The Cloaked Traveller

Moved!

2006-07-23T03:50:00.000-04:00

Bismillahir-Rahman-nir-Rahim,

As'Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmtullahi wa Barakatahu

I moved this Blog to Word Press, because it's a lot more simpler and neater, Alhamdulillah. Join me there, Insh'Allah.

Allah emanat Olunuz,

May Allah bless you and your families! Ameen. For the sake of His Beloveds.

Hidden Sweetness

2006-07-19T18:34:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

(Mevlana Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks)

There's hidden sweetness
in the stomach's emptiness.

We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the soundbox is stuffed full of anything, no music.

If the brain and the belly are burning clean with fasting,
every moment a new song comes out of the fire.

The fog clears, and new energy
makes you run up the steps in front of you.

Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen.

When you're full of food and drink,
an ugly metal statue sits where your spirit should.

When you fast, good habits gather
like friends who want to help.

Fasting is Solomon(AS)'s ring. Don't give it
to some illusion and lose your power,
but even if you have, if you've lost all will and control,
they come back when you fast,
like soldiers appearing out of the ground,
pennants flying above them.

A table descends to your tents,
Jesus(AS)'s table.
Expect to see it, when you fast,
this table spread with other food, better than the broth of cabbages.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

2006-07-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

Sultan-ul-Awliya

- (Spring 2006)

Secret Knowledge

2006-07-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

Abu Huraira (ra) said:

I have learned directly from Allah's messenger (saw) and I have memorized prophetic sayings and acquired knowledge that can fill five large bags. By now, I have opened and shared with you only two of them.

If I were to open the third bag, and should you hear what he said, you would surely stone me to death.

(narrated Qutaiba bin Sa'id)

Quest for the Seal

2006-07-16T16:02:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

(Abu Tufail Amir bin Wailah narrated that Salman al-Farsi (ra) said) -

I come from the city of Jai (in Isfahan, Persia). One day, Almighty Allah inspired my heart to ponder the question, `Who created the heavens and the earth?'

Hence, prompted by such concerns and inner quest, I sought an old man I knew, who spoke very little and who, out of self-restraint, had kept a distance from the city people. When I reached him, I asked, `What is the best of religions?' He replied, `Why would you want to talk about this subject? Are you seeking a religion other than that of your fathers?' I cautiously answered: `No, I am not, but I would like to know who created the heavens and the earth, and what is the best religion to follow?' The old man said to me, `To my knowledge, only one monk follows the true religion today, and he lives in the city of Mosul, in Iraq.'

Hence, I traveled to Mosul, and I found the monk I was told to meet. Thereat, I stayed with him, and I worshipped what he worshipped. He was an old man, and he lived on little provisions. He fasted all his days, and he prayed all his nights. Approximately three years later, at his deathbed, I asked him, `You must advise me what to do now, and where to go?' The man replied, `I know of no one in the East who believes and worships what I worship. Go West. Find a monk I once knew and who lives at the edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and give him my regards of peace.'

After the monk died, I traveled to where he told me, and I found the man he described. I conveyed to him the greetings of his brother, and I told him of his death. Thereat, I remained in his company for another three years, and again, at his deathbed, I requested him to guide me where to go after he dies. He replied, `I am not acquainted with any one on this earth today who worships what I worship except for a very old monk who lives in the region of Amoriya, in Philistine, and I am not sure whether he is still alive.'

After the monk died, again I traveled to where I was told, and luckily, I found the man he described to me. Thereat, I stayed with him, and this time, the man was financially comfortable. Sometimes later, when he neared his death, I sought his advice, and he replied, `I am not acquainted with any living person who worships what I worship. However, if you happen to live in a time where a man from the descendants of the House of Abraham (upon whom be peace) will appear, -- and I am not sure whether you will live to meet him or not – I myself have had a strong desire to live to meet him. However, if you should meet him, then follow him, for that is the true way and that is the religion of Allah Almighty. Among his signs is that some of his people will label him a magician, and an insane person, and a prognosticator. He accepts and eats from what is given to him as a gift, and he does not eat from charity; and you will also see the seal of prophethood in-between his shoulder blades.'

Salman continued, `I resided in my place for a while, and one day, a caravan of merchants from Medina crossed out path. I inquired from them, `Who are you?' They replied, `We are merchants. We make a living from trading. However, there appeared a man from among the descendants of Abraham in Mecca, and he migrated to Medina, and the entire city is now under his control. As a result, his people from Mecca have declared war on him and on his followers, so we feared for our livelihood, and therefore, we decided to seek shelter and safety somewhere else.'

I asked, `What are they saying about him?' The merchants replied, `They say he is a magician, a prognosticator, or maybe he is an insane person.' Hearing that I said to myself, `These are his signs.' I further inquired, `Who is the leader of this caravan? Would you please guide me to him?' When I came before the leader of the caravan, I requested him, `Would you please take me to Medina?' He replied, `What would you pay me?' I said, `I have nothing to give you, but if you agree to carry me there, I will be indebted to you, and I will be your slave.' The man accepted the barter and he carried me to Medina. Thereat, he placed me to work for him at a date plantation he owned, and I worked there very hard. I seldom had any food, and I mostly lived on water, just like cattle, until the bones of my back protruded, and I could see my pectoral bones. I did not know Arabic then, and not many people in that city spoke my Persian tongue.

One day an old woman of Persian origin came by the date plantation to get some water. When I spoke to her in my mother tongue, she understood me, and as we chatted a little I asked her, `Do you know that man that appeared lately, and would you please point him out to me?' She replied, `He usually passes by here after the dawn prayers, or sometime in mid-morning.'

Salman continued: The next day, I kept some dates aside and I waited for him. As he passed, I followed him to the mosque, and as he sat amidst his companions, I went there, and I presented him with the dates. Allah's messenger (saw) looked at them and then said to me, `What is this? Is it a charity or a gift?' I understood what he meant, and I made a gesture pointing out that it is a charity. He immediately said, `Give it to these people sitting here.' As I did, I said to myself, `This is one of his signs.' The next morning I brought another measure of dates and placed them before him. Allah's messenger (saw) again inquired, `What is this?' I hastened to say, `A gift!' He (sws) then ate one, and he called his companions to share them with him. He then saw me stealthily attempting to look over his shoulders. He recognized my intention and allowed his cloak to slowly drop below his shoulders, and when I saw what I saw, I became bewildered, and I jumped out of my place, I kissed him all over, and I held tight to him. After I sat there for a moment, Allah's messenger (saw) asked me to relate my story. When I told him what happened, he said to me, `Go and buy back your freedom.'

Salman continued: `When I reached my master, I said to him, `I have come to buy back my freedom.' He replied, `Yes indeed! I will give you back your freedom for the price of planting one hundred seedlings of date palm trees, and when I verify that they all took roots, and that they are free from disease, you also must bring me the weight of a date pit in gold, and only then you may go free.'

Salman said: I went back to Allah's messenger (saw) and I related to him what the man said. He replied, `Give him what he asks of you, and also bring me a bucket of water from the well you will use to irrigate the plants.'

I immediately went to the man, and I made the deal with him following the conditions he stipulated. With his permission, I then filled a bucket of water from the central well in the plantation field, and I took it back to Allah's messenger (saw) who in turn prayed over it. Allah's messenger (saw) also asked the companions to collect and to give me the needed one hundred seedlings, and when they did, I went back, and I planted the seedlings.

Salman continued: I swear by Allah that not a single seedling failed us, and as soon as the man verified that, I went back to Allah's messenger (saw) and told him the same. Allah's messenger (saw)then called upon the companions to bring him a piece of gold of the weight we agreed upon with the man, and again, I immediately went back to the man and placed the piece of gold before him. When the man placed his specified measure on the other scale of the balance, my piece of gold seemed to weigh more, for nothing moved, and the man accepted the barter.

I brought back to Allah's messenger (saw) the date pit that determined the conclusion of the deal, and he looked at it and commented, `I swear by Allah, that even if you had agreed with him to give him the weight of such and such measure of date pits, the piece you gave him would weigh more.'

Salman continued: From that day on, I went to Allah's messenger (saw) and I stayed in his company until the end.

[Hilyat-e Evliya]

His Appearance

2006-07-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

Scholars debate about when Mahdi (as) will appear and return justice
to the world. Grandsheykh Nazim al-Hakkani el-Kibrisi said,

We do not accept that Allah is disobeyed, and that the Ummat is
tormented, and that the flag of Shaytan continue to be raised for
one, two, or four more years, not even for one day more. Therefore,
every morning we say, "Tonight he will appear" and every night we
say, "tomorrow he will appear.

[Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition]

CNN's Snow Job

2006-07-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim,

As'Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu,

Came across this, confirming what we already know about the media bias for Israeli-centric news coverage from CNN, but it's interesting to see this exposed by the liberal media here in the US. May Allah ease the suffering of the innocent and the oppressed, and rid the world of tyranny in all its forms, Ameen. For the sake of our Sheykh.

"I was surprised yesterday afternoon when a Reuters article popped onto my computer screen reporting that 53 Lebanese civilians had been killed by Israeli forces, part of the suddenly chaotic two-front battle Israel's military is fighting in the Middle East. Surprised, because I had been monitoring the day's events on CNN and hadn't heard much about that kind of swelling Lebanese death toll.

Thanks to CNN, I'd learned that Israeli forces had bombed Beirut International Airport and a blockade was in place to cut off Lebanon's ports, that president Bush announced Israel had the right to defend herself, that Hezbollah had fired missiles into the seaside city of Haifa, and that an Israeli woman in Nahariya had been killed amidst the cross-border violence. But I hadn't learned many details about the more than four dozen civilians in Lebanon being killed, a fact that struck me as central to the unfolding story.

Baffled, I made a point of watching CNN's afternoon "Situation Room" with the network's high-profile anchor Wolf Blitzer, who gravely intoned about the "fear of all-out war" in the Middle East. ("Mideast: Brink of War?" read the on-screen graphic.) Indeed, "The Situation Room" chewed on Middle East story almost without interruption. I watched a CNN reporter from Israel file a dispatch, and then a reporter traveling with the president, a reporter from the United Nations, a reporter from Lebanon, an in-studio discussion with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and then an interview with Republican Sen. Bill Frist. Yet during the first 40 minutes of "The Situation Room," which devoted itself almost exclusively to the escalating Mideast chaos, there was no reference to the fact the Israeli military had killed more than 50 Lebanese civilians. (It wasn't until halfway through the second hour of "The Situation Room" that Blitzer finally clued viewers in.)

Later, I went back and checked CNN's reporting, via TVeyes.com, and discovered that throughout the day CNN repeatedly reported on the lone Israeli civilian causality without making any mention of the more than 50 Lebanese civilian casualties. To be exact, CNN did that at 10:31 a.m., 11:02, 12:09 p.m., 12:19, 1:00, 1:30, 1:52, 2:00, 2:17, 2:30, 2:50, and 4:04.

Note that at 12:05 p.m. CNN did report that "at least 45 Lebanese civilians have been killed in this offensive," but that's because the news channel was airing a feed from CNN International, which seemed to understand one of its fundamental responsibilities in covering bloody, revenge-driven political conflicts was to report civilian deaths suffered on both sides. In fact, a check of CNN Europe's reporting yesterday afternoon showed CNN Europe routinely reported on the death of the Israeli woman and as well as death of nearly 50 Lebanese civilian. CNN's U.S.-based anchors and reporters though, seemed mostly unable or unwilling to do the same.

Has CNN gotten to the point where it won't report pertinent facts that are essential to putting a story in context? Facts that certainly would have helped viewers understand some of the international criticism Israel was coming under for what the European Union called a "disproportionate" military response to the conflict at hand.

At this point I don't think it's even controversial to suggest the Arab-Israeli conflict is told in the United States mostly through the eyes of Israelis, and that's especially true on cable news channels. American news organizations have more resources in Israel, better sources within the Israeli government and most American viewers likely consider the Israeli's more like 'us.' And if you don't think there's a difference on how the U.S. media cover the warring sides, then try to imagine what the press coverage would have looked like yesterday if 50 Israeli citizens had been killed by the missiles that hit Haifa.

I doubt Wolf Blitzer would have reported on that story for a solid hour and forgotten to give viewers the civilian death toll."

Source: "CNN's Lebanon Problem", The Huffington Post

Abdur-Rauf al Yamani and Sheykh Mevlana

2006-07-13T17:50:00.000-04:00















Bismillah hir Rahman nir Rahim,

Things are beginning to come to a head in the world
as you can probably see. We are truly at the end
of the Ahir-uz-Zaman.

Best thing to do now, is make sure we
are alright in our hearts, and our
connection to Allah is clear and
uncompromised by the weight of the nafs
and this world. Insh'Allah Rahman. Sheikh Mevlana
Nazim's Sheykh - Grand Sheykh
Abdullah Al Faiz Daghestani has spoken
about the events unfolding and about to
unfold during this time. Take a look here-

"The picture above is of Moulana Sheikh Nazim with Sheikh Abdur Rauf al-Yamani. Grandsheikh Abdullah Faiz Dagistani has spoken of Sheikh Abdur Rauf al-Yamani during his time.

The following is the prediction made by Grandsheik Moulana Abdullah Faiz Dagistani about Sheikh Abdur Rauf al-Yamani and it is in page 371 of History and Guidebook of the Saints of the Golden Chain-The Naqshbandi Sufi Way.

China is under the authority of a Great Saint, who will be one of the Greatest Saints in the time of Mahdi (alai) and Easa (alai). His name is Abdur Rauf al-Yamani. Through his influence China will sign an agreement with the West not to use its nuclear weapons. China will split into many different small countries. There will be problems in the Far East, in the Korean Peninsula, and a great power will intervene to stop that conflict. A non-Arab Middle Eastern country will attack the Persian Gulf area, which will put the whole world into fear that the source of petroleum will
be cut off."

Read more at Source

: http://www.sheiknazim2.com/preciousmoments.html

So, Allah shares the knowledge we don't know, with His
beloved ones. Because they are living their lives according
to the knowledge that thay know, Allah is giving them the knowledge,
they don't know. If we do the same, Allah will do the same for us.

Insh'Allah it will become apparent to
those who are sincere and looking with sincere eyes.

May Allah guide us to sincerity and to His
beloved ones, and to make every day better than the last,
according to the Holy Prophet(ASWS)'s advice,
May Allah bless him and his family and
companions. There is surely safety with them.
Ameen, for the sake of our Sheykh.

The World Lost Its Compass;The Dirtiness of Nuclear War

2006-07-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

The World Lost Its Compass;
The Dirtiness of Nuclear War

Sohbet by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi

Thursday, 27 RabiThani 1427
May 25, 2006
Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Hakkani Dergah, Siddiki Center, New York.

BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Medet Ya Seyyidi Ya Sultanul Awliya, Medet.
Alhamdulillah, shukr Allah, Astaghfirullah.

We are asking medet inshaAllah ar-Rahman from our Sheykh to send us something to speak that will benefit us, that will benefit me, you and everyone who listens. We are not good for anything. If they don't send then we cannot speak. What we speak is for ourselves and for those people who are running to find true ways and to live the way of Islam, the way of Truth. This sohbet is for anyone who is thirsty for that. If it's not then everyone should run to live as they like until the angel of death will come. After that no `as you like'. As He likes. After the angel of death comes we will all understand. Those who were before us all understand now. But it's too late for some of them. Those who were living and trying to correct themselves in this life should not worry and those who are trying now should not worry too. Allah is the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent.

The whole mankind today, from east, west, north and south lost the direction, lost the compass. It doesn't know which side to go anymore and so much problems, miseries and pains and man is running for all kinds of things that the children of Adam has not been created for and staying under the curse and not collecting what is coming for them. The mercy of Allah is raining but they are running to the areas where the curse is raining. For that the whole mankind lost the direction, exception is some handful of people (such as) here and some others in the world. But the general (masses) lost the compass. They lost the direction. Nobody is controlling the wheel except Sheytan driving towards Jahannam.

Our Grandsheykh is saying, "This Sheytan is sitting on a big truck and that truck has a very powerful engine. So many people are behind that truck and Sheytan is driving the truck into the ocean or over a cliff, ready to fall down." Our Sheykh is saying, "We (the Awliya, him and so many like him, there are 124,000) are trying to hold the truck from behind not to go down the cliff, not to go down to the ocean but the physical power that the truck is carrying is pulling every one of us together. So we have to know where to let it go." And they are screaming to those who want safety saying, "Jump down from the truck! Otherwise, the end is deep, going down."

Jumping down from the truck means turning back to the laws of Islam. There is no other way. Leave the ego ways, leave the ways of other teachings, other kinds of governmental teachings (let's put it that way), or from studying in schools that are saying to you, "Enjoy yourself." There is nothing to enjoy in this world. We have not been created to run after to try to enjoy ourselves. Enjoyment is in the hereafter. And we must have discipline to be able to accept the laws of Islam, to put it on ourselves and to start benefiting. All those laws and everything are to teach us to reach to the highest stations anyway, to become Insan-i Kamil, the most perfect one. So it's teaching us slowly how to have better discipline, how to have better Adab, better manners.

Islam first put laws saying, "Forbidden things. Halal and Haram." Haram and Halal, that is, what is for us and what is not for us to have, to eat, to drink and to enjoy. All nations today, Muslim countries too, removed the laws of Allah. They put their own laws. Man's laws. Then later they are saying, "Oh, we are not interfering into religion. Leave as you like." But they are not even leaving that. They are interfering into religion all the time. It's okay in a country to go to open bars, clubs, discotheques and all kinds of wrong places. The government gives them license saying, "These are the borderlines. Live according to that and enjoy as much as you want inside that room. Go crazy if you want. Don't bring it out. Drink as much as you want. But if you are too drunk then don't drive your car. Let somebody bring you home." This is what the governments are saying to people, some governments, especially in the Middle East. And it's okay. It's not illegal. That's legal. You can have bars, you can have clubs and you can have all kinds of things that are speaking only for ego. It's okay.

When you go to those governments to get a license saying, "I accept your secular way also. Let me live according to my religion inside the secular way. I am asking you to give me license to open a dergah and to have ten people, fifteen people, fifty people or a hundred people in the dergah to say `Allah'. We don't like to go to bars, clubs and discotheques to go crazy drinking and getting all these wrong things. We would like to come together in this place to say `Allah' and to jump up and down." Now you are finding all governments saying, "No! We are not giving you permission to do that."

Hmm. So you give permission to a man to have the microphone in his hand… some are not even men that are appearing on television. They look like men but they are not. Some look like women but they are almost naked, appearing on television singing, dancing and making people to admire them, to run after them, on state-run televisions and permission is given to all those wrong things, but they are not giving permission to believers to remember their Lord in their own houses. How are you expecting your government to stand up for a long time? No police government ever lived more than a hundred years. In a hundred years time it came down. History is showing, from the time of Firaun and Namrud to everyone. Meaning, oppressor governments who were pushing people didn't live for long. All these ones are not going to live for long too now.

Ya hu, don't you see? You go to an university and the university has laws saying to you, "You have to come to school at this time, you have to enter to the class at this time, at this time you are going to study, at this time you are going to sleep, at this time you are going to eat, at this time you are going to do that and at this time you are going to do this." Everything has their laws. But when it comes to religion they don't want any laws, they don't want anybody to bother them and they say, "Live your religion by yourself."

(You say,) "Let's have ten people together."

They say, "No! By yourselves."

And Allah is saying, "Become Jamat." So that's how those governments are really favoring and letting religion live among the people.

Alhamdulillah, in America we still have the freedom to live the religion that way. That's why the Awliya Allah are supporting it. They are not supporting the government or the President. They are supporting this government because they are still leaving people to live their own religion the way that their Prophet left to them. They are not oppressing them. That's why the Awliya Allah are praying and so many people are taking the Awliya Allah's praising (let's say) to America or Great Britain and they are thinking that the Awliya Allah are concentrating on that individual whoever is the President for that time or whichever the party is in that time. They are thinking that the Awliya Allah are taking the sides of parties, Republicans or Democrats or whatever more there is. That also shows how close they are and how much they are understanding the teachings of the Awliya Allah. They are definitely supporting this country because we can still sit here and pray as we think our Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) left to us and they are not coming to bother us. That's why they are blessed. But you cannot do that in any Muslim country today. Not in Turkey, not in Egypt, not in Morocco, not in Syria, not in Saudi Arabia, not in Iraq, not in Iran, not in Uzbekistan and not in any country.

They are claiming that they are Muslims and they are living according to Islam. According to what Islam? The Islam that you have invented according to what fits to your ego? Or the Islam that the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) came to teach us? That kind of Islam? Or the kind of Islam that you have invented according to your own ego? Yes, they are living the kind of Islam that fits to their ego. That's why they don't have the laws of Allah. They removed the laws of Allah and they put the laws of man and they are screaming that there are terrorists everywhere. Of course. It's not working. Your laws are not working. Put the laws of Allah back on and look how fast it's going to work.

