The Way of Istiqāmah

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

“فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَٓا اُمِرْتَ وَمَنْ تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْاۜ”

(Qur’ān 11:112)

“Fa-staqim kamā umirta wa-man tāba ma‘aka, wa la tatghaw”

“So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah ], and do not transgress.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, be upon istiqāmah, the straight way. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, this Ayah made my beard turn white. “شَيَّبَتنِي هُودٌ”, “Shayyabatni Hūd”, “Sūrat Hūd made my hair turn white.” This is a great ayah.

Being upon istiqāmah is a great thing. It is the order of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. What is istiqāmah? Going straight. Not lying, deceiving and going crookedly. You must go straight. You must go as Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla orders. If you do that, there is no fear for you, there is no sorrow. But if go out of that way and go here and there in the opposite direction, back, right, left, up, down and like that, you won’t get anywhere. Apart from not reaching anywhere, various things could happen to you.

Therefore, istiqāmah is difficult but important. A person who is upon istiqāmah does not fear anyone, does not feel ashamed in front of anyone, does not bow down to anyone. So, all the orders of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla are beneficial to us. This order is also one of the great orders: to be upon istiqāmah.

Because the ego leads a person astray, leads him off istiqāmah, makes a laughing stock of itself and does all kinds of things. That’s why, a person who is upon istiqāmah is safe from everyone. He owes nothing to anyone. He has no debt to anyone.

Our way is the way of our ‎Prophet ﷺ. That way is to be upon istiqāmah, straight on the way. Ṭarīqah means way. You must keep straight on that way, without going right or left, until the end of your life. How long is one’s life anyway? Even if you live a thousand years.

Therefore, as long as one doesn’t leave the way, he won’t have troubles and he won’t fear anyone. Who is the fearful person? The traitor. A person has no fear unless he is a traitor. When there are hidden secret things, then people get scared and wonder if these secrets will come out and something will happen to them. As long as you are upon istiqāmah, and you know who you are, then you won’t be afraid of anyone, you won’t be ashamed of anyone, you won’t be distressed.

He who is with Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is always at ease; always. Even if the whole world collapses, his heart is at peace. Peace is inside him. Because dunyā is already a worthless place. Just as its name means; dunyā means lowness. Therefore, a person shouldn’t feel sad for the sake of dunyā. Those who are with Allāh ﷻ are always at ease, and never have any troubles or fear. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May we not deviate from istiqāmah, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 

12 March 2025/ 12 Ramadhan 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul