A question posed by the disciples of Jesus: 11th October 2010

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

11^th October 2010

A question posed by disciples of Jesus

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Suhbahs are gardens of Paradise, and those attending receive good tidings. Maulana advised us to seek out those crowds of people – even if they are but a small handful – who are listening to heavenly words of Prophets and teachings from the Holy Book, for those are the Gardens where they are learning the ways of the people of Paradise. We are all seekingParadise and we are all afraid of His Fire, so pray, “Oh our Lord, forgive us, grant us from your Mercy Oceans, from ever from falling into the Fire.”

إِنَّ بَطۡشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ

Lo! the punishment of thy Lord is stern. (Quran 85:12)

• It is not easy to be safe, there is so much do learn, understand and perform. There are external and internal deeds, both of good and bad, to be aware of. Prophets never came to bring laughter and jokes, they were on a serious mission to bring realities. They are chosen ones, true ones, who speak only the truth. They teach Man to walk on true Ways – to adjust and arrange himself to suit Heavenly Orders.

• Prophets and Holy Books teach Man to change his life until it is in line with Heavenly Orders. Are you performing/aligning/arranging your life around His Heavenly Orders, or around your ego’s demands? That is the most important matter in a human being’s life! You will be judged according to how much you managed to obey what He has ordered you to perform. Oh People, you are working day and night, you are walking the earth daily, but are you observing closely what you are doing – is it in accordance with Heavenly orders or are you doing as you like?

• Every act that is obeying your ego, is disobeying Allah! Every act that is accordance with you ego’s demands, is haram! Even one step taken in obedience to your ego’s desires, will bring you punishment from Allah, so every one of your actions, must be in line with heavenly Commands, don’t take even one step out of the Shariat of Allah. Every single second of your life must be lived in accordance with Heavenly Commands. No true believer should perform even a single action from his egoistic desires.

• You must advise people about this – not to act, according to their whims and fancies. Maulana gave an example of a servant, who could do as he pleased outside the palace, but once he enters into the Divine Court, he can’t walk around and behave as he pleases! He is in the presence of the King! He must keep the adab and protocol of a servant, he must be at his best behaviour, he must show utmost respect. Every moment that the servant is before his King – every moment – he must be at his best! Isn’t He always observing you meticulously? And aren’t you one of His servants? If you believe this with conviction, you must behave as a servant!

• You cannot do as you please, as you are not an animal. The world of animals is different, they have no responsibilities, but Man carries a heavy responsibility of Allah’s Trust on his shoulders – a Trust that none in the Universe was willing to bear. Man is a special creature, unlike any other; not even Angels are granted the status that Man has been given. Man has been given unique gifts and the elevated status of Khalifa, by Allah.

وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةً۬‌ۖ

And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, (Quran 2:30)

• What is a Khalifa? It is a heavenly grant, a title of honour. We must be aware that we have been honoured by Allah. Hence, Prophets were sent to train their respective Nations, to become servants of Allah. Only by being His servants, by showing the highest respect to Allah, do we fulfill our responsibilities and do justice to the honour bestowed upon us. Hence there are rules for us to follow, in line with the honour of the title, given to us.

• The most important duty of a servant is to have faith, belief in his Creator. Every Prophet brought Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah, to his Nation. Prophets called their Nations to La ila ha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah. No human being can achieve honour without first saying and believing in La ila ha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah.

• The next thing taught by Prophets to their Nations, was adab (correct conduct). Every Holy book brought teachings of the adab of servanthood. We must learn to live by the adab of servanthood. It is servanthood that Allah wants from Man!

• Maulana calls out to the rich Kings, Sultans and leaders. He says, do not be proud ones, and do not proclaim your greatness. Don’t say, “I am a King!” Instead, say, “I am His servant.” The ultimate pedestal Man can be placed on in this world, is not to be a King, but to succeed in becoming His servant.

• In all that you do, you must behave as His servant. Whatever you do that is not as His servant, will bring you failure, it will be rejected by Him. To such acts, Allah will say to the Angels, “Take those actions, and hurl them into Jahannam, I have no need for what is not done for Me, and Me alone. Only if they do for My sake, then I shall accept that deed.” Let that be your scale of Judgement that you carry with you throughout your life. Sincerity is of paramount importance. You must weigh every action of your life, with this scale of Sincerity.

• Being a servant means living one’s life to carry out every single responsibility that Allah has Commanded. Happily bowing to His Will, is the perfect adab of servanthood. Every strand of hair, right up to the tips of your toes – must exist in obedience to His Heavenly Orders. That is ubudiyyah, servanthood.

• It is almost impossible to find true servants of Allah nowadays! If our actions fall outside servanthood, how can we expect to be within the boundaries of His Mercy? Would a defiant one receive Divine Curses or Divine Mercy? Look at the condition of the world today, it is receiving a rain of Curses…..

• So keep advising within your Communities. Don’t give excuses (to stop advising), by saying, “What’s the point? No one listens to me anyway!” Maulana says, no one obeys your advice, because you are not obeying the advice; you are advising others, but not yourself! If you do not practise what you preach, how are you going to lead by example? That is the problem in today’s world, people obey their desires, their pamper their egos, they yearn and pursue dunia madly. They always dream of acquiring the luxuries of this world. Yet they forget, that this is but a temporary abode. Death is certain, so why do you still chase dunia, which you cannot take with you when you die?

• Then comes the famous question, “If I don’t chase dunia, if I don’t work, who is going to feed me?” Maulana gave the following answer: The Companions of Sayyidina Isa (as), asked him, “Can Allah send us a table spread of food, from the sky?”

إِذۡ قَالَ ٱلۡحَوَارِيُّونَ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ هَلۡ يَسۡتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَن يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡنَا مَآٮِٕدَةً۬ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ‌ۖ قَالَ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ إِن ڪُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

Behold! the Disciples said: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Can thy Lord send down to us a table spread with food from heaven?” Said Jesus: “Fear Allah if ye have faith.” (Quran 5:112)

قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ ٱللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَآ أَنزِلۡ عَلَيۡنَا مَآٮِٕدَةً۬ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدً۬ا لِّأَوَّلِنَا وَءَاخِرِنَا وَءَايَةً۬ مِّنكَ‌ۖ وَٱرۡزُقۡنَا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّٲزِقِينَ

Said Jesus the son of Mary: “O Allah our Lord! send us from heaven a Table-spread of food, that there may be for us – for the first and the last of us a solemn festival and a sign from Thee; and provide for our sustenance, for Thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs). (Quran 5:114)

• Maulana said that it was such a shameful and nonsensical question from disciples who had sat and learnt at the feet of such a great Prophet, who, day and night, told them of Allah’s greatness, His attributes and His Power. Allah created the Universe, Allah is the All-Powerful, who can do as He pleases. He can give sustenance, to whom He pleases, as He pleases, He is Ar-Razzaq. And yet, they were asking if He could send down a tray of food!

• Maulana says that, even if they had simply gone to the richest man in the Community, he would have found that question insulting, he would have been able to feed, not just that one small group of disciples, he may have easily been able to feed the entire village. So to ask Jesus (as) such a question, was a sign that they had no yaqeen (certainty of faith), that they didn’t understand Allah’s capacity and greatness, that they didn’t understand anything about religion and that they were lacking in conviction! They weren’t even certain that Allah was capable of sending down food from the sky, and, despite years in Sayyidina Isa’s (as) Holy presence, they had failed to acquire real Iman.

• So do you have doubts that He is capable of feeding you? To ask if He is capable, or to doubt that it is indeed He who is feeding you (through various means), is to be like the Companions of Sayyidina Isa (as). Such a question comes from those lowest in faith! We must never ask, “How am I going to have sustenance, if I am not working?” Almost the entire population of the world believes that, if they didn’t work, they would be no sustenance (rizq) for them! Maulana asks those who are working, would they have food on the table, if Allah were to hold back the rain?

