Our portion from death is to take a lesson from it. A person, who takes lesson from it, understands that nobody can be saved from it. Everybody will go in the path of death one day. Then, he starts to love the saints, hold on the orders of almighty Allah and be protected from forbidden things in order to be ready for death. How happy to the person doing this! Anyone who doesn’t take lesson from death is at a loss.
You should be willing to the works of almighty Allah. It is said that: Fudayl bin Eliyad (k.) laughed while his son was dying. When people said him it was not the time of laughing, he said ‘ I know that there is the will of Allah in this action. So, I want to give my consent to almighty Allah.’
The love of follower for his sheikh is beneficial only on account of being master and guidance. If not, it hasn’t got any benefit. The greatest master (r.a) said that: ‘Know that the love of follower to his master is for the sake of his guidance. When Abu Yazid Al Bistami said ‘Anyone who sees me will not enter the hell ‘, some people did not understand the meaning of this word and said ‘What is he saying.’ He sees his nafs more superior than Hadrat Muhammad (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam). Although Abu Cehil saw Hadrat Muhammad, he will enter the hell.? When Bistami (k.s) heard that, he said ‘Abu Cehil didn’t see Hadrat Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah. But, he knew Him as the son of Abu Talib’s brother.’
If the world were not a field for the hereafter, the ugliest and the most disgraceful things which take people away from Allah and deprive them of the benefits in the Hereafter would cause people to be ashamed. However, our beloved Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (May peace and prayers be with him and his followers) said that: ‘The world is the house of people who haven’t got any house in the Hereafter. It is the wealth of those who haven?t any wealth except it. Foolish people want this wealth.’
If the world had any worth as much as a mosquito in the opinion of Allah, he wouldn’t give even a sip of water to non-Muslims. It is said that Allah hadn’t looked at the world with his grace since he created it. There isn’t any permanence neither for it nor its blessings.
Don’t set your heart on this world. This immortal world will pass. The period of old age came. The period of youth will pass.
As the sun is evident for everyone, the badness of world is also evident. If the world had any worth, The Prophet of people and genies (May peace and prayers with him and his companions) would like it and prepare something for it.
The purpose of ahl-i tariqa should be to perform religious duties, because this world is the house of worship and prayer for Allah. It is known that the world is not the house of prize which is given for good deeds. Therefore, if you are a man, work for worship like the men. The prize of good deeds you did in the world will be too much in the hereafter.
It was said that ‘Someone who knows his nafs, knows also his Lord.’ In other words it means someone who knows his nafs as imperfect, bad, dead and immature, surely knows his Lord. Therefore, the more a saliq (a person who engaged in Islamic spiritual path) sees the ugliness and deficiency of nafs, the more his spiritual closeness to Allah increases. Moreover, if he has wisdom and contemplation, he must be happy for being given permission to him in order to wish for Almighty Allah. Allah has loftiness, but servant has deficiency. Although there isn?t any relation between Allah and servant, He invites His servant to His Love. So, what is there bigger than this? Which blessing is more superior to this?
Ustad-i Azam (Radiyallahu anh) said that ‘ I’m never jealous of anything. Furthermore, if it is said that someone becomes the ‘gavs’ of time or the biggest sheikh of people, I’m not jealous of all these two maqams (positions). But if it is said ‘That man has intense demand and desire?, my heart burns because of being jealous of him.’
As you see, Ustad-i Azam indicates that nothing is equivalent to wish for Allah. Moreover, it is wanted from us by Allah. Reaching the other maqams (positions) is transferred to almighty Allah. In short, the most important thing demanded from saliq is wishing for Allah intensely and spending his life only for Allah.
Hafiz Shirazi (k.) said that: ‘I don’t give up demand until my wish comes into existence. Either my soul will reach to the Lover or this soul will leave from my body.’ Furthermore Sufi people said that ‘We are in the manner of demand after death.’ Hafiz (k.) pointed out this with his word: ‘Open my grave after my death and Look! Smoke rises from my shroud because of the love fire in my heart.’ Demand means that saliq must turn away from worldly things. His wish is Allah. He must turn toward Allah completely.
As a result of loving this group we will get everlasting life and permanent release. Surely, it is said ‘Nothing is equivalent to this love. Loving them (the salik, saints, lofty people etc.) spreads to love Allah and His messenger. Moreover, our beloved Prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) said ‘A person would be along with those whom he loves.’
Therefore, people should use their organs for the purpose of creation insofar as it’s possible and thank Allah for not concerning with this bad world that Allah hates. Moreover, lofty people regarded those who concern with the world and give importance to it as intelligent, but they regarded those who burn away from the world as intelligent. As you know the most intelligent person, Hadrat Muhammad (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) turned away from it. He said that: ‘The world is the home of people who haven’t got any home in the Hereafter. It is the wealth of those who haven’t any wealth. Unintelligent people want this wealth.’
Hace Al Ahrar (k.) said: ‘If a person who has divine love wakens a dog sleeping on the way by disturbing it in order to go easily, this situation will not be beneficial for him, even he see that his love doesn’t disappear. He must know that this situation may be a torment coming from almighty Allah.’
O! My brother! The hidden meaning in the creation of this universe is to study for knowing Allah, being close to Him and worshipping Him. Furthermore, Almighty Allah said in the holy book Qur’an: ‘I created genies and people so that they would worship me.’ In addition to this, in one of Qudsi hadiths, it is said ‘ I was a hidden treasure and loved to be known. Therefore, I created the creation that I might be known.’
Work for the thing that causes will of Allah and attracts His grace, so that the others will obey you! Leaders can’t escape from these two situations. They take their tribes either heaven or hell. A person’s life is sacred. Therefore, it needs to demand for the Hereafter which is the most holy wish but not for the world which is an inferior thing. The world takes the people away from Allah. If a person makes the world as a field for his Hereafter, then it will be good for him. Moreover, it is said: ‘The world looks like lions. It is good for those who are brave and hardworking in the path of Allah. It is real property for Men. If they use it for beneficial works, it will be a field for the Hereafter and a real property.
Maqams and pleasures are esteemed only if they are in accordance with the bright Shari’a and Islamic belief. If one of these two principles is harmed, all pleasures will disappear. All situations happening to saliq and murshid must be compared with the judgments of Shari’a. If they appropriate to the Shari’a, it is accepted. If not, it must be known that they came from devil and it needs to turn away from them.
Imam Rabbani (k) said: ‘Tariqa comes into existence only after the Shari’a and its creed are constituted.’ May the most perfect salavat and praise be upon our beloved Prophet and his companions! How can we find the way of Allah without adhering to the Shari?a. Whoever claims that he loves Allah like the person in Naqshbandiah Tariqa, should not leave from being dependent on Hadrat Muhammad (s). Almighty Allah said ‘Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is forgiving, merciful.’ As it is understood from this verse, the progress of spiritual love is related with being dependent on the Prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam). May peace and prayers be with Him and his companions!
It is said that ‘Every soul shall have a taste of death’ and ‘They were born for death (Their end is death).’ How happy to the person who tries to be close with Allah and strives for the Hereafter in his life. In fact, the lovers of Allah find consolation with death in the world. Death is opportunity for friends to be reunited. In the holy book Qur’an Allah says: ‘For those whose hopes are in the meeting with Allah (in the Hereafter, let them strive); for the term (appointed) by Allah is surely coming and He hears and knows (all things).’
The purpose of Naqshbandiah tariqa (May Allah bless the lofty souls of sadat) is to gain love of Allah. It means loving only Allah and not getting benefit from the world.
If I regard the eight heavens as a purpose for myself or serve Allah for the fear of hell, I will be a Muslim who demands peace only for himself. Both of them are the benefits of my body. If a lover lives with the love of Allah, the heaven of Adn isn?t worth even a mulberry in his opinion.
O! My brother! Think that, the sadat of Naqshbandiah tariqa demands only Allah. They don’t demand even the blessings of the Hereafter, how can they demand the blessings of the world? Furthermore, according to them everything coming from the lover is likeable. The lover’s pleasures and anguish are equal.
Imam-I Rabbani (Radiyallahu anh) said ‘When love occurs in one’s heart, the blessing and anguish of the lover will be equal according to him who loves.? Everything that happens to saliq in the tariqa is beneficial for him. O! Heart! One who is on the straight path doesn?t lose the way. However, worldly torments and troubles are the causes of becoming close to Allah.
In short, the world and blessings of the world are contrary to the heaven and blessings of it. Therefore, a wise person should prefer the everlasting one (blessing of the Hereafter) to the mortal one (blessing of the world). As almighty Allah said in the holy book Qur?an ?Be with the right people? and the leader of this tariqa said ‘Our tariqa is conversation’, leaving from this tariqa increases the intensity of pain in heart. Know that: time passing without conversation is harmful. It means to spend life uselessly. The right of this life is to spend it on the way of honorable religious conversations and not leave these conversations as it is possible, and then use it in order to get everlasting good manners. Religious conversation is preface of all maturities (perfections) and religious knowledge. Time, which is passing, can’t be returned and also it can’t be performed later.
According to some hearsay, the companions came to our beloved Prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) and complained about their situation. They said ‘It is sure that something is happening to our heart and if we say it, we will be non-Muslim.’ Our beloved prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sellem) said ‘It is the perfection of faith that those things come to your mind.’ Some of the wise people look like devilish thieves. When a thief enters in a house, he takes anything he found. He is contented with it. He doesn’t want the better one. If the house is light, he hurries up for stealing the best thing in the house. Devil is also like this. As long as the heart of person is dark with the darkness of sin, devil puts apprehension in it. When the heart is enlightened by means of worships and mortification of the flesh, devil tries to put apprehension in it which harms the faith. May Allah bless us!
Hace Alaaddin said ‘A saliq hasn’t any spiritual maqam to be hopeful except always seeing himself faulty. He always should take refuge behind blessing and grace of Allah, and think about beneficence and kindness of Allah carefully. If saliq finds a fault in himself, it doesn’t cause his love of Allah to disappear. Moreover, it causes love to increase. Love means to obey Allah.
It is said ‘Although you rebel against Allah, you say that you love him. I really say that it’s too odd to compare this. If your love were true, you would obey Allah. One who loves obeys his lover.’
The most important thing in this tariqa is seeing the faulty of nafs, accusing it of badness, and not trusting it. Saliq must strive for this issue. He mustn’t rely on the good manners he had. He must transfer them over to almighty Allah. Anything that Allah chose for His servant is more beneficial than the thing that servant chose for himself. Whatever Allah chose for His servant is beneficial. For this reason, it is said ‘Desiring must be without option.’
Thankfulness means performing all religious duties, avoiding forbidden things, and using all organs of the body according to their purpose of creation. In other words, you should use sense of hearing for listening Qur’an and religious talks and you should use sense of seeing for reading Qur’an and looking at the faces of lofty people. You should use your feet for going to Mosque. You should serve Ahlullah with your hands. You shouldn’t use your organs for those that Allah forbade.
O! Faithful person! You should think about your adherence to Ustad-i Azam (Radiyallahu anh) and become close to Allah by means of this thought. If you do so, you will get rank of the world. But, don’t demand benefits of the world so that you won’t be deprived of benefits of the Hereafter. However, a person should turn towards almighty Allah only for Himself and the Hereafter. One of hadiths (may peace and prayers be with Hadrat Muhammad and his companions) indicates this meaning.
