Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Thursday, Oct 24, 2002 | Fenton, MI US
SufiLive.com
Audhu billahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-rajeem. Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
Nawaytul arba`în, nawaytul ‘itikâf, nawatul khalwat, nawaytur-riyâ da, nawaytus-sulû k, nawaytul `uzla, fî hâdha al-masjid
Alhamdulillah Allah swt has made us from Ummat an-Nabi (s).
That means that we are under the mercy that Allah said, “wa ma arsalnaaka illa rahmatan lil-`alameen” and Allah has made use to be from the lastUmmah, the last nation of the last prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), whom Allah gave the Holy Qur’an. Allah sent different books and the last book was the Holy Qur’an.
And that Allah said,
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
“al-Rahman `alam al-Qur’an – the Merciful taught the Qur’an.”
And He said,
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
Fa-idha qara’naahu fatabi’a quraanah.
But when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated) : Al-Qiyamah [75:18]
“When we revealed it to you O Muhammad, follow it.” I.e. “We have revealed it to you. In which way have We revealed it to you? In that way you follow? When We recite it to you by revelation, follow the order [therein].”
If we continue the verse,
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ
“thumma inna `alayna bayaanah - then upon Us is its explanation” – what does that mean? It means that not only is the literary meaning there, when we read it to you follow it as it is revealed. But then there is an interpretation, a clarification, hidden meanings and secretive meanings to follow. Where are these? The Ummah is not understanding that today there are meanings, that mufasiroon, after the time of the Prophet (S) until today, there are a lot of different meanings that ulama are able to deduce - different meanings of the Holy Qur’an – it is an ocean that never ends.
Allah swt did not reveal the Qur’an for the alfaadh, the pronunciation, or its outer meaning alone, but there are hidden meanings that we need to know. Therefore He said, “fas’al ahl adh-dhikri in kuntun la ta`lamoon.” And Allah said,
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ
La tuharrik bihi lisanaka lita`jala bihi
Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur'an) to make haste therewith. Al-Qiyamah [75:16]
“laa tuharik bihi lisaanak..” it is for us to collect it and give it to you O Muhammad.” So We are giving, Allah’s Ancient Word, kalaamullah il-qadeemi. Because the Qur’an is not makhluq, created. Anyone who says the Qur’an is created is outside the range of Islam.
We are the one to collect it and give it to you.
فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ
Fa-idha qara’naahu fatabi’a quraanah.
But when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated) : Al-Qiyamah [75:18] . “When We have read it to you, then follow its reading.” But today the people read the verse, “go and kill” and they take it out of context. Those who want to make militancy in Islam find the verses and extract what they want.
But Allah is saying, “With all the high levels I gave you and the perfection I gave you, you need Me to clarify to you the secrets of the Holy Qur’an.” That is why He said “thumma inna `alayna bayaanah” it is not up to anyone to come and say “ now I will give the meaning and explain the Qur’an.” Big mufasireen like Ibn `Abbas were afraid to explain the Qur’an.
That was for the Prophet ie. “Wait for its explanation.”
اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مَّعْرِضُونَ مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مَّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ لَاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَسَرُّواْ النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ هَلْ هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بَلْ قَالُواْ أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلاَمٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ
بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الأَوَّلُونَ مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Iqtaraba lin-naasi hisaabuhum wa hum fee ghaflatin mu`ridoo. Maa yateehim min dhikrin min rabbihim muhdathin illa istama`oohu wahum yal`aboon Laahiyatan quloobuhum waasarroo an-najwa allatheena dhalamoo hal haadha illa basharun mithlukum afataatoona as-sihra wa antum tubsiroon Qaala rabbee ya`lamu ’l-qawla fee as-samaa’i wa’l-ardi wa huwa as-samee`u ’l-`aleem. Bal qaaloo adghaathu ahlaamin bali ’ftaraahu bal huwa sha`irun fa’l-yatinaa bi-aayatin kamaa ursila ’l-awwaloon. Maa aamanat qablahum min qaryatin ahlaknaahaa afahum yuminoon. Wa maa arsalnaa qablaka illa rijalan noohee ilayhim fasaloo ahla ’dh-dhikri in kuntum laa ta`lamoon.
Closer draw unto men their Reckoning: and yet they remain stubbornly heedless [of its approach]. Whenever there comes unto them any new reminder from their Sustainer, they but listen to it with playful amusement, their hearts set on passing delights; yet they who are [thus] bent on wrongdoing conceal their innermost thoughts [when they say to one another], “Is this [Muhammad] anything but a mortal like yourselves? Will you, then, yield to [his] spellbinding eloquence with your eyes open?’’
Say: “My Sustainer knows whatever is spoken in heaven and on earth; and He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing.” Nay,” they say, “[Muhammad propounds] the most involved and confusing of dreams!” “Nay, but he has invented [all] this!” - “Nay, but he is [only] a poet!” - [and,] “Let him, then, come unto us with a miracle, just as those [prophets] of old were sent [with miracles]?” Not one of the communities that We destroyed in bygone times would ever believe [their prophets]: will these, then, [be more willing to] believe? For [even] before thy time, [O Muhammad,] We never sent [as Our apostles] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence, [tell the deniers of the truth,] “If you do not know this, ask the followers of earlier revelation” 21:1-15.
In verse 75:19, Allah said, “We are going to clarify it to you, Ya Muhammad.” And He said, “ask the people of the Reminder [the scripture, the Torah, the Gospel] if you do not know.”
It means He sent to them also and they came against their books also. They did not believe in Sayyidina Musa Alayhissalam who brought the Torah. They didn’t believe in the Injeel, many to whom the Bible was brought.
“So ask the People of Knowledge, of Dhikr, then you learn.- Fas’alu ahl adh-dhikr. Who are the People of Dhikr. The normal meaning, it means the people who are learned, the scholars. But in reality the people of dhikr are of four different categories:
1 - The description of وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ “adh-dhaakireen Allah wadh-dhaakiraat -- Those who remember Allah from men and from women.” [33:35]Those who in every moment their heart is connected to Allah.
Whatever such people are asked by Allah they do. According to IslamicShariah there are 500 ma’muraat – 500 recommended actions that are recommended to do in your daily life. Whoever has a seed of the light of that remembrance will obey his Lord in following all 500 ma’murat, 500 principles ordered in Islamic Shariah. And he must be under the tajalli of hifdh, protection in order that he will be able to accomplish these 500 different issues. Like to be patient, to ask Allah swt, to remember Allah, to do obligations, salaat, fasting, charity, hajj, look after people, be hospitable to people and there are 500 of them and one time we shall go through them. We are only describing [now] that they exist.
2 - the kind who are under the tajalli that they are able to accomplish these orders. Then Allah will send them a special manifestation from his Name al-Hafeedh, that He will protect them. He is al-Hafeezh and al-Haafizh. He will protect them from following into 800 forbidden actions.
That is part of the description of those who know (ahl adh-dhikr) . not those on the internet who are giving fatwas or are paid by regimes. No it is those who are love in with Allah and in love with his beauty. This kind of alim knows he must leave 800 types of forbidden actions. Such an `alim, Allah will bestow on him a manifestation of His Beautiful Name al-Hafeedh to protect from such actions.
3 - that individual who has accomplished 500 ma`muraat and prevented himself from 800 manhiyyat, Allah will bestow on him the manifestation of the all-encompassing Name, al-jami` al-asma’ was-siffaat, isma al-jalaala, Allah, ism adh-dhaat – the Name describing the Divine Essence.
From that Name Allah will bestow on you a certain light, which will be raising you to reach what you have promised Allah swt on the Day of Promises - the Day when Allah said, “alastu bi-rabbikum qaalu balaa.” Allah will raise you, when you accomplished the 500 ma`muraat and leave the 800 manhiyaat – forbidden actions - then Allah will raise you under Ism al-Jalaala, to be under the Name Allahu Huwa. The secret of that so that you may understand what you have promised on the Day of Promises.
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ
Wa idh aakhatha rabbuka min banee adama min dhuhoorihim dhurriyyatahum wa ashhadahum `ala anfusihim alastu birabbikum qaloo bala shahidna an taqooloo yawma al-qiyamati inna kunna `an haadha ghafileen.
When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful": Al-A'raf [7:172]
Allah brought out Bani Adam from the backs of their ancestors. On the Day of Promises, when the souls were junoodun mujannada – gathered troops - when they made the Promise, Allah will bring back to them memory of that promise – those are ahl adh-dhikr.
4 - When he reaches to know what he promised his Lord at that time, Allah will raise him to the level that for him everything has disappeared and there is nothing to him but Allah’s love, maqaam al-fana’. That is described in many books but there is no time to describe it now. That is the station of not seeing except the one to be loved. La yara illa mahboobah. No one can see anything in front of him except his lover. That is why awliyaullah are looking, first to love of Allah, and second to love of the Prophet (s) and third to love of awliyaullah . These are the descriptions of the people of remembrance or reminder. When we accomplish these four levels, we can say “this one is connected.” That one his du`as is accepted. That one if you ask him to make du`a for you, his du`a is accepted and your problem will be solved. May Allah guide us to such people. Such are ahl adh-dhikr and they are following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s).
Today awliyaullah , ahl adh-dhikr, are hidden. You cannot find them. They are rare. You might find them in some countries around the world but they are rare like diamonds. But if you find one, stick with him. Allah said,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
“ya ayyuhalladheena aamanu ittaqullaha wa koonu ma`a as-saadiqeen
O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). At-Tauba [9:119]
…” we are struggling to be righteous. We are struggling to follow what Islam tells us to do. Iblees came to say. Adam and whispered in his ear. So don’t expect that people, Muslims or non-Muslim are not going to follow their desires. They are. Because Shaytaan is whispering in their ears. But awliya are not. They are protected. If you find one stick to one of them.
The ahl adh-dhikr are always asking Allah to forgive humanity. And this 15th of Sha`ban that passed and Muslims around the world celebrated and that Allah forgives sins on that night; it is an important night. And Allah gives the people according to what they are asking.
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (ra ) said, that the Prophet (s) said, “Jibreel came to me on the night of nisfi-Sha`ban and said, ‘Ya Muhammad! Raise your head to heaven’ I said to Jibreel, “Ya Jibreel! What is this night? I am seeing something different that is a perfections night.’ He said, ‘ this is the night of nisfi-Sha`ban in which Allah opens 300 Oceans of Mercy. Allah forgives anyone who does not associate anyone with Him in their prayers.’”
In that night do you think awliyaullah are sleeping or they are up all night praying and asking Allah for forgiveness for the Ummah? That is what the Prophet (s) is saying. Allah will forgive anyone who does not associate a partner to Him. And the Prophet (s) said, “Allah looks to His servants and forgives all of them except the mushrik and the mushaahin.”
In that night, awliyaullah are asking and in that night, may Allah bless our shaykh, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani did not sleep that night. He was awake all that night until ishraaq and in du`a asking for the Ummah. The Prophet (s) used to stay up all night until his feet were swollen. Awliyaullah are awake asking to save humanity from all kinds of difficulties coming in front of them. What we are seeing today is that a lot of punishment is coming on our heads. And awliyaullah are waiting for heavenly support to come and protect people. That protection might come at any moment. Kun fayakun. Allah might say any time “Be!” and it will be. That is what we are waiting for and that is what we expect and for the best for humanity for the best for peace. Bi-hurmatil fatiha.
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
Showing posts with label 2002. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2002. Show all posts
September 01, 2009
The Center of the Circle
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Thursday, Oct 31, 2002 | Fenton, MI US
SufiLive.com
A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
The discipline of association is that someone speaks and the others listen. Anyone can speak and the others can listen. But it is not the discipline that everyone speak - then no one will listen. So in every meeting, in every association, anyone who likes to say something, we are happy to listen and that is why I am asking – I am not here to speak. Anyone who likes to speak can take the lead and we will listen. So if Shaykh Yassir likes to speak then go ahead. Just say, “I’d like to speak.”
Would you like to speak? [no.]
Shaykh Hilal, I feel that I should ask you to speak; I request you to speak. He is a Sufi shaykh that spent a great deal of time in his line and he is close to me like a brother and I like him a lot.
If anyone likes to say something, they are welcome. Omar is hiding in the corner there. Pakistanis always like to speak so would you like to speak? [Omar: No. Because I am not Pakistani].
Allah swt said in the holy Qur’an “Ati`ullaha wa ati`ur-rasul wa uwlil-amri minkum.” – “Obey Allah; obey the Prophet (s) and those in authority among you.” [4:59]
Those who are on authority are taking care of us, and obedience is necessary. Obedience to the Prophet is not just necessary, it is an obligation. Whoever obeys the prophet obeys Allah, as Allah said in the Qur'an:
Man yuti` ar-rasul faqad at`a-ullah. – “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah” [4:80].
This Islamic religion it is the religion that Allah swt wanted to humanity. Sayyidina Musa Alayhissalam came with the Torah and then advised his people. Then after came Jesus and advised his people. And then Muhammad (s) came and advised his people. After that we did not see anyone. These are the three main religions. And we as Muslims believed in Jesus and are believing in Jesus and as Muslims we believe in Moses. And believing in Jesus and believing in Moses means we are believing I the bible and in the Taurat. That means that Islam did not reject any religion, but it wrapped up all the religions together.
That is why we see the full moon came with Islam. Because before the full moon, it is still growing. Thus with the religion that came with David, and Noah and Abrahim, and Jesus it was growing. Until it reached Sayyidina Muhammad and it became the full moon. After the full moon it became perfect and there is nothing beyond that. It is a circle. And the religion is described as a full moon.
In geometry the perfection of lines are not linear, they are circles, because the end is with the beginning and the beginning is with the end. Linear lines have a beginning and an end at one point. But with a circle the beginning is the end and end is the beginning. Any point you take as the circumference of the circle, can be described as the beginning and the end. Annihilated together. That point became one point.
If it is on a linear line, it is two points. But on a circle every point on the circumference has developed an understanding between the beginning and the end. So Allah is guiding us and telling us, “O humanity. What comes first with Adam, and what comes last, are all equal, the same and together.” The Prophet (s) said, “La farqa bayna arabeeya wa `ajameeyan illa bi-taqwa” – “There is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever except in degree of righteousness.”
That shows we are all one. From Adam we came. That circle has one center. It does not have two centers. You cannot imaging two centers to a circle. That means that Allah is telling us that this dunya, this circumference has a main important focus that you must focus on. And that focus is the most important part of the circle – the middle of the circle. From the middle of the circle the radii are equal to any point on the circumference. That focus of that center of that circle can reach anyone at any time.
And that is why we have to direct our eyes there. This is the only place that we can reach from any point on the circumference to the center and from the center to the circumference. And they relate to each other – they are in the same environment. Or the same universe. That is why everything we see, is mainly even in the physical eyes, everything we see in the universe, with your eyes, and that might be the main issue now, are mainly circles.
The sun is a circle, or it might not be a circle, we have a scientist, moon is a circle, Venus, Mars and other planets are circles and they go on their orbits. As we said, linear lines, you can imagine they have a beginning and an end. But circles, the beginning and the end are merging with each as if annihilating with each other that is why the Prophet (s) said, “Human beings are equal like the teeth of the comb.” “An-naasu sawaaseeyatun ka-asnaan al-masht. Kullukum min Adam wa Adam min turaab.”
You are the same, all of you and your focus has to be on the center, and that is the most important point.
Everything has a center of gravity. If a patient goes to a doctor, the doctor examines him and checks what kind of illness the patient has in order to give him the right prescription. The doctor prescribes for him after many tests, to give him the right medicine in order to hit the sickness in that person and cure him. So any instrument or anything in this life has a center of gravity. If that center of gravity is not balanced what happens? It falls down. A car has a center of gravity. If it exceeds that center of gravity, it will flip. If a plane overshoots its center of gravity while turning, it will fall down.
So a circle has a center of gravity – a focus. The circle has a center of gravity and awliyaullah, Allah’s friends, which are living in every century – there are awliyaullah. The Prophet (s) said in a holy hadith, “awliya’ee tahta qibaabee. La ya`lamahum ghayree.” How do they say, these so-called scholars of today that every mu’min is a wali. If every mu’min is a wali, why does He have to hide him under a dome? That contradicts that hadith of the Prophet. That hadith says that no one knows them. If the hadith says that people don’t know them then how do they say that every mu’min is a wali. Yes every mu’min is a wali because not every Muslims is a mu’min. They don’t understand that, but every Muslim is not a believer. Rijaalun sadaqu ma `ahadAllaha alayh - "men who kept the covenant they made with Allah."
They kept that promise that they promised on the Day of Promises and they did not change. They did not come to dunya and change. Fa-minhum man qada nahba, wa minhum man yantadhir wa ma badalu tabdeleela -among them are those who passed away and among them are those who wait and they did not change in the least."
So these awliya look at their followers and they know what is their weak point and they know that center of gravity of their selves. As they balance for them those points, then these mureeds surrender and become perfect. So that is why their vision of awliya , are not at their images, inn Allah la yandhura… and that is the hear and the heart is the point in the human which keeps them balanced. The Prophet said, “inna fil jasadi…” if it is sound or pure, the whole body will be sound or pure or if is corrupted or deteriorated or went bad the whole body goes bad and that is the heart.
Mudgha is very small compared to the whole. That he said, “is the heart.” He said, “mudgha.” It means a very small particle in Arabic. The heart is not small. What we see is large. So it means in the heart there is the heart of the heart. That heart of the heart. That is the center where awliya look. That is where they are able to reach: five levels: qalb, sirr, sirr as-sirr, khafa,akhfa. Qalb here does not mean the meat – it is m`anawi - a spiritual realti. That is the spiritual aspect. Like time is the fourth dimension on earth that we cannot see.
That consists of what we cannot see. Heart, secret, secret of the secret…
First is wherever al gossips go and come, dunya-related issues. The 2nd is related to secrets, only awliya can see that. What goes beyond the mind and understanding. Then secret of secret is a higher level. Then hidden which only Prophet can see it and then akhfa which Allah can reach. That is in you, but you have not reached.
Awliya look at that and know about you your destiny, your future your… what is written for you. Allah gave them that power. They don’t need to ask for your ID or your social security number. They know what you are going to be. This is like blueprints of yourself. And we don’t want to go deeper in that. Once we went into that what they are finding in DNA and what is in every DNA.
So let us go back to where we began. That circle, every point on it represents the beginning and represents the end. The most important part of the circle is the center. That center draws the circle. Without the center, you cannot draw the circumference. Without the center how do you know the circumference. And even if you knew the circumference you need a center. So if you don’t focus on that, you are part of the circumference, if you don’t focus on the center of the circle you lose everything. And that center is Muhammadu Rasulullah.
La ilaha ill-Allah has no center, no beginning and no end. Muhammadu Rasulullah, has its beginning in its end and represents the creation. So that focal point must be Muhammadu Rasulullah. He represents everything that ma siw’Allah. Everything that is beyond the Creator is the creation. Ma siwa hu is everything other than Him. Everything other than Him is created. What represents creation? It is Muhammadun rasulullah.
Awliyaullah from that circumference knew that reality. They were able through their radii to establish that line form the circumference to the center and they connect. Others are not. They have … although they are on the circumference. They are not part of that. Everything on the circumference. They know that they are human and they are created. But what is between the center and the circumference –something is there. What is there? It is space. It is empty. What is that? You see from the center to the circumference, it is space. What is there?
All that Allah gave from the maqam al-ihsan and `ulum alawaaleen wal-akhireen has been put in that space. So people on the circumference cannot understand that until they establish a relationship/ radius from the center to the circumference. Until then they are on the circumference. Understanding only what they can see. Inside represents secrets. That is only for the Prophet (s) and the Prophet (s) is giving for awliyaullah to know about that. Whatever is bestowed on the Prophet (s) is in that empty space between center and circle.
For that reason people of today from different walks of life are, all of us, everyone, we are wasting our time. We are not taking care of that time that has been given to us which is limited to us. To reach the highest way to understand what is in that space and to build a relationship to the Prophet (s). People are as if looking at a big huge mountain, and they see something on the top of the mountain - they see something. They describe it as something. But they are at the bottom.
If they climb then they know what it is. They are only running after shells. You know the shells--empty. They think everything they see with their eyes is reality. It is completely illusions. An example is the mirage you see on the desert or the highway. You arrive and there is nothing. They build that up in their minds but in reality it does not exist. What exists is only real issues. This dunya is not real. If it was real, you would have been living and not dying.
Before us, centuries ago, the focus of people was only the `ulum ash-shara`iyya and `ulum al-haqiqat. The disciplinary knowledge that shows you where are your limits and the spiritual reality. And they were happy and they were reaching a high level of learning and knowledge. Today everyone is leaving that study and running towards dunya, secular knowledge that we see today. This is a new invention/phenomeno m.
This is a new invention and this is an old one. But what it this new one going to benefit you? You are living 50-60 years, then going. So our goal is not these. Our goal is what is real and what we can take with us. And what can we take with us? Nothing except to be realistic. To be realistic is to understand, as Sayyidina Ali, when unbelievers came and questioned him, “show us that there is a creator and then we believe.” He said, “show me your mind.” They said, we cannot. Then he said, come to the shore. They went to the shore and he said, “that boat is coming without a captain.” They said, “Ya `Ali how can a boat come without a captain.” He said “wait until it arrives.” When it arrived, the captain came down. They said, “O `Ali, you said there is no captain, but look there is.”
The most important thing Mawlana taught us is belief. Everything is on the side. If you believe you succeed. People who believe in akhira left dunya. People who don’t believe in akhira run after dunya. And those who are in between, one day on side of dunya and one day on the side of akhira. La ilaha ula wa la ilaha ula, thumma amanu thumma kafaru… muzazabeena…
One day one way, the other day the other way.
Awliya understood that their focus is Muhammad. That he is `Abdullah. The one who never questioned anything. Complete submission never raised his head, never used his mind. Today when you say something, they bring up hundreds of questions. Sayyidina Abu Bakr did not question. He had not doubt. He said, “sadaqata ya Rasulullah.” At that time you cannot see any problems. We here do you see problems. Everything that comes from Allah is accepted. You say, “Ya Rabbi. I am happy with what you gave me.” Look at homeless people ask them, “are you happy?” they say, “Yes.” If they find a bit of food in garbage or a little bit of water in a bottle, they are happy. Everyone has a contentment if they can reach their level of contentment they are happy. If these homeless people are happy how can we not be happy?
I know some people like, me, they complain about everything. Everything they come from work they complained, they do this the complaint. The wife complains. Everything today built on complaint.
50 years I accompanied Mawlana and I never heard him complain. He never said, “he said this or that one said that.” Any difficulty happened to him, he never said to anyone. He is in complete submission. We are struggling we are not Mawlana shaykh. We have to put in front of our eyes that this is what we are living for. To focus on Muhammadun rasulullah. He is our way to Allah swt. He is our door to Allah. It is not enough to say by tongue, but to believe in our heart. Else everything is still closed.
One time, this is out of teaching. This is also teaching. One time I was young with Grandshaykh and he said, “don’t read books.” One time. Because nothing will be brought from these books except difficulties or darkness on the heart. I did not understand what he meant until later. Because reading too much will raise in you too many questions and whatever people or scholars tell you, you begin to ask and question them and you want to show them they are wrong and you are right. It builds up your ego. So when you are not reading, whatever someone tells you, you accept. That means if ilm is gong to build up in you and make you more egoistic it is better for you not to learn and be simple. Then they can send knowledge to your heart. As what happened to Sayyidina Ahmad al-Badawi. That story I told many times. When he was looking to reach the diving presence and he was seeking the key to enter the Divine Presenceone person came out of the blue and said,
“I have the key for what you are asking to reach, the Divine Presence. “
He said, “I am seeking the key for Allah swt.” he was one of the biggest scholars of his time. I don’t take `ilm from you, who is worth nothing. Like Hajji Iqbal. How am I going to take `ilm from you - you don’t know Fatiha even – broken Fatiha. Like me I don’t know how to reach anything, learning from Dr. Munir. So how am I going to accept to learn from you. He is a physicist. He has 5 PhDs, and I have 10 PhDs. Dr. Nazeer Ahmad. I will never accept from him.
So he said, “I am not going to take from you.” Like Shaykh Salah with long beard, beads in his hand. “How am I going to take from you?”
So he left him. So Sayyidina Ahmad al-Badawi was progressing in his worship, progressing. Then he heard a voice, “Ya Ahmad! You want the key to your treasures?” he was so happy, “Yes” then he heard, “that man whom you rejected has it” that man was gone (6 moths later) he went searching for that one, who was worth two cents in dunya but infinitely value in the akhira. He could not find him – he had disappeared.
Then in 6 months he saw him. Why 6 months, not six days?… now he said, “I am ready, whatever you say.” Now he said, “no way. You need to do something.” When shaykhs come and offer you something don’t reject. He is offering it free, later it will not be free. He said, “no I don’t want what you offer me physically. That is of no concern to me. “
It does not mean anything to me. What matters to me is what you have accomplished of knowledge in you life from your ego. It means what you have studied. Whatever you have studied from your childhood to today is all based on ego. How do I give it to you? he said, “do you agree to give it to me?” he said, “Yes.” He said, “How can I don that”
Then he said, look in my eyes. He looked in his eyes and he took all from his mind leaving him empty. Even he could not read Fatiha. He took out all this from his heart all this knowledge he had achieved in his life. Now if you say today this is Islam they say what is that? They reject it, these "Internet scholars".
He was imam of his time in Egypt. Now he does not know how to read Fatiha. Children ran after him stoning him calling him crazy. He was teaching him patience. What is Allah’s final name of 99 names. Are we patient? No one is patient? Who is patient? Him with his wife? Is he patient? No one is patient. French are not patient, always fighting. One French one came in now.
So he left him and after 6 months came to him, after children were chasing him and calling him crazy. He came and said, “Now we will put spiritual knowledge in your heart.” And he looked at him and began to pour knowledge into his heart. At that time his heart became a fountain of knowledge. Like the hadith of the Prophet (s) ma wasi`anee sama’ee wa laa ardee wa laakin wasi`anee qalbi `abdee al-mumin—nether My Heavens nor my earth contained Me but the heart of My believing servant contained Me.”
He filled his heart up. His vision was filled up. That means that one who came to him, that wali who built him up, was looking at that focal point, that center of gravity. And filling it up. Filling it with what it should contain. Most important was that he empty it and then he could fill it. Then he could see what was between the circumference and the center of the circle. Anyone looking at his eyes at that time would faint. Then he put a burqah over his face or the people would fall from that heavenly light.
Our duty is not to forget that Allah is calling us one day. If we are all losing that kind of knowledge, the knowledge of Maqaam al-Ihsaan, then how are we going to go to Allah and present ourselves are we going to say, “I was a doctor, a businessman …” will that save us? No, what will save us? I tried to be a faithful servant of Prophet Muhammad. What will save us also is his mercy.
We are oppressors to ourselves. Allah said, “don’t praise yourself.” Don’t give excuse to yourself. Admit you are not reaching to be a perfect servant. You are progressing day by day but you have to do more. What you are doing is not working. Your bank accounts are not going to benefit. Your wives are not going to benefit you. Your husbands are not going to benefit you. Everyone is responsible for himself. You are a father, or son, or mother, or sister or daughter, you are responsible for yourself.
If you think you are achieving in dunya, because people are focusing on how to live happy lives. But they forget that they are spending 8-10 hours in office to achieve their lives in dunya. They forget that they must put the same or double for akhira. What are we doing for akhira. We pray and finish quickly. We are commuting one hour, or 45 min. to reach our work and going back and if rush one hour, going back. And then working 9 or 10 hours. It means 13 hours a day for work and you sleep 6 hours. And then 4 hours on video and tv. And what are you spending on `ibadah? 5 minutes. That is if you pray 5 prayers. Multiply them 5 x 5 or 10 – it is one hour. Then you say you are dong for Allah
Work for dunya as if you are living forever, and work for Allah as if you are dying tomorrow. If someone comes and tells you he is dying of cancer what happens. He is afraid and he will worship day and night. So that concern has to be in our daily life. If we are not keeping in our daily life we are losing.
Finally I must say, “We are not in a good time.” We are in a time that the Prophet Muhammad (s) predicted. Coming very different days. When these days come, and difficult as the Prophet (s) said, “the one who is sitting is better than the one who is standing and the one standing is better than the one who is running.” That means done involve yourself in any kind of darkness that is running over this dunya now. A lot of problems are now going to face the whole world, and if that comes, it means a lot of things behind it. Awliyaullah are expecting as in authentic hadith, la taqum as-sa`ati hatta taqtulu fiataan adheemataan… there is expected a big war. We hope that does not happen. But when the Prophet (s) said, something, we expect it to happen.
But we are peaceful people and we back up from such issues. But make sure you have enough preparation for such difficulties that if you need to focus more, when these things come, focus more on your spirituality from today. Those who are on haqq, truth, are going to be in a good situation, and they may be Muslim or not. And who is on baatil are going to be in the bad situation. And those who are on baatil can be Muslim or non-Muslim those whose intentions are bad. So those whose intentions are good, Muslim and non-Muslim and they are on haqq they are going to continue, and they are going to see Mahdi and `Isa Alayhissalam. Those who are on baatil are going to leave. And Allah said, “qad jaa al-haqq wa zahaq al-baatila inna al-baatila kaana zahooqa”
Falsehood is going this is coming in front of us. Keep yourself protected. Obey Allah, obey the Prophet and obey your leaders.
Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Bi-hurmatil fatiha.
[Khatm (Dhikr)]
Ramadan is coming soon, might be Wednesday, might be Tuesday. Mawlana is sending something to touch upon. Whatever we learn, still there is more. Wherever we go deeper in knowledge, we find ourselves shrinking in front of Allah’s Greatness. As much as we are in the ego side we are feeling that egoistic self in ourselves, we feel ourselves great. But as awliya go deep in knowledge, throwing the skin of the ego and dumping it and sinking the ocean of Allah’s knowledge they will see themselves nothing.
Everything has a meaning. Even every small letter that we don’t notice has a significance. If we don’t open that tap of knowledge then we might not be able to drink – water does not come. Awliya sometimes send drops. You have to be ready to get that drop. That drop is like an ocean for us. It is drop for them. And what they get from the Prophet is a drop from him but for them it is an ocean.
To show the greatness of the heavy knowledge that they send, from a drop we are drowning. Allah said in the holy Qur’an Allah said, nun wal-qalami wa maa yasturoon – Nun, by the Pen and that which they write.”
He said “Nun! And the Pen and what they write.” Yusatir in Arabic means what the pen, in a very eloquent way to describe in English, when we write something we say we are compiling or like an author writing. But wal-qalami wa maa yasturun means “the Pen and what it writes by itself” --something with no end.
Why is Allah giving an oath with the letter Nun? What is the significance of that oath. That `ilm, Dr. Nazeer, there is no one who can teach that `ilm except Mawlana Shaykh. Wherever you go from east to west from Sufi teachers or from spiritual teacher or from Shari`ah teacher, no one can open from that tap and open from the fresh knowledge except now very few awliya. Now Mawlana Shaykh, may Allah bless him, is gifting us these pieces of knowledge. Know Allah’s Greatness and how small you are. Nun. I am giving an oath in Nun. Nun, If you look at the alphabet. It comes nun hah waw yah. What come before kaf qaf lam mim. The nun describes the creation. Because Allah, when he created, his will came to create creation, amruhu bayn al-kafi wal-nun. His order is between the kaf and the nun. So as soon His will to the kaf comes, nun follows. Creation follows. And when he described nun wal-qalam wa ma yasturun. What expresses creation – it is the pen and
history.
So in your books, when you wrote the history of Islam, what did you do? You used a pen to represent the history. What is that history – what does it represent. It represents creation--what came to be.
Kaf is heavenly. When He wanted it to happen, without saying nun, and it happened. It happened with his utterance of kaf. What I between kaf? Lam and mim. Kaf represents the Will of Allah for something to happen. And his order is between kaf and nun. And that describes the appearance that happened.
That oath is the Big Bang that caused all to appear. That knowledge came into existence. Where is that knowledge. So lam and mim came between kaf and nun. What is kaf and mim.
Lam goes back to Allah. Lam is part of his name Allah. Ilah – alif describes the Creator and hah describes the creator. And lam came in the middle. So between kaf and nun, lam goes to malakut – the heavenly kingdom and worldly kingdom. And mim represents Muhammad. that is why you see alif, lam mim… in the Qur’an too much. Lam refers to Allah. La ilaha ill-Allah. Mim goes to Muhammad. The creation is lam and mim. That is between the kaf and nun. Before the kaf is what? Qaf. Because qaf represents Qur’an. Qaf, wal Qur’an il-majeed. He gave an oath by Qur’an.
Qaf relates to akhira. Nun relates to dunya. Qaf/Qur’an came before creation. It is not created it is Allah’s Ancient Word—kalaamullah al-qadeemi. It is His Ancient Speech. Al-rahman `alam al-Qur’an, khalaqal-insaan. That is why qaf before kaf. That is `ilm that awliya throw out to open the minds of people. What is hah waw yah? We leave to next time.
Bi-hurmati 'l-Fatiha.
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
Thursday, Oct 31, 2002 | Fenton, MI US
SufiLive.com
A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
The discipline of association is that someone speaks and the others listen. Anyone can speak and the others can listen. But it is not the discipline that everyone speak - then no one will listen. So in every meeting, in every association, anyone who likes to say something, we are happy to listen and that is why I am asking – I am not here to speak. Anyone who likes to speak can take the lead and we will listen. So if Shaykh Yassir likes to speak then go ahead. Just say, “I’d like to speak.”
Would you like to speak? [no.]
Shaykh Hilal, I feel that I should ask you to speak; I request you to speak. He is a Sufi shaykh that spent a great deal of time in his line and he is close to me like a brother and I like him a lot.
If anyone likes to say something, they are welcome. Omar is hiding in the corner there. Pakistanis always like to speak so would you like to speak? [Omar: No. Because I am not Pakistani].
Allah swt said in the holy Qur’an “Ati`ullaha wa ati`ur-rasul wa uwlil-amri minkum.” – “Obey Allah; obey the Prophet (s) and those in authority among you.” [4:59]
Those who are on authority are taking care of us, and obedience is necessary. Obedience to the Prophet is not just necessary, it is an obligation. Whoever obeys the prophet obeys Allah, as Allah said in the Qur'an:
Man yuti` ar-rasul faqad at`a-ullah. – “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah” [4:80].
This Islamic religion it is the religion that Allah swt wanted to humanity. Sayyidina Musa Alayhissalam came with the Torah and then advised his people. Then after came Jesus and advised his people. And then Muhammad (s) came and advised his people. After that we did not see anyone. These are the three main religions. And we as Muslims believed in Jesus and are believing in Jesus and as Muslims we believe in Moses. And believing in Jesus and believing in Moses means we are believing I the bible and in the Taurat. That means that Islam did not reject any religion, but it wrapped up all the religions together.
That is why we see the full moon came with Islam. Because before the full moon, it is still growing. Thus with the religion that came with David, and Noah and Abrahim, and Jesus it was growing. Until it reached Sayyidina Muhammad and it became the full moon. After the full moon it became perfect and there is nothing beyond that. It is a circle. And the religion is described as a full moon.
In geometry the perfection of lines are not linear, they are circles, because the end is with the beginning and the beginning is with the end. Linear lines have a beginning and an end at one point. But with a circle the beginning is the end and end is the beginning. Any point you take as the circumference of the circle, can be described as the beginning and the end. Annihilated together. That point became one point.
If it is on a linear line, it is two points. But on a circle every point on the circumference has developed an understanding between the beginning and the end. So Allah is guiding us and telling us, “O humanity. What comes first with Adam, and what comes last, are all equal, the same and together.” The Prophet (s) said, “La farqa bayna arabeeya wa `ajameeyan illa bi-taqwa” – “There is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever except in degree of righteousness.”
That shows we are all one. From Adam we came. That circle has one center. It does not have two centers. You cannot imaging two centers to a circle. That means that Allah is telling us that this dunya, this circumference has a main important focus that you must focus on. And that focus is the most important part of the circle – the middle of the circle. From the middle of the circle the radii are equal to any point on the circumference. That focus of that center of that circle can reach anyone at any time.
And that is why we have to direct our eyes there. This is the only place that we can reach from any point on the circumference to the center and from the center to the circumference. And they relate to each other – they are in the same environment. Or the same universe. That is why everything we see, is mainly even in the physical eyes, everything we see in the universe, with your eyes, and that might be the main issue now, are mainly circles.
The sun is a circle, or it might not be a circle, we have a scientist, moon is a circle, Venus, Mars and other planets are circles and they go on their orbits. As we said, linear lines, you can imagine they have a beginning and an end. But circles, the beginning and the end are merging with each as if annihilating with each other that is why the Prophet (s) said, “Human beings are equal like the teeth of the comb.” “An-naasu sawaaseeyatun ka-asnaan al-masht. Kullukum min Adam wa Adam min turaab.”
You are the same, all of you and your focus has to be on the center, and that is the most important point.
Everything has a center of gravity. If a patient goes to a doctor, the doctor examines him and checks what kind of illness the patient has in order to give him the right prescription. The doctor prescribes for him after many tests, to give him the right medicine in order to hit the sickness in that person and cure him. So any instrument or anything in this life has a center of gravity. If that center of gravity is not balanced what happens? It falls down. A car has a center of gravity. If it exceeds that center of gravity, it will flip. If a plane overshoots its center of gravity while turning, it will fall down.
So a circle has a center of gravity – a focus. The circle has a center of gravity and awliyaullah, Allah’s friends, which are living in every century – there are awliyaullah. The Prophet (s) said in a holy hadith, “awliya’ee tahta qibaabee. La ya`lamahum ghayree.” How do they say, these so-called scholars of today that every mu’min is a wali. If every mu’min is a wali, why does He have to hide him under a dome? That contradicts that hadith of the Prophet. That hadith says that no one knows them. If the hadith says that people don’t know them then how do they say that every mu’min is a wali. Yes every mu’min is a wali because not every Muslims is a mu’min. They don’t understand that, but every Muslim is not a believer. Rijaalun sadaqu ma `ahadAllaha alayh - "men who kept the covenant they made with Allah."
They kept that promise that they promised on the Day of Promises and they did not change. They did not come to dunya and change. Fa-minhum man qada nahba, wa minhum man yantadhir wa ma badalu tabdeleela -among them are those who passed away and among them are those who wait and they did not change in the least."
So these awliya look at their followers and they know what is their weak point and they know that center of gravity of their selves. As they balance for them those points, then these mureeds surrender and become perfect. So that is why their vision of awliya , are not at their images, inn Allah la yandhura… and that is the hear and the heart is the point in the human which keeps them balanced. The Prophet said, “inna fil jasadi…” if it is sound or pure, the whole body will be sound or pure or if is corrupted or deteriorated or went bad the whole body goes bad and that is the heart.
Mudgha is very small compared to the whole. That he said, “is the heart.” He said, “mudgha.” It means a very small particle in Arabic. The heart is not small. What we see is large. So it means in the heart there is the heart of the heart. That heart of the heart. That is the center where awliya look. That is where they are able to reach: five levels: qalb, sirr, sirr as-sirr, khafa,akhfa. Qalb here does not mean the meat – it is m`anawi - a spiritual realti. That is the spiritual aspect. Like time is the fourth dimension on earth that we cannot see.
That consists of what we cannot see. Heart, secret, secret of the secret…
First is wherever al gossips go and come, dunya-related issues. The 2nd is related to secrets, only awliya can see that. What goes beyond the mind and understanding. Then secret of secret is a higher level. Then hidden which only Prophet can see it and then akhfa which Allah can reach. That is in you, but you have not reached.
Awliya look at that and know about you your destiny, your future your… what is written for you. Allah gave them that power. They don’t need to ask for your ID or your social security number. They know what you are going to be. This is like blueprints of yourself. And we don’t want to go deeper in that. Once we went into that what they are finding in DNA and what is in every DNA.
So let us go back to where we began. That circle, every point on it represents the beginning and represents the end. The most important part of the circle is the center. That center draws the circle. Without the center, you cannot draw the circumference. Without the center how do you know the circumference. And even if you knew the circumference you need a center. So if you don’t focus on that, you are part of the circumference, if you don’t focus on the center of the circle you lose everything. And that center is Muhammadu Rasulullah.
La ilaha ill-Allah has no center, no beginning and no end. Muhammadu Rasulullah, has its beginning in its end and represents the creation. So that focal point must be Muhammadu Rasulullah. He represents everything that ma siw’Allah. Everything that is beyond the Creator is the creation. Ma siwa hu is everything other than Him. Everything other than Him is created. What represents creation? It is Muhammadun rasulullah.
Awliyaullah from that circumference knew that reality. They were able through their radii to establish that line form the circumference to the center and they connect. Others are not. They have … although they are on the circumference. They are not part of that. Everything on the circumference. They know that they are human and they are created. But what is between the center and the circumference –something is there. What is there? It is space. It is empty. What is that? You see from the center to the circumference, it is space. What is there?
All that Allah gave from the maqam al-ihsan and `ulum alawaaleen wal-akhireen has been put in that space. So people on the circumference cannot understand that until they establish a relationship/ radius from the center to the circumference. Until then they are on the circumference. Understanding only what they can see. Inside represents secrets. That is only for the Prophet (s) and the Prophet (s) is giving for awliyaullah to know about that. Whatever is bestowed on the Prophet (s) is in that empty space between center and circle.
For that reason people of today from different walks of life are, all of us, everyone, we are wasting our time. We are not taking care of that time that has been given to us which is limited to us. To reach the highest way to understand what is in that space and to build a relationship to the Prophet (s). People are as if looking at a big huge mountain, and they see something on the top of the mountain - they see something. They describe it as something. But they are at the bottom.
If they climb then they know what it is. They are only running after shells. You know the shells--empty. They think everything they see with their eyes is reality. It is completely illusions. An example is the mirage you see on the desert or the highway. You arrive and there is nothing. They build that up in their minds but in reality it does not exist. What exists is only real issues. This dunya is not real. If it was real, you would have been living and not dying.
Before us, centuries ago, the focus of people was only the `ulum ash-shara`iyya and `ulum al-haqiqat. The disciplinary knowledge that shows you where are your limits and the spiritual reality. And they were happy and they were reaching a high level of learning and knowledge. Today everyone is leaving that study and running towards dunya, secular knowledge that we see today. This is a new invention/phenomeno m.
This is a new invention and this is an old one. But what it this new one going to benefit you? You are living 50-60 years, then going. So our goal is not these. Our goal is what is real and what we can take with us. And what can we take with us? Nothing except to be realistic. To be realistic is to understand, as Sayyidina Ali, when unbelievers came and questioned him, “show us that there is a creator and then we believe.” He said, “show me your mind.” They said, we cannot. Then he said, come to the shore. They went to the shore and he said, “that boat is coming without a captain.” They said, “Ya `Ali how can a boat come without a captain.” He said “wait until it arrives.” When it arrived, the captain came down. They said, “O `Ali, you said there is no captain, but look there is.”
The most important thing Mawlana taught us is belief. Everything is on the side. If you believe you succeed. People who believe in akhira left dunya. People who don’t believe in akhira run after dunya. And those who are in between, one day on side of dunya and one day on the side of akhira. La ilaha ula wa la ilaha ula, thumma amanu thumma kafaru… muzazabeena…
One day one way, the other day the other way.
Awliya understood that their focus is Muhammad. That he is `Abdullah. The one who never questioned anything. Complete submission never raised his head, never used his mind. Today when you say something, they bring up hundreds of questions. Sayyidina Abu Bakr did not question. He had not doubt. He said, “sadaqata ya Rasulullah.” At that time you cannot see any problems. We here do you see problems. Everything that comes from Allah is accepted. You say, “Ya Rabbi. I am happy with what you gave me.” Look at homeless people ask them, “are you happy?” they say, “Yes.” If they find a bit of food in garbage or a little bit of water in a bottle, they are happy. Everyone has a contentment if they can reach their level of contentment they are happy. If these homeless people are happy how can we not be happy?
