“I Wish I Hadn’t Taken This as a Friend!”

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا (28) لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ”

(Qur’ān 25:28-29)

“Yā Waylatī Laytanī Lam ‘Attakhidh Fulānāan Khalīlāan (28) Laqad ‘Ađallanī `Ani Adh-Dhikri”

“Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend (28) He indeed led me astray from the remembrance.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

In hell – we are talking again about hell. People have given their egos freedom to do what they want. But along with that freedom, they don’t use their own will but use the will of others. They follow them. And that way they follow is eventually the reason of them going to hell.

Qur’ān ‘Aẓīmu sh-Sha’n describes this state of theirs. He laments to himself, “I wish I had not followed this one. I wish I had not followed this one’s way. He led me astray while I was on the right way. He led me astray while I was on the good way. Woe to me!” There cannot be any state worse than this. “Because I followed that way, after being on the straight way, they led me astray.”

This is the state of the people now. They do not accept those who go on the right way, on the way of Allāh ﷻ. There’s nothing else according to their own minds, “There isn’t this or that.” Not when still small but when he becomes a little bit more of mind and bāligh (responsible), shayṭān attacks him more. And what’s worse than shayṭān, the men of shayṭān, his friends, this and that. “No, don’t listen to this.” Okay, if you don’t listen, what will you get in return? Nothing. If you don’t listen to them, then everything is yours.

This thought of following someone else’s ideas saying, “He did it. I’ll do it too, it would be good”, destroys the person. In the end, he will have gone to a place where there is no compensation. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. While in this world, a person can make up for everything. He asks forgiveness from Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla for every badness. He continues on the way. And that way will lead him to Paradise. No, if he doesn’t like it and says, “Their minds are old minds. Those have new minds”, he suddenly sees his own mind is gone.

Therefore, you must be careful. Is the way you are going on, the way shown right or wrong? You have to look carefully. Look well. Especially children and youth. They are the ones in this state the most, “I believe. No, I don’t believe.” When you become of mind and responsible, if you go out of the way, there is a responsibility upon you. Not like now; there is no such thing as responsibility at the age of 18. When you are bāligh and your mind is mature, then you have responsibility.

That responsibility is not based on whether you are young or old. There is when you are bāligh and mature, and there’s before that when you are a child. The child’s account is different. Their account is with Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. The main account is after he is bāligh and of sane mind: at the age of 13, 14, 15. The account is when he becomes bāligh.

Today it’s said, “A 17 and a half year old man shot someone. He’s a child, nothing can be done.” There is no such thing. In the sight of Allāh ﷻ – of course even if he’s a child, he will still be punished. But when he is actually bāligh, the account is just as the adults. There’s no difference. So there’s nothing as “I’m a child, I’m small,” no. After you become bāligh, you are treated as a man. If you’re a girl, you are treated as a woman then. They also bear the punishment.

That’s why, you must be careful. A person must use his mind. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla did not give him mind in vain. Those who use their mind will be saved in here and hereafter. May Allāh ﷻ grant us all the ability to use our minds. May He ﷻ not deprive us of our minds. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

20 May 2025/ 22 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul