Tariqat trains you to have Adab to Allah

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

13th January 2010, Wednesday

Tariqat trains you to have Adab to Allah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana advises you to give each Suhbah your COMPLETE concentration, and to forget about your work commitments/business matters/plans of what you are to do the next day, for death may claim us that very night suddenly, and while the Suhbahs you have attended would have benefited you, all those plans that you have made for the next day, would have been utterly useless. Maulana says to realise that life is short and that death is very close, for one may be quickly transported to a completely new world, in the blink of an eye.

• We have only knowledge of the next world – we have never seen anything about it with our own eyes, so we only have ilmal yaqeen (certainty based on knowledge), we have yet to reach ainul yaqeen (certainty based on having witnessed it) or haqqul yaqeen (real certainty). These are the three levels of certainty/yaqeen/belief.

• Maulana explains it as follows: If we have heard of the Pacific Ocean, we know it exists, and though we have never seen it, we believe it exists – that is ilmal yaqeen. Once we travel and have been to the Pacific Ocean and we have seen it with our own eyes, our belief is increased and is stronger – that is ainul yaqeen. But a person staying on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, having explored the Ocean, touched the waters, swam in it, dived into it, fished on it – that person does not have the slightest doubt that the Pacific Ocean exists, he is one who knows the Ocean – such a person has Haqqul yaqeen, and that is the highest level of faith/belief/yaqeen. We must strive to have haqqul yaqeen in the life of akherat, but such a person is a rare find, says Maulana.

• Shaitan strives to destroy our faith/belief/yaqeen. When a person is at the first level of faith, shaitan throws some doubt into his heart. He cheats you, by telling you, “Have you ever laid eyes on it? I am your adviser! If you DO NOT see it with your own eyes, do NOT believe it! If you cannot touch it, do not believe it exists! Only accept and believe in what you can see and touch!” As such, a person who follows this advice, cannot even reach the lowest level of faith, ilmal yaqeen, as he will reject the existence of the Lord and the life of the hereafter, as these are not visible to him at this moment. Maulana says, this is what 21st Century Man has become – faithless, cynical, critical, doubting – trusting shaitan, taking the enemy as a Teacher!

• Without faith, Man’s life is today filled with crisis, suffering and terrible punishments – all this as a result of Man following shaitanic teachings. As much as Man is saying YES to shaitan’s advice, more and more sufferings and troubles will befall him. Shaitan is Man’s chief enemy, and his influence has spread throughout this world today – there isn’t a single home, or road, or town, or village, or garden, or mountain – that has not been infected with shaitan’s poisonous teachings. Anywhere that you step, says Maulana, you will find shaitan’s influence there, and when Man takes shaitan’s advice, peace and tranquility are removed from his life.

• Oh Salafi scholars, do you think that shaitan is afraid of your gatherings? No! For when the speaker at such gatherings begins, without reciting A’uzubillah….shaitan throws doubts into the hearts of the speaker and the listeners. Shaitan only fears the real ulama’, those who live with fear for Allah in their hearts, and when Allah’s name is mentioned, their hair stands and their hearts quake with awe.

• Why do Salafi scholars object to Tariqat? Tariqat is a means of training common Muslims, by following divinely guided Guides, though it is very difficult to do so. We seek Allah’s forgiveness constantly, for we are always failing to really follow our Guides.

• Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujdawani (qs), a great Saint and the 11th GrandShaykh of the Naqshbandi Tariqat Order said, “Oh my followers, when you walk, do not look right, and do not look left, but look at your feet. Why? You must be ashamed to look up, you must behave as a Servant before his Lord.” Just like when we are admitted into the presence of a King or Sultan, we show the utmost respect by not glancing around the room, but we stand at attention, eyes lowered respectfully, heads slightly bent forward. Tariqat teaches Man to have adab before Allah, at all times.

• You must strive to be with Allah always, for He will provide you with peace and tranquility, in this world and in the hereafter. If you wish to be with Allah, you must maintain the highest adab, the best behaviour, at all times. You must keep yourselves away from BAD actions.

• You must behave as a Servant. So many people are so proud and haughty, just because they have gold and money – they walk with pride and arrogance, forgetting the Adab of a Servant. All that you possess is grant from Allah, a gift from His bounty, a Test for you, you should be thankful and humble yourselves before Him. Rasulullah (saw) said, “I am a Servant, I sit as a Servant does, I eat as a Servant does…”. This is what Tariqah teaches us, to follow the example of Servanthood that the Seal of the Prophets taught. Oh People, Maulana says, take your Adab from Rasulullah (saw)!

• If we follow the Adab of Rasulullah (saw), if we are humble, if we constantly seek Allah’s forgiveness, if we constantly recite A’uzubillah – we would be saved from shaitan’s fountain, the fountain of bad manners and evil behaviour.

• Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujdawani (qs) said, “For 37 years, I never looked at anything forbidden, for 37 years I never stepped on najis/dirtiness. I am always trying to be with my Lord, are you trying to do the same?” This is the teaching of Tariqat, which Salafi scholars label as an innovation. Why aren’t these scholars explaining the truth to their own people? So many Arabs are born and bred in the Holy Lands of Makkah and Medina, yet they leave these blessed lands to seek enjoyment in Europe, lands that are teeming with shaitan. Why? Why do the ulama’ not speak out against such acts? When they leave the blessed lands of Arabia, to party in Europe, are they seeking to please shaitan?

• On Judgement Day, the first question Allah’s Angels will ask you is, “What did you learn in dunia, and what did you do there?” Prepare for those questions! We are approaching the end of times, listen and ponder over this advice. Those who ignore this advice, will have their faces darkened, the nur/light, will be taken away from it! Those who follow this advice, will attain salvation in this world and in the hereafter.

Fatihah.