Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

22nd April 2010, Thursday

Every Guide must ask himself this question

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana asked to be bestowed knowledge that would help us ascend from one level to the next. We must perform what is our right – our right is to be obedient servants of Allah. Each human being must know where he stands. If he doesn’t know that, he may lose his direction on this journey.

• Every human being who understands what his responsibilities are, has acquired honor. Those who do not know their responsibilities, they have no Divine value, for they are like animals – animals have no responsibilities.

• Mawlana said that he is merely a ‘tap’ through which Divine advice flows, and such advice reaches these taps in waves. Just as no home can have a flow of water without pipes/taps, no human can receive a flow of heavenly teachings, if he is not linked to a heavenly ‘tap’. No one on Earth has control over these heavenly pipes and taps.

• Teachers who are not true ‘taps’ of guidance often show bad manners/behavior, causing people to run away from Islam. Such teachers, who show a gruff and rough exterior, who treat their students harshly and rudely, and who preach a violent and extremist brand of Islam, have the Divine light (nūr) removed from their faces. It is sad that their Shayṭānic behaviour causes people to leave Islam, instead of falling in love with it. So many extremist/fanatic preachers have caused people to hate Islam, and to say, “If this is Islam, then I do not accept it.”

• To all such preachers, Mawlana called out to them and asked them, “Where are you headed in life? What is your mission and direction in life?” Do you intend to lead people towards your extremist/fanatical ideology? Do you not think that Rasūlullāh (saw) was not aware that his Nation would split up into so many sects? He had said, “In future, my Nation will split into 73 sects. My Nation will leave my Sunnah, they will leave my Way and the Way of my Companions and their followers, and they will even declare the Way of my Companions as wrong.” This has already occurred. Has it never crossed the minds of those who are in such sects, that a small group can never dictate the ideology of the majority? People today tremble before the miniscule pig flu virus, but they do not fear the Almighty (in daring to declare the majority of Muslims as astray, and justifying their small sects as the true ones)!

• Many of them obstinately cling to their wayward creed – qulūbunā ghulfun (their hearts are locked) – as if their hearts and minds have been entrenched in such an ideology. Many Muslims’ hearts have been locked – they reject the Islam brought by the Prophet (saw) and his Companions – they accept only their own ideology! So many followers hold their leader’s teachings in higher esteem than that of Rasūlullāh (saw). For example, many Arabs have abandoned the Sunnah – they no longer sport a beard, they do not wear a turban, they have abandoned the Sunnah dressing for smart Western suits with ties, and they too seek to own sleek sports cars like the rich and famous do.

• Many fanatics are so quick to label all new developments in Islam as bid‘a (blameworthy innovations). Mawlana asked if such fanatics considered it practical to insists that we still ride camels today?

• Mawlana asked these so-called guides – in which direction are they taking their followers? What is the purpose and direction they aim for, in seeking and teaching knowledge? They should ask themselves – where does heavenly knowledge lead its students? Towards dunyā or ākhirah? Does the Lord of Heavens lead His servants to dunyā or to Maula (the Master)? The only aim of all that was brought by Rasūlullāh (saw) is to lead the Ummah to ākhirah! Every guide must ask if he is doing the same thing.

• The discarding of the turban by the  so-called ālīm (learned ones), is an especially ominous sign (a bad omen), as Rasūlullāh (saw) said in a Ḣadīth, “The Turban is the Crown of the Arabs, he who raises it will be raised by Allah, and he who discards it, will be humiliated by Allah.” Why have today’s Arabs abandoned the wearing of the Turban? Why are the Muslims of today, following the ways of the Disbelievers, the Hypocrites and the Opponents of Islam? So many Muslims from the various sects condemn the act of covering our heads at all times. Has the Prophet (saw) ever been seen with his head exposed? That is why he said, “Anyone who revives a Sunnah of mine, will be rewarded like one who has died a martyr.”

• During the battle of Badr, Allah sent Angels to assist the outnumbered believers. The Angels descended from the Heavens, riding on their horses, and each was wearing a Turban, with a tail at the back of the Turban.

بَلَى إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُمْ مِنْ فَوْرِهِمْ هَذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ

“Remember when you (O Muhammad) said to the Faithful: Is it not enough for you that Allah should help you with three thousand angels (specially) sent down? Indeed, if you remain patient, and act in piety, even if the enemy should rush here on you in hot haste, your Lord would help you with five thousand angels making a terrific onslaught.” (Quran 3:124-125)

• When the Prophet (saw) saw how the Angels were all with tailed-turbans, he wore such a turban (with a tail), and he taught the Companions to do so too.

• In the past, Allah sent His Prophets to guide humans to ākhirah. Today too, there are those who bring such Divine advice/guidance, and all true guides must show their followers the Way to their Lord – and away from dunyā! Today, Man is working and striving for dunyā, day and night; we are no longer striving to please Allah. Yet the Prophet (saw) directed us towards Allah, not dunyā, so what has happened? Guides must teach humans real knowledge – so that humans will know their true life’s direction and their true responsibilities in this worldly life. For those genuine guides who preach this knowledge, the Angels pray for them, “Oh our Lord, grant to that servant as You please.”

• Mawlana said that all teachers, guides and learned ones must join hands, to destroy Shayṭān’s fortress, to bury Shayṭān and his kingdom under our feet – that must be our common aim.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

21st April 2010, Wednesday

A single lighted candle, can light a thousand other candles

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana said that the recitation of the Holy Words Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim can remove all trouble-causing conditions within us. Mawlana prayed for Allah’s endless blessings, and for the capacity and ability to convey His message to His creatures, including to His Deputies on this planet. Mawlana reminded us that Man is Khalῑfah fil ardh, Khalῑfah on this Earth only, not Khalῑfah of the entire endless dominions of Allah Almighty. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an,

وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِيفَةً۬‌ۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَجۡعَلُ فِيہَا مَن يُفۡسِدُ فِيہَا وَيَسۡفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ‌ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

“
Behold thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on Earth.”” (Quran 2:30)

• Mawlana said that his Holy Guide and Master has been chosen and granted the task of advising the masses, to help Man correct himself, and to show him how to put his feet on the path of holy ones and to unveil to him about his real self – every one of us is in need of the guiding light of the ṣādiqīn, whom within them are shining lights.

• Mawlana said that every human being is carrying a candle – most of us have unlit or sleeping candles that are unable to show us the way in the dark. How are our candles to be lit and awakened? We need someone to light our candles!

• Mawlana recounted his childhood, when he stayed in the neighborhood of the Albanian people of Nicosia. The locals were diligent craftsmen; they were an upright and hardworking people who preferred working the fields to working in the town. They were a close-knit society, honest, non-fanatic, pious and united. Mawlana recounted that during weddings at the local Church, the residents would gather, and everyone would arrive with an unlit candle. At the entrance of the Church, one man would use his lighted candle, to light the extinguished candles of each of the thousands of worshippers entering the Church. From that single lit candle, thousands of people acquired lit candles, and the flame of the first candle that was used to light all the other candles, did not diminish. Its flame did not become smaller or weaker at all even after sharing that light with so many others.

• Similarly, those who seek spiritual guidance – heavenly lights – will be brought by Allah to meet one such person who holds a Divine ‘lighted’ candle and to take from that light. Only those who seek such Divine lights will be brought to such a person.

• We must seek out a person with a lighted candle, if we wish to light our unlit candles. Many people seek to light their candles, by seeking out those who do not possess a lighted candle. You may approach a person who may be a well-known cult figure, or he may be an academic holding a string of paper qualifications that pronounces him to be a learned one (i.e. PhD, Doctorate of Sharī’ah etc), or he may look very holy and important (i.e. wearing a jubbah etc) – but he may not be one who has a lighted candle. Instead, Allah may bestow upon a old, simple, unassuming, weak and low-profiled person, the lighted candle that you are seeking – that old man may be able to awaken ‘extinguished’ hearts, with the light from his heart.

• It is the norm that many people disregard these Divinely-sent carriers of lighted candles, as they often hold no important worldly positions and may be people of low-worldly status. Prophets were also spurned because they were simple people, like shepherds. So many Nations denied and defied their Prophets, as they were judged by their physical dressings, as being unimportant people! It is a terrible mistake to turn our backs on such enlightened people – we are in dire need of their lighted candles! Why do we turn them away?

• There are diseases of the body and there are also diseases of the soul. Physical diseases can be treated medically, but spiritual diseases need spiritually connected doctors, and such lighted ones are the spiritual healers that we desperately need. The diseases of our egos are very serious ones, many of us go through our entire lives blind to this, and hence walk the Earth with arrogance and pride. It is not easy to treat these diseases. Only spiritual guides can diagnose and prescribe the cure for such malignant cancers, but such guides are often disregarded, and very few people give them their due respect and reverence.

• Allah gives elevated spiritual levels and specialties to whomever He pleases. Often, recipients of such honor and duties, are people who are very simple outwardly. They do not try to show piety or status in their dressings. Man is honored because of his spirituality (real being), not because of his physical body – we must learn to look beyond the external, and not be duped by it. Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, hides treasures in the remotest and most desolate places, within ruins and shipwrecks. Such places look so ordinary, but they contain so much untold treasures. Hence, Prophets never displayed any magnificent physical prowess to their Nations, instead they brought spiritual enlightenment for those humble enough to accept it. So many religious leaders dress so ceremoniously and grandly, they dress in expensive outfits as if they have descended from the heavens above! They are so conscious of their public appearance – Mawlana asked, has this sort of behavior ever been taught in our Holy Books?

• There was a story a well-known man called Khwaja Effendi. He had been invited to a marriage ceremony, and arrived dressed in ordinary home clothes. His appearance was indeed very shabby, and the attendants placed him at a table far away from the honored guests. After a few moments, he slipped out and ran home, where he put on a splendid fur dressing, and he returned to the door of the house of feasting. Seeing a guest so richly dressed drawing near, the servants ran out to meet him with all signs of respect, and the Master of the feast came out also to meet him with other guests, saluting him and saying, “Welcome, O most learned Khwaja!” And all who knew him saluted him in a like manner. Then they led him to the upper end of the most honored table, crying, “Please to be seated, Khwaja Effendi!” Whereupon the Khwaja seated himself, but he did not speak, and the guests stood round him, waiting to hear what should fall from his lips. And when the Khwaja had been served with food, he took hold of the sleeve of his dressing and pulled it towards the dish, saying, in a tone of respect, “O most worthy and honorable dressing! Be good enough to partake of this dish. In the name of the Prophet (saw), I beg you, do not refuse to taste what has been hospitably provided.” “What is this, Khwaja?” cried the people, “And what do you mean by offering food to a fur dressing that can neither hear nor eat?” “O most courteous entertainers!” replied the Khwaja, “Since the dressing has commanded such respect at your hands, is it not proper that it should also partake of the food? I came earlier, but was not welcomed, but now, I am welcomed because of my dressing, not because of me, so this food is for my dressings, not for me.”

• It is a 21st century phenomenon, that almost all people are showing respect for the physical dressing, rather than the spiritual clothing! People, even religious ones, feel ashamed to wear simple and common dressing, as beautiful dressings appears to draw more respect from foolish ones. The person himself (like Khwaja above) is not respected, instead, the clothing he is dressed in, is what is being honored! Men of these times are busy beautifying their external beings, while completely ignoring their inner and spiritual states. Man no longer understands the need to clean his heart.

• Mawlana advised us not to seek respect from humans, it is meaningless; instead, seek honor in the Divine presence, be one who approaches Him with a pure heart, as a sincere servant of His.

In summary, this suhbah teaches us to seek out those with lighted candles amongst us, and to look beyond the external as a measure of someone’s piety. Instead of seeking praise by putting on magnificent clothing for our exteriors, we are to strive for spiritual honor by cleansing and beautifying our hearts, so as to acquire Heavenly Dressings of light – perhaps we may become a candle that may also enlighten others.

At the end of the suhbah, Mawlana invited world leaders of all religions to visit him to celebrate his 88th birthday, and that he would extend his respect and honor to all those who came, regardless of their religion, as the Prophet (saw) had said, “Honor those who are honored by their own people.” Just as Jesus (as) treated his Companions to a heavenly spread, Mawlana would also treat his guests to such a feast.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

18th April 2010, Sunday

The river must finally reach the Ocean

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana welcomed the ‘happy’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘handsome’ attendees, and then he recited Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim. He remarked that it was a very sweet recitation. He thanked Allah for the gift of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim and he continued to recite it slowly, in obvious pleasure. He advised us to read it, and to experience the sweetness of recital ourselves. He then prayed to be given Holy support that would allow him to convey a message that would awaken the slumbering Nation.

• Mawlana urged us to read the Qur’an, as each Āyah of the Qur’an is an ocean of knowledge, and whenever we read it we are granted some understanding by Allah. Each time we complete the recital of the entire Qur’an, we would have reduced the number of veils that lie between ourselves and our reality (ḥaqīqah), for the Qur’an contains knowledge that brings about this change in us.

• The Most Powerful Kitab (Book) in the Divine Presence is the Holy Qur’an. It contains knowledge of the past, from as far back as pre-eternity, and knowledge of the future, right till eternity. It is the Word of Allah, Lord of the Creation.

• What is the meaning of Rabb (ربّ)? It means the Lord, He who administers everything. It is a Holy Name of Allah Almighty, which humans can relate to at our level of understanding. Is there a greater name of Allah? Yes, but we are not given knowledge of it, for it is beyond the level of human understanding. Every Prophet was given knowledge of some Secret (Hidden) and Holy Names of Allah.

• Never assume that all the secrets of the heavens will be made known to Man. Why are there 7 heavens, and not 70, 700 or 7000? Such knowledge has not been revealed to us as yet. Such limitations, help to put Man in his place, so that he will know that there is much to learn, so instead of claiming to be a scholar, he will be happy to say that he is a student, a learner, a seeker of knowledge, who is asking more knowledge.

• How much will Mankind ask for? Allah has bestowed Man a very special being, a gift that only He knows what it really is and what it is meant for – the ego. The ego is a very unique being – no matter how much it is given, it always wants more! The ego of common people can never be satisfied. If you give it one palace, it wants another. If you give it one country, it wants another. If you give it one continent, it wants another. And if you give it the whole Earth, it wants another!

• Even though we have been given the grant of Khalῑfah, we all begin our journey at the lowest level, and at that level, our egos are saying, “I want more and more!” If Man cannot put a rein on his ride (ego) (see lesson dated 27/03/10, about how to ride our egos), Man asks and asks endlessly, and Allah bestows upon Man what he asks, as long as what he asks is not outside the borders of the permissible (Sharī’ah Allah). Allah gives Man slowly, and in stages, from His endless Dominions, as a grant from a Sultan to His Deputy.

• When Man is given the reins to his ride, he will be aware of his limits, he will no longer ask endlessly. What are those reins? Death. Only death can put a halt to this endless desire. Death is the being that can control and contain our egos. So those who have reined in their egos, do not ask for all of Allah’s Dominions – instead they seek to be with the Lord of Dominions!

• As Allah’s Khalῑfah, Man has been bestowed the highest level of all creation, and he should be asking for something of very great honor – not for something of little or no value! Man must ask to be with the Lord of Dominions (the Creator), and not with the dominions (creation) themselves! We are His Chosen servants, the rest of creation, even Angels, are servants to us, so why are we asking to be with the creation, when we were created for Him? Allah has no need for the worship of His servants, it is we who in need of worshipping Him and of being with Him.

• We must come to a level when the heart finally feels satisfied, and when we can finally say, “Enough, enough, enough, enough!” And at that point, we stop requesting for more and more from Allah, we have finally reached a point of contentment and satisfaction.

• Like a river that has spent its entire course running so fast to reach the Ocean, when it finally enters the Ocean, its running comes to a halt, it flows calmly – it is at peace when it is absorbed into the Ocean – it says “Enough, enough…”

• What is the reality (ḥaqīqah) of Man, as mentioned above? Man’s real being yearns to reach Allah’s Dominions, and to disappear into the Oceans of Unity of the Lord of Heavens. There, he will find satisfaction in being with his Lord, and it is at that point that he will say, “I have found what I am seeking…there is nothing else I need. It is enough…enough…”

• Before reaching that point, your life will be in turmoil. You will experience the ups and downs of existence, the alternating pain and pleasure – but when you finally arrive and sink into the Unity Ocean of the Lord of Heavens, you would have attained tranquility. Try to understand this and teach it to others, so that they can understand themselves. Mawlana said that once you start teaching this to others, the secret of ḥalāl and ḥarām would emerge to you. Halāl is all that leads you to that Ocean of Dominions, and Harām is all that prevents you from arriving at the Oceans of Dominions of the Lord of Heavens.

• You must be aware of one thing: that is, if, by the end of this life, you do not reach the Oceans of Unity, you will disappear – at the moment of Death, you will be removed from the river that is heading to the Ocean, and you shall never be allowed back into that river ever again. You will be thrown into the Fire, you will never attain honor and you will exist in eternal regret – regretting that you have wasted your only chance to reach the Oceans.

• Teach people that the real target of a human being is to seek and to reach the Unity Oceans. Those who are within these Dominions are witnesses to Divine manifestations of Allah’s Names and Attributes. Only within those Oceans will you experience real witnessing, and only within these Oceans will you experience real pleasure, real color and real waves of satisfaction – you will see real light, showing to you the real being of the Lord of Heavens.

• So strive to stop from being your ego’s slave, turn instead to being Allah’s servant. As His Khalῑfah, it is shameful that you have left being in the service of the Sultan, and instead chosen to be of service to your donkey, and being fully occupied with all the whims and fancies of your donkey whilst the Sultan watches you from afar, awaiting your return to obedience.

• Today, we have all become our donkey’s servants; we have all left our Sultan’s service! How is there to be pleasure and enlightenment for us like that? Leave your donkey, and submit to Allah! The Lord’s Dominions are filled with those servants who have reached the Oceans, they lived their worldly lives to be in their Lord’s Divine service, they have devoted their entire Souls, their entire lives, to the service of the Sultan.

• So if you truly wish to be in safety and pleasure and enlightenment in dunyā and in the hereafter, obey the teachings of the Qur’an, and it will unveil the Way to reach the Divine Oceans.

• Some of you claim that you do not understand these lessons. That is not true. Your egos pretend not to understand, but your real beings do understand. Only the ego would reject such a study, for this study teaches one to reject the ego! So leave the ego, come to your real being, come to Allah, and be with Him for eternity.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

17th April 2010, Saturday

Be a raindrop that dissolves in the Ocean

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana recited A’ūdhubillāhi min ash-shayṭān ir-rajīm and remarked that Shayṭān is the ugliest creature in existence; he has been so ever since he defied his Creator. When we are receiving Divine lights, Shayṭān throws a veil of darkness over us, blinding us from Divine guidance – that is his mission. Each time you hear Shayṭān’s whisper, run towards Him as advised in the Holy Qur’an.

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ نَزۡغٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitân (Satan) then seek refuge with Allâh. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Quran 7:200)

• Mawlana said that we should recite A’ūdhubillāhi min ash-shayṭān ir-rajīm with a sense of shame, for while we are seeking His protection, we ourselves willingly follow Shayṭān’s ways and whispers. It is as if we were transferring all responsibility for our safety to Allah alone, and denying the fact that we too have to make a conscious effort to distance ourselves from Shayṭān, in order to be protected. (It is like a person who can’t swim, and who asks for protection from drowning, yet he deliberately keeps wading into deep water, disobeying the ‘Do not swim’ sign!)

• Mawlana remarked that whenever he raised his voice and appeared to be angry, he was not angry with the viewers, instead he was angry at their egos, for egos are collaborators with Shayṭān, urging them to defy Allah. Mawlana said that he would never be angry at our real beings, for the real being (minus the ego) is a perfected creature, kāmil mukammal (مكمّل كامل).

• What is the meaning of Adam? The word Adam consists of three Arabic letters, Alif, Dal and Meem – each of which has deep meanings. Alif stands for Allah and Azali – Adam is a creature that represents Allah on Earth (Khalῑfah), from Azali (pre-eternity) to eternity. Dal means Dawām, continuous – it refers to the continuation of His domination on Earth, all creation having been created for the honor of His Most beloved, Rasūlullāh (saw) and the act of creation goes on continuously. Meem is for Muntahā, the destination, the eternal peak of honor which Man aims to achieve during his time in dunyā. These are Oceans of knowledge from pre-eternity to eternity (Abadiyyun Azaliyyun), there is eternal honor awaiting Man if he understands his journey.

• A human being attains honor by reflecting upon his journey to meet Allah. Reflection brings light into the mind, and that light illuminates what was previously dark and unknown – making it clear – that is called understanding. No one who has been bestowed this light of understanding, can be prevented from drawing closer to Allah. So honor comes from the understanding that Man has attained, the highest honors are for those people who use their minds – people of sound minds, the dhawil ‘uqūl (العقول ذاوي).

• Mawlana compared the understanding of two types of believers. The first group performs all their deeds, only seeking Divine pleasure and acceptance – the thought of Paradise never crossing their minds at all – to them, it is as if Paradise did not exist. Compare this with the lowly second group, whose sole aim in doing good is to attain Paradise. See how different levels of understanding lead to different levels of honor? Now that we understand that point, let us ask ourselves, what is the purpose of all the understanding we attain – where does it lead us?

• The Prophet (saw) left us five hundred good deeds to follow. Each one of these deeds, when practiced (regularly and sincerely), brings a different heavenly light of understanding into our minds, and as we grow in understanding, we grow in honor; as we grow in honor, we grow closer to the Almighty.

• The Companions of the Prophet (saw) once asked, يا رسول الله، ما أفضل الاعمال؟ “Ya Rasūlullāh (saw), what is the best deed that we can perform, one that cannot be out-done by any other deed?” They had expected to be told of a certain act of obedience or etiquette (adāb) that would be the very best deed possible. The Prophet (saw) stunned them all by answering, “Al-‘ilmu billāh,” which means – the best deed is ‘the knowledge of Allah’, that is, to know Him. What stunned the Companions was that knowing Allah was not a ‘deed’, so how could it be the best deed possible?

• As mentioned earlier, practicing good deeds brings you a light that unveils a greater understanding about Allah. Such an understanding brings you closer to Him – being close to Allah, makes you know Him, you become a Knower of Allah. That is an honor for Man, for you are amongst a select few that know who Allah is!

• To further illustrate this point, Mawlana gave this example. You may own a car. Your purpose in owning the car is not just to admire it or to own it – it is to help you get to your destination. The vehicle is a means to reach somewhere. Good deeds are our vehicle – it is the means by which we grow in understanding of Allah. Our destination is to know Allah – our deeds help us get there. The entire 500 deeds taught by Rasūlullāh (saw) is not the destination! It is our means of reaching an understanding of Allah. This is a very important point to understand – that hidden within every deed lies a more intimate understanding of your Lord Almighty.

• As you draw closer to Him, as you begin to Know Him more and more intimately, you will sink into His Oceans, you will slowly cease to exist, you will be annihilated in Him, fana’ fillāh and baqa’ billāh. You cannot understand Him, until you are annihilated. Like a raindrop from a cloud that falls into the Ocean, it loses its form, its identity (fana’ fillāh), and assumes the identity of the Ocean (baqa’ billāh.). That means your identity disappears, you have become ‘nothing’, what emerges from you is then the identity of a heavenly being, followed by the appearance of a Divine being that is in eternal obedience. So, the ultimate destination of performance of all good deeds, is to attain annihilation.

• Oh people, do not just learn about your physical bodies, for that will turn to dust. Learn about your spiritual selves – ponder and reflect as to why you are here on Earth, what is your aim in life, why must you die eventually, why does Allah allow us only a very short existence in this dunyā, and what is real purpose of our short time here.

• At the start of this journey of realization and understanding, one is in ignorance, so the mind is enveloped in darkness, and it has yet to understand anything. The mind is a gift of honor to us, as Allah did not give it to animals; it is gift for the Khalῑfah. But Man has not realized how to use this powerful gift, he doesn’t realize the purpose of this gift, so instead of reflecting and attaining illumination with it (and hence more honor and closeness to Allah), Man misuses it – some people use it to attain dunyā, some to show how smart they are, some use it to do evil and some simply don’t bother using it at all. It is a pity to see Man abuse this gift, and ultimately fail in his journey, remaining in darkness.

• Mawlana urged us to use our minds and to perform good deeds in abundance – and to do so relentlessly and diligently – until we disappear in His Oceans, where your true selves will emerge, and you will be dressed in heavenly Dressings of Honor (Rabbaniyy).

• Teach this lesson that you have learnt today to all Children of Adam, for when they have truly understood their mission, they will abandon their efforts for dunyā, and they will focus their entire energy and abilities and capabilities to attain their Lord’s Pleasure, as their only aim in this short life. That is why Allah placed the Ka’abah on Earth, it is a place He has commanded us to turn our faces to – turn away from all else, from all of dunyā – and just seek Him.

وَمِنۡ حَيۡثُ خَرَجۡتَ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ‌ۚ وَحَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَڪُمۡ شَطۡرَهُ ۥ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حُجَّةٌ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ فَلَا تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِى وَلِأُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتِى عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَہۡتَدُونَ

“
And from wheresoever you start forth, turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid-Al-Harām (at Makkah), and wheresoever you are, turn your faces towards, it so that men may have no argument against you except those of them that are wrong-doers, so fear them not, but fear Me! – And so that I may complete My Blessings on you and that you may be guided.” (Quran 2:150)

• Allah has commanded us to always turn our faces towards His House, He also commanded us to fear Him – and Allah would complete His blessings upon us and guide us.

• Guidance is sent by Allah via the Warasat ul-Anbiyā, the Inheritors of the Prophet (saw). Ask guidance from such people, but it is not easy to find them, for such people do not come to you. Instead, you have to go to them. Such divinely sent ones are like gravity; they will pull your raindrop irresistibly, to fall into and be annihilated within the Divine Oceans.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

16th April 2010, Friday

Divine Anger is knocking on our door now

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana greeted attendees with As-salāmu ’alaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh saying that they were heavenly people (for making this Suhbah a priority). He emphasized that we must learn to take from heavenly support, and not to depend on material or worldly support. It should not surprise us to hear that unbelievers depend on their material strengths, but Mawlana said that he was sorry to see that even believers – who should be the foremost in their dependence on Allah for help in their lives – have also followed the unbelievers in abandoning their beliefs and in clinging onto something that cannot provide real support. For example, dependence on the recitation of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim , which in itself is the solution to all worldly problems, is something today’s Muslims have very little faith in.

• Man has a very limited physical capacity – how far can he swim, how loud can he speak, how much can he lift? With technology, Man can accomplish previously impossible feats – with a speedboat, he can go so much further than just swimming, with a microphone and sound system, he can speak to thousands at one go, and with a crane, he can lift a million times what a man can lift with his bare hands. So it is no wonder that Man depends on and believes in material support – technology and modern gadgets. But Man is still a creature of very limited physical capacity. Only now, this limitation has been masked and overcome by technology. So Man has come to believe that technology, rather than spiritual or Divine help, can solve any problem that they face. Mawlana debunks this myth beautifully by the next example.

• Mawlana mentioned the recent events in Iceland. It has never been known to have active volcanoes, yet in the past days, a sleeping volcano has stirred to life, causing widespread mayhem, fear, panic and confusion worldwide. Who brought that volcano back to life? Why was Man, with his state-of-the-art technology, not been able to predict when it would roar back to life? Why could he not prevent this incident from happening? And if the volcano does blow its cone, is there any technology that can stop it? When Man is faced with all this uncertainty and helplessness – when he sees his material support fail him completely – only then does he come running back to spiritual support and start praying for help! 

At one time Atlantis too, existed. Where is it today, Mawlana asked? A single Divine Command had caused it to disappear from the face of this Earth. Can Man save himself or prevent Divine Anger from destroying them, with his technology?

• He who awakened the sleeping giant in Iceland, can awaken any of the thousands of dormant volcanoes across the globe in the blink of an eye:

إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُ ۥۤ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيۡـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ ۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ

“Verily, when He intends a thing, His command is “Be” and it is!” (Quran 36:82)

• When the volcanoes of the world are awakened by the Lord Almighty, they say in devoted obedience, “Oh our Lord, we are ready to fulfill Your command! Oh our Lord, what is Your command? Shall we do to these disobedient people like what was done to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah?” Every mountain is aware of what happened on that fateful day, when Allah’s Wrath was ignited, and He sent down a hail of brimstone and fire on the Nation Of Sayyidinā Lot (as), for they were practicing abominations (evil deeds and defiance) that had never been done by any other Nation before them, they were people who had crossed all limits.

وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٲجِكُم‌ۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٌ عَادُونَ

“Nay, ye (Nation of Lot) are a people transgressing (all limits)!” (Quran 26:166)

• Each activated volcano, awaits Allah’s command to destroy such transgressors.

• Men of the End of Times, especially those from the West, are indeed mirroring the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Like them, they are doing sins that have never been done before. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah practiced homosexuality (sodomy), and that had brought a great punishment upon them. Today, Man has gone far beyond that – the people of today are indulging in lesbianism, bestiality, necrophilia, pedophilia, rape, incest, fetishes and exhibitionism – they have also crossed all limits, without shame or fear, for their lust has made them drunk.

وَجَآءَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ

“The inhabitants of the City (of Sodom and Gomorrah) came in (mad) joy (at news of the arrival of two young men).” (Quran 15:67)

• Oh Muslims, stop following the ways, the lifestyles and the beliefs of the West, for that will rouse Divine Anger against us. We must return to the Way of life of the Prophet (saw) and abandon the Western ways, for their ways are not for us, theirs are the ways of unguided ones, the ways of those who follow their lusts. We must abandon the promiscuous Western lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah, for such a lifestyle is the biggest reason for Heavenly Anger, said Mawlana. The Western lifestyle is a very inviting and appealing one, for it has neither rules nor boundaries. But Mawlana said that it is a very dangerous lifestyle, as it also invites Divine Revenge!

• The Lord of the Heavens is saying, “When Mankind is doing something that makes Us angry, We are going to take intikāb, Our heavenly revenge will descend upon them.”

• Mawlana said, “Beware of heavenly anger, Oh Mankind, for heavenly knowledge has reached my heart that this heavenly revenge, has reached the door of this world (it is very near)!” Allah may punish Man by sending us one of His servants, who will bring Divine Judgment to this Earth; he will act against every evil one, and not one evil person will be spared from the Divine Justice that he wields, only good ones will be left on Earth! Once Divine Punishment descends, only one out of five humans will survive the devastation; Man’s advanced gadgets (Mawlana calls them toys) can never save them when Allah’s Angels come to punish them!

• Mawlana then revealed something that has never crossed our minds before. We often view Allah’s Divine punishment or revenge as something violent – what we term a ‘natural disaster’. But Allah can send his punishment in the subtlest of ways too. For example, Mawlana said that Allah may send forgetfulness as a punishment. A man can be driving a car, and suddenly Allah may lift that knowledge of how to drive from him. That is a very dangerous thing, for it will bring a terrible end for the vehicle and its occupants.

• When Allah sends down Divine Punishment, it is not a random process, as if, if you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, you may be destroyed by that disaster. No! It is not random, each person who is to receive punishment, will receive it, for it is the Angels that bring down these Divine punishments, and they can see which faces of the Children of Adam have Light (and who will be spared and saved), and which faces have Darkness from Jahannam (and who will be punished). {Do refer to Summary of suhbah dated 15/04/10 to find out how to acquire illuminated/glowing faces}

• Mawlana advised us to do the following, so as to be protected from His Wrath.

• We must depend on heavenly support, not on material support.
• We must listen to Divine teachings, and obey as much as possible.
• We must leave the decadent Western way of life.
• We must stop following the lifestyle of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
• We must repent by reciting Astaghfirullāh always.
• We must lift our hands in prayer to Allah, ask for Him to send us a Guide who will lead us to His pleasure. Say, “Oh our Lord! Send us a Guide who will save us from Shayṭān and Shayṭāntic tricks and traps. Oh our Lord, we are running to You, away from Shayṭān and its followers. Oh our Lord, accept our intijāh, our plea, we are begging to be in Your heavenly Mercy Oceans, to save ourselves! We are weak servants. Send us a powerful one, one who will save us, one who fears none except You!”
• We must strive with all our might to make Allah pleased with us, for when He is pleased, we are safe from His Wrath!
• We must be amongst those who make prostration (sajdah), for the faces of those who do not perform ṣalat (prayer) will be filled with Darkness from Hell, they will never escape His Punishment.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

15th April 2010, Thursday

Questions that will change your life forever

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• In today’s powerful Suhbah, Mawlana asked thought provoking questions, each question being the foundation of guidance for humanity.

• Mawlana began by asking the first serious question, that he directed at all Muslim preachers, and leaders of the Christian and Jewish congregations. As Man heads towards the Mercy Oceans of Allah, who is it that stands in the way, seeking to prevent Man from attaining eternal bliss and felicity? Who is that determined, cruel and relentless enemy, who stands between us and safety? It is very important for us to be aware of this matter, so that we understand the answers to the questions that follow.

• That enemy is Shayṭān, our sworn foe, and the recitation of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim is the Divine Sword; use it to behead and destroy Shayṭān and his helpers, when they stand in the way of your spiritual progress.

• The next sets of questions are as follows (again, it was directed at people of all religions): What is the greatest honor, the greatest rank that can be attained by a human being? What is the highest distinction, the highest title for the Children of Adam? What is the most valuable of human attainment?

• The Prophet (saw) answered these questions in a single Ḣadīth, so stunning a Ḣadīth that it captured the essence of the entire Prophetic teachings of the 124 000 Prophets that Allah had sent to Mankind. In it, is contained all that a human being must know about his journey, all that he must practice in his worldly life and all that he must strive to attain – all that is contained and sealed perfectly in the following Ḣadīth:The Prophet (saw) said, “I sit as a servant sits, and I eat as a servant eats.”Why did the Prophet (saw) say that? What does he mean to teach us in that Ḣadīth?

• The Prophet (saw) is teaching his entire Nation (Ummah), that everything he does, he does it as a servant of Allah. This is a lesson for all of Mankind! That was his life’s mission – the Prophet (saw) lived every moment of his entire worldly life, only seeking to attain and achieve servanthood towards his Lord Almighty. He showed us that he lived as Allah’s servant in every instance, and he is the example for all Mankind!

• From Sayyidinā Adam (as) to Sayyidinā Muhammad (saw), every Prophet was a devoted servant of Allah, and every Prophet called out to their Ummah to follow their example. “Oh our people, we are just servants of Allah, we call upon you, to be servants of your Lord too.” So that Ḣadīth summarized the entire Prophetic mission that every Prophet came to fulfill – the call to servanthood!

• Since the Prophet (saw) sat as a servant sits, and ate as a servant eats, with only the title of Abdullah (Allah’s servant), where does Man come up with all his man-made and lofty titles that he is so proud of? The straight path is the path of servanthood, the Prophet never elevated himself with a worldly title and he was contented to be known as Allah’s servant. “You must try to follow my way,” said the Prophet (saw), “you must remember that you are but a weak servant.”

• As such, Mawlana advised us not to live under an imitated (fake) title, and not to delude people into thinking you are an important person by having various titles to your name, as you are merely cheating yourselves. So many people live in dunyā assume such lofty worldly titles and then delude others (and themselves) into believing that they have achieved honor. Such worldly titles are like fake jewels. Would anyone in his right mind exchange real jewels (servanthood) for fake ones (made-up worldly titles)? Just because you are wearing expensive clothing, or sitting in an important chair (e.g. CEO, President etc), you leave servanthood and strut around arrogantly? When death strikes, you are suddenly stripped of your clothing and seat, and it is only then that you see the fake nature of what you thought had brought you honor. By then it is too late, you can only regret in futility. So many people have left this Prophetic advice (of seeking only servanthood in dunyā), and have fallen into Shayṭān’s trap of seeking imitated worldly honor; hence the importance of knowing that Shayṭān is our arch-enemy, which is why Mawlana had asked the first question.

• Before asking the next question, Mawlana touched on the fact that Jesus (as) was also a servant of Allah’s, just like all his brothers in Prophethood. The proof lies in the fact that, if Allah indeed had a son, that highly important point would have been mentioned from the time of Sayyidinā Adam (as), yet no mention of this point was made by any Prophet in the entire Old Testament. Sayyidinā Adam (as) would have said, “Oh people, the Lord has a Son, so worship Him.” But no such declaration was made by any Prophet. Who gave the Christians the right to elevate Jesus to the position of the son of God? At no time did Jesus say, “My father is the first God, and I am the second God.”

• Instead, it was mentioned in the Bible, that Jesus said “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord, our God, is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29, King James Version) And other proof of the One God is taken from these quotes in the New International Version Bible, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (Timothy 2:5); “Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?” (Malachi 2:10); “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” (James 2:19)

• So, in which part of the Old Testament, was it announced that God had a son? And in which part of the New Testament, did Jesus claim to be God’s Son? He never did; he too, proclaimed his servanthood (like all other Prophets) and invited his flock to be the same.

• The third question was directed specifically at leaders of all respective flocks of religious people, regardless of their religion. Mawlana said, “I am not asking what your religion is. No. I am asking, what is your main goal, as a leader to your people? What is it that you have been ordered to do for your flocks? What is your most important mission, as a guide to your followers?”

• In answer, Mawlana said to these leaders: “You must walk on the straight path, and you must build a barrier – a wall – along the entire path, so that your followers will be protected along that path – protected from falling into Shayṭān’s trap! Religious leaders must shield all their followers from Shayṭān, so that they will not follow Shayṭān, for once a person follows Shayṭān, he will be trapped, and once he is trapped, he will fall into Hell! Your most important task and duty is to call out to your flock fearlessly: Oh people, the way of evil, is the way of the devil. Do not go down that road, it leads you to Hell.”

• Oh leaders, strive hard against Shayṭān, work tirelessly to save your followers, call out to them without fatigue or lethargy. You cannot call yourself a leader, if you do not care to save your followers! If you see them on the wrong road, advise them: Oh my people, the road that you are taking is one that leads you astray, it leads to the Fire. Every known suffering and hurt that Man suffers in this worldly life and in the hereafter, is brought about by the devil – by his advice, his lifestyle and his ideology – so shun him!

• Leaders must educate their flocks as to the terrible danger that lies in befriending Shayṭān and giving him a place in their lives. They must rally their followers with this call day and night, “Beware of the devil, beware of the devil!’ That is a Divine warning that must ring in every man’s ears, at every moment. Just as we take heed (and walk a little further away) when we see a house with a “Beware of dog” sign, we must have a “Beware of the devil” sign in our hearts and homes, at all times, so that we are always reminded to run from the merciless devil, into the arms of our merciful Lord. After all, Mawlana said, who is more dangerous, the dog or the devil?

• Oh leaders, do not waste time with petty quarrels and politicking! Fight Shayṭān, not one another. Human beings must be taught and shown that their vilest and deadliest enemy is Shayṭān. They must know the enemy, or else they will not run from him. Today’s humans, even learned ones, have forgotten this pertinent point, so they step out of the safe zone, and they are engulfed by the Fire that Shayṭān brings. So preach to your flocks day and night, “Oh believers, beware of Shayṭān, he is your true enemy!” Teach this to all human beings on the planet, to every child, woman and man.

• We may even want to put up Islamic calligraphic writings of A’ūdhubillāhi min ash-shayṭān ir-rajīm and Bismillāhi ‘r-Raḥmāni ‘r-Raḥīm in our homes, as a constant reminder of Shayṭān’s deadly threat.

• We must remain on the true path, and we must not lie to ourselves. How can we know if we are on the true path or not? In a Ḣadīth, The Prophet (saw) said, “Ask for guidance from your own conscience, for your conscience never lies to you.” You may have the support of all the people around you, even the so-called learned ones, but if your conscience says that you are wrong – then you are. And you may have everyone against you, even influential and powerful ones, but if your conscience says that you are right – then you are. So we must ask our inner selves – our conscience – before we perform any action or take any decision, throughout our entire lives. You cannot cheat your conscience!

• Finally, we must ask ourselves, who will guide us to reach and to remain on, the true path? As taught in many previous lessons, Mawlana reminded us to always be with true ones, the ṣādiqīn, for they are the ones who will constantly dispense such true advice. Those who are with the ṣādiqīn,, will be happy and successful, they will meet Allah, with glowing faces, for they would be amongst those who had understood this life’s journey.

In his quiet, humble, calm and unassuming way, Mawlana had in fact summarized our entire worldly journey, for one who seeks to do it in safety.

How do we attain safety?

Keep on the straight path, the ṣirāṭal mustaqīm. And what is this straight path? It is the path of servanthood, make sure every action of yours, is that of a servant, just like Rasūlullāh (saw).

Who shall lead/guide me on that path?

The ṣādiqīn (true ones), be with them always.

How do I keep from straying off that path?

Always ask your conscience, it will guide you on every matter.

Who will stand in my way, who will block my way along this path, whom should I be careful of?

Your mortal enemy, Shayṭān; he will strive to take your feet off that path. Strike him with your Divine Sword, it never fails.

What should I do, now that I have found my way?

Preach to others, share this knowledge with them, so that they learn the answers to all these questions.

These are truly life changing lessons, if only you understand.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

12th April 2010, Monday

The Secret of how a Saint remained clean for 37 years

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu”alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana began by seeking heavenly support to rid us of the dirtiness brought by shaitan. He then recited the customary A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem and Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, explaining that no one knows what Allah knows, so no one can understand what happens to a servant each time he recites Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, for Allah does not create or bestow the same gifts twice, each recitation of�Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, brings new and different grants for that human being from Allah’s endless Blessing Oceans, Power Oceans and Glory Oceans. No servant can fully imagine or understand what it is that Allah will bestow upon him for each recitation.

• Maulana then recited the prayer of Sayyidina Yunus (as):

La ila ha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.” (Quran 21:87)

• Maulana asks how many times (if ever), we recited this zikir of repentance? Are we humble enough to accept that we are oppressors to our own Souls, that we are zhaaleem? Many people would hesitate to call themselves a cruel one, but in reality, we all are. We are people who oppress ourselves.

• What is the definition of a zhaaleem? Everyone who obeys his ego, is a�zhaaleem. When we follow our desires, instead of the Holy Commandments of the Qur’an, we are written as one of the�zhaaleemeen, oppressors to ourselves, one who has been cruel to himself. Why Sayyidina Yunus admitted to being a zhaaleem, is told in the Holy Qur’an. Maulana asks, if we treat the Holy Qur’an like a mere story book or as a boring old history book – or do we realize that every story and every Verse, from start to end, contains countless lessons and teachings for Mankind?

• Who is the teacher for this ummah, Ummata ‘l-Habeeb? It is Sayyidina Muhammad (saw)! Do you not know that his name is mu`allimu ‘n-naas ul-khayr, “The teacher of goodness to Mankind�?”�Sayyidi ‘l-awwaleen wal-akhireen, the Seal of Prophets (saw) is a teacher to all of Mankind, including other Prophets and their followers. Through the tongue of Rasulullah (saw), Allah teaches Mankind the Holy Quran, and He will question us on Judgement Day, as to what we had learnt from the Holy Book. How much we gain and benefit from the teachings of the Holy Book depends on how much effort we make to learn and understand from it. Each time we obey one more Verses of the Qur’an, we are opening new doors of elevation, rewards, grants and benefits, that no one prior to us had ever received before!

• Allah says in the Holy Qur’an in Surah Al-An’aam, Ayat 132:

For all there will be degrees (or ranks) according to what they did. And your Lord is not unaware of what they do. (Quran 6:132)

• For every creature, there is its own status/position/maqam of honour. Maulana says to note the Arabic word, kullin, which means everyone is included, not one creature is omitted, without exception. And this Verse shows that every creature has a position of honour, not one person has been bestowed a lowly rank – Allah has offered every human being with a chance to climb in ranks of honour; no one is deprived of an honourable station. He has bestowed us the Qur’an to recite, to understand and to obey. To attain one’s station, one must fulfill one’s responsibilities – every creature must obey Heavenly orders.Every human being has a different rank, so we practise the Qur’an according to our ablilities – for we each have our individual strengths and weaknesses.

• While Allah Almighty commands all of Mankind to fulfill His heavenly orders, He assigns each of His heavenly orders to us, according to our inherent weakness and our limited capacity. Allah does not burden us beyond our abilities; as Allah says in Al-Baqarah (Quran 2:286)

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope (ability).

• As such, we are given responsibilities, in line with our ranks.Allah Almighty never loads on an ant, what an elephant can bear – never! An ant has a very limited ability, it can never bear the responsibility an elephant can carry. Therefore, because each human being has different abilities, capabilities and capacities, with no two humans being identical in these aspects, this means that each Soul has its own unique appearance, existence, personality and identity and it is only burdened with what it has been designed to withstand – no Soul is burdened with more than it can bear.

• Every Soul is carrying a heavy burden on earth, every one of us has a heavy responsibility in life – some more than others. Each one of us is working and striving towards our respective goals. Because of the burdens we carry, and because we are striving to fulfill our heavy responsibilities, Allah accepts from us, what we do, and rewards us – but the greatest honours are for those who do their best for their Creator. That is why we must recite:

“There is no god save You, Exalted and Glorified! Truly, I am of the oppressors!”(Quran 21:87)

• No one on the Day of Resurrection can stand before Allah without saying, laa ilaha illa Anta Subhaanak, innee kuntu min azh-zhaalimeen, each one of us must accept that we are on the level of zhaaleemeen, self-oppressors, because in everything that we are doing (even our good deeds), something from our egos is mixing with it and making it unclean. Only Prophets and their real representatives (insal kaamil) are clean ones – the rest of us are oppressors to ourselves, we have followed our desires and dirtied our Souls.

• One big Saint of the Golden Chain, Abdul Khaliq Al-Ghujwani (q) said to his students, “Oh my sons, oh my followers! I am going to tell you something from which you may take a lesson, and from which you may learn how you should be obedient to the Lord of Heavens. Oh my students, oh my followers! For the past 37 years, up till this moment, I have never stepped in dirtiness or jumped into it.”� That means that he has never allowed anything into his heart that was not acceptable in the Divine Presence. What is it that is not acceptable in the Divine Presence? Dirtiness. So he meant, “I am not jumping in filth or stepping in corruption. I am trying, in such a way, to be clean, because I am going to His Divine Presence.” He was always aware of his impending meeting with his Lord, he was always aware that he was being observed by Allah! Hence, to achieve that state of purity, you too must always be with your Lord. Don’t be alone. Don’t think that you are alone or that you are left alone, no! You must know that your Creator is with you and you must remember, “My Lord is with me. Am I going to step in dirtiness (while He is watching me, defying Him openly)? That is not an honourable thing for me to do (and I am too ashamed to do such a thing)!”

• Therefore, those people who reached cleanliness through the Seal of Prophet’s teachings, they are saying, Allahu Hadhiree, Allahu nadzhiree, Allahu ma`ee – Allah is present, Allah is watching me, Allah is with me -�that is the Way to Cleanliness. You must remember that He is looking at you. What are you doing? Where you are putting your foot, on dirtiness or on cleanliness? Allahu nadzhiree, He is looking at you, so say to yourself, “I am not alone because I can’t be in existence if He isn’t with me. I am with Him, in existence.”�Allahu ma’ee, He is Present with me. Say, “He is observing me.”� Allah Almighty is scrutinising you. Why you are not keeping yourself away from forbidden things? Be aware where your eyes look, be careful what your tongues speak, and observe what your heart is occupied with, for He is looking to your heart! (see Suhbah dated 20/04/10). Oh People! When you are looking, He is looking with you:

He (Allah) knows what eyes are looking at and what breasts are hiding.(Quran 40:19)

• Oh believers, why you are not cleaning your eyes and your hearts? You must try to do this (to keep yourselves clean by remembering His constant presence and His observation of your actions), so that you will be clean for your appointment on the Day of Resurrection, and so that you can say then, “I was always with my Lord (during my worldly life), and I was giving my highest respect to Him (by obeying His every Command sincerely), and I was taking the utmost care, so that my actions were always pleasing to Him (by seeking His pleasure in every breath of my existence).”

• Islam brings heavenly guidance to Mankind, to take them away from the filthiness of this dirty worldly life, to the pure existence of a perfected servant of Allah (insaan kaamil). Unfortunately, not many people understand this message of Islam, so why are our religious teachers not bringing this knowledge to the masses, why are they not teaching the Ummah how to acquire the best dressing with which to face Allah with, on the Day of Resurrection, for on that Day, all that we wish to hide will be exposed, and we would not want to be ashamed in the Divine Presence by facing Him in the Divine Court with filthy rags. Why are Scholars not trying to teach people about such crucial matters? The Prophet’s (saw) real mission, is to teach the Ummah, what is good, what is better, what is best, and what is most beloved in the Divinely Presence! He has been sent to guide us to become insaan kaamil, a perfected human being.

• So always say and remember, Allahu hadhiree (Allah is Present), Allahu nadziree (Allah is looking), Allahu ma`ee (Allah is with me) before you act – it will make you too ashamed to step into any forbidden deed, it will help you keep on the path of cleanliness, purity, chastity and perfection. Practice it and you must teach people to do so too! Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

11th April 2010, Sunday

“Oh My servant, I am happy with you!”

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamualaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana began by reciting A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem�and Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem, explaining that the recitation of these verses cleans us of the filth that Shaytan is always throwing at us. Since Shayta�n is doing so at every opportunity, we must be in constant recitation of Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem�we must recite this so often, to the point that those around us wonder if we have been transformed into a different person (compared to when we never used to read this so often)!

• Mawlana then made a prayer, “Oh my Lord, increase me in knowledge, Oh Allah, grant me knowledge that is beneficial.”� Such beneficial knowledge, with which we are asked to pray for, consists of the entire knowledge brought by Rasulullah (saw).

• Spiritually drunk people, are those who seek other than this knowledge, for a drunk one cannot differentiate reality from illusion, and he lives in his own world of fantasy and imagination – he has drowned himself in the Shaytanic world of day-dreaming. (Man lives in a make-believe world of worry, uncertainty and fear. He worries about his future, his wealth, his life, and he invents scenarios full of ‘what ifs’ such as “What if I fall sick in my old age? What if I can’t afford to send my kids to a good school? What if my investments don’t bear fruit? What if I am not re-elected? What if I become poor? What if I don’t insure my house, my shop, my life? What if…?”

• Why is Man always worried, unhappy and upset? He is always forecasting and fearing about what is in the future, whereas what he worries about never materializes in the end! This is a way of life that is whispered by Shaytan into our hearts, making us worry and live fearfully about the unseen worldly problems that may lie ahead. Such worry and fear (about potential problems in dunya) is a useless act that drains us emotionally and destroys our faith in Allah.

• Mawlana also asked why so many religious scholars are always stern and grouchy, why have they made themselves unapproachable and why are they always treating other harshly, as if this was part of the pre-requisite of being a learned one? By acting so, they have created a special ‘level’ for themselves, as if they are superior to other believers of this Nation. Have they not heard of the hadith, “Give good tidings and do not repel people�?”

• Allah says in the Holy Qur’an “Say: “In the bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy – in that let them rejoice, that is better than the (wealth) they hoard.”� (Quran 10:58)

• Allah wants His servants to be happy! We must be happy that we have been created as human beings. We must be happy to be servants to One who is Merciful and Bountiful. We must be grateful to have been bestowed life and pleasure, goodness and blessings by a Generous One. We must be thankful that we have been created by a Kind One and showered with blessings by a Gentle One, who knows our needs intimately. Why then is Man constantly worrying, fearful, angry, sorrowful, complaining and frowning?

• We must be so happy and cheerful all the time, so much so that people around us would pause and ask us, “Why are you so happy?”� And we must recite the Quranic verse above to them, saying, “I have a Lord Most Merciful who is showering mercy upon me, in that I take my joy! I am happy to be in my Lord’s endless Blessings Oceans!”� Allah prepared these Oceans so that we would be happy, so call people to this understanding so that people are to be pleased with what Allah has decreed upon them. We must be happy that Allah Almighty has granted us from His endless mercy, to be His servants.

• It is a Commandment of Allah that we be happy, so we should stop scowling and frowning at every tiny inconvenience! Mawlana said we must be joyful, not just a little bit, but we must be filled with joy to have been created and to be receiving what Allah has decreed for us from His Blessing Oceans.

• A hadith says, “Give good tidings and do not repel people.”� We must spread the joy amongst the believers – teach everyone to be happy with what Allah is bestowing to them, in their lives! Every representative of Rasululla�h (saw) has been ordered to be a joyful one and to spread that cheer. Hence we should not be grouchy, grumbling ones who are always unhappy and complaining, and neither should religious guides conduct their lessons in a serious, somber and sorrowful manner. No, do not be like that – instead be happy ones! Allah is happy, when His servants are happy!

• So we should show Muslims the way to be happy with their Lord, for, true happiness lies in being with Allah, not with dunya�. Whoever abandons the company of Allah, and seeks the (temporary) companionship of dunya�, with fall into endless sorrow.

• The rich and always monitoring commodity prices, and when their stocks fall, they are filled with sorrow and worry; they are unable to enjoy the pleasures of dunya�. When their stock prices skyrocket, then they are filled with happiness. Such is the meaningless cycle of worldly sorrow and joy, of the rich (but foolish) ones. They take their sorrow and joy from this meaningless dunya�, instead of being joyous when they are with Allah, and being sorrowful at the thought of being far from Him. People of understanding, are contented with a simple plate of food, they are thankful that the food did not bring them any disease or suffering, and they are quick to recite Alhamdulilla�h, Syukrulilla�h.

• Why are we so worried about dunya�? Rasululla�h (saw) said, “If this world was worth a mosquito’s wing in the sight of Allah, He would not have given a disbeliever a single gulp of water to drink.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi) (see Suhbah dated 24/03/10). Mawlana said, write this hadith with golden letters and put it everywhere so that people may acquire peace within themselves and never again be sorrowful at the loss of their dunya!

• One who understands this will not fret even if his oil wells dried up. He will simply say, “It is okay, Alhamdulilla�h. He, the Almighty, is granting and He, is taking.”� We must use the wealth He bestows us, for fisabililla�h (for the path of Allah – for feeding the poor and for performing good deeds with it), it will bring us so much happiness.

• So even if your source of sustenance dries up (or if you are facing any hardship or difficulties), still you must be happy, do not show sorrow, or seek sympathy from others. You must always say, “Oh our Lord, Oh our Lord, if You are happy with us, that is our capital! Nothing is better than to be in Your Divine Presence on the Day of Resurrection and to hear the Lord of Heavens saying, “Oh My servant, I am happy with you!”�Anyone who has been told that Allah is pleased/happy with him, even if he were to be thrown through the seven Hells, the fires of the seven Hells would be extinguished by the pleasure, enjoyment and happiness in the heart of such a person! Alla�hu Akbar! Is there any happiness beyond this?

• Do not curse anyone, even if he has brought you misfortune, for it is His Will that such a person was created, and when you are unhappy with such a trouble-maker, it means that you are unhappy with His Will, and that will backfire at you, resulting in your loss, not the person whom you cursed. So make Him happy, tolerate those around you patiently. It is sad that today, some Muslims are cursing Muslims from other sects and even declaring them as ka�fir (disbelievers), even though it is forbidden to declare someone who recites La� ila�ha illAlla�h as a disbeliever. Mawlana warned such Muslims to beware of Divine Anger.

• Salafi scholars have taken it upon themselves to declare so many acts of believers as kufur (disbelief), shirk (idolatry), bida’ah�(blameworthy innovations) and Hara�m (forbidden). Who gave them that authority, to declare rulings based on their shallow understanding? Mawlana said, “Do not cause people to run away from Islam (by such an extremist and fanatical interpretation of Islam).”� That is a big crime, to drive people away from Islam by their un-Islamic ways and behavior!

• The Prophet (saw) had said, “Make it easy, and do not make it difficult.”� In the Holy Qur’an, it is stated that ‘The Prophet (saw) speaks only by Divine inspirations, not from his own desire,’ (Quran: 53:3). So why are these Wahhabi scholars not obeying this Divine Command? So many Kings, governments and officials are making things difficult for Muslims and Mankind in general – they will be hauled before Allah and they will be questioned as to why they did not make it easy for people, and they will be punished for the hardship they brought upon others!

• Many Muslim leaders have allowed Shayta�n to convince them to implement unjust laws and practices. Shayta�n has a huge arsenal of tricks and traps, and it offers the leaders convenient excuses to put into place laws that defy the Qur’an. Mawlana reminded these leaders to follow the Holy Qur’an! Follow the Holy Shari’ah! Follow Heavenly orders! Fulfil everyone’s rights, do be oppress people, do not be dza�lim (an oppressor). No excuses will be accepted or tolerated in the Divine Court on Judgment Day. On that Day, these leaders will have their hands and necks bound by iron chains, and they will be brought before their citizens and subjects. If the citizens and subjects say, “As the leader, he did his best for us!”� then the chains will be opened. Only then will personal judgment of that King or Leader begin. It is not easy to be a leader, which makes it very amazing why more people are seeking to become leaders in today’s world. It is a temporary and altogether useless pleasure in this world, and it brings with it a heavy responsibility in A�khirah.

• Sayyidina� Umar (ra), when he was appointed as the Amirul Mu’mineen�(Leader of the Faithful), wept inconsolably. When he was questioned as to why he was weeping, he said, “Umar will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection, should a single sheep be eaten by a wolf (when I am leader), or should a camel slip on the banks of the Nile and breaks its leg.”� For the entire period that he was the Amirul Mu’mineen, not a single wild animal attacked a domestic animal! One day, a shepherd in Dijla (a place very far away from Madina) saw a wolf running off with a lamb of his, and he deduced, “The Amirul Mu’mineen�has passed away!”� and he was right. Sayyidina� Umar (ra) ruled with such perfect justice, that it prevailed even in the animal kingdom! He was a fair and just leader, yet so many leaders today are tyrants and oppressors. Hell is a Valley of Fire for leaders who oppress their people!

• So be happy, be patient, do not complain, tolerate what is inconvenient, smile and bear with difficulties, do not curse people and fulfill the rights of others. All this for the sake of hearing this from Allah on Judgment Day, “Oh My servant, I am happy with you!”� Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘Alameen!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

10th April 2010, Saturday

The story of a rich King who died hungry

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana greeted the attendees with Assalamu’alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh repeatedly, as such recitations brought heavenly blessings like the falling rain. It is such heavenly provisions that is keeping us going, though we often mistakenly believe that it is the material food we eat that is doing so.

• He then recited Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem, as that was the sign of Islam, for whosoever recited Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem, had entered the Circle of Islam. Mawlana advised attendees to kick Shaytan out of their lives with A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem, since they were seeking Divine knowledge to illuminate both their worlds, in order to attain good tidings in dunya� and in a�khirah. Those who absented themselves from suhbahs, and those who got angry when advised about the truth – they were those enveloped in darkness, filth and Fire.

• Never think that we are actually alive due to the nourishment that we attain from food and drinks. Man does not exist on that, his strength is not derived from food. After all, he is a creation of Allah – living, surviving and growing by the Will and Power of Allah. Man, together with all other creatures, exist under His Power. We cannot exist without that Divine connection, it is He who keeps us alive. Each human being who is alive on this Earth, has a star in space that exists for as long as that person is alive, it is via that Star that he draws Divine nourishment that keeps him alive.

• Then why do we eat and drink in dunya�? Allah gave us eating and drinking in dunya�, as a Mercy from Himself, as it is a means of pleasure and enjoyment, relished by our physical bodies. In fact, it is one of dunya‘s greatest pleasures, Man truly enjoys eating and drinking.

• In reality, Allah has created us as creatures who do not need to eat a lot to survive, but because we enjoy it so much, and because we believe that it is food that gives us energy and heath and growth and development – we keep eating and eating, seeking delicious and nutritious food, right till our last days on Earth! Mawlana says that we must know that food is actually a source of worldly pleasure only, the real strength and energy is Divinely sent. Real power comes from the heavens above!

• To prove this point, Mawlana tells us to look at a parched and thirsty man. He may be so close to death, but once he finds a cup of water, and drinks it, he is up and about, smiling and energized – just seconds after drinking that cup of water. Do you really believe that the water provided energy, rejuvenation and strength within those few seconds? Similarly, a starving man, so weak and disoriented, once given some soup, perks up and is revitalized, immediately after eating. We all know that scientifically, food takes 3 to 4 hours to pass through the intestines for complete digestion and absorption of the digested food – so how did this half-dead man come to life, a mere five minutes after eating?

• Clearly, all food and drink are but a waseelah (medium/means) or asba�b (cause/means), the means by which we get energy, the worldly reason by which we gain strength, as this world is a world of cause and effect (asba�b). Man’s real strength, growth and development are Divinely sent, and it reaches us via our Star in the heavens. There is the special star that appears when we are born, and it disappears at the moment we leave this Earthly realm. Only the Children of Adam are given this special honour.

• When Sayyidina� Adam (as) was expelled from Paradise and sent to Earth, he was very dejected. He isolated himself in deep reflection, and did not eat or drink for forty days. Look, said Mawlana, Sayyidina Adam (as) survived for forty days without food or drink, with no ill effects – it is a further proof that Man can survive without physical food. In that time, Sayyidina� Adam (as) just sat despondently, staring at his star in the sky. If Allah had not moved him, he could have easily sat there for fifty years, without food or drink, staring at the sky.

• Angels have lived for millions of years – without food or drink. Where do they get their energy and strength? They have a complete dependence on Allah, from whose grants they acquire all their abilities. Similarly, the Prophets have a 100% belief and dependence on Allah, so unlike us, they do not depend on health supplements and various medications. They stand on haqq (Truth), they stand for haqq, hence Allah sends heavenly strength to their physical bodies. They had been endued with so much strength and abilities, they were even able to perform miracles (mu’jizat). We must realise that it is the spiritual being – not the material being – that is really alive.

• These are things that are seldom taught by those who only have book-knowledge, for they are not privy to such secrets. Change your mindset from now on, Mawlana said, do not feel a dependence on food and drink for your physical sustenance anymore. Instead, look to the heavens – your own star in particular – to understand what Allah has prepared for you here.

• Why is this dependence on material food unhealthy? Dependence on food and drink is a thick veil (hijab), as the desire or dependence or even a yearning for any material aspect of life (in this case food and drink), is a veil that keeps you apart from your true self. In order to advance beyond these veils, we must nurture our souls, we must develop our spiritual beings, not our material beings. We are in a time now where Man is in dire need of such teachings, for once he knows that his real strength is not derived from food and drink, he will then aim to develop his spirituality, as a means of drawing closer to Allah.

• Unfortunately, since such teachings are not propagated, Man ignores his spiritual development completely. Shaytan then ties him to dunya, so that day and night, Man seeks dunya�- he seeks the riches of this world, good food and entertainment. Shaytan urges Man on, “Keep working, till your last ounce of energy, collect more and more of dunya.”� What is the point of collecting more and more of this worldly riches? Learned ones must preach to their flocks and awaken them from their heedlessness, teach them that Allah did not create them for such a purpose.

• Mawlana began telling a story of a Jewish man who had found some treasure. Before going on, he mentioned two points of note. Firstly, it is good to use parables and stories when teaching, for they help to make a lasting impression on attendees. Allah Himself uses so many parables and stories in the Holy Qur’an. However, some modern day intellectual lecturers on Islam feel that using such a method of teaching is childish and unprofessional; they prefer to drone on egoistically about technical data and hypothetical analysis, sending their students nodding off into slumberland. “We are not story-tellers,”� they say, “we are doctors of Shariah!” Their method of teaching is not the way! They must follow the Qur’anic model of using parables/stories – for each story conveys a moral lesson in a memorable way. That is why Allah asked us to relate these stories, and to ponder over the parables/stories in the Qur’an.

“So relate the story; perchance they may reflect.” (Quran 7:176)

• Secondly, some Muslim Scholars avoid using Qur’anic parables, because so many of the parables are pertaining to the Jews. They feel upset that the Qur’an is almost like a ‘Jewish’ manual, and they question why Allah did not use more ‘Arab’ examples and stories. MasyaAllah, these scholars even question Allah! Mawlana says that thousands of Prophets were Jewish, they had a very long history, so for sure the Qur’anic stories will contain many Jewish examples. We cannot be against any race/religion, the Jews are also the Children of Adam, we must treat them as our brothers, they are also descendents of Sayyidina Ibrahim (as), and so they are brothers to the Arabs too. So many stories of the Children of Israel contain beautiful examples and lessons that we can learn from.

“We have put forth for men, in this Qur’an every kind of Parable, in order that they may receive admonition.”� (Quran 39:27)

• Now back to the story of the Jewish man who found a hoard of treasure. “I am so blessed,”� said the man, as he opened the treasure chest. He was overjoyed when he saw the contents of the chest, he found gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds – and a strange letter! The letter had been written by a King who had lived many years before that. The letter read as follows: “Oh you who has found this treasure, this treasure used to belong to me when I was King. I was a rich King, so much land was under my rule, and I had many subjects. Allah had given me generously from His bounties, but I was not thankful, I never once said, ‘Oh My Lord, I am thankful to You.’� So Allah send down a trial over me. My country was afflicted with a severe drought, not a drop of water was to be found anywhere, and one by one, people began to die from thirst and hunger. I too, was without much food or water, and I filled one basket with gold, and sent it to the town, asking to buy one morsel of food, or a drink of water with it, but despite making that offer to my subjects all day long, no one would take my gold in exchange for food.

• The next day, I emptied out the gold, and filled that same basket with my most expensive jewels – pearls, rubies, diamonds – and sent it to the town again. Still no one would take my basket in exchange for food, not even for one piece of bread. In desperation, for I was so hungry and thirsty, I crushed and ground some of my jewels, mixed it with my last glass of water, and drank it, hoping that, that ‘meal’ would remove my hunger and save my life. On the contrary, it hastened my death, and as I lay dying, I penned this letter that you are reading now, so that it would be a lesson for those who came after me, as the Lord’s Will is such.”

• Take a lesson from this powerful parable. What is the benefit of worldly riches? Kings, presidents and rich people must be told parables like this, to lift the veils (of material wealth) from their eyes. From the sad demise of the King in the parable above, we must draw two lessons. Firstly, learn not to pin your hopes on your wealth or on any treasure that you possess or that you have collected from this dunya. Instead, pin all your hopes on Allah, be like the Prophets, who depend on Him, unconditionally. Secondly, always be thankful to Allah, be obedient to Him, strive to be His servant, and you will be safe in this world and the hereafter.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

9th April 2010, Friday

Oh Man, He created creation to serve you, He �created you to serve Him

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana said that in a hadeeth Qudsi, Allah said, “I am giving to you, Oh Muhammad, and your Nation (Ummah), My protection, through Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem.”�So Shaytan does his utmost to discourage us from using this Divine Sword – some people forget to recite it, others are too lazy, while some belittle it, not acknowledging its powers and benefits.

• Each recitation of Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem�is like a sturdy spear thrown at, and penetrating through, the accursed chest of the fallen one; hence every recitation of Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem�sends shudders of fear and waves of anger through Shayta�n.

• So many so-called Scholars in Islam reject Tasawwuf and Tariqah! Some not only reject it, they even label it as an Innovation (Bida’ah). Open your eyes, and take a good look at the world around yourselves today. Man has become a restless creature, he is seeking solace and peace, and he cannot find it in the world of technology and entertainment. Man is growing increasingly bored, his soul is thirsty for spirituality, and there is an intense craving in many hearts today for a journey of love, taken in tranquility and compassion.

• The world of materialistic pursuit is not one that will ever bring happiness to Man’s heart. In that world, one is never contented or satisfied, never! It is a dog-eat-dog world, one of mutual boasting and petty rivalry; it is meaningless and empty and souls can never find rest in. The world of materialism and technology is one that transforms man into a cold and evil machine – it leads Man to Jahannam (Hellfire) – hence it is cursed by Allah. That is why the very first thing that Imam Mahdi (as) will destroy on Earth when he emerges with his first takbir of Allahu Akbar, is technology! The Prophet (saw) and his Companions showed us that, life without technology was not only possible, it was one that was so much more peaceful and vastly more progressive, spiritually.

• Today’s scholars teach only the shell – the external practices and rituals – of Islam. They only teach the Shari’ah, leaving out the essential spirituality (Tariqah) that leads to the state of Ihsan, which is the essence of all religious advice. There is no true Islam without spirituality, if you just cling to materialism, you will be humbled to dust in your graves.

• Mawlana once made this do’a (invocation) “Oh Allah! Bestow upon us heavenly understanding!”� And the reply came as such, “Oh My weak servant, you have asked Me to Bestow understanding on the whole of Mankind, but Man himself is not asking Me for that. Man never looks up to the heavens, he does not ask for a deeper understanding, so how can I give that to him? If he were to ask from Me, I would certainly Give to him.”� Allah has placed before us, and has offered us, flowing fountains of knowledge and endless springs of understanding. But, as in the Divine reply to Mawlana’s invocation�above, Man does not seek understanding from Allah, instead, he asks for dunya�from Shayta�n and his representatives. Why are we running away from these heavenly springs and fountains?

• Why is Man, always running away from Allah and heading in the direction of Shaytan? Has Man not realized that every suffering in this world and in the hereafter, is caused by Shaytan? Yet we still reject Allah’s offer of help and guidance, and we run towards Shayta�n? What is wrong with us?

• The Holy Qur’an contains guidance for every one of us, it contains Divine insights and solutions for tackling all our worldly and spiritual issues. Not a single person’s guidance, and not a single issue’s solution, is missing from this Holy Book, such is its miracle! The Holy Qur’an opens the doorway for our journey to our final destination, but Man is clueless as to how to embark on that journey, because without a guide, he has no idea what his destination is!

• Animals are created such that they have no clue about Judgment Day. But Man is a noble creature and it is not befitting that he should descend to such a lowly level. From Allah’s Power Oceans of Creation, Man had been a secret creature, hidden within it, so much so that when Allah announced to the Angels that He was creating a Khalifah (Vicegerent) on Earth, the Angels had no true idea or understanding, as to who Man really was. See what the Angels said about Man:

Behold thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vicegerent on Earth.” They said “Wilt thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy Holy (name)?” He said: “I know what ye know not.” (Quran 2:30)

• Allah then raised Man as His Vicegerent, His Khalifah, His Representative – above all of creation. That is the position of the Crown Prince to the King! That is a gift that is Azaliyyun Abadiyyun, from pre-eternity, to eternity. It is the greatest gift ever bestowed on any creation! We have been raised to such a special position amongst all of creation, Oh Man! Treasure that heavenly honor, and act according to the exalted status that you have been bestowed with.

• So how should Man act, how should he behave towards his Lord who has given him this unmatched honor? Allah says, “Oh My Servants, I Created you, and I Sent you to be in this dunya�. Beware and be aware! You were created for your Lord! I Created you for Myself, I Created dunya, for you.”�

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. (Quran 51:56)

• Mawlana asked if we are aware of what we are doing with our lives? We are striving for, and seeking dunya�, all our lives. All our actions, day and night, are just for dunya�! Mawlana asked again, “What have you done with your lives? What is the matter with you, that you are not seeking servanthood to Allah?”�

• Man is a forgetful creature, so we must remind each other about this constantly. Mawlana asked why learned ones are not preaching about this to the masses – awakening humans to the fact that they had been created with honor, and that they had been created to worship their Lord. Man has lost his way today, he has become a foolish creature, he has abandoned the most beneficial acts in life (like worship, obedience and devotion to Allah), and has gone in search of meaningless, temporary scraps. This religion is about advising (from a hadeeth – addeenu naseehah), so advise humans about their responsibility to their Lord and to themselves.

And remind (by preaching the Qur’an, O Muhammad) for verily, the reminding benefits the believers. (Quran 51:55)

• Despite taking the mimbar (pulpit) of Juma’ah week after week, Imams are speaking about unimportant and petty things, instead of taking that opportunity to sow realization amongst the heedless ones. Preach – �there are benefits for believers in doing so.

• This was Mawlana’s closing advice, “Oh Man, you were never created for this dunya�, you were created for your Lord. There is no honor that you can achieve in this dunya� or A�khirah, equal to that of being the servant of Allah. We were created for servanthood to Allah, but we have lost our way, and we have become slaves to dunya�.”� Such knowledge that reveals your purpose of creation and your honoured position is a heavenly bounty and grant to all of Mankind. When Man knows this, he will know what his life’s mission is, and he can then embark on his journey to reach his destination. So spread this knowledge, and teach it to your children too. They must know from a young age, who they really are, who created them and for what purpose they have been created for.

• Mawlana ended with this beautiful invocation (do’a), “Oh Allah, send us, some heavenly ones who will guide us to connect our hearts to You, with Love for You. We are seeking a Sultan who will defeat Shayta�n and his helpers on the face of this Earth, Oh Allah. Send us a Sultan who will raise the flags of Islam, who will raise Divine flags on the face of this Earth, and may we all be under these flags in duna� and under the flags of hamd (Praise) in Akhirah. Oh Allah, grant us, for the sake of he who is most honored and beloved in the Divine Presence, Sayyidina Muhammad (saw).”�Ameen, ya Rabbal ‘alameen!
  

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

8th April 2010, Thursday

Defend the truth, and He will defend you

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana welcomed attendees, who were present to seek protection and who sought to be defenders of Haq (truth), protectors of the Way of Rasulullah (saw). There were others, who had attended these Suhbahs for a few days, before they then started to skip them – that is a sign of hypocrisy. Anyone who feels bored by these lessons is the companion of Shayta�n, for these are jewels of advice from the Divine to the tongue of our Holy Prophet (saw). Only slaves of Shaytan and their egos will reject heavenly advice. We must aim to practise what we are taught in each Suhbah, there is no point attending even a hundred Suhbahs, if you do not practise what you learn! Though this advice may be a little bitter, Suhbahs must dispense such bitter medicinal pills, to enlighten, cure and educate attendees.

• We must give our fullest attention to each Suhbah! We must give it our undivided attention, our highest respect, for we must ask ourselves, for who is this gathering for? Is it to please Allah? Or Shayta�n? The answer is obvious, so if this gathering is held according to Divine instructions – to praise and to glorify the Almighty – shouldn’t we be giving these Suhbahs unprecedented priority over all else? Anyone who belittles these lessons, or places them very low on their priority list, or who do not treasure or value them – that is a good gauge as to how much Shaytanic influence has penetrated into that person. Many people, who have been influenced by Shayta�n, maintain that they are not in need of constant advice, they feel that that ‘they already know what to do.’ They say, “We need to attend Suhbahs only once in a while, that is sufficient for us.” That is true, only if you practise all that you hear and learn in each Suhbah!

• No one should reject advice, not even a King. But people in authority are often proud ones; they feel that it is beneath them to accept advice from one they view as being of a lower status than themselves. Mawlana said to such haughty people – take a good look in the mirror, what do you see? You see someone who is respected because he wears expensive and beautiful clothing. So many such people dress up and strut around, parading their achievements and medals – they enjoy basking in the attention and admiration of their underlings. Is that real honor? Is honor achieved by such shallow things such as expensive clothing and honorary medals? What happens when a person takes off his clothes and medals, and dons normal, simple, ordinary clothing – is his honor gone? People of such understanding live in a shallow world, it is a fake world of imitated honor, like plastic fruits – tasteless, hollow and cheap. So many are mesmerized by the glitter of dunya�, but these are very foolish ones, said Mawlana, they have been tricked by Shayta�n, they have lost their minds and are being led by the nose, by Shayta�n, into Hell.

• That is why advice is so important, Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an,

And remind (by preaching the Qur’an, (O Muhammad (saw)) for verily, the reminding profits the believers. (Quran 27:55)

• Learned ones must advise the rich and powerful, not to be blinded by their worldly possessions. Religious scholars must forbid the rich from building skyscrapers, and they must remind their followers not to be deluded by their wealth. The Prophet (saw) had said, “In the end of times, my Ummah will race to build skyscrapers.”� Look at how many such buildings tower over the Grand Mosque in Makkah today! In a hadith, it is mentioned that, when a man builds a house taller than two stories in height, the Angels say, “Oh foolish one, where are you trying to reach with your building? Shame on you!”� In building skyscrapers, Muslims are following Namrud, the enemy of Allah – why are believers emulating such a man? Why are believers copying the ways of the unbelievers, the Way of Batil (opposite of Haq)?
  
• Tabligh (the act of preaching) is very important in Islam. Teachers / Guides / Scholars / Learned ones must know their responsibilities, and must not busy themselves with trivial and unimportant matters, whilst foregoing their prime duties of advising/teaching/guiding. It is a pity that most of them are busy looking like pious ones, instead of dispensing actual life-saving advice, day and night, to the ailing Ummah.

Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma’ruf (goodness) and forbidding Al-Munkar (evil). And it is they who are the successful. (Quran 3:104)

• Learned ones must understand the responsibilities placed on their shoulders, they must advise those who act against Shari’ah Allah (like the builders of skyscrapers). Guide your flock to remember the life of the hereafter, Mawlana said. It is true that some people get very agitated by the mention of death, and do not like to be reminded of it, but these reminders must be given, to save Mankind, even if it faces stiff opposition from Shaytan.

• Mawlana said, he preaches using easy-to-understand language, and even though his command of English is poor, he prays to Allah for madad (support) that these heavenly advices, penetrate the hearts of attendees, and trample on the whisperings of Shayta�n. Learned ones must not aim to impress their followers or to try to dazzle them with fancy words, for what is the point of an eloquent speech that has no spiritual penetration into the hearts of their listeners? Their ultimate aim should be to convey sincere advice to the masses. Pray for Divine support, that the message hits home loud and clear. It doesn’t matter even if there are only a few attendees (some will only teach if there are many attendees), spread the Divine message!

• This is Mawlana’s advice – spend your life defending the truth, upholding the truth and protecting the truth, and Allah will save you in this world and in the hereafter. Each Suhbah must uphold Haq (truth). If you spend your life defending Haq, all Heavenly forces will protect you and stand by you. But if you abandon propagating and preaching Haq, Shayta�n will draw close to you. He will invite you to join the fellowship of the cursed ones.

• Anyone who strives for Haqq, will always be honored. When such a person dies, Angels await him at his grave, they welcome him with respect and honor. As for those who were taken in by Shaytan’s whispers, they will be stripped of their grand worldly clothes in death, and at their graves, Shayatheen await the coming of one from their accursed fellowship. Each person who is destined for Hell, will be ‘welcomed’ by Shaytan as he is laid in his grave – what a terrible companion to have awaiting for us in our graves.

• We are in the last days, the Book of Dunya� is in its very last pages, the Trumpet is about to be blown, and soon, we shall all be gathered to face Judgment. May Allah guide us, so that our feet remain on Haq and may we be raised amongst those who lived in dunya�, to defend Haq. Only those in this group will attain safety, satisfaction and salvation – all the rest will be in chaos and regret. The choice is yours.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

7th April 2010, Wednesday

He who cheats, is not of my Ummah

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana said that all those who attended, would be blessed with happiness and honor, for it was a rare thing nowadays to be able to attend a real Association (Suhbah). Most gatherings today either involve discussion panels (everyone trying to show off that he knows more than the other panelists) or it involves debates (where everyone wants to prove that he is correct). In many religious debates, Shaytan pits one person against another, so the session turns into an ugly battle of the egos, no one learns or gains anything, and attendees leave unhappy, divided and agitated. So it is a rare thing indeed to be in such a sincere gathering, where no party is trying to impress another, as such a sincere gathering (as taught in the previous lesson) is one that is protected from the dirtiness of Shaytan’s presence, there are almost no more such gatherings in these end of times.

• So many meetings begin without the recitation of A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem, as if Man is immune to Shaytan’s venom – such pride allows Shaytan in. Recognize that you are weak, and seek His protection against Shaytan always. Each time we recite A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem, Allah sends the one responsible for our well being to protect us from shaitan’s presence. We are weak ones, we are fighting an unseen enemy, we must always seek refuge in Allah.

He (shaitan) and his tribe see you, from where you do not see them.(Quran 7:27)

• Also recite Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem, for that is our heavenly sword against our unseen enemy. Mawlana asked, what would happen to a soldier who goes into battle without his weapon? For sure he would be helpless, and would be easily defeated – he would be captured by enemy forces and made a prisoner.

• Mawlana did not deny that there are official centres teaching Islam, with officially appointed teachers. But such centres cannot give the same benefit as these type of sessions, as those who are teaching, have elevated themselves into an ‘official’ position or status. A Suhbah (a religious gathering/Association), is derived from the word Sahabah, or Companions. The Prophet taught his Companions in an atmosphere of love and friendliness, of companionship and mutual concern. In such an atmosphere, there is familiarity between hearts (see lesson 22/03/10) and it is in this setting that one is able to derive benefits and learning.

• An air of officialdom is very different. It raises some people (the officials), above the rest, and in doing so, it creates barriers between hearts, and it removes the familiarity, which is a crucial ingredient needed for learning to take place. In such a setting, little learning can take place – there is no genuine love and concern between teacher and student, the relationship is a ‘forced’ one, where the ‘official’ leader puts on an act of authority and knowledge, in order to prove that he is indeed one with superior knowledge, which is why he is the one teaching. It is an act, a fake show of piety and holiness. It is like an artificial diamond – it may look like the real thing at first glance, but under close scrutiny, it is obviously a worthless piece of glass. No synthetic gem is of any real value, so no fake teachers have any real value either. The unfortunate thing about holding an ‘official’ appointment, is that it makes you put on a facade. You are putting on an act, and you are no longer being yourself. That is why the ego loves to hold such appointments, it gets to put on its mask again, and pretend to be someone it isn’t (see lesson on 01/04/10).

• Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (qs) said, “Oh people, be your true self when you are with people, do not cheat people, do not have two faces – one that you show to the public (the official you) and one that you hide from public view.”�

• Man portrays himself to people around him, in such a way so as to draw praises and admiration. This act that they put on, is in stark contrast to their real selves, away from public view. Mawlana said that this is haram, as it is cheating. He reminds us that Rasulullah (saw) said, “He who cheats, is not of my Nation (Ummat).” That is a stern warning from the Prophet (saw). We must always be aware of this hadith, and be careful about going against it. You must be very afraid that such a warning has been issued, for we must always ensure that we are on the path of Haqq, any deviation into dishonesty, means we have wandered into cheating, and we have drifted out of the Ummat of Muhammad (saw). That is a very sobering warning to bear in mind, for it means we must be alert to remain on the truth constantly, without wavering – obedience to our egos means that we have abandoned the path of Haqq. Mawlana asked if it is possible to find such people today.

• It is the characteristic of Shaytan to have two faces, in order to cheat people. He tells Man, that in order to gain respect, Man has to put on a public persona befitting the image of the official position he is holding.

• For example, a businessman will portray to his clients and potential partners, that he is an honest and trusted one, but once he has won your trust, once he has gotten your investment, he takes off his mask, revealing the crook that he really is. He then walks away, without the slightest tinge of remorse for having scammed you. Mawlana said that this is the worst form of cheating amongst humans. The lists of examples of such con jobs are endless. A man/woman may portray himself/herself as a trustworthy, well-mannered and morally upright person, but once the trust has been gained and the marriage consummated, the mask is removed and the true colours emerge – it is only then that one sees that the man is a wife-beater, or that the woman is actually cheating on her spouse. This is a Shaytanic teaching, to hide the ‘cheating face’, and show the ‘trustworthy face’ to fellow Man.

• Mawlana said that it is true that we have a global crisis today – not an economic crisis – but a ‘personality’ crisis, a ‘characteristics’ crisis, which threatens to wreck human relationships. Man’s terrible conduct is the crisis, for Man has been influenced strongly by Shayta�n. Shayta�n has laid his poisoned finger on all of Mankind, everyone is leaving Divine Commandments, and acquiring shaitan’s personality. Mawlana said, “Oh Muslims, the Prophet (saw) brought to us an example of the highest and best behaviour!”�

Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct, for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah. (Quran 33:21)

• Anyone who cheats another human being, no matter what his religion is, has gone against the Divine, his face will turn ugly and it will become darkened, and he will have to endure Allah’s punishment. We must follow Divine Commandments, we must copy the perfect conduct of the Prophet (saw), in order to build genuine and healthy relationships between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between neighbours, between members of our Community, regardless of their religion. Do not cheat anyone, even if he is a non-believer, that is no reason to behave in a cruel and undignified manner towards him. Man must improve his behaviour/conduct, for if he did not, even if Allah were to bestow upon him the wealth of 70 Kings or even the wealth of Qarun (the legendary man of wealth in the time of Moses (as)), the economic crisis would not end, as Man would still continue to cheat and scam one another.

• Allah sends people to remind the Nation, each time the people have strayed off the True path, so this is a timely reminder for us all. This same advice has been echoed by every Prophet that Allah has sent, that there is no other way out of this worldly mess that we are in, except this – we must leave this heedlessness, we must follow the conduct of the Chosen Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) never spoke from his own desires, he only brought Divine wahyu to us, hence, we must know that his entire behaviour / conduct, is based on Divine guidance. Anyone who abandons the Prophet’s (saw) conduct, will be rejected by Allah and His Prophet (saw).

Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a Revelation revealed. (Quran 53:3-4)

• The Prophet (saw) said, “Be honest people, that will bring untold Divine treasures to you. But if you cheat, that will make you weak and you will fall into poverty, and you will be counted from amongst the liars.”� Look at the power of a single hadith – it can solve the entire spiritual and financial crisis, with one swipe! But Shaytan always whispers, “Don’t follow the Prophet, follow me!”� Hence many people make it their way of life to emulate Shayta�n – they cheat in business, in relationships, in worship, in sincerity, in every aspect of their lives. Why? Do people think that is the way to achieve happiness and success? Dishonesty, betrayal and cheating may bring a quick temporary profit, perhaps it may bring some respect from humans (who may admire you for having status and wealth, but they show you respect for their personal gain actually, for they want to take some benefit from your status/wealth), but eventually, it must lead to inevitable dishonor before the Lord Almighty. You would seek imitated honor in this dunya� in exchange for humiliation and Allah’s Wrath in the hereafter? What is wrong with you?

• True honor in dunya� is achieved by being a true servant of Allah’s. One who serves Him sincerely, Allah will open the hearts of others to serve him and to honor and respect him. But if one lives in defiance of Allah, if one abandons the Prophet’s conduct, then he will be cursed in this life and in the life to come. So remember, it is meaningless to strive for the respect of fellow humans, by putting on a fake mask, or by attaining worldly treasures by dishonest means. True and everlasting honor, is attained by being a devoted servant to Allah, by following the conduct of the Prophet (saw), and by being honest – showing your true self to all around you.

• So many who fell into Shaytan’s trap of seeking worldly honor, they are in everlasting regret, for once they leave this worldly life, they also leave their worldly honor and their ill-gotten gains – they suffer perpetual regret for having sought brief happiness in dunya�. Mawlana said, before your last breath, make preparation for your own deaths, you shall surely leave this temporary life, and if you leave as a cheating, dishonest one, you will regret for eternity. Teachers and Guides must bring the message of the Qur’an to their students, it is a message that reminds them to prepare for their eventual meeting with their Lord Almighty, so don’t return to Allah as a two-faced creature!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

4th April 2010, Sunday

Name one thing that you own in this world

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana said that we are all His servants – some of us are obedient ones, others, disobedient ones. Disobedient ones are servants who have been stripped off their honor.

• Today, Man rejects the concept that all that he possesses is a Divine grant to him. No, he says, “What I have is because of my hard work!” Man also rejects the idea that all of what is with him, belongs to Allah. “It is mine,” he claims.

• Mawlana asked, if what you possess now, is truly yours, then why do you leave them all behind when you die? Why not take them with you to the next world? Why leave behind the private plane, the luxurious yacht, the castle-like house, the sports car, the string of businesses, the wife and kids, the jewelry, the money in the bank, the branded goods? Why leave all that behind?

• Name one treasure that you can take along with you! You can’t even name one, yet you claim that all that you own in dunyā, is yours? Man has become a liar, Mawlana said, taking after the accursed Shayṭān. Shayṭān is the Chief Liar, he teaches Man to lie too. Anyone, who rejects reality, is a liar.

• Mawlana then asked, to whom do you belong? To yourself? If that is so, why do you not take your body along to the other world? Why do you leave that carcass behind, here in the earthly realm? As they wash your body prior to wrapping you in the kafan and burying you, they will strip your body of every earthly treasure, right down to your earrings and rings! You may have been a King in this world, having servants at your beck-and-call, but as you stand beside your dead body, no one can hear you pleading for your treasures, and even if they could hear you, no one would obey you, as the body must be stripped of its earthly treasures, before it is buried. All your life, you have lived by the mantra, “This is mine!”

• Mawlana asked, why doesn’t the dead person stop people from taking away all that he owns and all that is on him, by proclaiming to them, “Stop! Don’t take anything! This is all mine!”

• Man is a drunk creature, he is always adding on his calculator, counting all that is his, but Mawlana said, we are ignorant ones, for in Divine mathematics, all that is with us in this world, always adds up to zero. In the end, Man is buried naked, save for his kafan, he brings nothing, not even his dead body, into the hereafter. At the very end, Man finally realises that he cannot name even one thing that is his to keep from this dunyā. We have nothing, everything belongs to Allah, but Shayṭān, the Chief Deceiver, is repeating constantly into our ears, “All these (things that you have earned with your hard work) are yours! Keep all of it securely, make sure no one lays hands on them. They are yours, yours, yours!”

• We are all His servants, we must never lay claim to being better than those around us. Many Scholars look upon themselves as being superior to others. Scholars must realise that they are also part of Bani Adam, they originate from the earth, like all the rest of us, so they must discard their holier-than-thou attitude.

• Walking around with a Kitab tucked underneath their armpits (as many of these Scholars do) is not a sign of piety. True knowledge that rejuvenates the Soul, is not in the books, neither is it on the tongues – it is found in the heart.

• Mawlana shared a story to illustrate this. There was once a wise Sultan, who liked to keep the company of the pious. Whenever he heard of any learned ones, he would invite them for mudzakarah (discussion). However, if the invited one arrived to meet the Sultan, bringing his Kitabs, the Sultan would say, “No, I don’t want to hear what is in the book – that we know, that we can read. I am asking to know what is in your heart, what you have understood, what special enlightenment the good Lord has gifted you with – that I am keen to know! A Kitab is written by Man, it is from this dunyā, I don’t want that. I am asking to know of what Divine refreshments He had sent down upon you, what your Soul has understood by its striving, so leave the Kitab out of our discussion.” That is an important point to remember, said Mawlana. Anyone can read and understand a Kitab, but what seekers yearn to know from a true Guide, are the Divine gifts of spirituality, that have been entrusted to his heart.

• We must always be seeking such knowledge, we must never tire of asking Allah to add to what we already know and understand. But to receive such Oceans of knowledge, one has to open one’s heart wide (you cannot be negative, prejudiced, narrow-minded, opinionated, intolerant or extreme), for such a broad, all-encompassing knowledge cannot fit into a constricted heart. These Oceans have no shores and no seabed – they are so vast and deep! Knowledge is a treasure that is immeasurably wide, why just ask for common and simple information? Instead, we should seek of what has never been spoken of before, we must ask to open what has never been opened before!

• Some Scholars do not believe in Spirituality. Others do not accept that there are those who know more than them. Yet others only want to teach, they never want to learn. It is not easy to be a Guide – you must take from what the Prophet (saw) brought, and bring that to the Nation (Ummat). You must seek the correct understanding in your heart on each matter, before you can teach.

• Many such Scholars concentrate on looking very scholarly, with their scholar’s robes and reading glasses, but Mawlana said that it is irrelevant. What is relevant is that they must have something to teach the Nation, something that can awaken the sleeping masses, to their lives’ mission, their journey ahead and their mortal enemies here. Can these Scholars bring to their students, teachings that can pierce through the thick veils that enshroud each student – the veils of lust, desires, sin and dirtiness? Do they have the means and methods to train their followers to become obedient ones? It is not an easy thing to be a Guide.

• The Prophet (saw) left us such Guides, as stated in the Holy Qur’an:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Quran 9:119)

• It is Divine Command that we be with the true ones, the Sadiqeen. They are those who receive Divine inspirations. This is the teaching that we must spread to the believers, so that they seek out the Sadiqeen, and study from them. The Sadiqeen are the Divine-inspired Guides. Scholars have taken such heavy responsibilities on their shoulders by assuming the mantle of leadership (despite being unqualified, as they are not the Divinely-appointed guides), they are in grave danger of receiving the brunt of Heavenly Anger. They themselves must seek out the Sadiqeen, as this Quranic Commandment above is not just for the Companions of the Prophet (saw), it is for the entire Nation of Muhammad (saw). Look at the Companions – they studied from the best of the Sadiqeen – Rasulullah (saw) – and their building of Islam, still stands tall and proud, glorious and magnificent, today.

• All you need to seek in dunyā, is the company of the Sadiqeen. Mawlana asked which Sadiqeen are you following? Everything else of dunyā that you seek, you will leave it behind eventually!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

3rd April 2010, Saturday

A thousand years in dunia passes in the blink of an eye

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana said that a hunter would focus his entire attention on capturing his prey when he is hunting. If the prey is a huge animal, then such attention is warranted, but if the prey is a tiny bird, it is really a waste of time and resources. Man has his sights trained on this dunyā, but in reality, it is just a tiny bird, in comparison to the vast rewards of Akhirah – it is a crying shame that Man is focusing his entire existence to capture such a worthless prize. If only Man realised how incredible a prize the hereafter is – what a vast, never-ending pasture of bliss it is – he would not give a second look to dunyā, he would focus his skills to ‘hunt’ for the hereafter.

• Unfortunately, that is not the case – most people never look beyond this life. Do you think you will live forever? For certain, death will halt you in your tracks one day, so have you ever thought where you will go after that?

• Mawlana said when he once saw an ant on his handkerchief, he asked the ant, “Who created you?” and the ant answered, “He who created you, also created me.” It is not surprising that Man has never thought about this, as he is so drunk with dunyā. Has it ever occurred to Man, that dunyā is so small compared to this Universe, and is even punier in comparison to the hereafter? What does he hope to achieve, in striving day and night, for dunyā? Can one person own all of dunyā? Even if he acquired all of it – and for sure he cannot – it is still a paltry catch, for do you know how small this dunyā is? The oceans of this world are mere droplets of water, if they were placed in Paradise! Does Man not think about all this?

• Sayyidina Nuh (as) lived for almost a thousand years, no Prophet lived longer than him on earth, he was also called the second father of Mankind (after Sayyidina Adam (as)), as after the Great Flood, Man descended from him and his small band of followers. He was asked, “You have lived such a long time on earth. Is there any message or lesson that you wish to impart to your descendents?” Sayyidina Nuh (as) said, “The thousand years passed very quickly. It is as if I saw a vision of a caravan arriving at an inn and then, ever so quickly, I saw it pulling out again. No sooner had I arrived, then it was time to leave already, to continue my journey to the hereafter!” Mawlana said that, it is as if there is a door through which billions of humans have arrived on Earth. They rest here for some time – some for a short time, others for a long time – and they then all finally leave by another door. That is the observation of the longest living Prophet on earth, observing his own Nation. What do you think would be said about those Nations that came after Sayyidina Nuh (as), who have had considerably shorter lives, the shortest of which are the people of the Nation of Muhammad (saw)?

• Mawlana also mentioned that whenever Sayyidina Nuh (as) mentioned the name of the Seal of Prophets (saw) during his time, he always stood up, as a sign of respect and reverence for Rasulullah (saw). We must learn to respect our Prophet (saw), it is unfortunate that some Scholars do not hold him in the highest esteem, even teaching their followers that respect to Rasulullah (saw) was tantamount to shrik, blasphemy to Allah! Oh Muslims, Rasulullah (saw) is the Most Honored servant, the Most Beloved one, the Most Respected in all of creation – you will never incur Divine Wrath by showing love and respect to him, or by honoring him. Allah has raised him as the One True Khalῑfah representing Him for all eternity; Rasulullah (saw) is the Sole Representative, reflecting His Lord’s light to us. If you stand to honor him, as Sayyidina Nuh (as) did, Allah will never be displeased, for He Himself honors, respects and loves Rasulullah (saw).

• Every honor in creation, has been bestowed on Rasulullah (saw), so we must give the highest respect to him. Islam is built on respect – respect for Allah and His Rasul (saw) and our fellow creatures. Only Shayṭān would disrespect someone who is respected by Allah. Shayṭān is never pleased to see Man receive any honor or respect from Allah. When Sayyidina Adam (as) was placed on a pedestal of honor, Shayṭān was angry, and he refused to prostrate before him. All along, Shayṭān had thought that Allah would raise him to be the Chosen Representative; he felt that he was the best and most suitable choice, but he never realized that he did not have the capacity to bear such a responsibility. He never thought that it would be given to Sayyidina Muhammad (saw).

• When Allah placed a small light in the forehead of Sayyidina Adam (as), the Nur of Muhammad (saw), and made him Khalῑfah, that tiny light, lit up the whole Universe! This was not the entire light of Rasulullah (saw), it was just a tiny pinhead-sized ray of light, for the Universe is unable to bear the entire light of the Prophet (saw). What was given to Sayyidina Adam (as), was a tiny opening from the Ocean of the Prophet’s (saw) light.

• Islam is illustrious, Iman (faith) is even nobler, yet even with faith, we can never fully fathom Allah’s Greatness. The Holy Qur’an is filled with knowledge, it has so many layers of understanding, and even at the most basic / rudimentary / fundamental level of interpretation (tafsir), already millions of Kitabs have been written. Many Scholars are so proud of the knowledge that they possess, or the books they have authored, but having written a few, of the millions of books, at such a basic level of understanding, is nothing to blow one’s trumpet about. What about knowledge at the next level of understanding, or the next? The levels are endless, there is so much to learn, and we will be overwhelmed by His Greatness when we dive into these Oceans! Every thing that is owned by Allah has no limits – these are Oceans without shores.

• For example, the first level may be likened to one who knows the location of the Prophet’s (saw) grave. The next level may be compared to one who has a photo of it. The next level may be one who has seen it with his own eyes. But can anyone take the student on a more detailed tour? Can anyone elucidate about the actual interior of the grave, its fragrant perfume, its blessings (tajalli), its light, the means of approach etc? Scholars who only know the location of the Maqam, or simply have a photo of it, can never guide anyone to understand deeper matters pertaining to the Maqam, as they have never been to those levels of knowledge before. So Scholars must be very careful, before they declare themselves as learned guides.

• Instead, they must declare that they are students, and they must seek knowledge (diligently and sincerely), and they must keep asking Allah for an increase in knowledge and understanding, for Allah likes that sort of hunger in His servants. Awaken from your slumber, thaw your frozen (narrow-minded) minds, and start learning and ascending! That is why Allah taught us, through the tongue of the Prophet (saw), “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.” Scholars must not be deluded by titles like Doctor of Sharī’ah or Master of Islamic Studies. These are man-given labels of honor, that have no bearing whatsoever in the Divine realm. Unlike these Scholars with man-made titles, Allah has bestowed heavenly honor on chosen Guides of the Way, who have been given Divine authority to diagnose and treat spiritual diseases of His servants.

• We are in need of such Divinely-sent Guides, for we are heedless ones – we are only good at eating, drinking and fulfilling our carnal desires, sometimes with halal and at other times, even with haram! So let us train our sights on the hereafter, for our short time will determine our eternity.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

2nd April 2010, Friday

Be the pearl, not the shell

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana gave salams to attendees, and he prayed that safety and blessings would descend on this small group of dedicated attendees. He then prayed for protection from Shayṭān, the source of all tragedies and disasters that has befallen Man since the beginning of time, right till the end.

• In this worldly life, it would have been easy for Allah to imprison Shayṭān, so that we would be in safety, but the Divine Wisdom in allowing Shayṭān to tempt Man, is that Allah wishes to show the value and honor of Mankind in the Divine presence. Each time Allah bestows any goodness on any of the Children of Adam from His infinite Oceans of Honor, Shayṭān explodes in anger and jealousy, it feels intense suffering, like fire burning its body. Mawlana asked, if it is possible for Shayṭān, who is made from fire, to suffer, if it were burnt in fire? Man is made from the earth, so it can indeed be burnt, but can a creature made of fire be burnt too? Will Shayṭān suffer when it is thrown into Jahannam? (Question was left unanswered)

• Mawlana said that each of the billions of believers is at a different Station of understanding and belief. Hence, the Paradise that each of the billions of humans will inherit, are all different from one another (according to one’s level of understanding and belief), no two are alike. Mawlana gave the example of how there are billions of homes on earth, but no two homes are identical in what they contain, and in what activities take place within them. This is a symbol of Allah’s Greatness, that He never creates two identical creations.

• We must study about Allah’s Attributes, we must study the Qur’an, for the Qur’an is not merely one Ocean, said Mawlana, it is an infinite array of Oceans, and even the Prophets have yet to reach the shores of these Oceans, so wide and deep are they! So we must appreciate the Holy Qur’an, and study it.

• We can learn without technology. We must not be dependent on technology, for technology is from Shayṭān’s dirtiness. He who honors technology, honors Shayṭān. It is true that technology can appear amazing – it is mind-boggling how this Suhbah is transmitted from East to West by technology, but what Allah has given his chosen servants, far exceed the powers of technology – in fact, technology would have no value or standing, when compared to what Allah has given the pious ones.

• Allah said in a Hadith Qudsī, “Oh My Servant, obey Me, and I shall dress you in Rabbaniyyat. And when you say BE, it shall BE!” (Rabbaniyyat means Divine Dressings of Honor)

اِنَّمَاۤ اَمۡرُهٗۤ اِذَاۤ اَرَادَ شَیْـًٔـا اَنۡ يَّقُوۡلَ لَهٗ كُنۡ فَيَكُوۡنُ

Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, “Be!” and it is! (Quran 36:82)

• Who are these chosen servants that have been bestowed such heavenly prowess? They are the servants who have attained the highest Station, they are those who do not seek carnal pleasures of the physical body, they seek only His pleasure. They are servants only to their Lord, they are not servants to anyone other than Him – they are not slaves to Shayṭān, to their egos, to their desires or to dunyā. One who has reached that level, Allah declares him as “Abdi (My servant)!”

• When you have reached that level, you are no longer in need of technology – whatever you say, will occur. Believers must be ashamed that they have yet to attain that level of servanthood.

• Scholars must be ashamed too, that they have not guided their flocks to such levels too. If Scholars are busy quarrelling and debating with other Scholars about what is haram, bida’ah, kufur and shirik, and which hadith are dhaif – how are they to achieve spiritual ascension? If they have sunk to beneath the seven layers of the earth (by useless deeds), how are they to rise and take their followers to the peak of the seven layers of the heavens? Time is of the essence, stop all this futile quarrels and petty finger pointing, Judgment Day is just around the corner, so we must all strive to upgrade our faith and to become servants of value.

• Mawlana gave the example of an oyster containing a pearl, in which only the pearl was kept protected and extracted, but the oyster shell was eventually thrown away. If we do not attain any value (if we do not attain true servanthood), we will also be thrown away, into Jahannam. Only the ones of value, the pearls, will be protected and preserved, in Paradise.

• Mawlana gave another example. A hen may lay many eggs, but not all will hatch. One who is guided, will be like the hatched egg – it will bear results. The unguided one, will be like the unhatched egg – it will not proceed to the next stage of its development.

• Why are we resisting Divine advice that is designed to turn us into pearls? Do you wish be a useless shell (an unguided one), or do you wish to be transformed into a valuable pearl (a guided one)? A pearl cannot be formed by itself, without a ‘seed’. Similarly, a person cannot attain guidance, without a Master.

• Allah sent to Mankind 124 000 Prophets (and today the Saints), to turn us into valuable pearls. If we open our hearts to be guided, Rasulullah (saw) will insert the ‘seed’ that grows into a pearl within our hearts. But, if, like the Children of Israel, we lock our hearts from our Prophet (saw), how is he to insert this ‘seed’ into our closed hearts? We will then remain without value, like the oyster shell that is discarded and forgotten.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s daily Suhbahs

1st April 2010, Thursday

Take off your mask and be yourself

A’uzubillah himinash shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillah-hir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Mawlana instructed all attendees to seek forgiveness and to cleanse themselves, for cleanliness (physical, spiritual, mental) is the first of all Divine Commands and the most important
 Mawlana said to have faith in the strength of Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Rahim, it is a heavenly sword that destroys Shayṭān’s forts.

• Mawlana said that, like us, he too awaits the knowledge that would be taught during each Suhbah to be revealed to him, as such knowledge assists one to subdue one’s ego, until we can pin it under our feet. Mawlana asked if we had ever tried to step on our egos. It is a very rare thing to find one who does so, Mawlana says that 99.9% of humans obey their egos, and obey Shayṭān. Have you ever wrestled Shayṭān into submission, and placed your feet triumphantly on its neck? Have you ever managed to defeat Shayṭān and step on it? Have you ever even seen Shayṭān before?

• If you had ever seen Shayṭān, you would know that it has a humungous collection of masks! Each day, Shayṭān places a different mask on your face, and suggests to you to look into the mirror. For example, he may put on you, a mask of a learned Saint, so you look at your self, with all your good deeds, and you believe that the mask you have on, is the real you. Each mask lifts your ego to a high status, and you are cheated into believing that you are really that honored one! Perhaps the mask is that of a humble servant, so that you think that you are that obedient one, and you feel that you are the special and chosen servant of Allah’s, that your deeds have brought you to a very high spiritual level. You admire your own greatness, your own holiness, your own Station – and you fall from grace because you have been cheated by Shayṭān’s mask. Each mask is a lie to your own ego, a trap to cheat you, so that you will give credit and position to yourselves! Your true self is hidden behind the mask.

• Each one who seeks spiritual ascension and who desires closeness to Allah, is targeted by Shayṭān. To fight Shayṭān, its supporters and its followers, it gives us honor.

• When Man inherits Paradise, he will find that each one of the seven levels of Jannah, is vastly different. At the first level of Paradise, Man would have left his physical body behind, and would be with a completely different type of existence. Man will be so stunned and amazed at his transformation, that he will ask himself, “Is this really me?” You will be overjoyed to see what Allah has made you into and what He has prepared for you there, your mind will be unable to take in all that it is experiencing. Overwhelmed, you will fall into prostration before Allah Almighty, and when you arise, your heart will be filled with thankfulness and gratefulness to Allah, for what He has bestowed upon you.

• This knowledge is indeed in the Holy Books sent down by Allah, but many of us are unable to picture what Paradise is like, as only the Prophets have real understanding of what is contained within them. Even for those of us who have some knowledge, we lack the certainty of faith, to truly understand what that knowledge means. That is why we have yet to understand the meaning of the seven levels of Paradise.

• When that blessed person who is in the first level of Paradise, is elevated to the second level, his senses will be swarmed by experiences that he has never undergone, not even in the first heaven below. Right to the smallest detail (sight, smell, taste, feel, hearing, honor etc) – it will be completely different from the first level he had just seen. Once again, he will fall into prostration in thankfulness to Allah. This scene will be repeated from level to level of Paradise, no two levels are alike in any aspect, and the person who has been blessed thus, will fall into prostration, at every level of his ascension. Each level of Paradise that you enter, your entire concept and understanding of Paradise will be revamped and completely altered. Subhanallah.

• It is only then, that you will finally understand the honor He has given you, in making you His Khalῑfah. You will finally understand that it is the Station of the Crown Prince, an honor no other creatures have been honored with. It is an honor from pre-eternity to eternity! When you have tasted of Jannah’s pleasures, you will never tire from it; you will seek more and more of it. Mawlana said that being in Paradise is not like watching television, you are not a mere spectator to the pleasures of Paradise, but you will be in the thick of it, experiencing with every nerve in your spiritual bodies, the perpetual pleasures that you have earned by your worldly deeds.

• But in order to inherit all that, you must be with the Sadiqeen! It is a Divine Command in the Holy Qur’an.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Quran 9:119)

• The Qur’an has advices for every member of the Nation (Ummat) of Muhammad (saw), so come and take your portion of advice, to advance to safety. The Sadiqeen are spiritual healers, doctors of the Soul, they come to teach us what ails us and how to cure our blindness and diseases. The Sadiqeen reveal to us that we are simply standing at the beach of Islam, we have not dived into the Ocean – if only we were to dive in, we would find all that we seek.

• Do you know, who will accompany you as you enter the first Paradise? That is an important question, Mawlana said. Just like a tourist visiting a town for the first time, a tour guide takes the tourist around town, showing him the various attractions. Mawlana said that even visitors to his humble home in Lefke (Cyprus), which is such a tiny town, need a guide. So do you not believe that we need a Guide, when we pass through this difficult doorway called death, when our Souls leave our physical bodies and rise through the heavens and enter the vast expanse of Jannah, for the very first time?

• Knowledge is the Key to unlocking such secrets, to unveil the hidden treasures of the reality of each heavenly level. Such knowledge leads one to praise Allah abundantly. One who has been endowed with the real understanding of reality, will afford the highest praises and respect to his Lord, the Almighty.

• No human being can understand the greatness of Allah and the reality of the seven Paradises, unless he has a Guide in this world and in the hereafter. We need a Guide, it is necessary for one to seek a Teacher, who will take your hand and walk you safely through this booby-trapped journey, to find your reality. A true, heavenly-sent Guide takes you on this journey, step-by-step, level by level. To teach about the unseen, mystical world is not for the unqualified, only those whose veils have been lifted, and who have been endued with Divine authority to do so, can be a source of illumination, for their students.

• For those Scholars who have yet to attain this, climb down from your pedestal, humble yourself, kun taliban (become a student), and learn from the Guides – there are endless realities to learn.

• The mysterious world of Unseen Oceans makes up a huge part of the study of Islam, and although we can only learn so much in our short lives – Mawlana says that we may not even learn an atom’s worth of the realities before us – we must make the effort to plant these tiny seeds and we must be patient, for these seeds grow a little day by day, and they will keep growing for eternity by Allah’s Grace! You shall reap the rewards from these eternally growing harvests forever, so don’t be foolish, said Mawlana, take off the masks of Shayṭān (stop deluding yourselves about who you really are), come and learn the secrets of the Holy Books, so that you shall achieve eternal salvation, satisfaction and contentment.

• Mawlana ended by painting a clear picture of what lies awaiting each of us, in the end. For believers, it is an eternal bliss, but for disbelievers, it is a perpetual darkness. So leave your masks on at your own peril!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

31st March 2010, Wednesday

“Oh Man, I created you for Myself!”

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana urged all attendees to constantly be in the company of the Saints, for those who were not, would be captured by shaitanic armies and be made into its slaves. Maulana recited A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem and urged all believers to run from shaitan and to run towards Allah, as we are weak ones being pursued by a cruel and determined enemy, and we are running to the Sultan to seek His protection. Every shaitan is opposing human beings and they are trying to prevent the spiritual rise of any one of the Children of Adam. They wish to prevent Man from achieving the level of humanity. (Humanity is a level above that of animals, and below that of Angels. Most humans remain at the animal level, all their lives, as they are obedient to their egos, who are collaborating with shaitan).

• Maulana humbly stated that he viewed himself as lower than all of Mankind. He asked Scholars if could view themselves in that light? Man views himself as holy, pure and great ones, this is actually the view his ego has of himself. Man seeks to please his ego, he always seeks to obey and satisfy his ego. Oh people, you must put your ego under your feet, you must step on your ego, for if you never do so, you can never stand spiritually, you can never ascend to heavenly realms.

• We are all chasing to raise our egos higher and higher, we are constantly feeding our egos (giving in to what it demands from us). We were not sent to this dunia, to feed our egos! Have you ever seen a King who spent his life, in the service of his horse? Have you seen a King who lives in the stables, tending to his horse, feeding him, washing him, grooming him, cleaning up after him and being at the horse’s beck and call? We are all doing just that! We have been honoured by Allah as His Khalifa (like the King), and we spend all our lives in the dirty, filthy, faeces-filled stables, tending to our horse (our egos). In fact, we are tending to our donkeys, as horses are for important people like Kings, Presidents, Commanders and Generals. Common folk like us, have donkeys. How can we lower ourselves, to becoming slaves to our donkeys? Certainly, that is not the purpose of our creation. Maulana asks if we considered this dunia as a stable, where we looked after our donkeys? Which Holy Book ever taught such an idea? In the Taurat, Injeel and Qur’an, no such idea was ever taught to Man!

• No pious Saint of the past has ever lived to look after his horse’s pleasure. None! Yet, for 24 hours a day, we are thinking about how to keep our horse happy, contented and satisfied. Scholars who considered themselves as pure or holy ones must know this – that as long as they have yet to tame their wild horses, they should not consider themselves as holy ones. And if they have succeeded, then it is their duty to teach, remind and warn their followers to do so too. They must say to their followers, “Oh servants of your Lord, do you think that your Lord created you for this worldly life? That He made this world a stable for your horses?” They must tell their followers what Allah had said in a Hadees Qudsi, “Oh Mankind, beware and be aware. Oh My beloved, give this warning to all of Mankind, that I created Man for Myself, I created Man to be My servant, I created Man to worship Me. Where is it that they wish to run towards?”

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ الۡجِنَّ وَالۡاِنۡسَ اِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُوۡنِ

I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me. (Quran 51:56)

• Every human being must ponder over these words, even if they are Kings or Presidents. Have you ever witnessed a coronation ceremony of a King? The King kneels before the Bible, while pledging to uphold the Divine Laws of God. Though some Kings really show the highest respect for Allah, many simply go through this ceremony (of pledging allegiance to the Lord) as a formality, they go through the motion of doing it, but to them, it is but a symbolic procedure, and they think nothing about their need to serve Allah. Has it never crossed their minds, as to who had made them Kings and placed them on thrones of authority? If they realised who had given them that crown, they would give their highest respect and obedience to that One.

• Mankind views it an honour to be a King, Sultan or leader. That is not true, for Man’s honour is to be Allah’s servant. Man must be reminded constantly, that his mission/aim on earth, is to be the best servant that he can be, to his Lord. Servanthood is the mantle of honour, do not discard it for any temporary worldly honour, do not be cheated by shaitan!

• We were created to worship, to devote ourselves entirely to Allah, to seek His pleasure. Where in this teaching, does it teach us to live in conflict with our fellow creatures? We have never been commanded to kill each other. The leaders of every group must preach to their followers, “Stop the killing! This is a Divine Command!”

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمۡ رَحِيمً۬ا

And kill not one another. Lo! Allah is ever Merciful unto you. (Quran 4:29)

• Life is sacred, it is Divine Gift that none can give, who is Man to take it away by force, according to his ego’s will? Allah says, “Oh Mankind, Oh My servants, I have placed you in this world, to live amongst each other. Give to each person, what is his right. Do not deprive anyone of his rights. Do not harm others. Do not kill. Live in peace and tranquility.” Allah has raised Man above the Angels, declaring to all, that Man represents Him on earth, as His Khalifa. What can be more honourable that that? Why are we disregarding that honourable status, and stooping to lowly and evil behaviour? Have we no understanding of what an unparallelled honour Allah has bestowed on each one of us? Scholars must teach their students, what a great honour they have been given by the Almighty. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

وَلَـقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ

We have honoured the sons of Adam (Quran 17:70)

• If Allah Himself has honoured Man, we must also honour, respect and love one another. There is no greater honour that is bestowed, than being His Khalifa, and there is no greater honour earned, than being His servant.

• Maulana asked if Scholars knew the real meaning of the word Kufur (disbelief)? To deny the rights of one whom Allah has given rights to, to disrespect one whom Allah has commanded us to honour, to seek to wrest from someone, what has been Divinely given – that is the real meaning of Kufur.

• Any teaching that teaches you to kill fellow humans, or to raise yourselves above others (by giving yourselves self-created worldly titles) so as to oppress others – these are not true teachings of any religion, whether it be Judaism, Christianity or Islam. Any self-created title, which elevates yourself and degrades others, does not bring you close to Allah, so do not delude yourselves.

• Maulana advised all Christians, Jews and Muslims to read their respective Holy Books, and to ponder the meanings contained within. Reflect on the purpose of your creation, for if you do not understand it before you leave this worldly life, you will be hurled into the blazing Fire.

• Oh people, be obedient to Allah, before he sends down heavenly punishments upon you. Always be aware that Allah is with you (but He is not within you), He is aware of all that you are and all that you do. Maulana says that if you are able to have faith in this and keep this remembrance and thought, that Allah is with you constantly, you will always give the highest respect to all of Allah’s commands, you will never fall into shaitan’s clutches, and you will be amongst the safe ones in dunia and in akherat. So pray always, “Oh Allah, protect us from our terrible enemy, we are truly weak ones.”

• People today chase after shaitan, adopting shaitanic ways. Maulana describes it like a flood of human beings rushing to drown in shaitan’s decadent lifestyle, they have forgotten Divine commandments, they have forgotten who created them, they have forgotten the purpose of their creation! With each step they take to follow shaitan, they are falling into more and more difficulties and sufferings, and the situation is growing worse by the day. In desperation, people are looking high and low for a solution. There is only one solution, says Maulana. “Be true to your Lord, leave shaitanic ways, follow the chosen ones, the Prophets of Allah.”

• Maulana says he is teaching from heavenly inspirations, and if any human being dared to make false claims pertaining to this matter (that is, to pretend that he is teaching from heavenly inspirations to his heart), Allah would take his life before the day was up, as Allah is able to do as He pleases.

• At the end of the Suhbah, Maulana said that Allah was displeased with all the armies of all nations on earth, as these were all shaitanic armies (bent on killing, aggression and having no compassion). He made a humble plea, that Allah gave a chance to the good ones amongst the Ummat, to be formed into a ‘Divine Army’, that would bring peace to this world. For in a hadees, the Prophet (saw) said, “if there were 20 000 true ones in my Ummat, the world could be changed for the better, they can never be defeated, and will always be victorious.” Such a heavenly army, is one that is filled with people who seek to please Allah, and Allah is pleased with them. Ameen.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

30th March 2010, Tuesday

The Emperor’s new clothes

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that we must spend some time daily to attend the Suhbahs, even it is just for a few minutes. Sadly, most people today are shaitan’s followers, they give no value to Divine advice and messages. Shaitan always teaches Man to oppose and defy Allah. No follower of shaitan will ever succeed in dunia or akherat. We must give respect to Divine news, and take the advice seriously. Maulana said that if it were announced that the American president would be giving a speech, millions – maybe billions – would tune in. It is ironic, that a Suhbah, that has much spiritual reward, is viewed as unimportant, but a speech of no value in Divine eyes, is given so much attention by people. This is because people value a gathering, by how important the speaker is, whereas, they should actually be giving value to a gathering, based on who was sending the speaker and who’s message he brought. It is not the value of the speaker, but the value of the One that sent the speaker, that we should honour. For those attendees who are giving this nightly Suhbah its due respect and attention, heavenly blessings are raining down upon you, your hearts will be filled with tranquility and contentment.

• Most of Mankind think that they have been created for enjoyment in this dunia, others believe that they are here to follow shaitan’s teachings. These Suhbahs are Divine warnings sent to awaken you, so that you will know that you have not been sent for dunia or to obey shaitan. Ignore there warnings at your own peril, for such heedlessness, leads you to eternal regret!

• Even if you had absolutely nothing to do, and you were just sitting down at home, with time to attend the Suhbah, shaitan will whisper to you, “Don’t attend, you have important things to attend to, tomorrow!” Shaitan ‘creates’ busy-ness for you, based on a hypothetical assumption, that the next day would be busy.

• Humans are always worried about ‘tomorrow’, they are always thinking about what would happen ‘tomorrow’. They even count ‘tomorrow’s’ profits before they materialize. Maulana says, this is a most amazing phenomenon, that has infected almost everyone today, from the very young, to the very old! Maulana says, almost no one asks himself, “What if ‘tomorrow’ never comes?” Almost no one says, “I am sleeping in my bed today, but I may be sleeping in my grave tomorrow!” Death gives no special respect to anyone – a King, President and Commander-in-chief, will all die at the appointed time, and it may be a very sudden thing.

• How many important people, stand in their uniforms and beautiful suits, admiring themselves in the mirror, all the time? And while they see only how handsome or attractive they appear, a pious one may simply see an animal, dressed in fine clothes, for these people have yet to rid themselves of their animal-like nature. It is again mystifying why world leaders feel proud to copy cursed ones like Pharoah and Namrud, strutting about arrogantly in fancy clothes, belittling others, and constantly admiring themselves in the mirror (like preening ladies). Maulana advises us to discard this attitude, and to instead dress ourselves in humility, for that is the best clothing to be dressed in. With our fancy clothes, we may feel like a great person, but strip yourselves completely and look at yourself then, do you still feel like a great one? No, you will simply be filled with a sense of shame.

• When asked, many people believe that by dressing up in fine clothes, they would acquire more respect from people. Shaitan has cheated Man into believing that ‘clothes makes a man’. Without his majestic clothes, a person feels small and unimportant, so he spends a great deal of money on expensive clothes, and he spends a lot of time grooming and preening himself, so that he can look good and acquire more respect. So Man’s status, is now linked to his dressing! What is the point of changing our clothes, our hairstyles, our skin and hair colours – when our minds and hearts remain the same? The Prophet (saw) said, “Allah does not look at his servants’ exterior, He looks at their internal condition.”

• Would any of us dare to be seen naked in public? Of course not, we would be very embarrassed. After all, we are not animals, animals look good even when they are naked. A horse looks so majestic without clothes, but Man would look so out of place like that. But Maulana says, we are naked – spiritually naked, despite being physically clothed. Because shaitan has cheated Man into believing that honour comes from good dressing, so spiritually naked humans are strutting about, proud of their external dress, but naked in the eyes of those who can see their internal condition!

• Like in the story of the Emperor’s new clothes, the Emperor was parading naked for all to see, thinking that he had on beautiful clothing, until a young boy said, “But he has nothing on!” Only then did the Emperor and his subjects accept the reality that they had been cheated. Today, we are all Emperors in our egoistic world, we are walking around spiritually naked, yet we are parading ourselves because we think we have clothes on, having been cheated to believe that our external clothing is indeed the clothing of honour, when in fact, the internal clothing of the Soul is the actual dressing of honour. The young boy in the story represents the Saints in this analogy, those who could see the reality, who spoke the truth and who could not be cheated by shaitan. Shaitan has stripped Man spiritually naked, and Man looks so ugly like this, stripped of his honour (for it is a disgrace to be naked in public view), and he doesn’t even realize that he is indeed naked! What returns to Allah in death, is not our physical bodies – it is our spiritual selves that return, and if that returns naked, we will be in eternal humiliation.

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّڪُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ كَمَآ أَخۡرَجَ أَبَوَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنۡہُمَا لِبَاسَہُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءَٲتِہِمَآ‌ۗ إِنَّهُ ۥ يَرَٮٰكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ ۥ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَہُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ

O ye Children of Adam! let not shaitan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their clothing, to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the Evil ones friends (only) to those without Faith. (Quran 7:27)

• True dressing is the dressing of our spiritual selves, bestowed by Allah, on His obedient servants. We must never judge people, as we do not know what spiritual dressings of honour Allah has bestowed upon him, so never look down on anyone. Never judge someone from his external condition, for that does not reflect what is within him. Many of the Companions of the Prophet (saw) had only one set of old and worn clothing, perhaps if you saw them, you may not have thought much about them, but they were people whom Allah was pleased with, and they were pleased with their Lord,

وَٱلسَّـٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَـٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَـٰنٍ۬ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدً۬ا‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

And the first to lead the way, of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness – Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. That is the supreme triumph. (Quran 9:100)

• Religion is about giving good advice, so remind people, especially the rich, that death is close to them, so that people will not be busy with dunia, and forget death. Death can be very sudden, a person can be a King in the morning, and be a corpse the same night. The Prophet (saw) did not want the Companions to bury their dead quickly and secretly, he wanted people to know who had died, and to see their corpses, so that those who were living could take a lesson from the dead, to see how the rich, the royalty, the famous ones – all had to die, leaving behind their physical bodies, their physical dressings, and their physical treasures. Be very afraid of the Day of Judgement, for the Judge on that Day is Allah Almighty Himself, and when you are raised spiritually naked, and told that you had been on the wrong track, that you had been amongst the heedless ones, it would be too late to regret. Don’t forget to advise your own selves to get dressed, to put on your best spiritual dressing, for your meeting with your Lord.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

29th March 2010, Monday

Be united, be moderate and be with true ones

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana began by explaining that at times Allah sent down the tajalli (blessings) of jalal (honour/majesty) and at other times, the tajalli of jamal (beauty). But because of our sins, Allah also sends down Divine punishments. We are in need of a shelter from Divine Wrath, and we must know that Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt is a protective, heavenly roof over our heads, in that it contains Allah’s Holy Name, As-Salam, Under this Divine umbrella, we pray for a good and holy life, in this world and in the hereafter, filled with peace, pleasure and contentment.

• Every human being who strays from the straight path, will fall into Hell – that is a hadees. Today, many humans have left the straight path, they are doing what the Prophet (saw) forbade them to do. For example, the Prophet (saw) said that when the Muslim community splits into sects, believers must follow the majority. Hence, anyone who pulls away from the majority, will go astray. Maulana asks our Wahhabi/Salafi brothers, as well as our Shia brothers, what they thought of this hadees. The Ahli Sunnah wal Jemaah makes up the vast majority of Muslims today, so to break away from them, is to defy a Divine order, as no Prophet speaks, except what is a Divine Commandment.

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ .وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ .إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡىٌ۬ يُوحَىٰ

Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him: (Quran 53:2-4)

• Every group that dissociates itself from the Ahli Sunnah, are in grave danger when Imam Mahdi (as) appears. The Wahhabis and Shias must think about this Divine order, for the majority will never bow to and take the ideology of the minority. To leave the masses, and to break off to form your own splinter group, is not the Prophet’s (saw) way. Allah is Generous, when He gives, He gives continuously, that is why blessings descend constantly on earth, but those who break away to form sects, do not receive these blessings. That is why the Prophet (saw) kept advising his Nation to stay united, and not to break into sects.

إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ وَأَنَا۟ رَبُّڪُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ

Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other). (Quran 21:92)

• Like the thousands of Prophets before him, Rasulullah (saw) brought sound advice and heavenly warnings for Mankind. See what is said in this Ayat:

وَاعۡتَصِمُوۡا بِحَبۡلِ اللّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا وَّلَا تَفَرَّقُوۡا‌

And hold fast, all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves (Quran 3:103)

• Muslims should not give themselves names like Wahhabis/Salafis or Shias, as if they were a separate group, that was out of Islam. Do they have a different Shariat, Qur’an or Prophet? No! So call yourselves Muslims and Mu’mins.

• Take this warning seriously, for Divine Wrath is not to be trifled with, do not divide the Nation (Ummah) of Muhammad (saw). Do not arouse Divine Anger by going against Prophetic advices and Qur’anic Commandments (as stated above). There is nothing to be gained by being at loggerheads with your fellow Muslims of different sects and ideologies. There is no room for petty quarreling, fighting and debating in our short lives. Islam is a beautiful religion – it is filled with light, happiness and perfection. It is sent to guide each one of us, to purify and correct ourselves, so as to reach the Divine Presence as holy, accepted ones – in perfection. If you return as dirty ones, you will be hurled into Hell, so clean yourselves, instead of dirtying yourselves by hatred and division!

• The Prophet (saw) said that we are a moderate Nation, ummatan wasatan. So do not ascribe to extremist views, but be moderate in all matters.

• Today, you are alive, tomorrow, you will be dead, and the Angels will question you in the grave. Maulana says – beware, beware! Walk on the straight path, fear Allah, obey His Commandments, and be with Sadiqeen (true ones), for the Angels will ask you, “Which Sadiqeen were you with, when you were in dunia?”. Follow the Sadiqeen, they are never on the wrong path, they guide you to be united and moderate, so that you will attain salvation.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Quran 9:119)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

28th March 2010, Sunday

Allah gave us seven names, Maulana reveals the first

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana instructed all attendees to focus completely on the Suhbah, as your attention/concentration is your ladder for spiritual ascension. How high your ladder takes you, depends on your degree of concentration.

• All teachings must lead the student to one conclusion – that he must correct and improve himself always. Hence, every lesson must guide the student in that direction, to improve his spiritual self, as that is the one that returns to akherat, the physical being, simply becomes dust.

• Allah revealed the Qur’an as a guide towards that direction, and he instructed Rasulullah (saw), “Oh My habeebi, Oh My beloved one, bring the message that I am sending you, the revelation, the Qur’an – to my servants.” And these Qur’anic advices help to loosen our stubbornness and to gradually pry open, our closed hearts and minds.

• Each human being has a physical being from the earth, and a spiritual self from the heavens, and each of us has seven Divinely-given names!

• Sayyidina Adam (as), and all his descendents were gathered on the Day of Promises, and Allah spoke to Mankind thus:

وَ اِذۡ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۡۢ بَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ مِنۡ ظُهُوۡرِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡ وَ اَشۡهَدَهُمۡ عَلٰٓى اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ‌ ۚ اَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ‌ ؕ قَالُوۡا بَلٰى‌ ۛۚ شَهِدۡنَا ‌ۛۚ اَنۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡا يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اِنَّا كُنَّا عَنۡ هٰذَا غٰفِلِيۡنَ

And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or from Adam’s loin his offspring) and made them testify as to themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord?” They said: “Yes! We testify,” lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: “Verily, we have been heedless.” (Quran 7:172)

• Every single human being that was to be created, was gathered there. It was a historic moment, a glorious event, for it was the first meeting of our real beings with the Divine. Did Allah question us one by one, or was the question posed to us, as a huge group? Such cannot be answered, except by one whose veils had been lifted, whose eyes had been opened to witness that heavenly event. It was an event set in a glorious panorama, and Allah was addressing our spiritual beings, not our physical beings, so honour is for our spiritual beings, for it was that being that Allah had addressed.

• Maulana says that when we do not know something, we must be humble enough to admit, and to say that we do not know. When you meet someone who can teach you something, humble yourselves, and learn. Always say, “I am but a student.” Most humans are blind, they do not understand, but they never admit to being so, so they continue to remain in blindness. Many are reading the Qur’an as if it were just an ordinary story book, so how can they understand what it conceals and what it reveals?

• Allah had addressed all of Mankind, on the Day of Promises, by saying, “Ya ibaadi, Oh My servants. Are you accepting that I created you and that you are My servants?” This question had been posed to all of Mankind as a congregation, Maulana cited the example of how a satellite could be in contact with so many users at one go, within its sphere of influence, as long as these users were connected to the satellite. This example was to help us picture how Allah was able to speak to all of Mankind, in one instant and at one go, since everyone has a connection to his Lord, as no creation could exist without such a connection. It happened in an instant for all, and at one go, because neither time nor space existed, at that moment!

• If there was no space, then where had the Souls been gathered? And how many Prophet Adams had Allah created?

• Maulana also asked if we were familiar with what Muhyddin Ibnu ‘Arabi (qs) has said – that Allah had created 124 000 Prophet Adams, each one having been the first man of his own earth, and our very own Prophet Adam (as), was the last of these 124 000. Muhyddin was indeed telling the truth, he had seen the reality, he was not looking for worldly benefits or profits, he only sought to be with his Lord., so there was no benefit for him to concoct false tales.

• Maulana asks if we are aware that Allah’s Attributes, are Azaliyyun Abadiyyun, which means ever-lasting/permanent/without end, from the beginning (called pre-eternity) to eternity. So when Allah posed us all that question, on the Day of Promises, do we assume that the question had been posed, and was hence a thing of the past? Yet Allah’s Speech is ever-lasting, so that question/statement made to us on that Day is still relevant and true, till now, up till forever!

• Allah knows each one of us intimately, just as a father would know each of his children’s names and characteristics, even if he had a hundred children – Allah knows all of us, intricately. On that Day of Promises, Allah had called each one of us, by every one of our seven Divinely-given names!

• The first name that Allah had called us by, on that Day, was Abdullah, the servant of Allah, and Man was in great happiness and ecstasy when he was called by that name, they were swooning in incomparable bliss. Allah’s speech is Abadiyyun Azaliyyun, you are forever His servant. Oh Abdullah, only as His servant will you find bliss, so do not be a servant to anyone, but Him.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

27th March 2010, Saturday

Learn from the Sadiqeen, how to ride your donkey

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana started by asking the strength to fight his ego, as Man’s ego is always opposing him. Man is given the reins of control, to ride his ego as his donkey, but the ego is always trying to wrest the reins of control from us, it wants to put the reins on us, and make us its donkey, its ride. Once our ego rides on us, it does as it pleases, and we follow where the reins pulls us.

• Maulana recited A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem and asked Allah for protection from it. Maulana refers to shaitan as ‘it’, as if it were an inanimate object, a being with no soul. He says we should never use any honourable word to describe shaitan, as ‘it’ constantly seeks to introduce unrest, disturbances, confusion and confrontations, into each gathering.

• Maulana says that although things around us appear to happen randomly, nothing occurs except by Allah’s permission, as every creature has a connection to Allah, no creature could have come into existence without a connection to Him, no atom can exist without a connection to its Creator. So, Allah is administering each occurrence on the face of this earth, even the very minutest, nothing escapes His knowledge. Allah knows each atom so intimately, even the atom doesn’t understand its own creation, the way its Lord does. Does Man then understand himself?

• It is puzzling that Man spends his entire life seeking to understand all that is around him – the celestial bodies, the great expanse of outer space, the forests and its creatures, the seas and its creatures – Man is researching so deeply into all these, it is now even possible to find a person who would have spent his entire life, studying an almost-extinct seahorse living in a remote part of the world, and he would be hailed as a world renowned expert on that particular seahorse. There are some who spend their lives looking through telescopes, in order to comprehend what gases are to be found on a star that is billions of miles away. Is that knowledge, asks Maulana? Knowledge must be something that yields a benefit to you, in your journey towards your eternal life. Knowing about the distant stars or an obscure seahorse, is not real knowledge.

• Man’s eyes can see far away (with telescopes) and the tiniest of creatures (with microscopes). He can see almost all that exists, outside himself, but can he see what goes on within himself? Can he see how his 360 organs work, how his lungs are exchanging gases, how his gastrointestinal system is digesting food, how his kidneys are filtering blood? No. Can he see his own Soul, his spiritual self? No. So Man is a creature, that can see this world, but is blind to himself.

• Man is raised to a status above Angels, he is honoured above all creatures because he is given the mind and the capacity to think and to understand. But he is supposed to understand himself first, for Rasulullah (saw) said, “He who knows himself, knows his Lord.” The Qur’an contains all the knowledge to help us know ourselves, and Bismillah is the key to all such knowledge. Just take the letters of the first Ayat of Al-Baqarah. Aleef, Lam and Meem. Why are they placed just after the Fatihah? That in itself, is already an Ocean of knowledge. Each of those three letters, is also another Ocean of knowledge, an Ocean with no shores, no human being can comprehend it all! Now look at the number of letters in the Holy Qur’an – just imagine how vast an Ocean of guidance that is, so how can any one of us claim to be a learned one?

• Many Scholars are contented just to know some book-based knowledge, they walk around with their Kitabs, looking important and scholarly. That is not enough, says Maulana. They must preach these teachings to their communities, they must want such life-saving knowledge to be propagated. Also, they should never feel that they are fountains of knowledge. Just the stories of the past Prophets and their pious inheritors, are enough to overcome any Scholar, so numerous are these stories – no one can remember them all. So always say, “I am a student,” and don’t ever say, “I am a Teacher,.” When you say that you are a student, then there is a possibility of learning and of climbing spiritually, but once you say that you are a Teacher, that caps you, limits you, and you can no longer climb, you have reached your own, self-imposed peak. What a loss!

لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ,

Certainly you shall travel from stage to stage. (Quran 84:10).

• Many modern day Scholars do not even understand what they are teaching to their followers. Allah said in the Holy Qur’an, that we must seek knowledge from an expert in the field, so Scholars must accept that there are always those who are above them in knowledge, those who have heavenly connections and heavenly inspirations. That is why not everyone is able to lead Friday prayers, and give Khutbah on the Mimbar. It is a heavy responsibility, not everyone can bear such a responsibility. Only one who is spiritually high, can bear heavy spiritual burdens.

• In order to climb, we always need a tool or device of some sort. In this worldly life, we climb short distances using a ladder, a staircase or an elevator. To rise even higher, we need machines with powerful engines, like airplanes and rockets. Saints have found the vehicle that helps them rise high up in their spirituality, but ironically, many Scholars reject the teachings of such spiritually raised Guides, because the Scholars cannot find evidence of such teachings in their Kitabs. That is an erroneous attitude, for the Prophet (saw) said, “Ask for more and more knowledge.” The physical body’s limits are reached very quickly – we get tired or full after a short while, but the spiritual self has a massive capacity to absorb and assimilate.

• So what is the secret to spiritual ascension? We need to find our vehicle, we need to find our means of transportation, in order to ascend. And what is our ‘spiritual’ instrument that will take us up? It is our egos, our egos are our donkeys, our egos are our rides. Only one who can ride on his ego, can soar. For when we ride our egos, it becomes our buraq, it will take us to the heavenly realms. There is no other vehicle for Man’s spiritual ascension. What does it mean to ride our ego? It means to conquer your whims, fancies and desires, it means to do what is pleasing to Allah, not what is pleasing to yourself. Your ego must obey you, but most of us are instead, obeying our egos. If our donkey is riding on us, how are we ever to rise? So many people cannot find their donkeys, and Maulana says to them, “Look into the mirror!”

• The journey to remove our donkeys from our backs, and to learn to ride on our donkeys, requires a Trainer, a Guide. That is why Allah says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Quran 9:119)

• Only the Sadiqeen can open our eyes, take our hands, and teach us to tame the wild ego in ourselves. We are in need of such instruction and illumination. We need to attach ourselves to such Guides, and we must then make effort to obey them in carrying out the various spiritual practices they prescribe for our diseases.

• One cannot reach the Arash with this physical body, but the Spiritual self can do so, by riding on the ego. That is why the Prophet (saw) said that if we could rein in our egos, that would be a powerful vehicle. We must seek real knowledge from the purified Guides, who are always looking into the mirror of the Seal of Prophets (saw). Such Guides know how to give us what is necessary, as Islam is so wide, it is for all of humanity, but not all of it can be absorbed at one go, we need time to digest as we go along. Like a hospital patient being wheeled into the operation theatre, though a hundred instruments may be laid out for use during the operation, only those instruments that are needed will be used by the surgeon. So ask, and learn – seek the guidance of the Sadiqeen, so that we can learn to soar on our donkeys.

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

Above every knower, there is another knower. (Quran 12:76).

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

26th March 2010, Friday

Seek refuge in the fortress of Madinah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that we are surrounded by many different people, each with a different understanding and ideology. In the midst of this confusion, we must identify which one brings us benefit, because it is easy to get lost in a sea of different ideas and principles. Maulana quoted an example of a Raja, the Prince of an Indian tribe, who brought five blind men to touch and describe an elephant. The one who touched the trunk said that the elephant was like a pipe, the one touching the ears said it was like a fan, the one touching the tail said that it resembled a brush, the one holding the leg, said that it was like a pillar, the one holding the body said it was like a wall. So everyone who is blind, can only give a vague and inaccurate description of anything. You cannot take spiritual instruction from one who is spiritually blind, so beware! A blind one teaches from his assumptions, and forms hardened ideas about something he is uncertain of.

• Maulana recited A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem, seeking protection from shaitan, who likes to instigate quarrels and pour fuel on burning flames. Shaitan suggests to Man, that if he were to constantly stir up trouble for his enemy, then that enemy would be so engrossed tackling these problems, that he would have no time to cause trouble for him. This ideology is firmly entrenched in our hearts today, Man is always finding ways to make things difficult for others. Man always views others with suspicion, he is always jumping to an evil conclusion about the intention of others, and since he feels that everyone else is plotting against him, he pre-empts this by striking first – to make a problem for the party he believes is plotting against him. A suspicious mind always believes that others are constantly conspiring against him, he interprets every action as someone devising a plot to wound him in the present and even in the future. Maulana says that he is bringing a Divine warning for Mankind, to cease such evil behaviour / thoughts / assumptions.

• But there are people who love to exist in harmony, to live in peace with others, but this is but a tiny fraction of humanity. These are blessed ones, safe from destructive traits, safe from an existence that is hurtful to others – they do not spew words that are caustic, or perform actions that are malicious, or have intentions that are spiteful. They do not exist to burden or pain others, they have overcome their loathsome animal-like traits, they have discarded their revolting beast-like characteristics.

• Unlike these blessed ones, the majority of humans are shaitan’s representatives, they have graduated from the Academy of Iblis, and they are always ‘kicking’ people (with words and actions), in order to hurt them.

• In any war, once one party knows that it is the weaker of the two forces in battle, it will retreat, and cease to attack the enemy. In Madinatul Munawwarah, there was a fortress, where the residents took shelter, in the event of a battle. When the enemy saw that the residents had taken fortified positions, they knew it was useless to attack further, and they would withdraw. We are in dire need of such a heavenly fortress too, one in which we can take shelter from trouble-makers – those who stir up disturbances within ourselves, our families, and our communities – as they are everywhere! It is only within such a fortress that we are safe from these vicious people. We must think about how to enter such a fortress!

• People nowadays are growing lazier and lazier, they are too lazy to even think. Being from a push-button generation, where everything is instant, wireless and remote-controlled, Man has submitted himself to enslavement by technology, and hence by shaitan. Whereas a student of long ago, would have had to travel in search of knowledge, today’s students would simply Google for it on the internet, and Maulana says that the internet is crawling with so many devils!

• This question, about how to enter the fortress of protection, is a vital question for any one, who views himself as a leader of his people. A leader who cannot guide his followers into the sacred fortress, will see them all, his entire flock, fall in battle – every one of his followers will perish in the onslaught of evil influences, evil whispers and evil instigation, that is brought by shaitan and his numerous representatives, the Jahannamiyyun. We must ask ourselves, how do we save ourselves from all this?

• Maulana revealed the door to the sacred fortress of safety – it is contained in a single Ayat of the Holy Qur’an. In this All-encompassing Book, a single sentence is enough to solve such a difficult problem:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Quran 9:119)

• Be with the Sadiqeen, the truthful ones. See how precise Allah’s advice is? The Sadiqeen are the doors to the fortresses of salvation, the heavenly fortresses. There is no other way to attain felicity in dunia and akherat – you must be with true, guided ones. So, Maulana asks, are you with Sadiqeeen now? Are you studying from and taking your illumination from the Sadiqeen, are you able to name a real Sadiqeen from whom you are taking guidance from? Think about that, it is an important advice, for all of Mankind.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

24th�March 2010, Wednesday

What is the value of this dunia, to Allah?

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that Allah sends knowledge and guidance to His servants, so that they do not remain heedless. Maulana then recited A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem, reminding attendees that shaitan is always pushing us to take a step on the wrong path, he sets traps to cheat Man, and yearns to see Man fall into sadness and difficulty, to see Man fall into the Fire. Remember, shaitan never helps you to stay on the true path, not even one of his advice is for that purpose. Say Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, for that is a heavenly sword that cuts off shaitan’s legs, it is like a bullet that is shot towards shaitan, and he will run far away from one who recites it.

• Maulana says that he is teaching without seeking any payment or praise from us, he is not asking us for anything. Yet many people are still skipping the Suhbahs! Maulana asks what can people be doing at this time of night, that results in them missing the Suhbah? Some people are still working at such an hour, and Maulana asks what sort of profit could they be getting from working, that exceeded the profit of attending this Suhbah? Why are people still working late into the night, seeking additional wages/profits? Shouldn’t they also be asking for the ‘wages/profits’ of the hereafter, since the life of the hereafter is eternal? All of dunia that you have earned, will only be for this short life, it doesn’t follow you into the hereafter. They belong to you for a brief time here, before being transferred to others. Do not run from these lessons, for they help you whip your ego into shape, and bring you eternal benefits, but shaitan is always whispering to Man to seek more dunia without boredom, and to leave the hereafter.

• Look at those who trade on the stock market, they sit all day and night, staring at the figures on the stock exchange board. They are so careful, so precise, so full of concentration, to ensure that the stocks they are trading in, makes profits, they never want to make losses, even a $1 loss makes them upset. They only want to profit! Allah gives them what they strive for, although what they seek is of no real value. If only Man were as committed to make ‘profits’ for the hereafter, to be focussed on doing good, denying evil, to make sure that every action of theirs brought rewards (profits) and to strive that no actions of theirs brought punishments (losses). If only Man sought the eternal benefits of the hereafter with such gusto and passion, he would be so blessed, for he would have acquired eternal goodness in his Lord’s presence, he would be bestowed gifts that would never be taken away from him (unlike worldly gifts, that will be taken away from him).

• But Man is heedless, so many billions today are heedless people. Don’t live as a heedless one, one whose mind is occupied only with this worldly life, and who takes the hereafter as a plaything. Look for the real treasure, the real jewels – by real, Maulana means the eternal treasures/jewels, that remain with you forever.

• Our egos, in collaboration with shaitan, are asking for more and more of dunia. Maulana then poses to the attendees, some very important questions for them to ponder over. What is the value of this dunia? What is the value of this dunia to you? What is the value of this dunia to Allah?

• Those who did not know the answer to these questions, have yet to understand anything about their life or their religion.

• The Holy Prophet (saw), the beacon of guidance for this Nation said, “The value of this dunia to Allah, is less than a wing of a mosquito.” A mosquito has four wings. The whole of dunia, with all of its precious metals, precious stones, property and goods, all that is on the ground and in the oceans – is worth less than one wing of a mosquito. In other words, dunia has no value, in the eyes of Allah. In fact, if dunia did indeed have any value attached to it, Allah would not have given an unbeliever, even one cup of water to drink! But Allah gives them all of dunia, as it is worthless in His eyes. dunia is just a plaything, a playground for the unbelievers.

• Oh believers, come and learn, before death takes you to the door of eternal regret, in that you were amongst the billions that had been cheated by dunia. In every Holy Book that Allah had sent, this same advice was dished out, “Oh people, do not be cheated by this worldly life!” You must know the true value of dunia, surely you are not going to seek something worthless, in your short time here!

• Oh people, you were not created for this worldly life, you were created to be His servants! Oh people, you have been bestowed so much honour by Allah, the honour in one human being, exceeds the value of this entire dunia and its contents, so why are humans throwing away that honour, and seeking something of no value, despite having been given the mind to think with and to understand?

• Do not follow shaitan, he is encouraging you to abandon the hereafter, to abandon your honour and to cover yourself with the filth of this dunia. Shaitan’s mission is to cheat Man, he cheats Man into giving value to this dunia, and he urges Man to do evil things to acquire it, so Man is abandoning his Angel-like attributes, and dressing himself in shaitan-like characteristics and animal-like behaviour, and so, he wastes his life in search of badness, cruelty and oppression.

• When a doctor examines a patient, he is able to advise the patient as to what is his disease, and the various ways to cure it. The Saints are spiritual doctors, they see that almost all human beings today, are diseased – they are in search of dunia, they are doing evil, they are dressed in the worst of morals and characteristics. Their aim in life, is to succeed and excel in dunia, at any and at all costs. Today, Man will kill to attain his desires/aims, he has become an obedient follower to shaitan, there is no hope of salvation for such human beings.

• It is difficult to spread Islamic teachings that bring people to their senses, because of two reasons. Firstly, many institutions of learning are today strictly secular, they forbid any sort of religious teaching, discussion or preaching, under the guise of preserving harmony, and preventing discord. But without Holy Books, how are humans supposed to get a real education that teaches them their purpose of existence and the value of this world? Secondly, many believers, especially Scholars, who have the means to preach and propagate the teachings, are not doing so, despite this being a commandment of Allah in the Holy Qur’an. Spread these teachings, says Maulana, you never know if the one who receives it may be filled with regret and realization, he may repent and turn his life around, and in doing so, acquire a high Station in the hereafter – all due to the effort that you have made. So bring this advice by all the means made available to you, to all who are around you, so that the true nature of shaitan’s mission (to cheat Man) and this dunia’s real worth (zero value), is made known to all.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

22nd�March 2010, Monday

From heart to heart, there is a secret connection

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that those who are making effort to attend these nightly lessons, are humble ones, they are gathered nightly to hear heavenly declarations, to hear Divine advice that has been dispensed to His Prophets. Such attendees are covered in Divine protection, yet despite such benefits, so many make feeble excuses to miss these lessons. It is an immense, immeasurable loss, to skip such lessons. Nothing is as precious, as each lesson is a blessed Heavenly Breath upon its listeners, refreshing their faith and regenerating their spiritual strength. It is a heavenly meal, revitalizing our weakened spirits, providing much needed fortification and reinforcements to our Souls. Allah sends down Oceans of heavenly pleasures, blessings, enjoyment and happiness on those attending, so all those who are missing these Suhbahs, must be ashamed of themselves and be filled with regret, for they have turned their backs on a golden opportunity to understand themselves and their Lord. Maulana sent his salams on attendees, and he praised them for giving a high priority to such heavenly lessons, and for valuing every word that is being taught to them. Even if a human being gave the highest respect for just one word from Allah, it is a blessing and honour for him. So give your full attention, oh attendees, to these Suhbahs, so that you can begin to understand about your Lord.

• Maulana then recited A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem, seeking protection from the fallen, cursed one, who seeks to make it difficult for attendees to attend these lessons, and he tries to place obstacles in their path, so that they are unable to understand these lessons. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an,

Lo! the devil is for man an open foe. (Quran 17:53)

• Why aren’t Scholars/Teachers preaching this to the entire Nation (Ummat)? Maulana says it is incumbent for us to use all means available to us (media/tv/radio/internet/print etc) to spread advice to the Nation of Muhammad (saw). We must be a source of benefit to our fellow humans, so ask ourselves, what are we doing to spread heavenly teachings and advice? We must teach humans who is our most dangerous enemy! Only one who is heedless will neglect this compulsory duty. Those who neglect this duty, and are obedient to shaitan, will grow old as senile people, while senility never touches those obedient to Allah.

• Why does Maulana repeat some matters so many times during his lessons? Repetition builds strength of understanding within us, for these repetitions have been arranged by the Divine.

• Your Lord Allah, is the Lord Almighty, He is the One and Only, all else are His servants, His creation. It is odd that many of His creations want to be the Lord too. They want to be honoured and to be idolized, they want to be obeyed and bowed to, yet only Allah is Lord of the Universe – the rest of creation, especially Man, must realize his position as His servant. Divinity is only for Allah, no creation, from pre-eternity to eternity, will ever sit in that position, none can be alongside his Lord at that level. Lordship is solely His, it is a distinction that is exclusively His. None in creation can, or will, ever be there.

• Allah is All Powerful, He can command an atom to perform any act, and that atom will obey and fulfill whatever Allah has commanded. Allah can command a single atom to fulfill all of Man’s needs, and it will be done. He can bring any creature/being/object into existence by simply commanding it to exist! When Maulana mentioned Allah’s greatness, he stood up to honour Him. Even a King must stand before Allah! If not for Him, for whom will we stand to give honour and respect to? Even if we stood all our lives to respect and honour Him, we would not have shown Him the respect befitting Him.

• It is written through history books, that the people of Iraq were persistent troublemakers. The then Khalifa, who was in Damascus, said, ‘I am sending to those people, who have left the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw), a guide. I like to teach them how they must be, I am going to teach them the way of Islam, so that they should be good ones. They should throw away shaitan and shaitan’s scholars and shaitan’s followers. I am asking to teach them the highest adab.� Then, he sent from Damascus to Basra, Hajjajuz Zalim, one of the famous oppressors. When he reached Basra, he stood on the mimbar and said, “Oh my servant! Stand up and read the Khalifa’s declaration to the people of Iraq, Basra!”� And that servant stood up, saying to the people of Basra, “Assalamu’alaikum ya Ahle Basra! Hitab minal khalifa.”� No one responded. Hajjajuz Zalim ordered his servant, “Stop! Oh people, I am looking and seeing that you are so dirty people, disobedient people, not knowing adab! Our Khalifah put all his arrows in front of him and he chose the worst poison arrow and sent it to you. That one, is me. And he is also sending a message to you through this Khutbah. Read, once again, Oh my servant, read the proclamation of our Khalifa!”� This time, when the greeting was read, everyone stood up and responded, no one dared to sit, everyone, even the flies were standing up and saying “Wa’alaikum salaam, ya Amirul Mu’mineen!”� So to stand up, is very good adab, it is a show of respect.

• We must respect Allah, and those whom He has placed on earth for us to respect, including Kings and Leaders. When a King enters a room, everyone stands as a show of respect, we are actually respecting Malikul Mulk (King of all Kings), we are respecting the One who placed this symbolic figure of respect, on earth. Similarly, when Maulana teaches, do not look at him teaching, but look to the One who has placed him here to bring these lessons, so accord these lessons their due respect, out of your respect for Him.

• Do not be heedless! Allah dislikes heedlessness in His servants. Heedless people have gone astray, they do not ponder about themselves or the creation around them, and they never understand the wisdom behind each creation. Though no one can understand everything, we must at least try to understand something. We are all weak creatures, but we must try. If any human claims that he is powerful, then Maulana says that he is a liar.

• Daily, Angels bring down knowledge and guidance, like rain falling from the sky. Look up at the sky, do you see all these descending? No, because we are heedless, we have turned our hearts away from advice, our distracted minds do not ponder about Allah, His creation, or ourselves. Do we think deeply? Do we ask: Who created me, who placed me here on earth, why am I here, where am I going from here, who will take my life, what is the purpose of my creation? Who created the creation? Who am I? Maulana asks why Scholars/Teachers aren’t awakening the sleeping Nation with these questions, for these are the questions that were given to each Prophet to awaken their respective Nations. And these questions were also given to Rasulullah (saw).

• What did Rasulullah (saw) say, in answer to these questions? Why aren’t Scholars asking the Prophet (saw)? Do they consider him dead in his grave? Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

Think not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision. (Quran 3:169)

• Martyrs are those that strove to raise the flag of Islam, and died doing so. So if martyrs are alive, for sure the Prophets (who rank higher) are alive in the Divine Presence! They have attained permanent life in His presence, unlike our imitated temporary existence here.

• Maulana says that those with polished, clean and shiny hearts, can reflect Divine inspirations to millions of their followers, they can see the condition of their students even when these students are far away. Just like our spectacles or a magnifying glass – the glass must be polished clean for us to see clearly. There was a famous incident, witnessed by thousands of Companions, where Hazrat `Umaar (ra) dispatched an army, making one man called Sariyya (ra) leader (amir) over it. It is said that when Hazrat `Umaar (ra) was delivering the Friday sermon, he shouted loudly “Ya Sariyya al-jabal!” “O Sariyya! [towards] the mountain.” Then a courier came from the army and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! We were on the verge of being defeated when we heard your voice thrice: “Ya Sariyya al-jabal!” So we moved our army back, near the mountain and Allah Most Holy defeated them.” So how was Hazrat ‘Umaar (ra) able to see and speak to someone, thousands of miles away, if not for his clean heart?

• Maulana says that his own heart is linked to those Masters before him, and what is sent to him, moves his tongue to bring advice to the masses. How are today’s Scholars to attain that, when they desecrate graves, and show no respect to pious people of long ago? They must correct and re-align their beliefs, in order to achieve a connection to these spiritual beings.

• Human hearts come from one Creator, there is a hidden connection between the hearts of humans, a secret relationship that bonds people’s hearts together. Knowledge can be sent from one heart to another, once a connection is established (like a telephone line). It is a valuable bond to forge, it is an invisible means of propagating/acquiring knowledge. So polish your heart, seek a connection to your guide, to receive inspirations and guidance.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

21stMarch 2010, Sunday

Oh believers, lower your gaze!

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that whoever wanted to be Allah’s beloved, and to bestowed honour by Allah, such a Seeker must spend more time in the Divine service. Do not chase worldly honour, for such human-given titles are meaningless in the heavens. Recite A’uzubillahi minasy syaitan nirrajeem, how many times daily are you doing so? If you aren’t reciting it, is it because you feel safe, protected and immune from shaitan’s influence? So many people claim to be purified ones, clean ones, in public, but in their private lives, are they obeying Allah and controlling their horses (their egos/desires)?

• Maulana gave the example of men who use dark sun-glasses. The ego likes these cool, dark glasses for a reason. In wearing them, no one can see where their eyes are looking, many of them are ogling at pretty women and ‘feasting’ their eyes on scantily clad ladies! Hiding behind their glasses, they feel ‘safe’ and un-noticed, they can look to their hearts’ content, without being spotted. Allah knows your secret acts, you must fear and obey Allah, both publicly and privately.

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do. (Quran 24:30)

• On the other hand, more and more women are choosing to work in places where they are mixing freely with men. It has become a norm for them to dress in a sexually provocative manner, wearing revealing clothes, as this is now what office-wear fashion dictates.

• Maulana says that Scholars must speak out against these forbidden acts that are corrupting our society, for men and women are being drawn into temptation by this situation, and the effects are far-reaching, for illicit relationships damage both the individual and the society.

And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a fahishah [i.e. anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell). (Quran 17:32)

• Mankind has been taught by Rasulullah (saw), to lower their gaze from looking at the opposite sex, and from turning their gaze from all that is forbidden, for that gaze is the beginning of a journey, to fulfilling illicit desires. Shaitan is always at hand, to persuade people to take that forbidden second glance, to soak up the sight of exposed flesh, to inflame the passions, to nudge one towards the evil way. Scholars must speak from the mimbar of Juma’ah, against this blatant intermingling that is unraveling the very fabric of society – the sanctity of the family unit. The Muslim Nation is regressing because learned ones are no longer advising their communities to restrain their eyes, to lower their gaze from all that is forbidden, and to recite Ta’awwuz, so that shaitan’s whisperings are negated.

• There was once a famous Kadi (Islamic judge), who was approached by a woman, who was dressed in the jilbab, such that nothing of the face or body was exposed. He asked her, “Oh believing woman, what is your complaint?”� She said, “Oh respected Kadi, I am here to lodge a complaint, by the Shariat of Allah, for I know that you are fair, and you judge by the Shariat of Allah. I am here to complain about my husband. He has hurt me, by wanting to take another wife.”� The Kadi said, “It is his right to do so.”� To which this lady of faith replied, “What you have said is true. By the Law of Allah, I have covered myself up, but if I had been permitted to lift my veil, and to expose myself to you, you would see the beauty of my face and body, my facial features are like the full moon. When you see what Allah has bestowed on me, and all that Allah has given me, is for him, my husband, you would be angry with my husband, for not being thankful to Allah for what Allah has given him, for, he is seeking another women, out of his unbridled desires!”

• This incident teaches us two beautiful lessons. The first, is that it is compulsory for a woman to cover her beauty, from those who are not permitted to see it. This woman of faith did not expose her beauty to the Kadi, despite needing to save her marriage. Maulana says that many people take this matter very lightly, and he warned us not play with Shariat Allah, His Law, for it cannot be changed or lightened, there is profound wisdom in such an instruction – just look at the mayhem that is in our communities today, due to women exposing themselves shamelessly. Allah’s curse be upon women who expose their beauty and ornaments!

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss. (Quran 24: 31)

• The second lesson here, is that many men also play with Shariat Allah, taking second, third and fourth wives, since they interpret that it is permitted, and they have roving eyes, seeking out attractive women to add to their harem. Shariat Allah has never been a tool to fulfill human desires, though it is often used as such. Men should keep the adab of believers, and lower their gaze, and they should be thankful for the wives that Allah has bestowed them, treasuring their wives’ devotion and sacrifices, instead of taking them as objects of enjoyment, and to be always be on the prowl for new wives. Maulana said that men are the caretakers of women, so men must treat them with love, kindness and understanding.

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women (Quran 4:34)

• Maulana says that husbands must not be like walls – hard, inflexible and cold. They should be gentle, flexible and warm towards their wives, as these are the ingredients for a strong marriage, which in turn build a strong family, resulting in a community with values and morals. Treat wives with gentleness, honour them, as each human being has tajalli (Divine blessings) descending on him/her, so husbands must respect the blessings that Allah sends onto their wives. Praise them, treasure them, call them by loving pet names (Maulana says like, ‘Oh my darling’�) and do not always be angry with them, for anger eats up faith.

• Women on the other hand, must not cheapen themselves, by using their beauty to get men to spend on them and to treat them in a special way. Rich men and even kings are mesmerized by beautiful women, and spend lavishly on them to win their favour, being at their beck and call, just to enjoy themselves with such women. Maulana gave the example of a man who found a beautiful wild cat following him home, and because it was so attractive, he put it up for sale in the market. It was admired by many, with so many people giving the cat loving pet names, they came to fondle and play with the cat, but at the end of the day, no one wanted it, everyone said that they already had a domestic cat at home. The seller realized that he had been cheated, that despite all the pet names given to the cat, despite its beauty, despite the attention that it generated, the cat had no real value, so he chased it away. So ‘wild’ women may appear to be in demand, but in reality, they have no value, everyone goes back to the ‘domestic’ wives at home, and in the end, such women end up unwanted. So by cheapening yourself, by being ‘available’ to all, by exposing yourself to all who want to see, by dressing up in a voluptuous/sluttish way, and by seducing men – that is not the way to acquire a good husband or to build a good life. It may bring some attention to you, but the attention you get is from a breed of men who are simply looking for fulfillment of their desires – that is not the type of men who will make suitable husbands. Such women end up used, discarded and hurt, they have tried to ‘cheat’ men with their wiles, but ended up being ‘cheated’ themselves too.

• In conclusion, Maulana says that every goodness is found in the teachings of Islam. By following the pure Islamic teachings – by practising chastity and restraint, by lowering the gaze and by reigning in your horses (ego/desires), by being responsible, loving and accommodating, husbands and wives can build a blessed household, in which to worship Him and to raise a blessed family. (The Prophet (saw) said in a Hadees, ‘My house, is my Paradise.’� So let us emulate him.)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

17th March 2010, Wednesday

Have Yaqeen, Over it are Nineteen

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that the honour bestowed by Allah upon Angels is completely different from that bestowed upon Man. He then recited A’uzubillah, and asked for support in preaching against the false ideologies and false beliefs of those who had gone astray, so as to guide them back onto the Straight path. He then requested for Divine support, without which he would be unable to teach, and we would be unable to learn.

• Maulana urges us to take hold of the heavenly sword, which is Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, it contains Divine strength against shaitanic ideas and principles, its power is able to penetrate every organ in our bodies when we recite it, purging shaitan from every one of those organs. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem contains secret powers and secret knowledge, in the hands of a one endued with Yaqeen, it can even raise the dead!

• Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem contains holy words, made up of 19 holy letters, 19 letters containing holy light.

عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَر‏

Over it are Nineteen. (Quran 74:30)

• To illustate the amazing powers of Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, Maulana related a tale concerning Hassan Al-Basri, a renowned Scholar in Islam, who was one of the students of the Companions. These students of the Companions, are called Tabi’een, they are among the chosen lights of the Nations of Muhammad (saw), having had the honour of studying from the Companions of the Prophet (saw), whom the Prophet (saw) honoured by saying, Ashaabika Annujum Bi Ayyika Iqtadaytum Ihtadaytum, “My Companions are like the stars in the sky, whomseover you follow, you are on the right Way, he will lead you to Paradise!”

• Before starting on this story, Maulana asked those who ascribe to the Wahhabi/Salafi school of thought, if they understood the implications of claiming that they were followers of the Salafus Soliheen, the pious people of the past? This group consisted of the Companions, the Tabi’een (which includes Hassan Al-Basri, Sufyan Ath-Thauri and millions of other Saints), as well as the students of the Tabi’een, the Tab’it Tabi’een. This is such a large group of illustrious believers, the cream of the Muslim community! Yet the Wahhabi/Salafi ideology is totally unlike what is practised by these people. Maulana remarked that it is odd that their entire ideology is based on just three personalities – Ibnu Qayyim, Ibnu Taymiyyah, and Muhammad Abdul Wahhab, none of whom are in this group of illustrious Saints. Why aren’t they building their entire study of Islam, on what the Companions had taught? Do they feel the Companions are lacking in their understanding and knowledge? Any architect who intends to build a gigantic building, will certainly build it on a solid and unshakeable foundation. The Prophet (saw) built Islam on the foundation of the Companions, for he knew that the building of Islam must be a structure that is built on rock-solid foundations, as it had to last till Judgement Day. So when Rasulullah (saw) passed on, he left us a base foundation of 124 000 Companions, upon whom Islam’s structure stands today. Rasulullah (saw) fed them heavenly knowledge that was not of this earthly realm, which is why it is such an honour for the Tabi’een to have met and studied from them. Salafi ideology is built on 3 columns of support, Ahli Sunnah wal Jemaah’s, creed is built on 124 000 pillars of strength! Salafis must follow the majority (that is a hadees), and they must realize that they are taking a terrible responsibility upon themselves when they claim to lead Muslims to Paradise, preaching to the Nation to abandon the ways of the Companions and to follow them instead.

• Back to our story, Hassan Al-Basri was seated at a jetty, at a river crossing, awaiting the arrival of a raft to take him across the river. Along came Habeeb Al-Ajami, a non-Arab, who was not from the Tabi’een, he was a simple man, but endowed with faith beyond the ordinary. He spoke to Hassan, “Oh Shaykh, what are you doing here?” Hassan remarked that he was awaiting the raft to ferry him across, to which Habeeb showed surprise. “Why Oh Shaykh, aren’t you just reciting this?” and Habeeb recited Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, and his body began to glow with heavenly lights, and he walked on the surface of the river, across to the other side! Hassan wept bitterly when he saw this and he lamented, “We have not reached the level of Yaqeen, certainty. You, Oh Habeeb, have reached certainty, and because of that, you are able to walk on water!” We are only able to recite it on our tongues,we have not reached certainty in our hearts. The secret heavenly power in Bismillah is such that, when recited by one with Yaqeen in his heart, if he were to command the dead to rise, the dead man would arise!

• To further illustrate this point, Maulana explained it as follows. Look at the staggering array of advanced electronic equipment before us today, that allows this Suhbah to be recorded and transmitted across the world instantaneously. Maulana says that he has no idea how to work such equipment. Why? He has never learnt how to do so. So despite all this equipment having such immensely powerful capabilities, one who does not have knowledge to harness that power, will find such equipment useless. Similarly, one who has not learnt the secrets and powers of Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, would be unable to harness its incredible powers!

• So how would Maulana be able to start using these state-of-the-art equipment? He must learn! From whom? From his parents? From a fish-monger? From a farmer? One cannot learn to do open heart surgery in a grocery shop, and neither can one learn to build a building, at a clinic. We must seek a Master, an expert, in the field that we wish to advance in. Just as the Companions studied from a Master, we must seek out one, in order to learn the secrets of Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, the secrets of faith, and the secrets of Islam. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem in the hands of a Saint, is so different a weapon/tool, when compared to Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem in our hands! Those authorized ones, who have been given the right to teach and propagate the teaching, those are the ones whom we must seek out. Hassan Al-Basri was not one of the authorized ones (despite his high standing), but Habeeb Al-Ajami was.

• So many of us think that Islam is a ritualistic religion, we only understand the physical aspects of worship – prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage – we have yet to even scratch the surface, of how deeply spiritual all these acts of worship are! There is a secret spiritual power in a every act of worship, we are all given miraculous spiritual powers, only that we have not learnt how to unlock them and to use them! And just as in the example above, when we do not know how to use something, it is of no use/benefit to us or others. Oh people, you must learn to know the secret powers of the heavenly instruments bestowed upon you, to use it for the benefit of Mankind. Just as the Companions sought and took this knowledge from the Prophet (saw), we too, must seek out a Master, and do the same, until we achieve Yaqeen, in our hearts.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

16th March 2010, Tuesday

You don’t even understand about one Ant

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana asks if we are able to accept that Allah can send His help to us, even via a weakly ant. Though our minds may not fully understand how this may be possible, the heart can accept such a possibility. To understand is difficult, as there is a limit to Man’s ability to understand, but to have faith – to believe – is easy, as there is no limit to a Man’s ability to believe. That is a special grant that Allah has bestowed upon humans – our capacity to believe, is endless. We can never understand everything in life, there is much that we simply accept, with faith.

• To illustrate this, Maulana says that if the abilities of all humans were joined together into a single human being, that fusion super-human would still be unable to understand every single creature on this planet – to understand their language, nature, purpose, duties, individual names and secrets of its creation. Even the Qutbul Mutassarif, the Spiritual Pole of our time, who has been tasked to oversee all the creatures on this planet, only knows the creatures in a general way, he cannot know each creature in a personal and intimate manner, unless Allah so Wills it. Only Allah, the Creator, knows each creature personally and intimately, down to the hidden and deepest secrets in their hearts! Allahu Akbar!!

وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ وَنَعۡلَمُ مَا تُوَسۡوِسُ بِهٖ نَفۡسُهٗ ۖۚ وَنَحۡنُ اَقۡرَبُ اِلَيۡهِ مِنۡ حَبۡلِ الۡوَرِيۡدِ

We verily created Man and We know what his soul whispers to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Quran 50:16)

• Look at how weak we are! We are Allah’s Khalifas on earth, yet when we look at a single ant, moving along the earth, what do we know of it? Do we understand its thoughts, its destination, its mission, its desires, its current condition? Do we know its name, its origin, its final step? We know nothing, except that it is an ant. And that is just for one ant. What about the billions of ants that scurry about on this planet’s surface? Each one has its own personality – and we are completely in the dark about each one of them. What more about the infinite other creatures that Allah created – the fish, birds, insects, domestic animals, wild beasts, worms, bacteria, viruses, trees, shrubs, plankton, fungi – each one, a unique individual within a community of unique individuals, each of whom Allah has a complete and perfect understanding about! And what about the creatures of other planets in other parts of the Universe? Surely, Allah the Most Rich has more than just one planet of creatures, there are other planets filled with creatures totally unlike what we see on earth – and for all those planets, filled with infinite wondrous and complex creatures – Allah knows each one of His creation, perfectly. And we haven’t even come to understand ourselves, let alone the other creatures in creation. See how small, weak and helpless we are, in comparison to Allah’s Infinite Greatness? Oh Man, humble thyself, say, “Oh Allah You are the Creator, You are All-Knowing, You are All-Powerful, we are but weak servants.”

• Maulana says that this revelation to us above, is like a flash of lightning striking our minds, bringing light and realization to us, as heavenly lights bring understanding to us.

• Before we can ask, “Who is Allah?”, we should ask the ant first, “Who are you? Where are you from? Who created you? Where are you going now?” Never for a moment, think that the ant is deaf or dumb – it can hear you and it can answer you. It may even know more about itself, that we know about ourselves.

• Allah commands us in the Holy Qur’an to have faith in Him and His Rasul (saw).

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهٖ

O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and his Messenger (Quran 4:136)

• What does He mean by that? It means that our faith, our belief, that certainty in our hearts – is still very weak. The knowledge that leads to true belief in Allah, is a vast Ocean, how can we feel that we have already acquired strong faith? Even if Mualana were to speak for a thousand years, that knowledge is not going to end! It is not enough to simply say, “I believe in Allah and His Rasul (saw).”

قَالَتِ الۡاَعۡرَابُ اٰمَنَّا‌ ؕ قُلْ لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا وَلٰـكِنۡ قُوۡلُوۡۤا اَسۡلَمۡنَا وَلَمَّا يَدۡخُلِ الۡاِيۡمَانُ فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِكُمۡ‌ ۚ

The wandering Arabs say, “We believe.” Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say “We submit,” for the faith (iman) hath not yet entered into your hearts. (Quran 49:14)

• Despite already having acquired a little faith, we are still veiled by so many curtains, never think it is just one veil, says Maulana, there are countless veils that we need to pierce through, in order to reach our objective. Faith has boundaries, it has a border, and when we reach such a limit, we must dive into that Ocean of knowledge again, to seek more knowledge that will lead to an increase in faith. Even if you are at level zero now, or even if you are below level zero, Maulana says, strive onward to build faith in Allah, that effort will open doors of understanding from your right and from your left, and you will grow in your understanding of Allah’s Strength, Greatness and Perfection.

• Never stand still at any one point in your journey, as if you have achieved all that you already can. No! You must keep pushing forward without rest, for the levels of faith are infinite, beyond each horizon that you reach, is a new horizon, which brings new veils that you must pass through, and new experiences that you must swim in. For every veil that you pass through, you receive a new set of honours and pleasure. Allah created you to climb this spiritual ladder of faith, to be bestowed honour and pleasure at each level of your ascension – this is the purpose of your creation, you were not created for dunia! As much as you make effort, that much you will rise on the spiritual ladder of faith, rung by rung. Each time you reach a new rung, ask to go higher, for you have yet to attain perfection. Allah Himself urges Man to climb higher, to take more from His gifts, to benefit from having being created.

• You were not created to roll in the mud of this dirty worldly life! Every Prophet came to teach us to clean ourselves from the dirtiness of this material life, from the dirtiness of our egos and the dirtiness of our worldly desires. The lowest rung on the ladder, the dirtiest level, is the level of animals. An animal only looks at the earth (like a grazing cow) all its life, it never looks up to the sky, it never yearns for spiritual ascension, it is only concerned with its worldly desires and fully occupied with fulfilling its carnal needs. That attribute/attitude, of only looking to dunia, is what causes Man to fight, to hate, to murder/kill/shed blood, to be jealous, to persecute, to create chaos and mayhem on earth. If Man were to look to the heavens, and seek ascension in faith, he would be like the Angels. Maulana asks, do you ever hear of Angels fighting or quarreling? Killing and warring? No. So Prophets came to teach Man how to cleanse themselves of this dirty material life, to discard their animal-like dirty characteristics, and to rise to heavenly and angelic Stations.

• If you stay at the despicable level of animals, and you make no effort to rise, you will never reach the Divine presence. What stops us from ascending? We cannot rise, because we are trying to carry our donkey, our ego, on this journey to meet the King. When the Angels of the Divine Court see us approaching with our donkeys on our shoulders, they chase us away, for we are supposed to ride on our donkeys, not carry them, to the Divine presence. If we are slaves to our dirty egos, slaves to dunia, slaves to shaitan, we cannot rise, we will remain in this chaotic, filthy life, unable to taste the pleasure of either dunia or akherat.

• So repent, says Maulana, say Astaghfirullah and change, start moving upwards! The first step is to leave the level of animals. We may be happy to remain at a low level of faith, but the Lord of Heavens is not happy for His servants to remain contented at such a level, He is encouraging His servants, “Come and take! Come and take! Come to Me, there is much more! Clean yourselves, and come to Me.”

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

15th March 2010, Monday

A true believer is happiest at the moment of death

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that our physical strength is dependent on our spiritual selves, and as we grow older, we depend less on our ebbing physical strength, and more on our spiritual energy, derived from heavenly nourishment that we must seek relentlessly. It is the spiritual ‘fuel’ that we seek from such Associations, that powers our physical bodies to be able to continue worshiping the Almighty. Our physical strength diminishes as we approach Death, but our spiritual energy and abilities become enhanced and sharpened.

• Maulana then gave Salams السلام عليكم to the attendees, saying that their devoted enthusiasm was the driving force behind these nightly lessons. Maulana reminded us to recite the Salam with care, not as ‘Sam ‘alaikum’, as was recited by the منافقون Hypocrites to mock Rasulullah (saw). This heavenly greeting brings safety and peace upon the reciter, those who make a habit of spreading this heavenly greeting, will always receive heavenly blessings – it is a spiritual ‘fuel’, it lengthens lives, it brings happiness, honour, calmness, light and pleasure! The Salam is a Divine Gift from Allah to Rasulullah (saw), and whatever is given to us by Rasulullah (saw), is always of benefit, do take this gift and spread it far and wide!

• Man believes pleasure lies in food, drink and in partying! That is a brief sort of enjoyment, it doesn’t last very long, yet Man has lost his mind, and has set his goal in life to be always seeking this temporary burst of physical gratification.

• In stark contrast, heavenly pleasure, is like a never-ending spring, it flows without rest, giving continuous pleasure to our souls. Allah gathers the heavenly pleasure that is due to a Mukmin, believer all his life, and at the moment of death, this pleasure is heaped upon him, after his last breath. That is why the Prophet (saw) said that a believer’s happiest moment is when he is going back to meet his Lord. Maulana says that, if the earthly pleasures of all humans were gathered in one instant, it cannot match the pleasure being experienced by that believer in the ecstasy of death. And if the bliss being experienced by that believer, is divided out to all humans on earth, all depression, adversity and miseries would be lifted from all their hearts, instantly! MasyaAllah, such an ocean of endless bliss awaits believers upon their death! More awaits them, as no pleasure can match being invited to the Divine presence for an audience with the Sultan himself!

• Maulana asks the Salafi scholars, why they still persisted in actions, that would deny them such a blissful and enviable end? They suppress their followers, disallowing the recitation of selawat upon Rasulullah (saw), the sight of a Muslim reciting selawat at the Maqam of Rasulullah (saw) sends them into a frenzy.

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَمَلٰٓٮِٕكَتَهٗ يُصَلُّوۡنَ عَلَى النَّبِىِّ ؕ يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا صَلُّوۡا عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِيۡمًا‏

Allah and His angels, send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Quran 33:56)

• Allah and His Angels are sending selawat upon Rasulullah (saw), believers have been commanded to do so, yet these Scholars, themselves from the Nation of Muhammad (saw), deny him that respect! Maulana says that the honour that is contained in this Ayat dwarfs all the honour that Man gives to one another on earth. All honour that we bestow on earth, if gathered, is equivalent to an atom in this Ocean of Honour that Allah has bestowed on Rasulullah (saw). Hence, it is a terrible deviation, to forbid the recitation of selawat!

• In the recitation of tahiyyat of these Scholars, instead of reading as-salamu ‘alaika aiyyuhan nabi yu (salam upon you, Oh Nabi), like the Ahlul Sunnah wal jama’ah do, they read as-salamu alaihi, which means ‘salam upon he (who is absent)’, so while we send Salams directly to our Prophet (saw) in our prayers, they send it to one who is absent/distant from themselves. Why? Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, Wa Aalamu Anna Fikum Rassool Allah, (which means – Prophet Muhammad (saw), is with you), so how do such Scholars deny this? We must always seek guidance from the Holy Qur’an, it unravels all that perplexes Man.

• Whom do the Wahhabis/Salafis claim to emulate? The Salafus soliheen – the pious people of the past, like the Companions and the followers of the Companions. Did any of the pious believers of the past, ever deride the recitation of the selawat or eliminate the selawat that is recited at the end of the azhan? No. The Prophet (saw) said in a hadees, that his Nation would break into many sects, and that believers are to follow the largest group if such a break-up happened during their lifetimes. While the number of Sunnis exceed a billion, there is much smaller group of Salafis, so it is obvious what they should do. Maulana calls out to these Wahhabis/Salafis, to discard their deviated ideology of belittling Rasulullah (saw), to stop preaching their extremist dogma, and to come to Allah with a heart full of love for Rasulullah (saw). If they persisted in their deviant beliefs, they would regret it deeply, and Allah would punish them with a lingering taste of bitterness in this life, before their deaths.

• Maulana reminded these Scholars not to disregard him, just because he was an old man advising them. It is important to look at whose words Maulana is bringing, and not to look at the old man before them. On Judgement Day, due to Man’s propensity to lie, Allah will command him to be silent, and will command the organs of Man to speak, and the organs will then bear witness to all the deeds of their ‘owner’. Bewildered that his organs are testifying against him, Man will ask his organs, how they are able to speak, to which they will reply, “He who Speaks, gave us the ability to speak, it is not our will, but His Will, that we are able to do so.” So the Scholars must not look at Maulana as the speaker, but they should ask themselves as to whose Will it is, that Maulana is advising them about their errant ways, incessantly.

• Finally, Maulana advised non-Arabs to study the Arabic language, give it priority over any other language that you may wish to study. As for the Arabs, he encouraged them to learn the languages of Muslim-friendly areas, like Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, so that cordial and loving ties can be built between Muslim nations.

Fatihah,

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

14th March 2010, Sunday

We must study from one who is connected to the Prophet

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that Rasulullah (saw) brought perfect advice to the whole of his Nation, to save them from darkness, evil and devils – he opened the way to salvation for them.

• Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, فأسأل به خبيرا , Fa’s’al Bihi Khabeera,“Ask him, The Knower.” This is a Divine Command for all of creation to obey. We must ask, in order to understand our purpose of creation, and we must ask the Khabeera, the expert, the one with complete knowledge of our needs.

فَاسْأَلْ بِه ِِ خَبِيرا

Ask the expert (who knows). (Quran 25:59)

• The Al-Qur’an is a command from Allah Almighty, to His beloved, Sayyidina Muhammad (saw). It is initially directed at Rasulullah (saw), not to any one else at that initial stage, because the rest of creation was created for his sake.

• From Rasulullah (saw), such knowledge was taught to the rest of creation, including other Prophets and to their respective Nations. Hence, even other Prophets in the past, had to link themselves to Rasulullah (saw), in order to understand their Holy Books, for only Rasulullah (saw) is in the Divine presence, the Lahoot. لاهوت , while the whole of creation is in Nasoot (Humanity) and while the Angels and Spiritual beings are in the heavenly realms, there is only ONE in the Divine Presence, the Lahoot, and that is Rasulullah (saw).

• Allah says in a Hadees Qudsi, “You are MY representative, Oh MY beloved one, they (ordinary humans) will not be able to reach ME, to ask ME, they will be burnt in MY presence, but they may ask their Prophets, and their Prophets may ask You.” So the Prophet (saw), was directly responsible for imparting knowledge to each Prophet who came to him. All those who want to learn, must come to the Prophet (saw), as a وسيلة Waseelah, an asbab, as a means of approach to Allah, one cannot come directly to the Almighty. (For example, one cannot simply stroll into the Divine Court to see a King; there is protocol to be observed, and there is a trusted one who is near to the King’s heart, who can arrange for a person’s message to reach the King.)

• So no Prophet was allowed into the Divine Court (Lahoot) for a direct discourse with Allah Azza wa Jalla, only Rasulullah (saw) was in His presence. When Arch-Angel Jibrail (as) was accompanying Rasulullah (saw) on the Night Ascension (Mikraj), he stopped at the border of Nasoot (humanity) and Lahoot (Divinity), and said to Rasulullah (saw), “I can go no further, even if I proceeded by a hair’s breadth beyond this, I shall be burnt beyond recognition, and I shall never return to my former self again. Beyond this point, it is only for you, Ya Rasulullah, Ya Habeebullah. يا حبيب الله ”. Even Sayyidina Musa (as), who spoke directly to Allah (and appeared to by-pass the need for a Waseelah), was only able to do so at Mount Tursina, where he was in an area of Haqiqatul Muhammadiyah, the Reality of Muhammad, which was the means for him to speak directly to Allah. In fact, no Prophet conversed with Allah, except via the Reality of Muhammad (saw) as his Waseelah. It is shocking that Salafi scholars disallow respect to be shown to Rasulullah (saw), when Allah has bestowed such a status and elevation to Rasulullah (saw), honoured as the only creation in the Divine presence! Who is خبير khabeera? It is one of the many names of Sayyidina Muhammad (saw), he is the expert from whom we must seek guidance from, on all matters! Allah said, “Ask from MY representative, and from pre-eternity to eternity, only he (Muhammad) is MY representative.”

• We must all ask for knowledge, guidance and understanding, for we know nothing in reality. We are so proud of our technological advances, we attribute them to our minds’ abilities, yet our minds are gifts of the Almighty to us, in order that we may understand our mission here. We must find a connection to our Creator, in order to understand our objective in life, and we can only do so, by connecting ourselves to the Waseelah, to the means that can bring us there, for there is a means for every Angel and human in creation.

• Allah Almighty is fully aware of the needs of all His creation, so why must we ask for what we need? It is to establish a hierarchy, where we ask from the authorized guides (they are our Waseelah), and these guides ask from Rasulullah (saw ) (he is their Waseelah), and Rasulullah (saw) asks from Allah Almighty. This establishes Rasulullah’s (saw) position, as the Sole Representative of Allah, for the entire creation, in His presence. Allah bestowed upon him, a limitless Ocean of spiritual knowledge for the creation, and he distributes it to all those who seek of it, according to their needs and Stations, for if Rasulullah (saw) wasn’t brought into existence, then no one would have been created! Hence the Lord of Heavens ordered all Nations, “If you are do not understand, you must ask the khabeera, the expert, he has been given the knowledge of all that you need, My Oceans have no limit.”

• So seek knowledge from authorized ones, knowledge about the reality of your existence. On Judgment Day, when all have been resurrected, the Angels will question Man, then the Prophets question their Nations, then Rasulullah (saw) questions these Prophets, and finally Allah questions Rasulullah (saw). See the hierarchy, all must reach Allah via their Waseelah, their means, appointed over them. We must be careful whom we take as our Waseelah, it must be someone who can take us to the Presence of the Holy Prophet (saw), for only the appointed and authorized ones can connect us, just as only someone intimately connected with a King, can bring our message to him. We can’t just look for any Tom, Dick or Harry to bring our message to the King!

• When a person enters the grave, he is questioned by two Angels, and they begin with “Man huwa robbuka? من هو ربّك؟ . Who is your Lord?” To which a believer answers, “ربّي الله سبحانه وتعالى. Allah is my Lord.” The Angels then continue, “From whom you learned your religion?” To which the believer replies, “We learned from the Seal of Prophets (saw), the Most Glorified one,” Then the Angels ask, “Who was your means (Waseelah) between you and that one?” We are going to be asked about this! We are going to be asked, who taught us the answers to these questions in the grave, were they from someone who was khabeera? For if we study from an unauthorized one, one who has no connection to Rasulullah (saw), their words have no value in the spiritual world. So you must be very careful, upon what are you building your religious foundations? Is it upon a rock, a tree, a throne, or on earth?

• Today, almost no one bothers to seek out the connected ones, no one is interested to learn about their true selves, no one seeks out those with greater knowledge than themselves. We need a guide when we ask the question, “Who am I?” How are we to unlock that secret? Staring at the mirror merely shows us an image of ourselves, we need someone who will be our witness to our true selves, who can answer the questions we ask, because they have that Prophetic connection, they are speaking with faith, from the reality of witnessing. We need a guide who will witness our true personality, our true existence – only then will we develop true faith, and only then is our own witnessing of Oneness, valid.

• Daily, Allah is sending down oceans of knowledge upon Mankind, ask from our guides to dispense us our shares, even if it be for a mere five minutes, for it is an understanding that is of benefit to us. Each Prophet gave freely of himself to save his Nation, each guide also gives from his personality and his understanding, in order to save his followers. This teaching is completely free of charge, it is not an invention of Maulana’s mind, he is merely reciting what he has been instructed to advise, it is a heavenly teaching, we must take it and ask for more knowledge and understanding, for if we do not do so, we shall certainly regret one day, when we are gathered amongst those devoid of understanding!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

13th March 2010, Saturday

Go East, to where the Sun rises

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana said that as believers, we would get very upset to see disrespect being shown towards Rasulullah (saw), as he is one held in the highest esteem by Allah and His Angels. When Man does not show the highest love, respect or appreciation for Rasulullah (saw), the heavens shake in anger, and Divine curses descend upon Man.

• Maulana began with the recitation of A’uzubillah himinasy syaitan nirrajeem, and he reminded us to read it at least 7 times in a day, and if we were able to read it 40 times in a day, it would afford us more protection. For those who sought to reach the level of accepted servants and who are asking to be saved from the dirtiness of shaitan, they must recite it 70 times per day.

• For every building, there is an entrance, it is impossible to enter if there is no door. The recitation of A’uzubillah is a protector at the door, it fends off shaitan’s attack at that door, because shaitan is such a terrible creature. Imagine, shaitan found a way to pass through the Doors of Paradise and he entered it, so what about here? Don’t say, “We have reached a point of safety from shaitan’s tricks and traps,” No, never let down your guard, always beware of shaitan. Look at the havoc shaitan wreaked when he entered Paradise, he got our forefather ejected from it!

• For those asking to reach Allah Almighty’s pleasure, it is a clear and lighted way: open the door and you may enter at will. But there are people asking to go the other way, a way that makes people happy, a dirty way. Our egos are dirty and its acts, needs and desires are also dirty. Therefore, it is really easy for shaitan to persuade our egos to go the dirty way, the way of darkness, for the ego is already inclined in that direction, so a little cajoling is all it needs.

• The ultimate aim of most humans, is to be in darkness. Does that surprise you? It should not, as most humans are obedient to their egos, and egos lead one to darkness. So the reality is that most humans are falling deeper and deeper into darkness each day.

• Humans like being in darkness, for it covers them up, it envelops them, preventing others from seeing their shameful deeds. Therefore, they are running away from enlightened worlds, enlightened oceans, for shaitan calls out to them, “Come, come to me, come to your territories of darkness which are waiting for you, and you should find everything that you want, that you dream of, that you desire, in the darkness, come, come.”

• During the day, people go to work like donkeys and their minds are on the approaching night time, for the greatest pleasures are found in the darkness of the night. They yearn for these dirty pleasures of the night, they shun the light (mosques, religious lessons, Suhbahs, Zikir etc) and those who bring them (heavenly guides). Therefore, Messengers of the Lord of Heavens, have been bringing heavenly lights from the heavens, to save Mankind. Each Prophet reached out to their Ummats with these lights, to dispel the darkness in their souls and their surroundings, but shaitan and his ardent followers spit at these guiding lights being brought to them, they wish to extinguish Allah’s Light.

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطۡفِـُٔواْ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفۡوَٲهِهِمۡ وَيَأۡبَى ٱللَّهُ إِلَّآ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُۥ وَلَوۡ ڪَرِهَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ

The (disbelievers) want to extinguish Allâh’s Light with their mouths, but Allâh will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the Kâfirûn (disbelievers) hate (it). (Quran 9:32)

• Those who are followers of shaitan, he cheats them, saying, “Don’t go to that one, because he is bringing lights, and more lights through lights, and if you are surrounded by light, you can’t enjoy yourself. You must be covered in darkness and be in darkness, then you can do everything, no one prevents you, because no one is seeing what you are doing! Therefore, don’t run after that one, because he is bringing lights and if his lights shine on you, you can’t do anything for your egoistic pleasures because your egos are asking to be in darkness, to do everything there and not to be seen.” Pleasure for the ego, is for it to be able to enjoy without barriers/borders, in the darkness. In the dark, it feels that no one can see what it is doing, hence that is the peak of its enjoyment. It is like a drug-dealer or a prostitute in a seedy backlane, hiding in the shadows, and avoiding the search lights of the patrolling police cars. In darkness, no one else exists, your desires are only what you see, you are blind to your faults or the rights of others – it is a world that is focused on just one thing – your own pleasure, even if it means destroying yourself or others! Once in the darkness, they no longer wish to leave it, since they believe they have found real pleasure, hence they never seek out true guidance or true beliefs ever again.

• Western countries are in darkness, for just as the Sun sets in the West, there is no light in the lives of most Westerners. Westerners are always looking to export their brand of darkness to Oriental (Muslim) countries. Why are we attracted to the dark ways of the Westerners? It is strange when Muslims idolize and emulate their ways! Why are Muslims allowing their children to study there? Or work there? Those who go there, will be slowly suffocated by the darkness, their hearts also set in the darkness and they too, sink into the murkiness. The real Sun in our lives is Rasulullah (saw ), isn’t what he taught enough for us all, so why are we running after the darkness of the Westerners? Oriental Islamic countries are where the light is today, for just as the Sun rises in the East, it is there that the guidance and reality is, so many Westerners, after having worked for some time in these countries, have converted, after being touched by the light. In the light, what is true is clear, and what is wrong, is also very clear. So, go East, says Maulana, go to the true guide, the Sun of the creation, Rasulullah (saw ), to achieve real humanity!

• People hail the West because of its advances in technology. Do not think that technology is what brings honour to us? Technology makes us lose our true identity, technology blurs the line between fantasy and reality, making Man forget his heavenly grants, and his true earthly mission. Technology brings layers and layers of darkness upon humans.

• Maulana says that his word uphold the Holy Qur’an, so he asked all those who were opposing him, to stop doing so, and to propagate his teachings instead. Unlike technology, Maulana’s words bring layers upon layers of light upon our lives, for he is resisting his ego, and is guiding us to do so too. Allah says in the Qur’an, fa dhzakkir, ‘remind each other’, for such reminders radiate rays of lights to guide its listeners. Every Prophet came only to take their followers out of darkness into light, there was no other message, but shaitan and our egos resist these efforts, preferring to remain in the comfort of darkness. Every Holy Book brought the same message of salvation, teaching us to leave the dark abyss, and to enter the oceans of light and safety.

• Maulana humbly says that he has not dived into the deep oceans of the Qur’an, that he is merely on the beach of it, and he is reminding us of our real beings, our purpose, and the way to salvation, by means of the lights granted to his heart. It is heart-breaking that only a handful of humans seek the lighted way, while the vast majority are drowning in darkness, without realising that once they die in that state, they will remain in that terrible state, for eternity! Maulana prayed fervently, “Oh our Lord don’t leave us in the darkness. You have granted Your weak servants real faith and real beliefs, each Prophet guided humans from darkness to the Light by means of their Holy Books, so please grant us guidance too.” So leave your ego, abandon the darkness and come to the enlightened world.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

12th March 2010, Friday

Learn about the Creator, not about the creation

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana send his salams on attendees upon this final Friday of Rabi’ul Awal, and began with recitation of A’uzubillah and Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem, the protocol/sign/adab of believers. Maulana reminded us to give time for our spiritual development, and that such was only possible, if we listened and obeyed.

• Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the first of all creation, and he was raised as prophet before any other creation existed. Rasulullah (saw) was created from the Light of Allah, and he is the Most Honoured of all creation, of all that was or will be ever created. We often picture Allah Almighty awaiting for the blowing of the Trumpet to signal Qiyamat, yet Maulana says, it is we who are waiting, Allah is never waiting, for Allah is not bound by time and space, as these are themselves creations of Allah.

• Maulana tells us not to limit Allah’s powers, for He creates incessantly, الأزليّ الأبديّ Azaliyyun abadiyyun, creating from pre-eternity to eternity, and He and His Attributes are eternal. His creation is not limited only to this Universe that we know of, there are countless Universes that Allah has, and is, creating. To illustrate this, Maulana tells us of an incident that took place during the Mikraj, the Prophet’s (saw) Heavenly Ascension. Arch-Angel Jibrail (as) brought Rasulullah (saw) to the Maqam of Honour, a special Maqam solely for him, no other makhloq had ever been allowed there, and there were special soldiers, fully armoured, made of light, that paraded past Rasulullah (saw), paying their respects to, and saluting him. When Rasulullah (saw) asked Jibrail (as), who these soldiers were, where they came from and where were they headed, Jibrail (as) replied, “I have stood here for 50000 years, and these soldiers have been appearing continuously, I do not know where they come from and what is their mission, you may keep standing here until you faint (but these soldiers are not going to stop appearing).” These soldiers of light who are paying respects to Rasulullah (saw) have been continuously created for the past 50000 years, and are still being created, see how great Allah is, it is so easy for Him.

• Some scholars are so quick to throw the word shirik (blasphemy) at their fellow Muslims, Maulana says. It is their limited undestanding that causes them to do so, for no Muslim has ever placed Rasulullah (saw) on equal standing with Allah Azza wa Jalla. How can there be a partner to Allah, lasharikalah, He was Alone at the beginning, and at the end, none can stand on par with Him. Just the act of standing at the Maqam of Rasulullah (saw), and raising our hands longingly, sends these Salafi Scholars into a frenzy of accusations of shirik! So why is the act of facing the Ka’abah in doa, not considered as shirik then? Maulana says that even ants laugh at the idiocy of such Scholars, that forbid the showing of respect to the Prophet (saw).

• Maulana says, instead of bringing such divisive, controversial and accusatory words, wouldn’t it be better for one to bring words that build faith and realization? Such hurtful words are not words of knowledge, and when spewed out, they do not do any good to their recipients. Do not study knowledge that does not bring benefits! What is beneficial knowledge? Knowledge that teaches you how to clean your life, to clean your body, to clean your heart and to clean your minds. Only then will Divine knowledge take root in you, Man is wasting this golden chance he has in this world, he is letting it pass without reaping any benefits from it, and in the end, he returns to dust as he came from dust, having learnt nothing about himself or his Lord!

• Scientists spend all their lives studying space, studying the creation. They spend years staring through the Hubble Telescope, labeling newly discovered stars with exotic names like Alpha 6 and Alpha 9. In reality, they know nothing more about that star, besides its apparent position. They only know it as a dot of light in the sky. Is that the purpose of Man’s creation, to map out distant stars? Is such knowledge of benefit to anyone, even themselves? Man has never been asked to do all this, it is a complete waste of time! Has it never crossed their minds to seek to know the Creator of these stars, how fantastic and incredible He must be? And instead of exploring far away lands, it would have been sufficient for humans to explore the Holy Qur’an, for all that Man seeks to know, is contained within.

• So Maulana says again, study about Allah’s greatness, and teach that to others, do not seek meaningless knowledge nor teach that sort of knowledge to others. Teach people of Allah’s incredible abilities, His Greatness and His Attributes. Teach Man, so that he will awaken and realize the true nature of dunia, of how dirty our worldly lives are. Man lives in dirtiness, if he is not taught about it, he will continue to live in dirtiness, and he will die in extreme dirtiness, bringing back thousands of sins to face Allah.

• Leave the study of the Universe and its creatures/contents, you can never study all of the creation, it is impossible, for He is creating incessantly! Some scientists create their own theories, based on utter nonsense, and teach these so-called modern theories in Universities, even in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia. Some are hawking the idea that the Universe began with one atom that expanded and multiplied by itself. We must speak out against the spread of such unfounded theories and ideas, we mustn’t condone or allow such baseless knowledge to spread within our community.

• Instead study the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of its contents, the Creator of the creatures. Know Thy Lord! To Know Him, study the Holy Qur’an. Channel the abilities of your mind to discover Him, and He will open the way to understanding for you. Scholars must take note of this advice, they must teach what brings satisfaction to the hearts of listeners, they must seek to raise the stations of their listeners in the Divine presence.

• Maulana concludes by saying that, there is one hour each Friday night, that is so blessed, in that doas/prayers, made during this time, are not rejected and are brought to the Arash. All creatures on earth lift their hands in prayer in this period, except for Man, who is heedless, or asleep during this time. Such secret knowledge must be propagated, says Maulana, for they bring untold benefits to their recipients!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

11th March 2010, Thursday

Do not fear the enemy or their weapons

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana welcomed all attendees on this Holy final Friday of Rabi’ul Awal, including the seventy Kings of Jinn who were attending as well, and Maulana remarked that they were singing songs of praises for the Prophet (saw) in their own language.

• Maulana said that the Holy Qur’an contained all the Holy Books that had been sent since the time of Nabi Adam (as), and it contains all knowledge that Man needs to know, including news about Qiyamat and the Day of Reckoning. Maulana asks if we believe that Qiyamat is still very far away, or is it just around the corner? To illustrate how close we were to the end, Maulana welcomed the new القطب المتصرّف Qutbul Mutassarrif and the new Awliya who had assumed duties that night, remarking that they would remain on duty till the الملحمة الكبرى Marhamatun Qubra (Armageddon) when Imam Mahdi (as) would emerge, following which there remained just one final change of ‘personnel’ – upon the appearance of Sayyidina Isa (as). We are tantalizingly close to the end.

• Each new appointment, gives more heavenly power to the Saints, for they acquire the secrets and knowledge of their predecessors and this is added to the secrets and knowledge that they have learnt themselves. Maulana warns us of unexpected events, beginning tomorrow, that we will see and experience till the next year’s Maulidur Rasul month again.

• All that Allah has granted all of his creatures, including from other Universes, including what He has granted the Prophets, is but a mere drop from what He possesses. He is creating all the time, from pre-eternity till eternity, none can fathom His Greatness, His Strength, His Honour or His Ability, it is impossible to understand it, what is His has no limits, we must give Him His due respect and worship, we must be in awe of Him always. He is the Most Glorified, Most Majestic, none can approach His Majesty or His Glory or His Honour. He is the only One.

• Prophet Muhammad (saw) spent his life battling باطل batil, falsehood. Shaitan calls humans to falsehood, Allah calls us to Haqq, the Truth, the Reality. Every Prophet, except for Jesus (as), donned their armour and unsheathed their swords, when they went to war against batil. Jesus (as), one of the five ulul azmi, greatest Prophets (Sayyidina Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Muhammad), was the only one who had never wielded a sword.

• A sword is a symbol of strength, authority and honour. He who owns it, is the authority, and he who wields it, is one of honour. Sayyidina Muhammad (saw) wielded his sword majestically in his battle against batil. Maulana asks, if the Prophet (saw) were alive today, what would he say to the believers concerning the arms race? Would he be asking Muslim nations to build the latest nuclear weapons, and to research into chemical and biological warfare, building such unethical, cruel and merciless weapons? Or would he say, “I have no need for all that, my sword will suffice!”?

• Maulana says that he views himself as the weakest servant of Allah, a person who is merely dust under the Prophet’s (saw) feet, yet he has been given the permission by Rasulullah (saw) to destroy the entire nuclear weapons arsenal, by simply pointing at them, with his right forefinger. In other words, there isn’t even a need for the Prophet (saw) to unsheathe his sword, just the finger of a weak appointed one will destroy all the weapons on earth. Maulana says, “All their weapons, are under my feet.” The Prophet’s sword would be able to destroy any weapon, even if an entire thousand Universes were filled with nuclear weapons, it would be no match for the Prophet’s (saw) sword. That is how great Rasulullah (saw) is, we must appreciate that. Maulana says, زده يا ربّي عزّا وشرفا , Zidhu Ya Rabbi Izzan Wa Sharafan, Oh, Allah, cherish and honor him more! We must faith in Allah, in His ability to help us in the face of overwhelming odds….have faith!

• This Suhbah is to strengthen the hearts of Believers, to remove the fear from their hearts. Don’t fear the nuclear bombs of the unbelievers. Keep the sword that was carried by the the Seal of Prophets (saw), that is enough. If we do so, Allah shall dress us with glory and greatness ( هيبات haibat), and when the enemy soldiers reach you on the battlefield, they will begin to shake and tremble in fear, and they shall fall down dead in terror. We must give countless thanks that the Lord made us from the Nation of Sayyidina Muhammad (saw)…now, there is a thundering descending on earth…these are good tidings for those whose hearts, upon hearing these inspirational words, accept them and are filled with pleasure and joy!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

10th March 2010, Wednesday

The 70 who incurred Allah’s Wrath

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that shaitan’s mission is to hide the truth, and to spread falsehood in its place. He works to subtly change the mindset and thinking of a human being, until they abandon the truth and stray away from guidance, and begin pursuing this worldly life, perishing in evil.

• Allah Almighty must be mentioned at the start of every act, and every deed must be done for Him, in His Name, for His Pleasure. Just like the old passports of the Colony of Cyprus, that contained the message, “On behalf of the King of the British Empire……”, we should be doing everything on His behalf, in His Name, that is the correct adab, protocol in Islam. That is why we start each act with Bismillahir Ramanir Rahim, and it is shaitan’s wish to remove this heavenly protocol. Shaitan’s protocol is to teach Man to reject his Creator, the Real Owner of everything. When Man no longer acts for Allah, in His Name, his honour and position is lost.

• Today, many new-age authors and gurus – authors of human philosophy, authors of self-help books, authors of motivational books, authors of corporate culture and sales psychlogy (Maulana calls them teachers of ‘positive thinking’) – they take teachings from the the Qur’an and hadees to create their books, yet they reject the idea or concept of a God, saying that this is something that cannot be proven, as we have never seen or heard Him ourselves. These authors and gurus make money peddling heavenly pearls of advice as their own ‘brilliant masterpieces’, yet reject the very sources that the teachings come from. Through these authors/gurus, shaitan spreads unbelief to the millions that read and take guidance from these shaitanic guides.

• This shaitanic ideology began from the time of Moses (as). When he returned from his seclusion at Mount Sinai, with the Divine Tablets of guidance for his people, they said to him, “Oh Moses, we cannot truly accept that these are actually Allah’s words, until we hear Him ourselves. As long as we haven’t heard with our own ears, we shall be in doubt!”

• So Moses (as) said to Allah, “The children of Israel, they are always objecting to what I am bringing to them, they are saying that these are not Divine messages or Divine books.” So Allah commanded Moses to pick the 70 most stubborn of his followers, the ones with the most objections, complaints and doubts, the ones who feel that they already know so much….” And so Moses chose the 70. “Bring them here!” Allah commanded Moses, and so the 70 were brought to Mount Sinai. There Allah made a declaration to Moses, but since such intimate Divine converse, without sound or letters, cannot be understood by such people, Allah allowed them to hear peals of thunder .

• Moses then asked his 70 followers, “How are you? Are you satisfied that I am bringing to you Divine messages from the Lord of the Heavens?” They said, “Oh Moses, yes, we heard, we heard that declaration, but for our hearts to be in tuma’neenah (contentment, peace, calmness, tranquility),we are asking to look at Him!” Moses was so infuriated, and like a volcano about to erupt, he said, “This was not what we had agreed upon. You were only asking to hear Him! I can’t ask my Lord, that you want to look at him! I can’t do it!” But Allah said to Moses, “Do not worry, Moses, My prophet. Don’t be angry. Now I shall show them what they are asking for.”

• That was the beginning of this ‘positive knowledge’ which simply translates into – if I am not seeing it, then I am not accepting it. Up till today, in Universities, they teach and preach this – if they are not seeing, they are refusing. What foolishness! They take the Divine books as fairy tales (after all, they didn’t get to witness all that was contained within them), and they cannot have faith and belief (yaqeen) in anything spiritual. They no longer even believe in Holy books or Holy words. Anything and everything that they experience, whether substantiated or unsubstantiated with a physical vision, breeds doubts within their hearts. Even if they were to behold some out-of-this-world sight, they would simply say, “This is black magic (sihir),” and they would still reject it. Such people are seeking to understand with their minds, what cannot be understood by their minds, as many phenomenon baffle our limited understanding.

• So the 70 chosen Children of Israel gathered, expecting to see their Lord. Instead, Allah rained his lightning upon each and every one of them, causing them all to be burnt to a crisp, and their white skins were turned black as coal. None survived Allah’s Wrath. Moses (as) then pleaded with his Lord, “Oh my Lord, You know about the Children of Israel, You know about their characteristics, and if I return to my people without these 70 people, they will ask me “Where are our people? You killed them!” They will blame me and accuse me of killing them, Oh my Lord. Oh my Lord, for the greatness of Your most beloved one, for his honor, give them life again.” So Moses prayed that the 70 recalcitrant ones be given back their lives, by the honour of Sayyidina Muhammad (saw)! For the sake of His beloved, Allah brought them back to life, and commanded that Moses never brought these 70 to Him again, for they would arouse His wrath and He would destroy, not just these 70, but the entire Bani Israel, if that happened.

• See how Allah’s Wrath was aroused by Bani Israel’s attitude? Maulana says that if Allah’s Wrath increased beyond that, the entire Universe could be destroyed. Allah said, “When you arouse my Wrath, you may be destroyed in an instant.” Millions today think and believe in the same way as the Bani Israel did, so heavenly anger is very near to us, heavenly revenge is just over us, Maulana says that we are in dangerous times.

• Why is it that no University dares to teach the truth – that all advances in maths and science show Allah’s greatness, that all that is found in nuclear physics, in chemistry and biology are but Allah’s wonders? They hide Holyness from their teachings, they do not give the due recognition, respect and recognition due to Allah. Maulana says, give Allah the utmost respect and honour, be in awe of his Glory and Majesty. Do your best for Him, and He will save you in dunia and akherat.

• Maulana calls out to all humans, be they Christians, Jews, or of any other faith. “Oh people of all nations from east to west, from north to south, do you believe in the Lord of the Heavens? That He is Sultan, He is the King of Kings, He is the Creator and no one else is in existence except Him? Come and believe, only that can save you, nothing else will. If you reject this call, troubles, miseries and sufferings, will descend upon you, for such descend on those who have the wrong understanding!” Oh people, you must learn your rights, and the rights of your Lord, and you must know what you will be held responsible for, and once you are taken away, there is no second chance for you!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

9th March 2010, Tuesday

If we are really His servants, then all that we own, is His

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana instructed all attendees to cut themselves off from all worldly matters when they were attending Suhbahs. We are to attend as ’empty cups’, not as ‘full cups’, as, if our cups are already full, what can Maulana pour into them? Maulana is drawing his teachings from the spiritual world for us, he is the medium of communication between that heavenly realm and our earthly realm, so we are instructed to give our undivided attention, with full concentration, to each Suhbah. The more we focus, the greater the heavenly support afforded to us, and heavenly support is the only way to attain heavenly stations. Some attendees walk away with a 100% benefit, others with 50%, some with 10%, and some unfortunate ones, with 0%. It is like a generous man with a mountain high pile of gold and silver coins, and he says, come and take as much as you want, and indeed you should take as much as you can carry.

• Allah is Al-Kareem, He gives endlessly without taking from us. Allah says, “Ask as much as you can ask, I am giving to you.” Man asks and asks endlessly, and Allah gives and gives endlessly, but why is Man so stingy? And so greedy? Greed is one of the worst characteristics of the ego. Man keeps so much money in the bank, while his fellow humans are suffering in poverty and hunger, homelessness and backwardness, in so many parts of the world. Maulana asks if we can eat an entire goat singlehandedly? If not, why not just take the portion we need, and pass the rest to others who are in dire need? We eat many meals daily, there are many who suffer in hunger every day, they have no means of attaining their next meal.

• We must believe in Allah’s promise! He repays each charity manifold, the minimum is ten times of what we gave to help another. Maybe we see the physical amount of our money falling from our hoards when we give, but our spiritual savings have increased manifold. So why are we hoarding money in the banks? Have we no faith in Allah’s endless repayments?

• Allah says,أنفق بلا لا ولا تخف ولا تخف من ذي العرش اٍقلالولدينا المزيد , “Donate endlessly and continuously and do not fear of being or becoming in need, as a result of continuously donating for the sake of Allah. Quite the contrary, Allah will reward you more as a result of your donation for His sake.” Maulana says to etch these words in gold, and place them in a place for all to see!

• This Suhbah is meant to soften our hardened hearts, so that we will start to give freely of Allah’s gifts upon us. True believers are هيّن ليّن haiyyin laiyyin, they are people who are soft and tender-hearted, so let us be such people.

• Oh believers, we will all be wrapped in our white burial shrouds one day, and before they do so, they will remove our beautiful rings, stylish bracelets, expensive watches and special-edition ear-rings – not even for a King will they allow anything to be left on the body. Each will return naked, save the burial shroud. Nothing of this worldly treasure follows us on, only what we have sent to Him, by spending in His way, will await us in akherat.

• We must try to understand the vast difference between earthly treasures and the treasures of the afterlife. Even if we saved up huge amounts of gold and diamonds and pearls and we managed to stay alive for a billion years, still, that time would come to an end, and all that wealth, would be left behind. But what ever is sent to eternity, will remain there, benefitting you, for ever and ever.

• Maulana says, فما عند الله باقي . “What Allah owns and rewards you with, is Everlasting and is of infinite duration.” Think about that.

• So before your time is up, Maulana says give, give, give! This is your chance, don’t let it slip away. It is no longer just a sunnat nowadays, it is obligatory, in the light of the number of people suffering all around us. In fact, Maulana says it is haram, forbidden, to keep millions and billions in the banks, hoarding the gifts that Allah gave, instead of spending for Allah’s pleasure. Many of the rich in the Middle East, keep billions in the banks, giving one part out of 40 for zakat. Such a meagre amount, asks Maulana? One part for Allah, and 39 parts for us? Are we not ashamed to stand before Allah as his servant, giving him just one portion? It should be the opposite, says Maulana, 39 parts for Allah, and one part for us. You say that you are his servant? What is abd, servant? He is one who belongs to his Master, his Sultan. So you, and all that you possess, are His! That is the real adab of a servant to his Lord. What Allah bestows, give freely, for they belong to Him. Give to Allah, keep a little bit for yourself, say, “Oh my Lord, everything I have, You granted to me from Your grants, i owe everything to You. who am i to say that it is i who am giving?”

• Never fear that you will grow poor! Allah says, “Don’t fear that when you are giving, My treasures are not diminishing! No! I am the Lord of the Heavens, I am the Lord of the whole Creation and I am that One Who is giving what they are in need of, and My treasures are never diminishing, not even by the size of an atom!” What belongs to Allah does not even lessen by the amount of one atom, because if it did, then it would run out one day. Allah has endless oceans of treasures, so we should give freely, He would never run out of treasures to repay us! What is Allah’s, has never changed from pre-eternity to eternity!

• We must try hard to weed out stinginess and greed, to attain the level of Rasheed, which is the highest level of good characteristics in Man. Such a person, understands what is meant in this Hadees Qudsi, “Oh My servants, if you are asking something from Me, I am also asking something from you, you must obey what I am commanding you to do, you must run to fulfill it, you must have faith in Me.” Allah commands us to be a person of understanding, who fulfills Allah’s rights and who believes in Him. Allah mentions in the Qur’an, أليس فيكم رجل رشيد, “Isn’t there a man among you who understands?” That level, called Maqamul Rushd, is the perfection of human behaviour and adab, from every aspect.

• There are so many pearls and diamonds in the oceans of the Holy Qur’an, providing us with spiritual refreshments and enhancing our powers of understanding. May Allah unlock such hidden treasures from the Holy Qur’an for all of us. (Ameen). Maulana ends by reminding us to treat the Qur’an with adab, and to treat those bringing these Quranic lessons, with adab too, befitting our journey to the Maqamul Rushd. If we do so, the darkness from our faces will be lifted, and heavenly light with shine forth. (Ameen)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

8th March 2010, Monday

Death ends life’s bitterness for believers

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us all that we have not been created for this worldly life (dunia), but we have been created for servanthood. Allah bestows honour on Man and Jinn, by allowing them to worship Him. By reading A’uzubillah himinasy syaitan nirrajeem and Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, we are seizing a heavenly sword that allows us to fight negative vibes and negative influences, that swarm us under shaitan’s instructions, preventing us from worship, hence causing us to lose our honour – for honour comes from worship.

• The honour that Allah has prepared for Man, is the highest amongst all creation, hence we must leave heedlessness, and awaken to the reality of our existence. “Oh people, wake up, you were not created for this world.” That, Maulana says, is the message of every Prophet that Allah has sent to Man. They came as warners to shake Man, to awaken Man from his slumber and drunkenness.

• This life passes very quickly, if we aren’t awake soon enough, it is soon over. In this fleeting life, we are given a taste of pleasure and happiness, and this is supposed to whet our appetite for everlasting pleasure and happiness in the hereafter. What is given to us in dunia is merely an (temporary) appetiser, the (eternal) main course is served in the afterlife. This is such a great grant, because animals are going to be turned to dust, but Man will live for eternity to enjoy this main course.

• Allah is Most Generous. After giving us a taste of pleasure in dunia, it is not His intention to deprive us of it at all. Instead, He wishes to give more and more of that blessing to us, but this dunia is not the place for such a gift, it is in the hereafter that such never-ending pleasure has been kept for us. He wants us to strive for the hereafter, for after having tasted the pleasures of this world, you must realise the source of that eternal pleasure and seek it out with all your might.

• Man must be thankful for this. At one time, we didn’t exist, and we were brought into existence by Our Lord, to taste such pleasures. Not all creatures have tasted such pleasure, many creatures never experience the pleasure that Man tastes. And Man is also granted the option, to have superior and eternal pleasures, in the hereafter, should he choose to strive for them. We must be grateful for every experience of pleasure that Allah bestows – be it a beautiful sight, a gentle breeze, a sip of cold water on a hot day, a smile from a loved one, a reassuring pat from a friend, or the intense connection felt during worship. Say Syukrulillah, Syukran Ya Allah, Alhamdulillah ya Rabbi.

• The pleasure of the hereafter is especially blissful, because it is a pure pleasure, unlike the pleasure we experience in this world, which is mixed with sadness and bitterness. Maulana says, in this worldly life, we are struck by arrows of pain and sorrow, of hurt and suffering, and these arrows are continuous throughout our lives. No sooner have we removed one arrow, when the next one strikes. Some arrows are poisoned arrows, says Maulana, in which the pain of what others have done to us, resides in our hearts till our last breath! So, with this background of bitterness and sadness, the pleasure of dunia is muted and less enjoyable, but the pleasure in the hereafter, will be pure, unadulterated happiness. Life in dunia is bittersweet, life in akherat is pure sweetness!

• So often, we are hit by these poisoned arrows, and we cry out, “Why?” Allah made this life bitter, so that we will learn to appreciate the sweetness of the next life. Allah Almighty is saying to His servants, “I am coming and taking you to new territories of My endless oceans that I am going to grant to you, and you may understand real sweetness of that life, through this life’s sufferings.” This is a very important lesson, says Maulana.

• Maulana gives a graphic description of death for us to ponder about. A human being’s life becomes narrower and narrower, until he comes to the last breaths, the Sakaratul Maut, the Agony of Death. At that point, the last breath is very difficult, the reality of death brings a cloud of intense sadness over the dying person, it is so heavy for him at that moment, it is very difficult. In the last few moments, when the Angels are shaking the body to extract the Soul, it is the most difficult moment of a person’s life. Maulana says that, you will not understand the meaning of eternity now, but at that last moment when your soul is leaving your physical being, you will finally understand what it really means. At that moment, your worldly life is going to end, but a moment after death, a new world emerges, and that moment will last endlessly for you. That is eternity.

• Once you pass through this narrow door of death, for believers, a new opening emerges, it is an opening filled with pleasures, filled with happiness, filled with light – oceans of eternal fulfillment and satisfaction. But for an unbeliever who had rejected the eternal life, he is plunged into a ever-narrowing chasm, into eternal darkness, a darkness that grows more and more constricting, and becomes darker and darker, for all of eternity. It is an ocean of suffering and sadness. Maulana says, that is a very sorrowful end, a very fearful end, for any human being.

• For that reason, Allah sent His Prophets and Saints to call out to us, “Come and believe, come and follow, come with us and accept our real guidance, we are taking you to realms of enlightenment of the Lord of Heavens, where what is granted to you will never diminish/lessen.” Those who aren’t seeking the eternal life, those drunk with this life’s temporary pleasures, or those whose hearts are set on attaining dunia as their main goal of existence – they are destined for the dark territories. Follow the Prophets and reach the realm of enlightenment, and remain there for eternity, for eternity, for eternity! Ask for the eternal life, oh people!

• Allah is Most Rich, Al-Ghani. He did not create just one earth, so many such earths have been created, each with its own unique creatures that were not found on other ‘earths’. And the creatures of all these separate worlds were all in praise of Allah. These earths have met their Qiyamat, which is why we say Maliki yaumiddeeen, as the people of these other earths have been judged, and they are either basking in the ecstasy of eternal enlightenment, or regretting in the suffering of eternal rejection. Billions upon billions of humans have faced Judgement, ours is next, so choose your ending.

• We must understand that our Lord is not Poor, He is not like us, and we must understand our Lord’s existence, His Names, His Attributes – all are oceans of knowledge, Azaliyyun abadiyyun sarmadiyyun, from pre-eternity to eternity, neither of which we truly understand. Maulana invites us to prepare ourselves for heavenly levels, and he tell us not to insist on remaining at the lowest rung in life, that of animals. Animals are only concerned about eating, drinking and reproducing. If we do not ponder and learn about Allah’s true greatness, then we become just like animals, there is no honour in that. Every one of Allah’s infinite creations shows us more and more about His greatness, according to our abilities to understand. Follow Holy ones, for they will guide you and carry you higher and higher in heavenly stations, and each level opens a new frontier of happiness and pleasure. Remember, we were not created for this dunia, we were created for Servanthood!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

7th March 2010, Sunday

What determines a person’s true value

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana began this Suhbah, by asking for the support of the pious ones, who are a rare breed today, for despite there being billions of humans alive, there is only a handful of pious ones. One who is with such pious ones, has good tidings awaiting him. He then recited A’uzubillah himinasy syaitan nirrajeem, reminding us that it is heavenly protocol that a servant always seeks Divine help against this accursed enemy.

• Maulana then recited Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. Maulana says we must have faith in the Names of Allah contained within this Ayat, and if at any time we desired heavenly help and support, recite this Ayat, and you shall be granted what you seek. One who recites it, the treasures of dunia and akherat will be open to him, the treasures of the heavens and the earth will be placed before him.

• Each time you recite Bismillah, you are knocking on the Divine door, for none can draw near without that recitation. With that recitation, a connection is made, and a response from the guardian Angel is given to you, “Why are you here? What do you seek?”

• Some people ask for frivolous things, gifts of no value – they ask for dunia! The Guardian Angel then says, “Why do you ask for such worthless things? You should ask for something that has value in the eyes of Allah and his Rasul (saw)!” The Prophet (saw) then instructs the Angel, “Give him something of what he wants, he is one who is heedless.” Just like children who go to a shopkeeper seeking some sweets, and the shopkeeper tosses the child a sweet or two, these are people devoid of understanding, they come to the Divine Presence, seeking worthless trash, when before them lies the treasures of dunia and akherat, of the earth and the heavens.

• The value of a human being in the Divine presence is determined by what he desires, by what he asks from Allah. Each human being is measured on a Divine scale, and at the bottom of this scale, are those who desire and seek fervently of this worldly pleasures and comforts. Such a person, Maulana says, is either an ignorant one, or a heedless one, or one with a psychological problem, or simply a mindless one – they are not aware about what they are seeking from Allah.

• Higher up on that scale, are those who seek the gifts of akherat. And who is at the top of this Divine Scale? He who says “La Maqsud illallah, we seek only YOU, ya Allah.” These servants do not desire dunia, they do not even desire akherat, they only desire His Divine pleasure – these are humans with the greatest value in Divine Judgement, they are at the highest point on the Divine Scale.

• So many people seek the best of life in this dunia. They seek big houses, expensive cars and branded goods. Why? What is the point of asking Allah for a palace on earth? If such a palace was built to raise an Islamic Sultanate, that is acceptable, but if it is for your ego’s sake, it has no value in Allah’s eyes. Any action done to please the ego, displeases Allah, and is rejected. So strive against your ego, to please Allah. One who reaches the Divine door, and seeks dunia, the Angel says, “Take the dunia that you seek, and go. You have reached the Divine door, and you ask for such things? Do you not have a mind? Take and go, you are a slave to shaitan!”

• Maulana says this is an important lesson for us all, we must know our adab when we ask from Allah, the Most Generous, we must know what to ask for. Maulana says it is Grand Shaykh’s instruction that he explain to us the true worthlessness of dunia, because each human being is chasing dunia with all his might, clinging to it and so reluctant to part with it.

• For example, the zakat rate is 1 dinar out of 40 dinars, yet so many a reluctant to give. Maulana says we should give 1 dinar to cleanse our egos, and the remaining 39 dinars should be spent to seek Allah’s pleasure. Allah says, “What is with you, will disappear, but what is with Me, will remain for eternity.” In a hadees Qudsi, Allah said “When someone asks from you, give, never fear that the Lord of the Arash will leave you poor.” If Man gave freely of what Allah has bestowed on him, there would be no hunger, no poverty and no homelessness on earth. Do you not fear the Day when you will stand before Allah, and He will ask you, “How did you use the riches that I bestowed upon you?” What is the point of having 100 billion dollars in the bank? Do you not remember the story of Qarun in the Qur’an? He was given so much wealth and treasures, yet he was stingy and proud. In doing so, he incurred Allah’s wrath, and Allah caused him to be swallowed by the earth. Each day, an Angel descends upon his grave, and says to him, “Oh Qarun, you should be ashamed of yourself, you were given so much by Allah, but you never helped those in need. You never followed the path of Nabi Musa (as).”

• An infant is born into this world, with his hands clenched. Maulana says, this is because every human being wants to gather, harness and control as much of this dunia as he possibly can, in his short stint in dunia. But each human being dies, with his hands open, palms empty, bringing nothing from this dunia. That is why, Alexandra the Great, just before he died, instructed his generals, to carry his coffin, with his hands placed outside the coffin, so that all his citizens could see his open, empty palms, carrying nothing from this worldly life, into the afterlife.

• Remember, you bring nothing from this life to the next world, except what you spend for His pleasure. In today’s world, a person’s value is always measured by how much wealth he has. In the Divine Judgement, it is not so, your value is what you seek from Allah. So seek the journey that yields His pleasure, do your best to please Allah.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

6th March 2010, Saturday

Unlock your heart

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana asks us to doa, that our hearts are unlocked, to receive spiritual guidance. When the Prophet (saw) preached to the Jewish community, they said to him, “Our hearts are locked, wrapped up, we cannot accept your message.” They couldn’t bring themselves to open their hearts to accept the truth, so who can open such hardened and locked hearts? Allah! So why didn’t they beg Allah to do so?

يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ مَّا فَقَلِيۡلًا رِهِمۡ بِكُفۡ اللّٰهُ لَّعَنَهُمُ بَل غُلۡفٌ‌ؕ قُلُوۡبُنَا وَقَالُوۡا

They say “Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve Allah’s word we need no more).” Nay Allah’s curse is on them for their blasphemy; little is it they believe. (Quran 2:88)

• By saying that your hearts are locked, it does not diminish your responsibility in the Divine Presence when you return to him. Many humans today don’t say that their hearts are locked, but they behave in that manner – they place no importance on the afterlife at all.

• Many of the ancient Holy Books have been adulterated by Shaitan, and have been rewritten by humans, hence losing its Divine blessings. The ancient Torah came with a commentary from Nabi Musa (as), but the re-written thalmud that is used by the Bani Israel today, does not contain the Torah or its commentary.

• After the passing of Prophet Musa (as), hundreds of Prophets were sent, and they all referred to the original Torah and its commentary, to teach their communities.

• The Bani Israel (Children of Israel) are mentioned so very often in the Qur’an, and Allah advised them repeatedly to follow His guidance. The nature of Bani Israel, is that they killed many Prophets, and they even tried to crucify Nabi Isa (as), but Allah had replaced Nabi Isa (as) with a man who looked like him, and when the Jews had crucified him, they were in confusion if that crucified man was indeed Jesus, as his body was different from the Jesus whom they knew (although the face was similar). Until today, confusion reigns amongst the Christians too, some say he died, others say he is heaven, sitting on the Right of the Divine Throne. Maulana asks which Holy Book has ever stated that, and warned about deviations introduced into the religion by shaitan. The Holy Qur’an cleared this matter, clearly stating that Nabi Isa (as) was neither killed nor crucified.

• Nabi Muhammad (saw) and Nabi Musa (as) both brought a Holy Book, and a Sword, unlike Jesus, who turned the other cheek.

• Maulana asks, if you find a treasure chest that is locked, would you simply walk away from it? If the chest contained all the wealth that you desire, would you leave it and pretend that it didn’t interest you? If you knew that Rasulullah (saw) brought good tidings, brought heavenly treasures, surely you would make an effort to unlock this chest of gifts! You would seek out the missing key, to unlock all these heavenly treasures. Many Bani Israel reject Rasulullah (saw), saying that they are loyal followers of Nabi Musa (as), but Nabi Musa (as) himself is following Rasulullah (saw)!

• It is strange that those who claim not to understand Rasulullah’s message, understand their worldly dealings perfectly. Bani Israel were enemies with all the Prophets sent to them, due to their love for dunia. That love of dunia, locks up human hearts! If they do not accept the message in dunia, they will accept it in akherat, for when the Bani Israel sees the Arash at Masyar, they will say, “My heart accepts now.” On that Day, Rasulullah, Allah’s Most Beloved, will sit on the Divine Throne, representing Allah, for he is the Waseelah, who will be given the Maqam Mahmuda, as we pray for him, after each Azan.

• Ask Rasulullah (saw) to unlock your heart, but the proud ones are too busy with their worldly life to bother.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

5th March 2010, Friday

Turn your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us to honour Fridays, even the Christians honour Good Friday, but for us, all Fridays are good! The Jews honour Saturday, the Christians honour Sunday, but Maulana says that Friday comes before Saturday and Sunday in the week, hence it is an honour that our holy Day precedes theirs.

• Every Friday in Paradise, Allah will invite ahlul Jannah to a Divine feast, to bask in tajalli azam, so Juma’ah is honoured, not only in this dunia, but also in akherat. Each Friday in Paradise, these blessings are increased and multiplied, the inhabitants of Jannah receiving never ending pleasure and honour, each Friday!

• People of this century, are heedless ones, idiots, says Maulana, as they pay no attention to the hereafter, and what lies beyond it. Maulana sent salams on those who were taking care of their Fridays, to honour it, and he reminds us to beg Allah for protection from shaitan always , recite “Oh our Lord, protect us!” It is easy for Allah to send a tiny virus, specifically for shaitans, that would easily wipe out billions of these accursed creatures. A small creature can wreak massive havoc if supported by Divine Will, just like the tiny atoms in an atomic bomb causing such devastation when detonated.

• We are in the Last Days now, officially, the chain of events that will unfold as we come to the Day of Qiyamat and Resurrection, has already been set in motion. Like a train on the tracks that sounds its whistle to indicate that it is arriving at a station, we are already in that period, the final train is arriving at the final station, the Heavenly Forces are poised to strike. Once these heavenly Forces descend, Man will see things he has never seen, he will know things that he has never known, and will he will hear things that he has never heard. So take heed, come to Servanthood to your Lord, only that can save you.

• Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

ٱلۡحَرَامِ‌ۚ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ شَطۡرَ وَجۡهَكَ فَوَلِّ خَرَجۡتَ حَيۡثُ وَمِنۡ

So from whencesoever thou startest forth, turn thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque (Quran 2:150)

• In the olden days, Man worshipped idols, like Zeus. Today, Man has made dunia (the pursuit of wealth and power) as their idol, and they have made dunia their support! Allah says, turn your face to Baitullah, the Ka’aba, the House of the Lord. Discard all the worldly idols from your life, stop making this worldly pursuit you main aim in life, and stop making your worldly treasures your support!

• Many countries are in crisis, and even those countries that others depend on, have fallen into massive debt. That is what happens when you put your faith in dunia. If the world’s banking and monetary system, had followed the Islamic principles of using gold instead of paper money, this current crisis could have been averted.

• As long as you are yearning and striving for this dunia, you cannot save yourself in this world and in the hereafter. Allah’s command to turn your faces to the House of the Lord, means to make heavenly goals your ultimate target in life. Though we cannot see the Ka’aba with our eyes from here, train the gaze of your spiritual eyes of the heart, on the Ka’aba, make the seeking of Divine pleasure, the attaining of Servanthood, as the reason for your existence on earth.

• What is the Ka’aba? Is it simply a four-walled structure built by Nabi Ibrahim (as) and Nabi Ismail (as)? No, it represents a Divine destination that we must aim to reach. It is a source of heavenly support from which we must tap – leave worldly supports, they are miniscule.

• Today, on almost every continent, there is a war. In Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, Africa….what are these war-mongers seeking? “We must come to power,” they say. Power, asks Maulana? Look at this Ayat:

ضَعِيفً۬ا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُ وَخُلِقَ

For man was created weak (Quran 4:28)

• So what sort of power do they seek, when Allah has created Man, weak creatures? Man is weak, and only when Allah sends his help and support, will he attain strength!

إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: if He forsakes you, who is there after that that can help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust. (Quran 3:160)

• Look at the Seal of Prophets (saw), he was orphaned at a tender age of five – his father passed away when he was still in the womb, and his mother died when he was between four and five years old. Look at that helpless child born in an unknown desert, having no education or worldly riches, living amongst idol worshippers and warring tribes, he was alone, with no one to support him, only Allah. Many illustrious Kings in history, had massive armies and majestic palaces, yet where are they today? Like a shooting star, their star burned bright for a brief period in history, before they disappeared into oblivion. And what about Rasulullah (saw)? Coming from such a unlikely place, without any education, army or family, he succeeded! His name is remembered by billions around the world since that time, and we are all reciting Allahu Akbar, La ila ha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah (saw) because of him! Powerful Kings have disappeared (we don’t even know many of their names!), but that weak orphan has brought his message to billions. Maulana asks, who helped him? Who supported him?

• Without heavenly support, you will not be able to progress in your spiritual journey, and without support, Maulana says that he cannot even give one Suhbah! We are in need of constant heavenly support.

• Why are Muslim Nations of the world buying more and more weapons? Like fools, they spend billions of dollars on the latest weapons, when that money could be put to better use. We do not need weapons, we need to have faith in heavenly support. When a Companion of the Prophet (saw), Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas led a small Muslim army from Medina, to spread Nurul Islam to Iraq, they reached the Tigris river, and had no means to cross it. The Persian armies, under Qisra, waited on the other bank, far out-numbering the Muslims, who occupied just two kilometers of the bank. Sa’ad read, “Bismillahi tawakkaltu ‘allallah” and the entire Muslim army, with their horses and weapons, galloped across the river, on its surface, towards the horrified enemy who fled in defeat, as they thought they were up against an army of Jinns! The small Muslim army marched all the way to Teheran, victorious, never troubled by larger and better equipped armies. So heavenly support, suffices!

• The Prophet (saw) said that a Muslim army of 20 000, can never be defeated, they shall certainly be victorious. Why aren’t we seeing this now? Muslims have lost their faith in heavenly support, we run from pig flu and erupting volcanoes, we tremble before dunia and love it so dearly, we have lost our way in the worldly wilderness. Oh Muslims, Maulana says, believe in Allah and His Rasul (saw), depend on His support, and you shall be saved! Those who follow this heavenly advice will be saved; those who reject it, will fall into Jahannam.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

4th March 2010, Thursday

The Secret to Understanding a Suhbah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana warns us about shaitan’s dedicated helpers, who walk in his footsteps diligently, whose every step is to mislead you. Seek refuge in Allah from such accursed ones.

• There is a particular intimate conversation between Nabi Musa (as) and Allah, from which we can draw a beautiful and inspirational lesson.

وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَى

And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?” (Quran 20:17)

قَالَ هِيَ عَصَايَ أَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَيْهَا وَأَهُشُّ بِهَا عَلَى غَنَمِي وَلِيَ فِيهَا مَآرِبُ أُخْرَى

He said “It is my rod: on it I lean; with it I beat down fodder for my flocks; and in it I find other uses.” (Quran 20:18)

• Allah asked Nabi Musa (as), what was in his right hand? Did He not know what was in Nabi Musa’s (as) hand? For sure He did. Nabi Musa (as) then went on to explain in great detail to Allah what the stick was used for. Was such an explanation necessary? No.

• Nabi Musa (as) should have replied, “You know better, Oh Allah!” Allah deliberately placed this example in the Holy Qur’an to teach us from the Ummat of Muhammad (saw), the adab of behaving before Allah, we must always say, “You know better, Oh Allah!” We must always submit every matter to Allah.

• In today’s highly intellectual world, everyone wants to teach his Lord, like Moses in the Ayat above! Each one wants to dictate Divine Will and Wisdom to bend our way, to favour us, we wish for events to follow our bidding, we want to guide Allah on how best to help us! Man today uses his mind to create new Innovations in Islam, and they invent new theories and ideas about Allah and his Rasul (saw), leading people astray.

• The Awliya (Saints) do not use their minds to invent new ideas. They follow guided ones, who open new levels of understanding for them, they study from all that goes on around them, hence their spiritual levels are always ascending. Book-based scholars, they use their minds to try to create new understandings, and they are never ascending with that sort of knowledge. Moses (as) answered with his mind, failing to understand that such a question needed no answer.

• Prophet Muhammad (saw) showed us what complete submission is all about. During the Night Ascension (Mikraj), Rasulullah (saw) was accompanied by many of the well-known Angels, they were unable to accompany Rasulullah to the Divine presence, the world of Lahoot (Divinity), for Rasulullah (saw) was about to be bestowed the greatest honour known to creation, his physical/spiritual self went through a transformation, Rasulullah (saw) was dressed in his real being.

• Allah said, “Only I exist, there is none but ME. Come, Oh My Beloved! Draw near, Oh Beloved One!” Rasulullah (saw) recounted that when Allah said those words, Sayyidina Jibrail (as) fell into prostration, like a mat on the floor, he was unable to stand, for fear/awe of Allah.

• At this point, Maulana asked scholars who were against honouring the Prophet (saw), some who even forbade the recitation of Sayyidina before reciting the name Muhammad – who was the One who had welcomed Rasulullah (saw) into the Divine Presence? Isn’t it an unprecedented honour to be received by the Lord Almighty Himself? If Allah is bestowing Rasulullah (saw) such unmatched honour, why are some jealous scholars declaring that respect to the Prophet (saw), is shirik (blasphemy)? No Prophet or Saint has ever disrespected Rasulullah (saw)!

• Allah said, “Draw near, welcome, Oh Beloved One, I am welcoming you!” Allah then asked Rasulullah (saw), “Who are you?” to which Rasulullah (saw) replied, “You, Oh Allah!” Maulana says, that is the ultimate Station of Oneness, Wajibul Wujud, the purest witnessing of Tauhid (Oneness). Rasulullah (saw) was the only Creation to reach that point, all others have only come to a vague understanding of Tauhid. Only Allah is in existence, the entire Creation is His Shadow, His reflection in the Divine Mirror.

• Look at your shadow, as you stand in the Sun – is it real, like you? Or imagine that you are standing between two mirrors that face each other. There will be infinite images of you in the mirrors, but only ONE real you, and all those images are powerless and helpless, they cannot move unless YOU move, they don’t really exist, but YOU do! So Maulana says La Maujuda Illallah, none exists, except Him.

• So the Prophet’s (saw) answer, was 100% Tauhid, Haqiqatul Tauhid. Allah said to Rasulullah (saw), “Draw near!” to which Rasulullah (saw) replied, “There is none here, only You exist.” Allah had taught Rasulullah (saw) the highest adab, as compared to the answer that Nabi Musa (as) had given above, where he explained the use of his staff. Compare the two responses, to understand the Ocean of Knowledge that lies therein.

• In reality, Allah Almighty, had welcomed Himself, “Welcome to Me!” but that is another Ocean altogether, not one Ocean, but Oceans within Oceans, Allahu Akbar, says Maulana.

• In conclusion, Maulana says that, we must give to each, his rights, do not withhold them, for that is from shaitan. Shaitan desired what was Rasulullah’s (saw) right, and when he was denied, he became drunk, and he created fitnah (confusion).

• Finally Maulana revealed the secret to understanding his Suhbahs! Attend without your ego, then you shall understand. If you come with a full cup, and a I-know-everything attitude, you will never understand the Suhbah. Your ego always guides you to the wrong understanding, the wrong attitude, the wrong action and the wrong intention. So beware the ego, leave it when you come to learn, don’t try to teach Allah, but come and learn humbly, from Him.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

3rd March 2010, Wednesday

Maulana reveals the CROWN of all knowledge

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that some attendees complain of not being able to understand him. He says that knowledge is of different categories, just like medicine – some are for infants and some are for adults – the dosages and potency of the medicine are different. Similarly, if Maulana were to teach a young child about adulthood, the child may be able to understand the portions of the lesson, concerning the physical aspects of adulthood, but it would be impossible for him to understand about the emotional urges of adults. Maulana’s lessons are meant for a broad world-wide audience, so there will be portions that we will be able to understand if we try, though there may be other parts that are beyond us for now, just like the child in the example above. If we understand absolutely nothing, then we are at the level of animals, for they too understand nothing.

• To understand something, we must listen to the same matter many times. Maulana gave an example of a famous Arabic teacher, who honed his skills by teaching his goat. Each time he asked his goat if it understood the lesson, the goat simply bleated, and the teacher would repeat the lesson. Eventually, with such regular repetitions, he became an expert in Arabic. Today, we are like goats, bleating, without understanding, during each Suhbah. So do try to understand, you can only teach something that you have learnt and understood! You must at least understand that you are not a donkey or a wolf, and that you are Bani Adam, with a purpose in your creation, for every creation has a purpose.

• Maulana said that, after Allah announced to the Angels that He was going to place Man as a Khalifa on earth, the Angels came to know that Man was a violent beast, a merciless killer, a terrible creature, a wild and unrestrained being – they were astonished at Allah’s decision. And though outwardly, they said, “Oh Allah, You know best,” inwardly, they were shocked and aghast at how such a creature could represent Allah. Here is an important lesson – that we should have unwavering faith in Allah’s decisions, in His Will and in His Wisdom – and not let our puny minds and shallow knowledge, cloud our acceptance of His Judgement.

• To prove His point to the puzzled/doubting Angels, Allah taught Adam (as) the names of all things in the creation, and when the Angels were made to face off with Adam (as), a newer creation than them, he was able to demonstrate the superior intellect that was Man’s crowning glory. Yet, here Maulana reveals a fact that we had not known before – that Adam (as), was merely taught the names of these objects, but not the use/function/reality/secrets of that object/creature. Maulana says, it is like being shown a cup, and being told its name – but you have no idea what it does, how to use it or why we need it. Another example Maulana cites is the Sun. We all know that there is a Sun in the sky, we know the shape and perceived temperature of the Sun, but in reality, we do not know the actual secret of its creation – how it stays suspended in the sky, how it generates heat and light, how it goes about its daily task or how it came into existence. Even the Sun itself does not understand what it really is. Only Allah, its Creator knows. An important lesson here too, is that every creation has a name, even individual atoms have distinct names.

• Let us compare this with the knowledge that was bestowed on Rasulullah (saw). He was taught the function, reality and secrets of all creation, not just about the outer form, like Nabi Adam (as) was taught. Nabi Adam (as) knew the name, Rasulullah (saw) knew the entire being behind the name, he was given an ocean of knowledge for each creature/object in creation! Rasulullah (saw) said, “My Lord granted me knowledge of the real identities of everything.”

• Look at the honour Allah has bestowed on Adam (as) and Bani Adam. It is an honour beyond what the Angels have, it is the biggest honour in creation to be His Khalifa. It is this honour, that shaitan wanted for himself and was denied, and that has made him into Man’s fiercest enemy. Shaitan is the most dangerous enemy that Man has to face in this worldly life, he is far more dangerous than a cobra or a tiger. In fact, the dangers posed by these wild creatures are only a drop from the ocean of the dangers posed to us by shaitan! So beware, says Maulana, the ultimate enemy of Man is shaitan.

اَلَمۡ اَعۡهَدۡ اِلَيۡكُمۡ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ اَنۡ لَّا تَعۡبُدُوا الشَّيۡطٰنَ‌‌ۚ اِنَّهٗ لَـكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيۡنٌ

Did I not enjoin on you, O ye children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed? (Quran 36:60)

• It is clear to us why shaitan is our most terrible enemy, for we have been bestowed what he desired for himself. But Maulana asks another question, which he says, is ajaib, so amazing and so subtle. Why is Man an enemy to his fellow Man? All of Man has been honoured by Allah, yet why are we living with enmity to each other? Humans who have graduated from shaitanic schools of thought, they are against humanity, they are against the honour of fellow Man. Man, who has been granted such honour and glory in the Heavenly Presence of the Lord of Heavens, they are striving against each other, living as enemies. What sort of foolishness is this?

• Today, the main aim of billions of humans is this – enmity and hatred for fellow Man! We can understand shaitan’s enmity for all humans, be they young or old, since we have been granted honour over him. But Man’s enmity towards another Man is truly an amazing phenomenon, for we are all recipients of this honour.

• Is such despicable, shaitanic behavior befitting us humans? Were we given immeasurable honour and respect, just to come to earth and exist as enemies to fellow honoured ones? Identify the reasons for your hatred, racism and enmity – those are shaitanic traits that you must remove from yourself. Every word, act or intention, that leads you to enmity, leads you to Hell. Allah has said in the Qur’an, that shaitan is our enemy, so anyone with enmity to Man, even if it is his fellow Man, is a shaitan himself.

• Maulana tells us to pray that we remain untouched by shaitan’s dirtiness, for shaitan contaminates Man’s understanding, breeding hatred and enmity.

• Ponder over this lesson, it is the Crown of all knowledge. Whoever lives without enmity, will inherit Paradise. Whoever lives with enmity for his fellow Man, will be bound for Jahannam, just like shaitan.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

2nd March 2010, Tuesday

The Key to unlock the Powers of your Soul

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that we are living in a world of possibilities, a world where everything occurs for a reason and because of a reason, an asbab. That is a characteristic of this worldly life, and it is completely different from the characteristics of the heavenly realms.

• In life, what Allah places before us, are choices. We have to make the right choice in order to benefit. Maulana says that it is like a huge table filled with all kinds of food, and we are free to pick and choose, which ones we want to eat.

• On one side of the table, there is heavenly food, food for the soul, every single nourishment that is needed by our spiritual selves, is found there, nothing is missing. Prophets and True Guides (Saints) beckon and welcome us to this side of the table, so that we may partake of its goodness. However, many reject the heavenly invitations by these guided ones, as the journey to that side of the table, is difficult and arduous, there are many terms and conditions to be met before we can get the food. Maulana reminds us that, if we wish to achieve goodness, we must be prepared to take the difficult route (doing good deeds, rejecting evil, cleansing the heart, denying the ego etc), as it leads us to this heavenly refreshment.

• The other side of the table is filled with fast-food, or take-away instant food, and shaitan calls to this side of the table. The journey to this side is quick and easy, so it is favoured by almost all humans. We all know that fast-food and instant food have low nutritional value and have many harmful additives – so this type of spiritual food that shaitan calls us to, is devoid of heavenly blessings or barokah. Humans are lazy, they want instant results, they want quick gratification, they want the maximum pleasure, from the minimum of effort. They say, “Why go through long spiritual training to cleanse the heart? Why not just read a book of Sufism and become a master overnight! Immediate spiritual elevation!”

• How did Man become so lazy? From the modern technology around us! Technology has made us lazy creatures, we press buttons to execute our commands – from the tv remote, to the flying of an aeroplane. Some may argue, that technology is a great blessing for Mankind. For example, this Suhbah takes just seconds to be transmitted around the globe; it would have taken so much longer the traditional way, without the internet. So why does Maulana say that technology is a tool of shaitan?

• It is because Man has become so dependent on technology, that he has lost faith in spirituality. Maulana says to look at the Companions. They had no technology, yet, because of their high spirituality, they could perform feats in space and time, that far exceed today’s gadgets. They could see the Preserved tablet and execute what was written there. Can we see? No, because we are blind, Maulana says. Does Man possess any technology today that can see the Tablet? Again, the answer is no. So, a human being’s spiritual powers are far greater than any technology today, Maulana says it is a hundred times greater!

• The Prophet (saw) performed the Mikraj, without the help of a rocket or a space shuttle. How did he do it? In fact, Maulana says, if indeed the Prophet had depended on worldly/earthly help to fly there (i.e. in a rocket), he would have taken billions of years to reach the seven heavens. Yet Rasulullah (saw) reached in the blink of an eye. Look at how vastly superior our spiritual power is over any so-called ‘modern’ invention.

• Technology can makes things easy for our physical bodies, but it cannot raise the spirituality of the soul. Look at a dead man, can technology revive him from death? No, so it is clear that Man must develop his spiritual being, in order to rise to the Divine presence. Maulana says that you cannot even rise one foot off the ground, with all the technology on earth, so leave the shaitanic side of the table, and choose to follow the heavenly guides to the spiritual food on their side of the table. If you go to the shaitanic side, you will be one who has no faith in spiritual powers, you depend completely on worldly technology, you are reduced to a person whose identity and personality has been clouded by laziness and weakness. Look at how many couch potatoes just sit watching tv and playing games, snacking and idling precious time away, oblivious to the purpose of their existence. Is that honour, Maulana asks?

• Man is a special being, he carries Allah’s secret, he has one foot on earth and one foot in the heavens, he is both a physical creature needing worldly nourishment and endowed with earthly strengths yet he is also a spiritual being, needing spiritual nourishment and gifted with spiritual powers in his soul, the magnitude of which far exceeds his physical strengths. Everyone of us has that incredible spiritual power, each according to his Station.

• Oh Believers, you are always being invited to the table laden with spiritual food, you are never cut off from it, and daily, your Lord Almighty adds new food to that table, more invigorating and refreshing than previously. The Saints invite us to have faith in the spiritual powers of our souls, and they are never heedless of our needs, they know exactly what to feed us, how much to feed us and when to do so. The Saint assigned to us on the Day of Promises, holds our spiritual key, he will take us from level to level, so that our understanding is developed until we discover the secrets within ourselves.

• Maulana related a beautiful story that he had heard from Grand Shaykh, of a great Saint, Ahmad Al-Badawi, who was able to hear the Divine Speech. He said, “Oh Allah, I would like to look at You, I hear Your sweet speech, please let me see You,” and Allah said to him, “Prepare yourself, and come!” Ahmad was then approached by a humble, unknown person, who said to him, “Ahmad, you are asking for heavenly stations, I hold your spiritual key, come and take it from me,” to which Ahmad replied, “No, I shall not take it from you, I am not in need of your Key, I shall take my key, directly from Allah.” When Ahmad made supplication (doa) to Allah again, Allah said to him, “I had already sent the Key to you through my servant, but you rejected it, that is very bad adab.” Ahmad then went in search of the Key holder and when he found him, his Teacher took away all his knowledge, until he could not even recite the Qur’an anymore. Eventually, after much hardship, he was given his Spiritual Key. If only he had just accepted it humbly when he was first offered it!

• So follow the Saint who holds your Key, follow him to the Divine Table Spread, grow in knowledge and understanding (spiritual food), and you will be given the Key to unlock your secret spiritual powers and reality. If you follow shaitan to the other side of the table, you will deny your spirituality and become a slave to technology. Twenty-first century humans have faith in material wealth and technology, they have no faith in spirituality. Your soul’s strength and power, lies in spirituality, not in material things!

Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Allah, Lord of us! Send down for us a table spread with food from heaven, that it may be a feast for us, for the first of us and for the last of us, and a sign from Thee. Give us sustenance, for Thou art the Best of Sustainers. Allah said: Lo! I send it down for you. And whoso disbelieveth of you afterward, him surely will I punish with a punishment wherewith I have not punished any of (My) creatures. (Quran 5:114,115)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

1st March 2010, Monday

Leave your fantasy, come to reality

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• There are two types of support for humans – heavenly support and worldly (material) support. Billions of humans cling strongly to material support – they depend completely on wealth and power. They believe that these earthly treasures are their keys to an endless life on earth, for once Man has tasted the refreshing pleasures of this earthly life, he wants to live forever. The analogy of one depending on material support, is like a man depending on an ant for help, says Maulana.

• True believers know this, and they seek heavenly support (madad) always. Hence, there is knowledge that is known to believers, which is not known to the unbelievers, and believers understand something of their worldly missions (to different extents), as compared to unbelievers, who have no understanding at all about their reason for existence.

• As believers, you must know what religion (deen) is about. The Prophet (saw) said, “Ad-deenu naseehah,” which means, “This religion is about advising (one another).” So whenever believers meet, it is important that they advise one another, advice is actually a heavenly support that protects and guides those who accept it. So seek out good advice (like these Suhbahs), it is a heavenly support for you!

• Since advice is a heavenly support, it comes from the heavens, not from this dunia. Philosophers give ‘advice’ from their minds, such ‘advice’ is from dunia, and it is not a form of heavenly support, it is simply a creation of disturbed and foolish minds. Maulana says, philosophers are unstable and fickle people, whose opinions change repeatedly – they may have one idea during the night, and a different one during the day, or they may have one idea when they are hungry, and yet another when they are full, or they may have one idea during summer, but a completely opposing one during winter. So such people, are graduates from Shaitan’s Academy, they are at the lowest point of understanding (since they reject Islam), and their preachings have spread much unbelief and confusion amongst humans today. Incredibly, these day-dreamers are much sought after by equally foolish individuals, who wish to hear their new-fangled philosophies of life. They live in a world of make-believe, and they reject reality, just like shaitan.

• Iblis is a great day-dreamer and fantasizer, he is the creature with the greatest ego amongst the creation. Before he knew that Rasulullah (saw) was going to be Allah’s Representative in this Universe, he was already imagining, that he would be chosen to be master of the Universe, to Represent his Lord. He fancied himself as the best choice, as his ego was egging him on, and he continued in that day-dream, for a long time. “This Universe needs a master, and I may be that One, I would like that One to be me!” shaitan imagined.

• Yet, when the reality dawned upon him, that the chosen One was Sayyidina Muhammad (saw), he exploded in anger! He could not accept reality, for it was not as he had imagined it to be. He wanted what he was fantasizing about, to be the reality.

• How often have our day-dreams been shattered by reality? A man may imagine that he would be victorious in an election, but the reality when the votes had been tallied, may simply be a crushing defeat. Another man may day-dream of becoming King one day, yet he may remain a common peasant all his life. So fantasy and reality are worlds apart, we must learn to reject our make-believe castle-in-the-air, and accept the reality of what Allah has destined before us!

• Seek heavenly knowledge, as it leads to reality. Shaitanic knowledge leads to fantasies. When Allah commanded Iblis to prostrate to Adam (as), Iblis said, “That is the wrong order, You may command all of creation to bow to Adam (as), but not me, for in my imaginary world, which, in my understanding, is real , the actual Master for whole Creation, is me. You are ordering me to deny my imagination and to accept this? I am refusing to!”

• Maulana said Astaghfirullah, when he recounted the audacity of iblis to say such a thing to his Lord. Yet today, billions are following in iblis’ footsteps, following philosophers with fancy, nonsensical, fickle ideas, just like a chameleon, who is always changing its skin colour to match its background. Each day, false guides create new ideas, spreading darkness and falsehood, the fruits of their egoistic imagination.

• Oh people, your generation of humans live in a world of imagination, but you were not created to live in fantasy, you were created to live in and to accept, reality – and that reality is – you are Allah’s servants. By following shaitan’s ways, you are fighting your Lord’s Will, and you will be drowned in difficulties and afflictions. Man’s ego loves to imagine himself as the leader, he wants to be followed by others, he does not like to follow. Tyrants want to be hailed by their citizens, and they also want other countries to follow their leadership, yet in reality, they are leading their people to the Fire.

• Every fantasy that you imagine, always depicts you as the top dog, the idolized one around whom all else gravitate towards. Your ego loves that, and is reluctant to be brought down to earth by reality, so it will resist all your efforts to accept reality.

• Those who reject reality, will be visited by their Lord’s punishments – just look at the frequency of earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis, today.

• Scholars must give advice to the masses, as religion is advice, and many people need to be saved from deviant ideologies and heavenly chastisement! Instead of debating on petty things like whether a hadees is strong or weak (dhaif), just take from the vast Al Quran itself and advise! So many Muslim nations are now adopting the ways of the unbelievers – it is a terrible tragedy, as the ways of Islam are blessed and has Divine support, whilst the Western ways are human creations, devoid of heavenly support or benefit. So many Muslims have also become Shaitan’s followers. Oh Scholars, teach the Ummah to fear Allah!

• Maulana reminds us that we are still in the blessed month of Rabi’ul Awwal, he says the seven heavens are bedecked with lights and decorations to celebrate Maulid, so what are we doing to celebrate the birthday of Allah’s beloved? Look at how Christians celebrate the birthday of Nabi Isa (as), with so much gaiety and love, yet some Muslims disregard the Maulid celebrations, even labeling them as Innovations (bida’ah). And these same Muslims, would actually pay more attention to their children’s birthdays, than the Prophet’s (saw)!

• As for such people who scornfully belittle Rasulullah (saw), Maulana has some advice for them to mull over. The perfection of faith, for all previous Ummahs of each Prophet (saw), was for them to have faith in Rasulullah (saw). For example, the Bani Israel would recite, ‘La ila ha illallah, Musa Rasulullah, Muhammadur Rasulullah wa Habibullah wa Abdullah” And Prophet Nuh’s (as) Ark would never have made it through the Great Deluge, had he not recited ‘Muhammadur Rasulullah.’

• So Maulana’s advice for all of humanity is this: Don’t follow philosophers or tyrants or false guides – they are all liars. You must follow heavenly ones, those endowed with heavenly support, you must follow the Prophet (saw) and his inheritors, and you may also follow his Companions, for Allah had said in the Holy Qur’an that He was pleased with them all, so do not belittle them either. Death is very near to us, the Day of Resurrection lies just ahead, so leave your fantasy, and come to reality – in that, lies your honour.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

27th February 2010, Saturday

Maulana reveals the Greatest Name of Allah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us to spare some time daily for our spiritual development, for our afterlife. We must focus on this aspect of our lives, and try to attain an understanding of Divine knowledge and support.

• We must recite A’uzubillahiminasy syaitan nirrajeem constantly, as that takes us away from Shaitan, for he represents all that is filthy, ugly, evil and disgusting. Every single evil and unacceptable trait of the worst possible behavior, exists within him. These are dangerous weapons in his arsenal, each capable of causing great harm to us, so Maulana reminds us to be always wary of him.

• A single poisoned arrow from shaitan is sufficient to destroy us, just like one bite from a venomous cobra. Everything within shaitan, and emerging from him, is poisonous. It may surprise us that Maulana repeats these warnings almost nightly, but he says, Allah commanded Rasulullah (saw) in the Holy Qur’an,

وَّذَكِّرۡ فَاِنَّ الذِّكۡرٰى تَنۡفَعُ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏

And remind (by preaching, O Muhammad {saw}) for verily, the reminding profits the believers (Quran 51:55)

• This advice is also directed at those who inherit from Rasulullah (saw), the Saints. Maulana reminds us to take every opportunity to advise one another, so that we do not forget to be on guard against shaitan. Man must always be reminded about how dangerous an enemy shaitan is, so that he will always seek Divine protection and be alert.

• A single hit from shaitan’s poisoned arsenal, would bring a profound change in your spirituality, often without you realizing it, for it is often a subtle and well disguised hit. After such a calamitous hit, you still look like a human being externally, but spiritually, you have become a devil in disguise. It is shaitan’s aim to dress every human being in such poisoned clothes, so as to cause them to be caught in a web of difficulties and suffering.

• Shaitan cannot allow us to develop spiritually and to achieve a high Station in death, as we will remain at that high level for eternity! We will remain at whatever Maqam we have achieved at the point of death, for eternity, so shaitan wants to bring us to the lowest levels before we die, so that we shall die in disgrace, and remain so for eternity.

• Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, all greatness is hidden in this recitation. If you wish for goodness in this world and in the hereafter, recite it, drink from the Ocean of Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem! Each recitation bring blessings from Allah’s Divine names, Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem, Maulana says these two names contain endless blessings that are poured into our hearts, the magnitude of which, is beyond human comprehension.

• To give us a glimpse into the treasures of Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, Maulana says that, whoever recites it 21 times before sleeping, would be sent to Paradise, if he died in his sleep that night!

• So many people go to Maulana, asking for Maulana’s help and doa because they are stressed. Maulana advises them to read Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. In fact, Maulana says that we go to him for help, only because we have yet to understand the power of Bismillah. Should we have understood, then Bismillah would have brought peace and tranquility into our hearts , it would have been sufficient for us, for all our needs in this world and in the hereafter. It is an Ocean of Light that has no shores, deliberately placed by Allah in this dunia, especially for Man’s needs.

• If you recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem 100 times daily, Allah bestows upon you, more power, an enhanced understanding and renews your strength. He also sends you His protection, and grants all your needs (hajat) for the afterlife. That is why the tongues of believers are always reciting it. If you were to fall into a problem, or if you are trying to remove some evil from yourself, or if you want to climb the ladder of spirituality, it is important to recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem.

• It is strange that Man is chasing this temporary life, which is worthless, despite knowing that each action in this life will be repaid. Recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, and you will be bestowed strength, honour, pleasure, support, protection and success, as it unlocks an Ocean of Divine gifts, for within Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem is hidden the Ismul A’zam, the Greatest Name of Allah.

• Man was created with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, so it strengthens you against evil influences. It removes fear from you and raises your Maqam. So befriend Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem.

• Shaitan tries his utmost to make you forget the recitation of Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, and he tries to remove your faith in its power, so that you would not be motivated to recite it. Shaitan teaches Man to disregard and to disrespect Bismillah. Begin every act with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, and evil cannot touch you here and in the hereafter. Every act that is started without Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, is cut off from Allah’s help. You must have faith in the hidden power of Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, it contains hidden power oceans and mercy oceans, it is truly the greatest Divine gift for Man, so teach your children to recite it from young.

• Man’s heart is like stone now, he is indifferent towards Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. In reality, stones, together with all plants and animals, recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. Only Man is forgetful of having to do so!

• Every meal that is started with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem is sweet and tasty, makes you healthy and strengthens you, and will lengthen you life. There is no need for expensive supplements to keep you young and healthy or to prolong life – Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem is sufficient!

• If Man were to believe in the power of Bismillah, and perform the recitation of Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, this world would be transformed 100%, this would be a world without suffering or problems, there would be no quarrels, sadness or stress! Hunger and thirst can be removed with its recitation, even anger and darkness of the heart. Your enemies are powerless before you, when you recite it, the door to the solution of every problem opens with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. Even if you fell into a deep ocean, cry out, “Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, Ya Allah, help me, I am in difficulties,” and He will save you.

• You must perform it, so that you may taste for yourself, its blessings, and develop an understanding of its treasures within your soul, until eventually, you are overcome by the Glory and Splendour of Allah, and you fall into prostration, in awe of Him.

• Instead of complaining and worrying all the time, especially in this time of the economic crisis, recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, there is no problem that is big in comparison to its blessings.

• Even if you were penniless, and all you had was a piece of dried bread, and you recited Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem with sincerity and understanding and ate the bread, Allah would remove your cares and make you happy and contented.

• People today chase after shaitan, instead of running from him. They take his advice and teachings, not realizing that all his advice is evil, while all Allah’s advice, is a great blessing for Man, bringing endless happiness and pleasure to him. So do take this advice, and recite Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. After all, Maulana says, its free to try, so go ahead and do so, and every need (hajat) of yours will be attended to!

• Today, you have learnt something more valuable than gold! Worldly treasures will leave you one day, but the benefits of reciting Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem will be with you for eternity, you will be in endless happiness and ecstasy. Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem removes your sadness in this world and in the hereafter, so save yourself with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem.

• We are in difficult times, but do stop complaining. Darkness will be removed from your heart, sadness with be removed from your soul, and a special light will enter your hearts, by reciting Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. It will grant you every one of your needs here and in the hereafter!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

6th�February 2010, Saturday

Be with the Sadiqin

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that it is because there are keen students amongst the attendees each night, that Allah’s grants and blessings descend upon all present. Maulana prays for the strength and ability to be obedient to Allah.

• Allah has bestowed such immense honours on Man. Each time Allah mentions Man in the Qur’an, it is an added honour and blessings for Man, it is a gift and pleasure upon the souls of Man, and these descend on Man like rain falling from the sky. We have yet to understand the magnitude of that honour and the respect that Allah is giving to us, it is an honour with no boundaries, but our minds cannot grasp that gift. (Imagine if the Prime Minister mentioned you with respect in his National Day Speech to the nation, how honoured and special and touched would you feel?)

• Maulana says that Angels stand for eons in honour of Allah, we humans are so weak that we get tired very quickly. If only we could stand for all our lives, to honour Allah, without complaining, like the Angels! Angels do not complain, they are happy to be in Allah’s service, we must be like that too, happy to be in His service.

• Maulana asks, why some people, especially the so-called learned scholars, are always glum, grouchy, fierce and unapproachable? They try to create an aura of holiness around themselves by doing so, and they frown and scowl when they teach and advise. Some appear serious and angry all the time, so that the unbelievers will fear them. Why? Why do they not smile? Is it an Islamic teaching, that unbelievers must fear you for your bad characteristics, your bad behaviour, your violent disposition (like many who ascribe to terrorist beliefs)? Is it a sign of your own perceived importance when you behave in this crude and indifferent manner? None should consider himself above another, for isn’t their Lord and your Lord, one and the same Lord?

• So where do these people learn such behaviour? From shaitan! Is shaitan happy or angry now? Shaitan is angry, he has been, ever since the day Allah commanded him to make prostration (sajdah) to Sayyidina Adam (as). He has been angry ever since that moment, and he will remain so, till Judgement Day. At every moment, Iblis is an angry creature, he is created from fire, and anger is also from fire. He has hated Man ever since, he is never happy to see Man being happy, for shaitan is a miserable creature, filled with hatred, bitterness, unhappiness and vengeance.

• At the very moment Allah commanded Iblis to prostrate to Sayyidina Adam (as), his anger erupted, just like glowing coal bursting into flames, and that burning ocean of anger engulfed this world, from East to West, and from the North to the South, and that fire will continue to burn till Judgement Day. That burning ocean does not grow weaker – no, instead, day by day, it grows in intensity, engulfing more of the Children of Adam, and shaitan is pleased to see them destroy themselves by fighting amongst themselves, with the spreading of hatred, racism, discrimination, wars and terrorism. When shaitan saw the wide-spread effects of this burning anger engulfing humans, he was pleased, and he said, “I shall ensure that Man will burn on this earth, that Man will never feel happy here, and I shall work day and night, using all my might and resources and ability, to make this happen!”

• Shaitan works diligently to bring tears to Man’s life, he wants to see us in sadness, and he brings us diseases, sets traps and whispers evil suggestions to distract and mislead Man at every moment. When Man falls into sadness, shaitan has achieved his diabolical objective!

• Seeing the expanding mayhem on earth, shaitan said defiantly to Allah, “Look Oh Allah, Lord of the Universe! Look at what I am doing! You have given me freedom till Judgement Day, and I am working hard to ensure that your servants are never happy, never contented, never satisfied, never at peace, never smiling!” Look at how vile shaitan is! He shows no adab, even to his Lord who gave him life, and is proud of defying Allah. The Angels cursed shaitan when he said those words, saying, “Be quiet, oh dirty and accursed one!”� and shaitan fell into a coma for 40 years from that curse, and when he awoke, shaitan has not smiled again since.

• So Maulana reminds us again, to always make doa that Allah save us from Shaitan’s traps, for these traps are meant to drag ALL of Mankind into sadness and destruction. Shaitan has spread so many insurmountable problems today, everyone feels miserable and dejected, even Kings and Governments are not spared his evil influence. Everyone has been touched by shaitan’s darkness, and shaitan extends his work through his appointed representatives, dictators who bring untold sufferings to millions. Cruel leaders like Hitler and Stalin killed millions, and Maulana said that close to half a billion people died under such cruel dictators, who were shaitan’s tools in dispensing suffering and sadness in this world.

• The Prophet (saw) said that after the rule of Sultans, will come a time of tyrants and dictators. We have seen the truth of his words. After the French Revolution that removed the Monarchy and removed Christianity and God from the government of the country, democratic movements began throughout the world, Kings were overthrown, and many tyrants and dictators, under the guise of bringing a better life to their citizens, ruled with iron fists, killing so many people in that process, bringing a chapter of misery and suffering never seen before in this world.

• By manipulative use of the media, shaitan’s representatives, who are promoting shaitanic ideas, are able to portray them as the BEST SOLUTION for Man’s problems, and they depict these un-Godly teachings as wise, modern and innovative substitutes for the out-dated and silly ideas that come from religion. This is a revolution that is being brought by shaitan and his representatives, and by the judicious use of the media (internet, books, magazines, television, cinema, computer games etc), they hammer home the message, that shaitan’s teachings (the worst for Man) are actually, the best for Man! So, shaitanic teachings promoting murder, killing, racism, terrorism, war, the arms race, neo-Nazi movements, aggression, persecution, revenge, gang-rivalry, social unrest, political upheavals, street demonstrations, defiance of authority, witchcraft….the list is endless…..these ideas are now firmly entrenched in the minds of billions of humans, who practise them, believing these to be a solution to their miseries, and in doing so, they fall deeper and deeper into the pit of despair and disgrace, and all this while, shaitan is standing by, watching his anger engulfing many in the fires of dunia, and leading them to the Fire of akherat.

• In reality, a government/King/ruler is to serve its people. If they do so, there will be peace, prosperity and happiness in that country. If they do not, then shaitanic ideas will prevail. Look at today’s world – there is widespread unhappiness throughout the world today, and there doesn’t seem to be a solution in sight.

• The solution lies in the following Hadees Qudsi. Allah says to Man, “Oh Man, be my good and sincere servant. Follow the True Guides (Sadiqin) that I have sent you, do not follow evil people. Oh Man, you have left the good deeds that I have enjoined, and you are immersing yourselves in evil, so My curse befalls you, and calamities descend upon you, you are besieged by countless disasters and endless difficulties, because you reject the Ones that I have sent to guide you. You have rejected my Chosen Ones, whom I have tasked to guide you to safety, and you have chosen to give your allegiance to evil ones, who seek your destruction.”

O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful (sadiqin). (Quran 9:119)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

5th�February 2010, Friday

We are wild creatures

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us that we have been placed on this earth to know ourselves, for one who knows himself, knows his Lord, and one who knows his Lord, seeks to please Him by doing good. Despite this, many humans are doing evil things, and these stem from the wild behaviour in themselves.

• Maulana likens each of us to a garden filled with trees. Imagine if a farmer found a wild cherry tree in his garden, what would he do? To chop it down and replant a domestic cherry plant (which would provide a bountiful harvest, as compared to the wild cherry tree which, in all probability, would produce fruits that were unfit for human consumption), would take ages. As time is of the essence, the best step, would be for the farmer to graft a branch of the domestic tree, onto the wild tree, and if the graft is successful, the wild tree can start producing edible and tasty fruits.

• Some of us are like wild animals. Look at a wild animal – it is a danger to other creatures, it has wild characteristics, a vicious animal-like nature, and many would wound, poison or kill another, if provoked. Allah did not create us to be wild – he created us to be the best of creation, he created us to strive against our animal-like nature, to purify ourselves, to become perfect ones! Allah sent us Guides, (or Animal-trainers), to help nurture us and tame our unbridled egos.

• Yesterday, we did not exist on this planet. Tomorrow, we will no longer be here. So we have a short stint here, and Man must understand his importance, mission and identity, during this all-too-brief sojourn on earth. Allah has sent us Guides to train and teach us, but we have begun to seriously believe the notion, that we can learn, by simply reading books. That is a terribly wrong assumption, and many have been misled by this.

• Books are the products of the minds of humans, whatever a person thinks and believes, he puts it down in writing, and publishes a book. Books are human-made creations, products of the ideology and experiences of the author. How can we depend on that to lead us to the Divine? Only someone, sent by the Divine, and authorised to guide, may lead us along the journey to perfection. Many authors of books are like you too, they too are veiled from all four sides, they are blind themselves, so how can you hope that their books will lead you to the light, when the authors themselves are groping in darkness? Neither the author, nor you, know what lies beyond that veil, so all parties are simply sitting in darkness. Only one who has seen the light can guide us to it.

• Thinking and reflecting are very important for our spiritual progress, but many matters cannot be understood by simply thinking. We are in need of a guide to unlock bolted doors, to show the way around an obstacle, or to teach us how to evade a well-set trap. Many treasures of knowledge lies beyond such hurdles, we need a guide – not a book – to walk us through.

• For example, Allah created night and day to teach us something. But what? We know that half the earth is bathed in light and the other half is plunged into darkness – but what does it mean? What is light, and how does it dispel darkness? We know that the earth undergoes alternating periods of dark and light, zhulumat ila noor, but what is the secret behind that? How does the Sun send that light to us, and what is the spiritual significance of that light? If we are not taught, we cannot crack open these secrets simply by thinking, or reading books where other equally lost people, share their opinions and suggestions. Only the enlightened heart of the Awliya, the Saints, are given such access to Divine secrets, and this is a Divine grant to them, so we must humble ourselves before them, to learn. Maulana says, the secret of the matters above, is an Ocean by itself, he could speak about it till the next morning if he had to. So we must acknowledge that we are in need of teaching and guidance, for only then can we attain understanding and realization.

• This earth is covered in countless secrets, behind every creation is a secret in its form, its life cycle, its diet, its uttered sounds and its reason for existence. Who gave them their form, their special designs? Why?

• Another huge ocean of locked treasures, is the world of males and females. Though they live on the same planet, in the same dunia, they actually exist on two different planes, two different dunias. Men lead very different lives from women. They have different mentalities, different psychologies, different worries, different physical limitations and organs, different ways of tackling issues and different approaches to faith and practices. Two different worlds. Even the darkness within men and women are different, the dark suggestions thrown up by their souls and desires, are different! Maulana says, men and women are a hundred percent different, and Allah has sent them different lights to enlighten their darkened souls. Shaitan has always been trying to muddle things up, by preaching equality of sexes, by trying to make them into a single confused group, instead of the separate groups that they are. This is the greatest foolishness, the greatest corruption, of the people of the 21st century. It is only a great fool who tries to equal an apple with an orange, or a chicken with a duck! Men and women, have different roles and responsibilities, they undergo very different burdens and tests, it is absurd to pretend that they are one and the same.

• So we are wild trees or wild animals, says Maulana, we are filled with darkness, we are in need of a guiding light to achieve purity and understanding. Allah had sent the Prophets, and now the Saints, for the sole purpose of grafting tame and domestic human-like characteristics into us. If we reject them, we shall continue to wallow in darkness, in this world and in the hereafter, for whosoever is blind here, will be blind in the hereafter. For those who humble themselves before a guide, and undergo the difficult grafting process (difficult, as our egos will oppose it), we will attain enlightenment, safety, joy and fulfillment.

• Oh Muslims, the world is full of wild trees/animals today, the Saints are trying to take our hands to guide us to be good and kind ones. Yet, people are fleeing from the guides, they do not wish to attain perfection and goodness. One who rejects heavenly teachings, will always be unhappy and will never attain peace, he will find life tasteless, as pleasure in life is a Divine gift, you cannot find it on the shelves in any store, you cannot buy it with money, you cannot find it in this dunia.

• So the choice is yours, to remain a wild tree, producing tasteless fruit (ie to have a tasteless and meaningless existence in both worlds) or to be ‘grafted’ and to start bearing sweet fruit (tasting the sweetness of faith, by being of benefit to Mankind wherever you are, the state of ihsan). That tasteless existence is actually Divine punishment, for as long as Man rejects Prophetic teachings, his life will be under the cloud of Allah’s punishment, until he returns to the fold, and repents. When humans do not shed their wild behaviour, they co-exist, not as humans, but as dangerous beasts that maim and hurt one another. Today, we see conflict within families (domestic violence and divorce), communities (strife and racism) and nations (terrorism and war). Why? Because this is what wild beasts do, they fight, and this is part of the Divine Chastisement for those who abandon the Ways of the Prophets and Saints, by either refusing to study and to be guided, or by trying to self-guide, by reading books.

• Maulana shares one last example to highlight the importance of following Rasulullah’s (saw) teachings. Rasulullah (saw) said in a Hadees, that even if all the previous Prophets were alive today, they would abandon their own books (kitabs), and follow only the teachings of Rasulullah (saw) completely. None of them would be holding on to any teachings from their own books, they would abandon their books, in favour of what Rasulullah (saw) brought. So, we should abandon our animal-like behaviour, follow Rasulullah (saw) and the Saints, we should be ‘grafted’, to become sweet ones.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

4th�February 2010, Thursday

Real Islam is life transforming

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana welcomed all attendees, saying that we were all blessed to attend such Suhbahs, as these are not for dunia, but for Allah’s pleasure. So many people attend gatherings, only to seek dunia, so it is a great blessing when people gather for Allah’s sake. Maulana reminds us again of our arch-enemy, shaitan, who has been Man’s enemy since the time of Sayyidina Adam (as), and will remain so till the end of time. Our constant recitation of A’uzubillah is our means of protection, and it reminds us of our weakness and vulnerability, hence we are always in need of Allah’s protection.

• The advice of the Prophets are all Divine Commands which must be obeyed, and Allah is able to raise any weak and humble servant of His, to bring His Divine Commands to His servants. Maulana says, he is one such weak servant, he doesn’t prepare his lessons, he speaks whatever is sent to his heart, for words that emerge from one’s heart will penetrate the hearts of the listeners. One who speaks without ego, will be able to convey his message to his audience, as their hearts will feel happy to receive the advice.

• Maulana says we must respect people who have been raised in stature in this world, based on a Hadees, “Give due respect to those who have been raised in honour, by their own tribes.”� As such, we must accord high respect to His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, who was present at an event in Manchester that night.

• Maulana asks us to be disciplined, to give our attention during each Suhbah and to concentrate fully, in order to gain maximally from each lesson. Maulana says that he draws from a Divine spring for each lesson, so each lesson is an endless flow of beautiful advice, but he often shortens each lesson to accommodate the short attention spans of his attendees. So be respectful during these short lessons, give your undivided attention and listen humbly.

• During that momentous event in Manchester, Maulana noted that the Prince had seen many presentations – Qasidahs, Whirling and Speeches. But none of that represents real Islam, said Maulana, and at the very most, that showed a very tiny fraction of what Islam really is. Islam is not just about such performances, for such performances do not bring satisfaction to the hearts of attendees.

• Real Islam is a way of life, a state of mind, a set of beliefs and practices – all of which bring peace and contentment to the hearts of those who practice it. Islam comes to destroy all that is evil, Islam comes to remove shaitanic influences from every aspect of human life, Islam comes to chase shaitan out of our lives and our communities.

• Look at where Islam began. In the deserts of Arabia, a groups of wild, rough, uncouth, vulgar, quarrelsome and war-mongering tribes (Nomads, Bedoins etc), were transformed into the best Companions of the Prophet (saw) over a short period of 23 years. In that time, their despicable behaviour had been transformed into one based on the highest morals and ideals, that made them gems in the history of Mankind – no other group of humans had ever attained the status and exemplary conduct of the Companions of the Prophet (saw). Look at how real Islam transformed the worst of humanity, into the very best.

• Hence the mission of every Prophet was to kick shaitan out of Man’s lives completely. Our Prophet (saw) mission is to remove shaitan and his influence from the life of the entire Ummah! So Islam is not about entertainment “dancing, whirling, qasidahs etc.” �No, it is a way of life that gives us the strength to kick shaitan out of every aspect of our lives! Islam is sent to save Mankind from shaitan and his destructive teachings.

• Man must kick shaitan out of his mind, his eyes, his ears, his mouth, his tongue, his heart, his hands, his feet – in fact, from every organ, from every thought, intention and practice, in every moment of one’s life! That is why Maulana says that this Suhbah is an ocean onto itself, those who understand it, and practice it, will benefit, but those who are unable to understand, have been infiltrated by shaitan, for the disease of ‘not understanding’ is a shaitanic disease, for he was commanded to prostrate to Sayyidina Adam (as), he failed to understand and to obey, from that moment, right till Qiyamat.

• Just as shaitan became the accursed one when he disobeyed and defied Allah, we too will suffer the same fate, unless we banish shaitan completely from the whole of our lives. We must remove shaitan, his presence, his advice, his teachings – from our lives, our families, our communities, and our countries – in order to be happy, in this worldly life and in the hereafter. Free yourself from shaitan, and you would have fulfilled what Rasulullah (saw) came to do, and you would have acquired real Islam.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

3rd February 2010, Wednesday

Be free from shaitan

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us to follow Holy Commands, as that makes us Holy ones too, and anyone who defies Holy Commands is worthless in Divine eyes. Maulana uses the world ‘garbage’, to describe a human being who disbelieves in Allah, and who is disobedient to Him, yet he takes all the countless gifts Allah has given him and enjoys all the benefits of being created.

• Man is always seeking pleasure, here and in the hereafter – he never likes being in discomfort. In order to reap, we must sow. So in order to attain pleasure, we must strive for it. Maulana gives the example of a farmer who wants to harvest apples and apricots, yet he plants nothing in his orchard. Obviously, come harvest time, he will have nothing to pluck, and he is simply a day-dreamer who speaks of the rewards, but is heedless of the effort and sacrifices he has to make in order to achieve them. We are the same, always speaking and yearning for Paradise, yet making no effort to change our behaviour (eg we are still back-biting, lying etc) and we are still not following Holy Commands.

• Man has been caught in shaitan’s traps, so many people take shaitan as their trusted advisor. Even more people take shaitan as their leader! How can he be a good leader, Maulana asks, when he has sworn to drag every human being into Jahannam with him? Yet, people trust shaitan’s advice, as their egos tell them that shaitan is doing his best for them, that his teachings would bring them out of darkness, into a shining life. Maulana says, not one human being has achieved respect in this world or the hereafter, by following shaitan’s advice.

• Shaitan hammers this into humans all their lives – that there is only one life, this worldly life, and the life of the hereafter is non-existent. Shaitan encourages humans to seek endless pleasures through an endless array of shaitanic suggestions, to never tire of seeking entertainment and new experiences. Shaitan whispers to Man, “Look, I am a free one, free to do as I please, follow me, and you too shall shall be free. I never accept that anyone should command or rule me, I am free of that, I am free to seek pleasure in any way I want……..freedom, freedom….I will give you a freedom, that no one can take away from you.”

• Shaitan dangles this bait of freedom from authority in front of our ego, and our ego loves this, as the ego likes to rule, and never wants to be ruled. Shaitan wants humans to reject all rules, all holy commands, and to follow him, to be like him, for he claims, that is the way to happiness. Look at how shaitan misled Sayyidina Adam (as) and Hawa? He offered them a way to attain happiness that had no end, he claimed he was their concerned advisor, he advised them to go against Allah’s Command, and he caused them to lose their way. Shaitan is offering us the same deal today, surely, we aren’t going to fall for it again…or are we?

• Today, almost every National Anthem of the countries around the globe, contains the word ‘freedom’, and shaitan has ensnared whole nations under his influence. Wives want to be free from husbands and vice versa. Children want to be free of their parents. Citizens want to be free from their governments. Nations want to be of each others’ influence. So everyone fights with everyone else to be free, all believing that freedom brings ultimate happiness, as freedom for the ego to do anything that it desires, without retribution, is a tempting bait. So shaitan encourages all to seek freedom from authority, and he reminds you that there is only this worldly life, there is no retribution, as there is no life in the hereafter. It is a deadly trap, as the ego cannot resist such an offer – do as you please, without fear of punishment.

• Yet, in reality, we are all servants – husbands, wives, parents, children, citizens. No one is free, everyone is bound by the Commands of Allah, everyone will face retribution. So when people seek freedom from Allah, they take shaitan as a guide and leader, and they become shaitan’s servants, instead of Allah’s servants. It is so ironic, that in following shaitan’s call to be free from all authority, they have actually taken shaitan as the authority, the guide, the leader, and he ties them up like a horse tied to a cart. Such horses have their eyes partially blind-folded, they pull a heavy burden, they are not free to do as they please – instead they have tight reins fastened in their mouths, and shaitan whips them mercilessly, forcing them to run endlessly, seeking enjoyment. Instead of achieving happiness, such ‘free’ people, are under the yoke of shaitan, their burdens (sins) grow day by day, and, restless and unsatisfied, they are forced by shaitan to seek new avenues of enjoyment, shaitan pulls their reins and whips their backs, forcing them on until they collapse. So freedom from Allah, and freedom to do as you please, means enslavement to shaitan, and certain destruction.

• Allah has enjoined all of Man to co-exist as one brotherhood, Man is free to travel and to interact and to forge ties amongst them. Back in the Prophet’s time, there were no such things as borders and passports. Today, Man exists as separate Nations, each with clear boundaries, and it is so difficult to travel now, with many countries requiring visas, with strict immigration clearance. Many countries have so many restrictions on visitors. So, despite the fact that Allah has enjoined freedom amongst Man to travel and to know each other, shaitan has preached the exact opposite, encouraging Man to impose restrictions, and to view one another with suspicion and distrust. Many visitors are turned away at Checkpoints, if they cannot show sufficient money, or give a good reason to visit. Shaitan tells people, that they have the right to restrict or give permission, as they please, that they have the freedom to do so. Yet, people forget, that the land they stand on, is Allah’s, not theirs.

• Today, it is even difficult to visit Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Medinatul Munawarrah, with the visa restrictions that have been imposed on the Holy Lands. Maulana says that, just as his house has a title deed in his name, who holds the title deed to the House of the Lord, Baitullah? Does it belong to anyone in particular? No. So how can anyone dare to restrict access to a place of Worship that does not belong to him, making it difficult, for the Guests of Allah, to reach His House? Allah will send punishments on the representatives of shaitan, who persevere in spreading difficulties, for servants of the Lord.

• So follow Holy Commands, be Allah’s servant, be free from shaitan!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

2nd�February 2010, Tuesday

Bring your best, to meet Allah

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us not to be heedless. We must always be trying to improve ourselves, clean ourselves and raise our spirituality and faith. We must know what Allah wants from us, and try our best to fulfill these Commands, to please Him. Try to be good ones, for Allah has given good tidings to good ones, and it is an immense loss and disgrace, if we are amongst the defiant and heedless ones. When a person’s personality is dominated by his ego, he becomes an evil person, he becomes a dirty one, he becomes impatient, and is unable to even sit through a short Suhbah, as his ego will be bored and restless, seeking entertainment and enjoyment. Man is heedless of the fact, that he will bring his deeds to akherat, to be shown to Allah, and to be Judged!

• Maulana tells a story to explain this. In the olden days, when people stayed in farming and agricultural villages, they used to have a special day each week, when they would take their farming produce to the market, to sell them. The farmers would collect all the best fruits and vegetables, leaving the deformed and less-than-perfect ones for their own consumption, to the market. Hence, only the best of the harvest was put on display for all to see, and every farmer would be proud to show what healthy and well-grown fruits and vegetables they had grown.

• Similarly, Man will gather on Judgement Day with his harvest, his deeds, and all these will be on display, for all to see, just like the farmers in the story above. People will be able to see what deeds others have done, and so many of us will be so ashamed when all our deeds – our secret and openly done evil deeds – are put on display for all to see! Are you prepared to have your deeds on show? Have you purified your intention, your beliefs, your deeds, so that all that goes on display does not shame you? Maulana tells us to bring our best deeds to meet Allah, so that what is on display is the best of our deeds, each deed done seeking Allah’s Greatest Pleasure (Ridwanullahi akbar). Some will be so proud and happy on that Day (just like the farmers above), yet others will be in dejection and humiliation. You have the choice to decide in which category you will be in.

• Maulana says that only one who is drunk/intoxicated with this worldly life, will ignore such advice. How can we not be preparing for Judgement Day, when we already know that it is a Day of difficulty and repayment, a Day so chaotic and tumultuous that even Prophets will be trembling and in great fear and terror! Maulana exhorts us to bring our BEST deeds for that Day, for you will not dare present the King of Kings, defective and inferior goods (deeds). You MUST present Him, the VERY BEST of deeds, befitting His Majesty and Honour. Do you see animals making preparation for Judgement Day? No. So don’t be like animals, who are not making preparations.

• The best deed that you can bring to meet Allah, is true faith and belief in Him, to believe in His existence and His Beautiful Names. Do not be like shaitan, for shaitan exhorts Man to reject the existence of Allah. How can the creation exist without a Creator? Shaitanic teachings have penetrated deep into schools, and many now attribute everything to ‘nature’ – an occurrence that happens by itself – and they reject the existence of Allah completely. Such is the state of Man in the 21st century, Man is proud to be at the pinnacle of his technological advances, yet he is actually at the bottom of the deepest pit of spiritual poverty, billions reject the existence of Allah, and even from those who believe, many are not leading clean lives, having no clue as to what is required of them by their Lord, what is their Divine purpose of creation – so many, almost all, have fallen into the traps and clutches of shaitan. We are in the Dark Ages of the end of times….

• Maulana tells us to think. Have you ever seen anyone who created himself? Have you seen any human who has come into existence without a liaison between a man and a woman? If Man is truly independent of God, why can’t he prevent aging? Why is he growing older (developing wrinkles, balding, old-age ailments, deteriorating eyesight etc), who is making him grow older? And why is he dying, why is he not able able to stave off death? If there is no Creator, why has not ONE human in history, managed to stay alive and live perpetually? Who is making him die? If Man cannot exert his will, to stop aging and death, that shows him, that his existence here is not according to his will, but according to His Will! So why does Man still reject his Creator, in Whose Hands lie the power to create His creatures, to age His creatures and take their lives? Think – who suspended this earth in space, who filled this earth with living creatures, who created the mountains and oceans, who is making the earth spin on its axis and rotate around the sun, who has given Man intelligence (as compared to animals) and abilities, who created the different sexes, who created colours, who created the wide expanse of the Universe, who? The Key to every closed door, is to THINK! Animals do not think, so do not be like animals.

• That is why Maulana says that people of the 21st century are drunk/intoxicated, they cannot see this simple logic, they no longer think, and their minds are unable to see the truth. Hence, Divine curses are falling onto Mankind, and Man’s life on Earth is never restful, it is filled with pain and misery, there is no more peace in the hearts, minds and souls of people today, hence they seek out hobbies, entertainment and psychiatrists to find that missing ‘peace’.

• It is in times like this, when we must reach out to such people, as the Qur’an bring truth, and peace into the hearts of Man. This is the ideal time, for much of mankind is miserable, lost, and dissatisfied with life, and many are leading meaningless existences burdened with worldly boulders on their shoulders, and drowning in the pits of shaitan’s traps.

• Maulana reminds us to constantly improve our knowledge, never feel that we already have enough knowledge, there is no limit to the knowledge that Allah send down upon His servants. Every moment, a new creation is being created, and new knowledge is being sent down to us. Look at Man’s knowledge of Science in the 19th century. They thought that they were very advance, yet compare that with the knowledge of the 20th century. And compare that with what we know today in the 21st century! Man’s knowledge has no limit, keep seeking knowledge and strive to know more about yourself, about your Lord, about your Prophet (saw). That is why Rasulullah (saw) said, “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”� And remember, all the knowledge that you seek, must bring you to Allah, as a sincere servant, it must lead you to realize Allah’s Greatness.

• So do not run away from knowledge. Mankind is today running away from guidance, like donkeys running from a lion. Don’t be a donkey, Maulana says, be a lion!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

1^st February 2010, Monday

Each moment, He is giving us a new gift

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that each day, we see the Sun rise and set, yet we are oblivious to the fact that each rising of the Sun heralds a new set of gifts from Allah – �benefits, pleasures and satisfaction. Allah sends new gifts daily, both day and night, for it is human nature to like to experience new things, for all that is new, is enjoyable. Allah the Almighty knows the intricate needs of His creation, and he is constantly sending His gifts on the creation, in order to fulfill these spoken and unspoken needs. Praise be to Allah!

• So each human is being sent gifts, both physical and spiritual gifts, according to his needs, of which nothing is hidden from the perfect knowledge of Allah Almighty. For example, look at how a boa constrictor eats. It merely swallows the entire calf alive, and there is little taste or pleasure in that experience. Compare that with how Man eats. Our food is cooked in a variety of succulent ways, and we eat in small mouthfuls (unlike the boa), and we take enjoyment and pleasure in munching and tasting every morsel of food. Look at how Allah has honoured Man over the rest of creation, look at how Allah is so Kind and Merciful, giving pleasure and satisfaction to us, for with every bite, with every munch, with every sip, He gives numerous tastes – sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Allah gives and gives, He is Al-Kareem, He gives endlessly and generously, syukurlillah, syukur Ya Rabb. So savour every bite and gulp, they are gifts of Allah to you.

• However, there is more to it than simply giving Man pleasure with food. All the pleasures of this world, are imitated pleasures. They are limited pleasures that are actually meant to show Man, what endless pleasures lie in store for them in akherat, so that they would be even more thankful to Allah, and so that they would strive to seek akherat, and to seek closeness to Allah. In other words, these worldly pleasures, are a sneak preview of what true pleasures lie ahead for us in akherat.

• Maulana cites an example to explain this. Imagine a chef whipping up a delicious meal in the kitchen. Before serving it, he takes a tiny pinch of the dish, to taste it, just to make sure that it tastes right, before serving it. Once he is satisfied that it is perfect, the chef then serves the customer, who tucks into the meal, thoroughly enjoying himself. Maulana says that the tiny drop that the chef had put on his tongue, is the pleasure of this worldly life, and the entire dish taken by the customer, is the pleasure of the hereafter.

• So the pleasure of this worldly life, is supposed to whet man’s appetite for the life of akherat and for Man to witness the Kindness, Generosity and Mercy of their Lord. But instead of doing so, Man, after tasting this worldly pleasure, becomes drunk in it, and forgets the pleasure of the hereafter, and seeks the pleasures of this dunia, day and night. It is ironic, as these pleasures are supposed to open our hearts and eyes to akherat, and to our Lord’s Mercy, but instead it has blinded many and made them obsessed with this worldly pleasure. It is like a chef, who yearns for that next taste of a tiny pinch of food, whereas an entire dish, a true gastronomic delight, awaits him, once he has ended his work.

• Look at how Man seeks different foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and sometimes supper). We yearn for different food types, each day, getting bored if the same food is served on consecutive days. Allah knows our needs, and has provided Man with a staggering array of food choices, recipes, methods of preparations and tastes. Enjoy His gifts, but do not forget to thank Him, and do not forget that these represent only the tip-of-the-iceberg, for much more awaits Man in the hereafter if he is obedient.

• Similarly, there is a staggering array of spiritual food, made up of contemplation, knowledge, and practices (zikir, Qur’an recital, solat etc) that our soul yearns for day and night, so do not just fulfill the bodily needs as animals do, seek the spiritual food that distinguishes Man from animals.

• Each day, Allah showers us with endless gifts, so that His servants are happy, contented and well-pleased with their Lord! The pleasures of today are not like that of yesterday’s, and the pleasures of tomorrow are different from today’s! So be pleased, be thankful to Allah for each moment that you are alive, for each of that moment is filled with physical and spiritual gifts. As in the Ayat below, each day, Allah is arranging the affairs of all creation, renewing our gifts and pleasures each moment.

Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Everyday He is (engaged) in some affair (arranging the moment-to-moment gifts for His creation)! (Quran 55:29)

• Yet Allah Himself, is a being that is unchanged at all times, He has been the same from preeternity till eternity. Allah doesn’t change, for a being that is perfect, will neither improve nor deprove. For example, if we say that Allah is richer today, than He was yesterday, it means that He was poorer yesterday, as compared to today. It is impossible that Allah is ever poor, hence He is always the Most Rich, from pre-eternity, to eternity, His Richness doesn’t increase or decrease. Allah is unchanged, for He is Most Perfect and is in need of none, it is the creation who is changing daily, and who is continuously in need of Him.

• How Man accepts and uses these pleasures will determine what sort of creature he is in Divine Judgement. He can be a creature of Light or Darkness, depending on whether he is a grateful servant or not, so each moment, the responsibility lies on yourselves, to accept these gifts with thankfulness and understanding, so that you will be clad in happiness, or to be ungrateful and blind to the meanings of these gifts, in which case, you will be clad in unhappiness. Hence in each priceless moment of your life, you are given an opportunity to attain both worldly and eternal pleasure, satisfaction, enjoyment, happiness, understanding and enlightenment. So don’t let that moment pass, without benefiting, for that is a great loss!

By (the Token of) time (through the Ages), Verily Man is in loss, (Quran 103:1-2)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

31st January 2010, Sunday

You can never reach Allah, without a Guide

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana reminds us that shaitan never likes to see Man receive any sort of benefit, pleasure or happiness. Remember that he is your sworn and avowed enemy, with the sole intention of plunging your life into chaos, suffering, regret and eternal misery. You must regard him as your enemy and treat him as one, beware of his presence and advice, for these are merely his tricks and traps that are meant to plunge you into despair. Recite A’uzubillah always, so as to remain under Allah’s protection constantly.

• We must be aware of what Allah wants of us. Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an,

O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive (with might and main) in His cause: that ye may prosper. (Quran 5:35)

• We have been created to know our Creator. We must seek a ‘means of approach’, a Waseelah, to Him, as taught in the Ayat above. This is also known as asbab, a reason for something to occur. Maulana explains what Waseelah means. If a person wants to fly up into the sky, he is unable to do so because of his physical limitations. So he has to use an aeroplane. By means of using an aeroplane, he is able to achieve his previously unattainable goal, of reaching the sky. The aeroplane – is his means of attaining his goal – it is the asbab – it is the Waseelah.

• We cannot attain our goals, except by means of Waseelah. This worldly life is one where everything is achieved through reason, asbab. We take medicine to get well, we go to school to learn, we go to work to earn money, we jog to get fit, we drink to quench thirst and we plant crops in order to reap the harvest. So, in order to reach any goal, there is a process, a way of getting there, and that is Waseelah.

• If to merely reach this worldly sky, we need a Waseelah, what do you think about trying to traverse the seven heavens, to reach Sidratul Muntaha, to reach the Divine Presence – surely, that would require a means, a Waseelah, too. Hence, Man is in need of a Waseelah to reach Allah, and anyone denying this fact, is actually denying the Holy Qur’an.

• Only Allah can fulfill the deep spiritual needs that are hidden in your soul, so seek a means to approach Allah, as taught in the Holy Qur’an, as Allah did not leave any matter out of the Holy Book. No matter what you seek, whatever problem you face, the answer lies within the Holy Qur’an. To attain any goal, whether physical or spiritual, one has to seek a means to it, and the means may be zhahir or bathin.

Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end. (Quran 6:38)

• There are some who claim that they have sought an answer from the Holy Qur’an, but found none. Maulana says, that such people are spiritually blind, and just as a physically blind man cannot see the Sun and the Moon, spiritually blind people cannot see the Light of Guidance from the Holy Qur’an. Whatever you seek that will bring you spiritual happiness and contentment, is to be found in that Holy Book.

• What will bring us satisfaction within our hearts and souls? When we understand that Allah is our goal, and His Pleasure is our destination. (Ilahi anta maqsoodi, wa ridha ka mathloubi)

• There was a time in which we did not exist, and Allah is He who created us from nothing, along with the rest of creation. Now ask yourselves this powerful question. Did Allah create us to seek Him, or to seek the creation? The creation is but a shadow, an illusion! You must seek the reality.

