Real Beauty Comes with Adab

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Ṭarīqah is the beautiful way that is based upon adab. It teaches adab. Adab also raises people in ranks. If one has adab his value increases in everything. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla created man in the most perfect state. Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim says, it is ḥadīth sharīf, when one looks in the mirror let him say, “اللهمَّ كما حسَّنتَ خَلقي فحسِّنْ خُلُقي”. When you look in the mirror say, just as you created me beautiful on the outside, beautify my manners. It is probably a Sunnah. It is necessary to say this.

Every word of Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim, including this, has wisdom and beauty. It shows man the way. So Allāh ﷻ created man in the most beautiful, most perfect way. According to that creation, his manners, discipline and adab should also be beautiful. And he must do that himself. Of course, ask for help from Allāh ﷻ, seek aid from Allāh ﷻ and go on His ﷻ way. Whoever follows that way, his adab will be good. Everyone appreciates him. He doesn’t say anything bad.

But a person doing all kinds of evil and then claiming he’s a human being, that person must learn, he must follow the way. A person who is a Muslim needs to be more careful. Other people, “لَيْسَ بَعْدَ الْكُفْرِ ذَنْب”, “Laysa baa’da l-kufri dhanb”, “There is no sin after kufr.” After becoming a kāfir, the biggest sin he has done is this. Whatever he’d done after that, drank, shot, broke, did this and that, nothing matters after doing this.

So others don’t matter, but a Muslim who does not have adab is a very deficient, imperfect person. Adab is important. Everywhere now, Muslims are imitating others in everything. They are doing what others are doing. He shouts, they shout. He jumps, they jump. He runs, they run. So they copy everything exactly the same. They’re putting them in Islām. Whereas Islām is staidness. It is reverence. Of course, there is beauty, you make jokes, you laugh, you have fun but not like what those people do. You can do it within adab. It would be very nice. People of old times did that.

The greatest example is our Shaykh Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim. His jokes were nice, his smile was nice and his humor was nice too. May Allāh ﷻ be pleased with him. We’ve heard many things and we know what he’d done for 92 years, his entire life, since he was little, shukr to Allāh ﷻ. We know his way. We must go on that way, the way of our Prophet ﷺ. Just as our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu alayhi wa sallam walked on this way, the caliphs, the ṣaḥābah who followed him, the ahlu l-bayt, the mashāyikh all go on the same way. The one who goes out of that way, his way is already separated from the way. The way of our Holy ‎Prophet ﷺ is clear. His ﷺ way is the ḥadīth sharīf and ayati karīmah.

Allāh ﷻ is always watching you. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says this in ḥadīth sharīf. Worship Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla as if you see Him ﷻ. If you don’t see him – you can’t see him anyways. Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, worship Allāh ﷻ as if you can see Him ﷻ, you don’t see Him ﷻ but He ﷻ sees you. That is certain. You cannot see Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla, but Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is with you every minute and every second.

Therefore, within the bounds of ḥalāl, within the bounds of adab, there is all kinds of beauty. With filth, evil and ugliness there is no such thing as beauty. Therefore, adab is very beautiful. It is important for mankind. One must pay attention to it. He must not harm others. He must not infringe on others’ rights. He must pay attention to that.

Those who follow the way will reach the highest ranks with the permission of Allāh ﷻ. It is the Insān Kāmil, the perfect man. There is man, and there is the perfect man. There are insects in the form of humans. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from the evil of our egos. May Allah ﷻ preserve us. May we be on the right way, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

09 May 2025/ 11 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Lefke, Cyprus

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