Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Snippets of Advice
Do not frown
13th December 2010
A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem
Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem
Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt
- Even if we stood up each time Rasulullah’s (saw) name is mentioned, we would not have given him, his due respect. Whenever the Holy Name of Rasulullah (saw) was mentioned, Sultan Mehmet from the Ottoman Empire, the one who built the six-minaret Sultan Ahmad Mosque in Istanbul (also known as the Blue Mosque), used to stand up on his Throne, as a sign of respect. Look at how much the olden day Kings and Sultans used to honour Rasulullah (saw)! Nowadays, Presidents and Kings show no respect or manners towards Rasulullah (saw); one who behaves without reverence to the Holy Prophet (saw) has no dignity and no religion, they are called tyrants by Allah in the Holy Qur’an
- In the Qur’an, the Bani Israel (Jews) were ordered to enter a land ruled by tyrants and to overcome them. Afraid of the powerful tyrants ruling that city, they refused to obey their Lord’s Command. Instead, they mocked Sayyidina Musa (as) and told him and his brother, Sayyidina Haroon (as), to do it themselves with their Lord’s help, and they would stand and watch (without helping them). Allah punished them, by exiling them to wander in the desert for forty years.
وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ جَعَلَ فِيكُمۡ أَنۢبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُم مُّلُوكً۬ا وَءَاتَٮٰكُم مَّا لَمۡ يُؤۡتِ أَحَدً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٢٠) يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ ٱلۡمُقَدَّسَةَ ٱلَّتِى كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ وَلَا تَرۡتَدُّواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَدۡبَارِكُمۡ فَتَنقَلِبُواْ خَـٰسِرِينَ (٢١) قَالُواْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّ فِيہَا قَوۡمً۬ا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَن نَّدۡخُلَهَا حَتَّىٰ يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنۡهَا فَإِن يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنۡهَا فَإِنَّا دَٲخِلُونَ (٢٢) قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡہِمَا ٱدۡخُلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلۡبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلۡتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمۡ غَـٰلِبُونَۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوٓاْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ (٢٣) قَالُواْ يَـٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّا لَن نَّدۡخُلَهَآ أَبَدً۬ا مَّا دَامُواْ فِيهَاۖ فَٱذۡهَبۡ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَـٰتِلَآ إِنَّا هَـٰهُنَا قَـٰعِدُونَ (٢٤)قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى لَآ أَمۡلِكُ إِلَّا نَفۡسِى وَأَخِىۖ فَٱفۡرُقۡ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِينَ (٢٥) قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيۡہِمۡۛ أَرۡبَعِينَ سَنَةً۬ۛ يَتِيهُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ فَلَا تَأۡسَ عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِينَ
Remember Moses said to his people: “O my people! call in remembrance the favour of Allah unto you when He produced prophets among you made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. (20) “O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin.” (21)They said: “O Moses! in this land are a people of exceeding strength: never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave, then shall we enter.” (22) (But) among (their) God-fearing men were two on whom Allah had bestowed His grace: they said: “Assault them at the (proper) Gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours. but on Allah put your trust if ye have faith.” (23) They said: O “Moses! while they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy Lord and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch).” (24) He said: “O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my bother. so separate us from this rebellious people!” (25) Allah said: “Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years; in distraction will they wander through the land: but sorrow thou not over these rebellious people.” (26) (Quran 5:20-26)
- In the Verses above, the phrase,
فِيہَا قَوۡمً۬ا جَبَّارِينَ
‘in this land are a people of exceeding strength’
refers to a nation of tyrants (people of exceeding strength). The blessed meanings of the Holy Qur’an are relevant for all time, so tyrants will always continue to exist in this world, it will never be free of tyrants, until the coming of Imam Mahdi (as). The world has been invaded by powerful tyrants, you can see them everywhere today, from East to West, and from North to South, they control the whole world.
- We too, have become tyrants to ourselves, and so, like the Jews in the Verses above, we have been commanded to fight the tyranny and evil that comes from our own egos. Maulana then prayed to be protected from the being under the hegemony of his ego.
- It is the faith in one’s heart that makes one shower honour upon Rasulullah (saw). Allah says in the Holy Quran,
وَرَفَعۡنَا لَكَ ذِكۡرَكَ
And (We have) raised (the remembrance of your name, Oh Muhammad) high.(Quran 94:4)
- The Wahhabis always object to those who praise and glorify the Prophet (saw). In the Verse above, it is Allah Almighty Himself who is praising Rasulullah (saw)! Have the Wahhabis no faith and manners towards our Prophet (saw)? Have they no shame and no understanding of religion, that they belittle and disregard Rasulullah (saw)? It is completely illogical that Wahhabis wish to demean the One who has been raised and praised by Allah Almighty! How can any human being with a mind, not acknowledge he who has been raised high by Allah? Maulana is amazed and astonished that such people exist – he labels them mindless and faithless ones.
- A tyrant is one who objects to Divine orders, he is one who does not understand his place in the scheme of things. There are tyrants even in the Haramain (Makkah and Medina) today. These tyrants in Islam have abolished the verse Muhammadur Rasulullah in their mosques, they only write La ila ha illallah. What is the intention behind such an act? The pride in the heart of these tyrants prevents them from acknowledging the high status of Rasulullah (saw).
