Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm
Maulana Sheikh Nazimق’s (MSN) Suhbah
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By the name of Allah, All-Mighty, All-Merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent.
One of our Grandshaykhs, ʿAlaʾuddin al-Bukhariق, was once asking his Shaykh, Imamul Tariqah Shah Naqshbandق, a question. He was the son-in-law of Shah Naqshbandق and would sometimes ask not for himself, but for the benefit of other students.
He said, “O my Shaykh, when can we say that a person is truly a servant of Allah ﷻ?”
Shah Naqshbandق replied, “When he is a shadow of Allah Almighty.” This means following His Will, just as a shadow follows the body. Your shadow never leaves you.
Then he asked, “When is a person truly from the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ?”
Shah Naqshbandق replied, “When he is to the Prophet ﷺ as a shadow, following him in every way.”
He then asked, “When is a person a true mureed?”
Shah Naqshbandق replied, “When he follows the Shaykh like a shadow. When the Shaykh is present, there is no will for that mureed. Only the Shaykh is there.”
Here a question was asked of Mawlana Shaykh Nazimق: “What if the Shaykh says, ‘Drink tea,’ and the mureed says, ‘I do not drink tea’?”
Sometimes a Shaykh tests his mureed, to see whether he is still following his own mind. Once in Istanbul, Shaykh Yahya at-Trabzoniق had a beautiful mosque overlooking the Bosphorus, a place of great peace. I visit it every time I go to Istanbul. Many Christians entered Islam through his hand. He was not a big man, small like me.
One day, while sitting with his mureeds, a ship captain who was a Christian came carrying a barrel of vintage wine on his back. The mureeds tried to stop him, but the Shaykh, who was seated, signaled for them to let him pass.
The captain rushed forward, kissed the Shaykh’s hand, and said, “O my Master, I am a captain on the Black Sea. We were caught in a treacherous storm and had lost all hope of survival. I prayed, ‘I have heard of a great Shaykh in Istanbul, Shaykh Yahya. For his honor, I ask for help.’
Then a man appeared in the sea, took the ship by its bow, and guided it to a safe bay. He said his name was Yahya. I vowed that if I arrived safely, I would bring him a barrel of my finest wine.”
The Shaykh accepted it and said, “Now pour for everyone.”
The mureeds were speechless, yet one by one they drank, large cups filled to the brim.
The captain was astonished that none of them became intoxicated. When he tasted it himself, he found it was fresh pomegranate juice. He threw himself at the feet of the Shaykh and said, “La ilaha illa’Llah, Muhammadun Rasulu’Llah ﷺ.”
Sometimes a true Shaykh tests you, and you must carry out his order. Do not think that the Shaykh is acting against the Shariʿah. Such testing is for old mureeds. You may climb old trees, but young ones may bend and break.
ʿAlaʾuddinق then continued, “When is a person a true brother in the Tariqah?”
Shah Naqshbandق replied, “When he says to Allah ﷻ, ‘As You like, O my Lord,’ and says to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘As you like,’ and says to his Shaykh, ‘As you like,’ and says to his brother, ‘As you like, my brother.’ Then he is a true one in the Tariqah.”
ʿAlaʾuddinق then said to his Shaykh, “O my Master, with these answers I am grasping the keys to the Maqam al-Kamal, the Station of Perfection.”
Whoever can live by these words will reach true perfection in the Divine Presence. This is sufficient to attain the highest degree of sainthood.
May Allah ﷻ grant us hearts that submit without resistance, becoming shadows of His Will and of the Sunnah of His Beloved Prophet ﷺ.
May He perfect our adab in following our shuyukh, and raise us to sincerity and completion in His Divine Presence.
Al-Fatiha.
• Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqaniق
More by Mawlana Shaykh Nazimق can be found here.
This series was initiated by the SufiHub Team in honour of the 2nd Urs of our beloved Sheikh, the late Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan, who lovingly dedicated himself to transcribing and summarising the daily sohbahs of Mawlana Sheikh Nazimق.
It was through this blessed service that he began his journey on this beautiful Way in 2008, remaining steadfast upon it until his final breath in 2023. Today, his legacy continues at our Zawiyah at A’Posh Bizhub Singapore through his representatives Sidi Shalihin, Ismail, and Syed Muhammad, who humbly carry forward the path he sincerely paved.
We pray that our dear Sheikh Abdul Sattar has been reunited with his beloved Mawlana Sheikh Nazimق and all our Grandshaykhs, and that their light continues to guide us always on the way of Haqq.
The text was originally taken from Mercy Oceans by Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqaniق. With love and sincere intention, parts of this sohbah have been gently revised by the SufiHub Team for clarity and contextual relevance.
If you wish to share it on your platforms, kindly post it in full and ensure that proper credit is given to all its sources. For this is adab, the very core of our beautiful religion and way.
Should you have any queries or concerns, you are always welcome to reach us at thesufihubteam@gmail.com.
Wassalam.
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