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Three Types of People

Shaykh Nour Mohamad Kabbani

12 September 2024 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan

Inshaa-Allah, we’ll pray Maghrib and after that we will say a few words, only because we have visitors. If there are no visitors, there is no need for any suhbah. You’ve already been here for 30, 40 years. You still look the same. We behave the same and look the same. But Australian people are coming, Chicago people are coming, DC people are coming, Malaysian people are coming, Michigan people are coming.

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.

Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.

Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.

Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi, yaa Sultan al-Awliya. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidi wa Mawlay. Madad, yaa RijaalAllah.

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

Astaghfirullah. In the presence of esteemed scholars, what can you say? May Allah (swt) forgive me and forgive all of us. May Allah (swt) allow us to be from Ahlu ‘Llah. A few words, inshaa-Allah, just for the thawab of suhbah. That is the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (s), to sit down with his Sahaabah (r). He came out from his Holy Chambers, prayed of course and attended to other issues, but most of the time he sat with his Companions. That Sunnah is being applied in a few places and we apply it here because it is thawab, and we are asking to imitate Sahaabah al-Kiram (r) so we can get from the Noor of Rasoolullah (s) and his love.

Know that people are of three kinds. Everybody can speak about anything they want. Everybody has their own opinion. Everybody is entitled to their own interpretation of things because:

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

Wa fawqa kullu dhi `ilmin `aleem.

Above every knower is a (higher) knower. (12:76)

فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِى دِينِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـٰتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

So he began (the search) with their baggage, before (he came to) the baggage of his brother: at length he brought it out of his brother's baggage. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the law of the king except that Allah willed it (so). We raise to degrees (of wisdom) whom We please: but over all endued with knowledge is one, the All-Knowing. (Surah Yusuf, 12:76)

You cannot put a limit on that, “This is it. What I say is it.” No. Everybody has different knowledge, even among Anbiya. They can differ in the same situation. Allah (swt) said:

فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا سُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ

To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things) (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:79)

Fa hSulayman wa kullan ataynaa hukman wa `ilma. “We made Sulayman understand it.” Sulayman, you are a taalibu ‘l-`ilm. Mashaa-Allah. I see you everywhere. Wherever there is a majlis of `ilm, you come. You know you are walking on the wings of angels. Everybody that is asking for `ilm, the angels put their wings down so he or she is moving on the wings of angels. You are different from the rest of us. The rest of us come here for pizza, if Hasan gets us some, or shawarma if one of the ladies gets us some. But you are coming for `ilm.

Awliyaullah have said that all people are of three kinds. They are either ahlu ‘d-dunya, ahlu ‘l-Akhirah or ahlu ‘Llah. That’s it. You can place everyone in any of these categories. Ahlu’ d-dunya are after dunya. Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah are doing their best for Akhirah. Ahlu ‘Llah have forsaken the pleasures of dunya, forsaken the pleasures of Akhirah and their only wish is Allah’s Ridhwan. Wa Ridhwanu minAllahi Akbar. That is Bahru ‘l-Ridhwan al-Akbar that you make du`a for. Yaa Rabbee! Admit us to the Ocean of your Greatest Pleasure or Ridhwan, acceptance, pleasure. That Ridhwanun min Allahi Akbar. Ahlu ‘Llah are not asking for the eating, drinking and mating of dunya or Akhirah.

In these majalis of shuyookh and turuq--yes, regular Muslims are asking for Akhirah but among them are khawas, special ones. These special ones have understood that Allah (swt) is the prize. Allah (swt) is the destination. They are very few. They are ahlu ‘t-turuq, the ones who have allowed themselves to go deep into the teachings of the Qur’an and the teachings of Rasoolullah (s) and accept what’s happening, seeing it from Allah (swt).

