Awliyah chain your four enemies and dress you with complete obedience without you knowing it

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani | Sunday, Oct 19, 2008 | Upper Saddle River, NJ US

A`udhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem

Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem

Nawaytu'l-arba`een, nawaytu'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu'l-riyaada, nawaytu's-salook, nawaytu'l-`uzlah lillahi ta`ala fee hadha'l-masjid

First of all may Allah swt bless the soul of Grandshaykh and give Mawlana Shaykh long life and give us long life with him to see Mahdi .

Why are people living, for what reason? People they say, "O enjoy life because it is one time, one life. Enjoy as much as you like.” So they enjoy food; they enjoy pleasures, they enjoy as much as they like. These people have no wisdom because Allah swt said, "this dunya doesn’t weigh the wing of a mosquito.” To Allah it is not considered as important as the wing of a mosquito or even less than a wing of a mosquito. The most important is the life after death. So those who have even an atom of wisdom they have to say, "we have to enjoy akhira; we have to get pleasure from akhira; we have to build our akhira, we have to do for akhira.” Not for dunya, dunya, dunya. This is our problem today around the world, today and before and before and before. That is why Allah sent us messengers to tell us, “Enough is enough. No need more.” And He sent to us, that is why He called him the Seal of the messengers . Why did He call him Seal of the messengers ? It means he is closest to the last days.

He is coming to say, "I came to wrap us the message.” There is no more message.

The Prophet is coming and He is the first to be created and the last to be sent, to wrap everything up and to say, "this is it and don’t look for more. This is the package I am bringing for you.”

Today they have all these packages on the internet, traveling packages. Where they take you these travel packages? Vacation. What kind of vacation? Dunya vacation. They don’t have any package except dunya package. Very few package for hajj and `umrah, mostly dunya packages. And where do people go mostly? Dunya package. People say, "we have to have a holiday.” What is a holiday? “We have to go for holiday.” Already you called it holy and you want it to be not holy. So where they take their holidays? They go to the beaches, that is for them holiday. That is holy day or holy hell? That might be pleasurely desire for Shaytan, for sure, you get pleasure from it. But what will happen to your pleasure inakhira.

So we are struggling. You have to know there is a struggle between evil and good. From the beginning of the world there is struggle between evil and good.

Sayyidina Adam has two sons: one is Cain and one is Abel (Habil and Caabil). What did Cain do? He killed his brother. For why? For dunyapleasure. He didn’t want his brother to have more sincerity, because his brother is more sincere than him he killed him. So from day one there is a struggle between good and evil.

Then Sayyidina Nuh . There was struggle trying to bring them to Allah swt. And what happened. Allah supported the good. And brought the flood. Then Sayyidina Ibrahim . What happened? Nimrud - Allah made the fire of Nimrud cool and peaceful on Ibrahim . Sayyidina `Isa , Sayyidina Musa and Sayyidina Muhammad , all of them. You have to admit that there is a struggle in our life.

Are you struggling in your life? Yes. Everyone is struggling. Even children want to struggle. What do they do? They don’t want to study. They want to be lazy. …no, no, no, no, I want to play, to have fun.

I was invited in California in Fremont, for dinner one time. And there were a lot of children. To see that we are like children. And this poor guy, opened his house and invited everyone and they brought their kids and I was giving suhbat. And there was a problem. I knew there was a problem but the host didn’t tell me there was a problem. But you can feel there is a problem. So I am bringing that example and it is not a good example.

So when we finished the dinner, I asked him. He said, "no, no it is not important.” I said, "no, tell me.” He said, "they clogged the bathroom.” I said, "Who clogged it?” He said, “I don’t know.” And people they need to make wudu and it is clogged and there is only one bathroom in the house.

So finally I said, "OK, we pray,” and everyone prayed, we prayed Isha in his house. Then I called some people and I asked them. They said, "The children clogged it.” Then I called the most troublemaker, I know him. I said, "Why they clogged the bathroom?” He said, "it is fun.” That is his answer. What did they put in it? Bottles. Filled bottles. They want to clog the bathroom so no one can use the bathroom. For them it was fun.

So this is our behavior, it is reflected in our children. So we have childrens’ characters, all of us, but we are struggling between good and evil. Our nature is made up of that. Our psychology is a struggle between good and evil. We do good, or we do evil, we don’t know which way we have to go. Everyone, everyone, don’t tell me “no!” Everyone has a complaint against someone or someone has a complaint against you, yourself. There is no one who has no complaint against the other, you will find hundreds of criticism about others and others about you.

Awliyaullah they don’t criticize unless if they are ordered. If they are ordered then yes, because then they carry your sins, they carry your problems. When they criticize you and humiliate you, with permission from their shaykhs, with permission from the Prophet , or else they will never open their mouths in order to carry your burdens. Grandshaykh may Allah bless his soul, said, " when I am angry with someone and I shout at him, I am not shouting at his soul, but I am shouting to carry all his burdens on me, I take it.”

So, but us, we are shouting at each other, because we are not awliya, we cannot do like that. So everyone has something against the other, the son against the mother, the mother against he father, the daughter against the cousin, everyone, even more than that, sometimes they go against. Every one has that problem. Shak, doubt. Sometimes Shaytan comes to your heart, "O what to believe in Allah. There is not Allah.”Haasha, may Allah forgive us. Also they go against angels, they go against jinn: “O jinn are doing to me this!” How do you know jinn are doing it? It is hallucinations. There are jinn but the Shaykh knows if there is a jinn on you or not. … it is out of their imaginations.

So the problem is that you have to behave well, you have to struggle against bad and eliminate evil from yourself and don’t doubt people, then Allah will bring you back to the positive. You were on the negative, now the needle goes back to the positive. After the needle goes all the way to the negative side, then it begins to go back and begins to move all the way to the other side, when you stop doubting people.

Don’t say, "my father is like that, my stepfather is like that. They made black magic.” Why? That is because of the shortcoming of your ego.

Why jinn? There are jinn that go along with your life and they are friendly… but when you begin hallucinating, then you begin to go into negativity in your life.

When a jinn wants to take over a person,… [addressing Omar Kone] You were there? You were running away, you were afraid. You were there? [I was upstairs] She was speaking what? [English] No I mean before. In 1990. 1990-1991, in Montreal they brought me that lady. That is a jinn yes. She was on the floor like that, and she speaks in very classical Arabic. Not everyone can speak like that and her son is …? She doesn’t know Arabic. She knows only the Somali language. And she begins to speak clear Arabic. And everyone is shaking and saying, "There is a jinn!” That is correct, that was a jinn. He was a very strong one. As soon as he begins to move, then that lady cannot move. It is only the jinn inside who is moving. Then only her tongue is able to move by her. Everyone in that room ran away, they left me alone.