• Who really feeds you? Say, “I have sustenance, not by my effort (work), but by the Generosity of Ar-Razzaq.” Allah is more than capable of sending food from the sky, even to the whole world. If you are worried about your sustenance, you are written as an ignorant one lacking in rock-solid conviction.

• Maulana asks, when we take our daily meals, who is sending those table-spreads of food to us? It is Allah who feeds us, not our jobs! The question posed by the Companions of the Prophet Jesus (as) above, is a beautiful lesson for all of us who doubt in Allah, as the One who sustains us.

Commentary

• Look at the definition of haram in Tariqah, it is so much wider than in Shariat! Any act of obeying our ego’s desires – is haram. Look at Jibrail (as), when he was explaining to Rasulullah (saw) as to why he could not accompany Rasulullah (saw) beyond Sidratul Muntaha, he said, “Even if I moved forward the distance of a fraction of a hair’s breath, Allah will punish me.” See how precisely we must obey Allah – in every action and in every moment! We mustn’t cross His prohibitions, even by a fraction of a hair’s breadth. It-taqullah – fear Allah, don’t take religion lightly even if you have hope in His Mercy, for His Punishment is excruciating.

• Maulana Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghunjwani (qs) said, “For 37 years, I never stepped in dirtiness.” And our Prophet (saw) said, “I sit as a servant does, and I eat as a servant does.” These are highest examples of servanthood. A servant must hold his Master (Maula) in the highest respect – that is the adab of a servant. That is why there are so many things for us to learn, so many rules, so that in every moment, our actions show the utmost respect for our Lord Almighty. As one who is given a Special place by Allah, we must also put Him in the Most Special of Places (in our hearts) in our short worldly lives. We must follow the adab of ubudiyyah,we must bow in obedience and fulfill our responsibilities, and we must proclaim the highest praises and respect for our Lord Almighty.

• A scale is used to weigh. The scale Maulana speaks of, is one that we must use to weigh our deeds constantly. Sayyidina Ali said, “Before I perform an act, I will check if it is done for Allah’s sake, and while I am performing the act, I will check if it is still being done for Allah’s sake, and after I complete the act, I will check if it was indeed done for Allah’s sake.” So judge yourself, before Allah judges you on the Day of Judgement. Maulana has given us the Divine scale to weigh and judge every deed – is it a good deed, done according to the Sunnah, that is done only for His sake alone? Only then will such a deed, be accepted.

• Have no doubt, that it is Allah who feeds you. In this Universe, Allah is the only Giver; all of Creation, are merely Receivers. Allah gives, Creation takes. Sometimes, He gives you directly (like giving you life), and at other times, through a means, waseelah (like giving you health after you take medication). No matter which way it reaches you, it always comes from Him. When you receive anything (good or bad), you must always see it, as coming from Him, the only Giver.

• Depend on Him for your sustenance, He is the best to arrange your physical and heavenly provisions, in every moment. Look at the world today – seven billion people are being fed at least once a day (more often in rich countries), and He also sends the provisions for every plant, tree, insect, animal, fish, bird – all creatures on land, in the sea, and under the earth. Allah sustains the bacteria, viruses, fungi and plankton. And He does that at every single moment. Every creature has complete faith that Allah suffices for them, except Man.

• When Allah Ta`ala created the earth, He said: “O Earth! Serve whoever serves Me and enslave into your service whoever serves you.” Live in this world, to seek the provisions of your life in the hereafter, and Allah will provide the provisions for your life in this world.

If you would like to listen to the actual Suhbah by Maulana Shaykh Nazim when it was recorded, please click here. Once at the site, please click on the Sohbat 11 Oct 2010.

Maulana Shaykh Nazim teaches daily, at 1800 hours GMT, please go to www.Saltanat.org to attend these illuminating lessons. There are no charges to attend these lessons, they are completely free-of-charge. These transcripts and Study materials are found at the Singapore Naqshbandi portal, recent.sufihub.com, these are also completely free-of-charge.