- Maulana then prayed for the lady believers who were visiting him. He beseeched Allah to raise their levels and to increase their lights, and for Allah to increase their good actions and charity. Maulana prayed, that on Judgement Day, they be brought under the flag of Rasulullah (saw), for that was the highest honour for them.
- Maulana then prayed for Allah to further increase Rasulullah’s (saw) honour. It was only by his blessings that the sky brings forth rain, and from that blessed rain, humans can survive and live on this earth. All creation exists only due to Rasulullah’s (saw) honour, and the creation is always glorifying their Lord, and are constantly giving their highest respects to Rasulullah (saw). Maulana concluded the doa, by asking Allah never to remove from our hearts, the respect and the love for our Prophet (saw), and the yearning to be with him.
- Maulana said that the greater one’s love for Rasulullah (saw), the greater the strength of faith in one’s heart. So strive to increase your love and respect for Rasulullah (saw) – that will increase your faith, your lights, and your Stations.
- One of the lady attendees asked a question concerning the following Verse of the Quran,
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ. أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ
He frowned and turned away. (1) Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting). (2) (Quran 80:1-2)
She asked if the Prophet (saw) had expressed displeasure on his face when interrupted by the blind seeker, as some Muslim Scholars wish to point out a defect in the Prophet’s (saw) conduct by quoting this Verse. Maulana says, that is an utterly wrong interpretation. This Verse, though addressed to the Prophet (saw), is a general verse that is directed at the tyrants. Maulana explained that it was the tyrants of Makkah, the rich and powerful people around the Prophet (saw), to whom the Prophet (saw) was trying to explain Islam to, who had frowned and showed displeasure when the blind man interrupted their gathering, and their faces contained so much ugliness (because of their tyranny and evil). This Verse is meant to teach Allah’s servants, good conduct. There are people, whose faces always display their anger and displeasure. Such are the ugly ones – so many Scholars, Presidents and rich people, are like this, especially when meeting the poor and needy! Oh servants of Allah, do not act in such a manner, do not show displeasure on your faces.
Even the phrase ‘blind man’ in the Verse above, was in fact referring to the tyrants who had blind hearts. It was they who were blind, not the blind man! They believed that they had a high Station and rank, yet, in reality, they were blind to the fact that they were but rubbish.
Al-Fatihah
Commentary
- Just as Allah praised and raised the Prophet (saw), He condemned and vilified the tyrants. Whereas the Prophet (saw) represents all that is beautiful, physically and spiritually, the tyrants represent the exact opposite. Tyrants, being followers of their lusts and shaitan, exhibit ugliness on their faces and in the deeds. They are defiant towards Allah, they are insolent towards our beloved Prophet (saw), they think very highly of themselves, and they belittle the poor, viewing them as second-class citizens or as members of a lower caste. Blind towards their dirtiness, and acknowledging only themselves as the supreme ones, they are those who are trudging down the path to a rude awakening (in Death).
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُ ۥ هَوَٮٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ۬ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَـٰوَةً۬ فَمَن يَہۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire? Allah has, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who, then, will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition? (Quran 45:23)
- Leave such ostentatious behaviour, and fight the tyranny within yourselves. Realize the cruelty of your own egos and desires. Jails are full of people who followed what their egos wanted – your ego will seek to attain what it wants, even if it means that you rot in jail for the rest of your life. In the heat of anger, a man may follow his ego, and strike another man dead. The ego got what it wanted, but the man will regret his action, all his life, in this world and even in the hereafter. That is what tyranny of your own ego is all about – a cruel, unjust one who has no mercy towards you. As Maulana says, a tyrant always objects to Allah’s orders, and our egos are constantly doing that.
- Strive for love for Rasulullah (saw), as there is no La ila ha illallah without Muhammadur Rasulullah. It is that Ocean of Muhammadur Rasulullah that reflects what is in La ila ha illallah, and leads to it. One cannot come to La ila ha illallah without Muhammadur Rasulullah!
- Open your eyes to your own faults. It is the easiest thing in the world to speak about the perceived faults of those whom you hate. It takes no training whatsoever to slime someone – anyone can do it. But to close one’s mouth (Prophet said to keep quiet if we had nothing good to say) and to open one’s eyes to one’s own faults takes willpower and training, for both these acts are against the will of our egos. Our egos like to speak without restraint; after all what is more enjoyable that ripping our enemies’ reputation to shreds? Similarly, our egos never sees its own faults, it does not acknowledge that it is at fault, so seeking out our faults will lead us to repentance and realization. Do not remain blind, open your eyes, and look at yourselves carefully.
وَمَن كَانَ فِى هَـٰذِهِۦۤ أَعۡمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً۬
But those who were blind in this world, will be blind in the Hereafter, and most astray from the Path. (Quran 17:72)
- Finally, smile and do not frown. Maulana is a picture of happiness and warmth, he radiates friendliness and is always jovial and easy-going, never frowning at the weakness or failings of his mureeds. Like a magnet, people are attracted to him, he does not need to call anyone to him. One cannot help but feel a sense of safety and security, when in his presence. Hence the Prophet (saw) said, “Your smile for your brother is charity.” Tyrants are always displeased with the Will of their Creator; they are unhappy with the actions of the Creation too – hence their inner dirtiness emerges as an ugly scowl on their darkened faces.
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