I know some people like, me, they complain about everything. Everything they come from work they complained, they do this the complaint. The wife complains. Everything today built on complaint.
50 years I accompanied Mawlana and I never heard him complain. He never said, “he said this or that one said that.” Any difficulty happened to him, he never said to anyone. He is in complete submission. We are struggling we are not Mawlana shaykh. We have to put in front of our eyes that this is what we are living for. To focus on Muhammadun rasulullah. He is our way to Allah swt. He is our door to Allah. It is not enough to say by tongue, but to believe in our heart. Else everything is still closed.
One time, this is out of teaching. This is also teaching. One time I was young with Grandshaykh and he said, “don’t read books.” One time. Because nothing will be brought from these books except difficulties or darkness on the heart. I did not understand what he meant until later. Because reading too much will raise in you too many questions and whatever people or scholars tell you, you begin to ask and question them and you want to show them they are wrong and you are right. It builds up your ego. So when you are not reading, whatever someone tells you, you accept. That means if ilm is gong to build up in you and make you more egoistic it is better for you not to learn and be simple. Then they can send knowledge to your heart. As what happened to Sayyidina Ahmad al-Badawi. That story I told many times. When he was looking to reach the diving presence and he was seeking the key to enter the Divine Presenceone person came out of the blue and said,
“I have the key for what you are asking to reach, the Divine Presence. “
He said, “I am seeking the key for Allah swt.” he was one of the biggest scholars of his time. I don’t take `ilm from you, who is worth nothing. Like Hajji Iqbal. How am I going to take `ilm from you - you don’t know Fatiha even – broken Fatiha. Like me I don’t know how to reach anything, learning from Dr. Munir. So how am I going to accept to learn from you. He is a physicist. He has 5 PhDs, and I have 10 PhDs. Dr. Nazeer Ahmad. I will never accept from him.
So he said, “I am not going to take from you.” Like Shaykh Salah with long beard, beads in his hand. “How am I going to take from you?”
So he left him. So Sayyidina Ahmad al-Badawi was progressing in his worship, progressing. Then he heard a voice, “Ya Ahmad! You want the key to your treasures?” he was so happy, “Yes” then he heard, “that man whom you rejected has it” that man was gone (6 moths later) he went searching for that one, who was worth two cents in dunya but infinitely value in the akhira. He could not find him – he had disappeared.
Then in 6 months he saw him. Why 6 months, not six days?… now he said, “I am ready, whatever you say.” Now he said, “no way. You need to do something.” When shaykhs come and offer you something don’t reject. He is offering it free, later it will not be free. He said, “no I don’t want what you offer me physically. That is of no concern to me. “
It does not mean anything to me. What matters to me is what you have accomplished of knowledge in you life from your ego. It means what you have studied. Whatever you have studied from your childhood to today is all based on ego. How do I give it to you? he said, “do you agree to give it to me?” he said, “Yes.” He said, “How can I don that”
Then he said, look in my eyes. He looked in his eyes and he took all from his mind leaving him empty. Even he could not read Fatiha. He took out all this from his heart all this knowledge he had achieved in his life. Now if you say today this is Islam they say what is that? They reject it, these "Internet scholars".
He was imam of his time in Egypt. Now he does not know how to read Fatiha. Children ran after him stoning him calling him crazy. He was teaching him patience. What is Allah’s final name of 99 names. Are we patient? No one is patient? Who is patient? Him with his wife? Is he patient? No one is patient. French are not patient, always fighting. One French one came in now.
So he left him and after 6 months came to him, after children were chasing him and calling him crazy. He came and said, “Now we will put spiritual knowledge in your heart.” And he looked at him and began to pour knowledge into his heart. At that time his heart became a fountain of knowledge. Like the hadith of the Prophet (s) ma wasi`anee sama’ee wa laa ardee wa laakin wasi`anee qalbi `abdee al-mumin—nether My Heavens nor my earth contained Me but the heart of My believing servant contained Me.”
He filled his heart up. His vision was filled up. That means that one who came to him, that wali who built him up, was looking at that focal point, that center of gravity. And filling it up. Filling it with what it should contain. Most important was that he empty it and then he could fill it. Then he could see what was between the circumference and the center of the circle. Anyone looking at his eyes at that time would faint. Then he put a burqah over his face or the people would fall from that heavenly light.
Our duty is not to forget that Allah is calling us one day. If we are all losing that kind of knowledge, the knowledge of Maqaam al-Ihsaan, then how are we going to go to Allah and present ourselves are we going to say, “I was a doctor, a businessman …” will that save us? No, what will save us? I tried to be a faithful servant of Prophet Muhammad. What will save us also is his mercy.
We are oppressors to ourselves. Allah said, “don’t praise yourself.” Don’t give excuse to yourself. Admit you are not reaching to be a perfect servant. You are progressing day by day but you have to do more. What you are doing is not working. Your bank accounts are not going to benefit. Your wives are not going to benefit you. Your husbands are not going to benefit you. Everyone is responsible for himself. You are a father, or son, or mother, or sister or daughter, you are responsible for yourself.
If you think you are achieving in dunya, because people are focusing on how to live happy lives. But they forget that they are spending 8-10 hours in office to achieve their lives in dunya. They forget that they must put the same or double for akhira. What are we doing for akhira. We pray and finish quickly. We are commuting one hour, or 45 min. to reach our work and going back and if rush one hour, going back. And then working 9 or 10 hours. It means 13 hours a day for work and you sleep 6 hours. And then 4 hours on video and tv. And what are you spending on `ibadah? 5 minutes. That is if you pray 5 prayers. Multiply them 5 x 5 or 10 – it is one hour. Then you say you are dong for Allah
Work for dunya as if you are living forever, and work for Allah as if you are dying tomorrow. If someone comes and tells you he is dying of cancer what happens. He is afraid and he will worship day and night. So that concern has to be in our daily life. If we are not keeping in our daily life we are losing.
Finally I must say, “We are not in a good time.” We are in a time that the Prophet Muhammad (s) predicted. Coming very different days. When these days come, and difficult as the Prophet (s) said, “the one who is sitting is better than the one who is standing and the one standing is better than the one who is running.” That means done involve yourself in any kind of darkness that is running over this dunya now. A lot of problems are now going to face the whole world, and if that comes, it means a lot of things behind it. Awliyaullah are expecting as in authentic hadith, la taqum as-sa`ati hatta taqtulu fiataan adheemataan… there is expected a big war. We hope that does not happen. But when the Prophet (s) said, something, we expect it to happen.
But we are peaceful people and we back up from such issues. But make sure you have enough preparation for such difficulties that if you need to focus more, when these things come, focus more on your spirituality from today. Those who are on haqq, truth, are going to be in a good situation, and they may be Muslim or not. And who is on baatil are going to be in the bad situation. And those who are on baatil can be Muslim or non-Muslim those whose intentions are bad. So those whose intentions are good, Muslim and non-Muslim and they are on haqq they are going to continue, and they are going to see Mahdi and `Isa Alayhissalam. Those who are on baatil are going to leave. And Allah said, “qad jaa al-haqq wa zahaq al-baatila inna al-baatila kaana zahooqa”
Falsehood is going this is coming in front of us. Keep yourself protected. Obey Allah, obey the Prophet and obey your leaders.
Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Bi-hurmatil fatiha.
[Khatm (Dhikr)]
Ramadan is coming soon, might be Wednesday, might be Tuesday. Mawlana is sending something to touch upon. Whatever we learn, still there is more. Wherever we go deeper in knowledge, we find ourselves shrinking in front of Allah’s Greatness. As much as we are in the ego side we are feeling that egoistic self in ourselves, we feel ourselves great. But as awliya go deep in knowledge, throwing the skin of the ego and dumping it and sinking the ocean of Allah’s knowledge they will see themselves nothing.
Everything has a meaning. Even every small letter that we don’t notice has a significance. If we don’t open that tap of knowledge then we might not be able to drink – water does not come. Awliya sometimes send drops. You have to be ready to get that drop. That drop is like an ocean for us. It is drop for them. And what they get from the Prophet is a drop from him but for them it is an ocean.
To show the greatness of the heavy knowledge that they send, from a drop we are drowning. Allah said in the holy Qur’an Allah said, nun wal-qalami wa maa yasturoon – Nun, by the Pen and that which they write.”
He said “Nun! And the Pen and what they write.” Yusatir in Arabic means what the pen, in a very eloquent way to describe in English, when we write something we say we are compiling or like an author writing. But wal-qalami wa maa yasturun means “the Pen and what it writes by itself” --something with no end.
Why is Allah giving an oath with the letter Nun? What is the significance of that oath. That `ilm, Dr. Nazeer, there is no one who can teach that `ilm except Mawlana Shaykh. Wherever you go from east to west from Sufi teachers or from spiritual teacher or from Shari`ah teacher, no one can open from that tap and open from the fresh knowledge except now very few awliya. Now Mawlana Shaykh, may Allah bless him, is gifting us these pieces of knowledge. Know Allah’s Greatness and how small you are. Nun. I am giving an oath in Nun. Nun, If you look at the alphabet. It comes nun hah waw yah. What come before kaf qaf lam mim. The nun describes the creation. Because Allah, when he created, his will came to create creation, amruhu bayn al-kafi wal-nun. His order is between the kaf and the nun. So as soon His will to the kaf comes, nun follows. Creation follows. And when he described nun wal-qalam wa ma yasturun. What expresses creation – it is the pen and
history.
So in your books, when you wrote the history of Islam, what did you do? You used a pen to represent the history. What is that history – what does it represent. It represents creation--what came to be.
Kaf is heavenly. When He wanted it to happen, without saying nun, and it happened. It happened with his utterance of kaf. What I between kaf? Lam and mim. Kaf represents the Will of Allah for something to happen. And his order is between kaf and nun. And that describes the appearance that happened.
That oath is the Big Bang that caused all to appear. That knowledge came into existence. Where is that knowledge. So lam and mim came between kaf and nun. What is kaf and mim.
Lam goes back to Allah. Lam is part of his name Allah. Ilah – alif describes the Creator and hah describes the creator. And lam came in the middle. So between kaf and nun, lam goes to malakut – the heavenly kingdom and worldly kingdom. And mim represents Muhammad. that is why you see alif, lam mim… in the Qur’an too much. Lam refers to Allah. La ilaha ill-Allah. Mim goes to Muhammad. The creation is lam and mim. That is between the kaf and nun. Before the kaf is what? Qaf. Because qaf represents Qur’an. Qaf, wal Qur’an il-majeed. He gave an oath by Qur’an.
Qaf relates to akhira. Nun relates to dunya. Qaf/Qur’an came before creation. It is not created it is Allah’s Ancient Word—kalaamullah al-qadeemi. It is His Ancient Speech. Al-rahman `alam al-Qur’an, khalaqal-insaan. That is why qaf before kaf. That is `ilm that awliya throw out to open the minds of people. What is hah waw yah? We leave to next time.
Bi-hurmati 'l-Fatiha.
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
February 23, 2009
Who is a Real `Alim?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani qs
Saturday, Oct 19, 2002 - Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com
Suhbat, after Salat al-Fajr. The jalal tajalli is dressing everyone from Mahdi Alayhissalam. Mawlana receives envelopes with letters and requests. If they are empty, no du`a. If they contain money, even one dollar, he makes du`a. That is usul a basic principle. Not because the Shaykh needs the money, but because it is adab.
Adab - it comes from that verse “khudh min amwaalihim sadaqa…” – “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth.”
That sadaqa is a source of peace for them. That will raise them up.
Each time you meet the Shaykh give something. Some people, each time they meet me give something. That is a hook to hook them. If they give less, then it is not as strong a hook. It might be like a wire, like a hanger.
Ma naqasa maalan min sadaqa - Money never decreases from sadaqa. That chain [of provision] is connected from the Heaven to your head, as much as you cut from, it comes down to touch your head. Did you notice that at Fajr time, such and such always has flu [blows his nose constantly]. Shaytan finds any way to cause disturbance. Attacks them with flu.
There are no children here. If there were children it would be worse. The Mosque is not for children; the house is for children. If you want to bring children, teach them how to eat and drink. Stand at door and take triple from whoever tries to go to Starbucks. Who is planning to go to Starbucks?
Say Allahu Akbar. Mahdi is coming. Haqq is coming, baatil is going.
Tonight awliya are celebrating Nisfi Sha`ban – mid Sha`ban. Tonight we learn what they are saying and tomorrow we say what they said.
But for them on which time do they go? Which time?
Now for us it is morning, now it is night for us. Do they go with the time of the Middle East or with our time? Hijaz time? What time.
There is a time on Lawh al-Mahfouz – the Preserved Tablets. The awliya go with that time. It is not earthly time. They have a time there. What appears there - their days and their nights are there. The time here is a reflection. There are three dimensions here and time is a secret dimension.
In Lawh al-Mahfouz there are no physical dimensions, but time there has a dimension. According to time, things appear. The main element for physical appearances is time. There time has an appearance. Awliya-ullah go according to that time. That time is for which there is no tongue to express. There is no way to express it.
Time, because it has a significance in heavens, when it is reflected on earth it disappears. It is too heavy, it disappears. That is why time cannot be seen in this universe. The others that have no dimensions, they do not exist in heaven. In dunya they appear, because they are go to disappear. They are like reflections in mirrors.
Imam Ghazali said, “reality when someone dies, on earth, at that time his eyes are open, he can see. But while in dunya he is blind.”
Ibn `Arabi said, “Everything you see in dunya is illusion. It is reflected to your mind, as Allah wants it to appear it appears to you, but it is not reality. Reality is what is in Lawh al-Mahfouz.”
That is why “yamhAllahu ma yasha’ wa yuthbit, wa `inddahu `ilm al-kitab” - Allah doth blot out or confirm what He pleaseth: with Him is the Mother of the Book.” [13: 39]
Lawh al Mahfoudh is the real time, dunya is ending. That means it is permanent.
Mahdi when he comes, comes from that time. When Lawh al-Mahfouz time for his appearance that time he will appear.
All awliya are looking at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. Before all Prophets were looking at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. When Sayyidina `Isa looked there and found that reality, “wa mubashiran bi rasulin yati min b`adihi ’ismuhu ahmad” – “giving good tidings of a Prophet coming after him named Ahmad…” - when he realized that there is no chance for the Prophet to come in his own time, he said, good tidings for the Ummah of the Prophet (s). Then he asked to prolong his life to reach the time of the Ummah of the Prophet.
Similarly awliya today are looking for Sayyidina al-Mahdi, grandson of the Prophet (s) at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. That is enough.