Hace Muhammad Al Rugi: ‘A follower should strive for worship, he shouldn’t think whether miracles or spiritual manners will happen to him or not. All investigators of tasawwuf see this world as a place of performing religious duties. The home of prize is the Hereafter. If anything is given to someone as a prize for strengthening the faith in this world, he must think that this world isn?t the place of this blessing, but its place is the hereafter. Therefore, if you are a brave man, strive for worship and prayer. Their prizes are too many in the Hereafter. Furthermore, according to the followers of Naqshbandiah tariqa, worship is performed only for almighty Allah. They don?t think anything except almighty Allah.
O! My brothers! The custom of this world is always like this. The separation isn’t a new thing. A person who deals with knowledge, comprehension, worship, being close with almighty Allah, loving and getting angry with people for the sake of Him will get peace and happiness in this world. On the other hand, someone who deals with opposite things to our sayings will lose peace in the world. The world is the home of trouble and proud. As you see, Brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers and children are separated from each other in this world. Therefore, a wise person should strive for the Hereafter and love of Allah that he will be saved from troubles of the world and get peace.
Be the slave of Allah’s love, then you will be saved from slavery (troubles of the world). Put the sorrow of love on your heart, then you will be happy.’ If not, the disasters happen to you year by year, month by month. There is no way to avoid them. Almighty Allah said in the holy book Qur’an: Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.
Furthermore, there had been more violent events than this in the history. One of them is the death of Hadrat Muhammad (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam). It’s sure that our beloved Prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) said ‘My death is the biggest disaster for my community. No disaster will happen to them bigger than it. ‘ In addition to this, our beloved Prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) said: ‘If any disaster happens to one of people or one of Muslims, they should be patient against the troubles of disasters they had and think about my death, because there won’t be any disasters more violent than this for my community.’ The right of a Muslim must be so. Our beloved prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) said, ‘As long as any of you don’t love me more than your properties children and nafs, you don’t become a Muslim truly.’ Our beloved prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) is the biggest lover and the most superior one. So, his disaster is more intense. There had been too many disasters after him. Take lesson from them, too.
It must be thought that: If anyone loves a person for the sake of world, his love will disappear with his lover’s death. But if his love is for the sake of almighty Allah, his love won’t disappear, because Allah is everlasting and immortal. Siddiq Aqbar Abubekir (radıyallahu anh) said to the companions upon Hadrat Muhammad’s death: ‘See the light! If there is anyone who worships Muhammad, it is sure that Muhammad has died. If there is anyone who worships almighty Allah, it is sure that Allah is alive, he never dies.’
O! My friends! There isn’t anything equals to the merit of calamities happening to you on condition that you are patient. Almighty Allah said in the holy book Qur’an: ‘Who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.’ They aree those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance.’ In this verse Almighty Allah proved three things to those who are patient against troubles.
1. Loftiness together with grace
2. Grace which expresses the meaning of blessing in the second verse
3. Entering the right way
Our beloved prophet (sallallahu aleikhi wa sallam) said that ‘At the time of calamity no one takes the burden of it except the person who says ‘To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.? ‘ In other words the person who says this is patient.
O! My brother! Tariqa means purifying heart from spiritual badness. A servant shouldn’t do anything for his nafs. He shouldn’t do anything for the world, too. If not, how will his situation be? If he does something for desires of his nafs, entering heaven or being saved from hell, he can’t be regarded as a follower of this tariqa.
O! My brother! Think your nafs. Purify it for not thinking about anything except Almighty Allah. Impute an offense to it! Fear from it and its trick whenever you see that you take pleasures in worship. Furthermore, it is said that ‘Be careful for nafs even if it strives for good manners. If it takes pleasures in supererogatory, don’t leave it free.’Disturb the desires of worship which is pleasing nafs, with fear. Because of its tricks, one shouldn’t trust it. He should be away from it and oppose to it about everything (even eating and drinking). A person who eats something should eat by not satisfying the desire of nafs. Even a person should isolate his existence and know that nothing belongs to him, everything is a spiritual blessing. He should always be in this manner.
