Present are Shaykh Ahmad Mojadidi and the mushrif of the maqaam of Abdullah al-Ansaari in Herat.
[Shaykh Abdullah al-Ansaari speaks in Pashto and Abu Bakr translates]
He says he is very honored to have you hear and hopes to see you in Afghanistan one day.
Herat is a very spiritual city, near border of Iran.
They say Herat is soil of awliyaullah and Ghazni is the place of awliyaullah. Many awliyaullah have come and gone and many have passed on also.
There are 2 minars there in Ghazni and they say between these 2 minars there are over 200 awliyaullah. Masha-Allah Afghanistan has many awliya, Mawlana Abdul-Rahman Jami in Herat. Always a very spiritual country and many people tried otherwise and they were unsuccessful and it is still very strong with tasawwuf.
I am fining much more courage to speak in front of you. But in front of awliyaullah like you really no need to speak.
Shaykh Ahmad can speak.
[Shaykh Ahmad is very humble to speak.]
[Shaykh Ahmad speak and Abu Bakr translates:
Shaykh Ahmad gave a talk about importance of dhikr. Alaa bi-dhikrullahi tatma’in al-quloob and the ayat inna al-mumineena wal-muminaat wal-qaaniteena wal-qaanitaat…
And he mentioned the hadith Kalimataan khafeefataan ala al-lisaan, thaqeelataan fil –meezan Subhana-Allah wa bi-hamdihi Subhanallah al-`adheem.
[Bukhari]
Hadith, in mosque of Prophet, and there was group doing dhikr. One man came and sat in back of group, one came and said prayers and the third left. And the Prophet (s) said, “the one who came and stayed received a lot of blessings and the one who sat in back also attained a lot, and the one who left lost that ni`mat of dhikrullah.”
And he mentioned that the karamaat of awliya are true as the mu`jizaat of prophets are true and this is part of `aqida.
We are very fortunate to be in such a gathering, in which the invocation of Allah swt and praises of the Prophet (s) and this is truly a blessing and ni`mat and we are truly honored to have Mawlana Shaykh Hisham to lead us in this gathering and to help us to attain the blessings of that dhikr.
And we are all Muslims and Ahl-as-Sunnah wal-jama`at. We believe the power of awliya of and the karamaat and we believe in the miracles of the Prophet (s) and we ask Mawlana to continue the majlis.
Baraka-Allahu lana wa lakum bil Qur'an il-`adheem.]
Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-Rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum
Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillahi alladhi hadaana li-haadha wa maa kunna li-nahtadee law laa an hadaana-Allah.
I think the time is short, 15 minutes. So in Naqshbandi Order or in the Mojadadiyya order, as it was called by different names, depends on different times, we know that dhikrullah is an important element in attaining the highest level of spirituality and that is why awliyaullah they give their followers, their mureeds they give them daily awraad in order for them to recite it by themselves. And I would like to say that sometime we do in meeting loud dhikr although in Naqshbandiyya it is most important to do silent dhikr, dhikr khafi. The loud dhikr is for the remaining tariqats but the dhikr al-khafi is for the Naqshbandi Way for the hearts. Then we will do a short dhikr until Maghrib prayers.
The most important is that there are two types of dhikr, khafi and jahri, but in such gatherings we do dhikr al-jahri, new people, converts so we do that. Might not be many people ar prepared for dhikr al-jahri.
[dhikr]
Allahuma salli `ala Sayyidina Muhammadin hatta yarda Sayyidina Muhammad (s)
You don’t need translation?
I cannot speak in front of Shaykh Mohammad Yar and Shaykh Ahmad, I feel shy. It is not appropriate.
Allah swt, we ask Him to forgive us. I don’t know what happens to us, to me and to you. But we ask Allah’s mercy.
There is a story that there were two blind men, very poor, one sit on that corner of the street and the other sit on the other corner of the street, every day.
And one says he loves the king, the sultan of the country, Sultan Mahmoud. It is a true story. Every day he sits and says, “Ya Mahmoud, Ya Mahmoud,” calling upon the sultan. As he is calling someone comes and gives him a chicken. The other one calling “Ya Allah, Ya Allah, Ya Allah,” and someone comes and gives him a chicken.
