Be Upon Istiqāmah as Ordered

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ”

(Qur’ān 11:112)

“Fa-staqim kamā umirta wa-man tāba ma‘aka”

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah ].” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

When this ayah descended, our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, “شَيَّبَتنِي هُودٌ”, “Shayyabatni Hūd.” This Ayah is in Surat Hūd about which our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, “It turned my hair gray.”

This is a powerful ayah that Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla orders to be straight upon Istiqāmah (straight on the way). He ﷻ orders our Holy ‎Prophet ﷺ. And the same order applies to those with our Holy ‎Prophet ﷺ.

Even though our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was very powerful, he ﷺ said, “It made my hair gray.” Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam only had a few gray hairs. Because even though our ‎Prophet’s ﷺ blessed body that Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla created resembled ours, his ﷺ strength was very great. It was more than all people. So, even with that strength, it turned gray a few hairs, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

Because istiqāmah is important. Istiqāmah is the essence of Islām. Those who do not practice it mustn’t think they are something. The way of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is the way of istiqāmah. There is no curvature. It is straight. It’s beautiful. There’s no deviation.

Whoever leaves the way, the way of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla, puts himself in danger and is destroyed. Therefore, may the barakah of this blessed ayah be upon us, in shā’a Llāh. May we be upon istiqāmah, in shā’a Llāh.

As we said, our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam has many qualities. Hadrat Al-Busayri says: “محمد بشرٌ وليس كالبشر، محمدٌ ياقوتٌ والناس كالحجر”, “Muhammad is a human, but not like other humans. Muhammad is a ruby, but people are like stone.” Muhammad ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is a human being, but he is not like humans.

Rubies are also stones. Ruby jewel is a stone. But one of its stones is worth all the stones in the world. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is very precious. No one can reach his ﷺ power or his ﷺ state, neither physically nor spiritually; that is not possible anyways.

May Allāh ﷻ grant us his ﷺ intercession. May Allāh ﷻ grant us his ﷺ love, in shā’a Llāh. That is the most important thing.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

13 July 2025/ 18 Muharram 1447

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul