Strive for Service Not Dunyā

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, everyone must do what they know, their own work. Allāh ﷻ has created everyone differently. He ﷻ elevates whomever He ﷻ wants. And He ﷻ lowers whomever He ﷻ wants. This is an attribute of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. No one ascends by their own efforts. Surely, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will cause a cause to elevate him. And there will be a cause for him to descend.

A person who is on the way of Allāh ﷻ, a person who is truly sincere always ascends. How does one ascend? He ascends spiritually. And when he ascends spiritually, materiality is not important. Allāh ﷻ will send that person wherever he has to serve, towards whatever he will do. If he has a service, He ﷻ raises him. If he doesn’t want that service rejecting it, if he goes against Allāh ﷻ, he will be disgraced and ruined. He will have harmed people also.

Therefore, people must be with Allāh ﷻ. Don’t get involved with dunyā. One should perform his service for the sake of Allāh ﷻ. He should be beneficial to people for the sake of Allāh ﷻ. A person who is beneficial to people is the most beloved person in the presence of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. The most acceptable person is the one who benefits people, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. “The best among you is the one who is good to people.”

Therefore, in dunyā, a believer, a Muslim must know what he is doing. Don’t be ruined and perish by blindly following a person just because he said something. Something happened years ago today. And that’s the biggest example. Destroying people, not for the sake of Allāh ﷻ, but for personal benefit. They appear to be good but destroy people. They bring not goodness but badness to people.

Those who serve for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ are accepted in the sight of Allāh ﷻ. Because it’s not just here, there’s ākhirah also. You’ve led so many people astray in the name of Islām. You took people out of the way in the name of Islām. You ruined their dunyā. And their ākhirah: they will give their account there then. And Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will hold you accountable.

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May we not follow our egos. The mashāyikh say, Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim says, man’s ego, Pharaoh’s ego always exists. Pharaoh said, “I am your greatest god,” and put himself forward. He then perished and was gone. And those who followed him were also destroyed.

Therefore, fitnah for those going on the way is a great affliction. Once it comes out, it doesn’t leave people. It deceives people. It leads astray those who are on the right way. Shukr to Allāh ﷻ, people of ṭarīqah don’t care about dunyā. They care about service. People in ṭarīqah don’t do badness to anyone. Those with shayṭān are the ones who do badness. They are those who magnify their ego, those who consider their ego to be something.

As we said, there has always been a Pharaoh. He saw his ego as great. He considered himself great. Many people followed him and were destroyed. Therefore, if there is any doubt in the heart of anyone, may Allāh ﷻ protect him, and remove doubt from their hearts.

The right way is obvious. What is right is clear. The way of Allāh ﷻ, the way of ṭarīqah. Ṭarīqah means way; the way leading to Allāh ﷻ. The others, those who don’t follow ṭarīqah will surely end up with shayṭān. They say the one without a Shaykh has shayṭān as his shaykh. It’s exactly like that.

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. Because, as we said, shayṭān never sits idle. The shayṭān is always there. Since the time of ‘Ādam ‘alayhi s-salām, shayṭān has been plotting all sorts of tricks and traps to lead people astray. Therefore, may Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from his evil. The shayṭān does not retire, as Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim says. Only when he retires do people become [safe]. And that’s not possible either.

So you must be careful. There are many pharaohs. Don’t say that one is gone and there are no more. There are many. They appear before you in various disguises every time. That’s why, you should be careful. Every day, a complaint comes from somewhere, “This man did this and that.” Well, ask about this man from the beginning; investigate about him. Is he good? Is he not good? Who is he? Then, act accordingly.

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ protect us all from being deceived. May He ﷻ not separate us from the right way.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

15 July 2025/ 20 Muharram 1447

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul