Suhbah at Al-Wehdah Arab Association (Hakkani Night)
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Ati`ullaha wa ati`u 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
One on the right side, `Ali, and one on the left side, Bashir balancing the majlis, otherwise one side will fall down. Allahumma salli `ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa `ala aali Sayyidina Muhammad, afdalu 's-salaatu was-salaam. Today is Hadrah and Mawlid an-Nabi, but before that a few words, because Sayyidina Shah Naqshband (q) said, tariqatuna as-suhbah wa 'l-khayru fi 'l-jam`eeyah, "Our way is companionship and the best of that is to be together." And Prophet (s) said, ad-deenu naseeha, "Religion is advice," and I am trying to advise myself. I was going to continue from where we arrived yesterday, Saturday, where we talked about awliyaullah. Today is Monday. Many people questioned something, especially in the light of this month, for which there was no answer, and people are still questioning. They are confused.
I was opening this notebook of Grandshaykh (q) and subhaanAllah came the answer. I was looking for an answer since the last time, and I wrote down this suhbah, from Jumu`ah 10, Dhul Qa`adah 1391, 40 years ago. I was looking for an answer and suddenly it came. Does anyone remember the question? A very important question. Why Mawlana doesn't say anything to anyone. When Mawlana sees something, and all of us cannot accept it because it is objectionable and is not the way of discipline. Some people want to be bossy, some to give orders, some to have titles, some say they own something that they don't own. And all of them say, "Mawlana is not saying anything." Correct? Did you hear that? And people are questioning that.
Let us go back in history. Come to the time of Prophet (s) before coming to Grandshaykh (q). How many times did Abu Jahl try to harm Prophet (s)? Many times, not just one. And his last trick before the Battle of Badr when Prophet (s) was still in Mecca, Abu Jahl invited the Prophet (s) to a dinner in his house. He was an enemy of Prophet (s) and one of his uncles, along with Abu Lahab. And the Prophet (s) didn't know why Abu Jahl is inviting him and being nice to him; it was because he is conspiring to do something to Prophet in the future. Prophet (s) was submitting to the will of Allah (swt); he observes the Preserved Tablets, "Do this, do this, do this." Jibreel (a) comes, "Do this, do this, Allah is giving you salaam, do this, do that." He cannot say, "No, I will do my own things." We cannot say to awliyaullah, "Do this." They are inheritors of Prophet (s).
Of course, we see many things and wonder why Shaykh is not saying anything. So Prophet, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaatu was-salaam, knew that Abu Jahl had arranged a trap for him, but Allah's will was to move the Prophet (s) forward, to go to Abu Jahl's house. Correct here, Abdul Shakoor? You are teaching seerah? That is correct. And although he knew it, Prophet (s) did not say, "My uncle is bad." Abu Jahl wanted to kill his nephew, the Seal of Messengers, and dug a deep well in front of his house and covered it on the top so that the Prophet (s) would fall in. Prophet (s) knew but he kept adab with Allah (swt), discipline and respect.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
Wa innaka la-`alaa khuluqin `azheem
Indeed you are on a tremendous character. (68:4)
"He has the best character." He didn't object, he only said, "As Allah wills."
That is why awliyaullah say, "As Allah wishes, as Allah likes. We are like a laboratory; we are an experiment for those people. They put on us sulphur, copper, iron, sodium, chlorine; they put on us anything, even if they burn us, we are submitting to the will of Allah (swt). The answer hasn't come here yet, it is very nice, a very summarized answer; I am expanding on it. So Sayyidina Muhammad, afdalu 's-salaatu was-salaam. (Mawlana stands.) Stand up! Sallu `ala 'n-Nabi, alfu,alfu salaatu wa 's-salaam `alayka yaa Rasoolullah, alfu, alfu salaatu wa 's-salaam`alayka yaa HabeebAllah. Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik `alaa Sayyidina Muhammad wa `alaa aali Sayyidina Muhammad. (Mawlana sits.) So the Prophet (s) went towards the house of Abu Jahl. As soon as he saw the Prophet (s) coming from far away, Abu Jahl was so happy that Prophet was going to fall in the well, and he ran outside. He did not notice the well was closer to him than to the Prophet (s) and he fell in it! Grandshaykh (q) said that if the Prophet (s) had not put his hand in the well, Abu Jahl would keep going down, down, down, till Yawm al-Qiyamah. Abu Jahl was falling very deep but as soon as the Prophet (s) put his hand in, the distance became close and he pulled him out. He pulled his enemy out and fought him later in the Battle of Badr.
Awliyaullah are under a big test. They submit to Allah's will, not like us; we are like fish out of water, we wriggle and struggle. Awliyaullah are not like fish. They are the ones that can go into the ocean and breathe, they can be on the Earth or above it in the atmosphere, and breathe and they can be in the universe and breathe. Allah gave them superpower. So the Prophet knew that Abu Jahl is going to throw him in the well, but what did he do? Nothing. So Mawlana is saying, "Grandshaykh, may Allah bless him, said, fa kayfahumu 'l-awliyaa. "How can you describe awliyaullah?" Kayfa tashbeeh al-awliya, "How can you describe and explain about them?" Hum mithlu 'l-jabal, "They are like mountains." And he said, "They are like forests."
What lives on the mountains and in forests? We say about Mawlana Shaykh and Grandshaykh (q) that they are like mountains and forests on which live all kinds of wild animals. Let me give you and example of a contemporary scholar, who lived 100 or 150 years ago, Ibn Ajiba, one of the famous, greatest ones who explained al-Hikm. He was from Morocco but renowned in Egypt and throughout that area. He said that the wali is like the earth. Did you ever hear at anytime, that there are a million people on a small piece of Earth, and the Earth complained? If there is one person or a million persons on it, the Earth doesn't complain, even if they jump or dump on it, the Earth doesn't complain. Awliyaullah are like the Earth, dump your bad things on them and they never complain.
Grandshaykh (q) said that they are like mountains and forests; two kinds of animals live on them, wild and domestic. A wali's house has two kinds of people, one kind is wild. The mountains and forests have wild animals, where you find dragons, snakes, and wild cats. Wild and domestic animals, both live on mountains, but goats get eaten by the wild animals; they submit. The wild animals cannot go along peacefully and one of them hurts the other. Domestic animals do no hurt anyone, wild animals hurt everyone. Who do hyenas hurt? They can hurt a lion if they group together. So such wild animals live on the mountains, and these mountains are the shuyookh, awliyaullah. The mountains don't complain. They don't open their mouths to say anything. Today you see Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, may Allah give him a long life, he doesn't say anything. Wild animals, mosquitoes, anything comes circling there in that house, he doesn't say anything. He is submitting to Allah's will. A wali doesn't say anything, and that is hikmah, wisdom.
People ask Mawlana Shaykh, "Why don't you say anything?" Now we know. Grandshaykh (q) said, innallaha lam yukhliq shayyan abathan. "Allah did not create anything haphazardly, without value or without reason." Everything is for a reason. Wild or domestic animals, wolves, mosquitoes all exist for a reason. Since awliya know this, how are they going to complain? In kaana wahshee aw ahlee la yumkin `ala t`aarad. And awliyaullah, laa tabaddalloona wa laa taghayyaroon, awliyaullah never change. If a wild or domestic animal enters, they have no right to object. Awliyaullah never change, they have that characteristic. They are like forests, mountains, and deserts, where scorpions and snakes live, with poisonous stings and venom. In the presence of the shaykh, with his high level of spirituality, there are both types of people, with venom and stinger, as well as domestic ones with love, spirituality and discipline. And besides the two types, there are too many in-between. Not only are awliya like mountains, they are like oceans as well. Wa kadhaalika lahum mithlun bihaar.
I'm wondering and now I get the answer. In 1391 A.H., 40 years ago, Grandshaykh (q) said (in these notes) that if you throw all the garbage of dunya in the ocean, the ocean will not get dirty. It means all of the wild and domestic animals, all the mistakes don't change the ocean. Since the ocean doesn't change, how would Mawlana Shaykh complain today when lots of things are being thrown in? Awliya are like oceans. "Throw more, no complaint." Oceans eat all the dirtiness and filth of human beings. If you throw dirtiness in oceans and moving rivers, and take a shower or ablution in that water, it is still pure. Allahu akbar. From the tap of awliya, water is pure despite wild and domestic animals. Awliyaullah who have been described as "oceans," eat the dirt, filth, and sins of human beings. It means that awliyaullah ask Allah's forgiveness on their behalf. That's why Grandshaykh (q) said that awliya have levels and ranks. Some are like oceans and others like mountains or forests. And some are like all of them. If he is not an ocean, or a forest or mountain, he is not considered a wali. Because a pond becomes cloudy immediately. It's water becomes cloudy, dirty and muddy, because it is still, and you cannot make ablution in it. So, if he is a pond, he is not a wali.
Many today are calling themselves "wali" and they are not even a pond. They imagine themselves as something. They are maaun saakinah, still water. If he is not an ocean, he is not a wali. A wali never complains. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, from here we send salaams. May Allah give you a long life. We pray that there is no khalifah after you! May they (who call themselves your khalifah) run to the ocean and throw themselves in! The pond has such murky water, you cannot take ablution in it. A wali cannot receive the level of sainthood if he is still a pond; he has to be a river, ocean, or waterfall, gushing and taking away dirtiness, so you can still take ablution in the presence of wali.
Allah gave us honor by making us human beings, but our character and behavior is either wild or domesticated. That is why he leaves them and can take all that is around him, clean it in the blink of an eye, he doesn't need more than that. If you want to be a wali, raise your hands. No one?
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ
Wa laqad karramna Bani Adam
We have honored the Children of Adam. (17:70)
Who doesn't want responsibility? Who wants to be a wali? Who wants to be a normal person, a sheep? (Show of hands). Better! Why do you want to be a shepherd? Be sheep, follow a shepherd, follow Mawlana and get everything, you don't need anything else!
The principle rule in madhhab (doctrine) is to take one and follow it. That madhhab will take you all the way to Paradise. Don't jump from one to another, confused. Follow the way of a wali, hold tight to the daily awraad. Do what they give to you to do, then you are attracted to them, they will never leave you alone, they will take you. If anyone likes to be a wali and resurrected with a wali and Prophet (s) on the Day of Judgment, they must do this small wazifah,1500 dhikrullah every day. Take your beads, there are people who do 1500, some do 5000 and some 10,000. You can do whatever you want, you have permission, 'Allah, Allah, Allah.' So he said that you should do 1500 times 'Allah', until the heart begins to work and you move forward quickly.
There was a mureed of Shaykh Sharafudddin (q) who asked, "How much dhikr do I have to do today?"
Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) said, "Go to 5000."
In two minutes he comes back and said, "I finished."
Shaykh said, "What! finished 5000?" You can't finish 5000 in two minutes, but awliya don't complain. "Okay, now do 50,000." In ten minutes, he finished. Then Shaykh said to do 100,000 and in one hour, he came back saying that he finished. Shaykh never said anything, he was patient.
"Today I need big dhikr, three million." After some hours, he was finished.
"How are you doing your dhikr of Allah, Allah so quickly?"
"I finished all of them," he said, "It doesn't take time."
Shaykh said, "O my son, with such belief, angels are covering what you are missing." If you want to be with awliya and Prophet (s), do 1500 times dhikrullah, take beads and say 'Allah, Allah.' It depends on how quick you are, some people can move quickly.
We are quoting Grandshaykh (q), may Allah bless his soul, because it gives you a taste for the future and how Mawlana spread tariqah through east and west. "SubhaanAllah, this Nazim Effendi never drops beads from his hands, only drops beads to make wudu." I never saw him without beads in his hand. Us, we want to finish quickly and say, "Oh! Alhamdulillah we finished." Awliya keep doing, never getting tired. We are weak in this time, so I am saying to you to recite 1500 times.
أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Ala bi dhikr-Allahi tatma'innu 'l-quloob.