The one saying “Ya Allah,” says to the one calling “ Ya Mahmoud,” says “you must call on Allah, not on Mahmoud.” He says, “no that one is my favorite. If I call on Mahmoud I get my chicken and if I don’t, I don’t get my chicken.”
He said, “it might be one day you don’t get your chicken. Mahmoud is rich and he will send.”
So one day the sultan died and the one calling “Ya Mahmoud,” got no more chicken. The one calling “Ya Allah,” still his chicken coming.
So we have to remember to call on Allah through His Beautiful Names and Attributes. Allah gave us a treasure. That treasure as the Prophet (s) said from the holy hadith, “Kuntu kanzan makhfiyyan fakhalaqtu ’l-khalq fa bihi` arafoonee -I was a Hidden treasure, and I created creation, and by means of it they know Me.”
No one can know the Creator except through the creation. That creation indicates the Oneness of Allah swt.
On that creation of Allah manifest His Beautiful Names and Attributes. Every Name has a different understanding. Every Name has a different meaning. Every Name has a different manifestation. And that is why it is very important to mention His Names every day.
As the Prophet (s) said, “inna lillahi tisa` wa tis`aoon asma fa-du`hu biha - Allah has 99 Names call him by His Names.”
And he (s) said, “Allah has ninety-nine Names; whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise.”
Look, he said, “who memorized it.” He didn’t say, “who understands it.” Allah wants to give us mercy. He wants us to go to paradise. He said, “who learned it, enters Paradise.” So it is important in our lives to learn these 99 Names.
But which 99 Names?
How many 99 Names Allah does have? We cannot say that Allah has only 99 Names. There are sets of 99 Names. To awliyaullah there are sets of 99 Names. Which 99 Names are you speaking about, which set, this set or that set or that set? That is why to awliyaullah that take from heart of the Prophet (s) that Allah swt has infinite Beautiful Names and Attributes that we have to call Him through them.
As Shaykh Ahmad just mentioned before Maghrib about the hadith of the three men: the one that was there, the one that joined and the one that left.
They are sitting and doing dhikrullah and as the Prophet (s) said, Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala al-lisaan thaqeelataan fi’l-meezan; Subhanallah wa bihamdihi Subhana-Allah il-`adheem istaghfirullah - two words that are very light on tongue but very heavy on the Scale: Glory be to Allah and His praise; Glory to Allah the Almighty.”
And some other hadith increase on it, by saying “istaghfirullah- we seek His Allah’s forgiveness”, at the end. That Allah gave us these two words to remember Him, through these two words that are very light on the tongue but very heavy on the Scale. Why did Allah give us these two?
Allah gave us these Names to praise Him, to admit that these favors and honor and generosity, you are saying hamd:
“wa la’in shakartum la-azeedanakum - if you thank Me, I will increase for you” the verse.
وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
“Wa la'in kafartum inna `adhaabee la shadeed.” It means “if you think you are providing yourself there is punishment there.”
Wa la'in shakartum la-azeedanakum [Surah Ibrahim 14:7].
It [shukr] is a condition. “If you are going to admit that I am providing you everything then I will increase for you.” [Repeat ]Subhanallah wa bihamdihi, then you see Allah’s Favor on you.
When I first knew him, Abu Bakr was half of that size, when his uncle sent him to me. He was half. Now look at him he is like 60 years of age. It means look, Alhamdulillah he has his wife; he has his house. That means 28 years ago he was hiding, they hid him in the tandoor [clay baking oven], they wanted to cook him like chicken. So from where that favors came to him? He did it? No. Allah swt. So if we remember Allah every moment in our life professor, that is important. If we remember--you know there are buildings that have many doors. You open one door, another door, for safety, you open one, another door, then another door, then you end up in a big room; secret.
alaa bi-dhikrullah tatma’in al-quloob – indeed with the remembrance of Allah do hearts achieve satisfaction. Ar-Ra'd [13:28]
What are we going to say? Reciting Qur'an. As some people say? Of course we recite Quran. He said dhikrullah, dhikr means to mention on your tongue. When I remember you and I am traveling, then I say, “O what is Professor Nazeer doing now?” I mention you, I mention your name.
By Allah’s swt remembrance through His Beautiful Names and Attributes what will happen, tatma’in al-quloob. What is tatma’in al-quloob, it means “hearts become satisfied.” Satisfied of what? What are you satisfied with when you make dhikr. You feel at peace - is that itminaan? That might be first door to feel peace. But itminaan al-quloob, to have tamaaneena, I don’t know the real word in English, but people understand it. It is not “O I have my heart at peace.” When Allah says “alaa bi dhikrullahtatma’in al-quloob – verily with Allah’s dhikr they have satisfaction in the heart.” It means you will be able to be moved from your place that you are sitting through universes to reach the Divine Presence. To be able to be there seeing that satisfaction. Or there is no satisfaction.
It is like saying a fresh fruit and plastic fruit. Both of them look like fruit. But one has a taste and gives you energy and power and the other one might poison you or doesn’t give you anything; you look at it and you chew it.
So when we do dhikrullah we have to be very careful, are we progressing or are we sitting in the same place. Are we seeing something or not. If we are not seeing, then we are still in kindergarten. We are still in pampers. We are still not able to release ourselves from the hands of Shaytan.
When Allah says Subhanallah wa bihamdihi Subhanallah al-`adheem. That they are very light words and they are very heavy in the Scale and that Allah loves them, that means you are admitting His favors and admitting His Greatness. He provided everything; He created the universe. You are accepting that.
Many times people say takbir, Allahu Akbar. They say on everything. Takbir on our Shaytan first. That must be sword on the nafs, Allahu Akbar `an adh-dhulm Allahu Akbar `ala al-`ada. Allahu Akbar on enemies. Shaytan is the biggest enemy. Allahu Akbar is a sword that cuts anyone in half, the self, of the person that called for Allah’s support.
So asmaullah al-husna, Allah’s Beautiful Names and Attributes, are sets of 99 Names and different sets. Don’t think I am bringing something from me, no I am explaining. This is a known principle from scholars that there are sets of 99 Names.
So when we are making dhikr and saying La ilaha ill-Allah there is no ilahilla-Allah I cannot understand any translation for this word. No English meaning, no French meaning, no Pakistani meaning, no Afghani meaning, no Farsi meaning. Ilah cannot be explained. La ilaha ill-Allah cannot be explained. It has that Arabic fact. It has only the meaning in Arabic. How are you going to translate ilah? There is no ilah except Allah swt. Can you explain the meaning of Allah? What they say in English. No god. How?
No god but god…?!
Although they say in English we call Him God and in Arabic Allah. But the real meaning of that cannot be known because the language of Ahlul-jannah is what? It is Arabic. You cannot speak any language there. And you remember I mentioned that before I will mention that another time. They say that there is a Stone Age. Ha? And the people were imitating the monkey’s voice or wild animal’s voice and that is their language? Is it not, Abu Bakr? Do you believe that?
If three was no language how did Allah swt `allama Adam al-asma kullaha? How did He teach Adam the Names? It has to be Arabic.
الرَّحْمَنُعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَخَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ
Al-Rahman. `Allam al-Qur'an khalaq al-insan.
The Merciful has taught this Qur’an [to man]; He has created man. [Ar-Rahman; 55:1-3]
There was someone that received that. There was a language. Fa talaqa Adam bi-kalimaatin fa taaba `alayh. He received words. So did he receive monkey’s sounds? What was he receiving? Words; so it must be language. It must be Arabic as there is no other language of paradise. So these praisings of Allah swt through His Beautiful Names and Attributes is like when your son, for example say to you “My father, I love you.” What do you do. Sometimes you be happy you take 1 dollar, five, 10 and give your son. You do that to your daughter, or you buy her a toy. She says, “I love you,” you give more. “I love you,” you give more. “I love you,” you give more.
So what do you think when you say “Allah, y’Allah, Ya Ghaffaar, Ya Sattar!” You are saying, He is giving. As much as you are saying He is giving. So when he gives what happens. He is al-Kareem the Generous do you think His giving is like our giving, one dollar, two dollar. He is al-Ghani, He will give relative to His name al-Ghani. Even if this whole world is under one person and he owns all its treasures and if He gives everyone [the same] you cannot describe it as one drop in the ocean of al-Kareem.