I began to read what Mawlana gave to read for this, I was reading. And this jinn said, "I am going to burn you!” and I said, "I am going to burnyou!” …you are going to burn me “I am going to burn you!” So we were in struggle. But me, my energy was beginning to go down. For a little bit, I would have lost my energy. Then if that happens he will take me over as he took over her body. So don’t touch those who have jinn. Say “I cannot.” Go somewhere else.

I am saying ashhadu an la ilaha illa-Allah and she is saying, "There is no Allah!" haasha, istaghfirullah. I am reciting Qur'an and she is cursing in a man’s voice.

She was shaking and I said, "I have to recite the strongest one.” I began to recite that [special du`a] and she began to shake and shake and shake. I said, "I am not leaving you until you go out from the toe.” That is the worst for the jinn. They normally go out from the mouth or from the belly, but from the toe is the most humiliating for them. So then with Grandshaykh’s and Mawlana Shaykh’s baraka that jinn left.

So there is a struggle. We are struggling between good and evil. There are mu’min jinn, they don’t bother you. But when you bother them, they bother you.

And there are afareet, the worst kind of jinn, they are evil. They bother like that, like that lady.

So in any case, awliyaullah, Allah swt made, and dressed them from the secrets of the Prophet . The Prophet , with Allah’s permission, when he asked for helpers, Allah gave him these walis to help the Ummah and to carry the flag of the Prophet and to call people to his way, the way of the Prophet . So we are blessed. Not because we are good, but because we have been picked up to be under the guidance of these shuyukh. That is a big blessing. That is an honor. Not everyone gets that chance. Very few people get that chance to be under that manifestation of these beautiful people and the manifestation of the secrets of the Prophet on them, that they will speak from the heart of the Prophet .

And every wali speaks according to his level. Some from a lower level, some from a higher level. There is no lower there and no higher, but there is different information that comes to a wali from the heart of the Prophet and some information is more deep than for others. So that is why you have to be happy that Allah gave you that connection. Many people say, "what am I doing here, wasting my time?” Especially you there. You will hear people telling you “why are you going there? Sit in your place and do your work.” But you say, "I have to go.” Who is pulling you? Who is pulling you? You have to know the one who is pulling you wants you to be happy. Allah wants to pull you from the hands of Shaytan because He wants you to be with pious people.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

Ya ayyuhalladheena aamanoo ittaqullah wa koonoo ma` as-sadiqeen.

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). At-Tauba [9:119]

You cannot be a pious one, it is so difficult [to reach that level], but you can be with one. So they are pulling you to come. Many people don’t, they come one or two times. Then Shaytan is saying, "O stay here, don’t go. You have work here. I am… I can give you what you go there and get. I will give it to you."

You can give but that knowledge is different from that knowledge. That door is different from that one. Each has a size. If you have a door that is that small can you go through? No, that one has a door that is so wide, then you can go through as long as you are slim. But as much as it opens as much as it is better. If it is small door… the door didn’t become small, but it depends on you. As much as you are connected withdunya. It depends on how much that representative is connected. How much he is connected with dunya, if his connection is less to dunya, it is a bigger door, you can go in, you can dive in. And when you enter the ocean you are entering into Mawlana’s ocean. He is the ocean - you are not the ocean.

So don’t think you are wasting your time:

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

Wa yut`imoona ’t-ta`ama `ala hubbihi miskeenan wa yateeman wa aseera.

And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the prisoner, Al-Insan [76:8]

They fill you with food on the love, because they love to give food, for Allah’s love, for the Prophet’s love, and they offer food for them, to feed them. Allah is saying in Holy Qur'an. To whom they give food? Miskeenin wa yateeman wa aseeran - we are in these three categories, these three groups.

Miskeen. Who knows what miskeen is? Miskeen is poor, miskeen is someone who is low profile. He feels himself… bankrupted, doesn’t have anything, so he is in need for to be provided, so these… Allah for His love and for the love of His Prophet and for love of awliyaullah. He allows awliyaullah to give food to that category. The first category is miskeen. That is not the lowest category - that is the highest. So we are all in that stage of miskeen. We are in need. We are in need for that knowledge because we are all poor. We don’t find a place; we don’t have anything. That means don’t say to yourself, “I am a shaykh.” Then they don’t give you because you are Nimrud. Are you Nimrud? Who isNimrud?

Who was going to burn Sayyidina Ibrahim ? Nimrud is the one that is the biggest arrogant, like Fira`un; like Qarun who was holding all the keys, he cannot hold all the keys of his treasures - he carries them on camel and donkeys. So if you are Nimrod, if you say, “I am not miskeen I am a Shaykh,” then you are Nimrud in yourself as you are not admitting you are in need of someone higher than you. That is why Allah is telling us “don’t be Nimrud!”

Because everyone thinks he is perfect: “I am better than my mother, I know more. I am better than my father, I know more. I am better than my brother, I know more. And I am better than myself, because my self knows more than my ego!”

Struggle.

And the mother says, “I know better than the father. I know better than my child, my daughter or my son.” And the brother says the same thing, and everyone, and vice versa. Everyone of us says the same thing. The reality is that every one of us is arrogant and is a Nimrud in himself in his own character and our psychology of human nature, everyone of us is a Nimrud to himself trying to burn his good character what we inherit from Sayyidina Ibrahim , trying to inherit from Nimrud. If we inherit from Sayyidina Ibrahim , fire will become peaceful on us.

So the first level is that they know our characteristic is that we are miskeen, we don’t have anything. So what do they do? They feed you heavenly food and they feed you normal food. That normal food that you eat at such kind of gatherings is a food that is going to be healthy for you, even if it is oily Pakistani. Pakistani like to come and put too much oil on the food. Pakistanis like oily food. Even then eat it, bismillahi, because it is blessed.

Awliyaullah want to give you healthy food and they give you lot of grease and oil with it why? Because there is the taste. They want to take you through the ocean of taste. With butter and margarine and with ghee and with oil they zoom in so deep to the treasures of the oceans; there we can get your taste. So we are in that level.

So the second level is what. Allah said, "miskeenan wa yateemana” - orphans. Second level is they give food to orphans. Anyone without a mother and father is what? An orphan. Do you have a mother and a father? He has a father. You are orphan, orphan from one side.

“Orphan” here doesn’t mean I don’t have a father or mother. Orphan in the normal meaning that they explain the ayah, but the most "zoomed-in" meaning of the explanation is that "if you don’t have a guide you are an orphan." So there you need someone to give you, to take care of you, to guide you. If you are not guided you are orphan, yateem.

So first we are miskeen. So we are not in the first and lowest category which is aseer, we are not in the second one, which is orphan, so we are in the next position. We have a guide, so that one is eliminated. Because you accepted a guide and he is responsible. He is the one who is going to be asked in Day of Judgment, this is your son or daughter that you were responsible for him in dunya.

Like that one who when he died and they buried him, Ankar and Nakeer came to him and were asking him the questions of the grave. They were asking him, “Who is your creator?” Every question they asked he said, "Abdul Qadir Jilani .” He knows the answers but by saying that, it means "ask him, he is my guide to Allah swt, he is my guide to the Prophet ." It means, “I know what you want, but this is my guide, go and ask him. This my door to Prophet, this is my door to Allah, go and ask him.” So they asked Abdul Qadir Jilani and he gave them what they need to hear.

Learn. Wa yuti`moona ta`ama `Allah hubbihi, miskeenan wa yateeman wa aseera. Aseera: is the one who is a prisoner. Are we prisoners? [yes] to who? Shaytan and ego. We are prisoners to them. That is why we think our stubbornity is the best. We have to be stubborn, either my opinion or nothing else.

You don’t accept anyone else’s advice. You say, "This is the way it has to go because I decided this. I have to leave and live by myself and I have to have my own apartment; and I have to have my own job; and I have to pick whom I like.” Is it not? Abnormality became normal and normal became abnormal.

That is why the Prophet said, “there will be coming a day when whatever is haraam becomes halaal and whatever is halaal becomesharaam.” So whatever is normal for them is abnormal and whatever is abnormal becomes normal. “Because I think like that” they say. “Do you want to think like that or not?” “But what you are thinking is incorrect.” “No, no, it is correct!” Everyone wants to be independent. That is the culture. They leave their parents that brought them up with the tears of their eyes. They brought them up and they.. and at the end they kick the parents and say, “I want to live by myself.” How are you going to live by yourself? But this is what happened.

So awliyaullah say, " they are responsible and they are happy, for love of Allah and love to the Prophet and Allah put that in their heart and they are feeding those who are in necessity: yateema, miskeen and aseer: the poor, the orphan and the prisoner - prisoner in the hands of Shaytan.

Don’t tell me anything, we are not out of these three different categories. We are in them. Choose one and say which one you are. Which one you are? The lowest one. Which is the lowest one? Prisoner of Shaytan. When you are prisoner of Shaytan, it means that you are orphan also - you have no father or mother. And then if you are prisoner you are poor.

And Grandshaykh that is what he said. That was the introduction. I will quote only one quote from him. What he said

He said “Allah swt helps His servants that are under the description of these three categories by ordering the Prophet to order his helpers, the saints, awliyaullah to help people to get out from these three categories, by eliminating the four enemies that are within us, nafs, dunya, hawaand Shaytan – nafs - ego, dunya – world life; hawa - desire and Satan.

Allah gave them power to eliminate these four enemies. Although you feel these four enemies are with you but in reality they leave you to feel that, because they don’t want you to feel you are better than others. They want to keep everyone in a similar sequence. [Allahu Akbar, suhbanallah!] They keep that feeling within you but in reality these four enemies nafs, dunya, hawa, Shaytan are been chained by these guides and they have been locked and they have no power on your soul. Your soul will be in complete `ibadah and in 24 hours you are prostrating and making sajda worshipping Allah under Allah’s Throne. With that power they have been given by the Prophet these secrets. And we will explain more of that in the next session, by this quote we leave it.

Wa min Allah at-tawfeeq bi-hurmati 'l-Fatiha.

Two Birds with One Stone

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani | Saturday, Oct 18, 2008 | Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com

Suhbat

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
10-18-2008
Home of Reza

I know a doctor also and he is very clever, he did 4 years surgery, 4 years nephrology, 4 years …always he was studying. The called him to one country and he went there with the Minister of Education of royal family. And one time a very important. Guest came and they put him in same room with the doctor and he snores a lot. that doctor cannot sleep. He snores more than AH, more than AF. He snores like Beethoven, like making music, together with Mozart, all mixed together. AF, when he sleeps in our house, when he snores the whole house shakes, in California long time ago.

So the doctor cannot sleep, the house is shaking the room is shaking and it is a palace.

What he has to do? That guest is going to stay with him one week so it means we cannot work. So he came to him, the latest medication they gave to people for snoring. I will give you. That man was very happy, he said, "my wife cannot sleep in the same room, I have to sleep maybe one mile from her."

So he brought an injection and it contains numbing and he said, "I have to inject that in your nose. It will not hurt but all your snoring will be finished." He is correct the snoring will be finished for one week.

Then he gave him that injection and from pain he was so shaking. That injection went in and for one week that snoring stopped. Then it started again. He came back to the doctor and said, "I am snoring again." So the doctor said, "what can I do, I need to work." "Ok give my 100 dollars back then." "Oh it is too late."

Before two years he [Shaykh M] could not walk, we have to help him with crutches. And he was on way to see someone and they had accident. His wife died, his driver died and at that moment he saw Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, pushing him out of the car. Because he did something unacceptable.

He is Shaykh of Indonesia. He has many students alhamdulillah. First time he came to see me in Indonesia, along with some other people he doesn't have money, they had money and bought him tickets.

He is professor and he is retired. He is representing Mawlana there. Every day he is traveling. I don't know where he got that energy. He goes every from one village to another.

Why he got that accident. Not to put him down or dishonor him. But to give an example. He is representing Mawlana Shaykh.

But one time he gave me a book where there is the silsilah. Many people do that. We are all in this problem and in this sickness. That after some years of hard working and always with me and when I go there he introduce me to different people and arrange different functions, and these functions are 100000 or 500,000, not 100 people like here. Am I saying the truth or not? Yes.

So after 3 years had a book, I think Dala'il al-Khayrat, and in it is the silsilah of Naqshbandi Golden Chain. And what he did, he added my name and he added his name after it. Out of innocence. Because people in Indonesia have to go to whom? They go to him. So he added his name as the 41. awliyaullah don't like that. While the shaykh is alive you cannot do that. If someone is to be added, he will add it himself.

Today this one, his love doesn't change. However much you shout at him, his love doesn't change. But this sickness is everywhere. As soon as they have been told you can represent and do dhikr they become the calipha and their name is after Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. So for that, he got that accident. They saved him,...

After that he is so… he is a professor. You know what is professor? Many many years in university. He knows all the politicians and everyone there. And thousands of students. He is very humble. He goes from one island to another, one island to another. They have 22,000 islands. He visited I think 5000 islands, everywhere.

You know when Aceh was hit by the tsunami, and the only masjids saved was Naqshbandi masjids. That one they always show is a Naqshbandi masjid. And the village they go, Xamhoori, that one was saved.

I am coming through here on the way to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, when you go there, I used to go with Mawlana Shaykh. Last time was 2001. When you go from the airport, if there is an event when you go from the home to the masjid... you have to do it in Indonesia.

So what they have in Sri Lanka, next time [do it] in Indonesia. It is not 10,000. 10,000 is nothing. 50,000 at least. From the house where Mawlana Shaykh is going to pass to the mosque, might be 10 miles far, they bring a horse or a truck and they put a huge chair in the truck and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim is not facing straight forward but facing the back to people behind the truck and like an ocean of human beings, behind the truck and all with takbir and Mawlana waving to the people until he reaches the mosque. There he goes inside and makes whatever he wants to make of dhikr and suhbat and then at the end they want to make baya`. We didn't do this in Indonesia. I saw Indonesia dangerous for baraka they tear you apart. There we do the way of raising the hands. They raise their hands and take baya`, 50,000, 20,000 people.

Not in Sri Lanka - they use ropes - they throw ropes from one place to another and people holding the ropes and then Mawlana is holding in his hands hundreds of ropes and he gives baya`.


One time he was in Pakistan in `Ali al-Hujwiri's Mosque and the police were arranging for him to come and there were 100s of thousands. And Mawlana went into the maqam of `Ali al-Hujwiri but it was on microphones so everyone heard it. And then he has to go back out. There, there are people like sand in the desert and they are going to rip Mawlana apart. What to do to get Mawlana out, even security can do nothing. There was a window in the back of the maqam and they told him to climb on their backs and to get out the window. Mawlana went out the window and escaped in a car. And the people were thinking Mawlana is still in there and they are pushing to get in.

Audhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem
Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum

I… many times now, since the last some years ago, I said it and I will repeat it. I felt that ego can trick you in every moment in your life. And it is very difficult to make sure that you can stop your ego from not tricking you. Everyone, including all of us, there are weak points in our lives that ego can come through and tricks human being. It means Shaytan, because Allah is in heart of human beings, as the Prophet (s) mentioned his hadith that He made a place for Shaytan in the heart. Therefore don't say "I am clean!" No you are not. Shaytan can enter. Allah has given him that possibility, Allah gave him the possibility to approach. That is why when you hear gossips in your mind - things that are not related to Shariah or tariqah - know that Shaytan is there playing with you.

There is a space there fill it, `Ali!

Professor are you there? Sleeping? He cannot hear anymore he needs to be very near. Omar Kone you hided yourself completely.

Sahib take your turban so we can see him.


A`udhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem

Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem

Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum

So as much as you are more and more in tariqah, you can understand more the tricks of the ego. And everyone of us his ego, or her ego tricks that person. Because there are weak points, there are points in the heart or in yourself that are vulnerable, they say, to attack. It is like gravity points. Gravity points, you are going down a hill and you make a wrong move inclination what happens to the car. It tips off, flips over. Because all arrows when you are playing with these arrows to throw in the middle of the center, you try to get in the middle of the center you don't try to get it around. So Shaytan wants to get it in the middle in order to flip you. Many different tricks that will happen. And they know how to come. Allah swt gave them a place for us to understand how much we are vulnerable. What you need? You need an alarm system. Alarm system protects you from thieves. They try to come to your home and immediately the alarm system will send message to station and immediately the police will come.

Do we have an alarm system in our hearts to tell us that Shaytan is coming in? Yes, of course. But we are not using it.

Whenever something comes, weigh it according to Shariah. Or weigh it according to the state of excellence, Maqam al-Ihsan. You are tariqah people. So you are saying we are following tariqah you must follow the Maqam al-Ihsan. Then you will be saved. You will be struggling but you will be saved.

So since all of us are under these attacks from Shaytan and Allah swt gave us a way out of it by following His obedience and obeying His Prophet and obeying those who are in authority, then we will be able to avoid what Shaytan is trying to do.

When you look at this picture that is on the wall, it is a picture of Ka`bah, and you see all these people facing what? All of them are facing Ka`bah from all directions. So their concentration is where? Their focus is where? On the Ka`bah. Their focus is on rida'ullah, Allah's satisfaction and pleasure. They go there, look all of them wearing white, they go there and still they are struggling there. But their focus is on Ka`bah. We don't say Shaytan will not go there but they are struggling there.

You have to know there is Ka`bah in the heart. That is why the Holy Prophet (s) revealed that hadith to us from Allah swt, that "the heart of the believer is the House of Allah." You don't want the House of Allah in your heart to be dirty. You have to keep cleaning it.

In previous time they used to clean the Ka`bah. And they still do that 2 times a year. In Ottoman times they used to open it once a week and they clean it with very concentrated rose water. The caliph will come crawling on his chest and clean it with rose water and then standing and praying 2 raka`ats.

Also in Madinat al-munawwara they go from Bab at-Tawbah, they go with rose water and the emperor himself or if he is not in Madina he sends someone representing him and they go on their chest and they clean the floor of the grave of the Prophet (s) and they go on their chest out of respect. And they don't stand up sweeping. No they are crawling and they go out backwards. And if the caliph is not there he sends the imam of the masjid and after cleaning the Rawdah then he goes to do Jumu`ah.

So that is the sign we have to clean our hearts with what? With rose water. As much as concentrated as much as it is affective. Some people might dilute it with water so it has no more smell. Then it is kindergarten. When it is no longer dilute then it is becoming professional incense.

So people today, we come back to that issue. They are not paying attention to all that. They are only paying attention to how to work and make money and build their lives. That is ok, but as you are doing that you must also do something for your akhira. If you don't do that for akhira it means you are still running around the bushes.

Now those who are following the madhahib al-arba` the different schools of thought. Today Azhar of Egypt said that 8 schools of thought are acceptable. Eight schools of thought. First Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i, Hanbali, Ja`fari, Zaydi? and one more I am not recalling right now.

These schools of thought are eight. How Grandshaykh described them? Because all of us are following one of them. You choose one and you are following it. Either you are following Maliki or Hanafi or Ja`fari or Zaydi.

There is one more, I am trying to remember.

So how to describe them? That is why I said we are going around the bushes. He said an example is that you have creature on top of a mountain and you don't know what kind of creature is that. You know there is a creature there something there up, a living creature. A human being an animal a giraffe, a cow a goat, there is something there. An you are looking from the bottom of the mountain and it is very high mountain and you cannot see except there is something moving. And you are saying that is a creature.

What is that? It is a creature. Let us say a sheep, take an example, as Grandshaykh took the example. Take the lamb it is not wild. Goats are a bit wild they go everywhere.

So you know there is a sheep there you can see there is a creature but you don't the size of his ears you don't know the color his eyes and you don't know this and that, describing him.

Might be a goat. Can you distinguish to tell if it is a goat or sheep. Might be Himalayan mountain. Do you want to go up to see.

So he said, "schools of thought are like that. They know there is a creature there, but they describe in the way they think about it." But today there are advanced methods that can take you up to show you what that is. That is why awliya today take you up and show you the animal and can tell you what kind of eyes, what kind of ears and all specifics.

He said schools of thought are like that. Therefore Shariah can be stretched. And the Prophet (s) said, "The different in [schools of thought] is mercy" it gives wider way to find a solution for your problem. He said, "all of them are describing that animal but they don't know what is that animal." He said, awliyaullah are different they go up the mountain and they see the animal. The hold the ears and they hold the eyes and they hold the leg and they hold the tongue. Then they give you a full description of that animal.

That is why as they are ascending they are bringing a detailed description from their connection with the Holy Prophet (s).

So the bases are the same for that description. The branches of the tree, and the leaves, they can give you how many there are and how many blossoms there are and how many fruits there are on that tree, how many apples are red, how many are bright red, how many are bright red and not only that the will give you every apple its taste and they will tell you "you want the ripe one?", "you want the sour one?", "you want the sweet one?" with the taste.

That is different between scholars of taste and the scholars of books - there is a huge difference. That is why these awliya as they are ascending with the Prophet (s) he is giving from his knowledge as he is ascending in every moment and they are giving that knowledge to their students.

That is why it is a danger to call yourself a shaykh. Because are we ascending? No. so how can we call ourselves a shaykh when we are not ascending. They are ascending they are going up they are giving that knowledge. They know best.

So I am repeating what I was saying before, that when you go into understanding these differences and levels between what they say and what you say is like one speaking from higher than a professor and someone speaking from kindergarten. So which one you have to listen to? The one who is the kindergarten teacher. Might be has pampers also. So he is teacher for children too much headache, he reflects his pampers to their pampers and he has bigger pampers.

So awliyaullah as described in holy Qur'an,

أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Alaa inna awliyaullahi la khawfun `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon

Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve; [10:62]

So which one we have to listen? To listen to them or to listen to us? We have to listen to them is it not.

So that is why, Grandshaykh before he left, he said, "Whenever you want to address people open my notes and read from it and explain. That is as if you are throwing a stone and hitting two birds. With one stone you hit two birds. First you hit your own bird, that means your arrogance and your ego, and then you hit those who are listening to hear what Grandshaykh said or what Mawlana Shaykh said. By this way it will take away the arrogance that comes to your heart thinking you speak from your own information that comes, knowledge. Or as if "O I am getting from the heart of my shaykh to you directly." That is a sickness as we want to show to people we are the shaykh and we are the calipha. And we are falling into this category and that is why I am repeating it many times. I feel we are all like that. So better no, open and read one line, they open to you at that time. But it shows they don't open if you are not reading from what they are saying to you to show them humility and to show I am knocking at your door, "O Mawlana, O my shaykh. I am knocking at your door.

So people when they see you looking on a notebook of Grandshaykh lecture may Allah bless his soul, or they look at notebook of Mawlana Shaykh lecture. They say, "O they are the same. And your ego you will be hitting it not with a bullet but with a cannon. And hitting it in the target's center the weak point. That will bring the ego down.

I am not saying form myself, I am saying from Grandshaykh. That is what it says, open and read. So I am telling many people today, take from Grandshaykh books or from Mawlana's books or whatever books are available that can take from their secrets and give a taste to give to you, like my books or Shaykh Adnan's books that explain to you from their teaching.

So your taste is like the bakery where they have all these nice sweets and he is new chef, he puts salt in it instead of sugar. You never drank coffee with salt or tea? Did you ever drank something like that? By chance many times. People make the mistake between salt and sugar. So adab what you have to do? If it is salty you drink it and say, masha-Allah it is the best tea. It is bad adab to say "this is salty." What do we do usually. We humiliate the owner of the house and say, "this is salty." The owner of the house gets humiliated. If it is salty it is because you are salty. They sent it to you to know that you are like that.

Say, "O that is the best tea, how you did it"? Then owner of the house will not realize he made mistake. No, why to show that and make him upset. No "bismillahi." [and drink]

Everything tasteful or not, it fills the stomach, it doesn't mean anything any more - it is gone.

So that is why it is important to open Grandshaykh's notes or Mawlana Shaykh's notes and read one line and explain.

That is why he said, "The head of every lecture is as we said yesterday, Audhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum.

The head of every `amal is Audhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem .

The head of every advice is Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum.

Because the amal, why is it Audhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem because already you heard the advice and you want to execute it to obedience so amal comes so already you are in obedience. So what you need to say? But in the advice you are still at the point where you might do the `amal or not. It is advice.

So advice starts with "Obey Allah, obey the Prophet and those in authority among you."

Then when that moves in side your heart what happens the pot when it is boiling what happens, the top begins to shake. So when your heart begins to shake to do good `amal what happens. You begin to the work. So you say Audhu billah min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.

So what is in that? All ma'mooraat and all manhiyat. All that all ordered us to do and all that Allah has forbidden is in that word: Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum.

There are 500 commands and 800 forbiddens and they are all in these 9 words, Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum.

And obey those who are in authority. As they are top of you they teach you obedience of Allah and of prophet. When that enters in your heat you will be called real immigrant. Real immigrant is not when one moves from one country to anther. Real immigrant is when you move from listening to Shaytan to listening to Allah and his prophet. That is al-muhajir al-haqiqi. The muhajir from falsehood to truth. From injustice to justice. From love of self to love of Allah and His Prophet.

