If we are really His servants, then all that we own, is His

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

9th March 2010, Tuesday

If we are really His servants, then all that we own, is His

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana instructed all attendees to cut themselves off from all worldly matters when they were attending Suhbahs. We are to attend as ’empty cups’, not as ‘full cups’, as, if our cups are already full, what can Maulana pour into them? Maulana is drawing his teachings from the spiritual world for us, he is the medium of communication between that heavenly realm and our earthly realm, so we are instructed to give our undivided attention, with full concentration, to each Suhbah. The more we focus, the greater the heavenly support afforded to us, and heavenly support is the only way to attain heavenly stations. Some attendees walk away with a 100% benefit, others with 50%, some with 10%, and some unfortunate ones, with 0%. It is like a generous man with a mountain high pile of gold and silver coins, and he says, come and take as much as you want, and indeed you should take as much as you can carry.

• Allah is Al-Kareem, He gives endlessly without taking from us. Allah says, “Ask as much as you can ask, I am giving to you.” Man asks and asks endlessly, and Allah gives and gives endlessly, but why is Man so stingy? And so greedy? Greed is one of the worst characteristics of the ego. Man keeps so much money in the bank, while his fellow humans are suffering in poverty and hunger, homelessness and backwardness, in so many parts of the world. Maulana asks if we can eat an entire goat singlehandedly? If not, why not just take the portion we need, and pass the rest to others who are in dire need? We eat many meals daily, there are many who suffer in hunger every day, they have no means of attaining their next meal.

• We must believe in Allah’s promise! He repays each charity manifold, the minimum is ten times of what we gave to help another. Maybe we see the physical amount of our money falling from our hoards when we give, but our spiritual savings have increased manifold. So why are we hoarding money in the banks? Have we no faith in Allah’s endless repayments?

• Allah says,أنفق بلا لا ولا تخف ولا تخف من ذي العرش اٍقلالولدينا المزيد , “Donate endlessly and continuously and do not fear of being or becoming in need, as a result of continuously donating for the sake of Allah. Quite the contrary, Allah will reward you more as a result of your donation for His sake.” Maulana says to etch these words in gold, and place them in a place for all to see!

• This Suhbah is meant to soften our hardened hearts, so that we will start to give freely of Allah’s gifts upon us. True believers are هيّن ليّن haiyyin laiyyin, they are people who are soft and tender-hearted, so let us be such people.

• Oh believers, we will all be wrapped in our white burial shrouds one day, and before they do so, they will remove our beautiful rings, stylish bracelets, expensive watches and special-edition ear-rings – not even for a King will they allow anything to be left on the body. Each will return naked, save the burial shroud. Nothing of this worldly treasure follows us on, only what we have sent to Him, by spending in His way, will await us in akherat.

• We must try to understand the vast difference between earthly treasures and the treasures of the afterlife. Even if we saved up huge amounts of gold and diamonds and pearls and we managed to stay alive for a billion years, still, that time would come to an end, and all that wealth, would be left behind. But what ever is sent to eternity, will remain there, benefitting you, for ever and ever.

• Maulana says, فما عند الله باقي . “What Allah owns and rewards you with, is Everlasting and is of infinite duration.” Think about that.

• So before your time is up, Maulana says give, give, give! This is your chance, don’t let it slip away. It is no longer just a sunnat nowadays, it is obligatory, in the light of the number of people suffering all around us. In fact, Maulana says it is haram, forbidden, to keep millions and billions in the banks, hoarding the gifts that Allah gave, instead of spending for Allah’s pleasure. Many of the rich in the Middle East, keep billions in the banks, giving one part out of 40 for zakat. Such a meagre amount, asks Maulana? One part for Allah, and 39 parts for us? Are we not ashamed to stand before Allah as his servant, giving him just one portion? It should be the opposite, says Maulana, 39 parts for Allah, and one part for us. You say that you are his servant? What is abd, servant? He is one who belongs to his Master, his Sultan. So you, and all that you possess, are His! That is the real adab of a servant to his Lord. What Allah bestows, give freely, for they belong to Him. Give to Allah, keep a little bit for yourself, say, “Oh my Lord, everything I have, You granted to me from Your grants, i owe everything to You. who am i to say that it is i who am giving?”

• Never fear that you will grow poor! Allah says, “Don’t fear that when you are giving, My treasures are not diminishing! No! I am the Lord of the Heavens, I am the Lord of the whole Creation and I am that One Who is giving what they are in need of, and My treasures are never diminishing, not even by the size of an atom!” What belongs to Allah does not even lessen by the amount of one atom, because if it did, then it would run out one day. Allah has endless oceans of treasures, so we should give freely, He would never run out of treasures to repay us! What is Allah’s, has never changed from pre-eternity to eternity!

• We must try hard to weed out stinginess and greed, to attain the level of Rasheed, which is the highest level of good characteristics in Man. Such a person, understands what is meant in this Hadees Qudsi, “Oh My servants, if you are asking something from Me, I am also asking something from you, you must obey what I am commanding you to do, you must run to fulfill it, you must have faith in Me.” Allah commands us to be a person of understanding, who fulfills Allah’s rights and who believes in Him. Allah mentions in the Qur’an, أليس فيكم رجل رشيد, “Isn’t there a man among you who understands?” That level, called Maqamul Rushd, is the perfection of human behaviour and adab, from every aspect.

• There are so many pearls and diamonds in the oceans of the Holy Qur’an, providing us with spiritual refreshments and enhancing our powers of understanding. May Allah unlock such hidden treasures from the Holy Qur’an for all of us. (Ameen). Maulana ends by reminding us to treat the Qur’an with adab, and to treat those bringing these Quranic lessons, with adab too, befitting our journey to the Maqamul Rushd. If we do so, the darkness from our faces will be lifted, and heavenly light with shine forth. (Ameen)

Fatihah.