Maghrib Suhbah after Khatm
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
Some people are writing, some people are not writing. Those who are writing, every time they write “atee`ooh,” Allah dresses them with the dress of ita`at, obedience, and whenever you write “atee` ur-rasool,” Allah dresses you with what He dressed His Prophet (s), and when you write, “ooli ‘l-amri minkum,” Allah dresses you with what He dresses awliyaullah. Some people think they are above that (taking notes); since I was young I knew that. In school, don’t you take notes? In school, in some classes if you don’t take notes you take an ‘F’. Everyone who sits to give advice and repeats “Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum” must take notes because if you take notes it stays in your mind and if you don't take notes your mind is somewhere else.
So for how many years we are giving suhbat, suhbat, suhbat? For a long time. Scholars around the world, what are they giving? They go for lectures, they give advice, and some do follow whatever advice they give, while some give advice only to pass the time and don't do what they say! But it is said, and this is well-established, that there are three types of people. You want to be one of them and you will be successful, so you choose one if you like.
1. The first one you should accompany is someone that you will benefit from him, from his religion, from his deen; you will benefit something or else you benefit to say at least, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.” If someone comes to you and says, “Say, ‘Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,’” follow that person as he is good, because of what Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem encompasses there is no limits. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem is the beginning for human beings and for creation of knowledge, so anyone who gives you something from your deen, your religion benefits you, so follow that person and if he doesn't benefit you leave him as there is no benefit. So all of you here, you can benefit each other: instead of sitting and discussing politics, you can sit and discuss religion. Whoever says. “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah” one time enters Paradise.
من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة
Man qaala laa ilaaha illa-Llah dakhal al-Jannah.
Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ enters Paradise.”
Whoever says "laa ilaaha illa-Llah" entered Paradise, so if someone came and said, "Say, 'Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,' that person reminded me to say ‘Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,’ but all of us sit and we don't remind each other of anything. Also, what you need is to follow someone, give a company or be with someone and that person to teach you about your religion and benefit you, follow him.
2. And follow someone idhaa ta`allama shayan, if you teach him something he accepts and goes and teaches other people.
3. The third group, don't follow them, as they will not teach you what will benefit. The first group you learn from someone and benefit, the second you teach him and he will accept you and will go and learn from it. So first is the one who teaches you and the second is the one who learns from you. The third does not benefit you, neither teaching you nor learning from you, so if you sit with that person you lose, and on the other hand, when you sit with someone that benefits you, you learn.
What did the Prophet (s) say in an authentic hadith to Abu Hurayrah (r)?
وأوصى النبي صلى اللّه عليه وسلم أبا هريرة بوصية عظيمة فقال: يا أبا هريرة! عليك بحسن الخلق. قال أبو هريرة رضي اللّه عنه: وما حسن الخلق يا رسول اللّه؟ قال: تصل مَنْ قطعك، وتعفو عمن ظلمك، وتُعطي من حرمك
(رواه البيهقي).
Awsaa ‘n-nabiyyu sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallim Aba Hurayrah bi-waseeyyati `azheematin fa-qaala: yaa Aba Hurayrah! `alayka bi-husni ‘l-khuluq. Qaala Abu Hurayrah: wa maa husnu ‘l-khuluqi yaa Rasoolullah. Qaala: tasila man qata`k, wa ta`foo `amman zhalamak, wa tu`tee man haramak. (Narrated by Bayhaqi)
Yaa Abaa Hurayrah, `alayk bi husni ’l-khuluq. “You have to have the best character.” The meaning here is not “best character toward me,” but to the one you don't love. It might be we have a good chemistry between each other. For example, these two, their chemistry between each other is good. So like both of you sitting here, coming to me at 11 o'clock at night knocking on the door, I thought someone had died! And Hajjah Naziha said, “Who is knocking at 11 o'clock?” and these two people coming inside with red faces, angry both of them. (Mawlana asks the offenders.) Is it correct? (Yes.) I am not going to say why, but they were like that for a certain matter that happened, over which it is not necessary to go so far. It is so simple a matter, but they got upset like fire!
You know hydrogen? One of them is hydrogen, one of them is oxygen. Hydrogen burns strong flames, and oxygen, when they meet together they become what? Water. SubhaanAllah! Two gases can destroy everything, one hydrogen and one oxygen, but when they come together they become water, bardan wa salaaman, “Safety and peace” (on Sayyidina Ibrahim).
يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ
Yaa naaru koonee bardan wa salaaman `alaa Ibraaheem.
O fire! Be cool and a means of peace for Abraham. (Surah al-Anbiyaa, 21:69)
That means nafs, the soul and the body, when they meet together it is like the meeting of hydrogen and oxygen. If we don't want to say the ‘soul,’ we say the ‘ego,’ which has desires and the body has desires, so when they come together accepting each other, that means Shari`ah and Haqiqat. When Shari`ah merges with Haqiqat and Haqiqat with Shari`ah, that is gnosticism, which is bringing together two opposites. Gnosticism doesn't bring sweetness at first, it brings what you don't like, like making the wild beast to be domestic. Like hydrogen and oxygen, bring them together and they explode forming water.
When you come with Shari`ah and already being with Haqiqat, then you are on the right way, but if you take Sufism and leave Shari`ah, it doesn't work and if you take Shari`ah but no Sufism, it works, but not completely. Bring them together and you get:
مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ
Maraj al-bahrayn yaltaqiyaan.
He let forth the two seas so that they meet together. (Surat al-Rahman, 55:19)
The coming together of the two oceans, but in-between there is a quarantine.
بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ
Baynahumaa barzakhun laa yabghiyaan.
Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress. (Surat ar-Rahman, 55:20)
You must enter the quarantine and face the oppositions and if you don't face opposition you don't progress. Like this one is from Pakistan and this one is French: it is impossible for them to meet, so to make them polished, you need rough sandpaper. So for that you put two opposites together and they polish each other. That is why there is a quarantine between the two oceans, the Ocean of Spirituality, knowledge and reality, and the Ocean of Shari`ah. They are not opposite: one teaches you discipline and one teaches you good manners. So when awliyaullah put people in seclusion they put two together, and it is very rare to put two walis together; when two walis are together it means they are performing a high level of work together, as it is not easy.
So the Prophet (s) said to Abu Hurayrah (r), “The best way is husn al-khuluq,” if you want to come to the way of gnosticism, you must have good manners. If you want good manners it is easy: don't be angry or you will get a slap, which means, “Y'Allah, you failed so you have to go back all the way (to the beginning of your spiritual training).” It’s like failing a driver's test, when they say you are an angry (rash) driver. So what is the example of that? When a husband and wife fight they separate, they are angry, saying, “I don't want this life, I don't want that life!” If there is an excuse (for their ill will), of course we must look into it, but if not, if both have enough to eat and to dress, so then look into it.
So what is the Prophet (s) saying? An tassil man qata`k, to connect back with the one who disconnected from you, who separated from you. If you are separating from your wife, that is wrong. If you are separating from your mother and father, brother and sister, that is wrong. The Prophet (s) said, “The best of manners is to connect with the one who disconnected from you, and ta`foow `amman zhalamak, to forgive the one who oppressed you.”
The worst is when we think we are oppressed, as then Shaytan begins to build on it. If we think, “No one likes me, no one loves me,” some people go into depression because Shaytan builds on that and they begin to think, “I am oppressed!” So what did the Prophet (s) say? To forgive the one who wronged you. So if you think you are oppressed, can you forgive the oppressor? Can you do that? I can't do that, you can't do that, but the Prophet (s) is saying to do that. So if we don't listen to the Prophet (s), then we are putting words of the Prophet (s) down and putting our ego up, so what is the benefit of us speaking every day and we are not doing what has been ordered for us to do?
Then he (s) said, “To give someone who haramak, did not give you or prevented you from what you need.” That night (when a mureed knocked at the door), you came asking for something that they prevented you from getting. Now you have to give to them by saying, “Thank you. May Allah forgive you and forgive me.” That is difficult, but that is what is needed to go into this road of Gnosticism.