Ahlu ‘d-dunya have their own excuses and reasons and interpretations. “Why do you say this? Why do you say that? It should be like this and that.” Of course you’re entitled to anything you want. Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah have said, “Laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billah. We are asking for Jannah. May Allah (swt) allow us to be in Jannah. Ahlu ‘Llah are not busy with the time. They are busy with the Owner of Time. They are not busy with what’s happening in time, they’re busy by the Creator of Time. That is the highest station. They don’t care about whatever is happening. Not that they don’t care but it’s not in their hearts. They are busy with the Creator of time. We are trying to be from ahlu ‘Llah. Ahlu ‘Llah have different takes on things. They have different looks on things.

I wanted to mention something that I learned from our teachers. That’s why I’m trying to make this introduction of ahlu ‘d-dunya, ahlu ‘l-Akhirah and ahlu ‘Llah. This is one verse of the Holy Qur’an:

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Wa maa arsalnaaka illa Rahmatan lil `Alameen.

We sent you as a Mercy for all creatures. (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:107)

Mashaa-Allah, everybody knows that. “We have not sent you except as a mercy for all creation.” It is said that in the beginning, Rasoolullah (s) used to say, “Allahumma `alayka bi hadha. Allahumma `alayka bi hadha.” He used to single out the kuffaar from the Quraysh, the enemies. They took him as an enemy. He did not take anybody as an enemy. He used to say, “Yaa Rabbee! Get this one. Get this one. Get this one.” We are doing the same. Muslims, follow the example of Rasoolullah (s). Look at the deeper meanings of that holy ayah.

We are saying, “Yaa Rabbee. Get that one. Crush this one. Get this one.” All Muslims are doing that. Awliyaullah have said, Allah (swt) told Rasoolullah (s) and he said, “Adabani Rabbee. My Lord has taught me the best manners.” I am just relaying what I have heard from Awliyaullah. Allah (swt) said, “I have not sent you as somebody who curses others. I have not sent you as somebody who cusses others. I have not sent you as somebody who asks for the destruction of others. I have sent you as a rahmah, to have mercy on such people.”

He used to ask that these people be taken away and destroyed, so Allah (swt) said, I did not send you to curse others. I did not send you to ask for the destruction of others. I have sent you as mercy for all, to have mercy on such people. If you make du`a for them, not against them, and I accept your du`a, maybe I will guide them to My obedience. Maybe I will guide them to My way. Maybe I will guide them to My deen and you will see from them what pleases you.

When you make du`a against them, how does Allah (swt) take away cruel people? When their cruelty reaches the zenith. These people that you are making du`a against, it’s as if you’re asking them to be more cruel. You are saying, “Yaa Rabbee! Destroy them.” Okay, they have to reach that top level. Asta`eedhubillah:

وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا۟ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَـٰهَا تَدْمِيرًا

Wa idhaa aradnaa an nuhulika qaryatan amarnaa mutra feeha fa fassaqu feehaa fa haaqqa `alayhaa ‘l qawlu fadamarnahaa tadmeera.

When We decide to destroy a population, We (first) send a definite order to those among them who are given the good things of this life and yet transgress; so that the word is proved true against them: then (it is) We destroy them utterly. (Surat al-Isra, 17:16)

“If we want to take away a village, a city or a land, amarna mutra feehaa, We will order the extravagant ones, the ones who don’t heed orders, We will send them what they need to do. If they accept or don’t accept, it’s up to them.” But, they don’t accept, fa fassaqoo feehaa, then We destroy them.

When you make du`a against someone, that someone has to start being more cruel, more corrupt, more evil, until he reaches such a level that Allah (swt) will say, “It’s enough now. I’ll take him.”

He was teaching Rasoolullah (s) and Awliyaullah have relayed that teaching that instead of making du`a against them, make du`a for them. “Maybe I will guide them. Maybe I will accept their obedience and show you what pleases you from them.” That was before Badr. After Badr, he started to say, “Allahumma ’ghfir li qawmee, yaa Rabbee, forgive them.” Especially in Uhud he was asking Allah (swt) forgiveness. When the Qur’an was coming down, there’s one ayah that Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) used to repeat a lot when I used to sit with him, especially at Fajr time. It’s in Surah Ma’idah. Asta’eedhubillah.

إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

In tu`adhibhum fa innahum `ibaduka wa in taghfir lahum fa innaka anta ‘l-`Azeezu ‘l-Hakeem.

"If You punish them, they are Your servant: If You forgive them, You are The Exalted in Power, The Wise." (Surat al-Ma’idah, 5:118)

“If you punish them, they are Your servants.” Wa intaghfirlahum fa innaka Anta ‘l-`Azeezu ‘l-Hakim. “But if You forgive them, You are the Majestic, Great One. You are the Wise One.” It is one verse. “Yaa Rabbee, they are Yours.” The Jews are His. The Muslims are His. The Christians are His. The Sikh are His. The Rohingyas are His. The Buddhists are His. The atheists are His. If He wishes, He can punish them and torture them as He likes. If He wishes, He can forgive them.

When our master, Rasoolullah (s) reached higher levels by the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and continuously received more `ilm, he started to understand that you have nothing to do with Allah (swt)’s creation. It’s not yours. How many times do you say:

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Wa lillahi mulku ’s-samawati wa ‘l-ard.

Yea, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah is the final goal (of all). (Surat al-Noor, 24:42)

To Allah (swt) belongs everything in the Heavens and on earth. Why don’t you understand what that means? It’s His. Look at the manners of our master. He says, “Yaa Rabbee. I leave them to You.” He prays for them. Wa in taghfir lahum. “If You punish them, they’re Yours. You can do whatever You want. But if You forgive them, You are `Azeez. You are Hakim. You certainly can do that.”

What Muslims have to do, instead of making du`a against others, ask for their guidance. Ask, “Yaa Rabbee. Make them find the Truth. Make them do the right thing.” Allah (swt) is not deaf. If He accepts your prayer, He will bring them into the fold of obedience, and then you will be happy.

This is the adab of Rasoolullah (s) that the Ummah has to follow, but they don’t. That’s why some of them are ahlu ‘d-dunya, some are Ahlu ‘l-Akhirah, they argue and that’s fine, but you have to follow Rasoolullah (s) to become ahlu ‘Llah. They are the ones that don’t interfere in the affairs of the Creator with His creation, but they ask for the goodness of His creation. They don’t ask for the destruction of His creation. That is our Way. That is the way of Awliyaullah. That is the way of Anbiyaullah. That is the way of Nabiyullah.

It is said that Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q) is Waliyullah. If you are like him, you are like ahlu ‘Llah. If you’re not like him, you still have a way to go. He was sitting on a road and a passerby came, a soldier. He asked him about the palace of the sultan. He showed him the maqbarah, the cemetery. The soldier hit Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q) and went on his way to find someone else to give him directions. When he reached the other one, he said what the first one told him. The second one told him, “You have injured Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q).” That soldier went running back to Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q) and said, “I didn’t know who you were. Please forgive me.” He said, “I have forgiven you from the first hit. I have forgiven you from the first moment. Hit a head more that has continuously disobeyed its Lord.’

That is ahlu ‘Llah. Because he said he forgave him from the moment he inflicted that injury on him. That man came running with tawbah, repentance. “I am sorry. Please forgive me.” If you had forgiven others, maybe they would have come back with repentance. You never know. Allah (swt) knows. When he showed him the cemetery, he did not lie. Why did Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q) show him the cemetery? He said, “Sultanu ‘l-Akhirah is there. You are looking for the kings of dunya with golden bathrooms and faucets and everything that they do there. Why do you want such people? Sultanu ‘l-Akhirah is in the cemetery, the ones who have died and been buried but they have died before their death.”

Rasoolullah said, if you want to see a man that has died from this world but he is still around you, look at Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r). What does it mean to die from this world? It means that you are not after the pleasures of this world anymore. You don’t have taste. You go to the beach and there is no taste. You’re different. If you go on a jet ski, there is no taste. If you go buy a fancy car, no taste. If you go have the fanciest food, no taste. You befriend the richest men in the world and fly on the richest planes in the world, if you are a Muslim and a mu’min, there is no taste anymore. That is the one who is dead from this dunya, meaning he is dead from the pleasures of this world.

