Adab is the Soul of Knowledge

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Maulana Sheikh Nazimق’s Suhbah

01 April 1999

Don’t look down on anything or anyone, for the ego only loves itself.

It is a kafir, not accepting Allah, and wants to sit alone on the Throne. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah Himself has taught me the best manners — Adab.”

A human being is living through his soul, and the soul of knowledge is Adab. Knowledge without Adab is a misfortune for its owner. Shaytan had knowledge, but had no Adab — he behaved badly in Allah’s Presence, and then he was finished. The ego is always ill-mannered, going against Allah and denying Him. It never likes to be under the control of anyone. All our egos are the same. We must bring the ego under control and train it to become Allah’s servant — not let it control us.

Allah is not forcing anyone. Those who can’t keep their egos in check fall from one trouble into another, never finding peace or rest. Man needs, and must learn Adab. It is not easy to teach. Someone may read hundreds or even thousands of books, and still be unable to control his ego. He may have knowledge, but not be able to practice it. Shaytan had so much knowledge, and it didn’t benefit him. Everyone today wants to study, but they all fail the test…

A person may go on Hajj, stay for days, make Hajj, Umrah, Ziyarah and come back clean. Everything looks perfect. But then he boards the plane home, looks at someone with desire, and everything is lost. Finished. Six months, one year he stayed there, so many prayers he did, doing Tawaf and Umrah, everything is good. But in one moment, he forgets that Allah is watching. In that instant, he is without Allah, and Shaytan takes him as part of his staff.

Don’t give Shaytan a chance. He’s always waiting for an opportunity to catch people. There is Halal and Haram. Whoever does not respect that boundary, loses Adab with Allah.

Few people want to save themselves from their ill-mannered egos. The Tariqats and the four Madhabs are all built upon Adab, and that is why Shaytan is against them. His way is a fifth Madhab, the school of Batil. So many people follow it… May Allah not leave us in the hands of our bad egos. Whoever is not asking to be saved will be caught by Shaytan.

Your ego tells you that you are number one, that no one is like you. It says you don’t have to listen to anyone, that you’re strong, that you know everything, that you are your own Sheikh. And the ego is lying to us.

What we are saying here is what they have put in our hearts. We are ashamed before Allah, and we fear Him, because we are ignorant ones making so many mistakes and behaving without Adab. Who is a Sheikh? He is the one who teaches you about Allah and His Prophet ﷺ. How can you know by yourself? But people don’t want to accept a teacher. And whoever doesn’t accept a Sheikh, a Hoca, an Imam, a Dalil, then his teacher is Shaytan. Shaytan says, “Why do you need a Sheikh?”

Follow a pure Guide, that he may take you to purity, because only the pure will enter Paradise. Allah knows best who are the hypocrites… We are trying, working, asking to be clean. But, “Thumma amanu, thumma kafaru…” Sometimes we believe, and sometimes we don’t, listening to the ego and to Shaytan. But on the path of faith (Iman), you can be saved.

The Angels of the Grave will ask whether your face was turned towards Dunya or towards Allah. They will ask, What was your Qibla? Where was your heart directed? If your face is turned towards Allah, everything is good. But if they find your face turned away, Allah will turn away from you, too.

In prayer, if you turn your eyes away from your place of Sajda, looking left and right three times, Allah says, “My servant has turned away from Me. Leave him.” This is an important point in Adab.

Don’t behave badly in the Presence of the Sultan.

May Allah forgive us.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqaniق

01 April 1999 / 14 Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1419 AH

Originally taken from ‘2,000+ Sohbats of Maulana Sheikh Nazim’ by Sufimus Online.

With love and intention, parts of this Sohbah have been carefully revised by SufiHub.com for clarity and contextual relevance.

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Wassalam.