see anything except Allah (swt). These are Ahlu ‘l-Llah. Not, “I’m wanting Jannah, and I’m wanting this and I’m seeing this and I’m seeing that.” That is a lower level. There’s a higher level. They are the people who don’t want anything except Allah (swt)’s pleasure with them. They are not asking for reward, they are not afraid of Jahannam, they are not into Jannah, or greedy for Jannah, none of that. They don’t care about that. All they want is Allah (swt)’s Holy Face. These are the ones who will be allowed to look and to be in the Divine Presence and to look into Allah (swt)’s Holy Face. illa Rabbihim nadira.
إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ
Looking towards their Lord. (Surat al-Qiyamah, 75:23)
In Surat al-Qiyamah, Allah (swt) said there will be a group of people whose faces are lit with Noor and they are watching anything except their Lord. Awliyaullah narrated the story of Sayyideena Ma’ruf al-Kharkhi (q) who was a great saint. When he died, his qabr became Jannah. When his grave became Jannah, the inhabitants of Jannah came to keep him company. He did not look at anything that came, he was looking straight at `Arsh. He was looking at his Lord. He was not interested in what Jannah had to offer. These are Ahlu ‘l-Llah. We are desiring this and desiring that. If we don’t get it here, we get it over there. Be from Ahlu ‘l-Llah.
Yesterday is finished, last weekend is gone. If you are from ahlu ‘d-dunya you have chased a fleeting shadow, a mirage. It’s gone. If you are from ahlu ‘l-Akhirah, you still have chased your desires from Akhirah. You wanted your Jannah, it’s fine, that is allowed. If yesterday was only for Allah (swt), you were not seeking recognition in dunya and you were not seeking high places in Jannah, you were seeking Allah (swt)’s Divine Love, that is the goal of Rasoolullah’s (s) message.
He says, follow me, you will reach the love of Allah (swt). Isn’t that what he said? Fatabbi`ooni, “Follow me,” yuhbib kumu ‘Llah, “You will reach the love of Allah.” Rasoolullah (s) is taking you to the Love Ocean of Allah (swt). He’s not taking you here and there, because he reached. That’s why he is Habeeb. He has reached. He did not look right or left as a signal to his Ummah. Don’t look to dunya, which is on the left side. Don’t look to Akhirah which is on the right side. Ashabu ‘sh-shimal, ashabu ‘l-yameen.
The people who wanted dunya and didn’t want Akhirah are from the left side, ashabu ‘sh-shimal. The people who want Akhirah, ashabu ‘l-yameen, but there is as-sabiqoon ‘s-sabiqoon. They are the ones who have raced and reached farther up ahead. They have reached the Love Ocean of Allah (swt). That’s what you want, O insaan. Recalibrate yourself, recalibrate your heart, don’t be after dunya in your lifetime.
It is said that it is from the necessities of human physicality to eat, drink, shelter and clothe themselves. So if you are going out there to gain your food and your drink and your clothes and your house and whatever it is, that is not haram. Don’t get me wrong. That is allowed, it is from the necessities of physicality. Your physical body needs all of that. You are not considered from ahlu ‘d- dunya if you are in dunya trying to acquire what Allah (swt) has given for you, no. But if you are trying to acquire that prestige and fame and name-recognition then you are working for your desires and your ego. So don’t be from the people of the left, ashabu ‘sh-shimal. If you want to be from the people of the right, that’s fine, but try to be further up ahead from the ones who have raced to Allah (swt)’s Presence. Wa ‘n-naziati gharqa wa ‘n-nashitaati nashta wa ‘s-saabihati sabha fa ‘s-saabiqaati sabqa.