We say to them, "You tried everything. For almost a hundred years you tried everything from Communism, to Fascism, to dictator regimes, to everything. Why not take Islam and try Islam again too a little bit to see what's going to happen." As soon as you say to them `Islam' they start shivering, saying, "These terrorists are coming." Terrorists? If it was up to the Muslims they would not even take a gun in their hand. It's only to protect themselves. Nothing else. And the Sufis never went fighting with any governments too. But when they were under the ruling of the Empire and under the ruling of the Khalifah, they were the first soldiers, always in the front lines. Yes, the Sufis, because they were fighting and defending for the sake of Allah. So they were running in the frontlines. But after the Khilafat came down nowhere will you find the Sufis uprising and fighting. No. Until they came and they approached them here and there in different countries, in Afghanistan and in Chechenistan, and some small groups of people are standing up, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. But the majority among them also turned into the wrong areas and they started adopting and taking some teachings of the Wahhabis and they started becoming tyrants.

And I am surprised to hear today from the Muslims that they are supporting and they are saying, "We must have nuclear bombs. The Muslim governments must have nuclear bombs." Let me ask you, what are you going to do with that nuclear bomb? Do you think having nuclear bombs will stop those oppressors on you? It's their weapon. They are going to find something else on you again. So if you have the nuclear bomb then what are you going to do? Are you going to use it on America? Or are you going to use it on Russia? Or China? Or Israel (as they are running non-stop and declaring)? As soon as America gives ultimatum to one country, right away they say, "We are going to hit Israel." What's going to happen when you hit Israel? When you are hitting Israel you are going to hit Lebanon, Jordan and all Muslims countries there too. And half of Israel is Muslims inside. Muslim people are living inside there too. Do you think the atomic bomb is going to separate saying, "This is Muslim and this is not Muslim"? How foolish the Muslims became! And what kind of a war is it then that it is a disgrace to mankind to have such a bad weapon. Even the Generals in America never liked to have that option because they are men with a vision understanding the warfare, and understanding, "This is something very dirty." They don't want that. You are burning everything, man, animals and everything in it. What kind of understanding of Islam do these people have?

Islam is saying to you that if you have a ship at the shore and there are a thousand people there where nine hundred and ninety-nine of them have been found guilty by the court of Islam and they are going to have death penalty, every one of them. They are escaping from that country and nine hundred and ninety-nine people who are in that ship are guilty and they have death penalties on them. There is only one person in that ship who is not guilty but he is just caught up with them there. You cannot sink that ship because there is one innocent sitting among those nine hundred and ninety-nine of them. As man you cannot sink that ship. If Allah wants He is going to do something. But you cannot sink that ship. Allah is not giving permission to Muslims then, saying, "Let that ship go. Think of some other ways to stop that ship." You cannot kill every one of them because there is one innocent, even though nine hundred and ninety-nine of them have death penalties on them.

This is the Islam that Holy Prophet (sws) brought to us and if anybody is trying to get something other than that then they are never going to reach anywhere again. They are leaving the way, they are running away, they are deviating from the ways of the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) and they are screaming saying, "We need help. We need help Ya Rabbbi!" Allah is saying to us, "You need help? Hold on tightly to that Prophet. Then help will reach to you. If you are not holding on tightly to My Prophet then no help is reaching to you."

Wa min Allahu taufiq.

InshaAllah ar-Rahman this much is enough for you and for me.

Fatiha.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Transcribed by Yeni Osmanli

The World is but Shadows

2006-07-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

(from The Book of Golden Meadows, by Ali al-Mas'udi)

The historian Asmaiy relates the following anecdote:

One day theCaliph Harun al-Rashid gave a feast in a magnificently decorated hall. During the feast he sent for the poet Abu'l Atahiyah, and commandedhim to depict in verse the gorgeous scene. The poet began: "Live, O' Caliph, in the fulfilment of all your wishes, in the shelter of your lofty palace!"

"Very good!" exclaimed Rashid. "Let us hear the rest."

The poet continued: "Each morn and eve be all your servitors swift to execute your behests!"

"Excellent!" said the Caliph. "Go on!"

The poet replied: "But when the death-rattle chokes your breath you will learn, alas! that all your delights were a shadow."

Rashid burst into tears. Fazl, the son of Yahya (Haroun's Vizier), seeing this, said to the poet: "The Caliph sent for you to divert him, and you have plunged him into melancholy."

"Let him be," said Rashid; "He saw us in a state of blindness, and tried to open our eyes."

[Source: http://www.fordham.edu/source/masoudi.html]

Lover of the Divine

2006-07-08T20:51:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

"Becoming sultan of the world was an empty struggle. I found greatness only in devoting myself to a lover of the Divine."

- Yavuz Sultan Selim [Source: Ilm as-Sadr, Hakikat Yayincilik]

Touch and Go

2006-07-08T20:31:00.000-04:00

As'Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahamtullahi wa Barakatahu,

BismillahirRahmanirRahim,

Haven't been here in a while, and I apologize to those who've been checking in regularly. Hope you were patient with me. I won't be able to update this site as often or as regularly as I'd like, due to studies and preoccupation with my chosen profession as it's beginning to get a bit time consuming. However, Insh'Allah Rahman, with the support of My Sheykh, I'll be dropping by to share some things from time to time, which I feel may be beneficial to me and to you.

Jazak'Allah Khair to all those who've read and stopped by. Take care of yourselves, and your families, and one another as you yourself would like to be treated, and taken care of -as per the advice of the Holy Prophet(ASWS). Prophet(ASWS) is saying, 'Deen an-naseehat- Religion is advice'. Insh'Allah we will take the advice of the most beloved one and one day become beloved ones ourselves. It is a long road, but we have our guides, the Sheykhs, to rely on for support, Insh'Allah Rahman. And we wait for Mahdi (AS) to come, revive the sunnah once again , Insh'Allah. We must work to be with those who are with Him, always.

'Be with the Saliheen until Death comes to take you' - from the words of our Holy Prophet(ASWS). Insh'Allah, with support, we will endeavor to do just that. Ameen.

May Allah guide you to His presence through His Beloveds and forgive you, and guide me and forgive me. For the sake of His beloved Prophet(ASWS) and Sultan-ul Awliya and Sheykh Abdul-Kerim Effendi. Ameen.

Was'Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu

Remembering Death

2006-06-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

You must make a practice of sincere devotion. You must perform your
ritual prayer for His sake, not for the sake of His creatures. You
must keep the fast for His sake, not for the sake of His creatures.

You must live your lives for His sake, not for the sake of His
creatures.

You must live your lives in this world for the sake of
Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), not for the sake of His
creatures, and not for the sake of your own egos. In all acts of
worshipful obedience, you must be dedicated to Allah, not to His
creatures.

You will not be capable of performing righteous deeds, nor of sincere
dedication in the performance thereof, unless you practice the
remembrance of death. You will also be incapable of remembering death,
unless you make it your practice to contemplate the dilapidated burial
sites, and to reflect on their inhabitants and what they used to be
involved in. You must sit beside the crumbling tombs, saying to
yourselves: "Once upon a time, those who lie buried here would be
eating and drinking, having sexual intercourse, engaging in sport and
play, and getting together for social purposes. What is their
condition now? What benefit can they derive from all of that? What do
they have at their disposal, apart from their righteous deeds?"

- (Hazret Abdul Kadir Geylani ks) [Jala Al-Khawatir, tr. M. Holland]

Be with Saliheen until Death comes for you

2006-06-09T02:16:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

Salman al-Farisi (ra) said that some people who recently accepted Islam once came to the mosque of Holy Prophet (sws) along with others of their class, and they sought a private audience with Allah's Messenger (sws). Their leader said, "O Messenger of Allah, why wouldn't you sit regularly on a raised chair exclusively for you in the forefront of the mosque, and meanwhile, ask these people and their foul-smelling jubba (mantels) to pull away from us into the furthermost corner of the mosque, so that we can hearken attentively to your teachings and learn from you."

It is then that Allah, the Lord of Majesty and Glory, sent down the revelation, "Rehearse to them what is revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. Nothing can ever change His Words, and you will not find refuge except in Him! Apply yourself with patience to remain in the company of those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance. Keep them constantly under your watch, and do not let your focus wander beyond their circle. Do not solicit the company of those who seek the pomp and glitter of this lower life, nor obey anyone whose heart We have veiled and caused to forget to remember Us, those who follow their own whims and desires, and whose condition has degenerated to the point that it can bring about their ultimate loss. Say: `The truth comes from your Lord,' hence, whosoever wants to believe in it, let him believe in it, and whosoever want to reject it, let him reject it. Surely We have prepared for the unjust ones a fire whose smoke and blazes will hem them in like a corridor whose walls and roof stand high. Therein, if they cry out for relief, they will be given water like melted brass that will scald their faces. Alas, what a dreadful drink it is and how uncomfortable is such a couch to recline on! As to those who believe and do righteous deeds, surely We do not leave unrewarded the work of someone who does good. Such ones will be rewarded with gardens of eternity beneath which rivers flow. Therein, they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and they will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, and therein, they are consoled in safe heavens, - Aah, what a gratifying reward and how comfortable is such a couch for reclining! (Quran 18: 27-31)."

Salman al-Farisi (ra) continued: "Immediately upon receiving this revelation, Allah's Messenger (sws) stood up and left the circle and he went searching for them. Moments later, he found most of the Ahl-e Suffa sitting at the far back of the mosque, remembering Allah and invoking His praises. When he saw that, Allah's Messenger (sws) exclaimed blithely, "All praises be to Allah Who did not let me die before He had enjoined upon me to abide with constancy in the company of the chosen ones among my nation. Henceforth, and by Allah, living is living in your company until death comes."

[narrated Abu Amru bin Hamdan] [Source: Ranks of the Elite, by Imam Abu Na'im]

Do Battle on These Terms

2006-06-09T02:10:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

"Here I am, summoning you to violent death in the Name of Allah (that is to say, to combat with the ego, the passions, and the natural impulses). Who will dare to respond? Who will step forward to meet the challenge? Who will show that he has the courage for it? Who will be prepared to take the risk? This means death, but then life everlasting. Do not run away! Endure with patience, and then with still more patience. Courage is an hour's patience. You must be patient with your compliance with your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He). If there is one among you who can bear the burden of readiness to accept the divine decree, Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will relieve him of it, and He will inscribe him in the register of the brave. When someone is ready to sacrifice himself, he acquires a sense of certainty. When someone knows what he is looking for, he attaches little importance to what he must spend in order to attain his goal.

Be sure of where you stand, and then make haste. Come here on the footing of sincerity, so that you may knock at the door of the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He). You must stay there as long as it takes, until the door is opened for you. You may as well be importunate in asking Him for the things you need, since this will do you more good than your importunity toward your king and potentates and wealthy patrons.

Follow the example set by your predecessors in their quest for their Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He) and their total absorption in Him."

- (Hazret Abdul Kadir Geylani ks)
[Jala Al-Khawatir, tr. M. Holland]

Having the Correct Notions

2006-06-09T01:23:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim,

"If Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) and His remembrance are present with you, your heart will certainly be filled with His nearness, and the notions suggested by Sheytan, the passions and this world will all avoid your company. There is a kind of notion belonging to this world, and a notion belonging to the hereafter. There is a notion belonging to the angels, a notion belonging to the ego, and a notion belonging to the heart. There is also a notion belonging to the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He). It is therefore necessary for you, O truthful one, to get rid of all those other notions and to rely on the notion of the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He). If you reject the notion of the ego, the notion of passions, Sheytan's notion and the notion of this world, the notion of the hereafter will come to you. Then you will receive the angels' notion, then finally the notion of the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He). This is the ultimate stage."

- (Hazret Abdul Kadir Geylani ks)
[Jala Al-Khawatir, tr. M. Holland]

Statement of Non-Association with Naqshbandi Michigan

2006-05-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

BISMILLAHIRRAHMANIRRAHIM

Selam aleykum,

This is an offical notice to assert the authorized mission of Sheykh
Abdul Kerim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi and the integrity of the Osmanli
Dergahi. Sheykh Abdul Kerim works world-wide, independently of any
other sheykh, with the permission and under the direct orders of
Mevlana Sheykh Nazim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi.

This is a statement that the Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Hakkani Dergahi
(aka Osmanli Dergahi) has no connections whatsoever with Sheykh
Hisham Kabbani, his organizations based in Michigan, or any of his
deputies, associations, web sites, mailing lists, programs, etc. The
the Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Dergahi is a completely seperate entity from the "Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order" of America.

Sheykh Abdul Kerim and the Osmanli Dergahi take orders directly from Mevlana Sheykh Nazim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi. Sheykh Hisham Kabbani and his spokespeople do not speak for, and cannot speak for, Sheykh Abdul Kerim and the Osmanli Dergahi.

We have our work. They have theirs.

The purpose of this notice is a matter of protocol to make the
situation perfectly clear after a serious breach of etiquette on the
part of Sheykh Kabbani and his people. It has been over forty days
since the NY Times published an article in which the reporter
attacked by insinuation Sheykh Abdul Kerim's legitimacy as an
Islamic leader and as a Sheykh of the Tarikat. In that article,
Sheykh Kabbani's spokespeople - Abdul Haqq Sazanoff and Sanaa Nadim - supported that view.

From the article:
"On its Web site, Mr. Fuat's group says that he is a deputy of
Grandshaykh Muhammad Nazim, the spiritual leader of the worldwide
Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order. But Abdul Haqq, a spokesman for that order in North America, said he is not. 'He has made his own group,' Mr. Haqq said."

Neither Sheykh Kabbani nor Abdul Haqq have contacted Sheykh Abdul
Kerim Efendi to retract the statement, and to offer an apology.
Whatever their misunderstanding or ignorance in prior years and
months, they in fact knew Abdul Haqq's statement to be
categorically false when the article went to press. We had informed
the reporter of Sheykh Mevlana's message to Sheykh Abdul Kerim,
posted publicly on the http://www.naksibendi.org site with English
translation. Sheykh Mevlana definitively and with emphasis addresses
Sheykh Abdul Kerim as "Sheykh", states that Sheykh Abdul Kerim has
been working with permission for Islam, and he says that Sheykh
Abdul Kerim in fact has inherited and earned the title of "Evliya".
The reporter read Sheykh Mevlana's statement about Sheykh Abdul Kerim.

She later showed her true colors by never mentioning
Sheykh Mevlana's words in her article. But she contacted the
Kabbani organization to ask them about it just before publication.
Immediately, an order went out from their headquarters sending a delegation to Sheykh Mevlana to pressure him to say that he had excommunicated Sheykh Abdul Kerim. But alhamdulillah, they did not get the response they wanted, which would have pleased them and the New York Times.

This notice is intended for everyone on the Osmanli Naks-i'bendi
mailing list, as well as any other interested or effected parties.
We are putting out this message to clear the minds of anyone who believes in Sheykh Abdul Kerim and his work, to address the confusion and fitna that has been put out and going around for years. We have kept silent for a long time, amd we were still intending to keep silent up until the day they went public in the press. They are the reason that this has become open. We are protecting the rights of Sheykh Mevlana, of Sheykh Abdul Kerim, and our rights. Our Sheykh - Sheykh Abdul Kerim - and the Osmanli Naks-i'bendi murids around the world, are following Sheykh Mevlana's orders now, and inshallah we will do so until eternity.

Our message to Sheykh Hisham Kabbani's Naqshbandi group, and to all
others who are attacking us, is that they should stop the attacks on
us. They should stop partnering with enemies of Islam. And we should
all work together under the banner of Sheykh Mevlana for Allah and
for His Prophet aleyhi as-salatu ve selam.

All praises to our Lord Allah subhuana ta'ala and to our
Prophet aleyhi as-salatu ve selam, who is the most beloved
one in His Divine presence, and to our most beloved Master
and Guide Mevlana Sheykh Muhammad Nazim al-Hakkani.

If you still have not heard Sheykh Mevlana's unequivocal support of
Sheykh Abdul Kerim and his mission, you may go to

http://www.naksibendi.org/Extras/20051216_1426-
ThulQada-14_MSN_Message_to_SAK.wma

The English translation is at

http://www.naksibendi.org/Extras/20051216_1426-
ThulQada-14_Message_from_Seyh_Mevlana_to_
Sheykh_Abdul_Kerim_English.rtf

If you have questions, please direct them to
osmanlinaksibendi@gmail.com Inshallah we will do our best to answer.

Allah'a emanet olunuz,
Moderator

Aslan al-Adil: The Just Lion

2006-05-21T01:38:00.000-04:00

Late but never too late to laud one of the most notable yet also one of the most gutlessly maligned freedom fighters of our age. The Lion revealed why he was respected by those standing for justice, and feared and hated by the enemies of courage.

Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official Statement 24/09/2004

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF THE CHRI A. MASKHADOV: I CATEGORICALLY DECLARE THAT AFTER THE END OF THE WAR, PERSONS WHO ARE GUILTY OF CARRYING OUT CRIMINAL ACTS WILL BE TAKEN TO COURT, INCLUDING SHAMIL BASAYEV.

In connection with Shamil Basayev's statement, in which he took responsibility for the organization of the terrorist act in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia, I categorically declare that the government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria under my command have nothing to do with this terrorist act.
I want to say once more that I most decisively reject and condemn such methods of fighting, no matter who uses them.

Unfortunately, it is practically impossible under the conditions of the continuation of the present war, to call to account those who are guilty of this terrorist act. However, I categorically declare that after the end of the war, persons who are guilty of carrying out such criminal acts will be taken to court, including Shamil Basayev. I call the international community to establish an international tribunal for the comprehensive investigation of all crimes committed during this war by both sides of the conflict.

However, I find it necessary to note that such acts are a consequence of and reaction to the genocidal war of the Russian government against the Chechen nation, during which the Russian army has killed 250,000 people, including 42,000 children.

The continuation of this war might finally lead to the situation becoming uncontrollable, and the result will inevitably be an increase in the number and scale of terrorist acts.
It is widely known that the reason for this conflict with a four-century-long history, during which the Chechen people has suffered extremely severe acts of genocide, is the striving of Russian colonialism to quell the will of the Chechen people to realize its vested right for self-determination.

The only possible and correct solution of the Chechen-Russian conflict is a political one, which would provide an international guarantee of the stop and the impossibility of a renewal of the genocide of the Chechen people by Russian colonialism.

President of the ChRI Aslan Maskhadov, 23.09.04
Chechenpress, Department of Governmental Information, 24.09.04

------------
On , March 08, 2005, FSB head Nikolay Patrushev announced that special forces attached to the FSB had "today carried out an operation in the settlement of Tolstoy-Yurt, as a result of which the international terrorist and leader of armed groups Maskhadov was killed, and his closest comrades-in-arms detained".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aslan_Maskhadov

May Allah grant him the highest stations of Paradise, and lend strength and infinte blessings to his family, and all those who stand for truth in these backward and slanderous times. May he continue to be a model for valor to all those who dare to struggle for truth against tyranny and oppression. May Allah dress our hearts with the same light and beauty He does to his closest companions, and the Hakim-Adils' of the world. Insh'Allah Rahman, may we also be honoured with the Shade on the Day of Justice and Judgement He reserves for those as worthy as the noble Aslan. Ameen, Ya Rabbul Alameen. For the sake of our Sheykh.

Obituary at 'BBCnews.com'

The Expander

2006-05-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim

"Do you know the description of the Prophet(ASWS), now? The Prophet's(ASWS) beauty is always expanding, growing in so many sites...Do you know the description as it is now? No,...we are only mentioning His name..."

- Sheykh Abdul-Kerim Effendi

Allah (SWT)'s first creation was the Light of Rasool'Allah(SAWS). His Nur. The Prophet(ASWS) said, "I was a prophet when Adam(AS) was still between water and clay."

From that light was created all of creation. Keeping this in mind, do you think it possible, that the beauty contained in all of creation, in all the universes, in all the heavens and the stars, in each drop of nectar that is formed in the belly of a flower, in each electron spinning in the plumage of a bird of paradise, in each explosion of color and light in the oceans and in the skies, can ever be limited by our perception of him as a "man"? And people today think they have the Prophet(ASWS) all figured out. Mash'Allah. It is enough for them, as Sheykh Effendi says, to bow their heads with complete and utter humility, and say, "Allah humma Salli Alaa, Muhammadin wa Alaa 'Aalihi Muhammadin wa Sallim."

Then, maybe, if you are sincere and have sown the seeds of Love for him in your hearts, with Allah(SWT)'s Grace and Rahmah, - will you then taste a drop of those oceans...

Insh'Allah Rahman, for such a taste, we will lay down all we cherish in this world, and what we hope to recieve in the next. Because there will be nothing better for us. The favor of our Lord is with He who Loves His Beloved. Subhan'Allah. The next time the words "Rahmatul-lil Alameen" roll off our tongues, we may reflect on the atoms of what we are saying. May Allah guide us to His beloveds. Ameen, Ya Rabbul Alameen. For the sake of our Sheykh.

Click to marvel at a glimpse of what is only a small part of Rasool'Allah(ASWS)'s fathomless ocean:

(Photographs: Rose courtesy of http://www.mccullagh.org/photo/1ds2-5/red-rose-side, Other flowers - courtesy of Michael Swanson's blog)

Carnage in the Hijaz

2006-05-17T16:41:00.000-04:00

What is left of the House of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)

Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim

Sidi Yusuf at Copenhagen Interpretation has raised the alarm (& rightly so), drawing our attention to the most vicious of undertakings yet by the harbingers of hatespeech & zealotry, (the House of Saud): that of the relentless and systematic destruction of not only historically relevant relics, but sites immediately sacred to our faith, intertwined to the lifeblood of our past and testaments to our future as members of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet(ASWS). Well? Where is the uproar now, Burners of Embassies and Renders of Flags? Truly shameful indeed.

--------------------------------
Previously unseen photographs reveal how religious zealots obsessed with idolatory have colluded with developers to destroy Islam's diverse heritage.

Daniel Howden | The Independent | 19 April 2006

There is a growing shadow being cast over Islam's holiest site. Only a few metres from the walls of the Grand Mosque in Mecca skyscrapers are reaching further into the sky, slowly blocking out the light. These enormous and garish newcomers now dwarf the elegant black granite of the Kaaba, the focal point of the four million Muslims' annual Haj pilgrimage.

The tower blocks are the latest and largest evidence of the destruction of Islamic heritage that has wiped almost all of the historic city from the physical landscape. As revealed in The Independent last August,the historic cities of Mecca and Medina are under an unprecedented assault from religious zealots and their commercial backers...

Writing in response to the article, Prince Turki al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was spending more than $19bn (£11bn) preserving and maintaining these two holy sites. "[We are aware] how important the preservation of this heritage is, not just to us but to the millions of Muslims from around the world who visit the two holy mosques every year. It is hardly something we are going to allow to be destroyed." This rebuttal sits at odds with a series of previously unseen photographs, published today, that document the demolition of key archaeological sites and their replacement with skyscrapers...

Click here to read more

Hilye-i-Sherif

2006-05-16T22:12:00.000-04:00

Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim

Hilye-i Sherif

By Hafiz Osman Efendi

(from Tirmidhi:)

The Prophet(ASWS) said, “He who sees my hilye after me, it is as if he had actually seen me, and he who sees it out of love and desire for me, God will forbid the fire of Hell to touch him. He will be safe from the trials of the grave, and he will not be sent forth naked on the day of resurrection.”

Descriptions (Hilye) of the Holy Prophet (ASWS)
Translated by Mohamad Zakaria

Transmitted from Ali(Karam'Allahu Wajhu), may God be pleased with him, who, when asked to describe the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say: He was not too tall nor too short. He was medium sized. His hair was not short and curly, nor was it lank, but in between. His face was not narrow, nor was it fully round, but there was a roundness to it. His skin was white. His eyes were black. He had long eyelashes. He was big-boned and had wide shoulders. He had no body hair except in the middle of his chest. He had thick hands and feet. When he walked, he walked inclined, as if descending a slope. When he looked at someone, he looked at them in full face. Between his shoulders was the seal of prophecy, the sign that he was the last of the prophets. He was the most generous-hearted of men, the most truthful of them in speech,the most mild-tempered of them, and the noblest of them in lineage. Whoever saw him unexpectedly was in awe of him. And whoever associated with him familiarly, loved him. Anyone who would describe him would say, I never saw, before him or after him, the like of him. Peace be upon him.

Excerpted from "Dalail-i Hayrat, Wa Shawarqi’l Anwar Fi Zikris Salat ala Nabiyil-Mukhtahar
Guide of Good Deeds and the Brilliant Burst of Light in the Remembrance of Blessings on the Chosen Prophet", by Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Suleiman ibn Abu Bakr Al-Jazuli Al-Simlali.

Edited on behalf of Sheykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi
Osmanli Naks’ibendi Hakkani Tarikat
www.naksibendi.org
Translation by S. Ahmad Darwish

(Download the PDF here)

(Calligraphy(Tehzib) of the Beloved's Blessed Name)

Wake up and Run!

2006-05-15T05:25:00.000-04:00

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Wake up! Avoid the Confusion of Sheytan!

Jummah Khutba given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim Al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi

Friday 17 Safar, 1427
March 17, 2006
Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Hakkani Dergah, Sydney Center, New York.

Auzu billahi minash sheytanir rajim
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil aliyyil azim.

Medet Ya Syyidi Ya Sultanul Awliya, Medet.

Alhamdulillah wa shukr Allah. All praising belongs to our Lord Allah (subhana wa ta'la) and to His Rasul, our Habib Muhammad (alayhi salatu wa salam), to the Ashab-e Kiram and to all those who came. They stood in the way of Allah and Islam came to us. Fourteen hundred years has passed and it has reached to us. They did their part. They did their job. Now we must think how far we are going to take this. Where it is going to reach and what we are going to leave behind us. If this world is going to continue for another thousand years then how far what we are doing today and what we are leaving is going to reach. Man must sit, think and calculate to himself to understand whether he is leaving something behind or not. It's not like today everyone running top-speed like head-cut chickens trying to reach somewhere. Hmph!

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is saying, "I have created you man and I have given you intelligence." The religion spread in the world not with miracles but with one man. The Habibullah. Yes, he is Allah's Prophet (sws) but he was one person. One man. He came to awakening station and woke up the whole world. Through him it passed to others and the other ones, the other ones, the other ones and it reached to us. How are we today? Are we sleeping or are we in awakening station? You check yourself. Leave what anybody else says to you. Check yourself. Check your activities. Check yourself how sincere you are with your Lord and with His orders. Check yourself to find out which one is priority to you, Allah and His Prophet (sws) or your ego, or this world. (If it is ego or this world) then your problem never ends. Don't worry. If you don't keep Allah priority then it's never going to end. It never ended for anyone and it's not going to end for you.

This is the problem that so many people that I am watching who are going back and forth not understanding the superiority, who is more superior or if anybody else is more superior than others, and this is how it goes. The prophets are like us humans. They were spirits that Allah had created and He chose them among the other spirits and He said, "You will be the prophets." They are higher. He put them in higher stations right away. As soon as He chose them saying, "You are prophets" then they became higher than the normal spirits instantly because the title is given by the Creator. It's not given by man who are voting and giving titles. The Creator is giving titles saying, "I choose these ones to be my prophets." He didn't ask us, "Would you like it or not? Would you vote for these ones?" (Sheykh smiles). No. He says, "These ones are My prophets and you are My normal servants and you are going to obey them. You want to reach back to Me? You have to obey them. You have to follow their footsteps. Without following their footsteps you cannot reach to Me. You cannot come to Me. You are coming to Me through their doors. If you are looking to come to Me you must look through their doors. You must look to make them happy. You must look to make them satisfied with you. Then I will be happy with you."

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has created man for His service. He created the donkey for your service. He created you for His service and you have to find your part in that service. "What is it that I have to do in this service? What is for me in this work? What has Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) given to me?" You must know, you must find out, you must work and you must go according to that. You must live according to that.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is saying in another Ayat in Surat-ul Ale Imran, "You are the Nation that I have created. You are the Nation that is ordering good things and you are forbidding people from the bad things and you are believing in Allah." Check yourself. Are you fitting into that Ayat? Are you fitting really and sincerely? Not because Allah is saying, "You are the Nation". Allah is saying to that nation. Check yourself. With your activities, what you are doing and how you are living, are you fitting into that Ayat? If you are fitting then be happy but if you are not fitting then alarm yourself right away. Say to yourself, "What am I doing? Sheytan got me from somewhere. He put me to sleep." Wake yourself up. Whatever it takes and whatever you have to do, you have to wake yourself up because otherwise you will fall out of that Ayat and if you fall out of that Ayat then in the Judgment Day you will not fall into that category that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) said, "You are the nation". You will fall with the other nations.

So the believers cannot live a heedless life. The believer is that one who is in awakening station all the time and forces himself (finding a tariqat and going into tariqat, of course). Tariqat is to make the believers reach to higher and higher stations, not to go to lower stations, not to go to sleep, not to talk nonsense here and there, or as so many today are saying, "My Sheykh is praying in my place. My Sheykh is doing this and my Sheykh is doing that." If your Sheykh is doing then what Allah has created you for? To be donkey? You are not even good for a donkey then. What are you doing? What is in it for you? How are you going to bring that message to others? If that is so good and you like it then have you brought that message to others? Anyone who lives in the foreign countries, don't make any mistake. Questions will be asked to every one of you. When you come to the Judgment place it will be questioned to you, "You love Islam and you lived according to Islam. Who did you bring with you in the Divine Presence? For whom did you become a reason for that person to enter into Islam? Did you bring anyone here?" If not then even if you earn the whole Paradise what is it good for? Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is saying that you are a selfish one. You want Islam only for yourself.

If a man is not in awakening station then never mind about reaching to others, he cannot even reach to himself. He only falls into his own illusions and delusions. And later some squareheads that saved themselves from hell are trying to save Sheytan from hell too now. That's what happens to man. When a man leaves the main road, the road of the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam), Sheytan is going to find so many ways to fool that man. And so many are sitting on that road but they are not doing anything, they are not getting up, they are not moving. They are not getting anything. We must wake up because the danger is waiting for us. If we are heedless now then when the big wind is coming then we are not going to have time, not even a minute to look around. We are not going to have people to warn us then. You are not going to find anybody to tell you, "Turn this way or turn that way." Warning is now. Everyone is going to fall into their own problems then. They are going to run to find their way out. Don't make any mistake to think that, "Oh, everything is so nice now. America, beautiful country", or whatever you are in, or to think that it's going to continue like this. No. It's coming to an end.

Of course, there are so many people suffering right now in different parts of the world. Right this minute they are suffering. They have woken up and they are screaming. But their prayer is not accepted now. Holy Prophet (sws) is saying, "If you stop forbidding people from the wrong ways and asking people to turn their ways to the right way, to the way of Allah and His Prophet (sws), then Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will put punishment on you, on that nation, He will put terror on that nation and then you will beg and you will cry but your prayers will not be accepted." Check it out. Look around the world. Is this how it's happening or not? If it's not like that then ask questions again later. We will tell you specifically what's happening where.

But leave that part. We must worry for ourselves now. Man must worry to save himself first before reaching to others. If you cannot save yourself then you cannot reach to others. Allah's order is not a game as so many people today are taking Islam and they are acting like they are representing Islam and they are saying, "The more Sheytan is disobedient to Allah the higher station he gets." Squarehead! And they are not feeling shame to say that they are following the Sultan-ul Awliya. But leave them. We must look at our acts. You must look at yourself. Don't get fooled by fools like that. You know by yourself whether you are in Paradise or you are in Hell in this world. You know by yourself. Nobody has to say to you anything. If you have reached to that station and your heart is so open to the whole world then you wouldn't live that kind of lifestyle. You wouldn't have any single minute in your life that has any problems. You will live in peace.

But that is the time that you will not have any peace. Sultan-ul Awliya is not having peace because he is looking around the world and the whole mankind has lost the direction. The whole mankind is running towards Jahannam and he is screaming. For over eighty years now he is screaming to mankind saying, "Oh mankind! Turn. Turn your way this way. You are going in the wrong direction." Nobody is waking. And some of his so called deputies, who call themselves deputies, they are running to bring Sheytan out from Jahannam. Don't get fooled by that kind of foolishness. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) punished and perished so many nations before this nation. Nothing can stop Allah. Everything is in His Hands. All authority is in His Hand. He does as He likes. Don't make any mistake. Those people must be in drugs anyway. The drugs that they have been taking are still working in the body. The body is not clean from the drugs.

You must wake up. Sheytan has so many ways to fool man and Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has so many Ayats in the Quran-e Kerim saying to us, "Wake up." He is warning us from the confusion of Sheytan and Dajjal. Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) is warning us in hundreds and hundreds of hadith. Where are we going to put these? Which side should we put these? Should we ignore all these now? Is it another new style now? Everyone is talking from the spiritual aspect? Where is your Shariat now? Where is the law that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given. The Nation lost every Shariat today. Today, the Nation is living worse than the unbelievers. The majority of the Muslims are living worse than the unbelievers. And now you are going to be that tolerant (to Sheytan)? You cannot. That is only Sheytan fooling the man. But those who do not want to be fooled must check themselves up. They must watch out, they must look and they must be worrying. In every higher station that they are going they must be worrying. They must be watching out because the higher station they are reaching they are seeing the danger that is waiting.

And Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given this job, this duty, to man. Man must establish the Shariat again in this world. Man must open the Quran-e Kerim. Man must work to bring the Khalifah and man must open the flag of the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam). It's not going to come from the sky. It's going to be from these men that are living today on earth. We are all responsible. In the Judgment Day we will all be questioned. Allah will ask us, "What have you done to bring the Khilafat back and to put My laws back on. What did you do? What did you do?" Everyone will be questioned according to their level and according to their station. So is this the time now that you are going to worry to save Sheytan from hell? Sheytan is not worrying to save you from hell. Sheytan is running to bring you to hell with all these kinds of foolishness, with ideas.

You must wake up. We must wake up. "O my nation, wake up. Don't sleep", Holy Prophet (sws) is saying to us. Don't sleep doesn't mean going to sleep in the nighttime. Be in an awakening station! Ahir Zaman! Holy Prophet (sws) is saying to us, "In the end of time, the man will walk out from his house early in the morning as a believer and he will come back to his home at night as an unbeliever." He will hear so many things here and there and he will start questioning. He will start making ideas, thinking and accepting some of those things. He is going to lose his faith. That's what it means. If you are sitting and thinking, "Yes, this is okay, this is okay, this is okay, everything is okay", you are losing. Have you become more merciful than Allah (subhana wa ta'ala)? Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is the most Merciful one. That Me'lun will not be forgiven unless he goes and submits his will saying, "Oh my Lord, I made a mistake. I have been a fool and I am asking You to forgive me and I am making Sejdah to the Children of Adam." Then he will be forgiven, yes.

People want to take some parts for themselves saying, "Well, I have been forgiven." What did you do? Did you at least cry for the mistakes and the wrong things that you did? When you and Allah are together and every time you are remembering it, are you crying for it? Are you being sorry for it? This is what we have to remember. Otherwise, Sheytan is going to fool us. Sheytan has fooled so many ones, so many people. He has fooled people who reached the level of sainthood in the time of Musa (alayhi salam). As soon as they gave an inch, he knocked them down bringing them all the way to Jahannam.

So, if we take the hadith of Holy Prophet (sws), we apply it to our lives and we try to live according to that then we will find safety. There is no other safety. And also not every hadith. You have to know which one is for you. You have to know which one is working for you. All the hadith Holy Prophet (sws) is addressing is good but maybe it's not for you. You have to take one, apply it and you must live according to that every single day. When you wake up you have to check and you have to say, "I am living according to this hadith." Then you are following the sunnat of Rasulullah (salatu wa sallim) and then because you are in constant contact with Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) through that hadith, his blessings and his protection will reach to you and then you will not have any foolishness like that to think and to say such words, but you will run to clean yourself up. Every time you think you have cleaned one part you will find that another part is dirty. You will be continuously running and then you will see that you are going to have doubt, "Am I going to be able to clean myself before I leave this world or not?" So you will cry for yourself and you will run for yourself. Leave crying for Sheytan. Cry for yourself because Sheytan is not going to cry for you and for me. Holy Prophet (sws) is crying for us, Awliya Allah are crying for us and they are saying to us, "Oh nation, turn your face this way. Turn your face this way. Turn your face to the way of the Prophet (sws) and not to the way that Sheytan is showing to you."

So we must say one (as I always say, of course) hadith from our Grandsheykh. Whatever we learn, we learn from our Grandsheykh. Grandsheykh is saying what his Grandsheykh Sheykh Abdullah Daghistani (ks) is saying. He is saying, "My son, the whole mankind today have entered into a big truck." Think that there is a big truck and the whole mankind is behind that truck, sitting inside the trailer in the back. The driver is driving that truck towards the ocean and everyone is going to sink. Everyone is going to die. The driver is Sheytan and all man is sitting in that truck. And Sheykh Abdullah Daghistani (ks) is saying, "We, the Awliya, are holding that truck from behind for it not to go into the ocean. But the power that the engine has is dragging us with it together." He says, "We must know where to let it go. If not then the power that the truck has in its engine is going to pull us into that wrong place." InshaAllah this will be enough for us to clarify so many matters that are happening.

Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil Habib

Bihurmatil Fatiha.

Amin.

Hidden Music

2006-05-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (M)

Hidden Music

With love you cannot bargain
there, the choice is not yours.
Love is a mirror, it reflects
only your essence, if you have the
courage to look in its face.

To the parched lips of those who
are willing to surrender
Love will bring the wine that
changes darkness into vision,
cruelty into compassion and dust
into precious incense.

Love means to reach for the sky
and with every breath to tear a
hundred veils. Love means to step
away from the ego, to open the eyes
of inner vision and not to take this
world so seriously.

Like a thief, reason sneaked in and
sat amongst the lovers
eager to give them advice.
They were unwilling to listen, so
reason kissed their feet
and went on its way.

When you plant a tree
every leaf that grows will tell
you, what you sow will bear fruit.
So if you have any sense my friend,
don't plant anything but love, you
show your worth by what you seek.
Water flows to those who want
purity. Wash your hands of all
desires and come to the table of love.

If you can't smell the fragrance
don't come into the garden of Love.
if you are unwilling to undress
don't enter into the stream of
Truth. Stay where you are, don't
come our way.

From the heart of the lovers, blood
flows like a vast river. Our body is
the windmill, and love, the water.
Without water the mill cannot turn.

Can the essence and the scent
be separate?
Whisper to me intimately, like a
lover for tenderness is rare in this
world.
It is difficult to convey the magic of
love to those who are made of dust.

When you see the face of anger
look behind it and you will see the
face of pride. Bring anger and pride
under your feet, turn them into a
ladder and climb higher. There is
no peace until you become their
master. Let go of anger. It may taste
sweet but it kills. Don't become it's
victim, you need humility to climb to
freedom.

There is a thread from the heart to
the lips where the secret of life is
woven. Words tear the thread
but in silence the secrets speak.

Do you want me to tell you a
secret? The flowers attract the most
beautiful lover with their sweet
smile and scent.

To find a pearl dive deep into the
ocean, don't look in the fountains.
To find a pearl you must emerge from
the water of life always thirsty.

Do not be flattered by reason,
reason is only the child of the
mind. But true friendship
in born out of love and is the water
of life.

My dear heart, never think you are
better than others. Listen to their
sorrows with compassion. If you
want peace, don't harbour bad
thoughts, do not gossip and
don't teach what you do not know.

Those who think the heart is only
in the chest take two or three steps
and are content. The rosary, the
prayer rug, and repentance are
paths that they mistake for the
destination.

Seek the wisdom that will untie
your knot. Seek the path
that demands your whole being.
Leave that which is not, but
appears to be, seek that which is,
but is not apparent.

You are searching the world for
treasure but the real treasure is
yourself. If you are tempted by
bread, you will find only bread.
What you seek for you become.

Your earthly lover can be very
charming and coquettish but never
very faithful. The true lover is the
one who on your final day
opens a thousand doors.

First, lay down your head,
then one by one let go of all
distractions. Embrace the light and
let it guide you beyond the winds of
desire. There you will find a spring
and nourished by its sweet waters
like a tree you will bear fruit
forever.

Why are you so afraid of silence,
silence is the root of everything.
If you spiral into its void
a hundred voices will thunder
messages you long to hear.

You have woken up late,
lost and preplexed
but don't rush to your books
looking for knowledge.
Pick up a flute instead and
let your heart play.

Do not look back my friend,
no one knows how the world ever
began. Do not fear the future,
nothing lasts forever. If you dwell
on the past or the future you will
miss the moment.

- Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi Hazratleri(QS)

All text from "Rumi: Hidden Music" translated by Maryam Mafi & Azima Malita Kolin

The Sharr Corporation

2006-05-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

THE SHARR CORPORATION

Sohbet by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi

Saturday 8 Rabi-ul Akhir, 1427
May 7, 2006
Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Hakkani Dergah, Siddiki Center, New York.

Auzu billahi min-ash sheytanir rajim
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil aliyyil azim
Hasbinallah wa ni'mal wakeel

Medet Ya Seyyidi Sultanul Awliya, medet.

We are asking support from our Sheykh to make us to say a couple of words that will benefit us inshaAllah ar-Rahman. If someone takes them and lives according to it then they will win. If not then we do the part that is given to us and blessings are coming with it inshaAllah ar-Rahman. We must renew our faith saying, "Ash-hadu an la ilaha ilallallah wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu sallallahu ta'ala alayhi wa alihi wa ashabihi wa sallim."

124,000 prophets have been sent to this world to show people, to teach them to turn their way from Dunya to Mawla, from the world to Akhirat. When they passed, they left their inheritors in this world and they called to those nations until another prophet came to those nations. Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) is the Seal of Prophets. No more prophet is coming until Judgment Day. He also left behind those people who are reminding themselves and the mankind to turn from Dunya to Mawla. The majority of people are always in need of reminder. They have forgotten. They are forgetting that they have not been created for this world. They turned around and fell in love with it and Allah send somebody to them to remind them. If people take that seriously and hold on tightly then they find safety in Dunya and Akhirat. If they are saying, "Well, I know but we are living in Dunya and we have to work." Of course. We are living in Dunya and we have to work. And at the same time we are living in Dunya to earn our Akhirat, not to work only, but to earn our Akhirat, earn the hereafter life while we are living in Dunya. You cannot earn that in the grave or in the Judgment Day. At least we have to make some work right now through which maybe we will leave some pages open that when we enter to the grave we will still earn higher stations in Akhirat inshaAllah ar-Rahman.

It is so valuable but we are treating it in a very lousy way. We are not treating it properly, this value that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given to us. The value is the Shahadat and with Shahadat the Akhirat is coming, the eternal life is coming with that Shahadat. But while we are living in this world we are treating it very badly. It is so valuable but we are not taking any care of it. The little devices that we have here and there, the little things, the computers, the cameras, the cars, we show more care to those than the Shahadat. You cannot call that one so intelligent who is treating such a valuable thing very carelessly because that has a very big enemy also. Because it's very valuable, the enemy is running after it to catch it and take it away from us. The enemy is coming to us in so many different forms to steal that Shahadat away from us. They became a big company together. Nafs, Hawa, Sheytan and Dunya. These four are tying us, chaining us. Nafs is one chain holding from the right hand like that. Hawa, the desires, are holding from the left hand, Sheytan is holding from the right foot, tying with that chain and Dunya is holding from the left. We are in chains. We cannot move. And everyone is saying, "I am free. I do as I like." Mashallah. If you do as you like then don't die. Why are you dying? Every single day you are running top-speed to die. One day is gone again and we came one more day closer to our death. Don't speak foolish words saying, "I am free." What free? If you are free then you should not die. Man is running to find the cure to that. He is not finding and he is not going to. When he is going to through science, when Allah is going to open to them from that ocean a little bit, then they are going to beg to die. That's what they are trying now.

We are living the last days on this earth. It's not only man's life that is finishing but the whole world and all worlds that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has created are coming to an end. The Judgment Day, Qiyamat, is coming very close. We are the nation that reached to the end of that era. We are not in the beginning, in Adam alayhi salam's nation to say, "We still have time. Oh, generations are going to come after us until Judgment Day." We don't have too much left. So we should be more careful because we are the last nation on earth and we are very close to the Judgment Day, to Qiyamat. We are keeping ourselves busy everyday with so many other things. The unbelievers keep themselves busy with other foolishness, the believers keep themselves busy with other things and the man who is in the way of Allah keeps himself busy thinking, "This is coming, that is coming, I am preparing for Mahdi and I have to have a nice life afterwards." Qiymat is coming! Prepare yourself! When the angel of death is reaching to you it's your Qiyamat.

There are two Qiyamats. One is when the angel of death reaches to man and the second one is for all things, anything that you can think of, you can imagine that is existing in this world, the end is coming to that too. And we are very close. These young people, maybe they are in early ages of their Qiyamat, but the whole mankind today is very close to the big Qiyamat. So we must prepare ourselves. We don't really need too many people to tell us that that's the direction the world is going top-speed. If you have a little bit of sense and you put it together then you see it. We are seeing it. Everyday we are watching the news, we are watching the activities in the world, we are watching the activities that are happening around us and activities with our families and with our friends. Everyday we are seeing how fast everything is changing and in top-speed it's going to its destiny.

We cannot escape from it saying, "It was my destiny."
Yes, there is a big destiny. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) drew the plan and everything is moving according to that. But we have to take care in that walk ourselves. We are responsible from what we are preparing for ourselves. We are responsible if we say that we are intelligent people, that we have intelligence. If we don't have intelligence then we are not responsible. But even the animals know their reason of creation and even the animals are putting curses on today's people saying, "Man has been created in Ahsani Taqweem and the Lord of the Heavens has created us for their service. We are remembering our Lord and they are not remembering their Lord." In the old days, at least the general main groups were remembering. Now, only a handful of groups are remembering. It turned around completely. The 20th century's uncivilization. The 20th and the 21st century's barbarism. The history books must write saying that they were the people who had been educated with the worldly knowledge so much but they were the worst ignorant ones ever living on earth. The second Jahiliyya Time. We should escape from that. We should not let our names to be written in that book.

The reality is not changing whether they are putting it in the history books or not. The reality is there. The angels are holding the history book and they are putting, "The 21st century: Ignorant man. The worst ones that ever lived on the face of the earth." The curse is raining. We must escape from that. We must try to escape with every opportunity that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is opening for us. Then they will not put our names in that list. And if we are holding tightly in fighting against these four Sharr Corporation, Nafs, Hawa, Sheytan and Dunya, if we are looking and understanding that these are our enemies then we must be careful with these ones. Then the help will reach to us and inshaAllah ar-Rahman we will be able to keep our Shahadat strongly. We will live and we will pass with that Shahadat. That is Marifat. If a man is looking for Marifat, Karamat then that is Marifat. That is Karamat. All the secrets of all Books and all the prophets came to teach man to take that faith that Allah has granted to them, to live according to that faith and to go out from this world with that faith. MashaAllah to those who did and inshaAllah we are asking from our Lord Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for the sake of those who are most beloved ones in His Divine Presence, we are asking their Shafa'at to reach to us, and for their sake Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) to make us to live and to go out from this world with this Shahadat inshaAllah ar-Rahman.

Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil Habib

Bihurmatil Fatiha.

The Second Jahilliyah

2006-05-02T04:53:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

THE SECOND JAHILIYYA

Sohbet given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Kibrisi

Manhattan Dergah, New York City.

Selamun aleykum. Meded Ya Sayiddi, Ya Sultan Evliya, Mevlana Sheykh Nazim al-Hakkani. Meded.

When you put honey in the middle, the bees are going to come. But the mosquitoes, flies and all kinds of other harmful creatures will also come to the honey. Everyone has to take their share from it. The bees are not going to fight with the mosquitoes, because they will take what is for them, elhamdulillah. The mosquitoes are going to take what is for them, and the flies.

There is Haqq and Batil, the Truth and false. Either we are on the side of Truth or we are on the side of false. The people who are on the side of Truth have to be on the same road. They have to understand each other. They have to respect their ways. The people who are representing false, they are all together anyway. They are eating each other but they are all together in front of us.

This is the worst time that happened to Muslims about which Holy Prophet (saw) is saying, "The second Jahiliyya is going to be worst than the first one." And this is what we are facing today. The second Jahiliyya time. He said that it is because people in the second Jahiliyya time will know certain knowledge and they are not going to accept anything from anyone.

In the first Jahiliyya time people were ignorant. When someone from the Sahabi spoke to them, they were sitting and listening and comparing it with what they know. And so many were accepting. That was a Jahiliyya time, the first Jahiliyya, where Holy Prophet (saw) came only one person and then hundreds and thousands of people started following. Those people were against the Holy Prophet (saw) because they did not have any knowledge of what he brought. They were holding on to their traditions only. They were ignorant people. They did not know any better. When the other ones went and approached them properly and they showed them what Holy Prophet (saw) brought to them, they accepted. They did not argue about it. They did not feel threatened. The only ones who felt threatened were those people who were the knowledgeable people for that time. Like Abu Jahil and all the other ones. They were the people who knew how to read and write. They were the people who knew the activities of the world. They were the people who knew what was happening in the business world. They could not accept what Holy Prophet (saw) brought to them because it would not be good for their political and economical matters. What Prophet (saw) brought to them required them to change what they were doing. Not so for the ignorant. They did not fight. They sat and they listened. And sometimes later they accepted it.

Holy Prophet (saw) is saying that the Ahir Zaman, the End of Times, the second Jahiliyya time is going to be worse than the first because people are going to study the religion, they will know how to read and write but they are not going to accept anything, they are not going to accept anybody. They are just going to accept what is only for them, what is their understanding from what they read and write. So in this time people read and write. Millions read and write. So many people are reading and writing but they are ignorant. Holy Prophet (saw) is saying, "They are going to be ignorant with what they read and write. They are going to become ignorant with the knowledge that they know."

As everyone of you know, by the law of the government today you have to send your children to school. They have to learn how to read and write. But learning how to read and write is not giving them any knowledge or wisdom. However they are programming them, that is the only thing they know. Today's people became more ignorant than the people fourteen hundred years ago. They became ignorant with the knowledge of reading and writing. Not being able to read and write is not the sole problem. The secret is to know, that you need to read and write to understand. Everyone who reads and writes does not understand. They say, "Take the Quran and read." If you take the Quran and read and understand only according to your own understanding most likely you will become a terrorist. That is what most of them are doing. You cannot even understand the newspaper. Take a part from the newspaper and read. Then I am going to ask you "Give me the summary" and you are not going to be able to put it together. To be able to write and read is to learn. To know what? To know your self. Not to know other things but first you have to study you, your self, you have to know yourself, who you are, what you are and what is your position in this world. What is your secret, what is your duty, what is your mission, why have you been created, why are you occupying this space, why are you leaving this space and where are you going? That is the most important matter.

The schools are only teaching people lying and cheating these days. They know that the theory of evolution, Darwinism is finished. It is bankrupt. But they are still teaching. Everything is on that. The foundations of schools are on that theory. All those children that are studying and coming out of the schools, now their foundation is evolution which is completely against creation. So they are going to become ignorant. So ignorant that they are not going to know that they are ignorant. Taking one man's word, ordinary man. Who is this man? Who is this Darwin? Why are you accepting him? (I am saying to the Chrisitan world) You are accepting Darwin and putting his books in the schools and universities. You say you are accepting Jesus but you are not using his book in the schools. What kind of nonsense is this? (Shaykh smiling). You are saying, "Jesus is the Lord. We are the creatures, he is the creator." But you are not teaching in the schools to these people about that and you are teaching about Darwinism, about Sheytan. The same thing is with the Muslims and the same thing is with the Jews. In the Muslims countries they say, "We are Muslims. We are accepting Allah and His Prophet." But no school is teaching anything about Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam). With the Jews it is the same thing. They are not teaching about Moses or the Tewrat. So everywhere in the world they are concentrating to teach people Darwinism. Evolution.

So Prophet (saw) is saying, "The second Jahiliyya is going to be worse than the first one." That is what we see. Not by individual ignorance but by general ignorance. You are sending your children to school and this is what they are going to teach them. When they are growing up if you want to plant something in them by saying to them, "Allah created you", they are going to say to you, "You are crazy. This is what they teach us in the school." If you say to them, "They are wrong", they say, "Then why are you sending us to school?" So you are stuck between those two things and you cannot even touch your children in this time. Did Holy Prophet (saw) say that? Yes, he said this too. He said, "A time is going to come when you are not even going to be able to reach to your own children, your own families. Nobody is going to listen to you. There is not going to be one house left in the world where the confusion will not enter." This is the time. Of course, we are pretty happy that we reached to these days. And we reached to the end of this time too because every activity in the world that is shown to us (when you know the life of Holy Prophet alayhi salatu wa salam and when you know the teachings and the hadith that he pointed with, that when this comes this is going to happen and when this comes this is going to happen) we are watching that everything is moving towards the direction that Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) has pointed to us.

Holy Prophet (saw) is saying, "The nation of Bani Israil is going to deviate into seventy-one different divisions. One is going to be on the Siratul Mustakim, in the straight path and seventy is going to be wrong." He says, "The Christians, people who say they are following Jesus is going to divide into seventy-two different divisions. One will be on straight path and seventy-one will be wrong." He says, "My nation is going to divide into seventy-three different divisions. Only one will be in Siratul Mustakim and seventy-two of them will be in the wrong ways. And if they stay in that wrong road they will be punished before they enter Paradise." He says, "Those ones who stay on Siratul Mustakim will live clean lives and they will go out from this world clean." And when they asked him, "Who are those Ya Rasulullah?" He says, "Those are the ones who hold on very tightly to my traditions, to my sunnat." He says, "Although my sunnat is going to be forgotten in that time by my nation, by the ummat of Muhammad (salatu wa sallam). People are not going to follow my sunnats. If they keep one of them they will be rewarded the equal of a hundred martyrs in the Judgment Day."

So these are the days. And as you said, you went to one place and you were surprised. I want you to go around and see what is it that they are giving. What is it they have and what is it that they are concentrating on. Are they concentrating on other than what other groups are doing? So many people today, Friday, are making certain activities. Different celebrations. They are coming together, eating together, enjoying together, doing so many activities. They have so many social gatherings under the name of religions gatherings. But when you look at the lifestyle they are living, there is no familiarity with the lifestyle of the Prophet (saw) and his Sahaba-e Ikram. But you will find familiarity with what the Christians are celebrating or the Jews are celebrating. As a matter of fact, so many are celebrating with liquor, but they are Muslims.

There was a time, when I was working with the United Nations, the Palestinians one night made a Palestinian Night, celebrating and trying to express and show their rights to other nations, and they were making a big cocktail party. Of course I had to be there. And I went and I looked. I saw all these Palestinians under the name of religion and the Arab-Israeli conflict were celebrating, they were trying to say their rights to others saying, "This is our problem, this is what had happened to us." But they had liquor in their hands, they were drinking and the time of the prayer was passing. So I said to the top official whom I know, "I have to go now."

He said, "But we did not begin yet."

I said, "Well, I know. Before you began you failed. So I have no business here."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you were Muslims."

"Of course we are Muslims."

"But you are celebrating with liquor that Allah and His Prophet forbade you."

"But all these people are Christians and we have to show them that we have familiarity with them."

"Good, you are becoming one of them. They are not becoming one of you. So you lost. The beginning is lost. So I have no business here."

I left elhamdulillah. What I am trying to say is, when you are trying to get your rights you cannot get them from the way that Allah has forbidden you. Allah banned those things for you. You cannot say, "I do these things to be better looking to those ones in order to ask my rights". Your rights are going to be given to you by your Lord. By this one's hand or that one's hand but He is going to approve. If you are trying to please them you are never going to get your rights. The story that I told you happened maybe in 1979 and now we see that they did not get their rights and they are not going to get their rights and the worst is coming.

Everyone is saying, "What is our fault? What have we done?" What we have done is we have deviated into seventy-three different ways and we have left the one way, we left the Holy Prophet's way. All other ways are claiming, "We are following Allah's orders" and this and that. Everyone is claiming that. If the claim is right then you have to follow what Holy Prophet (saw) is teaching. Because Allah is saying to you, "Follow that one." He is giving order. He says, "Follow! Say to them: If they love Me they must follow you." It is an ayat-e kerim. Allah is saying, "IF they love me", they are claiming that they love Allah. He says, "If they love Me, they must follow you. Because you are the one whom I love and you are the one whom I showed the way and they must follow you for Me to love them."

Anyone who is dismissing the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) one way or the other, it is impossible for them to reach Allah. You can only claim. But Allah is not a little creature like you. You have not understood the Creator. If you did, then definitely you are going to look for a Wesil (means of approach) between Him and you, someone who is going to represent you. Otherwise, the ego is always representing itself and the ego is always seeing itself above anybody. That is wrong because no matter who we are and what we are, we are creatures. Allah is the Creator and we are creatures. That is what we have to know.

Time is up for Maghrib.

Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil habib

Bihurmatil Fatiha.

The Arrogance of Ignorance

2006-05-02T02:08:00.000-04:00

They were a boy and a girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling,
wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where
graceful youth should have filled their features out, and
touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled
hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and
pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat
enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No
change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any
grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has
monsters half so horrible and dread.

Scrooge started back, appalled. Having them shown to him
in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but
the words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lie
of such enormous magnitude.

'Spirit. are they yours.' Scrooge could say no more.

'They are Man's,' said the Spirit, looking down upon
them. 'And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers.
This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both,
and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy,
for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the
writing be erased. Deny it.' cried the Spirit, stretching out
its hand towards the city. 'Slander those who tell it ye.
Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse.
And abide the end.'

- Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"
--------------------------------------

Bismillahirrahamanirrahim,

As-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu,

Alhamdulillah. I'm writing this as a personal adjunct to Sidi Yursil's most recent post on the attack on Islamic "traditionalism" by the leaders of progressive Islam and the lemmings who follow them. From the current trend, I think 'traditionalism' may have beaten out 'fundamentalism' for top spot on the "Dirtiest Word in Religion" list. Sidi Yursil's essay is well-written Mash'Allah. However, the grit and guts of this cogent and intelligent piece may fly right over the cuckoo's nest of his intended audience, if they be of the Eteraz's and Manji's and Ayaan Ali Hirsi's of the World. Their PHD's in the farce of "exposing" the dangerous ills of 'cattle-driven' Islam,( and whitewashing the crimes of Islam's self-declared enemies), are just duplicitous badges of "boldness" pinned on a headless-chicken. They tout & peddle this chicken to the masses of wide-eyed, fence-sitting spectators, calling it progressivism. But what is this progressivism? I may have an idea.

It's the neo-syndrome of blameless non-conformism which has become an integral ingredient in the recipe for liberal democracy in this age. But to what end? When all is said and done, the circular logic of these "revolutionaries" seeks again to be part & parcel of the elite body of the Intellectual Cream. Or at least a group of like-minded dissenters. Ah! Acceptance!

The democratic value system, especially in this country, has been eroded and replaced by the hard and fast rule of 'desensitization to all which was once cherished'. Be it religious, or racial sensitivities, or just the universally accepted code of human decency. Not immediately stepping on something you don't understand is considered 'weak' and 'behind-the-times'. For those who understand - It is clear: When nothing is sacred, and you're not bound by adhering to the principles of courtesy, then acts like Defecating on the Cross become Art, sold to the highest bidder. Anyone who disagrees is obviously an enemy of free speech. Jyllands-Posten anyone?

So what happens when THAT becomes the norm, I wonder? What is happening here? Quite plainy, the abandonment of God in one's life has ramifications. Turning oneself to Allah not only gives purpose and direction, but strength as well (gaurding against depression, suicide, or at the other end of the spectrum - wild, uninhibited acts of appetite - all appetites). When that abandonment is on a pandemic level, and it's endorsement bombards your brain from every channel available - an organized anarachy against traditional principles results, as is currently happening today. When the ego is given free-reign in a mob-based movement-the pre-occupation of amusing oneself becomes the utmost priority and the focus of one's existence.

Just read Eteraz's essay on "The Hoor", or as I call it - "Jackass" for the literati. Clearly an *blank* now, Eteraz descends into incoherent babble in his liberature, struggling to shock his audience into submission with each "progressive" sentence, as well as deigning to have a point to his purpose: Raucous attacks on the Qur'an, denigrating the mercies of Allah, and outright blasphemy drowned in the futile ambitions to make a name for oneself. What has he found with that piece of his, I wonder? A few seconds of euphoric pride? An outlet to vent his frustrations at his own ignorance or his ineptitude in finding the truth? Or just an exercise fueling a massive ego-pump of self-pleasuring proportions? Whatever it is, (All of the above?), maybe the real question we should be asking this guy is - "Are you happy?"

I may already know the answer. And for those who can think - you might know it as well. As long as we make an enemy of the one who is sustaining us with each breath, we can never be truly happy. These progressivists seek the love and acceptance of those they feel that can provide them with a liberated, unaccountable lifestyle - fearing no one and nothing. Invincibility...with a catch. What then if the Dons don't receive their monthly protection money? Will these free-thinkers be strong enough, then to endure their wrath. Failing to realize that fearing creation at the expense of the creator is the real loss,...well,...is the Real Loss.

If they spent half of a neuron in half a minute to seek the love and acceptance of the One which gave them life, instead of trampling their own graves, (As He will eventually give them death) -, if they use even an atom of the intellects they carry in titles and certificates, in the years of education which brought them to this point, towards seeking the Sunnah (and keeping it once found) of the Holy Prophet(ASWS,) instead of daring to stand and point a finger(a middle one at that), to the Almighty and His Beloved, - they may realize what it means to submit. To be a Muslim. Maybe. If not, then, they may find the realities of an after-life to be indigestible. I hope well-articulated pieces such as Sidi Yursil's will be the panacea to this diseased ideology. May Allah guide them before their souls are "liberated" from their bodies. I ask Allah to save us all from such a fate. For the sake of the Holy Prophet (ASWS), Sheykh Mevlana, and Sheykh Effendi. Ameen, Ya Rabbul Alameen. I'm going to follow this up with a Sohbet of Sheikh Effendi's that is immediately relevant to the 'progressive predicament'. Insh'Allah Rahman.

Was-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu

"Holy Prophet (saw) is saying, 'The second Jahiliyya is going to be worst than the first one.' And this is what we are facing today. The second Jahiliyya time. He said that it is because people in the second Jahiliyya time will know certain knowledge and they are not going to accept anything from anyone. "

- Sheikh Abdul Kerim al Hakkani al Kibrisi

*edit: I've removed the word apostate from this post, only because it reminded me of the story of Hazrat Umar(RA), and the Munafiq, and the reaction of the Holy Prophet(ASWS). I fear to be stricken from the company of Allah's beloved by daring to walk on what the Prophet(ASWS), himself, considered "thin ice". However, the rest of the post still stands - I feel the bankruptcy of self-assessment in this world needs some recognition, and progressivism needs to know, no matter how hard it shuts its eyes, and clicks its heels, the boundaries will remain. Respect the boundaries.

Lauding His Infinite Praises

2006-04-27T18:31:00.000-04:00

Salawat-e-Tunajjina

(Regarded as an important Salawat by Sheikh Effendi, recommending all those who can, to learn it by heart)

Salat-un-Tunajjina


Allahumma salli 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin
(O Allah! bless our master Muhammad)

salatan tunjina bi-ha min jami'-l-ahwali wa-l-afat
(so that by this prayer You will deliver us from all
fears & evils)

Wa taqdi lana biha min jami'-l-hajat
(that you will satisfy all of our needs)

Wa tutahiruna biha min jami'-s-sa'iyat
(that You will cleanse us of all our impurities)

Wa tarfa'una biha indaka al-ad-darajat
(that You will raise us to the highest levels)

Wa tuballighuna biha aqsa-l-ghayati min jami-l-khayrati
(and that You will bring us to the ultimate of all goodness)

fi-l-hayati wa ba'da-l-mamat
(in this life and after death)

---------------------------------

Subhan'Allah for The Mercy for all creation.
Since there is No Limit to that Mercy
How can there ever be a limit to our Love and our Praises?
All of it is merely a drop
in the Ocean...

Ya Rabbi! Guide us to Love Him(ASWS),
He, Who You Love, Ya Rabbi
And as you have favored Him(ASWS) above all your creation
Help us, Ya Rabbi, to favor Him(ASWS) above all else.

Ya Rabbi help us to hold fast to His(ASWS) Sunnah
Even if it is but One
Because this will be the truest rope
to salvage our blemished souls
from the dark abyss of our sins

Ameen, Ya Rabbul Alameen.
For the sake of His Majesty, the Prophet(ASWS)
our Sheikh Mevlana, Sultan ul Awliya (QS),
and our Sheikh Effendi.
Ameen Ya Rabbul Alameen.

Sheykh describes how to know the ones that Allah doesn't love:

"The easiest way to know that, is the love of the Prophet (saw). Love of the prophets. Love those who love the Prophet (saw). It is very easy to understand then. You don't have to go into details, - "This one is beloved and this one is not beloved. "

Those who have a drop of love in their hearts for the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) or for any other prophets, it is a sign to us that we must try to have some communication with those. Those who don't love Allah and His Prophet (saw), leave them.

They are not any good for you and not any good for me."

- Sheikh Abdul Kerim al Hakkani al Kibrisi

Mawlid at Dergah

2006-04-27T13:29:00.000-04:00

Sheikh Abdul-Kerim Effendi giving Sohbet at the Osmanli-Naksibendi Hakkani Dergah on the occasion of Mawlid:

Click here to download:(Large file - 73 MB - MP3 format)

(Didn't get a chance to post this earlier, but am posting it now Alhamdulillah for all those who wish to listen. It's at megaupload - so click on the link, wait 45 seconds, and close the ad - and there you'll find the link. Phew!)

Beautiful Turkish Poem in Praise of Holy Prophet(ASWS) sung melodiously by a Murid, followed by Salawat:

Click here to download - 22MB, MP3 format: (Same rules as above/@ Megaupload.com)

*Links are down - will refurbish Insh'Allah Rahman.

The Value of Life

2006-04-25T15:38:00.000-04:00

Sheikh Effendi on the Value of Life. Subhan'Allah.

There is not much more I can say. Subhan'Allah and Alhamdulillah for Sheikh Mevlana and Sheikh Effendi. Insh'Allah, we are smart enough to apply these sage thoughts into practice for ourselves, for there is success in that. True Success.

May Allah protect the rank and elevate the station of Sheikh Mevlana Muhammad Nazim al Hakkani and Sheikh Effendi. Ameen, Ya Rabbul Alameen. May Allah guide all of us to value our lives and the one who gave us this life above all else. Then, Insh'Allah, His Beloveds may become our beloveds. Insh'Allah Rahman. For the sake of the Holy Prophet(ASWS), Sheikh Mevlana and Sheikh Effendi.

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

THE VALUE OF LIFE

Sohbet given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi

Friday 17 Ramazan, 1426

October 21, 2005

39th Street Dergah, Manhattan, New York.

Medet Ya Syyidi Ya Sultanul Awliya, Medet.

Tariqatuna sohbet wa khayru fil Jamiat.

The meaning of all (heavenly) Books is to teach man to say, “La ilaha illallah.” All Books and all prophets came to teach man to say, “La ilaha ilallah. Falam an-lahu la ilaha illallah.” There is no god and nothing to worship except Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). When man is concentrating, understanding and living according to that then his Dunya becomes paradise, his world becomes paradise, his paradise is paradise and his grave is paradise. Fear goes away. Fear leaves that one and Sheytan runs away. The evils run away and the evil people run away because he is with Rahman. He is with Allah. Those who leave Allah, Sheytan comes near them, all sheytanic creatures come near them, all human sheytans come near him until they make that one to become one of the sheytans.

That is in the hand of man. Allah gave that to our hand saying, “It is protection to you. Say: La ilaha illallah continuously.” Your heart must remember your Lord. If you want satisfaction to your heart, if you want peace in your heart then you must say, ‘Allah.’

This Mankind, the 21^st century people of today are all sick. From the newborns to the ones that are ready to go to the grave, all are sick. All have problems and they don’t even know what the biggest problem is. They think it’s the world but it’s not because everyone has the world. (Sheykh pointing to the heart) The biggest problem is emptiness here. The life is very sour. Anything they touch, anywhere they look and any place they go, after a while it becomes a pain to them. Everything that man is doing becomes very painful. Not satisfied with anything. Men, women, children, adults and elderly. All. Some people are exception. They are exception from billions.

What is the cure for that? They are not running to look for the cure. They are running thinking, “I am going to make more Dunya, more world and I am going to find peace.” If finding peace is with Dunya, with the world then it will be easy. If you have a pair of clothes to wear, a shelter on your head and you can fill your stomach then you should be peaceful. Why then are you worrying? You don’t know if Azrail is waiting behind the door. You are entering here but you don’t know if you are going out alive. Who can guarantee that saying, “I am guaranteed to go out tonight”? Who can dare to say that? They are listening. He (Allah subhana wa ta’ala) may say, “That one is challenging Me? Take him away.” Dunya is finished and Akhirat is finished (for that person).

So when man understands the value of this world, if he thinks that this world is valuable and runs after it for some time then after a while he must understand, “This world has no value. But the life has a value. What Allah has given, what Allah has granted to me is very valuable. Let me hold on tightly to that.” When you are holding onto that life then you would be looking and saying, “Well, this life is going is going to go away from my hand too after a while. What am I going to do?” Then you will be able to concentrate on what is waiting for you on the other side. Otherwise, the majority is running away and they don’t even want to think about death anymore. They don’t want to be around those who are going to remind them about death. They run away. They find it easier, they think that it’s easier saying, “Let me run away from this one and my life is going to become better and easy because this one is reminding me all the time that I am going to die. So let me go far away.” They go far away and if they had one problem then their problems become double. Now that they are not close to someone who is close to Allah, that little peace in the heart is taken away.

You may give them the whole world but they are not going to be satisfied by it. If you don’t believe me then go and look at Rockefeller. They have the Rockefeller Center. The half of Manhattan belonged to him. But he was not in peace. He was running after more. What are you running after? You have everything. Anything you need comes to you. What are you running for? Everything you have is more than enough for you and your children to spend all their lives. He had to run because there was nothing that could replace that emptiness. It’s a big emptiness and if man falls into that emptiness then he disappears. He loses his mind.

So the only way out of that and the only answer is Islam. There is no other answer. You can go to any place. You can go to any rabbi or anything. They have no answer to that. It is impossible. The answer is with those ones who are not walking around with books, (Sheykh pointing at the heart) whose books are there and who are able and capable to read people there (in the heart). They have the answer. They say to you, “You have this sickness and the cure is this. This is what you have to do.” You don’t like it. Who cares whether you like it or not? You got sick. You are going to get the recipe to get cured. Otherwise, you are going to die.

Dying in the spirit is not like dying in the world. (Sheykh smiles). If your spirit is dead then you have lost. You have perished. You are going to be swept away never coming back to existence again. Even Sheytan doesn’t want that. Sheytan is saying (to Allah subhana wa ta’ala), “I would rather stay in the hell-fire forever.Don’t send me to non-existence. Once You gave me a body and once You made me appear, don’t put me to disappearing stations.”

Of course, the ignorant men are saying, “So what?” They are ignorant and complete empty-heads. They are not knowing anything. When they start knowing something then they start worrying. For instance, you have one ring and you lose it. It doesn’t have too much value but you go around looking for it. No? If you think that you left it in the toilet, do you leave it there? You go to look in the toilet. “I left it there. Let me get it.” What’s the value? Nothing. You get another one. But it’s yours. So it’s valuable.

Life is also very valuable. How are we spending that life, in which way are we spending and in what cause are we spending that life, that’s important. If we are spending it in the way of Allah then we must do the work of Allah. If we are doing the work of Allah and we are spending it in the way of Allah then do you think the pain, sorrow and all these worldly disasters are going to come into your heart? No, even if you go through so many incidents in your life, ups and downs, with physical punishments, with materialistic punishments. When Allah remove material things to test your faith, your faith becomes stronger every time it’s coming and you say, “Shukr Ya Rabbi. Alhamdulillah. You reminded me something Ya Rabbi. Thank you. You reminded me that I am a weak servant.” Then faith grows. When your faith grows, grows and grows then everything starts opening.Everything is with faith.

We must concentrate on that faith. Ash-hadu an-la ilaha illallah wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu. If we concentrate on that then our world becomes paradise and paradise cannot wait for us to go there.Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil Habib

Bihurmatil Fatiha.

Transcribed by “Yeni Osmanli”.

Defender of Truth

2006-04-17T15:57:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim,

As-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahamtullahi wa Barakatahu,

Subhan'Allah! Posted below is a beautiful Sohbet delivered by our dear Sheikh Effendi in response to the flagrancies committed against Him and the Osmanli-Hakkani order in the New York Times. He reminds us that no matter who may be against us, if we are on the side of Allah, then Allah is on our side. Subhan'Allah. May Allah protect the rank of Sheikh Mevlana and Sheikh Effendi, and elevate their station. Ameen, Ya Rabbul-Alameen. May Allah guide us to always defend truth, with each living moment and until our dying breath. Ameen, Ya Rabbul-Alameen. For the sake of the Holy Prophet(ASWS), Sheikh Mevlana, and Sheikh Effendi.

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

Response to Accusations in the NY Times

Sohbet given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi

Monday 12 Rabi-ul Awwal, 1427
April 10, 2006
Osmanli Naks-i'bendi Hakkani Dergah, Siddiki Center, New York.

Auzu billahi minash shaitanir rajim
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Hasbinallah wa ni'mal wakeel
Wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil aliyil azim
La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu min az-zalimeen

Medet ya Seyyidi ya Sultanul Awliya, Medet.

We have been created and sent to this world for one purpose. The reason of creation and being sent to the world is to know Allah and to worship Allah. First we have to know Allah to be able to worship Allah. The reason of creation is to worship Allah. Nothing else. If a man is doing nothing but only worshipping, that one is better than anybody else. One day Isa (as) was passing through the mountains and he saw a man in a cave. Isa (as) greeted him and he greeted Isa (as) saying, "Welcome to you ya Ruh Allah." He said to himself, "He knows that I am Isa." Isa (as) said to him, "What are you doing here?" He said, "I am surprised. You are the prophet of Allah and you are asking me what I am doing here? Everyday I am worshipping Allah only." Isa (as) asked, "How long have you been here?" He said, "Only seven hundred years, not moving from here and worshipping only." He said to him, "Ya Isa, your nation and the nation of the Seal of Prophets Muhammad (alayhi salatu wa salam) are going to have such a short life but they are going to run away from the worship of Allah. So don't think that I am doing something big."

There was also a time when Isa (as) was worshipping. All of a sudden he felt hungry and he wanted to have bread. He hadn't eaten for a long time. He just felt inside that he wanted to have bread. As soon as he felt that, bread appeared in front of him. He said, "Thank you Ya Rabbi", he took it and he started eating. He looked that another man was passing from there, and Isa (as) said to him, "I was just worshipping. I desired to have some bread and my Lord just put it in front of me." The man said, "Astaghfirullah Ya Rabbi! It is known to You that I have never desired anything except to worship You." Isa (as) looked at him and said, "Ya Rabbi! Please don't let me desire anything except to worship You." People at that time had peace. They didn't have anything worldly but they had peace.

People in this time have everything but they don't have peace. The refrigerators are packed. The houses are like supermarkets. The bed is made out of feathers. They are living better than the kings' lives. But everyone is in trouble. Everyone is running top-speed for Dunya. And when we are saying to our own selves, "At least, let's escape from time to time, at least for one hour a day. We are living twenty-four hours. Let's escape at least one hour a day from the slavery of Dunya and turn our faces to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala)", then we are finding even the Muslims attacking us. MashaAllah. Leave the non-Muslims. Leave the Christians or others. Muslims are attacking us saying, "They are mad people, madmen. They don't know what they are doing." Huh, alhamdulillah. We are in the Sirat-ul Mustaqim. We are following the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam). He said, "Work for this world as much as you are going to live in it and work for Akhirat as much as you are going to stay there." We just finished another Maghrib prayer. We don't know if we are going to reach to tomorrow morning. That's how believers should live, always preparing himself for the journey, the great journey, the big journey that is waiting for us.

Islam is the lifestyle. Islam teaches us how to live, Islam teaches us how to work, when to work, when to eat, when not to eat, when to worship, when to enjoy, what to have and what not to have. Islam is a lifestyle. Without Islam, without the Holy Prophet's (sws) traditions and sunnats we cannot know how to live. What we will learn then is only from television, from media and from other people that we copy. But Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given a secret to every individual. Every individual has one secret and you have to discover that secret. You have to discover that secret while you are in this world. And you have to discover that secret through the teachings of the Holy Prophet (sws). You cannot discover that in any other places. You cannot buy that with money. You cannot have that because you are famous. You cannot earn that because you reached to high stations in Dunya (in this world) or you have worldly power in your hand. The angel of death is waiting right behind your neck blowing air on you, on me, on those and on everyone.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is Merciful, the Most Merciful One. What are we doing? We are trying to give the love of the Holy Prophet (sws) to others, for them to understand the love of the Prophet (sws), for them to reunite themselves with that love, to understand their reason of creation and to turn themselves to their Lord with the love of that Prophet (sws). And that is an obligation to every believer, to share the beauty they have with others, to try to reach to others, to try to reach someway somehow to those who are suffering in the holes of this Dunya. You cannot do that by force. You cannot have people by force. Islam is not a forceful religion. In Islam, you have to take Shahadat willingly by yourself accepting through your heart. You cannot say Shahadat through the tongue and not accepting by heart. Both have to come together. No one can force anyone. But you may just give the message. If the person listens then he may find better in his life. You cannot have forceful ways with your children. Most of you know me. Many of you don't know me (you know me from far away). You are here right now. Do you see my sons here? I have two sons, one is twenty-six years old and the other one is twenty-one years old. I have a daughter who is eighteen years old. I just say to them. I have no way of forcing them.

So I think anyone who knows me and is reading that story in the NY Times newspaper (April 9, 2006) will be laughing at the story because it's all cheating and lying. And yes, as I said to the media, as I said to this person, to this lady reporter, "Why are you running after me? There are so many people in the world. There are so many Muslims organizations." She said, "I am making a story about Sufism. I am researching about Sufism." I said, "I am just a simple man, I have a couple of people around. There are so many other ones, big ones." She said, "I think you are interesting." I said, "No. I think you are already trying somewhere, someway, somehow to put that I am a bad guy. You can try your best but you are not going to be able to do that. You are just going to lie about it."

I am speaking to the whole world. I have her recording. I have her speaking. And I said to her, "Well, of course you can come here. But you already have enough information from here and there, (people that you spoke with lied about me and you lied to me about them) to label me with whatever you are planning to label me with. But you are not going to be able to do that because I am not a bad guy." And I said to her, "Yes, you are welcome. I know your intention, why you want to come here. But you are still welcome." But I said to her, "Don't think that I trust you or any media because this is the same media who is attacking my fourteen-hundred-years old Prophet (sws). You started attacking him non-stop now. You are the same media. If you want, then put this in the newspaper too and I will be very happy." Hmm.

So if anyone is looking to find something other than what they are seeing (at the dergah) then they are going to be very disappointed because we are sitting in the middle and our door is open to the whole world. We have no fear and we are not hiding anything from anyone. Anytime anyone wants, they can come to see what we are doing. Things that we see are right we say that it's right. Things that we see wrong, according to the teachings and traditions of the Holy Prophet (sws), we say it's wrong. Wrong is always wrong and the right is always right.

Fear. Majority of the people are fearful. When you are in the way of Allah you have no fear. Allah sent Yunus (as) to his nation to give them the message. He was addressing that nation everyday and not one of those people accepted him. He was a prophet. Not one individual accepted him. They were attacking him, they were cursing at him andthey were cursing at his Lord, our Lord. He was so fed up with them that he turned to leave away from that nation saying, "These people are never going to get the message. So I am leaving." The story is very long. He was taking the ship, escaping and all of a sudden the sea started moving with waves and the ship was ready to sink. Yunus (as) knew that he was escaping from the job of Allah that He gave to him because those people were tyrannizing him. And he said, "My Lord, I know I was running away. But there is no place where I can escape. You are everywhere." In that dark night he said, "I sacrifice myself to you. Do as You like." And he jumped into the sea. And the big fish came, looked at him and it swallowed him. But he said, "La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu min az-Zalimeen." You are the Subhan, the Most Perfect One and I have become one of the tyrants because I am running away from the job that you have given to me. And You are enough for me." His fear was gone and that darkness of the sea became light to him. The fish became his friend. It came in top-speed and threw him to the shore. He went quickly back to his nation saying, "Oh my nation, leave this foolish lifestyle. Turn your way to your Lord." They started attacking him again. But he never gave up.

He didn't (give up). No prophet did and we are not going to also inshallah. Our job (which I take as a job from my Lord) is to speak to people who come and who want to hear from me. I speak. If you want to take it, take it to yourself. If you don't want to take it, leave it here. You are not under any force or any authority. You are free. If you take it and apply to your life you will win for yourself. If you are not taking it, leaving it here and going, I collect those rewards for myself.

I am not asking any money from you or from anyone and all of you know that up till now I have never asked and I am not intending to ask. We also do not ask for donations on our web site. We are not in need of your money to keep our masjid up masha'allah. We are working and paying for this; but because Allah cc has ordered believers to take care of the masjids, we have a sadaka box there. Otherwise, you know that when you want to make a donation, I check your intention and where the money comes from; and we send it to Sheykh Mevlana.

Most of the people lied in that newspaper. One was saying that he was giving money to us. This message is to him. Most of you know that they went bankrupt and I gave them shelter for months, to their children and to the whole family, and I put money in their pocket. I helped them, I put money down so they could buy a house. `X' is witness. He is one of the guys that signed the papers for an interest-free loan. They left the association because they did not want to pay the loan back. But that shows that they have no fear from Allah. What I do for people, I like to keep secret. But when they start lying and attacking us worldwide in the media, then we have no choice but to clarify for people who may start thinking bad about us. That's why we are opening this up.

So I am clean. Anybody can attack. All those words that are attacking me, I am clean from those words. Allah is my witness. And up till this age I have not put one haram penny in my body. And not to the people around me too. I never gave any food to anyone that is from haram money. If wrong money is coming, then I sent that money to other places. Every food you are eating here are halal and it's always going to be halal inshallah. It's not mine. This is the dergah of our master (Sheykh Mevlana Muhammad Nazim al-Hakkani). I am just sitting here now not knowing what will happen tomorrow. Allah knows. He has the authority in His Hand and I submit myself to Him. Everyone has to know it like this and this is how it is. As long as I live I am a dust under his feet and I am asking Allah never to make me become disobedient to him and always to follow his orders through the tongue and through the heart. So many times he is not giving me any orders through the tongue but I am following through the heart inshaAlalh ar-Rahman.

So, in a night like this, (the most beautiful night of the Holy Prophet's blessed birth,) the world has turned into darkness. Everywhere there is darkness. This is the second Jahiliyya time. Holy Prophet (sws) is saying that the second Jahiliyya is going to be worse than the first Jahiliyya because in the first Jahiliyya time people were ignorant. They didn't know and when the Sahabis were explaining it to them they knew right away. They turned and they submitted. They knew that they were doing wrong and they reached to safety. And with that safety and with the love of the Holy Prophet (sws) they reached to the heavens. Holy Prophet (sws) is saying that the second Jahiliyya is going to be worse than the first because in the second Jahiliyya time everyone is going to be able to read and write and they are going to be very proud with their knowledge. But the sources of knowledge that they are going to have are going to come to them from the wrong places. They are never going to understand the Quran because they are going to interpret the Quran according to what fits to them. And they are going to leave the sunnat of the Prophet (sws). They are not going to carry the sunnat of the Prophet (sws).

So there are some Imams that are attacking us also in that paper who are planting hair into their heads. Yes. I know those Imams who plant hair in their heads. And they are attacking us saying that we don't know Islam. (Sheykh smiles). And the Holy Prophet (sws) is saying to us, "Anybody who puts other people's hair on his head is carrying the curse of Allah on him." Meaning, once you start losing your hair, don't be sad. If you are a woman, don't be sad because you have a hijab and you are covering your head. If you are a man, don't be sad because Holy Prophet (sws) was shaving his head every time he was going to the Kaba. Do it like that. That's how I have been from twenty years of age. Before that I was in the army. That's how I have been there too. I had hair only for a short time when I was working in some places. (Other than that) I always keep my hair zero. And also, the other time when my hair grew is when they put me in jail. They didn't want me to cut my hair. So my hair grew then in the jail. So don't worry if you are losing hair. And my message is to those ones too. They should shave their heads again because they are carrying the curse on their heads.

From that kind of Islam, yes, we are definitely far away from that kind of Islam. We are following the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (sws). Yes, definitely we are far from their Islam.

Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil Habib

May Allah give a long life to our master and keep him with us always spiritually and not put any fear in our hearts because we are with him. And everyone of us should know that Holy Prophet (sws) and all the Sahaba-e Kiram went through so many difficulties that we cannot even bear to think. We have good days and good times still, alhamdulillahi rabbil Alameen.

El-Fatiha.

Sheikh Effendi on Manners and Discipline

2006-04-13T09:19:00.000-04:00

BismillahirRahmanirRahim

MANNERS AND DISCIPLINE
Sohbet given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi Friday 20 Muharram, 1425

March 12, 2004
39^th Street Dergah, Manhattan, New York.

Selamun aleykum. Meded Ya Sayiddi, Ya Sultan Evliya,
Mevlana Sheykh Nazim al-Hakkani. Meded.

The most important thing that we are concentrating on is good manners. The Prophet (alayh salatu wa salam) said, “I have been sent to complete the good manners.” All the other prophets came to teach people how to have manners; manners among each other, manners with the environment that they are living in, manners within themselves and with their Lord, manners with their holy ones, manners between the women and the men and manners between the children and the adults. If a man does not have these, then someway somehow on the road he will fall to the wrong sides.

Manners and discipline are very important in man’s life. The laws everywhere, in every country, here and there, are to put people into certain disciplined ways. We are not animals. We are humans. We cannot live alone in the mountains by ourselves. We have to live with each other. We have to respect each other’s rights and we have to learn how to love each other. Understand what I am saying to you. Learn how to love each other. We are not loving each other. We have to learn how to love each other.

Holy Prophet (alayh salatu wa salam) is saying, “You will not enter Paradise, you will not be considered as someone who has faith, if you don’t say La ilaha illallah.” He says, “If you don’t say La ilaha illallah you are not entering Paradise,” meaning, if you are not believing in the One God then you cannot enter into that God’s Paradise. I think that’s fair. No? You are not going to accept him and later you are going to say, “I want to enter into your Paradise”? He will say to you, “I gave Dunya. Stay there. Don’t come to Paradise.” Accepting Allah and accepting Dunya and Akhirat gives you the right to enter into His Paradise. Otherwise, you will be knowing yourself that you are not welcomed. If I come to your house and you are the authority in that house then I have to accept the laws that you are putting on me in that house. If not then you
are going to say to me, “You cannot do whatever you want in my house. Get out!” You wouldn’t accept me in your house.

So the Creator Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is saying, “Your origin,
your reality is from Paradise. You came from Paradise. That’s your
house. The only one thing that you are going to do in this Dunya is
accept Me as your Lord and come back to your house. Otherwise, I
have sent you there, stay there. Don’t come back to your house.” As
much as you can stay in this Dunya, stay. That’s why so many don’t
want to go back to their houses. They say, “There is no God. There
is no creation. We die and we finish.” You don’t finish but your
head is finished there. Your understanding is finished there.

So, you cannot enter into Paradise if you don’t say La ilaha illallah. If you don’t say La ilaha illallah then you will not be considered as a believer. You have to say La ilaha illallah to have
faith. That is the step towards having faith. La ilaha illallah means what? It means, “I believe in a Creator. I believe that someone has created me.” You call Allah, God or whatever you call
Him, He is only One and that One is not sharing that power with anything. The Divine Name of that one is Allah. He is saying, “That’s My name.” For instance, I can call you Hamdi,
Gandhi, Mindi, Bindi, Yandi but you will say to me, “My name is Ali.” I say, “I still want to call you Hamdi.” You are not going to fight with me yet but you will say, “When you come to my house you are going to call me Ali.” So Allah is saying, “My Divine Name is
Allah. You call God, Jehovah or whatever you call, I am the Creator. I have created you and your parents.” He doesn’t finish there. He says, “Not only you but your grandparents and everything else, I am the One who created. So I am the Lord of the Heavens and the earth. If you accept Me then you are entering into My Paradise. If you are not accepting Me then you have no right to ask to be in Paradise.”

So the Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) is saying, “Accepting the Oneness of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is a visa for entrance to Paradise. That’s why if a Christian accepts saying, “Allah is only one God. There is no separation. There is no Trinity or this or that,” then that one has faith. He is entering into Paradise. If a Jew says, “There is a God who created Muhammad (saw) and Moses, Adam and the other ones,” then that one is entering to Paradise too, but they will be questioned according to what they did. But the visa for entering to Paradise is saying La ilaha illallah. That is the visa for entering to Paradise.

So the Prophet (saw) says, “When you say that then you will be
considered to have faith.” But he says (now he is talking to the
Muslims), “But if you don’t love each other then you will not be
considered to have said that La ilaha illallah properly. That means
you didn’t have faith properly.” Islam is not concentrating here (on
one’s self), Islam is not concentrating on individualism. Islam is
concentrating on that one who is in front of you. Concentrate on
that one who is in front of you. You give to that one and Allah
gives to you. So love comes from giving. Not from saying,

”I love you honey.”

”What? You love me and I go to work from this side and you bring
another man to the house from the other side? Mashallah.”

Or, the same thing is true when the man says, “I love you honey.”

”You love me and turning to the corner you are doing foolish things
on the other side?”

It is the same thing with both men and women in these days. Terrible
days. This is the time that is the most ignorant time. This is the
time that is the dirtiest time of Mankind. Of course, the majority
are doing that behind the walls and they are thinking that nobody
knows. But Allah knows. This is the one thing you must know. And the
ones that Allah wants them to know, they know also. Don’t think
about how they know. They know. Your face is your book. What is here
(in the heart) can be read from there. The ones who have a special
vision, the ones who have the binoculars, they put it on and they
read (from your face). When the heart opens you can read what is
there.

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is the most Merciful One, especially for
these days, because this time is the heaviest time of ignorance. At
least in the time of the Prophet (saw), in the first ignorance time
people didn’t know. That’s why they weren’t believing. When the
Sahaba went and told them certain things, they listened and they
accepted. Today, the people know and with that knowledge they become
more ignorant because they are stubborn, they are selfish and they
are denying everything because they think that they know. So they
don’t listen to you and they don’t open any ways to realize, “Maybe
it’s going to come to something.” Don’t you see that they say, “What
is your degree? Which university did you finish?” ‘X’ is saying
that he finished Columbia and I tell him that I finished Harvard. So
now he starts listening to me. If I told him that I finished Fordham
University then he was never going to listen to me.

Alhamdulillah. I am saying that in general. But so many people today
are looking at the diploma that others have saying, “I go according
to that.” The diploma can easily be bought too. Don’t make any
mistake. You can buy that diploma very easily these days. You ask
the people working behind the computers, “Put my name in. Put in
this year I studied in this place, da da da da, give me a diploma.”
Tak, it’s printed out and he has another diploma. But having that
diploma is not giving you that knowledge. You are ignorant.

So people today, the majority, millions and billions do not know any
knowledge of the Hereafter life. But they are ignorant. They are
shutting every door to that knowledge saying, “There is nothing.
Nothing exists (after this life).” Do you know why? Because this is
what Shaytan is saying to them, “Don’t accept anything. Live your
life. If you accept then you are not going to live like animals. If
you accept then you are going to live like man. You are going to put
some discipline in your life. You are going to put some authority in
your life. You are going to put some laws.” He says, “No laws. Leave
the laws because all the doors that say, ‘there is no law’ is going
to bring you to the fire where I am entering.” This is the direction
that Shaytan is ordering to the Mankind.

So today’s Jahiliyyat, today’s ignorance is worse than the ignorance
of the Prophet’s (alayhi salatu wa salam) time. Those people were
ignorant because of the knowledge they didn’t know. When somebody
was speaking to them about that knowledge they were sitting and
listening. A couple of the heads like Abu Jahil were not ignorant.
They knew certain knowledge. That’s why they became ignorant. They
didn’t listen. But the ones that didn’t know listened and accepted.
Abu Jahil said, “I know. I have diploma.” Abu Lahab said, “I have
diploma. I am an educated man. You are not educated.” So they became
the fathers of the ignorants.

This time is worse than that. Ten-years-old kid stands in front of
you saying, “There is nothing.” (I say,) “You don’t even know how to
enter into the toilet, kid. From which side is the sun rising?”

”North.”

”They didn’t even teach you that yet.” (Sheykh smiles).

So they don’t know anything and they don’t accept anything because
the parents in the house teach them how to be selfish and how to
give orders. Little kids give orders to their mothers and to their
fathers. Mashallah to discipline. Mashallah.

So Holy Prophet (saw) came to complete the good manners. People
first must have manners and then when they follow the footsteps of
the Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam) they will be completing their
good manners. Following the Holy Prophet (saw) must bring you to the
highest station which will then make you understand, “Oh, my Lord
created me in Ahsani Taqweem.” Yes, the most perfect creature. Most
perfect in every way, in the shape, in the form, in the material, in
the spiritual, in every way the most perfect. So, that one who is
accepting what Allah is giving to him will become the most perfect.
One day he will reach to that station.

That one who says, “My skin is black and I don’t like it,” your
fight is with Allah. The one who says, “My skin is white but I want
it to be black,” your fight is with Allah. Others look at themselves
saying, “I am too pale, I am too white, I am too green, I am too
this and I am too that, my hair is too curly and I want it to be
straight.” The one who has it straight says, “I wish I had my hair
curly.” The one who has blue eyes say, “I have to have black eyes.”
That’s why they are going, taking these things (contact lenses),
putting them in their eyes, making themselves blind too, getting
chips in their eyes, and when I am saying, “Look, your eyes look
like a cat,” they don’t like it. (Sheykh smiles). When I say, “It
looks like a cat,” they don’t like it. But if I say, “It looks like
a lion,” they (get puffed up and) say, “Ah, must be.” (Sheykh mildly
laughs).

You don’t like what Allah is giving you? How ignorant man is! It’s
granted to you. It’s given to you. Not to anybody else (among the
creation). What a blessing is that! He is giving that perfection
only to you. Your shape and everything is perfect. Are you happy?
(When you understand this) then you will find happiness. Otherwise,
you will not come out from the doctor’s office, pulling here,
putting this, putting that, (I don’t like to use names but it’s
necessary now), later you will become like Michael Jackson, you have
nothing to pull and the nose starts falling and everything starts
falling. Don’t make any mistake. Be happy with Allah has given to
you. Whatever He has given to you, His blessing is in it and He is
happy with you in that form. Be happy with that. Otherwise, you will
never find happiness in Dunya and you will never find happiness in
Akhirat.

Holy Prophet (saw) came to bring the most perfect discipline and the
most perfect station to man. Anyone who is really following the
footsteps of the Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam), never mind about
going and harming innocent people, they cannot harm an ant and they
cannot harm anything around them. But when those ones will fight for
the sake of Allah under the ruling of that one who is going to come,
then you will have no place to run too. You cannot escape.

Wa min Allahu taufiq

Bihurmatil Habib

Bihurmatil Fatiha.

The Thick Line Between News and Nonsense

2006-04-11T19:30:00.000-04:00

Bismillah-hir-Rahman nir-Rahim

As-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu,

Subhan'Allah. My last entry was a weblog recommendation of a Brother who consistently rises to the challenge of countering today's sensationalized substitute for 'News', by presenting historical facts and on-the-record quotes with their contextual integrity intact. Ironically, The New York Times 's recent decision to peddle fiction of the most pulpy persuasion and pass it off as news, has instead made the newspaper the poster boy for shoddy and irresponsible journalism.

The New York Times has printed Ms. Julia C. Mead's active imagination, in the Long Island edition of its paper, as the supposed expose of the Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Order, particulary Sheikh Abdul-Kerim Kibrisi. The title of the story, NY Times: Leaving Stony Brook to Follow a Sheik by JULIA C. MEAD , practically screams, "Scandal", and no doubt, it's just what Ms. Mead had in mind.

It attempts to point a wagging and deliberate finger at Sheikh Abdul-Kerim by touting him as a cultish leader whose aim in life is to steal western education from students, children away from their parents, and then steal money away from said students and parents. This weak theory then labors to heft these wild and serious accusations, while struggling to stand on a foundation of outright lies, hare-brained statements from non-credible sources (while discarding strong testimony from authoritative sources), and the miasmic fantasy of a reporter with a penchant for fabrication and an obvious agenda to malign the character of a true Shaykh.

Is it her own agenda? Is it the paper's? We know from the article that certain individuals were interviewed and their comments were printed. I, personally, know that many other and more credible individuals were also interviewed, but the fact that their statements have been ignored speaks volumes about the paper's intentions. Allah knows best, but it doesn't mean we can't exercise our intelligence and our own investigation to figure out what's what in this situation.

Brother Yursil, at Mind, Body, and Soul has expounded upon the misrepresentations and discrepancies which flood the article with great detail, and the false nature of said article necessitates such a response. I direct you to him for a beautifully written rebuttal to the outrageous story and choose now to appeal to the better judgement of my readership.

Calling all Intellectuals, Intelligentsia, and all those who work hard for a living and want nothing more than to put their faith and trust in something and have it, for once, come out at least equal to their expectations: It behooves our sensibilities to sparingly place our trust in someone or something which has consistently let us down in the past. Be it a friend, a lover, your neighbour who stole your gardening tools four months back and acts now like he doesn't have a clue what you're so angry about. Draw all the parallels you need to come to this conclusion: Your experience should evolve you, keep you on your toes, at work, at play, in relationships, in life. Let's look at the track record for those empowered to give us news-stories. Not very good. The media's tendency to twist the truth is not only well-documented but well substantiated. Be it a blatant bias (here), misrepresentation (here), or confusion through flagrant misdirection, the media is no stranger to lies. The story which has appeared at this time is no coincidence, nor is it an exception to yellow journalism's long-love affair with untruths.

Those who have followed or not, I'll tell you that the primary reason for this blog was always to find closeness to Allah. The path I've tried to travel was beset on all sides with obstacles. When you don't have a map or a guide, it is no cake walk, to be sure. So I will also tell you that since I've met Sheikh Abdul Kerim el Kibrisi, it is getting much clearer, and much easier Alhamdulillah. In the numerous sohbets in which I have had the honour of listening to, He has always guided in the way of truth, in adopting and establishing the practice and sunnah of the Holy Prophet (AlahiSalatWasSalaam) and closeness and nearness to Allah, while shutting out the vices and turning away from the distractions we replace God with in our daily lives. Therefore, I cannot stand by while he is lambasted by those who are opposed to him for their own selfish reasons.

So, I'm going to present you with what I've been given and the content of his speech to all who come his way. Everyone. Find out exactly what the Sheikh is saying and then decide for yourself

* * *

A few facts: Sheikh Abdul Kerim el Kibrisi (His formal title as a teacher, given to him by Sheikh Mevlana Nazim al Hakkani, the Grandshaykh of the Naksibendiyya order, and not just a title of respect) has been authorized by Sheikh Mevlana Nazim to teach tasawwuf.

In a message to Shaykh Abdul Kerim, Shaykh Mevlana, on the night of Friday, December 16, 2005, said in a recorded interview and I quote:

"The service that you do is beautiful, with their baraka continue that service.
Bringing a person to Islam, iman, tarika is more valuable and
rewarding than acquiring all of America in your hands. Continue
it. Do not look at what people say. May you have no business
with gossip. You are with permission, look at your job. If
someone interferes then I will interfere. I have given you the
permission. Gather as much as you can gather. May your service
be accepted, may your body be with health, may your table always
be full, may your door be open to guests. May good servants come
to the place you are. May the evil of sheytan, the evil of the
enemy, the evil of government be distant from you. May your
sustenance not end. May your Nur/Light increase and never
decrease. May your line not be cut off. May your future be
good and selam aleykum wa rahmetullahi wa barakatahu."

In the article, Ms. Mead quoted Peter Sazanoff(Abdul-Haqq) of the Naqshbandiyya order, trying to discredit his validity as a Shaykh, saying:

"On its Web site, Mr. Fuat’s group says that he is a deputy of Grandshaykh Muhammad Nazim, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order. But Abdul Haqq, a spokesman for that order in North America, said he is not.

“He has made his own group,”
Mr.Haqq said. Mr. Haqq added that while “shaykh” — the Turkish equivalent of the Arab word sheik — is a formal clerical title among Sufis that can be bestowed only by the grandshaykh, the word is also a common informal term of respect.

Hmmm, well obviously the most important thing to be seen here is that Mr. Haqq has undermined the authority of Sheikh Nazim. So who has made his own group, eh? The other, the linguistic arguement, is so ridiculous it doesn't deserve to be dignified with a response. Two of the three students whcih are mentioned both graduated from the university, while the paper makes it seem that all three left their education. Clearly, these are cheap tactics engineered to fulfill a specific aim. I've mentioned only a few here to highlight the extent of the baseless propaganda. For a more in-depth expose of a faux-expose, go to Mind, Body, and Soul.

Sheikh Abdul Kerim, in the past two months which I have had the honor to know him and sit in his company, has repeatedly said in each and every sohbet, that those who wish to listen may listen. Those not interested, may go. But there is no doubt, that those who are truly sincere, and intent on learning the sunnah of the Holy Prophet, and determined to better the content of their character, will want to be near such a man, and will always try to take and apply what they learn from him. He has brought many Non-Muslims to Islam through the Mercy and Hidaya of Allah, and many, many, muslims back on the path with the same. They have shown their loyalties to him by sticking with him. This is the embodiment of a true teacher, reaching out to the Ummah, and never once taking things for himself, humble to the core, never openly pronouncing takfeer on others as is widely being practiced today. A man living the sunnah, instead of just talking about it. A man clearly rejecting the call to suicide bombing by so-called leaders of Islam, calling them cowards instead, because the Quran and Sunnah clearly are against them. No confusion to be had at all. He has never advocated the rejection of education or professionalism in a career, but rather advised that there must be balance between life as a doctor, engineer, carpenter, gardener - and life as a muslim.

Some jilted parents (Muslim and Non-Muslim) were clearly unhappy that such a path for their children interfered with their own plans, as is the nature of man's focus to line his pockets with the love of the world, rather than lining his heart with the love of Allah. Subhan'Allah. They approached the newspaper in question, which in turn used that anger and the anger and private agendas of others(Mr. Peter Sazanoff, Ms. Sana Nadim, Mr. Nayyar, etc.) to fuel one objective: to depict Sheikh Abdul Kerim as a backward, anti-education, cult leader eager to extort money frim his mureeds. Astaghfirullah. So, Islam, the fastest growing religion in the world, with the second highest number of followers (1.5 billion ) has now been reduced to a cult? Is judaism, because of slightly less followers, now a coven? Well, for those of us using their brains and have sincerity in their hearts, and would prefer fact to fiction, can see that the real crime is in the slander being carried out against the Sheikh's name, disguised as a news-story.

I close this by asking all to open the doors and follow the convictions of their hearts, to find out all the facts before submitting one's will to a newspaper or a journalist(not just this story but any story), and to stand for truth regardless of danger to one's social standing or one's own life. Those not swayed by sensationalism, those interested in listening, those interested in learning: Shaykh Abdul Kerim Effendi continues to give Sohbets and continues to conduct Dhikr circles with his mureedain every Friday with, as mentioned above, the explicit blessing and instruction from Sheikh Mevlana. You can gather the details from the site. May Allah guide us to Love and Ihsan, through his walis. Ameen. For the sake of the Prophet(SAWS), Sheikh Mawlana, and Shaikh Effendi. Ameen. Bi hurmati AllahTawfeeq, Bi Hurmati Habib, Bi Hurmati'l Fatiha.