People should prefer to improve their nafs rather than improve the others?. The leader of this tariqa known as Shah Naqshibandiah (k.) said that ‘A person who is murshid (guide) must be like a candle which enlightens the others by burning itself.’ A person’s friendship must be for improving his nafs. If his friendship isn’t for his nafs, but for Allah, it will go on. If not, he must end this friendship. But the difference between these two conditions is sensitive; no one knows it except the lofty people. Therefore, saliq must strive for his religious duties and deal with them, so that his maqam (position) wouldn’t be lost.
O! My brother! This is the loftiest tariqa and also it is the biggest one. It is the closest way which goes to Allah. Moreover, Hace Al Ahrar (kuddise sirruh) said about this tariqa: ‘The masters of this tariqa don’t accept comparison for not being hypocritical.’ In addition to this, Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi said that ‘The leaders of Naqshibendiah tariqa are so unusual people that they secretly reunite people with Allah.’
Imam-I Rabbani (kuddise sirruh) said in his Al Mebde and Al Me’ad risallah that if anyone wants to have benefit from Islamic religion and religious tariqa, he must have love and the moral of love by following his sheikh. The pride of this tariqa is taqlid (following the sheikh). The spiritual principle in this tariqa is being dependent on prophets and lofty people in the religion. Imitating prophets and obeying them make people reach to big maqams (positions).
Those, who purify their nafs from badness, reach lofty positions by means of their devotion. Abu Baqir Al Siddiq had this quality more than the other people. So, he immediately accepted the prophet hood of Hadrat Muhammad without any hesitation. Then, he became the leaders of siddiquns (the most reliable people). On the other hand, Abu Jahil hadn’t got this quality. Therefore, he couldn?t get that happiness. He became the leader of damned people.
Blessings of the world and hereafter are for those who turn towards Allah. In the holy book Qur’an the verse of ‘Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous, shall inherit the earth’ is a definite evidence to it. In fact, it is said that the world can be dependent on the Hereafter. In other words, if someone demands the Hereafter and worships for it, he?ll also get the blessings of the world. Moreover, this situation is seen in the lofty people.
Hadrat Muhammad, who is the leader of both the world and the hereafter, said that: ‘Be like a stranger and a passenger in the world!’ (May peace and prayers be with him and his companions). It means a stranger or a passenger don’t deal with the development of a place they went. So, a wise person shouldn’t deal with worthless things of the world. Everything in the world will remain and people who deal with them will die one day. How happy to those who turn their face from the world!
O! My dear brother! The purpose of people’s creation is to acquire the knowledge of Allah (Marifat).
Furthermore, in the holy book Qur?an Allah said ‘I created genes and people only for worshipping me’ and in one of the hadith-I Qudsi it is said that ‘ I was a secret treasure. I wanted to be known and so created the creatures.’
Therefore, whoever works for something rather than knowledge of Allah will lose his religious duties for which he was created. In such a condition, the world and the Hereafter of those related to the Naqshibandiah tariqa will be destroy.
O! My friends! It is certain that the peace of the world and the Hereafter is being dependent on the leader of the world and hereafter (Hadrat Muhammad). May peace and prayers be with Him, His family and His companions! Not being dependent on Him is a disgusting and shameful thing for human beings. So, a wise person should strive for lofty and honorable things and leave disgusting, worthless and worldly things. Even if those disgusting things seem beautiful in appearance, they are like mortal poison covered by sugar: They kill their owners and cause curse of Allah.
It is said that ‘The world is damned except zikr of Allah and everything including zikr. Everything in the world is damned, too.’ The world is beautiful for those who strive for religious knowledge and turn towards will of Allah.
The world is good for those who work in the way of Allah. It is a good property for men. If they develop it for beneficial actions, it will be a field for the Hereafter.
O! My brother! A servant must be willing to everything that Allah did for himself. He must know that everything Allah chose for him is more beneficial, lofty and perfect than the things he chose for his nafs. Especially, the people in this Naqshibandiah tariqa (May Allah bless the masters of it) must be willing to whatever Allah did. They say that all things of lover is loveable. By means of this thought, the pain of a person who has a trouble will lessen.