• Maulana explains that when we look into a mirror, we are merely seeing an image. It looks real enough, but is it really you? The image, though it resembles you, does not have flesh and bones, it does not have life, and you cannot touch it. So there is a distinct difference between the real you, and the image of you, in the mirror – one is reality and the other, is just an illusion.

• Just as Allah created the mirror for us to see ourselves, Allah created the whole of creation as a mirror, a mirror for us to see His Atrributes and His beautiful Names, since we cannot understand the being of Allah (Zat Allah). We can understand Him through his Names and Attributes. So that Mirror is a Waseelah. When all that you see in this Divine Mirror is Allah, you would have reached matlabu ‘l-`alaa, the endless fulfillment of the highest desire, that is a never-ending vision of satisfaction for Man! You will realise that you too, are part of that vision, that creation, that manifestation of Divine Attributes and Names, and you would then disappear, fana’, into that reality yourself.

• We need a Waseelah, a Divine Mirror to look at ourselves and to understand ourselves, as there are so many stations, so many stages, so many realities and levels to pass through, before our personality becomes naught, and there is none but He.

• It is shaitan’s aim to take you in the opposite direction, away from Allah. That is why we must seek a Guide, that is why we must ponder about His Names and Attributes, we must seek a Way to draw near to Allah, relentlessly.

• Sayyidina Zulkarnain, the Two-Horned One mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf, was one such servant, whom Allah opened the Way to.

Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto every thing a Way. And he followed a Way (Quran 18:84-85)

• Maulana says that the verse above, fa atba’a sababa, is the secret that holds the key to ALL knowledge that Man is learning, the knowledge of the heavens and the earth. For everything on Earth is linked to a reason, a Waseelah. And Sayyidina Zulkarnain was walking on a journey, and he chose the right Way and relied on the right Way. He stepped on the Way of reasons/asbab/Waseelah, to attain success.

• When Imam Mahdi (as) comes, then this world is no longer one that is linked to Waseelah. It becomes a Zaman of Qudratullah, where, what you wish to attain, you simply say ‘Be’ and it shall become. That, says Maulana, is a very high station, and one must pass through this Zaman of asbab/Waseelah, to get there.

• This is just an Introduction to the personality of Imam Mahdi (as), to prepare for his coming.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

30th January 2010, Saturday

Thank Allah and Don’t Complain

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana asks us to look into a mirror and look at the image of ourselves. Are we scowling unhappily, like an ape? The mirror doesn’t lie, it shows exactly what emotions we project. Are we happy and contented, saying, “Alhamdulillah, Oh Allah, thank you for creating me, and for having created me in the best possible form!” Indeed Allah has created us in the best form, our mouths aren’t too wide, our noses aren’t too big and our ears aren’t placed in weird positions. Allah says, “Oh Man, I made you in the best form, ahsani taqwim,�no one can better My creation, no one can create a human being of a better form.”

• Imagine if Man had four legs, he would look ugly and it would be impractical. Hence, every single organ that Allah has put into men and women, are most perfect for their existence.

• Some men feel that their beards are an unnecessary creation by Allah, and they shave it off, making their faces smooth, just like the ladies. Such men are the lowest of creation, they desire to resemble women, and they detest what Allah has bestowed upon them as men. Some men shave off part of their beards on their faces (on their cheeks), keeping just a small tuft of beard under the chin, following the modern practise of fashionable men. Others shave off their moustaches, so that the sharp needle-like moustache hair does not irritate the ladies.

• Some women are also extremely vain, they fill their room with mirrors, and as they walk around their room, they pose and pout, looking at their reflection, striking numerous poses as they walk about. They worry and complain about their faces, their skin texture, their skin colour, their body shapes….they complain endlessly. Allah has created men with the best form, and women with the best form too, yet in today’s generation, men wish to resemble women and vice versa.

• Some even contemplate and resort to plastic surgery – to attain their desired facial and bodily features. For example, many people admire the sharp noses of European women, and desire to have falcon-like noses like these Westerners.

• Today, people are unhappy with what Allah has given them, no one is happy with his/her given form. Hence, thousands and thousands of young men and women are fighting their Lord, unhappy with what He has decreed, and they are miserable and depressed about themselves, and jealous about what Allah has given others! People complain about being too short, or too dark or too hairy….everyone is opposing Allah, saying, “Why did You create me like this??” or saying, “This form that you have created us in, we don’t like, we must be like this (like someone else).” This is the teaching of shaitan, for shaitan has sworn, “Oh! I have been sent away, I am thrown away because of mankind, so I shall try to do everything possible, in order that I can take them away from obeying the holy orders of their Lord.” Shaitan wants us to defy Allah’s Will, and to be constantly ungrateful towards Him.

• Maulana says that each human being is different, and He has given the best features that are suitable for you, to you! Why are we trying to be like someone else, to have features that Allah has bestowed upon that person? Don’t oppose, don’t fight against your Creator. He is the Creator and He is creating everyone in a different model. You can’t find two people identical to each other. Allah Almighty says to His beloved Prophet (saw). “Oh my beloved, declare My heavenly order to My servants that they must keep the right way. What I am giving them, they must be thankful, they must say, Alhamdulillah that they are not created like donkeys, like foxes, and that they were not created like pigs.”

• Allah has given beauty to men through their beards, and beauty to women through their long hair. There is a station in the heavens, where the Angels recite tasbih and praises upon Allah, for the beauty that He has created in men and women by the beards and hair respectively, and they are happy to see such divine beauty granted by Allah on His Khalifas. A man without a beard and moustache, looks so ugly, just as a woman with a beard would also look very ugly. So Allah has bestowed handsomeness on a man with his beard and moustache, just as He has bestowed beauty on a women with her long hair. That is the perfection for humans, so do not be misled by shaitan and his shaitanic ideas.

• We should be ashamed to think that we can improve on the form that Allah created us in. We should be ashamed to be fighting our Lord, to be unhappy with what He has decreed. We should be ashamed to be always complaining, we should be ashamed that we aren’t thanking Him.

• Allah does not like to hear his Servants complaining! Allah likes His servants to be thankful! It is strange that we thank people all the time, but we forget to thank Allah, day and night. We should say, “Ya Rabbi, syukrulillah.”� For every ‘thank you’ we give to our fellow man, we should give millions and billions of thanks to Allah Almighty for his merciful never-ending gifts upon us. So don’t complain, accept His gifts and thank Him ceaselessly!

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

29th January 2010, Friday

Oh Mankind, Paradise is for clean ones!

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana begins this sobering Suhbah, by welcoming all the attendees at the gathering. In a similar way, Angels extend salams, greetings and praises to all those who are heading in the direction of Paradise, who are on the path of seeking nearness to Allah. In akherat, Angels greet the people of Paradise, with greetings of love, happiness and respect too.

• On the Day of Resurrection, when the entire Bani Adam has gathered and has been judged, the people destined for Paradise will form up in 120 rows, like prayer Safs, and 40 rows will be occupied by the Ummahs of Nabi Adam (as) to Nabi Isa (as), while the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) would occupy 80 rows.

• The Gate Keeper of the eight Doors to Paradise, Angel Sayyidina Ridwan (as) will call out to all, “Oh servants of the Lord of the Heavens, welcome, welcome, welcome!” And Rasulullah (saw), will approach him, and Sayyidina Ridwan (as), will ask, “Who are you?” He will be informed that it is Sayyidina Muhammad (saw), and he will say, “I have been ordered to to keep these Doors closed, until you are here, Ya Rasulullah (saw), Ya Habibullah…” Rasulullah (saw) will lead his Ummah, and he will be followed by the other Ummahs.

• Sayyidina Ridwan (as) will then open the Doors, with Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem. And each person will step into Paradise, at the same time, there will be no queueing, no waiting! Billions of Bani Adam will recite, Bismillah hirrahman nirraheem, and step in at the same time as the other, each one will set foot into his/her own Paradise, no one else will be there, it is theirs for eternity!! Allahu akbar.

• Who will inherit Paradise? Dirty feet cannot enter Paradise! Only clean feet may enter. Paradise is a place of purity, cleanliness, so dirty feet cannot enter Paradise. So you must clean yourselves – if you are dirty, you cannot enter Paradise.

• Billions of people will fall into Hell, as they cannot cross the Bridge (Sirat), as unclean ones cannot pass over the bridge – they will fall into the Fire, to be cleaned. Maulana says, beware and take care not be return in a dirty condition! Maulana says, one cannot enter Paradise in a dirty condition – no, no, no, he said repeatedly.

• The least we could do, Maulana says, is to take ablution (wudhu) before we sleep, so that if we were to die during our sleep, we would be treated differently by the Angels, as they would notice that our feet had been washed recently.

• Maulana says that we are rolling in the dirtiness of this life, and we are not cleaning it off, yet we are yearning to enter Paradise. That will never happen, as Paradise is ONLY for the pure ones. Maulana prayed, “Oh Allah, cleanse us in this world, and take us out of this world as clean ones.”

• It is almost impossible to find a clean human being in these times. So many dead bodies emit horrendous odours when they are being washed and prayed upon.

• When such a person is placed in the grave, the Angels ask him, “What is this dirtiness that you are carrying with you, that you have brought into the grave? You did not know how to cleanse yourself before coming here? We will then clean you till the Day of Resurrection. We will clean you, with Fire!” Fire will then encompass the person from all four sides, and he will be subjected to abject torture and intense suffering till the Day of Resurrection.

• That is the first step of the cleansing process, more awaits the unfortunate person when he is resurrected on Judgement Day.

قَدۡ اَفۡلَحَ مَنۡ تَزَكّٰىۙ

But those will prosper who purifies themselves.(Quran 87:14)

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

25th January 2010, Monday

The Secret of the Atom

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

(This Suhbah is best read after you have read the one on 24th January 2010, titled ‘Each atom has its own personality’, as this Suhbah is a continuation of that Suhbah.)

• Maulana says that any creature that has received the grant of being created by Allah, cannot do as it pleases, as it wills. The fate of all creation is governed by the Creator’s Will, and what befalls each creature is according to what is written on the Preserved Tablet at Luh Mahfuz. The Qutb (Spiritual Pole) is authorized to look at the Tablet, and he will administer the earthly happenings, according to what he sees on the Tablet. It is not necessary for many people to administer this earth, only one administrator is necessary. A single power plant will suffice for a community, it is not practical for each home to have individual power plants. Just as it is the duty of the Qutb to execute he Divine Will as written on the Tablet, it is the duty of the rest of creation to accept what befalls them, according to His Divine Will.

• Each human being views life from a different perspective. He has differing views, principles, passions, thoughts, actions, intentions and understanding. Why? Because Allah is Al-Mubdi, المبدئ , the Originator, the Producer, the Initiator. Allah never produces two identical creations, each creation is different and absolutely unique. Whatever Allah creates, it is a unique creature, the like of which has never been created before and will never be created again. Allah is so Great!

• Look at ants. To us, they all look the same. In reality, each ant, like a human being, is a unique creature with its own personality and temperament. No two ants are alike/identical, every single ant Allah has created since the beginning of creation till the end – is different. Hence every creation is unique – every human, every animal, every strand of hair, every snowflake, every cell, every bacteria, every virus, every atom – each has its own personality, its own duty, its own mission, its own way of glorifying Allah, its own destiny – no two are alike/identical. Allahu Akbar!!

• Maulana says that for each Universe that Allah creates, it has seven heavens, and Allah has created countless Universes, all different from each other – the seven heavens of one Universe is different from the seven heavens of another Universe – and no two heavens within one Universe are alike! (In an earlier Suhbah, Maulana Shaykh Hisham said that no two trees in a forest are alike, and even on the same tree, no two branches are identical, and even on the same branch, no two leaves are identical, and in the same bunch of fruits, no two fruits are identical!) Look at how great Allah is – no creation is identical to any creation before or after it, ever! Allah creates and creates endlessly, each new creation is unique, original and special, with its own purpose, mission, destiny and personality! Allahu akbar!

• Even atoms of the same element are unique and special, No two hydrogen atoms share the same fate, or have the same duty/mission, or have the same personality! Even the tasbih/glorification that each Hydrogen atom recites in praise of Allah, is different from the other.

• One of Allah’s Divine Attributes is ﻣﺨﺎﻟﻔﺘﻪ ﻟﻠﺤﻮﺍﺩﺙ , Mukhalafatu lil hawadith, that is, Allah is different from all that He created, He does not resemble His creatures. It is the only Attribute that is Unique to Allah, that is not shared with the Prophets and Saints, only Allah alone has this Attribute. Nothing can resemble Him, this is a special Attribute of Allah.

• Such secret knowledge is now being opened to Mankind, so that those who seek to understand Allah’s greatness, can embark on that journey. That journey begins with just ONE atom. Look at it, and ponder. For, contained within an atom, are Oceans of Secrets, with a hundred trillion types of knowledges hidden within it, and each knowledge points to Allah’s greatness, each attribute within the atom is a manifestation of Allah’s greatness, each knowledge contained within the atom contains blessings and secrets.

• Maulana gave an example to illustrate this point. Suppose a person writes a book. By reading that book, we can judge the depth of the author’s knowledge, and understand more about the author himself. The book is a manifestation of the ability of the author, it reflects a little bit of what he can do. Similarly, by studying the atom, which contains Oceans of Knowledge and Secrets, we understand more about Allah’s Infinite Greatness and Attributes. And just as every new book written by that author will reveal more about himself and his abilities, every new (and unique) atom that Allah creates, will manifest new knowledges, new secrets and new insights into the Greatness of Allah. Every atom that is in creation, points to Makrifatullah, knowledge of Allah’s Greatness – every creation carries a secret, manifesting the Divine knowledge of Makrifatullah. Allahu akbar!

• When we recite A’uzubillah, heavenly atomic missiles are thrown at shaitan, a single atom is able to destroy billions of devils, as there is a secret power in atoms that shaitan cannot understand. We mustn’t think of Allah as our bodyguard or guardian, who intervenes personally when we recite A’uzubillah. No! Maulana cites an example. If there is a bandit in a Kingdom, the King does not mount his horse and chase after the bandit. He appoints someone, perhaps a Court official or a Policeman, to handle the matter, to represent him. This appointed person, is given authority by the King, and he may then perform the job of arresting the bandit.

• So is it the correct protocol, the correct adab, if we complain to the King, expecting him to chase after the bandit? That is very bad adab, for we are assigning a task to the King that is demeaning to him, beneath his status and dignity, we are requesting the very highest authority, to handle a petty, common matter. (It is like expecting our local Member of Parliament to personally repair our leaking roof when we have made a complaint to the Town Council! Although the request is directed to him, an authorized repairman will be sent to handle the matter, and he represents the Member of Parliament in this matter.) Maulana says, we must keep good adab to Allah, and we must keep good adab to our fellow creatures, adab/protocol/respect is very important. So when you request help from Allah, Allah will send a representative of His, an authorized one, to handle the matter.

• To further illustrate this, Maulana gave another example. Every human being is fashioned within the womb of his mother. The human being is ‘created’ within the womb, and given its shape and features. Allah is the Creator, Fashioner and Originator – but the task of actually building the body, atom by atom, cell by cell, is done by Angels that are authorized and sent to do the job. Though Allah is able to create without help, these tasks are delegated to His servants, and these chosen representatives perform these duties as worship to Allah, sincerely. Hence, in this manner, Allah divides out the worship, amongst His creation. That is a heavenly grant, to be a representative of Allah, in Divine service.

• Despite being the ones who actually build the human body in the womb, no Angel claims credit for the creation of the human body. Each Angel acknowledges that Allah is the Creator, and that they were merely tools for the purpose of creating the body, they realise that they are merely representing Allah, and they perform this as a sincere worship, taking no credit, feeling no pride, acknowledging no ability within themselves – they are sincere and they give all credit to Allah (not themselves) – these are true servants, true representatives of Allah.

• So when you are asked to do some service (eg feed a hungry person, teach someone knowledge, help carry a bag etc), see yourself as the one Allah has delegated the task to, the one who is representing Allah in this matter, the one who is blessed to be chosen to serve, for Allah’s sake. So do each act FOR YOUR LORD, do it ON BEHALF OF YOUR LORD, on behalf of HIS NAME, representing HIM, taking no credit for yourself.

• When you do so, it is the highest form of respect and glorification that you can offer to Allah, it is the way of the Angels and Saints. This is a very important knowledge, this is the protocol that pleases Allah, Maulana says that if you practise this, it will take your station up to the Divine presence, faster than a speeding rocket!

• But if you do on behalf of your ego (taking credit, seeing your part in the act, showing off, seeking fame and acknowledgment and praise), then you are doing on behalf of shaitan, for that is shaitan’s protocol and you become shaitan’s representative. Today, billions around the world have become shaitan’s representatives, they do only to show off, they help others to draw attention to themselves, all their deeds are performed so as to be seen by others, to raise their own name, not ALLAH’s name!

• So do everything for Allah, do everything for His Name, that is the heavenly protocol, heavenly adab, which pleases your Lord. Live to serve Allah sincerely, and give all praise, glorification and credit to Allah. Every act of yours must only be for Allah. Do in His name, for Him!

• Maulana ended by talking a little about the Day of Resurrection. He said that the Angels carrying Allah’s Throne to the plains of Mashar, will be reciting a musical zikir, in a loud, melodious and hypnotic voice/tune, so much so that the people gathered in the plains of Mashar, will be swaying from side to side, in drunken ecstasy. That is why Maulana likes to end his Suhbahs with Qasidahs, for such heavenly recitals are an imitated version of that recital on the Day of Resurrection.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

24th January 2010, Sunday

Each atom has its own personality

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Every creation of Allah is alive, and glorifies Him. Every atom is created by Allah, and each atom has a separate existence, a life of its own.

• Today, scientists have discovered more than 90 different naturally occurring elements, hence there are 90+ different types of atoms in existence. Scientists are using the latest technology to try and create atoms of new man-made elements, but these atoms are unable to exist in a stable manner, and they disintegrate. See how Man cannot give ‘life’, cannot give existence to even ONE atom, without Allah’s permission. All of Mankind cannot give life to even ONE atom, yet Allah gives life/existence/stability to trillions and trillions and trillions of atoms!

• Man’s faculty of understanding is severely limited, he can only picture and fathom something, within the limits of his mind, within the boundaries of intelligence that he is endued with.

• For example, the phrase from ‘pre-eternity to eternity’ is used fairly often, but we really do not understand what it means in reality. What was it like, before creation was created, before time was created, in a time where time itself, did not exist. And what about eternity, what is the concept of time then, when it goes on forever? We cannot really grasp the reality of this understanding fully, we are weak ones.

• Allah says in a Hadees Qudsi, “Kuntu kamzan maghfiyan,” which means, “I am that One, I was a secret treasure.” The translated words do not carry the same weight as the Arabic words, and the Arabic words themselves portray Allah in a way that our mind can never understand. Even to translate the first Arabic word into English – “I am” – it cannot capture the essence of what Allah means when He says, “I am.”An Ocean of words cannot explain what Allah means by that statement. For when Allah said those words, no other creation existed to hear it, and He said, “I am here. I am your Lord. I am here.”

• He then said, “I was a hidden treasure.” What do our minds understand from the word ‘treasure’? We cannot even come close to picture and understand what sort of treasure Allah is. Even if all the treasure in the entire Universe was gathered, it is not an apt description of what Allah is saying, and even if the entire Universe itself were a treasure, every atom of it, it still cannot describe what treasure is mentioned by Allah. And even if we tried to describe the treasure from pre-eternal to eternity, we could never explain what is meant by Allah being a hidden treasure.

• Even an atom is a treasure in itself, it contains unlimited power. Maulana asks scientists, if anyone has ever seen or touched or seen or burnt an atom? No. So why are they so proud, they should prostrate before Allah in humility. An atom is more powerful that all of the creation, just look – when Man learnt to harness just a little bit of the atom’s hidden power – he created the atomic bomb. And the power of that entire explosion hinges on the power contained in just ONE atom in the bomb.

• Man has never seen, never touched, never burnt an atom, yet an atom contains enough energy to burn the whole world 100 times over! Just imagine the power that is hidden by Allah, in each atom. So if we cannot see or understand the the hidden power in an atom, how are we to understand the Creator of the atom, the ‘hidden treasure’, Himself? It is impossible to know the condition of Allah, so never ask that question, the human mind is not able to approach the understanding of Allah existence.

• Hidden within each atom, is an Ocean of knowledge, some of it known to Man, other parts, unknown. And each atom, just like humans, has a personality of its own. So if we are unable to understand completely about even one atom’s unique personality, how are to understand every atom’s personality? And how are we to understand the One who created all these atoms with their unique personalities? It is impossible. Man doesn’t even understand his own self, his own personality/nature, completely, so how can he truly know about Allah’s nature? A human being has difficulty even re-assembling a dismantled clock, how are we to really understand Allah’s existence? It is impossible to do so.

• Sayyidina Ali (karamallah wajhu), a vastly knowledgeable Companion, was once asked, “How is the condition of Allah?” to which he replied, “Allah is He who created the meaning of the ‘How’ in your question, hence it is impossible to understand Him, so leave such a question.”

• In conclusion, we must know that He has an existence that is 100% completely different from the existence of the rest of the creation. He is the Creator, He never resembles the creation. As long as you know and believe this, you are going to be granted more and more heavenly lights, and more knowledge will be granted to you.

• Oh people, do not waste time, try to understand your mission during this brief worldly life, so that you may achieve your aim and attain safety and honour on the Day of Judgement.

وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ ڪُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ

And there is none comparable unto Him (Quran 112:4)

لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهٖ شَىۡءٌ

Naught is as His likeness (Quran 42:11)

Fatiha
(This Suhbah is continued the next day, 25/01/2010 by Maulana, so do read that Suhbah too, in order to make sense of what he is introducing here, Maulana links that lesson with the true meaning of Servanthood, Sincerity and being Allah’s Khalifa….it is a beautiful lesson!)

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

23rd January 2010, Saturday

When you are not with Allah, you are with shaitan

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that the recital of A’uzubillah destroys the forts of shaitan, as shaitan is bombarded by Divine missiles. Shaitan has a dirty intention – to bring bad thoughts and bad feelings, grief and sorrow, into our lives. So whenever you feel afraid, recite A’uzubillah, and seek Allah’s protection.

• Bismillah is a Divine Sword, and if it is recited by a person who is true to himself, it can kill shaitan and his followers/helpers. One who recites Bismillah is raised by Angels to higher spiritual levels, in which his feelings of grief, sorrow and fear are transformed, and he is brought to safety, away from shaitan’s evil.

• Deep heavenly knowledge brings satisfaction, calmness and contentment to the heart. Rasulullah (saw) brought such knowledge, and this knowledge brings safety to the Ummah. Maulana says that today’s lesson is one such lesson, for it contains a Key to Safety for the Ummah, and he says that, if you listen, obey and practise what you learn in today’s Suhbah, you will be in safety in this world and in the hereafter. Open the ears of your heart, says Maulana, and accept the teachings of Holy ones, for such people are the ones with connection to the Divine.

• Rasulullah (saw) says in a hadees, that each human being has one shaitan with him, as stated in the Qur’an, Surah An-nas, (Quran 114:4-5) :

مِن شَرِّ ٱلۡوَسۡوَاسِ ٱلۡخَنَّاسِ . ٱلَّذِى يُوَسۡوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ

From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, who whispereth into the hearts of mankind.

• When a person is doing nothing, when his mind has forgotten Allah or when he is occupied with worldly thoughts – shaitan approaches him, and says to himself, “This is a suitable time to bring this person in my way.” Shaitan then inserts his trunk, like the proboscis of a mosquito, into the heart of that person.

• When shaitan inserts his trunk into a person’s heart, a heedless person will start to receive input from shaitan, and suddenly, he remembers old songs that he starts to hum, and he remembers old memories, both good and bad, and becomes lost in that world of day-dreaming and fantasies.

• If you are one who is aware of such an attack on your heart and if you have a spiritual guide, reach out to him for help by saying, “Oh my Master, please reach out to me now, I am in a difficult position, my heart is disturbed. Oh my Master, reach me quickly and save me from shaitan’s attack. He has put his trunk into my heart, I don’t know what I am thinking about anymore, and I don’t know what I am doing anymore, for he is causing me to forget Allah, causing me to forget His most glorified and honored one, Sayyidina Muhammad (saw). I am in a bad condition, in such a bad condition. Oh Chosen Ones, Oh Awakened Ones, reach me with your spirituality to stop these attacks.”

• When shaitan inserts his trunk into a person’s heart, he uploads so much rubbish and dirt into that heart. Maulana says endless dirtiness and countless streams of garbage are uploaded into the heart, causing the person to lose his calmness, his peace and his tranquility – he becomes troubled, worried, suspicious and upset, he feels the burdens of life on his mind and on his shoulders. His soul becomes dark, depressed and lonely. Such a person then seeks solace and rest from such evil feelings and dirty thoughts within him, he runs from East to West in search of a cure for his condition, he seeks the contentment and tranquility that has since disappeared from his heart and soul!

• Such a person doesn’t realise that all his sufferings arise from shaitan and his inserted trunk, so he resorts to a myriad of social activities to fill his empty soul – he goes pubbing, clubbing, partying, he meets friends for outings, he travels, he talks with friends – he tries everything to remove his spiritual suffering, even to the extent of seeing psychiatrists and taking their medicine. How can such medicine help? The disease which afflicts him, is an illness of the heart and soul, not of the physical body, so medicine that treats the physical body cannot cure illnesses of the soul. Such medicine merely compounds the problem, and worsens the situation,

• The cure is simple. Close your eyes, don’t move, concentrate on your heart, and recite, ALLAH, ALLAH! For the Prophet (saw) said, when a person remembers Allah (performs zikrullah), shaitan withdraws his trunk and runs away! When you remember Allah, you are with your Lord, shaitan cannot be near your heart, he will wait at a safe distance until you let down your guard, until you forget Allah, and that is when he approaches with his accursed trunk again to inject you, and once that is so, you lose your tranquility and fall back into the pit of darkness. Shaitan cannot penetrate the heart of one who remembers Allah, and a person who does Zikrullah, shaitan cannot make him forget Allah and His Rasul.

• Recite ALLAH, ALLAH with your tongue and in your heart, that is your protection from shaitan, and from all the illnesses that he uploads into your heart. Maulana says, a heart that is not reciting ALLAH, ALLAH, is dead, and one who remembers Allah always, is alive. Allah says in a Hadees Qudsi, “Oh people, recite My Holy Names, and remember Me. I am your guarantee, not a single problem will afflict your physical being and you will be surrounded by peace and felicity, no trouble will descend upon you.”

• Salafi scholars are quick to label the performance of zikir in a group as bida’ah (innovation). Maulana asks if they know that there are two types of Innovation, for there are also Praiseworthy Innovations (Bida’ah Hasanah)? What is wrong when groups of believers gather to recite Allah’s beautiful names? Zikrullah is one of the 54 obligatory acts we must do, it builds our faith (Iman), and faith is a fortress of protection for us all.

• Maulana ends by exhorting us to do constant Zikrullah, as the remembrance of Allah will remove all the heaviness in us and melt away all shaitanic thoughts, returning us to our pure, original creation. Be with Allah all of this life, and you will be raised in honour on the Day of Resurrection. Hell-fire will never touch you, if are always with Allah. Oh Muslims, says Maulana, give time for Zikrullah, you will live a happy and honoured life in this world and in the hereafter. Don’t be heedless, awaken from your slumber, clean your hearts from the dirtiness of this worldly life (dunia). Your honour lies in remembering Allah, from being with Allah, not from being away from Him, and not from being with this dirty dunia. Practise what you have learnt today, it gives you what you need, for this worldly life and for your afterlife.

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا

O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. (Quran 33:41)

وَمَن يَعۡشُ عَن ذِكۡرِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضۡ لَهُ ۥ شَيۡطَـٰنً۬ا فَهُوَ لَهُ ۥ قَرِينٌ۬

If anyone withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one (shaitan) to be an intimate companion to him. (Quran 43:36)

ٱسۡتَحۡوَذَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ فَأَنسَٮٰهُمۡ ذِكۡرَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ حِزۡبُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ‌ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ هُمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ

The Evil One has got the better of them: So he has made them lose the remembrance of Allah. They are the Party of the Evil One. Truly, it is the Party of the Evil One that will perish! (Quran 58:19)

Fatihah

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

22nd January 2010, Friday

Where should we run to, for safety?

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana prays for us to be given help and ease in understanding and practising from his lessons.

• To a simple mind, religion is like a football match – one side is the Prophet’s side, the other side is Shaitan’s side. Shaitan is trying to get the whole world interested/obsessed with football, and the Prophet is trying to do otherwise. Maulana says that people who watch football are empty headed ones, as it is a waste of time and money, and has no benefit in it whatsoever.

• Man is always wondering what he is going to eat later, where he will go for his next meal. But he never wonders where he will go for the next life. Each day, we see someone die, we bury him, but we never take any wisdom or lesson from it at all. Instead of pondering about it, we are thinking of the financial crisis in our lives – yet prior to this crisis, we had been wasteful, both of our time and money.

• Man no longer thinks about his aim, his mission in this worldly life, and when he ceases to think, he is demoted to the level of animals, for animals do not think of such things. Man falls to such a disgraceful position because he does not use his ability to think.

• Maulana gives an example to simulate this. If you were walking through a mine-field, and you walked without care, without thinking, just strolling on in a carefree manner, oblivious to all the hidden dangers – what would happen to you? The result is fatal. So can one negotiate through this complex life successfully, avoiding its hidden traps, without thinking and taking necessary preparations and precautions? Impossible!

• Man’s life has descended to a meaningless routine – he goes to work in the day, and looks for entertainment and enjoyment in the night. That’s it. Maulana reminds us all, that we have not been created by Allah for entertainment! Allah has equipped us with powerful minds, so that we learn something in this short life, so that we can discover our true mission. But people are either drunk (with this worldly life’s entertainments and pursuits) or sleeping (unaware and disinterested about akherat, the true life). When a person is drunk/sleeping, he loses his capability to think, and that is very dangerous, like walking through a minefield, unawares.

• Because Man has left his true mission, his life becomes meaningless, he becomes unhappy with his shallow life, and begins to yearn for change, which he hopes will bring meaning to his pitiful life. He wonders if migrating would do him good, or if he should change jobs, and he starts to desire to be someone else. Slowly, he is lured by shaitan’s tricks, to fall into his traps – Man thinks that by following shaitan’s advice, he would find the solace and peace that he yearns for so desperately. Instead, he is drawn deeper and deeper into the pit of sufferings, misery and conflict.

• When Man reaches the depths of these pits of darkness, he will rebel and become wild, and that is the start of War on earth. All Holy books have predicted the most terrible war to come, in Man’s history, the Armageddon, Malhamatun Kubra, the Biggest War. It is the Curse of Allah descending upon heedless Mankind, and Curses will rain upon humans, like snow and hail.

• Oh people, we are the Last Nation (Ummah), we are in the Last Days now, the Day of Resurrection is very near. Because Man is dead spiritually, he is troubled by everything, life is tasteless and aimless, and he then seeks to kill, in order to find enjoyment. Others seek to die, rather than face this bleak and drab existence. So many countries are stockpiling terrible weapons of mass destruction, humans take pleasure from maiming and killing, for inflicting suffering and destruction. When killing and destruction become the main aims of human existence, Allah will inflict such terrible earthquakes on Mankind, earthquakes that will leave those seeking to cause destruction, dead. Such will be the force of these earthquakes, that no human will be left alive in many cities, and no buildings will be left standing. These are the Signs of the Last Day.

• All Prophets, especially the Holy Prophet (saw) warned that, once adultery and promiscuity spreads rampant, Allah’s anger will descend on Man, more and more forcefully.

• Now that we are seeing the Signs – weapons of mass destruction, earthquakes, promiscuity and adultery – where do we run to, for safety?

• You must realise what has caused this. We have been granted the greatest honour by Allah from amongst all creation, yet we have forgotten about that, and we have not valued such a great honour, and we have ceased to give our highest obedience and respect to Allah Almighty.

• Man has forgotten Allah, so Allah has left Mankind – Man has been ‘forgotten’ by Allah. Forgotten people will constantly be showered by Divine Anger, till they change their ways.

• So change your ways, leave the wrong path and seek the right path – then Allah’s light, protection and blessings will descend upon you, and the curses will be lifted, here and in the hereafter.

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

20th January 2010, Wednesday

Worship Allah, Respect Rasulullah (s.a.w)

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that even ants, bacteria and viruses ask for support from Allah to carry out their activities. It is impossible for any creature to exist and function, without Divine Help of the Creator. Only Allah needs no helper, for if He needed help, then the one giving Him help is above Him, and that is impossible. He is Self-Sufficient, in need of none, while all of creation, is in need of Him.

• All of creation, except Man, acknowledge that they have been CREATED, they acknowledge WHO Created them and they know Allah according to the capacity and limits that Allah placed within them. Hence they glorify and praise Allah, giving Him, their highest glorification and praise, according to their abilities. Even bacteria and viruses recite tasbih to Allah, glorifying Him. Every grain of sand, every stone and rock, the mountains and even the sky itself, glorifies Allah.

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ

Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allâh, and He is the All-Mighty, All-Wise. (Quran 57:1)

• Man, is the only creature that dares to deny that he is a creation of Allah’s, and hence he falls below the level of bacteria, he falls right to the lowest level in creation, as even bacteria and animals accept that they are created by a Creator, and they are grateful to Allah for the countless blessings and pleasure that He has bestowed upon them. But Man is too proud to glorify Him, and too busy to recite His name! Why is Man so heedless?

ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنَـٰهُ أَسۡفَلَ سَـٰفِلِينَ

Then We reduced him (Man), to the lowest of the low (Quran 95:5)

• Man should be ashamed to be one that denies his Creator, whereas Allah has honoured him by raising him above all creation, and by subjugating all of creation under his rule. The rest of the creation bows to Man as the Khalifa of Allah, yet Man does not bow to Allah in worship and devotion! Allah has made Man His Representative on earth, Allah has given Man endless physical, emotional and spiritual pleasure in this worldly life, and a promise of eternal bliss in akherat. Despite all that Allah has bestowed on Man, he is the only Creature to deny and defy Allah! These are the heedless ones, dirty ones, and it never crosses their minds to say, “Oh Allah, You created us, our endless glorification and praises are for You!” Maulana prays that we do not become like these people, who take all that Allah has given, and are yet ungrateful to Him and refuse to worship Him.

• Oh Disbelievers, every thing that is created, certainly has a Creator, so why do you deny the existence of Allah? If you were to declare that a chair created itself, it is an illogical statement that would be rejected, and you would be sent to a mental institution! So if a simple chair has a creator, and everyone accepts that logic, how is it that a complex creature like Man, does not have a Creator? We must ask ourselves, there was a time we didn’t exist, and now we do, so how did this happen? Today, schools no longer teach His Holy names, everything is attributed to ‘nature’ and nothing is rightfully attributed to Allah! This is 21st century Man!

• Maulana calls out to scholars, to stop harping on petty disputes and quarrels, and to bring this message to the masses. People must be taught to think about Who created them! The Prophet (saw) brought this message to his Ummah, he was a Warner, who taught Man to worship his Lord. Rasulullah (saw) teaches the Ummah, to worship and glorify Allah, and Allah Himself teaches us to respect and recite salutations (selawat) upon Rasulullah (saw)!

• Extremist scholars say it is an Innovation (Bida’ah) or that it is Forbidden (Haram) to respect Rasulullah (saw) and to recite selawat upon him. Why? Maulana says that it is wrong to make a ruling without proof, so while there is ample proof that we are asked to recite selawat in both the Qur’an and Hadees, why have these extremist scholars not produced any concrete proofs about their fatwa? Maulana says, Allah has classified some actions as Haram, as they Harm people, so humans are to avoid these acts, so that they remain safe from Harm. How can recitation of selawat harm us, Maulana asks? The teachings of these misguided scholars are devoid of any logic or understanding.

• Maulana says that, those who do not respect Rasulullah (saw), bring Divine Anger upon themselves. He quoted a famous Ottoman King, Sultan Ahmad, who built the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, who was Sultan of Bahrayn wal Barrain (Sultan of the Sea and Land). Allah granted him such honour with such a vast Kingdom, and his subjects, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, trembled at his majesty. And as he sat on his throne, each time the NAME of Prophet Muhammad (saw) was mentioned, he STOOD up to honour and pay his highest respects to Rasulullah (saw), even if Rasulullah’s Holy name (saw) was mentioned a hundred times during that day! The more you respect and honour Rasulullah (saw), the more respect and honour will granted by Allah to you.

• Maulana says that in today’s world, people stand up when a King or President enters the room, even if he does so repeatedly, so why are we ashamed to honour Sayyidina Muhammad (saw), the Best of Creation, the True Khalifa in Allah’s Presence, the Chosen Creation representing the Lord of Creation. The Prophet (saw) is constantly in contact with the Creator of the entire creation! It is only a very ignorant one who does not respect the Seal of Prophets (saw).

• This is but a heavenly inspiration to my heart, says Maulana, so that you may guided on the right path. Some disbelieve that such inspirations exist, but Prophet Muhammad (saw) received wahyu, which is another form of Divine revelations, so one must believe that such Divine revelations and heavenly inspirations exist. By rejecting heavenly advice, you are cutting off the light in your life, and you will fall into darkness, and this material world then becomes your ultimate goal in life. Remember, this material world has no value in the Divine presence, so seek of what brings you closer to your Lord’s pleasure!

• Despite many humans rejecting advice, Maulana says he will still keep trying to advise them. A child, may struggle to learn ALIF, BA and TA, but through the persistence of a patient and loving teacher, the child will eventually learn, if he is eager to do so. True guides have this secret power to reach the hearts of their students.

• But for those who do not wish to learn, it is futile to try to teach them, no one can reach their hearts, as these people have already locked their hearts, closed their hearts, sealed their hearts – against receiving heavenly lights. When such people are advised, they do not listen, and even if they do listen, they do not understand. When Rasulullah (saw) was preaching to the Jews, they said:

وَقَالُوۡا قُلُوۡبُنَا غُلۡفٌ‌ؕ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ اللّٰهُ بِكُفۡرِهِمۡ فَقَلِيۡلًا مَّا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏

And they say, “Our hearts are wrapped (i.e. do not hear or understand Allâh’s Word).” Nay, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is that which they believe. (Quran 2:88)

فَبِمَا نَقۡضِہِم مِّيثَـٰقَهُمۡ وَكُفۡرِهِم بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتۡلِهِمُ ٱلۡأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيۡرِ حَقٍّ۬ وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ قُلُوبُنَا غُلۡفُۢ‌ۚ بَلۡ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡہَا بِكُفۡرِهِمۡ فَلَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬

Because of their breaking the covenant, and of their rejecting the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, and of their killing the Prophets unjustly, and of their saying: “Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say)” – nay, Allâh has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little. (Quran 4:155)

• Maulana made a prayer to Allah, “Oh Allah, I am seeking Your forgiveness, may my heart never be locked up, never be shut down, astaghfirullah, anta robbi, anta hasbi….bestow upon me beneficial knowledge.”

Fatihah.

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Daily Suhbah

19th January 2010, Tuesday

In Jesus’s miraculous birth, lies a POWERFUL lesson

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that ALL humans are weak, we must not be deceived by our worldly gifts/abilities into believing that we are powerful. Never feel strong because you have a healthy body, or because you have worldly riches, or because you are have a kingdom. Even if you are a King, a Sultan, or an Emperor, those are names given to you, worldly titles that mean nothing in reality, but with which many are deceived into believing that they have actual POWER, CONTROL and STRENGTH to execute their WILL.

• In reality, every human being lives between two breaths, he can die after inhaling or after exhaling, according to Allah’s Will. Each breath could be your last, you have absolutely no power to take even one more breath, when your time is up. A person held underwater or hung from a noose, will die within five minutes. How can we claim that we are powerful? We are weak, the weakest creatures before Allah, so, humble yourself before Him, admit your utter helplessness, and acknowledge that ONLY Allah, the Creator, is STRONG. Say, “Oh Allah, we are your weak servants, we can’t do anything.” For, the definition of a servant, is one who is weak. A servant is not powerful, the Creator of that servant, is the powerful one.

• Recite A’uzubillah often, it is the recitation of a weak servant before his Lord, seeking protection from another weak creation, shaitan. Shaitan, though weak, has at his disposal countless tricks and traps, he has a glib tongue, and chases us incessantly, like a dog chasing a boy to bite him, who runs to escape from it. So, run to Allah by reciting A’uzubillah, as shaitan is like a dog running after you to bite you, to infect you with his diseases. Reciting A’uzubillah reminds you that you are a servant, reminds you that you need Allah’s help, reminds you that you are weak.

• Allah says, “Oh My servants, you must know your weakness.” Allah teaches His servants to call upon Him always for help, to realise their utter helplessness, to realise their complete dependence on Him, and to run from shaitan’s dogs. Unfortunately, today’s humans feel powerful and self-sufficient, they do not run to Allah, and instead of running from the dogs of shaitan, they are friendly with these dogs, thinking them tame and loyal, not realising how dangerous these dogs are!

• Maulana says that every known trouble, crisis, misery and suffering, that has befallen Man, is because he fell into shaitan’s traps. And shaitan is so happy to see Man suffering. Each time a person is at a crossroad, at which he must decide which path to take, shaitan says to him, “Oh wandering people, follow me, follow me,” and he then leads such an ignorant one (one who doesn’t take lessons from heavenly messages) down the path of endless troubles. Shaitan portrays himself as a Saviour to Man.

• Maulana asks, why did Allah create the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ (as)? And why was he speaking, from the day he was in the cradle? These miraculous events has been interpreted in different ways by the Jews, Christians and Muslims.

• Have we ever thought about the miraculous nature of even a normal birth? Two cells meet, and from those two miniscule cells, Allah creates a new life, a new being, that grows in the mother’s womb, to become a full grown child, made up of trillions of cells. It is Allah who has willed it so, that TWO cells merge, and become a new being. It is Allah’s Will! Who is to stand in the way of Allah, when He decides to create Jesus from ONE cell (the mother’s egg), instead of TWO cells? ALLAH DOES AS HE PLEASES! Nothing prevents Allah Almighty from doing what He likes, He is Allah! He may bring any creature into existence, as He Wills!

• “Kun, faya kun” Allah says BE, to that ONE cell, and it BE-comes Jesus (as). Can anyone question Allah? Can anyone stand in His way? He is the absolute Power! He created Adam (as) from ZERO cells! From Jesus’ miraculous birth, Allah is showing the Jews, Christians and Muslims, that HIS Will shall prevail, none can stand in comparison to Him or question Him or stop Him. If it be His Will to create a man from just ONE cell, it is done just as He Wills! He can do as He likes! AS HE LIKES!