وَٱلنَّـٰزِعَـٰتِ غَرْقًا وَٱلنَّـٰشِطَـٰتِ نَشْطًا وَٱلسَّـٰبِحَـٰتِ سَبْحًا فَٱلسَّـٰبِقَـٰتِ سَبْقًا
By the (angels) who tear out (the souls of the wicked) with violence. By those who gently draw out (the souls of the blessed; And by those who glide along (on errands of mercy). Then press forward as in a race. (Surat an-Nazi`at, 79:1-4)
The ones who they have reached, they have finished the race first. It’s another suhbah for these four verses in Surat an-Nazi`at, but Allah (swt) says there are a group of people who are way up ahead. They that wanted Allah (swt). They did not look into dunya, they did not look into Akhirah. That boy is still on the way, he is looking for Akhirah first. He says `ilm, `ibadah, yes. You acquire knowledge of Allah (swt) and you are in His service, but once you are in there and you do it perfectly, Allah (swt) will open the other doors.
That is the Tariqah. Tariqah doesn’t open for everybody. It didn’t open for us, it opened for our Shuyookh but, inshaa-Allah, it opens for us. That is the next level. We are in `ilm, we are in `ibaadah, we are acquiring knowledge, we are in the service of Allah (swt), but there is still another door to open. May Allah (swt) forgive us. That happens when Allah (swt) is happy with you. Laqad radi’Allahu anni ‘l-mu`mineen idh yubayi`oonaka.
لَّقَدْ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَـٰبَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا
Laqad radi’Allahu `anni ‘l-mu`mineen idh yubayi`oonaka tahta ash-shajarati fa`lima ma fee quloobihim fa anzala ‘s-sakinatan `alayhim wa athaabahum fat-han qareeba. Wa maghaanima katheeratan yakhdhoonaha.
Allah's Good Pleasure was on the believers when they swore fealty to you [O Muhammad] under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory. (Surat al-Fath, 48:18)
Once you take the baya` with the Qutb of the Time and Allah (swt) is pleased with you, He will open to you. Wa athaabahum fat-han qareeba. In that ayah, He has opened to them a close opening. Wa maaghanima katheera.
وَمَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً يَأْخُذُونَهَا وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
And many gains will they acquire (besides): and Allah is Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom. (Surat al-Fath, 48:19)
He has given them so many spoils, bounties. When you take the baya` with the Qutb of the Time as Sahaabah kiraam took the baya` with Rasoolullah (s), Allah (swt) said, “I was happy, I was pleased with them.”
He will open that door that is closed. That is in Surat al-Fath. Read that Holy Verse. That is the first step. Allah (swt) will be pleased with you.
For now we are in `ilm and `ibaadah. We are in acquiring knowledge and in the service of Allah (swt), but when you find the Qutb of the Time and you take baya` with them, Allah (swt) will be pleased with you. He knows what’s in your heart. That means He knows what you want.
So many people came to our shuyookh or to any Awliyaullah for dunya. Allah (swt) says, “I know what is in their hearts.” If Allah (swt) is in their hearts, He will descend on them Noor. That sakinah is Noor. He will descend on them the Light of Allah (swt) and the Mercy of Allah (swt) and He will open for them a close opening and He will allow them to take what is in that treasury. That is what Allah (swt) has given to us on the day of Alastu bi Rabbikum, when we said, “Yes, yaa Rabbee, You are our Lord.” On that day, Allah (swt) granted us something. May Allah (swt) allow us to reach that level, inshaa-Allah.
For now we are like that boy in `ilm and `ibaadah, not looking to dunya too much but rather looking to Akhirah. Reorient yourself, recalibrate yourself, leave dunya. Leave dunya and the people of dunya. Let them eat each other up. They bark at each other, they attack each other. Leave the dogs where they are. Don’t get involved with fighting with the dogs, no need. As Mawlana used to say, dunya is just a carcass and the ones who want dunya are a bunch of dogs. That means lions, hyenas and all such wild animals.
Don’t be like that, leave that. Be more into acquiring the `ilm of Allah (swt) and more into acquiring the service of Allah (swt). What is yakfeek? He (swt) will be enough for you. He (swt) will protect you. He (swt) will shelter you. He (swt) will be your front. You will be behind His Power. His Power will be the front, your front. He will protect you from everything. Why are you concerned? Why are you concerned, O mu’min, when Allah (swt) is your Protector? May Allah (swt) forgive us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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