#SohbahSeries: Keeping the Balance

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Maulana Sheikh Nazimق’s Suhbah

[This sohbah was given during a gathering where Mawlana Sheikh Nazimق spoke on the importance of balance in daily life, reminding mureeds that every hour is a trust and that stealing from Allah ﷻ’s time is the worst thievery.]

By the name of Allah, All-Mighty, All-Merciful, Most Beneficent and Most Munificent.

People are always afraid of thieves. But the greatest thievery is to steal from the rights of Allah ﷻ.

If a man steals from people, he takes something of no real value, something from this life. But when he takes from the time and rights belonging to his Lord ﷻ, that is the greatest loss.

Therefore, when you intend to bring discipline into your life within the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Tariqat, you must keep a proper division of time.

In a day there are twenty-four hours. Keep eight hours for your worldly responsibilities, for what benefits you and your family. Occupy yourself with something useful. Whatever work you do, keep that time for earning halal and supporting your household.

After those eight hours, if you continue working, make your intention for the sake of Allah ﷻ alone, that your reward may be counted as His right.

Then you must give eight hours to your Lord ﷻ. This is the time for your prayers, for dhikr, for Qur’an, for good company, for service, and for being with your family. That is all part of worship when it is done with the right intention.

And eight hours must be for rest and sleep. The body and the soul both need peace. Those who refuse to rest are oppressing themselves.

When associating with others for teaching or learning, do not exceed three hours in one sitting. After that, it is going to be weaker. In these times, shorter and lighter meetings are better. Within that time you may pray, make wudu, eat, share, and do dhikr, but do not make it heavy.

Lightness brings benefit. Short meetings with barakah are better than long ones that make the heart tired.

Then, from your time for Allah ﷻ, give at least three hours every day to your wife and children. This is a right that must never be neglected.

When sitting with your family, even if you do not speak, love and peace are exchanged between your hearts. A look, a smile, a meal together, these small things carry great meaning. Through that sitting, light and mercy flow through the family.

It gives them more power, energy, love and respect. But most people are heedless of this, they are neglectful.

It is so important. Each day, the father must meet his wife and children, to eat, drink, and rest with them. It may be at separate times, but if you do this, you will find more love, barakah, respect, and protection in your home.

Even if you can only sit for half an hour, then do so sincerely. Say “La ilaha illa-Llah” three times together, and on the third say “Muhammadur Rasul-Allah.”

If seventy calamities were to fall, that household would be protected. By simply looking into each other’s eyes with love, power flows between hearts, bringing advancement both spiritually and physically.

But today many men spend their time outside with friends and brothers, speaking of nothing. When they come home, their wives and children are already asleep. This is wrong.

The father is the head of the house. Divine blessings run through his heart to his family. If he stays away too long, that blessing stops.

So do not leave your wife or children lonely! The husband must keep his family close. You must be with her every day and with your children every day.

A woman’s heart is soft. When you sit with her, peace enters both hearts. When you neglect her, that peace disappears.

If you keep this order, you will feel improvement in every part of your life.

Most complaints in homes today come from this neglect. There is no peace, no respect, no mercy, because people have left the way of Shari‘ah and Tariqat. If they returned to it, all these problems would vanish.

The Prophet ﷺ used to take care of his family as much as he was able. This is his Sunnah. Help your family, serve them.

If your wife gives birth, the child becomes your responsibility too. Allah ﷻ says, “They give birth for you, and you must provide for them.” You cannot say, “You feed and clean them!” It is your duty as well.

Our wives are shields protecting us from Hells. The halal wife keeps her husband from falling. Without them, all men would go astray. Allah ﷻ says, “Live with them with kindness.” Harshness and violence is for wild animals, not for believers. Be gentle and patient with them.

Do not waste precious time for nothing! Do not be among those who waste their hours and then complain that there is no barakah in their days.

When you keep order, when you give each its right, barakah will fill your time.

You must try to awaken at least half an hour before Fajr. If you can, take a bath. If not, make wudu and pray two raka‘ats. Then stand facing qiblah and recite one hundred times “Ya Halim” for calmness and control of anger, and one hundred times “Ya Hafiz” for protection from harm.

Especially on Thursday, Friday, and Monday nights, you may pray a private, special two raka‘ats of Salat al-Najat. In the first raka‘at after Fatihah, recite Surat al-Ikhlas eleven times, and again in the second raka‘at.

After salam, make sajdah and speak to your Lord ﷻ as your heart guides you. One hour before Fajr is the best time, a precious treasure for us.

And you must sleep early. If there is no reason to stay awake, then sleep after Isha. One hour of sleep before midnight is equal to double its value.

All problems, physically and spiritually, come from not sleeping well, from not resting when the body is asking for it. Forcing yourself to stay awake when the body is asking to rest, is no good.

Your spiritual body is also asking to rest, so that it may awaken early. That time is so precious. If you do not sleep before midnight, harm comes physically and spiritually. For sleeping, before midnight is the best time.

You must keep the order. Eight hours for your work, eight hours for your Lord ﷻ, eight hours for rest.

From your time for Allah ﷻ, keep three hours for your family. And if you spend more than eight hours in dunya, make the intention that it is for Allah ﷻ.

If you give Allah ﷻ His rights, He ﷻ will bless all the rest. But if you steal from His time, you become a thief of divine trust.

O people, be careful with your time. Every moment is a jewel.

May Allah ﷻ grant us balance in our days, light in our homes, and sincerity in our worship.

May He ﷻ make us faithful to His trust, and protect us from stealing His rights.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqaniق

More sohbahs from the Liberating the Soul Series can be found here.

For sohbahs sent directly to your inbox, do subscribe to our website.

---

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 Liberating the Soul – A Guide for Spiritual Growth 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.

---