So that is the real immigrant.

Let us ask ourselves are we immigrants or not yet? We are struggling to be immigrants. Your presence here from everywhere is a sign of immigration. You are asking asylum now. Why they ask asylum. Because they don't want to be slaughtered or killed in their countries. The come to another country and ask asylum. You don't want your self to be killed or slaughtered by Shaytan and we are coming asking asylum from Allah and his prophet. We are putting our paper and our petition to ask them to come to their territory to their presence. So you have already tried to find a shelter that takes them inside and save them from the tyranny of leadership of Shaytan. Because our hearts in our heart there is the leadership of Shaytan that is trying to take over. We are coming from every direction and that is why don't think you are not rewarded for it. You are rewarded for it. You are blessed fro it. People coming from here and people coming from there not coming for any reward. Only asking for asylum ticket.

When you get that then you will be a resident. You will be resident in Allah hospitality and prophet's hospitality. Do you want that hospital? Yes!

Or you want to be in hospitality of Shaytan.

Os that is a sign we are in. that is the real immigrant. That is the real explanation of an immigrant that left the leadership of Shaytan and realized there is no safety and no safe have except to be in the presence of Allah and his prophet. So we are saying, Ya rabbee give us a foot inside.

That is why he said in holy hadith that he revealed to prophet and prophet revealed to us. If My servant comes to me one hand I come to him one arm. I come to him longer distance. Who comes to me walking I come to him running. So only come to him walking Allah comes to you running.

He didn't say how fast to go, per hour. Allah doesn't need "per hour". Kun fayakoon. In one instant you will be there. But you have to be show … so the most dangerous is not the sheep it is the shepherd. So don't try to be a shepherd. We are sheep and Mawlana is the shepherd. He is responsible. When they ask us, what are we going to say?

When Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani's mureedpassed away and they took his soul the two angels come to ask him in the grave: "Who is your Lord?" "Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani ." "Who is your messenger?" "Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani ." "Who is your book?" "Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani ." "What is your religion?" "Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani ." Said, ", "What is that, that is kufr? That is not accepted Islamically. Take him to hell. That person is top of the list: mushrik, kafir take him to hell!"

As soon as they decided that Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani appeared. He said, "when you asked him 'who is your Lord?' he said, 'Abdul Qadir Jilani .' And if you grind him to pieces he will say Abdul Qadir Jilani . You have to ask me. He is a lover in my tariqah, so you must ask me." And Allah said to the angels, "leave him. That person is migrating to Allah and His Prophet (s)." He didn't see he is on the road to reach there.

When Sayyidina `Ali's son and Sayyidina `Umar's son were fighting with each other one time. They were saying, "O my father is better than your father." That is nice argument. Because everyone argues. Even from Sahaba. So Sayyidina `Umar (r) had died by then. And that story came to Sayyidina `Ali (r). And he called them and said, "Ankar and Nakeer has one eye missing. He has one eye and the other eye is gone. Why?"

He is telling them the power of Sayyidina `Umar (r), that when Sayyidina `Umar (r) left this dunya, that is why it is important. We don't know what we will answer at that time. So what to do? Do like Sayyida Rabi`a: Repent istaghfirullah. Don't say "I am a shaykh, I am a shaykh. I am a mureed." No say, "I am garbage!" Say, "I am a dump." Then what happens. He is a dump, he is garbage. People will leave you, they won't ask you anything.

Better than to say, "I am a shaykh." Then they will ask all kinds of question and they will find all kinds of details.

They tell you don't go in that minefield because there are a lot of mines there. And we have all kinds of minds in ourselves and we don't have the plan that where are those minds.

So it is better to be a dump and to be dumb. Deaf, blind dumb. We don't hear and we don't see. And we don't talk also.

So the two angels came to Sayyidina `Umar (r) after everyone left and they asked him in his holy grave: "Who is your Lord? Who is your book? Who is your prophet? What is your religion?" He said, "I am not hearing, can you approach?" How he is not hearing? So they approached him. So they asked him another time? "Who is your Lord? Who is your book? Who is your prophet? What is your religion?" He said another time, "I am not hearing approach."

Said, "Ok. Who is your Lord?" He said, "I am hearing." "Who is your book?" "I am hearing." "Who is your prophet?" "I am hearing." "What is your religion." "I am hearing."

Then he said, "I am hearing. Before I answer, can I ask one question?" They said, "why not?" He said, "From how far are you coming?" They said, "We are coming from the heavens that is a huge long distance." And he looked at them and he punched them. He said, "You are coming from such a long distance and you don't know who is your Lord and who is your prophet, and I am coming from five minutes distance and you are asking me? I am just coming from the presence of the Prophet (s)."

So that time the son of Sayyidina `Ali (r) said, "I accept. Your father was greater."

So that is why you see one of them has one eye is missing. And Grandshaykh said, "When you die and they come to you, you will see one has an eye missing. Remind him at that time of the incident with Sayyidina `Umar (r)."
Wa min Allah at-tawfeeq bi-hurmati 'l-Fatiha.

Who is the King?

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani ar-Rabbani qs
Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 | Upper Saddle River, NJ US
SufiLive.com

Allah Allah Allah allah subhanaallah,
Allah Allah Allah allah Kareemallah,
Allah Allah Allah allah sultanallah,

Liman al-mulk al-yawm lillahil-wahid al-qahaar.
Al-yawm tujza kullu nafsan ma kasabat..sari al-hisab.

That is why we say, "There is no malik, there is no king and no president." "There is this or that."

There is no one. When Allah swt orders Sayyidina Israfil to blow in the trumpet, then everyone dies and Allah by Himself to Himself from His Unknown undescribable level, Allah knows where, Allah says, "Liman al-mulk al-yawm - to whom is the kingdom this day?" Which kingdom?

Allah said, "liman al-mulk al-yawm.” Are you hearing? "To whom is the kingdom today?" He answered by Himself, to Himself, "To Allah the One," To the Unique One that has no partner, the Majestic One, the One that under His command is everything.

There is no at that time a king. But which kingdom? To him is the kingdom today. Which kingdom? Earth? If it is earth Allah is poor. Istaghfirullah.

The whole creation [is His kingdom]. Because everyone will disappear, finish, from Sayyidina Jibreel to all of them, when Israfil will blow in the trumpet, everyone will die. Except Israfil, when Allah orders him to die, he dies also. That is not just earthly kingdom. That is the universe that has no beginning and no end. To Allah this universe has a beginning and an end, but to us it is huge, wherever you go you are moving in it.

Did you check it? The map of the universe. Go check. Check how much, we think that when we look, "yartadu ilayka al-basaru khasiyan wa huwa haseer - We look up and your vision will come back to you disappointed, " when you look up at these stars. People say they know everything, what do they know, they know noting. Kulli shayin indahu bil miqdaar -Everything to Him has an estimate."

Bil miqdaar. It is a little bit. It means He gave to people a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. He didn’t give them everything. He only gave one everything: Sayyidina Muhammad.

Allah says "To whom is the kingdom today?" I created them for you but you didn’t deserve it, that is why I am going to dissolve it completely. Yawma tubadala al-ardu ghayra al-ard, was-samawat. The day that comes that the earth will be change to a different earth, to a different place and the heavens will be changed, will be transformed. Allah changes them. At that time, it means everything is new. And you will be new, is it not? Everyone will be new.

When Allah swt sends that rain that enters in every bone, the coccyx of the human being, as soon as it enter that person appears. You know that hadith of the Prophet (s) that Allah will shower on earth sperm that will go up 70 yards above earth. Above earth where? This earth is round, so it means above earth from every side. And every drop of rain knows its owner and it has to go and search for that coccyx that bone that never dies and enter in it.

The Prophet (s) said, that “ Adam will disintegrate completely except for one small bone the coccyx that will be living.” How does that small bone know? Take now and write everyone’s name on a small piece of paper an put them in a glass. Can you pick up your name. You have 1000 names there. Might be probability to pick your name there of 1/10000, but it is nearly impossible. How that sperm knows its owner, it has to go to its coccyx its bone to bring us up back. When that clean rain comes and it has clean drops that enter in the coccyx and enter and create a new body, is that body clean or not? Then what is Allah swt going to judge us with. That is why He said to Muhammad, "Ya Muhammad I will create an Ummah for you that never gets tired of making sins and I am a Lord that never gets tired of forgiving them. For your sake."

Look at us today. Are we committing sins or not, every moment? When we say "Allahu Akbar," [to begin prayers] how many gossips come to our heart. Too many. Count them. You cannot.

You cannot count them, even in the prayer. And we come and we are jabbabira, tyrants to ourselves. Tyrants to others and tyrants to ourselves. This one cheat this one, this one conspires against that one, this one backbite hat one, and this one … full. And we come and at the end and say what is the benefit? But we have to do it. Like it or don’t like it you have to pray five prayers, "In spite of your nose - raghman `an anfik", or you have to pray them in hellfire. The foot on top of your head and you have to pray them. You are obliged to pray them. People come and complain, " my son is not praying." After you spoiled him how do you complain? How is he going to pray? People say, "my daughter is not praying." Then we think we are big awliya. Everyone with long beard and

The problem is not here. The problem is that is all easy. But the problem is when we are going to be in front of Allah and He is asking us. "Faman yamal mithqaala dharratin sharran yarah - whoerever has done an atom's weight of evil will see it."

Whoever will do an atom of good, he will see good and whomever does an atom of bad He will bring it back for you.

Allah can bring the seed of mustard, mithqaala khardala from the depths of seven earths. If it is under 7 earths Allah will bring it up.

How much Allah will bring our sins up. Are we thinking chief? No. all of us. Allah said, "fa dhakkir fa inna adh-dhikra tanfa al-mumineen - The believers get benefit by being reminded. We are not coming and saying to threat people but we are all in the same problem. But we are under a huge problem. Are we going to be in paradise or are we going to be in hellfire?

Anyone of us. Take an example of himself or herself. Ask yourself, "Am I going to go to paradise with my `amal?" No, no way. That his why when the Prophet (s) had a concern, a big concern: “Ya rabbee, what about my Ummah, what about my Ummah!” And this is where Allah is speaking to the Prophet (s) and this is where awliyaullah get the secrets and give them to their followers. May Allah bless Grandshaykh and may Allah bless Mawlana Shaykh!

And I heard it from Grandshaykh, 40 years ago, the Prophet (s) is saying, “Ya Rabbee, my nation?” Who is Ummat an-Nabi (s)? Ummat an-Nabi (s) is everything that Allah swt created for Sayyidina Muhammad. Everyone that Allah created. Who is everyone? Jinn, ins, angels.

Ha, if we want to go deep in the meaning. If we want to be superficial we say human beings and jinn. But if we want to go deeper we say all that has been created. Even in heavens. They are Ummat an-Nabi (s). But they are different levels. The Prophet (s) was concerned about those who make sins. Who makes sins? Human beings. The Prophet (s) will ask, “what about them?” “Ah, don’t worry about them. When I sent them to earth in grave, what happened to them?” They are gone, they disappeared in the grave. You open the earth of the grave later and they are gone. Allah is cleaning them. That is why anything is considered dirty you have to wash your hand with dirt, turab. That is why when you touch the saliva of the dog you have to wash six times and seventh with dirt.

So that means earth cleans everything. Then it is cleaning process in the grave, either it is rawdatan min riyad al-janmah, paradise in the grave or hufran min hufr alniran, a ditch of fire. There everyone will be cleaned. Who will be clean? Awliyaullah. Not us. That is why when you open the gave of someone they find the body as it was. Did you see that? No. I saw one and I heard about many.

Imam al-Jazuli who wrote Dala’il al-Khayrat, died in Fez in Morocco. After 100 years they want to move him to Marrakech. They opened the grave and found him as if he had been buried today. They moved him and he was fresh, his cheeks like he was buried today.

That one is guaranteed. Can we guarantee ourselves?

In Singapore, they wanted to open a highway and there is in the way a big grave of a wali – Habib Noh. Whatever they want to take way that grave they cannot. So what did they do? They moved the highway. They make the highway go around the grave and it used to be ocean. They cannot go straight. It is very well-known road in Singapore.

The one I saw, I will not discuss now, it is in Damascus.

So we cannot guarantee ourselves. It is a cleaning there. There you will wish, “Ya Rabbee, I wish You can send me back. Irjinee `amal saalihan.” “ No,” Allah says, “finished.” So when He brings us back on the Resurrection Day He bring you back with a new body, a body that is clean because it has been created another time.

That is why Grandshaykh said, "These secrets are opened from the Prophet (s) that when Allah creates us back on Resurrection Day then they have to be clean. They cannot be in front of Allah and in front of His Prophet (s) dirty. How they can be and Allah calling all His servants? Can you be dirty?