Antum al-fuqara ila Allah you are the poor to Allah. You are nothing. Don’t think your money is going to make you something. No. If Allah wants to make you something then of course you will be something.
Therefore come to Him through what He loves most, praising Him and praising His favors to you. That is why He said I like these two words Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala al-lisaan thaqeelataan fi’l-meezan; Subhanallah wa bihamdihi Subhana-Allah il-`adheem istaghfirullah.
So what happens. Then he gives more. So when you make dhikrullah He gives more, then what? You become rich.
Then they elevate you from first step to millionaires then to billionaires then to trillionaires. When you are in level of billionaires you have an island and all the doors of congressmen, presidents, and senators will be open to you because you give, you give a lot.
When Allah gives you are not billionaire or trillionaire because when He gives He gives without count. He opens all the doors. When He gives He doesn’t give you money, He gives, of course, but when He gives, He gives you spiritual wealth, to be more near and more near to ma`rifatullah to the seekers that have a journey to go. That journey is to reach ma`rifatullah. Awliyaullah knew that reality so what did they do. They backed. They are keeping quiet. Their heart is with dhikrullah and their body is with people. But they are not here. You don’t know where they are. Awliyaullah are not like us. You can .. when you see them you can understand when you really have eyes. Then you understand how far they are from first sight, from first looking. If you cannot understand from seeing them the first looking then you are blind. Fa man kaana fid-dunya `amaa fa-huwa fil-akhirati `amaa aw adalloo sabeela.
Who is blind in this dunya will be blind in akhira. It has many meanings: “who is blind from receiving understanding and knowledge lost his chance to see and be with the Prophet (s) in Paradise.” Because if you are Muslim you will enter Paradise even if you are blind. But the blindness here is that you will not be highest level of paradise that Allah promised his companions to the siddiqiyoon and the martyrs and the awliyaullah because you are blind but those who are running and sitting with associations of awliya in dunya, will be given eyes in akhira. Not everyone is going to be awliya in dunya. Allah has honored some and that is why He said, “awliyaeetahta qibaabee, laa ya`lamahum ghayree – My Saints are under My domes; no one knows them except Me.”. You can feel that with some, that sainthood. You can see sometimes that there is someone that carries that sainthood reality. When I entered here, and my eyes saw someone it took me back fifty years ago, or more than fifty years. More...
To see similarity between that person and one person in Damascus Syria, that we were so attached to him. He was one of the saints, the awliyaullah that Grandshaykh Abdullah al-Faiz ad-Daghestani mentioned that he is a mukhlis. He was called between awliyaullah Ibrahim al-Mukhlis. That was not his name, but his name was Sayyidina Ibrahim al-Ghalayini. [He has the] Same picture, same face, [as if the] same person. As if Allah created a double.
These awliyaullah, Allah dressed them. People don’t know them, but they give you, people who are alter, they give you a buzz. Be careful this one has something. Why ? because Allah wanted that. There are awliya that they don’t know themselves awliya, because Allah didn’t want them to know that. They are awliya but they are under domes.
So don’t tuhaqqir ma`rufa - Don’t humiliate anyone. Might be that one is a wali you don’t know.
So what we need, what we take with us today, that is most important, is that there are sets of 99 Names, and these sets of 99 Names, awliyaullah ask you to do dhikr in different of Names , different sets of Names, one from the beginning of one set, one from last, one from another set, one from the last, then they become what? They become keys to open. Must be. Awliyaullah they received that knowledge.
Look at Imam Ghazali. Because today people say that Imam Ghazali is big dhaakir, abig Sufi. Might be a lot more higher than Imam Ghazali. Might be that people don’t look at them because of the propaganda of these people that they don’t want to come against all of them so they say this imam is ok.
Look at his books. Not Ihya al-uloom ad-deen. He has books that there are numbers in different ways and there are squares and you get protection from theme these are called tama’im and ruqyaat and ta`awaeez. He put different sets of names together in order to be sure it has the key to open. Like Sayyidina Ahmad al-Badawi, when he was asking “Ya Rabbee open for me Your door. Open for me Your door.” He was all the time in seclusion. O Allah open for me Your door.” It is not easy doctor, to open