You are not a commander, you cannot command people, you cannot order people. First fix yourself! Those who are at markaz al-quwwat, the center of authority, have to be diplomatic with people. As a center of authority you cannot be hard and rude with people, you have to be diplomatic. If Allah gave you the opportunity to be a center of authority, you must not use that to oppress people. Still, even if someone uses it to oppress people, forgive them! That is not easy, that is not simple, but that is what has been asked from us or else what is the benefit of following this way or that tariqah if we are going to do `alaa hawwaa al-anfus, as we like, as the self desires? What is the benefit? There is no benefit!
Allah (swt) gave us... when you open the Holy Qur'an, what is the first thing you see there? Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. This is as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, and the bridge of Siraat al-Mustaqeem is Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. That is why it is recommended by the Prophet (s) to say 100 times daily, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.” So when you see something you don't like, say, “A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,” then you will completely cut Shaytan from approaching!
SECRETS OF BISMILLAHI ‘R-RAHMANI ‘R-RAHEEM
Also, Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem is composed of nineteen letters, which goes back in the letters' numbers to one. 1+9 = 10, and 0 is gone, non-existent, so it is 1. So saying, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,” is like saying “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” In Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, there is “Allah,” “ar-Rahman,” “ar-Raheem,” three of the Divine Beautiful Names and Attributes in one ayah, and in these three Beautiful Names and Attributes is the Name of Allah first, there is the first meem in the word Name, Ism. When you say, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem,” it means, "In His Name I am going to do this.” So the first meem in His Name represents Creation, and so that first meem is the Prophet (s). The second meem is in “ar-Rahman,” the Beautiful Name that represents rahmat, mercy that Allah sends on His servants, and it is the name of the Prophet (s). And in “ar-Raheem,” the third meem is the end of the ayah, where Raheem belongs to Akhirah and the other two are in the middle, but this one is in the end. And the first meem represents Allah, the second meem in the middle represents dunya, and the third represents Akhirah, and there the Prophet (s) is Intercessor.
كل عمل لم يبدأ باسم الله فهو أبتر
Kullu `amalim lam yabtadi bi-Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem fa huwa abtar.
The Prophet (s) said, “Any `amal which does not begin with ‘Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem’ is cut off; it has no continuity.” (Ahmad, Musnad)
So every `amal that does not begin with Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem is cut and you will not benefit from it. So don't say, “Why didn’t this project happen, this house didn't happen?” It is because you didn't say, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.”
And these nineteen letters are in the Ahl al-`Abaa, the People of the (Prophet’s) Cloak, when the Prophet (s) covered his jubba over Muhammad, Fatima, Sayyidina `Ali, Hasan and Husayn (r): it is 19 letters, so it means the barakah is in the letters, the 19 that also are in Muhammad, Fatima, Sayyidina `Ali (r), Hasan, Husayn, which also show as “1” as it is 19: 1+9 is 10 and when 0 goes, it is 1. So the one who reprsents all of the Ahl al-Abaa--and the whole world is under Ahl al-Abaa, no one is outside of them--as Allah (swt) said:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى
Qul laa asalukum `alayhi ajran illa al-mawadata fi 'l-qurba.
Say, “O People! I am not asking anything from you (no reward nor wealth), but only to love my Family.” (Surat ash-Shoorah, 42:23)
Allah (swt) opened the doors to everyone and gave a lot of meanings in the way of Gnosticism, so try to progress by not getting angry and then we cannot speak with each other. No, the Prophet (s) said to connect the one who cut you off, to forgive who oppressed you and to give to the one who prevents you! When you have these three characters, what will happen? The roots will begin to blossom. Blossom into what? Blossom into mahabba, love. So love comes from these three good manners, so don't look for love somewhere else! If you are looking somewhere else, you are looking for love of desires. But no one can blame you if you love your wife, love your father, love your sister, but love without marriage is not real love. In the spiritual dimension of real love, the roots appear when you achieve these three good characters, which are not easy to achieve!
