(...) going to be suitable for our bodies. Therefore, we must try to run after natural medicines because Allah Almighty created everything with some benefits. You can’t find anything that is without benefit.
Alladheena yadhkuroon Allaha qiyaaman wa qu`oodaan wa `ala junoobihim wa yatafakkaroona fi khalqi ‘s-samawati wa ‘l-ard. Rabbanaa maa khalaqta hadha baatilan subhaanaka faqinaa `adhaab 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 have You created (all) this! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.” (Aali-`Imraan, 3:191)
“Hadha” shows everything; hadha, hadha, hadha, everything is coming under that one word. It means, “O my Lord! You created this for something and You created this for something else.” We are not in need of artificial medicines. For a short while they make people think, “It is good for me,” but it is really not. Therefore, we are saying that as much as scientists make countless medicines under countless names, (they are) artificial medicines under artificial names.
I am sorry that a person who believes in God may say, “This (holy book) is not good, and this (holy book) is good.” No, you must look at everything. Our honored guests are Ahlu ‘l-Kitaab, People of the Book, and they believe in the Old and New Testaments. (Mawlana Shaykh gives miniature copy of the New Testament to Yusuf Islam) This is the New Testament that if you like to keep, you may. It is good, but so small that I can’t read it.
Particularly (good) are the sayings about prophets who passed away, and one was Luqman al-Hakeem (r). Yes, he is a well-known prophet, also well known as a hakeem, wise man. He looked and knew, “This tree is good for that, that plant is good for that.” He knew, but now people are throwing that knowledge away and running after artificial products; they will become artificial beings more than real representatives of Mankind. Now they are trying to make everything artificial.
I heard that people are asking for artificial ladies. (Laughter) They are going around saying, “At this time you must prepare a beautiful wife for me,” and then another one comes and says, “Welcome, O our lady! What is your taste?”
I went to Greenwich, London to look around and in the street I saw a shop with so many ladies heads. I asked, “What is that? Is it a museum?”
They said, “No, O Shaykh! Where are you coming from?”
“(I am coming from Heavens).”
“Is this your first time coming here?”
“No, it is my second time, but I never saw such a fair.”
“O Shaykh! These models or ladies are for hair dressings. Yes, if anyone enters this shop, we show these models and she may say, ‘I like my hair to be like this one.’” (Laughter)
Yusuf Islam is a very serious person, never smiling, but he is laughing now and very happy! People ask to find such a factory, to enter and say, “I like this model of lady,” and old ones come and say, “I like this beautiful husband.” (Laughter)
People are so artificial, running from east to west, from west to east, never using natural things, throwing them away, using only artificial things. Therefore, a person who is ill is first asking to go (...)
“Where are you going?”
“O my darling! I am going to Harley Street. Yes, sir.”
“For what?”
“I need a check up, and afterwards I will fill my doctor’s prescription. I hope that my hair grows in once again as it was before!” (Laughter)
English people are very, very serious ones; therefore, I am speaking on serious subjects for them, but they are unable to control themselves and they make, “Heh, heh, heh!” Marhaban! What shall we do?
Yusuf Islam: We are very happy to see you.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: You are never coming to me, only running after new models! (Laughter)
(Mawlana Shaykh sings in Turkish)
Ey Hakka tâlib, ol ashka râgıb.
Hem nefse gâlib, ol ir murâde,
Hem nefse gâlib, ol ir murâde.
O the seeker of Truth, become a seeker of Love.
Overcome your ego and attain your desire.
Overcome your ego and attain your desire.
Our honorable guest is a famous and a very serious singer of Islamic songs throughout the east and west, “Yusuf Islam”! Therefore, I am also trying to sing as he sings, and he is only about five years younger than me! (Laughter) Welcome to you, sir.
Yusuf Islam: Shall I sing a song for Shaykh Nazim?
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Yes, yes.
Yusuf Islam: In English?
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: No, in the language of jinns! (Laughter) Yes, sir.
Yusuf Islam: (Mawlana Shaykh also sings.)
Tala` al-Badru `alayna,
min thaniyyati ‘l-Wada`
wajaba ‘l-shukru `alayna,
maa da'a lillahi da'.
O the white moon rose over us,
from the valley of Wada`
and we owe it to show gratefulness,
where the call is to Allah.
Ayyuha al-mab'uthu feenaa
ji’ta bi ‘l-amri ‘l-muta`
ji`ta sharrafta ‘l-Madinah.
Marhaban, yaa khayra da`
O you who were raised amongst us
coming with a work to be obeyed
you have brought to this city nobleness!
Welcome, Best Caller to God's Way!
Tala`al-Badru `alayna,
min thaniyyati ‘l-Wada`
wajaba ‘sh-shukru `alayna,
maa da`a lillaahi da`.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Mashaa-Allah. (Applause) Applaud for me also! (Laughter) Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yusuf Islam: I am going around the world doing songs. We just performed in Germany, Austria, Paris, Rotterdam, Brussels, Sweden, and before that Australia.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Mashaa-Allah.