Today the followers of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab showed that Tasawwuf is not from the Sunnah. By this way of labeling Tasawwuf, since most knowledge of Islam came from this school of thought.
Sayyidina Khalid heard of Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan Habibullah, and he went to India. Every order must trace itself back to the Prophet (s). It is as Muhammad al-Busairi said, “kullun min rasulullahi multamisan…” – “Everyone takes from the Prophet. Either in buckets or in cups, depending on their capability.” Sometimes the shaykh has many followers. When he passes away, many of the followers begin to think they are the calipha of the shaykh. The secret can only go with one. Like electricity – you might have branches, but only one has the main line. Others have the name. We see a lot of branches of Qadiri, of Naqshbandi, of Chisti, of Suhrawardi…
But all take from one source. Now in Qadiriyya tariqat there must be one who has the bucket the rest take by their hands. Same in Naqshbandiyya. Now you have hundreds of branches of the Naqshbandiyya. Everyone claims to have the bucket. Now where that bucket is, is not our subject.
When Sayyidina Khalid, went to India, where Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan had the bucket, he had a lot of mureeds and caliphas. But as we know from history, Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan gave an importance to Khalid al-Baghdadi with a different looking than to other mureeds.
So when he came back from India and settled in Damascus, Sham ash-sharif, he carried with him the Naqshbandi secret. So Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi, whom this gentleman knows very well – studied him very well [pointing to Dr. Abdul Ghani] –came back carrying that secret. Now even if you carry the highest secret, if Allah wants to test you He will send you all kinds of difficulties.
Look, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) was the perfect man, the exemplar to all humanity, yet he faced tremendous difficulties from his tribe. So awliya faced many difficulties. When Sayyidina Khalid settled in Damascus he took a place at the top of a mountain overlooking the city. On that mountain, where he is buried now, if you go from Sayyidina Ibn `Arabi, where he is buried, to the maqam of Sayyidina Khalid, it is a climb of one and a half hours.
There is a maqam there, which the Abdal of Sham, the Substitute-saints, awliya-ullah mentioned by the Prophet (s) in hadith in Imam Ahmad’s Musnad, saying, “when you are lost in a jungle or desert, call upon rijaalullah – Allah’s unseen servants.” But you know with the school of thought in effect today, they discredited even a lot of his work.
There is a maqam there, where many times these Abdal have been physically seen in that area, those forty saints. Therefore they built a huge maqam there. And until today, there are 40 mihrabs there. These Abdal ash-Sham, if one dies, another takes his place inheriting his position.
Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi was located near that location. His mosque is there until today, and he is buried there; he died about 180 years ago.
He was carrying the secret of Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan Mazharand under direction of his Shaykh, put his zawiya and house there on the mountain and was busy with tariqat. Tariqat means ‘the way’ and the understanding of tariqat is to follow the Prophet (s). When the Prophet (s) was sent as messenger, there must be someone who speaks and acts as listener. One cannot speak to oneself. So Sayyidina Khalid, following that way, had no one to speak to. He was high up on the mountain and no one would come to listen to him. So what did he do? He used to take his turban, place it on his knee and address his turban.
That is history - Sayyidina Khalid used to address his turban. So he would address the turban, and speak for hours and hours. Because the Prophet (s) had Companions. And Shah Naqshband said, “tariqatuna as-suhbat wal khayru feel jam`iyya.” – “Our way is association and the greatest good is with the group.” So that is a Sunnah. To hold association and to speak. So he would speak to his turban.
Now blind people will understand. But an open-eyed person like this lawyer, will not understand this. There must be something wrong. Who was under his turban?
In Isra wal-m`iraj, when the Prophet went to the Divine Presence, he arrived to a place where Jibreel Alayhissalam did not move forward. He said, “If I move beyond my limits, I will be gone. I have no permission. You must go by yourself.” So the Prophet moved on and he was shaking. And Allah made him to hear the voice of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, to make him feel calm and comfortable.
Grandshaykh says, “When the Prophet reached the maqam of qaaba qawsayni aw adna – two bows-length or nearer, Allah showed him his Ummah. And when the Prophet (s) saw the Ummah, and Allah asked him, “Ya Muhammad! Do you guarantee to give back your Ummah clean as it is being given to you?” The Prophet looked at them and saw them very clean, very pure and he replied, “Yes, my Lord.” So he (s) took them under his trust. When he took them under his trust, Allah swt sent upon them whatever they are going to do of sins in their life. Then the Prophet (s) saw them full of darkness and became afraid of what to do. When he accepted them he took them clean and promised to return them clean. So he asked, “Give me supporters, mu`eeneen.” So Allah gave him the Sahaba. And the inheritors of the Sahaba are the awliya, who continue carrying that message.
So the Prophet (s) assigned different groups to different Sahaba. And from different Sahaba to different awliya, groups were assigned. And after that they were named according to the different important shaykhs in that line. That is whey people are called Qadiri, or Suhrawardi or Shadili. I am only building up the concept for people to understand.
So these awliya-ullah accepted to help their group. So when Sayyidina Khalid was speaking to his turban, he was not speaking to nothing. He was speaking to the one who is under him, spiritually. Those who were coming to him in his time, taking baya` from him and then … to his inheritor to his inheritor… until the Day of Judgment. That is whom he was addressing.
His turban is who – it is himself. So whoever is related to him, he was addressing. He was able to address them even if they were in China. Awliya-ullah have followers who might be in the East and in the West. The wali can reach the mureeds through their hearts even if they don’t know him, guiding them, focusing on them. If there is a chance in his life, they meet. If not that mureed will meet his shaykh when he dies, in the last seven breaths.
When you are giving your last seven breaths, you can see what [ordinary] people cannot see. The whole vision of dunya is given to you at that time. So if you are pious you can see before that. Some can see in grave, but pious can see before passing.
As soon as the Shaykh opens his mouth to speak, that means there is permission coming from the main source, like a radio. When the main station of the radio is not broadcasting, you might sit with him hours and hours and he does not speak. Because there is no connection. So what are you going to hear? When there is connection then he speaks. They are like a box and an instrument. They are empty. The main important thing is the main source from the heart of the Prophet (s), to the inheritor in the line you are coming from that line of grandshaykhs up to today - then you can hear. If that line is not there, then nothing comes, there is no broadcast.
When they broadcast, it is not to just those who are sitting, but to those who are far away, and have baya`, there is a share that must go to their hearts. Even those who have not baya` yet, but are destined for that, they have a share which must come to their hearts.
Sayyidina Khalid was like that. For seven years he was speaking to his turban. Only from the spiritual side. After seven years, when Allah testing his patience the Prophet (s) ordered “Ya Khalid! Now you can go after the Ummah – bring them to you.” Who is going to go up one and a-half hours walking? However he was rich. He had a lot of properties that his parents left to him. Thus he began selling them, then going down the mountain to the square of Muhydin ibn `Arabi, going there, sitting there and saying to people, “I have work for you up on the mountain. Do you want to work?” So for two or three hours he sits and collects people. Then when he takes them up to the top of the mountain. Then he begins to address them and they listen. People were happy. They go, eat and drink; there is no hard work. Then they listen.
That he did for seven years. Then Prophet (s) gave him the instruction, “There is no longer any need to do that.” By then he had become popular and very well known. Thousands of people used to go up and listen to his lectures. That is why in his time the tariqat became known as Tariqat Khalidiyya.
So Sayyidina Khalid was teaching the people and guiding them to the way of Allah swt. So I will end it up and go back to where I was when I started. So one has to speak and the others have to listen. That is the main subject. Anyone can speak and the rest must listen. It is not like where we go to a place where everyone speaks. The meaning of the lecture, and its taste is gone. So awliya-ullah if they have not been given a chance to speak, they don’t care, they keep quiet. If they are in a normal meeting they don’t like to speak, as in a Turkish bath. Like women when they get together they sit together and begin to backbite each other [a lady: what about the men?] That is the problem, you go to a meeting, and everyone is speaking. Not only that, they have question and answers. So a young boy may come and challenge the speaker who is a scholars of 50 of 60 years. They pose a question, give their answer, and if you give an answer different that they
don’t accept ,they attack you.
In al-Azhar, many years ago… a long time ago in my time, when an `alim speaks no one can speak. Is it not like that? [Dr. AG: sohbat is like salaat. No speaking] It is not like a classroom. What an `alim says, you take and you listen. It is not a debate where one comes and you say one thing and the other says something else. That is what we see today. That is why Muslims are going down. Because they are attacking each other. They don’t follow a guide or a teacher. You can’t have a meeting like this, and then they are speaking with each other. It is better to keep quiet.
Once I was with Mawlana Shaykh and we went to visit my uncle. My uncle was the biggest scholar in Lebanon. He has more than 100 scholars in his circle. He kissed me and I kissed his hand. But everyone was speaking with each other and talking. I pushed Mawlana Shaykh to speak. He said, “We are not speakers for these circles. We don’t let the diamonds go between the feet. Leave it - they are not going to listen. They are arrogant in their knowledge. They think they are scholars. When there will be one speaker and all will listen then I will speak. Either they speak and I listen or I speak and they listen.”
[Let me relate a story from] the time of Sayyidina Shaykh Sharafuddin, who was the inheritor of Shaykh Khalid’s secret. At that time there were many `ulama coming to visit him. One famous `alim came. When he arrived, all stood up and greeted him and then sat down. Shaykh Sharafuddin said, “The discipline of the majlis is that one speaks and the others listens. Do you wish to speak or shall I?” The `alim did not answer but they were looking at each other. Then Shaykh Sharafuddin posed a question to determine who would speak. He said, “Sayyidina Adam listened to his wife and ate from the tree. What happened? So the question for both of us, is any one of us listening and obeying what his wife is saying or are we following the verse, ‘ar-rijaalu qawaamun ala an-nisa - men are maintainers of women.’ The inner meaning of this is, ‘If love of dunya still remains in your heart then you cannot speak. ‘And Allah cursed the liars.’” That `alim
said, “You speak.”
You see the difference. The Prophet (s) did not have hubb ad-dunya – love of this world. The Sahaba did not have hubb ad-dunya in their heart. Awliya when they speak have no hubb ad-dunya. When `ulama speak it is not pure. They speak one thing, and then the hubb ad-dunya comes. For example if I tell you, “cover your daughter” and my daughter is not doing it, how can I tell you that? So I go to the Juma` and I say, “women must cover and if they don’t cover Allah will punish them.” That is against your knowledge. First build up yourself, come against your bad character, build your good manners. Then if you give advice that will hit the target I the heart. Why can awliya catch people. They don’t need to speak even. They look at the heart of the listeners and they know the weakest or critical point. Like the car going down the hill. They say the balance point, if you exceed a speed, you will flip the car. So they know the balance center of
gravity. They target that. Awliya see that and go for that point.
`Ulama cannot do that. Awliyaullah can target immediately that weak point. When they fix that weak point, then the person is fixed. `Ulama speak, speak, speak, and when they go from the door they are cursing each other. If hubb ad-dunya in heart then our `ilm will not impact the listener. If we don’t have hubb ad-dunya, then our speaking can hit the center of gravity of the listener, building them up and hitting the target, building them in love of Allah and Prophet (s). That opening is enough from Mawlana Shaykh to drop hubb ad-dunya from our heart.
There was an article that was considered very important. People today think they are qualified to speak about Islam. They write something and they don’t know ‘A’ from ‘B’. I opened it and I was reading it. It was written by Michael Wolfe. He asked 100 people to write but he did not ask us to write. He is doing a movie, “The Messenger of Islam”. I saw the preview of it.
Anyway 100 people wrote two pages each. One of these articles - I opened and read, “Muslims have three groups. One is the Salafi/Wahabi, so extreme with radical views and bringing Islam to a violent extreme - we cannot work with them. Then on the other extreme are the Sufis who are very extreme in views of keeping the Sunnah and the traditions. And the third group who are in between have their women not covered, their centers are social centers and that is why Islam is lost.” So when such people speak for Islam where are we? They say that Salafis make everyone to be kaafir, while Sufis have great love of the Prophet (s) and the third are not practicing because they are so liberal.
So that is why we say as Mawlana Shaykh said, “No changes can be done without heavenly support.” Awliyaullah are waiting for Mahdi Alayhissalam. That is mentioned in many hadith. That he will come from Makkah and people will give him baya`. May Allah give us life to see Sayyidina Mahdi Alayhissalam, following him and following footsteps of Sayyidina Muhammad. sallallahu alayhi wasalam.
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
Saturday, Oct 19, 2002 - Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com
Suhbat, after Salat al-Fajr. The jalal tajalli is dressing everyone from Mahdi Alayhissalam. Mawlana receives envelopes with letters and requests. If they are empty, no du`a. If they contain money, even one dollar, he makes du`a. That is usul a basic principle. Not because the Shaykh needs the money, but because it is adab.
Adab - it comes from that verse “khudh min amwaalihim sadaqa…” – “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth.”
That sadaqa is a source of peace for them. That will raise them up.
Each time you meet the Shaykh give something. Some people, each time they meet me give something. That is a hook to hook them. If they give less, then it is not as strong a hook. It might be like a wire, like a hanger.
Ma naqasa maalan min sadaqa - Money never decreases from sadaqa. That chain [of provision] is connected from the Heaven to your head, as much as you cut from, it comes down to touch your head. Did you notice that at Fajr time, such and such always has flu [blows his nose constantly]. Shaytan finds any way to cause disturbance. Attacks them with flu.
There are no children here. If there were children it would be worse. The Mosque is not for children; the house is for children. If you want to bring children, teach them how to eat and drink. Stand at door and take triple from whoever tries to go to Starbucks. Who is planning to go to Starbucks?
Say Allahu Akbar. Mahdi is coming. Haqq is coming, baatil is going.
Tonight awliya are celebrating Nisfi Sha`ban – mid Sha`ban. Tonight we learn what they are saying and tomorrow we say what they said.
But for them on which time do they go? Which time?
Now for us it is morning, now it is night for us. Do they go with the time of the Middle East or with our time? Hijaz time? What time.
There is a time on Lawh al-Mahfouz – the Preserved Tablets. The awliya go with that time. It is not earthly time. They have a time there. What appears there - their days and their nights are there. The time here is a reflection. There are three dimensions here and time is a secret dimension.
In Lawh al-Mahfouz there are no physical dimensions, but time there has a dimension. According to time, things appear. The main element for physical appearances is time. There time has an appearance. Awliya-ullah go according to that time. That time is for which there is no tongue to express. There is no way to express it.
Time, because it has a significance in heavens, when it is reflected on earth it disappears. It is too heavy, it disappears. That is why time cannot be seen in this universe. The others that have no dimensions, they do not exist in heaven. In dunya they appear, because they are go to disappear. They are like reflections in mirrors.
Imam Ghazali said, “reality when someone dies, on earth, at that time his eyes are open, he can see. But while in dunya he is blind.”
Ibn `Arabi said, “Everything you see in dunya is illusion. It is reflected to your mind, as Allah wants it to appear it appears to you, but it is not reality. Reality is what is in Lawh al-Mahfouz.”
That is why “yamhAllahu ma yasha’ wa yuthbit, wa `inddahu `ilm al-kitab” - Allah doth blot out or confirm what He pleaseth: with Him is the Mother of the Book.” [13: 39]
Lawh al Mahfoudh is the real time, dunya is ending. That means it is permanent.
Mahdi when he comes, comes from that time. When Lawh al-Mahfouz time for his appearance that time he will appear.
All awliya are looking at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. Before all Prophets were looking at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. When Sayyidina `Isa looked there and found that reality, “wa mubashiran bi rasulin yati min b`adihi ’ismuhu ahmad” – “giving good tidings of a Prophet coming after him named Ahmad…” - when he realized that there is no chance for the Prophet to come in his own time, he said, good tidings for the Ummah of the Prophet (s). Then he asked to prolong his life to reach the time of the Ummah of the Prophet.
Similarly awliya today are looking for Sayyidina al-Mahdi, grandson of the Prophet (s) at Lawh al-Mahfoudh. That is enough.
Today the followers of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab showed that Tasawwuf is not from the Sunnah. By this way of labeling Tasawwuf, since most knowledge of Islam came from this school of thought.
Sayyidina Khalid heard of Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan Habibullah, and he went to India. Every order must trace itself back to the Prophet (s). It is as Muhammad al-Busairi said, “kullun min rasulullahi multamisan…” – “Everyone takes from the Prophet. Either in buckets or in cups, depending on their capability.” Sometimes the shaykh has many followers. When he passes away, many of the followers begin to think they are the calipha of the shaykh. The secret can only go with one. Like electricity – you might have branches, but only one has the main line. Others have the name. We see a lot of branches of Qadiri, of Naqshbandi, of Chisti, of Suhrawardi…
But all take from one source. Now in Qadiriyya tariqat there must be one who has the bucket the rest take by their hands. Same in Naqshbandiyya. Now you have hundreds of branches of the Naqshbandiyya. Everyone claims to have the bucket. Now where that bucket is, is not our subject.
When Sayyidina Khalid, went to India, where Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan had the bucket, he had a lot of mureeds and caliphas. But as we know from history, Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan gave an importance to Khalid al-Baghdadi with a different looking than to other mureeds.
So when he came back from India and settled in Damascus, Sham ash-sharif, he carried with him the Naqshbandi secret. So Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi, whom this gentleman knows very well – studied him very well [pointing to Dr. Abdul Ghani] –came back carrying that secret. Now even if you carry the highest secret, if Allah wants to test you He will send you all kinds of difficulties.
Look, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) was the perfect man, the exemplar to all humanity, yet he faced tremendous difficulties from his tribe. So awliya faced many difficulties. When Sayyidina Khalid settled in Damascus he took a place at the top of a mountain overlooking the city. On that mountain, where he is buried now, if you go from Sayyidina Ibn `Arabi, where he is buried, to the maqam of Sayyidina Khalid, it is a climb of one and a half hours.
There is a maqam there, which the Abdal of Sham, the Substitute-saints, awliya-ullah mentioned by the Prophet (s) in hadith in Imam Ahmad’s Musnad, saying, “when you are lost in a jungle or desert, call upon rijaalullah – Allah’s unseen servants.” But you know with the school of thought in effect today, they discredited even a lot of his work.
There is a maqam there, where many times these Abdal have been physically seen in that area, those forty saints. Therefore they built a huge maqam there. And until today, there are 40 mihrabs there. These Abdal ash-Sham, if one dies, another takes his place inheriting his position.
Sayyidina Khalid al-Baghdadi was located near that location. His mosque is there until today, and he is buried there; he died about 180 years ago.
He was carrying the secret of Sayyidina Jan-i-Janan Mazharand under direction of his Shaykh, put his zawiya and house there on the mountain and was busy with tariqat. Tariqat means ‘the way’ and the understanding of tariqat is to follow the Prophet (s). When the Prophet (s) was sent as messenger, there must be someone who speaks and acts as listener. One cannot speak to oneself. So Sayyidina Khalid, following that way, had no one to speak to. He was high up on the mountain and no one would come to listen to him. So what did he do? He used to take his turban, place it on his knee and address his turban.
That is history - Sayyidina Khalid used to address his turban. So he would address the turban, and speak for hours and hours. Because the Prophet (s) had Companions. And Shah Naqshband said, “tariqatuna as-suhbat wal khayru feel jam`iyya.” – “Our way is association and the greatest good is with the group.” So that is a Sunnah. To hold association and to speak. So he would speak to his turban.
Now blind people will understand. But an open-eyed person like this lawyer, will not understand this. There must be something wrong. Who was under his turban?
In Isra wal-m`iraj, when the Prophet went to the Divine Presence, he arrived to a place where Jibreel Alayhissalam did not move forward. He said, “If I move beyond my limits, I will be gone. I have no permission. You must go by yourself.” So the Prophet moved on and he was shaking. And Allah made him to hear the voice of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, to make him feel calm and comfortable.
Grandshaykh says, “When the Prophet reached the maqam of qaaba qawsayni aw adna – two bows-length or nearer, Allah showed him his Ummah. And when the Prophet (s) saw the Ummah, and Allah asked him, “Ya Muhammad! Do you guarantee to give back your Ummah clean as it is being given to you?” The Prophet looked at them and saw them very clean, very pure and he replied, “Yes, my Lord.” So he (s) took them under his trust. When he took them under his trust, Allah swt sent upon them whatever they are going to do of sins in their life. Then the Prophet (s) saw them full of darkness and became afraid of what to do. When he accepted them he took them clean and promised to return them clean. So he asked, “Give me supporters, mu`eeneen.” So Allah gave him the Sahaba. And the inheritors of the Sahaba are the awliya, who continue carrying that message.
So the Prophet (s) assigned different groups to different Sahaba. And from different Sahaba to different awliya, groups were assigned. And after that they were named according to the different important shaykhs in that line. That is whey people are called Qadiri, or Suhrawardi or Shadili. I am only building up the concept for people to understand.
So these awliya-ullah accepted to help their group. So when Sayyidina Khalid was speaking to his turban, he was not speaking to nothing. He was speaking to the one who is under him, spiritually. Those who were coming to him in his time, taking baya` from him and then … to his inheritor to his inheritor… until the Day of Judgment. That is whom he was addressing.
His turban is who – it is himself. So whoever is related to him, he was addressing. He was able to address them even if they were in China. Awliya-ullah have followers who might be in the East and in the West. The wali can reach the mureeds through their hearts even if they don’t know him, guiding them, focusing on them. If there is a chance in his life, they meet. If not that mureed will meet his shaykh when he dies, in the last seven breaths.
When you are giving your last seven breaths, you can see what [ordinary] people cannot see. The whole vision of dunya is given to you at that time. So if you are pious you can see before that. Some can see in grave, but pious can see before passing.
As soon as the Shaykh opens his mouth to speak, that means there is permission coming from the main source, like a radio. When the main station of the radio is not broadcasting, you might sit with him hours and hours and he does not speak. Because there is no connection. So what are you going to hear? When there is connection then he speaks. They are like a box and an instrument. They are empty. The main important thing is the main source from the heart of the Prophet (s), to the inheritor in the line you are coming from that line of grandshaykhs up to today - then you can hear. If that line is not there, then nothing comes, there is no broadcast.
When they broadcast, it is not to just those who are sitting, but to those who are far away, and have baya`, there is a share that must go to their hearts. Even those who have not baya` yet, but are destined for that, they have a share which must come to their hearts.
Sayyidina Khalid was like that. For seven years he was speaking to his turban. Only from the spiritual side. After seven years, when Allah testing his patience the Prophet (s) ordered “Ya Khalid! Now you can go after the Ummah – bring them to you.” Who is going to go up one and a-half hours walking? However he was rich. He had a lot of properties that his parents left to him. Thus he began selling them, then going down the mountain to the square of Muhydin ibn `Arabi, going there, sitting there and saying to people, “I have work for you up on the mountain. Do you want to work?” So for two or three hours he sits and collects people. Then when he takes them up to the top of the mountain. Then he begins to address them and they listen. People were happy. They go, eat and drink; there is no hard work. Then they listen.
That he did for seven years. Then Prophet (s) gave him the instruction, “There is no longer any need to do that.” By then he had become popular and very well known. Thousands of people used to go up and listen to his lectures. That is why in his time the tariqat became known as Tariqat Khalidiyya.
So Sayyidina Khalid was teaching the people and guiding them to the way of Allah swt. So I will end it up and go back to where I was when I started. So one has to speak and the others have to listen. That is the main subject. Anyone can speak and the rest must listen. It is not like where we go to a place where everyone speaks. The meaning of the lecture, and its taste is gone. So awliya-ullah if they have not been given a chance to speak, they don’t care, they keep quiet. If they are in a normal meeting they don’t like to speak, as in a Turkish bath. Like women when they get together they sit together and begin to backbite each other [a lady: what about the men?] That is the problem, you go to a meeting, and everyone is speaking. Not only that, they have question and answers. So a young boy may come and challenge the speaker who is a scholars of 50 of 60 years. They pose a question, give their answer, and if you give an answer different that they
don’t accept ,they attack you.
In al-Azhar, many years ago… a long time ago in my time, when an `alim speaks no one can speak. Is it not like that? [Dr. AG: sohbat is like salaat. No speaking] It is not like a classroom. What an `alim says, you take and you listen. It is not a debate where one comes and you say one thing and the other says something else. That is what we see today. That is why Muslims are going down. Because they are attacking each other. They don’t follow a guide or a teacher. You can’t have a meeting like this, and then they are speaking with each other. It is better to keep quiet.
Once I was with Mawlana Shaykh and we went to visit my uncle. My uncle was the biggest scholar in Lebanon. He has more than 100 scholars in his circle. He kissed me and I kissed his hand. But everyone was speaking with each other and talking. I pushed Mawlana Shaykh to speak. He said, “We are not speakers for these circles. We don’t let the diamonds go between the feet. Leave it - they are not going to listen. They are arrogant in their knowledge. They think they are scholars. When there will be one speaker and all will listen then I will speak. Either they speak and I listen or I speak and they listen.”
[Let me relate a story from] the time of Sayyidina Shaykh Sharafuddin, who was the inheritor of Shaykh Khalid’s secret. At that time there were many `ulama coming to visit him. One famous `alim came. When he arrived, all stood up and greeted him and then sat down. Shaykh Sharafuddin said, “The discipline of the majlis is that one speaks and the others listens. Do you wish to speak or shall I?” The `alim did not answer but they were looking at each other. Then Shaykh Sharafuddin posed a question to determine who would speak. He said, “Sayyidina Adam listened to his wife and ate from the tree. What happened? So the question for both of us, is any one of us listening and obeying what his wife is saying or are we following the verse, ‘ar-rijaalu qawaamun ala an-nisa - men are maintainers of women.’ The inner meaning of this is, ‘If love of dunya still remains in your heart then you cannot speak. ‘And Allah cursed the liars.’” That `alim
said, “You speak.”
You see the difference. The Prophet (s) did not have hubb ad-dunya – love of this world. The Sahaba did not have hubb ad-dunya in their heart. Awliya when they speak have no hubb ad-dunya. When `ulama speak it is not pure. They speak one thing, and then the hubb ad-dunya comes. For example if I tell you, “cover your daughter” and my daughter is not doing it, how can I tell you that? So I go to the Juma` and I say, “women must cover and if they don’t cover Allah will punish them.” That is against your knowledge. First build up yourself, come against your bad character, build your good manners. Then if you give advice that will hit the target I the heart. Why can awliya catch people. They don’t need to speak even. They look at the heart of the listeners and they know the weakest or critical point. Like the car going down the hill. They say the balance point, if you exceed a speed, you will flip the car. So they know the balance center of
gravity. They target that. Awliya see that and go for that point.
`Ulama cannot do that. Awliyaullah can target immediately that weak point. When they fix that weak point, then the person is fixed. `Ulama speak, speak, speak, and when they go from the door they are cursing each other. If hubb ad-dunya in heart then our `ilm will not impact the listener. If we don’t have hubb ad-dunya, then our speaking can hit the center of gravity of the listener, building them up and hitting the target, building them in love of Allah and Prophet (s). That opening is enough from Mawlana Shaykh to drop hubb ad-dunya from our heart.
There was an article that was considered very important. People today think they are qualified to speak about Islam. They write something and they don’t know ‘A’ from ‘B’. I opened it and I was reading it. It was written by Michael Wolfe. He asked 100 people to write but he did not ask us to write. He is doing a movie, “The Messenger of Islam”. I saw the preview of it.
Anyway 100 people wrote two pages each. One of these articles - I opened and read, “Muslims have three groups. One is the Salafi/Wahabi, so extreme with radical views and bringing Islam to a violent extreme - we cannot work with them. Then on the other extreme are the Sufis who are very extreme in views of keeping the Sunnah and the traditions. And the third group who are in between have their women not covered, their centers are social centers and that is why Islam is lost.” So when such people speak for Islam where are we? They say that Salafis make everyone to be kaafir, while Sufis have great love of the Prophet (s) and the third are not practicing because they are so liberal.
So that is why we say as Mawlana Shaykh said, “No changes can be done without heavenly support.” Awliyaullah are waiting for Mahdi Alayhissalam. That is mentioned in many hadith. That he will come from Makkah and people will give him baya`. May Allah give us life to see Sayyidina Mahdi Alayhissalam, following him and following footsteps of Sayyidina Muhammad. sallallahu alayhi wasalam.
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
The Alphabet hasn't Enough Letters to Describe the Prophet's Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam Perfection
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2002 | Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com
Audhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
Nawaytul arba`în, nawaytul ‘itikâf, nawatul khalwat, nawaytur-riyâ da, nawaytus-sulû k, nawaytul `uzla, fî hâdha al-masjid
“Ati`ullaha wa ati`ur-rasul wa uwlil-amri minkum wa in tanaza`atum fee shayin faradduhu ill-Allahi wa rasulihi.” – “Obey Allah; obey the Prophet (s) and those in authority among you.” [4:59]
مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ
Man yuti` ar-rasul faqad at`a-ullah. – “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah” [4:80]
I was thinking about what to speak tonight. I would like to say alhamdulillah we are seeing more masajid being opened. People can do a little, because we are weak servants of Allah swt. We are helpless. Whether we become rich or we become leaders, still we are helpless.
One incident happened in the past that showed us how weak we are. Phiraun was the enemy of Sayyidina Musa Alayhissalam. He was the richest and he was the leader of his time; he was the one that said, “ana rabbukum ul-`ala.” – “I am your most high lord.” What did Allah do with him? He finished him in the ocean. He finished him and saved his body. Why did he save his body? Whey didn’t he save the bodies of the others?