(Mawlana speaks to the two who fought.) Tomorrow I am going to see if this one and that one go along (peacefully), or if me and him go along, or this one and that one go along!
Alhamdulillah, with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's barakah, may Allah grant him long life, there are mureeds, but what is the benefit of these mureeds? Yes, the shaykh will carry them and represent them in front of the Prophet (s)--that is not for discussion as Allah gave them the ability to carry from their mureeds--but the duty of all of us is to build love by using these three trees that have been given to us. So what is the benefit if we are going to keep arguing and stay angry and keep this and that (bad character)? It will never finish and we won't get anywhere! May Allah forgive us and may Allah bless us to keep on this way, not to lose here and there.
FIVE BAD CHARACTERS TO AVOID
عَن مُحَمَّدِ بنِ مُسلِمٍ عَنِ الصّادِقِ عَن اَبيهِ (ع) قالَ، قالَ لي اَبي عَلِيّ بنُ الحُسَينِ (ع): يا بُنَيَّ انظُـر خَمسَةً فَلا تُصاحِبْهُـم وَلا تُحادِثْهُم وَلا تُرافِقْهُـم في طَريـقٍ،فَقُلـتُ يا اَبَـتِ مَـن هُـم عَرِّفْنيِهِمْ؟ قالَ: إيّاكَ وَ مُصاحَبَة الكَذّابِ فَاِنَّهُ بِمَنزِلَة السَّرابِ، يُقَرِّبُ لَـكَ البَعيـدَ وَ يُبَعِّدُ لَـكَ القَريـبَ، وَ إيّاكَ وَ مُصاحَبَة الفاسِقِ فَاِنَّـهُ بايِعُكَ بِاَكْلَةٍ اَو اَقَلَّ مِن ذلك وَ إيّاكَ وَ مُصاحَبَة البَخيلِ فَاِنَّـهُ يَخذُلُـكَ في مالِـهِ اَحـوَجَ ما تَكُونُ اِلَيهِ وَ إيّاكَ و مُصاحَبَة الأحمَـقِ فَإِنَّـهُ يُريـدُ أَنْ يَنفَعَـكَ فَيَضُـرُّك، وَ إيّاكَ وَ مُصاحَبَة القاطِعِ لِرَحِمِهِ فَاِنّي وَجَدتُـهُ مَلعُونًا في كِتابِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ في ثَلاثَة مَواضِعَ
الكافي/2/641
Ja`far as-Sadiq (q) has narrated from his father Muhammad Baqir (q) who said his father `Ali ibn al-Husayn (as) stated, “O my son! Beware of five (groups) and do not seek companionship with them, do not speak with them and do not make friends with them on (the) way.” Then, Muhammad Baqir (q) asked his father who they were and might he introduce them to him. He responded: “Beware of and do not associate with the one who tells lies, because he is as a mirage which makes near for you what is far and makes far to you what is near; beware of and do not associate with an immoral person, because he will sell you at the price of a morsel or less than that; beware of and do not associate with a miser because he will deprive you of his wealth when you are seriously in need of it; beware of and do not associate with a fool, because he wants to be of avail to you but he harms you; and beware of and do not associate with the one who disregards his kinfolks, because I found him (such a person) cursed in the Book of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, in three occurrences (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:27; Surat ar-Ra`ad, 13:25; and Surat Muhammad, 47:22).” (Narrated by Ibn `Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq, 41:409)
Sayyidina Ja`far as-Sadiq (q), one of the Twelve Imams of Ahl al-Bayt--and he is the one where the two oceans merge in him, the ocean of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) and the ocean of Sayyidina `Ali (r)--what did he say?
1. First, don’t make a relationship with someone who lies a lot. People lie and those who lie a lot are like the Anti-Christ: they make Hell Paradise and they make Paradise Hell. So don't accompany them. That one is like the Mi`raj: he will make the far near and the near to be far from you.
He is cheating you as nothing is there. And what did the Prophet (s) say when they asked him?
