Don’t bring pride, when you meet Allah

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

28th�April 2010, Wednesday

Don’t bring pride, when you meet Allah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that he was merely putty in the hands of his Master, whatever that he had to preach, he would do so obediently, without objection. Maulana ordered us to listen attentively to, and to obey, Divine Commands. What was being taught in each Suhbah, was something that brought safety in this world and in the hereafter. The Day of Resurrection was very near, and these Divine-inspired lessons were designed to awaken heedless hearts, so Maulana urged us to give each Suhbah our fullest and undivided attention – and not to day-dream or to be distracted during each short Suhbah.

• You must always be aware – aware of many things. You must be aware of what you say and do, you must be aware that Allah is watching you, you must be aware that you are a servant, you must be aware if what you are doing is within the boundaries of cleanliness, you must be aware if your actions are pleasing to Allah, you must be aware that each breath that you inhale and exhale, takes you one step closer to death, closer to your final breath. You must not be heedless of these matters!

• This Holy Qur’an is bahrun laa yudraka qaa’ruh, “An ocean whose depths cannot be reached.”� The Holy Qur’an is such an ocean that no one can reach a shore or its bottom. Allah says:

Everything with Him is in (perfect) proportion (devoid of chaos).(Quran 13:8)

• Although many things on earth appear to be chaotic and disorganised, nothing happens except that it is perfectly arranged and executed by Allah Almighty. (For example, the drops of rain appear to be random, but each droplet’s size, direction, point of impact and destination has been arranged by Allah to reach its intended position, precisely!) No creature or being in creation – be it in the heavens, on land or in the sea – can do as it pleases. Each creature has been created for a precise and specific purpose and duty. So never think that this Universe is made up of an unregulated mass of coincidences and accidental incidents – no! Every grain of soil, every drop of water, every gust of wind, every blade of grass, every leaf in every tree – in fact, every atom in all of creation, is placed by Allah in the perfect and precise position it must occupy. Allahu Akbar. Maulana tells us this to remove the pride in our hearts (for us to realize how small and weak we are), for so many of us feel that it is we (and not Him) who are administering things in our lives, in our communities and in our big corporations.

• Iblis was once known as Azazil, a name that was synonymous with honour and status in the heavenly realms. When it defied Allah, its name was changed to iblis – a name associated with disgrace – it is the worst name of any creature in creation.

• What was it in Azazil’s characteristics that brought his downfall, Maulana asked? What was this attribute in iblis that removed all its handsomeness and beauty, and made it the ugliest in all of creation? We must know about this, for it is this characteristic that made iblis say defiantly to Allah, “I shall not prostrate (sujud) to Adam!”�

• Maulana lamented that religious guides no longer taught such crucial knowledge, instead, their teaching were more often than not directed towards worldly matters. We must study about iblis’ downfall, for it is only then that we become aware of the characteristics that destroy our spirituality, and which would take us far from the Divine presence.

• To remind ourselves of iblis’ lowly position (in fact the lowest!) after his defiance, each time we are urinating, besides reading Allahumma inne a`oodhu bika min Iblees wa junoodahu, “O Allah! I seek refuge and protection in You from Iblees and his representatives,”� we are also instructed to make an intention (in our hearts), “It is my intention that this urine is poured on iblis’ head,”� for we are rewarded according to the intention in each deed that we do. Maulana said that Saints had known this secret for so many years, but they were too shy to speak publicly about it, since it was embarrassing to speak about this, but the deteriorating condition on Mankind has forced them to reveal this openly now, so that Man may realise the danger brought by shaitan, and cleanse himself of its influence. It is in the toilet that shaitan and its soldiers surround and pounce on humans, so reciting these prayers will protect us from them. (In another Suhbah, Maulana had said that each time we mentioned iblis’ name, we must say laknatullah ‘alaih,�’Allah’s curse upon it’ – and we will be rewarded for it, as our egos are always collaborating with iblis, and by condemning iblis, we are reminding our egos that we do not condone its relationship with iblis.)

The self/ego orders us to commit evil deeds.� (Quran 12:53)

• Divine knowledge seeks to highlight to Man who his real enemy is, and expose the severity of the danger posed by that enemy. Iblis is a cruel, formidable and persistent enemy, it is the most dangerous creature (for Man) in all of creation! Hence, we must always seek protection with A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem. Maulana asks how often we read A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem daily? (In other Suhbahs, Maulana says we must read A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem at least 40 times or 70 times daily.) So many guides and Scholars do not realise the danger posed by shaitan, they neither seek protection in Allah from it, nor do they teach their followers to do so. Shaitan leads Man to the Ocean of defiance, disgrace, humiliation, pain, suffering, degradation, destruction, filth – to najaasat, dirtiness. Is this the sort of creature we seek to befriend? Shouldn’t we be treating it as the enemy that it is, and be striving to negate its influences and to deny its evil whisperings?

• The dirtiest filth the shaitan possesses is pride! Mankind has inherited that terrible characteristic of iblis today (which caused his downfall) – arrogance and pride. People of our times seek to share in this characteristic of iblis, they are proud of all that they achieve and administer. We must cleanse ourselves of this sickness in our Souls. 21^st century people are proud ones, Maulana says, prouder than Namrud or Fir’aun ever was!

• Taharah (cleanliness) is the first commandment in religion. The emphasis on cleanliness, is not just about physical cleanliness, but is really about spiritual cleanliness of our Souls, for it is the Soul (and not the body) that will be called to the Divine Presence.

• Work hard to cleanse the clothings of your spiritual beings. Iblis was hurled from the Divine presence when it dirtied itself with defiance. If we are raised on Judgement Day in a dirty condition, dressed in the clothing of pride that iblis is wearing, for sure, we too, will face the same fate as it did, for that dressing of iblis incurred Allah’s wrath.

• Only pure, spotless ones will have an audience in the Divine Court. We came to this world as clean ones, we must return in the same way. Do not run away from cleaning yourselves, so realise your faults, repent, change you wayward ways, and seek His forgiveness constantly.

And purify your clothes (thy garments keep free from stain) ! (Quran 74:4)

• Remember, Allah Almighty is the supreme administrator of this Universe, you are but an insignificant, helpless speck, so humble yourselves, swallow your pride, annihilate your arrogance, and prostrate in submission to Him! Do not be raised before Allah, dressed in the clothing of pride of iblis laknatullah alaih!

Fatihah.