Without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah hearts find satisfaction. (13:28)
Our hearts are at peace when reciting Allah's Names. Allah does not burden you with more than you can carry. If you do that, in the last seven breaths, passing from dunya, Allah (swt) will open all the secrets of the Naqshbandi Tariqah and the means, wasilah, to receive the secrets. By performing this simple duty of 1500 dhikrullah daily. It doesn't take more than two or three minutes.
One day I was with one of Mawlana's students in Lebanon. Every time I see him he says, "I finished two-million salli `ala an-Nabi (s). Today I finished five-million." He sits on the beach with no one there. There are areas that are empty. All day he doesn't eat, only he drinks water and recites Allah, Allah or salli `ala an-Nabi (s). "I finished five-million, two-million." How do you do that? Remember Grandshaykh's story, subhaanAllah, it's as if the duplicate of that person is in Lebanon and the original was in Turkey! They are simple people with open hearts, not like us, arrogant, who like everything to be for ourselves. But they have such pure hearts, Allah (swt) gives them that power!
May Allah forgive us, bless us, and make our wild characters into domesticated characters. All of us are in this problem. Today so much criticism, difficulty and darkness comes from the Internet, text messages and sms. People don't have anything to do except send bad messages on the Internet, making hearts dark. The problem is the ego; if you cannot control it, you are the loser. So don't put your hand on the computer and type. First think, "Am I creating fitna?" If you are, don't type.
Allah will defend the one who is right.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُا
Inn-Allaha yudaafi`u `ani 'Lladheena aamanoo
Truly, Allah defends (from ill) those who believe. (al-Hajj, 22:38)
On 7 January 1999, I went to the US State Department in Washington, DC to give a speech in a public forum on the threat against the United States. I stated in my speech the danger coming from some violent people. I am not going to go through all of that now, but eight national organizations boycotted us, saying we are only saying this for some personal gain. When I looked at who had signed (the boycott declaration), I saw that one of them, his first name begins with H and his last name begins with Y, and I was surprised.
So I sent him a message, "Why did you say that? Did you know the truth before making the judgment?" He didn't answer. Some of our students at UC, Berkeley, who go to his classes, questioned him.
He said, "I didn't sign it, they forged my signature."
They said, "Make it public," and he said, "No."
Inna Allaha yudaafi`u ani 'Lladheena aamanoo, Allah defends those who believe in Him. Those who are right said the truth. I said it out of fact. Good people began to contact friends of his. Abdul Hakim Murad sent him a letter, saying, "You need to say publicly that you did not sign it. We, Ahlu 's-Sunnah wa’l-Jama`ah, are being attacked. Shaykh Hisham is standing alone, being attacked." He didn't do that publicly.
Some of his students saw him when they came to Madinah, and in front of Prophet (s) they said, "I want to ask you a question, did you sign that condemnation or not?"
He said, "No, they forged my signature."
They said, "Then say it publicly."
He said, "No."
After two years, in September 2001, what we said would happen, happened in New York. At that time, Allah (swt) brought us up and brought all the others down. Sometimes if you stand up for Haqq, (Arabic)
لاَّ يُحِبُّ اللّهُ الْجَهْرَ بِالسُّوَءِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِلاَّ مَن ظُلِمَ وَكَانَ اللّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا
laa yuhibbu-Llahu 'l-jahra bis-sū'i mina 'l-qawli illa man zhulima wa kaan-Llaahu Samee`an ` Aleemaa.
Allah does not like that evil should be uttered in public, except by him who has been wronged. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (An-Nisa 4:148)
Allah does not like someone to say something publicly, unless he has been oppressed. We have been attacked many times from here or there. You have to say the Truth. Don't expect that the Shaykh will leave you alone; the Shaykh always supports you! During the oppression of Muslims in Mecca, Sayyidina `Umar (r) said, "Are we on haqq or baatil? Why are we hiding?" He went out, called adhaan from the roof and Prophet (s) supported him. So awliya will support. On Sufilive, go back to yesterday to the suhbah of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, especially at the end, at minute 44, and you can see that he is the defender of Truth. He defended me there from those who are attacking, wild or domestic.
May Allah forgive me and them, and give Mawlana Shaykh Nazim a long, happy life!
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.