The way of Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q) was to forgive from the first moment. You cannot do it. So many people can argue with me, “No, that is not possible.” It’s you because you are from the other categories. Ahlu ‘Llah, Sayyidina Ibrahim ibn Adham (q), is from the other category. He said, “Yaa Rabbee! I am Your servant. If you punish me, I’m Yours.” He is not seeing the soldier. He’s not seeing what’s happening in the time. He is seeing the Creator of the time, the Owner of the time. He is saying, “Yaa Rabbee! I am Yours.” He is not seeing a soldier, he’s not seeing a hit. “If you punish me, I am Your servant. If You forgive me, You are `Azeezun Hakim.”

Look at their understanding. Faham. Fa fahamnaha.

فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا سُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ

Fa fahhamnaahaa Sulayman wa kullan aatayna hukman wa `ilman wa sakharna ma` Dawuda ‘l-jibaala yusabbihnaa wa ‘t-tayra wa kunna fa`ileen.

To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things). (Surat al-Anbiya, 21:79)

We had made Sulayman understand. Sayyidina Dawud (a) had knowledge but he did not get the understanding of Sayyidina Sulayman (a). The way of turuq, the way of Awliyaullah is such. There is nothing but rahmah for everyone. One of the sifaat, attributes of the Abdal, the Substitutes, the 40 Awliya, is they never see the ones below them as haqeer. They would never demean, humiliate or go against anyone. They see everything coming from Allah (swt). They say, “Yaa Rabbee. You know best but forgiveness is better for us than punishing.”

It is said that when Allah (swt) wants to punish the people of earth, He looks at these Substitutes. Because of them, He takes away His punishment. He lets the people of earth continue with what they’re doing because of these Awliyaullah who are making du`a for them, “Yaa Rabbee. Guide them. Guide them. Guide them.” That is the rahmah that has to be in your heart, O mureed. If you’re a Muslim or a regular man wanting Akhirah, it’s up to you. But what does the mureed want? The mureed wants Allah (swt). You have to have mercy in your heart. Yes, I understand it’s difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have it yet. But the ones who have it, this is their conduct. Inshaa-Allah (swt), we can be from them.

Allah (swt) told Rasoolullah (s), “Make du`a for them. I will guide them.”

Innaka laa tahdee man ahbabta. You will not guide the ones you love. Wa lakin Allaha yahdi man yasha. Allah (swt) will guide whomever He wants.

When Rasoolullah (s) is making du`a, Allah (swt) will accept his du`a. Wa la-sawfa yu`teeka Rabbuka fa-tarda. You don’t know what du`a he made. On Yawmu ‘l-Qiyamah it will be obvious. That is Maqamu ‘l-Mahmud. Allah (swt) will grant him the honor to save all humanity. Inshaa-Allah, Allah (swt) will make us from the ones who follow his footsteps.

Ameen, yaa Rabbi ‘l-`Alameen. In this month, you have to know more about your Prophet (s). Know more about his conduct, not the conduct that you read in the Seerah, no. Leave that. You have to go deeper. “He was wearing this. His eyes were this. His ears were that. His height was this.” Leave that. That is bashar. Everybody is created like that, with eyes, ears, height and whatever. “But he was created in the most beautiful way.” Yes, I understand but what you need to find out is his inner conduct, his inner way. That is the internal world that we are missing. Until that shams appears to you from inside the heart, until that Noor appears to you from inside the heart, you still don’t know where you’re going. That Noor will appear. That is an-Najmu ‘th-Thaqib, the Piercing Star, the Piercing Light. The star is a light. It will come through your heart, the Noor of Rasoolullah (s).

May Allah (swt) grant us that. Yaa Rabbee! Allahumma nawwir quloobana bi noori ‘l-Qur’an. Allahumma nawwir quloobana bi noori ‘l-Islam. Allahumma nawwir quloobana bi noori ‘l-iman. Allahumma nawwir quloobana bi noori ‘l-ihsan. Allahumma nawwir quloobana bi noori ‘l-Muhammadi (s).

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

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