Yusuf Islam: Mashaa-Allah. I have a very, very strong feeling for going back.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Through our brother Yusuf Islam, ihtadahum, non-Muslim people find their ways to Allah Almighty!
Yusuf Islam’s Wife: In Australia, when he did a show and a husband and wife became Muslim after the show.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Very good! May Allah reward him.
Yusuf Islam: Inshaa-Allah, make du`a for us.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Everyday, to be famous you must cut one sheep and eat it!
Yusuf Islam: Please don’t make it an obligation!
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: I see he is becoming so thin, and he must (gain weight). Did you never see Saudi people, how big they are? (Laughter)
(Yusuf Islam introduces his cousin from Paphos. Mawlana speaks to him and his wife at length in Greek language.)
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: The most beautiful part of our island is on that side, Paphos, with their forests, waters, fruits, and always people from that side are more clever!
Yusuf Islam: There are too many English people.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: With no minds! Do you know what is lambaro? It is a scarecrow! He knows. (Laughter) Now I am lost; I forgot, you are 10 years younger than me. We lost it. People were so happy during the time of the British colony. Now some fanatic people are coming from there and on our side another fanatic people, to this beautiful, peaceful and holy island. The maqaam of St. Barnabas, one of the disciples of Sayyidina `Isa (a), is here. Did you visit there yet? You may visit from Famagusta; it is 45 minutes from there. There is a monastery and he is buried there. When I am strong enough, I often visit him and his spiritual power catches me, saying, “Shaykh Nazim, come to me!” I visit his tomb, which is underground, and the monastery. St. Barnabas and the apostle Andreas were both disciples of Sayyidina `Isa (a), but the spirituality through St. Barnabas is stronger than through the apostle, Andreas. (You receive) sakinah, serenity. Whenever I passed by St. Barnabas said, “Come to me.” Now I very rarely pass there, but when I do he calls to me and I go down (to the maqaam). May Allah Almighty’s blessings be on him.
The Archbishop of Cyprus discovered St. Barnabas’s Bible in his grave. There is an independent building for him and behind it a monastery with so many drawings. That archbishop dreamt St. Barnabas was saying to him, “I am buried under that olive tree. Open my grave and keep it.” He was sleeping there and when he saw that vision, he quickly woke up and sent his farmers to quickly open that place, and they found St. Barnabas there. His body was unchanged, perhaps after one-thousand years in his grave. On his chest was the Injeel, New Testament.
The Archbishop of Cyprus took that Bible to the Byzantine emperor, who accepted that and dressed him as majestic, and in return he honored the Church of Cyprus. That archbishop may sign with red ink as no one else can; that is reserved for emperors and it was an honor granted to the Church of Cyprus. There are drawings on the walls of the monastery. I am asking my brother, Shaykh Yusuf, to go see it and take photographs of that very good, holy place. St. Barnabas was buried for 2,000 years and his body never decomposed. It is easy to find his place.
Yes sir, I am happy with you, but I am keeping you too long! We have a place for eating, drinking, sleeping, and dancing! (Laughter) What shall we do? Very few people know these details, very few. He knows, He knows! What shall we do?
Yusuf Islam: I wrote a song for children called, “I Look, I See.”
I look, I look, I look, I see
I see a world of beauty
I touch, I touch, I touch, I feel
I feel a world around so real
And everything I do
I dedicate to You
Cause You made me
I am for You
I listen, listen, listen, I hear
I hear the words of God so clear
I read, I read, I read, I know
It helps my knowledge grow
And everything we do
We dedicate to You
Cause You made us
We are for You
I listen, listen, listen, I hear.
He sent the Prophet to show us the way
He made Religion perfect that Day
Peace be upon him, upon him we pray
Salatullah wa salaamu `alayh.
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: An encyclopedia of songs; I am also an encyclopedia! If our guests are happy to stay, we have rooms and food. For Allah! It is not a burden on me (to host you); what Allah is giving we are eating. The archbishop invited me and I was there one day. We like each other. Now our guests are most welcome to stay, as they like. They are also free to look around (sight see) and you may collect for them oranges and lemons as a small gift, as they came all the way here.
(Guests brought two boxes of gifts.)
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: You put three boxes! (Laughter) What shall we do? Thank you, sir. Allah, Allah. Yaa Rabbee. Amaan yaa Rabbee. (Mawlana Shaykh stands) I am now finishing my eighth decade, running to 90.
Yusuf Islam: Allahu Akbar!
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: What shall we do?
Yusuf Islam: Wait for the meeting with Allah!
Mawlana Shaykh Nazim: Pray for me. Come, come, come. (hugs) Mashaa-Allah Yusuf, you may come any time; (this is) your home (and you are) like my son or grandson. Welcome, welcome, and send my salaams!