Why when you go to pray do you make ablution? To be clean. And awliyaullah say you have to make ghusl even. They go higher, in order to be more clean. How are you going to be in Resurrection Day, not clean? That is a little bit if we use our mind, and the heart can go even higher.

I go to see a president, or a minister or you go to be hired in a company what do you do? You dress nicely and Pakistanis, they die their beard if they have a beard to look younger.

Ganghis is that correct? [yes] and not only Pakistanis, everyone. Arabs, they shave completely they have no beard. Go see them in Arab countries. Very few have beard but not everyone. Ladies fill their hands from top to bottom with jewelry and they are khaskhash, ringing in order to get a job.

They go clean. What do you think about us, in presence Of Allah and in presence of the Prophet (s)? Do you think you are not going to be clean there. And Grandshaykh said how are you not going to be clean, If you ask about the judgment, when Allah said, "faman yamal mithqala dharra… that judgment has already been done. That is not going to be done on Judgment Day. Already when Allah created you he judged you. For him there is no past, present, future for Him everything is present. When He created you He knew what you are going to do. That is why He said to the Prophet (s) in day of ascension, because Allah has already judged His servants, [He says to the Prophet (s):] “I gave them you. You do what you want I gave you shafa`a.”

That is why Allah said this is a blessed Ummah, ummatan marhooma. Allah has dressed this Ummah. Allah does not accept that the Prophet (s) will be with wild animal. Allah will take our wild chars and build us up in the grave. We are going back to Allah that soul is clean. That soul is struggling inside us. That is why when you do something wrong you get a sense of guilt; “O that is wrong. Repent, repent, repent.”

Who is telling us to repent? It is a struggle between the soul and the body. There is a big struggle there. The soul is clean you don’t need to clean it anymore. We are to Allah and to Allah we go back. Can a soul back dirty. When Azraeel is taking a soul, everything on it is cleaned. When it goes up in hands of Azraeel it is clean. That is why Allah swt wants to show His servants that “you are My subjects. You are My servants and you are My slaves. I own you. Don’t say you can own people, except Me.”

These tyrants on earth, whatever you want to call them of different political levels, everyone of them is a tyrant on these levels and on others. That is why he says, liman al-mulk al-yawm. Which king can stand up?. Which president can stand up?

What do they do in these debates? “My plan is this and my plan is that.” What is that ‘I’? It is the self. Everyone wants to say “I am better.” We are like that. We have to take example from what we see. We say, “I”, “I”, “I”, children say to their parents “I”, “I”, “I”, “me”, “me”, “me”, “what do you know you are awkward, look at your beard it is white already. You want to give me advice?”

“They have the guts,” we say in English to say to their parents like that. And their parents feel bad, they raised their children and paid money and they come and speak to them like that. If the father gets sad from the son telling him what to do, what do you think about the Prophet (s), from his Ummah? What do you think about Allah from His servants.

That is why Allah doesn’t look. Inna ad-dunya la tazin `inda-Allah janaaha ba`ooda – In Allah’s view, this world doesn’t way the weight of a mosquito’s wing. [He say,] "I give them to you I don’t want to deal with them. They are…” I don’t want to say worse.

“I raised them up on land and sea, wa hamalna hum fil barri wal-bahr. Take them and do what you want. I gave You have shafa`a.

That is why the Prophet (s) said, "I will go and make sajda and make du`a that Allah never opened to me even in barzakh. I will make du`a and du`a and du`a.”

What kind of du`a? Some people read the al-ad`iya al-mathura those du`a that the Prophet (s) taught the Sahaba. You can read it. But the Prophet (s) said, "Allah will open to my heart du`a that never been opened before.” How are the letters of these du`as. It might be like alim lam mim, kah ha ya ayn sad. It might be like these letters that we cannot understand their secrets that Allah will open to the Prophet (s). It might be infinite numbers of these words that have meanings but we cannot understand the meaning. But the Prophet (s) will understand and Allah will open the secret. And then Allah will say, “Enough!” to the Prophet (s), “raise you head and ask!” He asks, “give me my Ummah!” And Allah gives him one third.

And the Prophet (s) doesn’t stop. He goes into sajda for the second time. How long will be the sajda of the Prophet (s), we don’t know. Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam went into sajda for 40 years. Then Allah swt will open to his heart du`as that never been opened before. And then … at the end Allah will say, "take all of them except one.” Who is that one? That is the worst one. Then Allah says, “I am better than My Prophet (s). Even that one, I give him to Paradise.”

That is why the Prophet (s) said, "Allah gave me ummatan marhooma – a blessed Ummah. May Allah bless us and keep us always in presence of the Prophet (s) and in presence of awliyaullah. We don’t know the value of awliyaullah until we die. Then we know how much they have brought us near to the Prophet (s). Now we don’t know. Now our eyes are blocked we cannot see.

We hear about awliyaullah that they say this and they say that. We read books and they say this and say that. Why do we read books? There is no fresh knowledge in them. Where is the fresh knowledge. Why, [do you think] awliyaullah are finished? That they no more exist? Allah said: Ala inna awliyaullha la khawfan `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon.

And the hadith: awliyaee tahta qibaabee la ya`lamahum ghayree.

The Prophet (s) mentioned in many hadith about abdal, what about the substitutes. Where are they? They don’t have new knowledge. Is not the Prophet (s) ascending in his knowledge every moment. Because Allah is the Creator, in every moment He is creating,. You cannot say that He stopped creating or He is not a creator. And He is creating new knowledge all the time and time and revealing them and much of that will not come until Mahdi’s time. Awliyaullah are there and they get fresh knowledge from heart of the Prophet (s).

But we have to find them. But if we say, "we are busy; we have work”, them you are chaining yourself, not to sit with them. Their presence gives you the ability to ascend within your heart in higher levels of knowledge. Look what Grandshaykh brought of knowledge - we throw some words of it, it makes us strong. We never heard anything like that except from Grandshaykh and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. How many books we read and we never found what Grandshaykh said and Mawlana Shaykh said in a book. Now these knowledges are there but they are hidden. Ignorance must grow. Jahiliyya – ignorance - must grow and it is growing. It is growing and growing and growing. Sayyidina Mahdi will not come until complete jahiliyya covers this earth.

May Allah bless for sake of Sayyidina Muhammad. Bi-hurmati 'l-Fatiha.

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

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.

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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