Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Short Advice
4th December 2010, Saturday
Living in a Palace
(This Suhbah was given to a group of Iranian mureeds who had visited Maulana. When asked where he was studying, one of the mureeds took out a picture of a Spanish Palace, opposite which was his University. This student remembered the time when Maulana had visited Spain a long time ago, with Shaykh Abdul Wahid. Maulana took the photograph, and gave a Suhbah about Kings who lived in the palace, who forgot that they would die, who thought they would live in that Palace, forever.)
A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem
Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem
Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt
- Maulana began by stating an often forgotten fundamental fact – that shaitan is the cause of all Man’s problems on earth. Shaitan was the first trouble-maker amongst the creation. Every trouble that befalls Man is from the devil. All of Man’s sufferings and punishments come from obedience to shaitan. Sayyidina Adam (as) was ejected from Paradise because of iblis! Hence, every Prophet came to warn their respective Nations about the extreme danger posed by the devil and its helpers. Every Prophet warned Man not to obey shaitan, but to no avail – Mankind is still obedient to shaitan. They love their enemy, they adore the sinful and decadent lifestyle that he brings. That is a fact in today’s world – people abhor the teachings of the Prophets and they adore the way of life that is defiant to Allah, that is brought by the devils. In fact, many people love shaitan, more than anyone else in their lives!
أَلَمۡ أَعۡهَدۡ إِلَيۡكُمۡ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ أَن لَّا تَعۡبُدُواْ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬
Did I not charge (enjoin on) you, O ye sons of Adam, that ye worship not the devil – Lo! he is your open foe (enemy)! (Quran 36:60)
- Oh believers, always remember how Sayyidina Adam (as) and Sayyidatina Hawa were removed in humiliation from the pleasures of Paradise, for obeying the devil! Obedience to shaitan leads to Allah’s wrath and to the loss of blessings and comfort. Remember the treachery of iblis lies in his whispered advice. Be aware that the devil and his wicked advice, is aimed only at inflicting the greatest suffering upon you and your loved ones. There is not one atom of good contained in any of his advice! Why take him as an adviser and a companion? Allah advises Mankind, “Oh My servants, don’t obey shaitan!”
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّڪُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخۡرَجَ أَبَوَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنۡہُمَا لِبَاسَہُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتِہِمَآۗ إِنَّهُ ۥ يَرَٮٰكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ ۥ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَہُمۡۗ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ
O ye Children of Adam! let not satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment (clothing), to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the Evil ones friends (only) to those without Faith. (Quran 7:27)
- It is a pity that people no longer heed Allah’s advice to be wary of shaitan and his whispers. Even after repeated warnings in the Qur’an and Hadees for Man to be aware of his arch-enemy, Man still lets his guard down. Shaitan exists only to destroy us, he is tireless in his efforts, and he is relentless in pursuing us up to the last breath of our lives. There is no suffering that encompasses Man, except that shaitan has played a role in its appearance. You must know and remember this – that shaitan is the most dangerous creation for Mankind!
يَعِدُهُمۡ وَيُمَنِّيہِمۡۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
He [Shaitan] makes promises to them, and arouses in them false desires; and Shaitan’s promises are nothing but deceptions. (Quran 4:120)
- Maulana then referred to the photograph of the majestic Palace in Madrid, Spain, which the student had given him. It was a huge Palace, fit for Emperors and Kings. He said, so many Kings, one after another, had lived in this humungous and stunning Palace. Every King who stepped into this Palace, thought he would be there forever. They thought to themselves, “This is mine, forever. I am not leaving this Palace.” This thought occurred to them, because shaitan had whispered into their hearts, “You are the Majesty, the King, this Palace is for you, enjoy it! Enjoy in this dunia!” Strangely, the Kings never felt any enjoyment in these Palaces, even though they were lavishly decorated. The Palace was so huge, perhaps, there were a thousand rooms, and one would need to walk forty days continuously in order to see all the beautiful and resplendent rooms. Shaitan whispered to each King that ruled, “You are the sole and absolute owner of these thousand decorated rooms. They are for you. These priceless antiques, these carved beds, these gorgeous maidens….all yours! Be happy!” Yet, all these Kings who stayed there, never felt contentment or happiness in their hearts.
