Who is the Guide?

A' udhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.

Nawatul arba' in, nawaytul 'itikhaaf, nawaytul khalwat, nawaytul 'uzla, nawaytur riyaada, nawaytus -sulook,
lillahi ta’ala al-`adheem fee hadha 'l-masjid.

Ati` All?h wa at`i ar-Ras?la wa ?li ‘l-amri mink?m.

Obey Allah, obey Prophet (s), and obey those who are on authority. S?ratu ‘n-Nis? (The Women), 4:59

Who are on authority are two types: first, the rulers for countries, they must obey their laws, and second, the rulers for spiritualities, rulers for hearts, and we have to listen to and obey their orders because they will guide us to where we need to go.

We spoke in recent suhbahs about who are the guides, because this is a very important lesson and knowledge that Grandshaykh, may Allah bless his soul, Sayyidina Shaykh `AbdAllah al-Fa`iz ad-Daghestani, Sultan al-Awliya, has explained in detail, and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, may Allah give him long life, has explained it according to what Grandshaykh taught him. I have their notes from a long time ago and will try to explain to new viewers about the four levels of guides, which are: Murshid at-Tabarruk, the Guide of Barakah; Murshid at-Tazkiyyah, the Guide of Purification; Murshid at-Tasfiyyah, the Guide of Sifting; and, Murshid al-Irshaad or Murshid at-Tarbiyyah, the Guide of Enlightenment.

Murshid at-Tasfiyyah is the Guide of Purification. After he tried his best to purify the people and train them, to purify their hearts from the temptations of Shaytan and the sickness of their ego, he brings them up to his level. Now, because his level is limited also, he takes them to the presence of Murshid at-Tasfiyyah, the Guide of Sifting. When you sift gold, you pick up what you want and leave the rest. Usually the gold is mixed with dirt and you wash it to get the dirt down and the gold stays up. You get the best cream of the gold, the cream of the community, the cream of the students, the cream of those who are the best in the eyes of the guide. You will not loose what you have been trained with and what you have learned from the Guide of Purification; no, you are now in their level. But, some people can pass, like in the classroom some had a ‘C’ or ‘B’ grade, but not everyone has an ‘A+’. Those who have an ‘A+’ are selected for higher education in very complicated studies.

Murshid at-Tasfiyyah chooses the best of the community, the best of the students, who must pass through his own level that he can bring them in, and begin to train them to reach that level. We are speaking now about the guide in that level, what are his characteristics according to Grandshaykh, may Allah bless his soul, and according to Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s explanations, and I am quoting.

Murshid at-Tasfiyyah, the third level of irshaad (guidance), must have the characteristics of Murshid at-Tabarruk and Murshid at-Tazkiyyah. He carries these two levels, and now he is in his level. Grandshaykh is saying that Murshid at-Tazkiyyah is in a level where characteristics of all guides that have attained the two first levels will be reflected on him. There is not only one guide in the first level, there are many. There are many awliya that carry the first level, the second level, the third level, but the fourth level is only with the Sultan al-Awliya. It’s the top of the pyramid. The current Sultan al-Awliya is Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, may Allah bless him, bless his powers and bless us, for his sake! Amin.

What is the first characteristic that he can carry the Murshid the one that he chose the elite of the students? First he has to be ascetic (zahid) from everything. Today if you say someone is zahid, immediately goes through your mind that he is zahid of dunya, that he does not involve himself in dunya. Might be dunya becomes slave to him. He is not anymore slave to dunya; the slave will be running after him.

There are awliyaullah, as Prophet (s) mentioned in his hadith, and Grandshaykh, may Allah bless his soul, mentioned, that one early morning Ishraq time Prophet (s) called his Sabaha in Madinat al-Munawwara. Usually all the time with his Sahaba training out by Mountain of Uhud and teaching them, early morning at Ishraq time when still it is cool, not very hot. Prophet (s) stood there facing the mountain, east is behind him, so the sun was rising up and he put the Sahaba near him in a line and said to them, “Look at the mountain of Uhud.” So, they stood and looked straight to the mountain. They gave their back to Prophet (s) because they are looking to the mountain. When they stood up in a line looking at the mountain, means the sun is behind them, so immediately in front of them was their shadows. By the sun you can see the shadow of people and Prophet (s) said to them, “I want you to run! Anyone who can catch his shadow, I will give him my jubba.”

Sahaba never used their minds in the presence of Prophet (s). Also, you can not use your mind in the presence of awliyaullah, inheritor’s of Prophet (s) and other prophets: you have to accept. Because you are coming to them asking them a question, they are answering you, then you take it (what they give you). If you don’t want to do what they say, then do what you know, and don’t ask them (for guidance). Because whenever you asked more and more, more difficulty will come in the answer.

For example, Sayyidina Musa (s) and the Bani’ Israel whom Allah ordered them to slaughter a cow; they did not want to pay for a cow, so they began to ask questions. “What kind of eyes the cow has?” (Defined the eyes of the cow.) “How is the color of the cow?” (Defined the color of the cow.) It became so difficult to find that cow, and when they did, it was so expensive! You have to know sometimes that Mawlana may answer you the opposite of what you like. You have to be careful. Sahaba used to ask Prophet (s). They once asked him, “Tell us, we have to graft the trees. Can we graft the palm trees?” He said, “Yes, this year will be the best,” and everything at the end was dead. They came to Prophet and asked, “Ya Rasulallah, they died. We asked you and we did what you said, but they died.” He said, “I came to complete your akhira, not your dunya. You want to ask for dunya, ask who knows about dunya. I am not coming for dunya. I am coming for your akhira mainly.”

So, when Prophet (s) said, “Run after your shadow, if you catch it, I will give you my robe,” they didn’t ask why, because it is impossible. They ran and as they were running, the shadow was also running. They could not catch it. Until they reached the mountain, the shadow came on the mountain. Then he said to them, “Look at me and run to me.” They looked at Prophet (s) and ran to him, and their shadow is running behind them. Because the sun is in the east, so now the sun is facing them and the shadow is behind them. They came to Prophet (s) and he said, “When you are running after dunya it makes you a slave to her, and you can not catch it. But when you run to me, toward Akhira, your dunya will run behind you like the shadow is running behind you. I am coming for Akhira. I am not coming for dunya.”

When we say someone is zahid, immediately it comes to our mind that he is zaahid of dunya. Grandshaykh said, “Murshid at-Tazkiyyah has to be zahid from Akhira. He doesn’t want anything from Akhira, he wants only the Divine Presence of his Lord, Almighty Allah .

Sayyidina Abu Yazid al-Bistami said, “Ya Rabbi, make my body as big as Hell. I don’t mind. I’m not afraid of your Hellfire. I want to save the whole Ummah, because I love You, and they are Your creation. Make my body as big as Hell, that no one will enter except me and everyone will be safe.” He is zahid in Akhira. No one can say that!

When Prophet (s) passed by Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (r), he said, “Ya Abu Hurairah, when you read the verse of Holy Qur`an:

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ Those who remember Allah and they mention His Beautiful Name and Attributes while standing, sitting and laying down in 24 hours…”

Alladheena yadhkuroon ’Allaha qiyaman wa qu`oodan wa `ala junoobihim wa yatafakkaroona fee khalqi as-samawaati wa ’l-ardi rabbana maa khalaqta haadha baatilan subhaanaka faqina `adhaba an-naar

“

“Standing” means when you are awake, going, coming, walking, moving, whatever, your heart is busy. “When you are sitting” means when you are at home with your family still your heart is with Allah . “When you are lying down” means when you are sleeping. It means in 24 hours you are occupied with remembering Allah , you reach that level. Sahaba reached that level. When you reach that level of knowledge, what do you think about the continuation of the ayat,

Alladheena yadhkuroon ’Allaha qiyaman wa qu`oodan wa `ala junoobihim wa yatafakkaroona fee khalqi as-samawaati wa ’l-ardi rabbana maa khalaqta haadha baatilan subhaanaka faqina `adhaba an-naar

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. 3:191

wa yatafakkaroona fi khalqi’s-samawati wal ard, “And they reflect their thought of the creation of Heavens and Earth.

لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

La-khalqu ’s-samawati wal ardi akhbaru min khalqi’n-naasi wa lakinna akthara’n-naasi la ya`lamoon.”

Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not. 40:57

Allah said in Holy Qur`an, “Creation of this universe is more complicated and difficult than the creation of a human being. People today, I know we are all like that. We think the creation of a human being is so complicated, more difficult than creation of universe. Because scientists teach that when that Big Bang happened, the universe is there. Allah is saying in Holy Qur`an, “Creation of Heavens and Earth is more difficult than creation of human beings.” But, many people don’t know He said at the end of this ayat, wa lakinna akthara’n-naasi la ya`lamoon.”

A small example: 50 million degrees centigrade is the temperature at the center of the sun is generating the energy and fire that, like atomic reactions in every moment, it generates 50 million degrees centigrade on the sun. Imagine what fuel it is generating from years and years; Allah knows how many years the sun is there, and it never finished, still shooting these atomic reactions, more than hydrogen bombs and explosions. Fifty-million degrees centigrade, who is doing it, what kind of fire is making that intensity of the heat? So, Prophet (s) said, “Ya Abu Hurairah, what you think about that? Thinking your reflection on Earth. When I reflect my thought I see the universe indicate the greatness of Allah . He said, “Ya, Abu Hurairah, tafakkaru sa`atin khayrum min `ibaadati yawm – as you are reflecting in such a way for one hour a day, you will be rewarded as worship of one day.” So, meditation is important. But then, Allah knows what you learning (by) meditation to statues, or to pictures, or to candles or to this and that. That is an imitation of real meditation, that you have to look into the most important point, what Allah is mentioning in Holy Qur`an.

Then he saw Sayyidina Ali, and Prophet (s) said, “Ya Ali, what you think about this verse of Holy Qur`an?” (And what you think about reflecting your thought when you read that ayat?) He said, “Ya Sayyidi, Ya Rasulallah, when I think about that, I am seeing the greatness of how Allah has created every star in space. Every constellation, how it works statically with each other? How the moon is turning around the earth? How is the earth turning around about itself creating day and night? The more turning around that is creating the month. Both, the moon and the earth are turning around the sun, making a year. And I am looking, and I am wondering where you are going to send me here and there, this is huge universe that we are in?” To summarize, Prophet (s) answered, “Ya Ali, tafakkaru sa`atin khayrum min `ibaadati sana’, “the way you are thinking you will be rewarded as if you worshipped one year.”

For one hour of contemplation on Allah’s greatness of this universe and your being, Allah will give you the reward of one year of worshipness. Not your own worshipness, but the real worshipness. Because our worshipness is like imitational worshipness. When you praying you say Allahu Akbar, and how many thoughts come, how many Shaytan whispering in our ear, this or that…… everything. So, when Prophet (s) says you will be rewarded with “one year of worshipness” it means it is a complete worshipness with no sin in it, pure one. That’s why we should reflect daily even for five minutes. You don’t need to get one year, get one week, get one day, reflect one minute. Close your eyes, connect with your shaykh, and from Mawlana Shaykh to Prophet (s) and seek one minute is enough.

