#SgSohbah: Muharram is Very Special to Us

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In Loving Memory of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan

Here is a transcription of a Sohbah given by Almarhum Sheikh Abdul Sattar Khan on 21st July 2023:

MashaAllah, Alhamdulillah, we are now in the New Muslim Year and New Muslim Month of Muharram. Muharram is very special for us in this Tariqah because although the Ma’al Hijrah is celebrated around the world, it is of special significance to the Naqshbandis.

Not only is it the Hijrah the beginning of the Muslim calendar, but the beginning of our Tariqah also lies in the Hijrah itself, in which the wisdom of Rasulullah ﷺ was passed on to Sayyidina Abu Bakar Siddiqر after handing over all the amanahs (responsibilities). Even the non-Muslims had given a lot of amanah to the Holy Prophet to hold when he was in Makkah.

Before leaving for Madinah, he disbursed all these amanahs, even the enemies of Islam, those who were persecuting him and even those who hated him. For even they trusted him as Al-Amin, the trustworthy one. He returned all their amanahs. He left some in the hands of Sayyidina Aliر. 

On that night, the tribesmen, youth of different Qabilah (tribes) surrounded and tried to kill the Prophet ﷺ. But the Holy Prophet ﷺ walked right past them and with Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر, began his 450km journey. A journey that Prophet ﷺ took on his camel with his bosom companion, Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر who is at the helm of this Tariqah.

This is the only Tariqah of the 41 Tariqahs that begins its journey with Sayyidina Abu as-Bakar Siddiqر, the Naqshbandi ‘Aliyyah Tariqah. All the other 40 Tariqahs taking their roots with Sayyidina Aliر, Karam-Allahu Wajhah. What a blessing for us to be with this Tariqah. It is a gift from Allah ﷻ to us, which we must treasure.

It was actually very easy for Allah ﷻ to take Rasulullah ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah in the blink of an eye, just as he took Rasulullah ﷺ from Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in just a few moments.

The wisdom of this journey was shown when Prophet ﷺ traveled in the intense heat and found a cave, the cave of Thawr and hid in the cave with Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر. It is in this cave that the ayah, Asta’idhu billah “Innallaha ma’ana” (Allah is with us), was descended. “La Tahzan” (Don’t be sad), Prophet ﷺ said to Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر because he was sad.

He was so concerned when he was travelling with Rasulullah ﷺ. Sometimes he was riding in front of the Prophet ﷺ, worried in case somebody came from the front. Sometimes he was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ, worried in case somebody ambushed them from the back. So intense was his love for Rasulullah ﷺ. Always worried that something would happen to his Beloved.

And when the expert tracker from Makkah actually tracked the footsteps of these 2 men, they were able to track down the Prophet ﷺ right to the door of the cave. As many of you know the story, because of the dove that made its nest there and by the spider that made its web by the entrance, they didn’t enter the cave. Throughout this, Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر said he could see them, could see their feet outside the cave itself.

He was very sad because he felt that it would have been the end of Islam, the end of Prophet ﷺ and the end of this journey. But the Holy Prophet ﷺ said to him, “La Tahzan” (Don’t be sad), “Innallaha Ma’ana” (Allah is with us). This is such a powerful ayah MashaAllah. It’s also one of the deepest foundations of the Naqshbandi Way because it is a way of companionship, “Tariqatuna Sohbah”. Our way is companionship.

Nothing greater than the companionship we have seen with Rasulullah ﷺ and all the companions. They are called his Sahabah. The root word of Sahabah is Sohbah, which is to speak about or to show companionship and learning through companionship. Of all the companions, the one closest to the Prophet ﷺ, was our beloved Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر.

In that cave, it was a long story, but the important thing was that in this cave, it was the beginning of the Naqshbandi Tariqah. The first Khatam Khwajagan was held there and the Prophet ﷺ together with Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر and all the Grandsheikhs, their souls, and all the souls of every attendee of every Khatam Khwajagan since that time from 1445 years ago till today.

From that first Khatam Khwajagan, he has continued this ancient practice for so long and until today, this ancient Zikir is still being done. And MashaAllah it has propagated through the world and Allah ﷻ has chosen some people to be following the way of Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر, the one who had died before he died.

Rasulullah ﷺ said to the companions, “You must know that your friend here, referring to Sayyidina Abu Bakar as-Siddiqر, he excels or exceeds all of you, not by virtue of his deeds but by virtue of a secret that is contained in his heart”. That is the secret that was passed down from Rasulullah ﷺ to Sayyidina Abu Bakar Siddiqر and down the Golden Chain until Sheikh Muhammad Adilق today holding that secret in himself. 

Hence we, the mureeds who are following and attempting to understand this journey, must be very thankful that this ancient way that started hundreds of miles away, hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago, has reached us. Right now we are sitting in Singapore and MashaAllah this practice, these teachings, this way, these Guides have reached us even here, Alhamdulillah, MashaAllah.

So, this month of Muharram is very special for all of us. Not only was it the beginning of the spread of Islam when the Holy Prophet ﷺ moved to Madinah, it was there that Islam began to expand until they were able to go back to Makkah and conquer it. But it’s also the beginning of our Way.

It is also the birthday of Shah Naqshbandق in this month, the 14th of Muharram. It is a very special day for us. InshaAllah we’ll also be fasting the 3 white days, 13th, 14th and 15th. So it will include the 14th as well. And on the night of the 14th (eve) is a night we must also stay up and do our worshipping because Grandsheikh Shah Naqshbandق said, 4 times a year, the Barakah that comes upon me reaches to all my mureeds. It means all those following the Naqshbandi Way, and 3 of those days are in Ramadhan.

The one day that is outside Ramadhan is in this month of Muharram on the 14th of Muharram. So again, it is also something very special for us who are followers of Shah Naqshbandق to ask for the blessings that descend upon him. Mawlanaق was saying so special is the status of Shah Naqshbandق that of the 7 Jannahs that are in the skies when we return to Allah ﷻ on the Day of Judgment, by the Shafa’ah (intercession) of Shah Naqshbandق alone will be from his eyes, as far as his eyes reach on the day of Yawm al-Qiyamah, that group of people are in his Shafa’ah.

According to Mawlana Sheikh Nazim, 4 out of the 7 Jannahs are filled just by the Shafa’ah of this single saint, Shah Naqshbandق alone, filling 4 of the 7 paradises by his Shafa’ah. We are the followers of Shah Naqshbandق in the Naqshbandi Way, chosen by Allah ﷻ.

We are nothing great, so don’t be proud. We are amongst the worst of the people in reality.

It is said that on the Day of Promises, all the Saints chose their followers and from those that nobody wanted, the Naqshbandi Saints took them. So we were the rejects from that day. All the other Saints looked at us and shook their heads and said no we’re not going to have these people in our Tariqah. And from the group of people that was left behind, the Naqshbandi Saints took them and trained us all. 

So we must be very grateful to Allah ﷻ, as Shah Naqshbandق made this Du’a before Allah ﷻ gave him this Way. He said, “I wish for a way that is MOST easy for my people, for my mureeds. The easiest, the shortest way for them to reach the Divine Presence.” That’s why you find in our Way, the practices are not heavy, not very heavy.

I’ve seen and sat with other people before from other Ways and their Ways are very heavy. Even for them to request something from Allah ﷻ, they have to read hundreds and hundreds of times so many different amalan (practices) which are very very heavy to do. You never find that in the Naqshbandi Way.

Everything they give you is easy to do and something that is extremely powerful. For example, if you are taking a small, tiny hand grenade, you need millions to produce the effect of a single nuclear bomb, right? So an amal that is very connected because our Way is a way of connection. Connection is the most crucial thing in the Naqshbandi Way because we are not doing anything by ourselves, we are not existing by ourselves.

Allah ﷻ is reminding us that we are existing by Him ﷻ and the connection to Him ﷻ is the most important thing in this Way. That’s why in the Naqshbandi Way, even though we are so far from Sheikh Mehmetق like last time, the older mureeds are so far away from Sheikh Nazimق physically but spiritually the connection is very very powerful. 

As he used to say, if Allah ﷻ granted the power to iblis and shaytan to be so close to everybody on earth it would be impossible that Allah ﷻ didn’t grant something more powerful to the Saints, that even if their mureeds are as far away as in Alaska or some hidden cave somewhere in the world, the Saints will be given the power to reach to them even more powerfully than how shaytan is able to reach everybody in this world.

So our Way is a way of connection. Our Way is a way of companionship. That’s why we’re always reminded of this need to be in connection with the Guide, just as a light bulb, once it’s no longer in touch or in connection with the electricity source, then it is shut off. So we are constantly reminded to be in connection with the Guide, to be in Rabita, to always be in Rabita with the Guide, to always keep our connection to the Guides because we are in need to be lighted all the time and to be guided on this Way.

This month is also important because of the Day of Ashura. The Day of Ashura is the 10th of Muharram and it was a day in which the Muslims were fasting even before Ramadhan was made compulsory. The story, very briefly, is when the Prophet ﷺ had reached Madinah after the migration, he met the Jews and he asked them why they were not eating that day. They said they were fasting.

They were fasting to celebrate the victory of Sayyidina Musa (AS) over Fir’aun. And the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “We have more rights over Prophet Musa (AS) than you have”. And the Muslims were then commanded to fast on that day but to differentiate their fasting from the fasting of the Jews, the Holy Prophet ﷺ told the Muslims to fast on the 9th and 10th or the 10th and 11th. So that is why even in this small matter, to resemble even the good deeds of the other religions, we are encouraged to be different from them.

What more their lifestyles, their akhlaq, their adab, we must be standing by our own way and not follow them into the hole of the lizard. As the Prophet ﷺ said, in the end of times, my Ummah will follow the people, the unbelievers right into the lizard hole.

When the Sahabah asked, “Who are you referring to, is it the Jews and Christians” the Prophet said, “who else”. Today we can see this has already happened. People are following the ways of the non-Muslims. So that is why the people who revive the Sunnah are given such a huge reward in these end of times.

So be amongst them who are every day looking for a single Sunnah and then reviving it within yourself. It can be the smallest thing, like taking salt before and after food, small Sunnahs that show your love for the Prophet ﷺ. To put on the slippers from the right side before you put on the left side or to take off the left side of clothing first before the right side.

Very small things which are so easy to do, but it is a sign of your love for the Holy Prophet ﷺ in that if you can find a way to follow how the Prophet ﷺ did it, then you will choose that method, that way, that lifestyle, that akhlaq or that adab over your own. 

So the Day of Ashura is the day of victory that Allah ﷻ granted over the enemies of Allah ﷻ. The day where Sayyidina Ayub (AS) was cured of his illness. The day where Sayyidina Yunus (AS) was removed from the belly of the whale. The day when Sayyidina Yusuf (AS) was released from jail. The day when Sayyidina Ibrahim (AS) was saved from the furnace of Nimrod, who had created such a huge fire for him. And of course the day when Sayyidina Musa (AS) defeated Fir’aun and crossed the ocean. It’s the day in which Allah ﷻ created Sayyidina Adam (AS) in Jannah. It is also said that Qiyamah will also happen on the Day of Ashura.

So there are so many endless lists of blessings on that day, the day where the Ark of Noah (AS) found its resting place on Mount Judi. As such, it is a day of victory of good over bad. The victory of the patient ones who tolerated the dhzolim and the evil that was done upon them. This is the day that Allah ﷻ grants victory for those who are fighting their enemies. And our biggest enemy, our desires, our nafs.