قال أبو الدرداء وذكر بعضهم قال عبدالله بن جراد يارسول الله هل يزني المؤمن قال قد يكون ذلك قال هل يسرق المؤمن قال قد يكون ذلك قال هل يكذب المؤمن قال لا ثم أتبعها نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : { إنما يفتري الكذب الذين لا يؤمنون بآيات الله } النحل : 105
Sa’alat Rasoolullahi (s) fa qultu: yaa Rasoolullah hal yaznee al-mu’min? Qaala: qad yakoonu dhalika. Qaala: hal yakdhib al-mu’min? Qaala (s): laa thumma atba`ahaa an-Nabi (s) : Innamaa yaftaree al-kadhib alladheena laa yu’minoona bi-ayaatillaah.
One time the Sahaabah (r) asked the Prophet (s), “Yaa Rasoolullah! Does the mu’min steal or rob?" The Prophet (s) replied, "Perhaps." They asked, "Does the mu’min make zina (adultery)?" The Prophet (s) replied, "Perhaps." They asked, "Does the mu’min steal?" The Prophet (s) replied, “Perhaps.” Then they asked him, "Does the mu’min lie?" To this the Prophet (s) replied, "This, no!" Then the Prophet (s) followed it by (reciting), “Only they invent falsehood who believe not Allah's revelations, and (only) they are the liars.” [Surat al-Nahl, 16:105] (Kanzu ’l-`Ummal, 8994)
Does a mu'min steal? Perhaps. And does a mu'min make zina (adultery)? Yes. But does a mu'min lie? No! When you like to take something from someone, rights are involved. When rights of people are involved, you cannot be forgiven until the person forgives you. If you make zina, Allah might forgive it and if we steal Allah might forgive it, but if we lie we have to make up to all the people we lied to.
2. Don't be with khardam people, idiots. That idiot thinks he is benefiting you and might harm you, because with his action he does not know what he is doing.
That is an idiot. Be careful from idiots, even if they are educated. They call some of them ‘nerds.’ I know an educated person, someone who was driving at night, passing through a 35 MPH zone doing 45 MPH, and it was a brief zone only and police were there waiting.
The police said, “Give me your drivers’ license.”
She said, “Why?”
He said, “I want your driver's license.”
She said, “I won’t give it to you.”
Idiot! So since she didn't give it to him, they took her to jail and she stayed there for three nights! Educated or not, don't be with idiots as you might go to jail. So don't follow an idiot, be careful.
3. Don’t keep company with stingy ones, because he might promise he will give you and when you need it he doesn't give you and you need it. So Sayyidina Ja`far (q) said, “Don't be with that one, be with generous ones.”
Allah's Beautiful Name is al-Kareem. Grandshaykh `AbdAllah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani (q) used to say to me, and I used to take notes, “When someone is sick with a real difficult sickness that doctors cannot cure, then if you know a generous person, man or woman, go to their home and don't ask their permission but just enter, go to their pantry and take whatever food you find and eat it, because the food of a generous one is a cure for everyone! That is why they open a zawiya, or dargah or khaniqah and you don't see sick people in these places, even though the food is all garbage, because they feed all of them and the intention is good!
I know someone generous that used to cook canned food that is ten years old with expiration labels and they served it to people! When you eat from their homes you will be cured completely, so don't worry. That is why he said don't follow the stingy person, as he will cut you when you are in need.
4. And Sayyidina Ja`far (q) said, “Don't accompany the coward as he might take you to the enemy and give you away (betray you).”
There are too many cowards now, and one might betray you to your boss or someone else.
5. And the last one is, “Don’t be with the faasiq, the corrupt one, as he might sell you in a market for little bit of money.”
You know in Morocco they have that large open market, the souk, and everyone sells things there, so he might sell you there and run away! So I will repeat them: the liar, the idiot, the stingy one, the coward, the corrupt one. May Allah clean us, as we are all like that! Sayyidina Ja`far (q) knows our characters and he is describing us to ourselves, using diplomacy. Diplomacy is very important in Islam. When the Prophet (s) came to Madinah, he was praying towards Masjid al-Aqsa to attract the hearts of Jews and Christians. Look how he was concerned to build relationships with them, in order to make them love him (and accept Islam)!
THE ORIGINAL ROLE MODEL OF CO-EXISTENCE IS PROPHET (s)
Today they speak on ‘The Role model of Co-existence,’ and the biggest example of co-existence is the Holy Qur'an, while the role model is inside. We didn't see a role model like that in other religious books. Why is it in Holy Qur'an? Because Holy Qur'an doesn't allow you to be Muslim if you deny Sayyidina Musa (a) or `Sayyidina `Isa (a)! The name of Sayyidina Musa (a) and the name of Sayyidina `Isa (a) is mentioned in Holy Qur'an and the name of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is not mentioned in today's Bible or Torah. So who is the role model? Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is a vessel, Allah (swt) was revealing Holy Qur'an to him and he is passing it to everyone, making them to love Sayyidina Musa (a) and Sayyidina `Isa (a)! On the contrary, now there are bridges of interfaith and discussions on co-existing (religious tolerance), and we are happy that others believe in what they believe. What is written in the Torah of Sayyidina Musa (a), we believe that, and what is written in the Bible of Sayyidina `Isa (a), we believe that, and what is written in the Holy Qur'an, we believe that. The Holy Qur'an accepts Ahl al-Kitab, the People of the Book, but among us here, they (Jews and Christians) don't accept us as a religion; they accept us (culturally) as a people, but not our religion.
The Prophet (s) said:
الناس سواسيه كااسنان المشط
An-naasu sawaasiyatan ka-asnaani' l-masht.
People are equal like the teeth of a comb.
On top of that, we believe in the Tawraat and Injeel (Old and New Testaments). Can you say we don't believe in the prophets of Bani Israa’eel? No, you cannot. So we have the foundation of the Role Model of Co-existence (Prophet) and we have the foundation, which is the Holy Qur'an, and the building that brings them all together under one banner. Allah gave them, as mentioned in Holy Qur'an, the Bible is noor and the Tawrat is noor, Light from Allah (swt). So the Prophet (s) yumaththil, represents this role model as he came and accepted everyone, and the biggest example of that is when he was building bridges with Sayyidina Musa (a) in the Fourth Heaven. When he went on Israa’ and Mi`raaj--and this is our belief--he prayed with all prophets. So the Prophet (s) did his best to extend his hands, first when in Madinah and for seventeen months he prayed facing toward Masjid al-Aqsa, and he was given a choice by the ayah of Holy Qur'an:
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَا
Qad naraa taqallaba wajhika fi 's-samaai fa-lanuwalliyannaka qiblatan tardaaha fawalli wajhaka shatara ’l-masjidi 'l-haraam.
We see the turning of your face towards the Heavens. Now We will turn you to a qiblah that will please you. Turn then your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque. (Surat al Baqara, 2:144)
“We see you turning your face in Heaven to know which way to turn (in prayer).” And Prophet (s) was given the choice (to pray toward) the Ka`bah or any other direction, and he choose Masjid al-Aqsa as his qiblah for seventeen months in order to throw in their hearts the plant of love. Then after that, Allah (swt) revealed, “Turn your face to Masjid al-Haram as you gave them a chance and now who is coming (to Islam) is coming, so turn to the Ka`bah.”
Islam is to have good manners. You can pray and everyone doesn't like you, and you can fast and everyone doesn’t like you, but you can pray and fast and everyone takes you as a role model. So what is the important matter here? Manners.
انما بعثت لاتمم مكارم الاخلاق
Innamaa bu`ithtu li utammimu makaarim al-akhlaaq.
I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (your behavior and character). (Bazzaar)
You pray and fast, but people run away from you. With manners, people come and want to be with you. What distinguishes awliyaullah from non-awliyaullah? They have good manners. All Muslims pray and fast, but some, you see how they are fighting in the Middle East? But some special ones are awliyaullah and people run to them as they have good manners.
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Alaa inna awliyaaullaahi laa khawfun `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon.
Behold! Verily on the Friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surah Yunus, 10:62)
May Allah dress us with what he dressed his awliyaullah!
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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