Because he said a word that Allah liked. He said,
…حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ آلآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ “
hatta idhaa adrakahu al-gharaqu qaala amantu annahu la ilaha illa alladhee aamanat bihi banoo israeela wa ana mina al-muslimeen. Alaana wa qad `asayta qablu wa kunta mina al-mufsideen. Fa’l-yawma nunajjeeka bi-badanika litakoona liman khalfaka ayatan wa inna katheeran mina an-naasi `an ayaatina la-ghaafiloon
until [they were overwhelmed by the waters of the sea. And] when he was about to drown, [Pharaoh] exclaimed: “I have come to believe that there is no deity save Him in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender themselves unto Him!" But God said:] "Now? when ever before this thou hast been rebelling [against Us], and hast been among those who spread corruption? "This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" Yunus, 10:90-92
Because of that Allah saved his body. Why? To be an example to others who came later to show them: “I saved him to be an example to those who came after him. Do not begin to believe in Me only when you are drowning. I am saving your body to remind those who come later.”
Nimrod came against Sayyidina Ibrahim Alayhissalam. What did Allah do with him? He sent against him one small mosquito that ate his brain, ate his skull. What happened? He was gone. That was because he said “I am going to kill that one you are worshipping.” For that Allah destroyed him.
So wherever you are reaching of greatness, if you are not a believer, you are going to reach this end. If you are a believer and you reach a high level, still you cannot reach more than Sayyidina Sulayman. No one can reach more than Sayyidina Sulayman - richer than him. Allah made the whole world, jinn, animals and mankind listen to him. What happened to him. No one knew he was dead until a small animal ate his stick, and he fell when it broke and they became aware of his passing. Before that the jinn were all working for him under the belief that he was watching them.
Greatness therefore is for Allah swt. If you think you are great in Islam that is accepted. Allah said, “al-izzatu lillahi wa li-rasulihi wa lil-mumineen.” – “Respect, honor is for Allah, the Prophet and the believers.”
Not only did jinn listen to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), but Allah made even the angels listen to him. For this the tongue has no words to describe the perfection of the Prophet (s). The alphabet has no letters to describe the perfection of the Prophet (s). Whatever you describe, he is more. “Wa innaka la`ala khuluqin `adheem. Fa-satubsiru was sayubsirun.”
Allah is giving an oath by ‘Nun’ in the alphabet. That is the third from last letter in the alphabet. What comes before it – ‘mim’? What comes after it – ‘waw’? Why did ‘mim’ come after ‘lam’ [In alif, lam, mim]? Professor Abdul Ghani? [I don’t know].
Allah is giving an oath with the letter ‘Nun’. ‘Nun. Wal-qalami wa maa yasturoon.” Allah is saying “‘Nun’ and by whatever the Pen can write. You O Muhammad are not as they say, without mind. You are a real Prophet of a very high character.”
‘Nun’ is what? Allah said, “Nun!” He is giving an oath with that letter. It comes after what? ‘Mim’, yes, but in the dunya understanding ‘nun’ refers to dunya and ‘kaf’ refers to heavens. When Allah wants something to happen He only says to it “Be! – Kun!” and it is. Therefore “amruhu bayn al-kaf wan-nun.” – “His Order is between ‘kaf’ and ‘nun’” That is why He said, “Nun!”. When He says, “Kun” it will be. It does not need to continue, for when He says ‘be’ it will be. So ‘nun’ relates to us and ‘kaf’ relates to heaven.
So when He says, that order is going to come, ‘Nun’ happened. That means, “I swear by the greatness of My Creation, and what the Pen writes of what is to come of My Creation, un-endingly, with the endlessness of that creation, you Ya Muhammad, are of a higher character. The Pen cannot write a description of your character, you are on a higher level!
Allah is One. Allah laa shareek lah. And ‘alif’ is the ibtida’ - commencement of creation. So when Allah Name wants to appear, as we described many times: Allah consists of three letters. ‘Alif’ is ibtida, ‘ha’ is intiha – the ending--and ‘lam’ is in the middle. That means Allah has no beginning and no end, while His creation has a beginning and an end. So what follows ‘lam’ is ‘mim’ – representing Muhammad (s). That is why ‘mim’ came after ‘lam’ in the alphabet. ‘Lam’ is one letter of Allah’s Greatest Name, the All-encompassing Name. ‘Mim’ represents the Prophet (s). ‘Nun’ represents the creation. Then ‘hah’, ‘waw’, ‘yeh’. ‘Hah’, ‘waw’ is ‘Hu’! That cannot be described, except through, “I was a hidden treasure and I wanted to be known, so I created creation.”
“Qul Hua.” There is no way to describe that. ‘Ya’ describes the end.
So when the Shaykh recited from al-`Asr just now in Salat al-Maghrib, I have now built up a foundation to describe that.
What is al-`Asr. It is the `Asr prayer. Allah is giving an oath with something that is great, something that is beyond description. How much has Allah shown us the importance of Salat al-`Asr. Many people are losing their Salat al-`Asr today because they are busy with their dunya. And Allah is swearing an oath by al-`Asr. We are running after dunya and losing akhira. One day you are dying.
If you are not dying and you are someone who doesn’t pray, no harm comes to you. But if you are dying and you take nothing with you, then you are a loser. No one of us is taking one thing from what we are dressing. You cannot take even your clothes. Even your ring, which is Sunnah, they are taking. Even the gold on your teeth they are taking. And even if they leave it, the gravedigger, after everyone goes, will dig up the grave again and removes from you your teeth!
So you are left with nothing. No bargaining there. Now look at the UN, when they pass a resolution there is no bargaining. Now with Allah swt you can bargain? Can you? No one can bargain. “Ilayhi yarji`u al-`amal as-salih.” – “To Him returns the good deeds.” That is the only thing your good `amal – your deeds. But if you have no good `amal then what will you bargain with? You say, I am” getting up at 6 am working like a donkey, coming in the evening and tired, too tired to pray.”
Allah is saying, “I didn’t create you for that! Wa ma khalaqtul jinna wal ins illa li-ya`budun.” –“ I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me” [51:56]
So Allah is swearing by al-`Asr. Now `asr in Arabic is not just Salat al-`Asr. It is also the century. Correct professor? Or a timeframe.[1]
Ulama at-tafsir, not those of today, who are like children in diapers compared to the ulama of tafsir of the past. Today they changed the whole methodology of tafsir. They became social reformers, who are of a revolutionary, socialist mentality, and they want to make Islam socialism. Like Maudoodi, Jamaluddin Afghani, Abduh, and Sayyid Qutb. They came and thought they are revolutionizing Islam and reforming Islam. Islam does not need to be reformed.
I was at a meeting in Washington three weeks ago. This gentleman, Nurjan, and Dr. Iqbal were there. The head of the Fiqh Council of America, was present there on the panel. One time they asked me about the reformation of Islam. I said, “There is no reformation of Islam. Islam is Islam. Not one word more and not one word less.” Unfortunately the people of today have gone crazy in their minds. They asked me a question, “Is it necessary for the Muslims of the Arab and Middle East and the Muslim world to be like American Muslims?”
I said, “No! There is no American Islam.” The person who asked that question is a good friend to me. But I had to tell him the truth. There is no American Islam. Islam can accommodate the American way of life. But we cannot say “American Islam”. We can stretch Islam to accommodate everyone and all ways of life but we cannot change it.
So we were sitting, myself and the head of the Fiqh Council and we were discussing Islam. Some officials were sitting trying to understand the cause of the violence in Islam that we see today.
He said, “We want for our Muslims overseas to adopt ‘American Islam’. Because we are in America and we have adopted an American Islam.”
If that is what our scholars say, that is surprising. It struck me that we are losing our identity. The Prophet (s) has showed us the way. After the full moon, and tonight is the full moon of Shaban. After the full moon there is no higher level. Nothing can be added to it. “Al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu alaykum ni`matee wa radaytu lakum al-Islamu deena.” – “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My Favour on you and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
Finished there is no more. When Allah is giving an oath in Surat al-`Asr, on al-`Asr, He is giving an oath to emphasize the importance of that century or timeframe.
It is not like the scholars of today who are like children with pampers. Then those who want an “American Islam”, would do better to hide themselves in their homes, not to represent the Muslims.
When Allah gave an oath, He gave an oath by the time frame. The time frame referred to is the life of the Ummat an-Nabi (s). That is either the time of the life of the Prophet (s), which is 63 years, the best years of this dunya, or the other meaning of al-`Asr is the life of the Ummah of the Prophet. Since Allah regarded the Ummah highly, He gave an oath by that time frame. With that He said, “Inna al-insaana lafee khusr.” – “Indeed man is in a state of loss.” He immediately followed it by “illa-alladheena aamanu was `amilus saalihaat” – “except those who believe and do good works.” He mentioned those who believe.
And He did not stop at that. He added to that “wa `amilus saalihaat”. Who is doing good? We are believers, do you think your `amal is good? Judge yourself. He did not stop at “alladheena aamanu” – “those who believed”. Not only must they be doing good, but they have to “watawasu bil-haqq” – “urge one another to Truth” You might do good but you might not be on Haqq. You have to be haqqaniyun. You have to be Haqqani, on haqq. Not lying and cheating. And finally, you must “Wa tawaasu bis-sabr.” – “urge one another to patience.”
And they advise each other on patience. When you are on haqq what happens? People are going to curse you. People come against you. Shaytan sends his whole army to come after Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`at. He doesn’t want them to stand up. Allah wants Ahl al-Haqq to stand up. So what do they have to do? To be patient. If you lose patience, you go to Ahl al-Baatil. Understood?
So what is important – to be on haqq, to refuse baatil, and to stand for haqq by being patient. In that is what Allah will judge us. That is what you can take with you to akhira. There is nothing for you to take with you. You are going to be stuck if you cannot take surat al-`Asr with you.
You think that when you reading the whole Qur’an, every letter, how many letters in the Qur’an? Do you think there is no light coming out when you read? That light is a dress in akhira, as much as you read, you will be dressed with it. Ornaments. Medallions. So in akhira, when you are dressed with these, the people will look at you and say, “This one did not forget the Qur’an.” Allah swt’s word. There is no description of the Qur’an. That is why Allah said, “laa yamasahu illal-mutaahiroon” – “none touch except those who are pure.” You must be clean when you dress that light. You cannot put clean clothes on a dirty body. What you have to do if you are dirty. You have to take a shower. You cannot dress clean clothes on a dirty body.
So with Qur’an, no one can dress its light, except a clean one. It has two meanings. One is that you cannot touch the Qur’an except with wudu. But the real meaning is when you have been accepted as a pure person, when your heart has been cleaned of dirtiness when you are uplifting yourself to the maqam al-ihsan – the Station of Perfect Character. Until then you are not yet clean. You still have to make progress.
Allah said, “None may touch it except those who are clean.” Who can describe and certify you are clean? How does it work? Let us go into the spiritual dimension. When you are a seeker on the road, and you have a guide guiding on the way of Sayyidina Muhammad, through many seclusions, then you will be able to reach the level of great purity. I will give an example. I wanted to give the example of Shaykh Nazim but never mind.
I will relate this from the time of Sayyidina Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqi al-Husayni, one of the Naqshbandi shaykhs. He usually prayed in the mosque. He had a follower that is a very pious person. One day after Isha prayer that mureed thought he was alone. In fact the shaykh was still there, preparing to lock the mosque. He heard that mureed, who was behind the pillar. He was saying to himself, “The Shaykh asked you to look after this and you failed. He asked you to study this and you failed. He asked you to be good you’re your friends and you failed. He asked you to treat your wife in a good way and you failed. You don’t deserve anything. You are cursed yourself.”
Not only that, he said, “O Allah bear witness on me that I am the worst of the worst and if I am not saying the truth, my wife is not halal for me.” At that moment, Sayyidina Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqi was laughing and smiling. The mureed was surprised, “O my Shaykh, you are here?”
Shaykh Jamaluddin said, “Come and sit down.” He sat down and as he sat he began to hear voices. The mosque was full of unseen people. He kept hearing voices. Then as the Shaykh was sitting on his knees and the mureed was facing him and he raised his shahada finger and moved that finger towards the heart of the mureed. That mureed was rising up to the ceiling and falling down, rising up and falling down, as he did this the shaykh opened to him the six powers of the heart.
Our mashaykh say that all people have six powers in their heart but they have to be opened. Haqiqat al-jazba, haqiqat at-tawajjuh, haqiqat al-fa’id, haqiqat at-tawassul, haqiqat at-ta’I, haqiqat al-irshad.
He was opening that to him. for example haqiqat at-tawajjuh. If someone is in China, and the mureed is here, he will be able to reach that mureed.
Haqiqat at-tawassul, when he makes a du`a that du`a is accepted.
Why did he open these secrets to his heart? Because he received an order from the Prophet (s), “He is clean. You can open his secrets to him and the jewels will not be thrown at the feet.”
Until we get that certificate, we will not be in a good situation. We will be in a bad situation. Not so bad we go to hell, because there is always the shafa` of the Prophet (s) for the sinners. When Allah gives the shafa` of the Prophet, that is for those who did not reach purity in this dunya.
That is what we are seeking.
============ =========
Regarding mahr:
Mahr must be mu`ajjal and mu`akhir. Mu’akhir is paid later. It may be any amount but it must be in the marriage contract. That is paid to wife if the husband dies before having paid it, before the distribution of the will.
[1] Imam Ahmad reported via Abu Nudrah that Abu Sa'id said: "One day the Prophet (s) led us in praying the afternoon prayer (Salat al-'Asr). Then he stood and addressed us until sunset. He mentioned everything that was to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and left nothing unsaid. Some of us remembered it, and some of us forgot it. One of the things he said was: 'O people, this world is full of attractive temptations. Allah has appointed you as vicegerents (Khalifah) in this world, and He will see how you will act. So guard yourselves against the temptations of this world and of women.' Towards the end of this speech, he said, 'The sun is about to set, and what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is like what remains of this day compared to what has passed.' [Part of this Hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim, through Abu Nudrah on the authority of Abu Sa'id.]
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2002 | Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com
Audhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem. Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem
Nawaytul arba`în, nawaytul ‘itikâf, nawatul khalwat, nawaytur-riyâ da, nawaytus-sulû k, nawaytul `uzla, fî hâdha al-masjid
“Ati`ullaha wa ati`ur-rasul wa uwlil-amri minkum wa in tanaza`atum fee shayin faradduhu ill-Allahi wa rasulihi.” – “Obey Allah; obey the Prophet (s) and those in authority among you.” [4:59]
مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ
Man yuti` ar-rasul faqad at`a-ullah. – “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah” [4:80]
I was thinking about what to speak tonight. I would like to say alhamdulillah we are seeing more masajid being opened. People can do a little, because we are weak servants of Allah swt. We are helpless. Whether we become rich or we become leaders, still we are helpless.
One incident happened in the past that showed us how weak we are. Phiraun was the enemy of Sayyidina Musa Alayhissalam. He was the richest and he was the leader of his time; he was the one that said, “ana rabbukum ul-`ala.” – “I am your most high lord.” What did Allah do with him? He finished him in the ocean. He finished him and saved his body. Why did he save his body? Whey didn’t he save the bodies of the others?
Because he said a word that Allah liked. He said,
…حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ آلآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
فَالْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ آيَةً وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا لَغَافِلُونَ “
hatta idhaa adrakahu al-gharaqu qaala amantu annahu la ilaha illa alladhee aamanat bihi banoo israeela wa ana mina al-muslimeen. Alaana wa qad `asayta qablu wa kunta mina al-mufsideen. Fa’l-yawma nunajjeeka bi-badanika litakoona liman khalfaka ayatan wa inna katheeran mina an-naasi `an ayaatina la-ghaafiloon
until [they were overwhelmed by the waters of the sea. And] when he was about to drown, [Pharaoh] exclaimed: “I have come to believe that there is no deity save Him in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender themselves unto Him!" But God said:] "Now? when ever before this thou hast been rebelling [against Us], and hast been among those who spread corruption? "This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" Yunus, 10:90-92
Because of that Allah saved his body. Why? To be an example to others who came later to show them: “I saved him to be an example to those who came after him. Do not begin to believe in Me only when you are drowning. I am saving your body to remind those who come later.”
Nimrod came against Sayyidina Ibrahim Alayhissalam. What did Allah do with him? He sent against him one small mosquito that ate his brain, ate his skull. What happened? He was gone. That was because he said “I am going to kill that one you are worshipping.” For that Allah destroyed him.
So wherever you are reaching of greatness, if you are not a believer, you are going to reach this end. If you are a believer and you reach a high level, still you cannot reach more than Sayyidina Sulayman. No one can reach more than Sayyidina Sulayman - richer than him. Allah made the whole world, jinn, animals and mankind listen to him. What happened to him. No one knew he was dead until a small animal ate his stick, and he fell when it broke and they became aware of his passing. Before that the jinn were all working for him under the belief that he was watching them.
Greatness therefore is for Allah swt. If you think you are great in Islam that is accepted. Allah said, “al-izzatu lillahi wa li-rasulihi wa lil-mumineen.” – “Respect, honor is for Allah, the Prophet and the believers.”
Not only did jinn listen to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), but Allah made even the angels listen to him. For this the tongue has no words to describe the perfection of the Prophet (s). The alphabet has no letters to describe the perfection of the Prophet (s). Whatever you describe, he is more. “Wa innaka la`ala khuluqin `adheem. Fa-satubsiru was sayubsirun.”
Allah is giving an oath by ‘Nun’ in the alphabet. That is the third from last letter in the alphabet. What comes before it – ‘mim’? What comes after it – ‘waw’? Why did ‘mim’ come after ‘lam’ [In alif, lam, mim]? Professor Abdul Ghani? [I don’t know].
Allah is giving an oath with the letter ‘Nun’. ‘Nun. Wal-qalami wa maa yasturoon.” Allah is saying “‘Nun’ and by whatever the Pen can write. You O Muhammad are not as they say, without mind. You are a real Prophet of a very high character.”
‘Nun’ is what? Allah said, “Nun!” He is giving an oath with that letter. It comes after what? ‘Mim’, yes, but in the dunya understanding ‘nun’ refers to dunya and ‘kaf’ refers to heavens. When Allah wants something to happen He only says to it “Be! – Kun!” and it is. Therefore “amruhu bayn al-kaf wan-nun.” – “His Order is between ‘kaf’ and ‘nun’” That is why He said, “Nun!”. When He says, “Kun” it will be. It does not need to continue, for when He says ‘be’ it will be. So ‘nun’ relates to us and ‘kaf’ relates to heaven.
So when He says, that order is going to come, ‘Nun’ happened. That means, “I swear by the greatness of My Creation, and what the Pen writes of what is to come of My Creation, un-endingly, with the endlessness of that creation, you Ya Muhammad, are of a higher character. The Pen cannot write a description of your character, you are on a higher level!
Allah is One. Allah laa shareek lah. And ‘alif’ is the ibtida’ - commencement of creation. So when Allah Name wants to appear, as we described many times: Allah consists of three letters. ‘Alif’ is ibtida, ‘ha’ is intiha – the ending--and ‘lam’ is in the middle. That means Allah has no beginning and no end, while His creation has a beginning and an end. So what follows ‘lam’ is ‘mim’ – representing Muhammad (s). That is why ‘mim’ came after ‘lam’ in the alphabet. ‘Lam’ is one letter of Allah’s Greatest Name, the All-encompassing Name. ‘Mim’ represents the Prophet (s). ‘Nun’ represents the creation. Then ‘hah’, ‘waw’, ‘yeh’. ‘Hah’, ‘waw’ is ‘Hu’! That cannot be described, except through, “I was a hidden treasure and I wanted to be known, so I created creation.”
“Qul Hua.” There is no way to describe that. ‘Ya’ describes the end.
So when the Shaykh recited from al-`Asr just now in Salat al-Maghrib, I have now built up a foundation to describe that.
What is al-`Asr. It is the `Asr prayer. Allah is giving an oath with something that is great, something that is beyond description. How much has Allah shown us the importance of Salat al-`Asr. Many people are losing their Salat al-`Asr today because they are busy with their dunya. And Allah is swearing an oath by al-`Asr. We are running after dunya and losing akhira. One day you are dying.
If you are not dying and you are someone who doesn’t pray, no harm comes to you. But if you are dying and you take nothing with you, then you are a loser. No one of us is taking one thing from what we are dressing. You cannot take even your clothes. Even your ring, which is Sunnah, they are taking. Even the gold on your teeth they are taking. And even if they leave it, the gravedigger, after everyone goes, will dig up the grave again and removes from you your teeth!
So you are left with nothing. No bargaining there. Now look at the UN, when they pass a resolution there is no bargaining. Now with Allah swt you can bargain? Can you? No one can bargain. “Ilayhi yarji`u al-`amal as-salih.” – “To Him returns the good deeds.” That is the only thing your good `amal – your deeds. But if you have no good `amal then what will you bargain with? You say, I am” getting up at 6 am working like a donkey, coming in the evening and tired, too tired to pray.”
Allah is saying, “I didn’t create you for that! Wa ma khalaqtul jinna wal ins illa li-ya`budun.” –“ I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me” [51:56]
So Allah is swearing by al-`Asr. Now `asr in Arabic is not just Salat al-`Asr. It is also the century. Correct professor? Or a timeframe.[1]
Ulama at-tafsir, not those of today, who are like children in diapers compared to the ulama of tafsir of the past. Today they changed the whole methodology of tafsir. They became social reformers, who are of a revolutionary, socialist mentality, and they want to make Islam socialism. Like Maudoodi, Jamaluddin Afghani, Abduh, and Sayyid Qutb. They came and thought they are revolutionizing Islam and reforming Islam. Islam does not need to be reformed.
I was at a meeting in Washington three weeks ago. This gentleman, Nurjan, and Dr. Iqbal were there. The head of the Fiqh Council of America, was present there on the panel. One time they asked me about the reformation of Islam. I said, “There is no reformation of Islam. Islam is Islam. Not one word more and not one word less.” Unfortunately the people of today have gone crazy in their minds. They asked me a question, “Is it necessary for the Muslims of the Arab and Middle East and the Muslim world to be like American Muslims?”
I said, “No! There is no American Islam.” The person who asked that question is a good friend to me. But I had to tell him the truth. There is no American Islam. Islam can accommodate the American way of life. But we cannot say “American Islam”. We can stretch Islam to accommodate everyone and all ways of life but we cannot change it.
So we were sitting, myself and the head of the Fiqh Council and we were discussing Islam. Some officials were sitting trying to understand the cause of the violence in Islam that we see today.
He said, “We want for our Muslims overseas to adopt ‘American Islam’. Because we are in America and we have adopted an American Islam.”
If that is what our scholars say, that is surprising. It struck me that we are losing our identity. The Prophet (s) has showed us the way. After the full moon, and tonight is the full moon of Shaban. After the full moon there is no higher level. Nothing can be added to it. “Al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu alaykum ni`matee wa radaytu lakum al-Islamu deena.” – “Today I have perfected for you your religion and completed My Favour on you and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
Finished there is no more. When Allah is giving an oath in Surat al-`Asr, on al-`Asr, He is giving an oath to emphasize the importance of that century or timeframe.
It is not like the scholars of today who are like children with pampers. Then those who want an “American Islam”, would do better to hide themselves in their homes, not to represent the Muslims.
When Allah gave an oath, He gave an oath by the time frame. The time frame referred to is the life of the Ummat an-Nabi (s). That is either the time of the life of the Prophet (s), which is 63 years, the best years of this dunya, or the other meaning of al-`Asr is the life of the Ummah of the Prophet. Since Allah regarded the Ummah highly, He gave an oath by that time frame. With that He said, “Inna al-insaana lafee khusr.” – “Indeed man is in a state of loss.” He immediately followed it by “illa-alladheena aamanu was `amilus saalihaat” – “except those who believe and do good works.” He mentioned those who believe.
And He did not stop at that. He added to that “wa `amilus saalihaat”. Who is doing good? We are believers, do you think your `amal is good? Judge yourself. He did not stop at “alladheena aamanu” – “those who believed”. Not only must they be doing good, but they have to “watawasu bil-haqq” – “urge one another to Truth” You might do good but you might not be on Haqq. You have to be haqqaniyun. You have to be Haqqani, on haqq. Not lying and cheating. And finally, you must “Wa tawaasu bis-sabr.” – “urge one another to patience.”
And they advise each other on patience. When you are on haqq what happens? People are going to curse you. People come against you. Shaytan sends his whole army to come after Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`at. He doesn’t want them to stand up. Allah wants Ahl al-Haqq to stand up. So what do they have to do? To be patient. If you lose patience, you go to Ahl al-Baatil. Understood?
So what is important – to be on haqq, to refuse baatil, and to stand for haqq by being patient. In that is what Allah will judge us. That is what you can take with you to akhira. There is nothing for you to take with you. You are going to be stuck if you cannot take surat al-`Asr with you.
You think that when you reading the whole Qur’an, every letter, how many letters in the Qur’an? Do you think there is no light coming out when you read? That light is a dress in akhira, as much as you read, you will be dressed with it. Ornaments. Medallions. So in akhira, when you are dressed with these, the people will look at you and say, “This one did not forget the Qur’an.” Allah swt’s word. There is no description of the Qur’an. That is why Allah said, “laa yamasahu illal-mutaahiroon” – “none touch except those who are pure.” You must be clean when you dress that light. You cannot put clean clothes on a dirty body. What you have to do if you are dirty. You have to take a shower. You cannot dress clean clothes on a dirty body.
So with Qur’an, no one can dress its light, except a clean one. It has two meanings. One is that you cannot touch the Qur’an except with wudu. But the real meaning is when you have been accepted as a pure person, when your heart has been cleaned of dirtiness when you are uplifting yourself to the maqam al-ihsan – the Station of Perfect Character. Until then you are not yet clean. You still have to make progress.
Allah said, “None may touch it except those who are clean.” Who can describe and certify you are clean? How does it work? Let us go into the spiritual dimension. When you are a seeker on the road, and you have a guide guiding on the way of Sayyidina Muhammad, through many seclusions, then you will be able to reach the level of great purity. I will give an example. I wanted to give the example of Shaykh Nazim but never mind.
I will relate this from the time of Sayyidina Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqi al-Husayni, one of the Naqshbandi shaykhs. He usually prayed in the mosque. He had a follower that is a very pious person. One day after Isha prayer that mureed thought he was alone. In fact the shaykh was still there, preparing to lock the mosque. He heard that mureed, who was behind the pillar. He was saying to himself, “The Shaykh asked you to look after this and you failed. He asked you to study this and you failed. He asked you to be good you’re your friends and you failed. He asked you to treat your wife in a good way and you failed. You don’t deserve anything. You are cursed yourself.”
Not only that, he said, “O Allah bear witness on me that I am the worst of the worst and if I am not saying the truth, my wife is not halal for me.” At that moment, Sayyidina Jamaluddin al-Ghumuqi was laughing and smiling. The mureed was surprised, “O my Shaykh, you are here?”
Shaykh Jamaluddin said, “Come and sit down.” He sat down and as he sat he began to hear voices. The mosque was full of unseen people. He kept hearing voices. Then as the Shaykh was sitting on his knees and the mureed was facing him and he raised his shahada finger and moved that finger towards the heart of the mureed. That mureed was rising up to the ceiling and falling down, rising up and falling down, as he did this the shaykh opened to him the six powers of the heart.
Our mashaykh say that all people have six powers in their heart but they have to be opened. Haqiqat al-jazba, haqiqat at-tawajjuh, haqiqat al-fa’id, haqiqat at-tawassul, haqiqat at-ta’I, haqiqat al-irshad.
He was opening that to him. for example haqiqat at-tawajjuh. If someone is in China, and the mureed is here, he will be able to reach that mureed.
Haqiqat at-tawassul, when he makes a du`a that du`a is accepted.
Why did he open these secrets to his heart? Because he received an order from the Prophet (s), “He is clean. You can open his secrets to him and the jewels will not be thrown at the feet.”
Until we get that certificate, we will not be in a good situation. We will be in a bad situation. Not so bad we go to hell, because there is always the shafa` of the Prophet (s) for the sinners. When Allah gives the shafa` of the Prophet, that is for those who did not reach purity in this dunya.
That is what we are seeking.
============ =========
Regarding mahr:
Mahr must be mu`ajjal and mu`akhir. Mu’akhir is paid later. It may be any amount but it must be in the marriage contract. That is paid to wife if the husband dies before having paid it, before the distribution of the will.
[1] Imam Ahmad reported via Abu Nudrah that Abu Sa'id said: "One day the Prophet (s) led us in praying the afternoon prayer (Salat al-'Asr). Then he stood and addressed us until sunset. He mentioned everything that was to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and left nothing unsaid. Some of us remembered it, and some of us forgot it. One of the things he said was: 'O people, this world is full of attractive temptations. Allah has appointed you as vicegerents (Khalifah) in this world, and He will see how you will act. So guard yourselves against the temptations of this world and of women.' Towards the end of this speech, he said, 'The sun is about to set, and what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is like what remains of this day compared to what has passed.' [Part of this Hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim, through Abu Nudrah on the authority of Abu Sa'id.]
Wa min Allah at Tawfiq
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