And every Ashura, we are asking Allah ﷻ to grant us victory more and more. Stronger self, weaker nafs, we are asking Allah ﷻ to grant us more and more strength to defeat our desires, our ego, our arrogance, our pride and our heedlessness. Every Ashura is a victory against the badness that lies within us.

So that is why the Day of Ashura is celebrated. Even though when Ramadhan became compulsory, this Sunnah fasting is very encouraged for the believers to do it, to remember the help of Allah ﷻ. No matter how slow we feel it comes, no matter how much time we have to wait for it to come, when it finally comes, it’s very very sweet.

“Inna ma’al usri yusra”, after every difficulty comes ease. We are always hoping for that ease. Remember, don’t ask for the difficult way. Don’t ask for something you cannot bear and carry as Mawlanaق said in one of his Sohbah. Even Shah Naqshbandق, when he was doing Munajat, was asking Allah ﷻ to give him the heaviest test and he would bear everything for his love for Allah ﷻ, and Allah ﷻ advised him and said don’t ask in this manner and ask for something which is easy. Shah Naqshbandق then asked for the whole of his mureeds to reach Allah ﷻ easily. So always ask for ease.

In fact, from one of the Sohbah from Mawlanaق, one of the Sahabah was making Du’a, “Oh Allah ﷻ grant me patience…. grant me patience… grant me patience” because he was having an illness. And that’s why Mawlana Sheikh Mehmetق was saying, don’t ask for patience, right? Because the Prophet ﷺ said to this Sahabah, “Do you know that by this Du’a, you are prolonging the musibah that is coming upon you? Because you are saying to Allah ﷻ, make me patient with this musibah and grant me more and more patience”. 

That means grant this musibah to continue and continue and continue so that my patience will continually be in a state of patience and patience and patience. The Prophet ﷺ said, don’t ask a Du’a like that. Instead, the Prophet ﷺ, said to him, ask for Afiyah, “Allahumma inni as’alukal-‘afwa wal-‘afiyah”. Afiyah means well-being. It’s not that we don’t want to bear difficulty, no. But we are weak ones.

Don’t say to Allah ﷻ I can, because there came a point where even the Prophets said to Allah ﷻ, all these Prophets whom you are hearing, their victory against the enemies, they also bore long periods of patience which was very tough for them. They said, “Mata Nasrullah” (Oh Allah, where is the help of Allah?)

This is something you say usually in exasperation when you are so tired and you’re waiting. When Allah ﷻ says to Musa (AS), “We will give you a victory very soon.” 40 years later still he was waiting for that victory because time is very short for Allah Almighty. But for us, it is something that Allah ﷻ can make very long. So do not say that I can carry the difficulty and let me be patient with this. No, when something comes to you, say to Allah ﷻ, give me well-being, give me ease. Lift this from me because I come to you as a weak servant. 

The Prophets had their victory after waiting and we also are waiting for the time to return to Allah ﷻ. Day by day we are fighting this battle against our enemy, our self, trying to remove badness from our self and year by year on the Day of Ashura, may Allah ﷻ grant us victory, small steps of victory against our nafs, our ego, and all the badness that is hidden within our hearts, until step by step we reach to perfection.

And once we have reached to that point where our heart is cleansed from all that is displeasing to Allah ﷻ, Alhamdulillah, InshaAllah, Allah ﷻ will invite us to return to Him ﷻ in the condition of perfection, just as He ﷻ invited all those who are on the Way of Love.

So be happy in this Muharram. It is the beginning of the Tariqah, it is the birthday of Shah Naqshbandق, it is the Day of Ashura. That is why it’s not encouraged for us to follow the ways of some people who are taking the Day of Ashura as the day of lamentation and crying and sadness because they are saying it is the day that Sayyidina Hussein (AS) passed away when he was martyred.