- Shaitan whispers to the common folk, the subjects of the King, “What a fortunate King! So blessed, to have such a majestic residence! He has attained such happiness, such satisfaction in owning and staying in such a Palace!” Little do they know, that the King who sits on the Throne, feels empty and despondent, knowing he would never be able to even see the entire interior of this Palace in his lifetime. But the foolish subjects envy and admire the King, thinking to themselves, “If only I could one day own such a Palace, I would leave such a happy and pleasurable life forever.” Shaitan then whispers to them, “If any of you can indeed own this palace, you shall experience unlimited pleasure and satisfaction, forever.” And so, foolish ones start to desire and yearn to own such a property, they make it their life’s aim to become rich and to enjoy in this dunia. This is the ignorance that has enveloped Mankind today. Man obeys such foolish whisperings, and sets his heart to acquiring worldly possessions, without realising that such worldly riches brings only grief and disaster to their owners. This beautiful Palace was the biggest source of trouble to its owners, for it caused them to forget the hereafter.
- Every King, every leader, every rich one, wants to own a Palace, a huge building that he can call his own. What is the benefit of owning such a structure? Have they not seen what fate each King suffered? Did Allah not teach us to learn and take wisdom from the fate of those before us?
أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ كَمۡ أَهۡلَڪۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ يَمۡشُونَ فِى مَسَـٰكِنِهِمۡۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٲلِكَ لَأَيَـٰتٍۖ أَفَلَا يَسۡمَعُونَ
Does it not teach them a lesson, how many generations We destroyed before them, in whose dwellings they (now) go to and fro? Verily in that are Signs: do they not then listen? (Quran 32:26)
- In Southern Spain, in Granada, is another majestic Palace called Al-Hamrah. Where are the Kings that used to stay in that Palace, today? Where are those who used to own it?
- Oh Mankind, do not be cheated by shaitan (like the owners of these Palaces). Oh foolish rich ones, you are trying to collect all of dunia for yourselves, but it is impossible – all that you have gathered will be left behind when you leave. Oh rich Kings who are building skyscrapers, the day will certainly come, when you will be carried on a stretcher to the morgue, where you will be washed and wrapped in your burial shroud (kafan), and you will be placed into a wooden coffin worth 100 riyals/dollars. What happened to your billions of riyals/dollars, asks Maulana? Lying in your coffin, tied up in your burial shroud, you will be taken to the cemetery. There, like a seed, you will be planted in a small hole, and covered with dirt. There you shall remain until the Day of Resurrection, and on that Day, like a plant, you will ‘grow’ and emerge from your tiny hole in the ground, to face a terrible Judgement. Oh Kings, hear, listen and ponder this advice. Death is pursuing you; you will certainly die – if not tonight, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then the next day. The Day will certainly come, when you shall be taken away from your Palace! One after another, each new owner of this Palace (ie each new King) had been taken away to the cemetery, and today, this great Palace in Madrid has been turned into a Museum and Monastery. None of the Kings had managed to stay permanently in the Palace, and none had succeeded in taking it with him on his journey!
- Oh Muslim world, ponder this true advice. Don’t be cheated by Western people, for they are drunk ones, drunk with this worldly life. Being drunk, they never think about the meaning of life, the futility of collecting dunia and the certainty of death. As Muslims, we must think about such things, and realize before it is too late. As believers, we must believe our own Holy Book! Even the Jews and Christian believe in their own Holy Books, but sadly, Muslims have abandoned their own Book of Guidance.
- Since the beginning of time, billions of people have passed away, and each one of them is now waiting in his/her grave for Angel Israfil (as) to blow the Trumpet. Those who are alive, instead of taking example from this grim and sombre fact, are instead ‘drinking’ heavily from the pleasures and desires of dunia, until they are drunk with ambitions and plans for worldly life, oblivious to the reality, that death may strike at the very next second! They never pause to think about such obvious facts, even with death happening all around them, all the time. “It won’t happen to me yet, I am still healthy, I am still young, I still have time for dunia,” the drunk ones insist. Allah has forbidden alcohol and drunkedness, yet millions of people who have Muslim names, are physically and spiritually drunk today. There is a bad ending (su’ul khotimah) awaiting these people.
- Maulana calls to all of Mankind not to be cheated by shaitan in this worldly life. Every Prophet came to remind people, that their time on this planet is very short, and the focus of every human being, must be to attain the best life in the hereafter, for that is eternal. Unfortunately, people are not following this advice, for they are drunk.
- Maulana then asked the mureed, if he wanted the photograph of the Palace back, to which he replied that he was happy to leave it with Maulana. Maulana explained that he wanted to enlarge the photograph, and place it on his door, as a lesson and warning to all who came. Just as a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign would alert visitors of the danger, Maulana wanted this enlarged photograph of the Palace to be like a ‘Beware of shaitan’ sign, to warn visitors, the message being, ‘This building, has caused many to be cheated, so don’t end up being cheated by shaitanic ideas.”
Finally, the mureeds asked three questions.
- One asked why it had not rained in Iran for the past eight years; the ground was parched and very dry now. Maulana said that in a Hadees, Rasulullah (saw) said, “Before the emergence of the last Imam, there will be seven years of drought.” Maulana said that Imam Mahdi (as) would emerge during Haji Akbar (when Wukuf falls on a Friday), and next year was such a year, so Maulana was hopeful that Allah would send us that awaited Imamul Zaman from his Mercy Oceans, then. Maulana exhorted them to await his coming with patience.
- The second question, was from a mureed who asked for a special Zikir of Allah’s Holy names to recite, to which Maulana told him to recite, Rabbunallah Hasbunallah.
- The final question was from a mureed, who was allergic to water, and whose hands be in pain when touched by water during ablution. She asked for a cure, and Maulana advised her to use vinegar.
Al-Fatihah
Commentary
A similar story was told in the Qur’an, of Qarun, who lived and perished in the lifetime of Sayyidina Musa (as).
إِنَّ قَـٰرُونَ ڪَانَ مِن قَوۡمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ ۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلۡعُصۡبَةِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡقُوَّةِ إِذۡ قَالَ لَهُ ۥ قَوۡمُهُ ۥ لَا تَفۡرَحۡۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡفَرِحِينَ (٧٦) وَٱبۡتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَٮٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأَخِرَةَۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَأَحۡسِن ڪَمَآ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَلَا تَبۡغِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ (٧٧) قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ ۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عِندِىٓۚ أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ أَهۡلَكَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مَنۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُ قُوَّةً۬ وَأَڪۡثَرُ جَمۡعً۬اۚ وَلَا يُسۡـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ (٧٨) فَخَرَجَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فِى زِينَتِهِۦۖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا يَـٰلَيۡتَ لَنَا مِثۡلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ قَـٰرُونُ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ۬ (٧٩) وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ وَيۡلَڪُمۡ ثَوَابُ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرٌ۬ لِّمَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا وَلَا يُلَقَّٮٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ (٨٠)فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَمَا ڪَانَ لَهُ ۥ مِن فِئَةٍ۬ يَنصُرُونَهُ ۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنتَصِرِينَ (٨١) وَأَصۡبَحَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَمَنَّوۡاْ مَكَانَهُ ۥ بِٱلۡأَمۡسِ يَقُولُونَ وَيۡكَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَقۡدِرُۖ لَوۡلَآ أَن مَّنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡنَا لَخَسَفَ بِنَاۖ وَيۡكَأَنَّهُ ۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ (٨٢) تِلۡكَ ٱلدَّارُ ٱلۡأَخِرَةُ نَجۡعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّ۬ا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فَسَادً۬اۚ وَٱلۡعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٨٣) مَن جَآءَ بِٱلۡحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ ۥ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّنۡہَاۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجۡزَى ٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ إِلَّا مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (٨٤
Qarun was doubtless, of the people of Moses; but he acted insolently towards them: such were the treasures We had bestowed on him, that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men: behold, his people said to him: “Exult not, for Allah loveth not those who exult (in riches). (76) “But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget thy portion in this world: but do thou good, as Allah has been good to thee, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: for Allah loves not those who do mischief.” (77)He said: “This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge which I have.” Did he not know that Allah had destroyed, before him (whole) generations― which were superior to him in strength and greater in amount (of riches) they had collected? But the wicked are not called (immediately) to account for their sins. (78) So he went forth among his people in the (pride of his worldly) glitter. Said those whose aim is the life of this World: “Oh that we had the like of what Qarun has got! for he is truly a lord of mighty good fortune.” (79) But those who had been granted (true) knowledge said: “Alas for you! the reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is best for those who believe and work righteousness: but this none shall attain, save those who steadfastly persevere (in good).” (80) Then We caused the earth to swallow him up and his house; and he had not (the least little) party to help him against Allah, nor could he defend himself. (81) And those who had envied his position the day before began to say on the morrow: “Ah! it is indeed Allah Who enlarges the provision or restricts it, to any of His servants He pleases! Had it not been that Allah was gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us up! Ah! those who reject Allah will assuredly never prosper.” (82) That House of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth: and the End is (best) for the righteous. (83) If any does good, the reward to him is better than his deed; but if any does evil, the doers of evil are only punished (to the extent) of their deeds. (84) (Quran 28:76-84)
- The ignorant common people envied Qarun for his vast wealth, not realising that that very wealth would be his destruction. But the knowledgeable ones from amongst the Bani Israel, knew better. True enough, Qarun was buried with his riches in shame, and it was only then that the foolish ones realised that love for wealth and arrogance, led to one’s destruction.
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