Then Prophet (s) passed by Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq and said, “Ya Abu Bakr, what you think about this verse of Holy Qur`an… (same ayat)?” And he said, “Ya Sayyidi, Ya Rasulallah, I think about that verse and I see your Ummah, and I see a human being. I say, ‘Ya Rabbi, let the heat of the intensity of the heat, lahab (the intensity of the heat that comes out with a flame out of Hellfire) to come on me alone and the whole Ummah will be saved.’” Prophet (s) said, “Ya Abu Bakr, tafakkaru sa`atin khayrum min ibadati saba`eena sannah, The way you reflect your thought, you will be rewarded more than worshipness of seventy years.”

Not one year, and one day, from seventy years. Means when you say, Ya Rabbi, for the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) I am giving up my dunya and my Akhira and do whatever You want. I want to be like an Earth that people can step on me.” It’s not easy. I was yesterday, still we are discussing about Murshid at-Tasfiyyah. I am in a diversion with my speech. Sometimes it’s good.

Mawlana Shaykh is in seclusion. When he see’s people for sure that energy they have, people have, they are coming from complete dunya coming visiting, they carry with them the pollution of this dunya, mingling with all kind of life, all sort of people, everything. So these negative energy will be reflected immediately on Mawlana Shaykh. That’s why it’s not easy for someone to carry that responsibility unless he is inheriting directly from Prophet (s) and especially through Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq. They are following the line of Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq. These awliya are giving their lives for the Ummah. They see you or they don’t see you, it’s no problem. As soon as your intention, from your country stepping out of your home, intention to come and visit, from that moment he is carrying you and all your problems, besides carrying you as a student.

Murshid at-Tasfiyyah is the one that can choose the cream of the elite of the mureeds. He has to be ascetic, zahid of Akhira. He is under an obligation that sometimes Mawlana says, “Do this,” but he doesn’t insist on it. You do it or not do it, it’s up to you. No, it’s an obligation because you are already in that journey of guidance. He passed the two levels before him, tabarruk and tazkiyyah, and now coming to tasfiyyah, he knows he has to carry that obligation, coming from his real murshid.

Sometimes people think their real murshid is this man, but no, he is an imitational murshid. He has nothing it’s not easy to be a murshid. You can be someone who gives a presentation, a seminar, a conference, a speech—it’s okay, no problem. But guidance is completely different. Guidance, he has to know where you are and raise you at his level, take you from your problems during 24 hours; I explained it yesterday. Every moment in your life they are able to see. And I mentioned one of the examples yesterday (when we were quarreling with my mother).

One of my cousins played with a gun in Lebanon, and one bullet came in his intestine, thirty-six holes in his intestine and immediately he was rushed to the hospital. The doctors said they will try their best but they don’t think till morning he will survive. Immediately, we went to Grandshaykh; in two hours we were there. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim was sitting, Grandshaykh said, “Don’t worry, saved.” What saved? He is going to die! Thirty-six holes in his body. He said again, “Saved, we changed his intestine. Go back, don’t worry! Tell them.” Mawlana Shaykh Nazim was translating. He said, “Sit here.” He opened a lecture. We were shaking, anxious to go back to see. He said calmly, “Sit here, eat now.” Grandshaykh likes always ground meat with onion and tomato, then put it in the oven, or on the fire, and then eat. He made us that, and we ate. We wanted to have quickly to eat and drive back. He said, “Eat slowly, don’t worry about it. Saved.” And he opened a subhah!

When he gives lecture it’s for three hours. SubhanAllah! Mawlana Shaykh Nazim translated at that time, not missing a full stop. Grandshaykh, he speaks five minutes, you cannot stop him. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim used to try to stop him in order to translate, but he continued. Then Mawlana Shaykh Nazim has to follow quickly to explain, and then he cut him in the middle of the explanation, going to another explanation. Mawlana was able to continue all the way. So, we went back, we reached at midnight. The operation is done and my cousin was speaking you know when you have an anesthesia, a little bit drowsy. He was saying, ”Don’t worry! Don’t worry! Grandshaykh was here. He was doing my operation.” He saw Grandshaykh doing the operation, touching him. Doctor