Of course, we are sad to hear such a news, but it was a victory for him, victory for all those who returned to Allah ﷻ in Allah ﷻ‘s Love. They attained the highest of Maqams. He will be the one who is the leader of the Martyrs on the Day of Judgment, and he reached an honor that brought so much honor to the Ahlul Baytul Kiram.

It is something that is so pleasing to the family of the Prophet ﷺ because they reached the highest of Maqams. Although it is sad, Mawlanaق was saying in the past year’s Sohbah not to follow the ways of these people making it a day of sadness. They say we should walk around feeling sad. Some of them even whip themselves and do all these strange practices.

In our Way, no, it is a day of Happiness. We celebrate the victory of the ones whom Allah ﷻ has helped. We celebrate the reaching of the highest Maqam for Sayyidina Hussain (AS) and all the Martyrs of Karbala. And of course we read Al-Fatiha, we read Yasin, we read the Quran and give to them as a gift. And we share our love with these blessed ones who are very high in their Maqams in the eyes of Allah Almighty.

So use your Muharram wisely as after that we are entering into a very heavy month, the month of Safar where much Musibah comes on this earth and already we are seeing even in the past weeks so many difficult things have been happening in the country. So, we keep our heart with Allah ﷻ, ask Allah ﷻ to protect us and our loved ones in this coming difficult month ahead and in this month, let us be one who is constantly seeking from Allah ﷻ.

The Day of Ashura is very special, a day in which your Du’as are accepted. So don’t let that day pass just like that. Even to feed the poor, the rewards are so great. To be generous with your family, Allah ﷻ will be generous with you and your family the whole of the year. If you use celak, they call it antimony on your eyes, you will not have eye illness for the whole year. If you bathe hadas besar, your Sunnah bathing, Allah ﷻ will keep your body free of heavy illnesses throughout the year. If you feed orphans or you touch their head with kindness, Allah ﷻ will dress you with Mercy and Goodness.

So look at all the good deeds that can be done on that day besides fasting and seek from Allah ﷻ His Bounty. Every time there’s a special occasion like this, you must be the first one to be on the prayer mat asking from Allah ﷻ all sorts of goodness, “Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil Aakhirati hasanatan waqina ‘adhaban-nar”.

Not just Dunya but also Akhirah, not just for yourself but also for your family, not just for those who are alive but also those who have passed and those who will come into this Dunya as your progeny, as your descendent, as your family.

Pray for all of them, pray for the goodness that you ask for yourself upon all of these people. Allah ﷻ loves those who are always constantly praying for the wellbeing of the other Muslims in this world.

May Allah ﷻ grant us goodness on the Day of Ashura. One of the amalan that is done collectively is a Qurban that is done on that day.

For this Qurban you don’t have to do a full Qurban by yourself. You can even just put $1 dollar and from that $1 or $2 dollars everybody is giving, if we can do 1, we will do 1. If we can do more, we shall do more, as we have been doing for the past many years InshaAllah. As a Barakah of feeding the hungry and poor people who are refugees there. 

May Allah ﷻ grant us all the blessings of the Day of Ashura and more.

May Allah ﷻ grant us to be part of the Du’as of the pious people of that day.

May Allah ﷻ grant us to be busy, busy seeking his Bounties on that day and may Allah ﷻ grant us all that we seek and more than that InshaAllah. 

Bi hurmatil Habib, bi hurmatil Fatiha.

• Almarhum Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan

21 July 2023/ 03 Muharram 1444

To learn more about the month of Muharram and the day of Ashura, please click here.

Google Drive to the full devotions can be found here.

Our beloved Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan reunited with his true love, Allah Almighty, on 11 November 2023. 

May Allah forgive his shortcomings, bestow upon him endless blessings, mercy, and light, and elevate his rank for the sincerity of his efforts and contribution during his lifetime. 

May he be placed among those closest and dearest to Allah Almighty.

Al-Fatiha for Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Sattar Khan.