Be free from shaitan

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

3rd February 2010, Wednesday

Be free from shaitan

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

Maulana reminds us to follow Holy Commands, as that makes us Holy ones too, and anyone who defies Holy Commands is worthless in Divine eyes. Maulana uses the world ‘garbage’, to describe a human being who disbelieves in Allah, and who is disobedient to Him, yet he takes all the countless gifts Allah has given him and enjoys all the benefits of being created.

Man is always seeking pleasure, here and in the hereafter – he never likes being in discomfort. In order to reap, we must sow. So in order to attain pleasure, we must strive for it. Maulana gives the example of a farmer who wants to harvest apples and apricots, yet he plants nothing in his orchard. Obviously, come harvest time, he will have nothing to pluck, and he is simply a day-dreamer who speaks of the rewards, but is heedless of the effort and sacrifices he has to make in order to achieve them. We are the same, always speaking and yearning for Paradise, yet making no effort to change our behaviour (eg we are still back-biting, lying etc) and we are still not following Holy Commands.

Man has been caught in shaitan’s traps, so many people take shaitan as their trusted advisor. Even more people take shaitan as their leader! How can he be a good leader, Maulana asks, when he has sworn to drag every human being into Jahannam with him? Yet, people trust shaitan’s advice, as their egos tell them that shaitan is doing his best for them, that his teachings would bring them out of darkness, into a shining life. Maulana says, not one human being has achieved respect in this world or the hereafter, by following shaitan’s advice.

Shaitan hammers this into humans all their lives – that there is only one life, this worldly life, and the life of the hereafter is non-existent. Shaitan encourages humans to seek endless pleasures through an endless array of shaitanic suggestions, to never tire of seeking entertainment and new experiences. Shaitan whispers to Man, “Look, I am a free one, free to do as I please, follow me, and you too shall shall be free. I never accept that anyone should command or rule me, I am free of that, I am free to seek pleasure in any way I want……..freedom, freedom….I will give you a freedom, that no one can take away from you.”

Shaitan dangles this bait of freedom from authority in front of our ego, and our ego loves this, as the ego likes to rule, and never wants to be ruled. Shaitan wants humans to reject all rules, all holy commands, and to follow him, to be like him, for he claims, that is the way to happiness. Look at how shaitan misled Sayyidina Adam (as) and Hawa? He offered them a way to attain happiness that had no end, he claimed he was their concerned advisor, he advised them to go against Allah’s Command, and he caused them to lose their way. Shaitan is offering us the same deal today, surely, we aren’t going to fall for it again…or are we?

Today, almost every National Anthem of the countries around the globe, contains the word ‘freedom’, and shaitan has ensnared whole nations under his influence. Wives want to be free from husbands and vice versa. Children want to be free of their parents. Citizens want to be free from their governments. Nations want to be of each others’ influence. So everyone fights with everyone else to be free, all believing that freedom brings ultimate happiness, as freedom for the ego to do anything that it desires, without retribution, is a tempting bait. So shaitan encourages all to seek freedom from authority, and he reminds you that there is only this worldly life, there is no retribution, as there is no life in the hereafter. It is a deadly trap, as the ego cannot resist such an offer – do as you please, without fear of punishment.

Yet, in reality, we are all servants – husbands, wives, parents, children, citizens. No one is free, everyone is bound by the Commands of Allah, everyone will face retribution. So when people seek freedom from Allah, they take shaitan as a guide and leader, and they become shaitan’s servants, instead of Allah’s servants. It is so ironic, that in following shaitan’s call to be free from all authority, they have actually taken shaitan as the authority, the guide, the leader, and he ties them up like a horse tied to a cart. Such horses have their eyes partially blind-folded, they pull a heavy burden, they are not free to do as they please – instead they have tight reins fastened in their mouths, and shaitan whips them mercilessly, forcing them to run endlessly, seeking enjoyment. Instead of achieving happiness, such ‘free’ people, are under the yoke of shaitan, their burdens (sins) grow day by day, and, restless and unsatisfied, they are forced by shaitan to seek new avenues of enjoyment, shaitan pulls their reins and whips their backs, forcing them on until they collapse. So freedom from Allah, and freedom to do as you please, means enslavement to shaitan, and certain destruction.

Allah has enjoined all of Man to co-exist as one brotherhood, Man is free to travel and to interact and to forge ties amongst them. Back in the Prophet’s time, there were no such things as borders and passports. Today, Man exists as separate Nations, each with clear boundaries, and it is so difficult to travel now, with many countries requiring visas, with strict immigration clearance. Many countries have so many restrictions on visitors. So, despite the fact that Allah has enjoined freedom amongst Man to travel and to know each other, shaitan has preached the exact opposite, encouraging Man to impose restrictions, and to view one another with suspicion and distrust. Many visitors are turned away at Checkpoints, if they cannot show sufficient money, or give a good reason to visit. Shaitan tells people, that they have the right to restrict or give permission, as they please, that they have the freedom to do so. Yet, people forget, that the land they stand on, is Allah’s, not theirs.

Today, it is even difficult to visit Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Medinatul Munawarrah, with the visa restrictions that have been imposed on the Holy Lands. Maulana says that, just as his house has a title deed in his name, who holds the title deed to the House of the Lord, Baitullah? Does it belong to anyone in particular? No. So how can anyone dare to restrict access to a place of Worship that does not belong to him, making it difficult, for the Guests of Allah, to reach His House? Allah will send punishments on the representatives of shaitan, who persevere in spreading difficulties, for servants of the Lord.

Fatihah.