Was-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu

-----------

Go here to sign the petition to stop the harassment of Sheikh Nazim by the TRNC(Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) Police - Yes, Sheikh Mevlana is also being harassed - for what? Why, for calling people to Islam of course. Yes, apparently, this is a crime in Turkey as well.

Copenhagen Bound

2006-04-06T13:28:00.000-04:00

Bursa tiles

As-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu,

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

Added the following Link:

Copenhagen Interpretation - While close-hitting controversy surrounds the city of Copenhagen, from it's core spring forth Rivers of Insight. A treasured site by a Brother who is intensely prolific and well-versed in the art of digging for the real scoop in the journalistic anathema that is these times, Mash'Allah. Highly recommended.

----> Will update soon, Insh'allah.

Dergah

2006-04-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim!

As-Salaam wa Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu,

Subhan'Allah! Just came back from Sidney Center,New York(upstate) where Shaykh Abdul Kerim Effendi and the Osmanli Naksibendi-Hakkani order host their Dergah. Spent the night in Dhikr, Sohbet, was blessed with a delicious dinner, dessert and after-dinner *entertainment as well as Fajr prayer, again followed by Dhikr and Sohbet. Words can not describe the purity of the ambience there. ALLAH has truly blessed that place, and it is only because of the presence of His Walis. My Father, Uncle and youngest brother accompanied me as well. Truly Unforgettable!

* Shaykh Effendi's sense of humor must be experienced to be believed and each of the Mureeds is a Gem unto himself!

Subhan'Allah to the hospitality! Shukr-Alhamduillah! Shaykh Effendi took care of us so well as did The Mureeds. We were treated as honoured Kings. It's so rare to find such love outside of family, or at all. May Allah grant respect to the rank of Shaykh Abdul-Kerim Effendi and all the mureeds. To sanctify his soul and station, and the station of Grandshaykh Nazim al Hakkani, and to protect them and their families and all those who they've touched. Ameen.

Mash'Allah, the sweeping farm-landscape, the scenic valleys, the crisp air, the ice-cold mountain water in which we did wudu, the simplicity and genuinity of all the Mureeds will remain embedded in the innermost sanctum of my heart. Subhan'Allah, that there are still places and people like this left in these times. Last night a baby lamb was born in the manger, while an extraordinary and unexplainable love was born in my heart for Him whose mercy allowed me to experience such a day, and to his close beloveds who carry out the Prophet's example as a way of life.

Wonderful Animals - Horse, Sheep, Turkeys, Geese, Goat, a Jama'at of cats, a cow and even a Donkey in a pear tree ;). Who can say no to that!

Can't wait to go back for Mawlid next weekend, Insh'Allah! May Allah guide us and may we have the sense to wake up, in each and every minute in our life. These minutes are all precious and they will never return once gone. Let us spend them with purpose and wisdom and in the company of those closest to Him. Ameen, Ya Rabbil Alameen.

Was'Salaam wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu.

Shaykh Abdul-Kerim Effendi with Bilal and Jinnkiz the Cat

Sohbet

2006-03-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

As-Salaam Wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu,

Hope this post finds you all in the best of health and happiness, Insh'allah.

Recently, I returned to the States from my place of education and found myself in the midst of a series of undesirable situations. I was being tested, truly. But it's difficult to face adversities of a spiritual nature all by yourself. No doubt, Success and Barakah is with the Jama'at. Where to find such a Jama'at?

I began my search by making a sincere intention, and dua to Allah asking for good company and a rightly guided teacher. Good company, because the Hadith of the Prophet, talking about how you will be judged and raised with those who you keep company with. Time and time again, I heard the hadith of how, in the akhirah, "...you will be with those you love". This narration always had me thinking, be careful of the love of temporary baubles, trinkets and gadgets(Trans: Rubbish). Be careful of the love and desire of that which takes you far from Allah, lest you be raised with the Ahle-garbage in the akhira.

So, with purpose, I mailed my good friend Yursil of Mind, Body, and Soul Fame, and told him of my wish. Within minutes I recieved a reply, asking if I'd like to come with him to Dhikr sohbet in Manhattan with Shaykh Abdul-Kerim el-Kibrisi, deputy of GrandShaykh Nazim al Haqqani of Naqshabndi order. Subhan'Allah!

Dhikr = The task of scrubbing the accumulated grime of sins from the heart. The manner of the dhikr i took part in that day, was so beautiful in it's practice, in delivery, in it's recitation. Afterwards, when I had the honour of meeting the Shaykh*, I was instantly drawn to his gentle and fatherly demeanor. The power of his presence. The message he was teaching was the closest to how the Prophet behaved and lived. No scholarly theory or exegesis, but practice, and teaching by example.

*Make no mistake O' detractors, naysayers and doubters: Anyone who remembers Allah is honoured by Allah. Anyone who does so regularly is rasied even higher. Those who not only commit to making Dhikr themselves, but encourage and influence others as well...well, it only gets better.

When he looked at me directly in the eyes, and told me, "You need to work harder on yourself. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" Indeed I did.

That was a month ago.

I took bayt(pledge) with Shaykh and was initiated into the Naqshbandi Osmanli-Haqqani Order. Alhamdulillah. It is Allah alone who Guides. Subhan'Allah, W'Alhamdulillah, Wa La ilaha Ill'Allah, W'Allahu Akbar. Wa La Hawla Wa La Quwwata, Illa Billa Hil Alliyyul Azeem! The first step is taken. Now, to be true to my oath, this is the task set for me. I ask Allah to give me strength and good character and patience to face the trials ahead. Ameen.

We must be loyal and firm and give value to the oaths we take by fulfilling them. I ask Allah to guide all of us, and unite us, family and non-family, friends and strangers, not in the name of bloodshed or hate, but in the name of Love. For the Love of Allah and his Prophet! Ameen, Ya Rabbil Alameen.

All Roads Point...

2006-03-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

As-Salaam Wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu,

Hope this post finds you in the best of health and conditions, Insh'Allah. Although I most certainly may have lost my readership by now, I at least owe an explanation as to where I've been to those who perchance may come across this blog, and to that instant when their curiosity and concern may get the better of them.

Well, it's been a while. For the past few months I've found myself dead center in the eye of a swirling storm of upheavals persistent on evolving and reshaping the scenery of my life. So much has happened, it was getting difficult to classify what was Bad and what was Good. Often times people find themselves questioning their faith when tragedy strikes. Most of us in fact. It's easy to praise Allah when everything's going your way. Parents will often get down to their hands and knees and praise Allah if they find their child saved from near death. Why? Because of the sense that one was protected from certain disaster. This would seem to be the normal reaction from a large consensus of people.

However, from the point of view of a Wali - a friend of Allah, what we deem "normal" is seen as folly. What we see as sense, becomes egotistical and Self-ish. Not in touch with reality says you? Quite the opposite says I. Think about it: Not many parents would have the same reaction if the child indeed did die. But to do so, would be an act of one submitting his/her will, to the will of Allah. What? But isn't that what Islam is all about? Hmmm.

I don't mean to sound preachy, because I'm in no position nor do I have the authority to do so. I'm definitely no Wali, though I aspire to be in my heart of hearts. I'm merely 'click-clack'ing my thoughts on to digital paper. But I've come to a lucid moment amongst all of this. The one with authority to Shape and Evolve(Al-Bari', Al-Musawwir) has taught countless individuals innumerable lessons in coming to grips with essential reality and the core of what submission should be. Death is real. Why should it be any less real than the Ipod on your table, or the ice cream in your freezer? Why don't we think about it until a loved one breathes their last? And not long after, the idea of 'death' meets the same fate. Others, no matter what the effort, can not seem to get away from it. Just ask a Tsunami, Earthquake or 'War on Terror' victim.

People like to say, "I'll deal with it when it's on my plate". Guess what? It's on your plate. Who are we to say things like 'certain disaster'? What are you so certain about? Can you predict your next heart attack? No, of course not. Then how can you be so sure that your problem is a disaster? We proclaim to be Muslims. Muslims are those who totally submit to the will of Allah. Is this submission? You may die within the next minute of reading this sentence. What then? Where is your reality now? We cannot come to face the fact that this, the job, and the mortgage, and the bills, and the night out at the movies, is all less than the span of a sneeze in compared to what awaits us after death. This is what I realized. So, I'm doing it. I'm going to submit, Insh'Allah. Allah knows best, where I'll be 5 minutes from now, but I've made my choices. When we submit, the death of our loved one becomes a reminder, not a tragedy. There is no calamity when there is certainty. There is a Hamza Yusuf lecture on this same subject matter, with the exact same title. No doubt, He might've articulated all this in a lecture, much better probably, than I can. Don't forget, however, that this concept has been articulated by every prophet sent by Allah, from the time of Adam to our Beloved Messenger(Peace and Blessings be Upon Him). It behooves us to remind ourselves.

So there is no Good or Bad. It is all from Him. It must instead, be nothing but Perfect, because He is Perfect. Lost your job? Not Good, Not Bad. Perfect. There may be something better for you. Trust in the One Whose Hand holds your Life. Lost your wife and kids in a car accident. Not Good, Not Bad. Perfect. Let it teach you that the pleasures of this world no matter how wholesome and cathartic, are temporary. The road is taking you somewhere. Watch the Signs, Take the Right Exits.

So we musn't try to stand in judgement of Allah's decisions. You can't judge something until you know all the facts, say we(but seldom practice), the Ahle-Hujjat(People of Evidence). So realize. We don't have all the facts. The only thing we can say for sure is that each one of us will perish. When one of us does die, we should thank Allah. Thank him profusely, with every breath we have that He spared us long enough to do something about our condition. For tomorrow it most certanily will be us. One day it'll be time to finally wake up from this Bi-polar dream. For if we are true to Truth, and we take the blinders of this world off, and try to live the way that the Creator's Most beloved, our prophet(peace and blessing be upon him) lived, every single day,...., then we are promised something from Allah. Then, Which of the Favors of your Lord will you Deny? This is what I found while I was away, and I value it more than all the riches this world has to offer. Was-Salaam.

"If you become beloved to Allah in this world, then this World becomes Paradise for you... Don't support your Shaytan. Either you are a servant of Allah, or you are a Slave to Shaytan. And anyone who is a slave of Shaytan, is going where he is going.

It looks very dark. Yes. That's the way it's supposed to be. It looks like it's going to get worse. Yes. But, It's going to become better. Always better for Believers. Allah promises that tomorrow, life will be better than today. And holy Prophet (is) saying, today must be better than yesterday. Tomorrow must be better than today. If it's not, you're doing something wrong. Correct yourself. "

- Shaykh Effendi Abdul Kerim el-Kibrisi

Get Your War On?

2005-12-17T12:52:00.000-05:00

Get Your War On : A series of comic strips which find the humor (albeit 'black') and glaring truth within the Bush Administration's ridiculous policies and day-to-day antics, with stinging sarcasm, and biting panache(Yes, panache!).

Highly recommended for all those who have a tendency to react to today's Newspaper (aka Birdcage Liner) stories as : "...Am I the only one who finds all of this insane...?"

Apparently Not.

Subdue the Dragon

2005-11-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

The Carnal Soul
Jalaluddin Rumi

Your self (nafs) is the mother of all idols:
the material idol is a snake, but the spiritual idol is a dragon.
'Tis easy to break an idol, very easy;
to regard the self as easy to subdue is folly, folly.

* * *

"Some have thought that by fasting the strength necessary for purification is attained. On the contrary, in Sufism abstinence alone is not enough to purify the self. It is true that asceticism and abstinence give one a certain spiritual state, and in this state one's perception may be clarified. But if the self is likened to a dragon that by fasting becomes powerless, it is certain that when the fast is broken and enough food is eaten, the dragon will revive, and stronger than ever will go about attempting to fulfill its desires."

http://www.nimatullahi.org/us/WIS/WIS4.html

--------------------

Wisdom from our Teachers reminds us that it is foolish to think we should destroy our Nafs (the Self or Ego), completely. This approach denys the rights our body has on us.

The primal urges of hunger, lust, anger; all of these are necessities inherent to our nature as human beings, and are useful, albeit in a restrained capacity. Uncaged, they swiftly bring us to a degenerate state.

In this respect, the Nafs can aptly be likened to a dragon. One which must be subdued instead of slayed. Don't obliterate it. Simply take its teeth. A physical fast will weaken it, true. But for how long? The heart must fast as well and not only from dawn till dusk. How?

Remember GOD.
Remembrance of Allah shocks the self, the menacing nafs, into obedience. These easily learned forms of dhikr will do wonders:

"Subhan'Allah

W'Alhamdulillah

Wa La Ilaha Illallah

W'Allahu Akbar

Wa La Hawla wa La Quwwata illa billa hi'l Alliyul Azeem"

"Glory be to Allah

Praise be to Allah

There is No God but Allah

Allah is the Supreme

Truly there is no might or power except in Allah"

---
And, Insh'Allah, with consistency, the dragon becomes as tame as a kitten.

I pray that Allah gives us the guidance to have the strength of consistency in our lives. Ameen.

Eid Mubarak

2005-11-03T06:14:00.000-05:00

As-Salaam wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatahu

Eid Mubarak to all! My work swallows much of my time, which is why I haven't had the opportunity to post as often as I'd like. For those who read, please be patient. Insh'allah, will be back to posting soon by next week. Until then, have a Wonderful Eid!

Was-Salaam alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu

On Arrogance and Humility Part 2

2005-10-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

"To go to feasts without being invited is humiliating and a kind of begging.

Abdullah ibn Omar reports the Messenger of Allah (saws) as having said,

"If one does not accept an invitation he is revolting against Allah and His Prophet. If someone goes to a feast or a wedding without being invited, he has entered their house as a thief and left as a plunderer. . ."

To befriend, visit, and frequent dignitaries, people in power, high government officials, judges, generals or influential rich people, with the hope of obtaining benefit from these relationships, is forbidden humility according to our religion, unless these people possess the means of our receiving what is rightfully ours and we are in real need of it. And when we are in the company of these people, to stay standing, to bow, to show excessive respect in action and speech, is demeaning, and the wrong kind of humility.

To work hard, even far beneath our qualifications, to support our families, to help with the menial chores of our houses, shopping, cooking, cleaning, are commendable signs of true humility. To be ordinary in appearance, to wear inexpensive and worn clothes, to befriend the poor and disadvantaged, to eat simple food and not to throw away leftovers, to not seek reputation-building, self-glorifying jobs, not to consider it beneath you to be a shepherd, a gardener, a porter, carpenter or mason, these are true signs of humility. These kinds of manifestations of humility are worthy of great divine rewards, for they resemble the behavior of prophets and saints. But many people do not know it and think of a life like this as reprehensible. They are the arrogant ones who do not know themselves.

Arrogance becomes more dangerous when it is manifested and directed towards someone. Some are arrogant towards man. They are not any better that the accursed devil, who refused to obey Allah, when He asked all the angels to prostrate to Adam. The devil thought that he was created of fire, while Adam was created of earth, and that fire was superior to earth. He did not know himself and he did not know Adam. Therefore, he was punished and rejected from Allah's Mercy until the end of time.

Some are arrogant toward Allah, like the Pharaoh who said, "I am your exalted lord." Or like Nimrod, who said to the prophet Abraham (as), "Your Lord may be the God of Heavens. I am the lord of the world", and dared to challenge Allah to fight him. Allah drowned the Pharaoh and his armies while they were chasing the prophet Moses (as) and the children of Israel. Nimrod was killed by a mosquito which devoured his brain.

Some are arrogant towards the Prophet of Allah (saws), like Abu Jahl, who said, "Is this who God chose as His messenger? Couldn't He have revealed the Qur'an to a notorious man of Mecca or Medina?"

Ibn Mas'ud relates that the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever has an atom of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise." Then one of his companions asked, "What do you say about someone who likes to dress in fine clothes?" and he answered, "Allah is beautiful and likes that which is beautiful. Arrogance is to deny reality and to consider others beneath oneself."

During his Khalifat, Omar ibn Khattab (ra) was marching upon Damascus with his army. Abu Ubayda ibn Jerrah was with him. They came upon a little lake. Hd. Omar (ra) descended from his camel, took off his shoes, tied them together, and hung them on his shoulder. He took the halter of his camel and together they entered the water. Seeing this in front of the army, Abu Abayda said, "Oh the Commander of the believers, how can you be so humble in front of all your men?" Hd. Omar answered, "Woe to you, Abu Ubayda! If only anyone else other than you thought this way! Thoughts like this will cause the downfall of the Muslims. Don't you see, we were indeed a very lowly people. Allah raised us to honor and greatness through Islam. If we forget who we are and wish other than Islam, which elevated us, the One who raised us, surely will debase us."

Muhammad ibn Zeyyad reports that when Abu Hurayra was appointed the governor of Medina, he used to walk into the marketplace with a load of wood on his back and shout, "Open the way, let the governor pass!" and others would cry "Open the way, let the people see their leader pass!"

Imam Tirimizi relates that he heard Jubayr complain that people thought he was proud. He said, "I ride a donkey, I wear coarse wool clothes of the poor, I milk my goats myself and I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say, 'Whoever does [those things] is not proud.'"

Seven qualities are considered to be the cause of pride: education, knowledge, religious piety, fame and nobility of one's family and descendents, physical attractiveness, physical strength, wealth, achievement, and the number of ones admirers and followers. In reality, none of these qualities need to be the causes of arrogance. On the contrary, they are positive values which every person strives for. The real cause of arrogance is stupidity, and the inability to comprehend what is offered as knowledge. Yet there is no other medicine but knowledge to cure stupidity."

- adapted from "The Path of Muhammad (SAWS) - A Book on Islamic Morals and Ethics"

by Imam Birgivi: interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti

On Arrogance and Humility Part 1

2005-10-24T16:08:00.000-04:00

"Arrogance is a state in which we are convinced that we have the right to be above others. Justifiable self-regard, wihtout comparing ourselves to others and feeling superior, is not the same thing. That is, at worst, vanity. Arrogance is unlawful in Islam. It is considered to be a disgraceful state.

The opposite of arrogance is to look at ourselves with the intention of truly knowing ourselves. Self-examination is a virtue, and one that is expected of a Muslim. Whether our self-regard is justifiable or not, whether truly in our hearts we believe that we are superior to others or not, if our conceit is exteriorized, manifested, communicated to others by mind or deed, it is a sin. The worst version of this sin occurs when no justification exists for the feeling of superiority we cherish. Allah Most High, one of whose attributes is The Proud One, is the only one with the right to that name.

Modesty, to appear less than we are, is commendable. Yet, the exaggeration of humbleness to the extent of appearing abject is a sin.

Only knowledge is worth begging for, and worth humbling ourselves to receive."

- adapted from "The Path of Muhammad (SAWS) - A Book on Islamic Morals and Ethics"
by Imam Birgivi: interpreted by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti

A Ripe Mind

2005-10-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

"What my family traditions, my education and my social environment had offered me in the making of my mind, I was from the very beginning of my life, reluctant to rest content with. The bonds of inherited dependance on the past could not hold me under.

The zest of search for truth never forsook me. There is hardly a single conviction in me which has not had to bear the stings of doubt, or a single belief which has not faced the test of denial. I have gulped in poison mixed with every draught applied to my lips, and have also administered to myself Elixir coming forth from every quarter. Whenever I felt thirsty, my parched lips did not resemble the lips of others who were equally thirsty, and when I quenched my thirst, it was not from the same fountain as others did.

Whatever I could gather in this lengthy period of my life in my search of the Qur'anic truth, I have tried to understand to the best of my ability, and spread over the pages of this volume:"

"This is no new tale of fiction, but a confirmation of previous scriptures, and the explanation of all things, and a guidance and mercy to those who believe"

Surah 12(Yusuf) : Ayah 111
The Qur'an

-from the District Jail, Meerut (UP, India)

16th, November 1930

Preface to the 1st Edition,

"The Opening Chapter of the Qur'an"

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

A Poverty of Common Sense

2005-10-19T07:17:00.000-04:00

As-Salaam Wa Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu,

When one begins to live in India, one becomes well acquainted and eventually come to terms with its local customs, practices, traditions, and even highly prevalent social and cultural
injustices.

As history has shown, neither education, nor intelligence has ever been a panacea for Ignorance (capitalized here as it is the disease known as Ignorance). Whether it is a self-imbibed, or a force-fed generational tonic, prejudices of a social, religious, or racial nature are often bitter but accepted truths on a universal level. Yes, true for all. (If anyone believes it doesn't apply to him or her, unless you are Western European, your ancestors HAVE been colonized at one stage or another. )

The Caste system, as you may or may not know, in India, is either a birthright to rule, or a sentence to grovel, depending on which tier you figure into. Not only is it still very much alive, it is the rubric by which the majority of Indians live and function by, day to day. From marriage proposals to choosing the 'right' candidate for a job to admission seats in professional schools, it is an undeniable reality. It even manifests to the extent of radicalism, such as the violent rejection of low caste presence in a community as exemplified by the burning of Dalit homes in the Belkhed region, Akola less than a month back -("The Riots and Wrongs of Caste")

If anything can be said about India and Indians, it is that they are not apologetic about it nor do they sweep it under the rug as a dirty little secret and pretend it doesn't exist. Things like that usually have a way of rearing their ugly head, or are coaxed out by uncontrolled phenomena, like,...oh I don't know, Hurricanes? The Tragedy Queen, Katrina-the single most economically devastating natural disaster in US history was also an eye opener and a 101 in how the US govt. conducts itself with the many racial and social sub-classes that thrive on its soil. Apparently, haste is waste when it comes to "pandering" to the American Untouchables(May God forgive Us). But I digress. Unfortunately, when social corruption is rampant and unabashed, cognizance of impending fascism becomes trickier, bigotry is peddled as patriotism, and human rights' violations can become national policy.

Recently I wrote a blog(Aftershocks) on my experience with a patient, a mother, who's inability to accept her baby's gender insulted my sense of decency as a human being and I was called out on being too harsh in my criticism, to the point of being an unsympathetic doctor. Maybe I neglected to mention it, but it was not simply intuition talking. The fact was, when asked, she did indeed vocalize her disappointment about it being a girl. Post partum or peri-natal depression, is a clinical depression, diagnosed as a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration persist during or within a year of the pregnancy. These symptoms peak between postpartum days 3 and 5, and typically resolve spontaneously within 24 to 72 hours. At the other end of the spectrum is the truly devastating puerperal psychosis. This particular disorder, although a legitimate syndrome, was a far cry from the incident I narrated. When working with psychiatric illnesses, the realm is intangible, and so nothing absolute can definitively be purported, but something tells me a direct statement from the mother precludes this discussion. At another similar situation, I overheard a mother lamenting the dark hue of her baby's skin.

"This can't be my baby! Yeh to bahut "kaala"hai!(He's too dark!) What am I to do?!"

Is this also post-partum depression? Or is it safe to say that this is an unjust and ludicrous reaction? Only in the west do we make apologies for and victimize blatant ignorance. We must recognize our role as human beings, and the rights others have on us as a result. What could I have done for the newborn of the female persuasion who was treated with such contempt? Corrupt law enforcement and the virtual non-entity of competent social organizations is not only discouraging, it is a cul-de-sac of despair that every Indian has accepted as a pervasive daily reality. What I did do is make earnest dua for her and Insh'allah it will be answered.

Extreme gender issues like female infanticide and foeticide are also a far cry from being forgotten brutalities. The uses of the Ultrasound in pregnancy can range from a crucial diagnostic tool or as a sniper in the application of sex-selective abortion.(Missing girls of Morena - Frontline, Oct.7, 2005) I am as unapologetic of my hatred of this as is India in its persevering silence in the face of such frank antipathy.

What is to be done? These issues need to be addressed coherently and passionately. But before this happens, keep in mind, Americans had their Revolutionary War in the late 18th century, and the Civil Rights movement snailed its way forward only in the 1960's. Today, India is still a nation whose socio-political spheres are in continuous upheaval, regardless of it's steady and rapidly growing economy. Considering as a nation, India kicked off the shackles of British Colonialism not 60 yrs ago and is still struggling to balance it's legs after a Polio-like paralysis for a 100 years, it will obviously take some time for socio-political reform. This is a lengthy discussion, and cannot be contained nor given its due credence in a paragraph or even 10. However, sufficed it to say, it will take nothing short of a unified effort of like-minded intellectuals and activists(or both if possible)* influencing the political strata, warping the polemic of centuries' old addiction to perverse tradition, and mass cooperation after consolidation of these 'self-evident truths' for these issues to be addressed productively. However, as any addict on the road to reform will tell you, the first step is to recognize you have a problem. In the time it takes for us to make that "Giant Leap for Mankind", I fear the suffering will shamefully continue.

I love India. The nobility of our people, the allure of our cuisine, the richness of our cultural heritage, (almost) all of it. The degenerate practices and downright wickedness being carried out by those claiming to be true citizens of this beautiful nation is dragging this country into a reproachable state, and humiliating even the most enthusiastic of its patriots. It must be condemned. ). That being said, it is very easy for Non-Indians or even Indians who haven't had any practical exposure to their country, to sit on high and point their oblivious fingers at the woes of a 'third-world democracy' and talk about how de-evolved they all are. I'd rather these individuals learn the ground-level situation firsthand and then base a just critique on the matter. This is what is known as an informed opinion. Anything else just translates into fickle foolishness, guilty of the same ignorance that spawned all these despicable customs in the first place.#

#- Please feel free to draw parallels.

Insh'allah, I pray that those without knowledge of all the facts will not rush to judge before passing the blame of judgement on to others. Dialogue with the intention of harnessing relevant and purposeful knowledge (minus the purpose of debasing peers and contemporaries) is always encouraged and is a much a healthier alternative to derisive debates. Insh'allah may Allah give us the capacity and the strength to right wrongs wherever we see them and if we are unable to right them, help us to make the intention in our hearts. Ya Allah, we pray that you help us to always side with the oppressed against the oppressor. Ameen. There is no Might or Power except in Allah.

As-Salaam Wa Alaykum Wa Rahamtullahi Wa Barakatahu
May Peace and Blessing and the Mercy of Allah be upon You

*"An intellectual who is not an activist is a waste of space."

-Oscar Wilde

Science Sits Up

2005-10-18T06:26:00.000-04:00

Scientists: Natural Disasters Becoming More Common

Leave for Labor

2005-10-16T07:36:00.000-04:00

As of tonight, 8 p.m., I join the Labour Ward, or LT as they call it here in India (LT, like the OT, is a "Theatre". It's the British standard term for a room. Why not just call it a room? I don't know. Influences of Shakespeare? 'All the world's a stage. We're only actors?' Anyway...). So, will be on blog hiatus for the next two consecutive weeks. Please make dua for me insh'allah as I learn to effectively deliver babies by the dozens and all such great stuff. Till then, Fee Amaan'allah(May God be with you)!

In the world, but not of it?

2005-10-16T07:21:00.000-04:00

An interview conducted with a Shaykh I admire, love, respect, read and who's student I one day hope of having the honor to become. A few months back, I had the privelege to not only meet him but attend his Friday Khutbah(sermon) for 4 straight Fridays. I miss his countenance greatly and realize what a gift it was to simply be in his presence.

The World is Beautiful
An interview with Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi
by Carter Phipps

Response

2005-10-16T06:49:00.000-04:00

Wrote this in response on the blogsite, Idle and Craft and decided to share it here as well, in which the blogger wrote of how common it is to blindly give the priority of attention to undeserving and fear-mongering hypotheticals. Her thoughts are absolutely on the mark.
Much of it has to do with the resident Chicken Littles(Media, Polititians, etc.). More of it should be in response to incidents which truly warrant our sympathy, such as the recent Earthquake in Pakistan/India. Sympathy is tricky these days, however, when a close one dies, we are reminded of our own mortality. When entire cities crumble, we are reminded that our fate, as a species, is not in our hands. When this occurs, the walls around our hearts begin to crumble along with those citites. Suddenly, there are much more important things. What we fail to realize is that they've always been important. We were just too swept away with our own lives that we neglected to notice.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, we are scarcely moved to tears unless tragedy is magnified to epic proportions. I blame self-conditioning.

In our rush to fortify our exteriors to endure rejection, embarassment, and the daily wear and tear of our relationships, we find when people most need our compassion, to our dismay, it's been locked away, denied access to us and others, in a frozen heart we ourselves took pains to refrigerate. We feel, and then we un-feel.

What we don't realize is that to choose apathy, is to relenquish our identity, and to deny our own humanity.

In order to sympathize, we must first learn to empathize, and to never UN-learn it again.

Lessons

2005-10-16T06:48:00.000-04:00

A fox who lived in the deep forest of long ago had lost its front legs. No one knew how: perhaps escaping from a trap. A man who lived on the edge of the forest , seeing the fox from time to time, wondered how in the world it managed to get its food. One day when the fox was not far from him he had to hide himself quickly because a tiger was approaching. The tiger had fresh game in its claws. Lying down on the ground, it ate its fill, leaving the rest for the fox.

Again the next day the great Provider of this world sent provisions to the fox by this same tiger. The man began to think: "If this fox is taken care of in this mysterious way, its food sent by some unseen Higher Power, why don't I just rest in a corner and have my daily meal provided for me?"

Because he had a lot of faith, he let the days pass, waiting for food. Nothing happened. He just went on losing weight and strength until he was nearly a skeleton. Close to losing consciousness, he heard a Voice which said: "O you, who have mistaken the way, see now the Truth! You should have followed the example of that tiger instead of imitating the disabled fox."

- Shaykh Sa'adi of Shiraz

Operation Eden

2005-10-16T06:28:00.000-04:00

Some of the most vividly evocative and haunting pictures I've ever seen. The qualit of photography is especially admirable. The photo journalist Clayton James Cubitt expressing his love for his New Orleans heritage post-Katrina is a harrowing homage to the lives of its citizens devastated by a form of tragedy which is all too familiar in these times.

Nature.

An Atheist's way of saying God, but without purpose. However, once the impact is felt, it's undeniably real and worthy of humility, respect, and submission. Ultimately, it begs a series of reflective questions which will, insh'allah, lead those who doubt to eventually seek to clear those doubts. The answers are everywhere. You need only seek.

Operation Eden

The Merit of Stories

2005-10-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

An integral part of Sufi teaching is in the mold of teaching through example. Usually, these examples are experienced directly, in the form of a learned person ie: the Shaykh, which the student or dervish spends most of his waking hours with. The dervish learns how to behave morally and strengthen his character from(at first) emulating, then eventually experiencing and implementing the values on which the Shaykh's conduct is based.

Many times these examples are given thrugh the form of a story. Ageless wisdom is thus woven into the rich tapestry of tales and tradition, creating an empathy in the listener for the protagonists in the stories, the lack of which often creates a gap of comprehension between the speaker and the audience when done in a "strictly-the-facts" type of fashion. In essence, this type of teaching is not only much more powerful in impact, but has an enduring and lasting appeal on the listener, one which he can identify with on a much more personal level.

Here. Let me show you.

The Banquet

A poor man dressed in rags came to the palace to attend the banquet. Out of courtesy he was admitted but, because of his tattered clothing, he was seated at the very end of the banquet table. By the time the platters arrived at his seat, there was no food left on them.

So he left the banquet, returning several hours later dressed in robes and jewels he had borrowed from a wealthy friend. This time he was brought immediately to the head of the table and, with great ceremony, food was brought to his seat first.

"Oh, what delicious food I see being served upon my plate." He rubbed one spoonful into his clothes for every one he ate.

A nobleman beside him, grimacing at the mess, inquired, "Sir, why are you rubbing food into your fine clothes?"

"Oh," he replied with a chuckle, "Pardon me if my robes now look the worst. But it was these clothes that brought me all this food. It's only fair that they be fed first!"

The Fellowship

2005-10-15T11:20:00.000-04:00

All who obey Allah and the Messenger are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah - of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the righteous (who do good): ah, what a beautiful fellowship!
(Nisa', 69)

Truly a Blessed Union awaits those who believe and act on their belief. Ya Allah, help us to scrape ourselves away from the world long enough to see your Mercies, and let this awaken our hearts to bear witness in the awe of your Beneficence, and glorify you with the sincerity, and righteousness for which we had been intended, but now have lost through our own foolish transgressions!

Ya Allah, if poverty is best for us in this life, then let us embrace this poverty with profound gratitude, for better to be a beggar in the world, then in the hereafter.

Ya Allah, guide us to true Guidance, and help us to find the salve to heal the infection within our hearts so we can someday be worthy to stand in the magnificent company of those who tuly Love you. Help us to plant the seed of love for you in the bed of our hearts with the sunnah of your Rahmatul-lil-Alameen (Mercy for all Creation), and let the light of this love permeate our souls to the extent that each and every cell, each and every fibre of our existence, is united with your dhikr, La Ilaha Illalla(There is no God but Allah), and Muhammad-dur-Rasullallah{and Muhammad(Peace and blessings be upon him) is his messenger}! Ameen.
Peace and blessings upon our Nabi, SAWS.

A Dose of Reality

2005-10-14T07:36:00.000-04:00

"Many people practice virtues or associate with wise and great people, believing that this is the pursuit of self-improvement. They are deluded. In the name of religion, some of the worst barbarities have been committed. Trying to do good, man has done some of his worst actions.
The flaw comes from the absurd assumption that mere connection with something of value will convey a corresponding advantage to an unaltered individual.

Much more is necessary.

Man must not only be in contact with good; he must be in contact with a form of it which is capable of transforming his function and making him good. A donkey stabled in a library does not become literate.

This argument is one of the differences between Sufi teaching and the attempted practice of ethic and self improvement in other endeavours.

The point is generally neglected by the reader or student. Talib Kamal said: "The thread does not become enobled because it goes through the jewels." And: "My virtues have not improved me, any more than a desolate place is made fertile by the presence of a treasure."

A treasure is a treasure. But if it is to be put to work to [rebuild] a ruin, the treasure must be used in a certain way.

Moralizing may be a part of the process. The means of transforming the man is still needed. It is this means which is the Sufi secret. Other schools, very often, are not at the point where they can see beyond the first stage; they are intoxicated with the discovery of ethic and virtue, which they therefore conclude constitutes a panacea."

- Shaykh Abdal Ali Haidar

"I dabble a little..."

2005-10-13T07:40:00.000-04:00

A few pics I took with a digital cam(though I prefer SLR) in coastal karnataka.

The Ocean - Calm and Fury personified

Abu Turab?

My baby. She's so cute, she has to be on here twice. Mash'allah.

Aftershocks

2005-10-13T04:37:00.000-04:00

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - As rescue efforts gave way to aid relief, a strong aftershock shook Pakistan early Thursday morning, five days after an earthquake killed tens of thousands and left millions homeless. Still, miracles emerged amid the misery: A Russian team rescued a 5-year-old girl trapped for nearly 100 hours under the rubble of her family home...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051013/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_quake/

This morning, I was called to the O.T.(O.R. in Ameri-speak) to assist a Lower Segment Caesarian Section (w/Post-Partum Sterilization). Since they already had an intern to do the suction and retract the incision, I was delegated to monitor vitals with the resident anesthesiologist.

After the delivery, the baby, a healthy girl(Alhamdulillah), was brought to the conscious mother as the attending obstetrician closed up. I was anxious to see the look on the expectant mother's face, and when I did, I registered something in her eyes which I never thought I'd see.

Disdain. Disappointment. Disgust.

The new mother turned her head and wept silently to herself. Immediately I felt rage swell inside me. My fellow Pediatric Intern brought the baby around after the necessary OP suction, so I could get a look.

"It's a Girl. Isn't she cute?", she said.

"Yes", I replied, and swallowed down red, hot anger. There she was. The unwanted princess. Crinkly, soft, pink, and lovely, with eyes and fists shut as tight as the blanket she was wrapped with. Here, she was an intruder. An uninvited guest.

"She's a Cutie Pie", I said.

As a new father (My daughter's only 6 months old), to understate, I was disturbed. Alhamdulillah, my fast reminded me to control myself, and I did. The lady is a patient of mine and I'll have to write her orders tomorrow. Professionalism at all times, you know. But I couldn't help but reflect on that new soul, brought into this world, blameless and beautiful and how I wouldn't wish the reception she recieved on my worst enemies. And I couldn't help but be reminded of all those childless parents who would give their right arm for an opportunity to hold and call a baby their own.

Then I read the news story from above. And the Miracle of Life was re-echoed into the chambers of my heart much as it was when I had my daughter, and, for my part, as it was when I heard the first cry from the baby this morning. Alhamdulillah.

There's a lot I don't know. Maybe it's her husband who wanted the boy, and will now make their home atmosphere a living hell for this woman because she "failed to deliver". But as shown in Muzaffarabad, sometimes it takes merely the prospect of loss to reaffirm the value of life. Why it must come to that is beyond me. All I know is, I hope that neither the mother nor the father ever has to learn this the hard way. But then again, maybe they need to. Then maybe they'll never again take Allah's mercies for granted.

"Then which of the Favors of your Lord will you deny? "

(Surah Rahman)

P.S. - I must thank Umm Zaid, and others for adding me as a link. Jazak'Allah khair.

Branching Out?

2005-10-13T02:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a close brother about the content of my last post. He replied that it was a good start, but also that we are not simply spiritual animals(bit of an oxymoron actually), and the blog must reflect the times as well. Ergo, I must dip into the secular as well, and branch out to keep a balance. At the time, I agreed whole-heartedly, and to be honest it was my original plan (I only have a total of two posts so far). Practical enough, no?

The same night, I went home for Iftar, following which I listened to a lecture given by Shaykh Mohammed Abu Shusha at Zaytuna( in Arabic, translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf), a Palestinian Shaykh, a Qari, who had been Grand Muezzin of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jeruselam in the 50's and is now a Judge in many Quranic Hifz and Tajweed competitions in the area since then.

The areas the lecture delved into included how Shaykh Abu Shusha had seen Shaykh Hamza on a Ramadan program on television in the middle east and made dua to Allah(SWT) to allow him to meet this man before he parted the duniya(Mash'allah!) as well as advice on giving charity and visiting the sick.

One particular point the Shaykh made, which really hit home, dealt with how the Shaykh worries for his children. He is an aged man, and though he sees that his son is 35, knows the Quran, and is a man of good character, he still worries.

Why?

Simply for the Sheer Magnitude (Capitals!) of Fitan in this day and age that continuously bombard our senses from all* directions.

* (Point to be made here: Shaytan promised Allah he would tempt and deceive Bani Adam from all directions, except from above and below. These Allah did not allow to Shaytan, as these are the directions in which Salah and Dua are taken and Sajdah is made, respectively. - from the collection of Shaykh Muzaffer's talks in America, "Love is the Wine")

So it is not adequate that we must seek knowledge and BE knowledgeable. It is not enough that once a week we attend Jummah khutbahs and expect it to reinvigorate our iman for the coming week. Ideally we should strive to listen to wisdom imparted to us by the Shaykhs, advice to mold our lives to be in tune with the sirr EVERY day. What? Every day? Yes, and even that is only an open door situated in the right direction (that direction is AWAY). But again we have to walk through it. And walking aint enough when it's a virtual landslide of degenerate and immoral persuasions that flood our lives day in day out. You have to run. Get in a helicopter and GO, more practically.

Even the most learned of scientists, the Nobel Prize winners if you will, would not neglect to don a protective suit or covering , before venturing out into irradiated lands, despite the extent of their expertise. Why? Because they Appreciate the Danger.

In essence, I acknowledge that from time to time I must dabble a little, be prolific and explore other interests here on this page. But I've made the intention that the mainstay of my blog, the focus, will be on the spiritual. The Nafs. The Self. The Soul. True, we are not spiritual animals. Honestly, I don't think there is such a thing. But we do have the capacity to be spiritual as well as the potential to be animals. I choose the former, and not to illustrate wit, but as an actual conscious choice. I pray that Allah allows me to remain faithful to this intention, this choice, and to help us as an Ummah to prepare our homes and our hearts for the hurricane, and then read The Economist.

Because this IS the priority. If I had a color-coded alert system to assess the threat of fitan like the Dept. of Homeland Security, we'd be flashing Red perpetually, and I'm sure at least Shaykh Abu Shusha would agree with me. I admire those who can consistently maintain a balance in practice throughout their lives. I call such individuals enlightened and respect them, and am in awe of them. The number I've personally met who can do this, I can count on one hand.

Balance means to reach a state of equilibrium. If I write two posts on Spirituality, am I threatening to go out of bounds? Have I become a spiritual animal? I doubt I can ever balance the worldly, materialistic madness that has been my life, if I write on spirituality everyday non-stop till I'm 65.

I won't apologize for my passion because I must use it while I still have it, lest it be fleeting. So here it is: Let's not search for excuses to endeavor for the world. This is the world we're talking about people. You don't go to it. It comes to you. It's everywhere! You couldn't miss it if you tried. What we do need to endeavor for is our souls.

Let's not succumb to the preventable diseases of the heart. Let's vaccinate ourselves with Dhikr. Insulate our hearts with the *exo-suits of Salah and Fasting(*My brain is colored with memories of Metroid<--see, everywhere!). Reboot the system so the OS it runs on is a composite of Divine Wisdom and the teachings of Our Nabi : humility, charity, brotherhood, love, patience, taqwa, generosity, sincerity and servitude, instead of ,...well, instead of Microsoft Windows ;) . It doesn't mean to go and live on a mountain, literally. But to let your amaal become the mountain to create that distance from the fitan.

I don't need to search my mind for quotes from movies or the names of characters from the latest sitcom. They're right there on the surface. I can't say the same for relevant Quranic verses and Ahadith. Obviously, there is a major imbalance here. But if we have the intention we can BUILD ourselves up to function at a level previously thought to be lofty & esoteric, but in actuality is not only attainable, but is the practical ideal we must all work for.

Maybe relevant but obscure movie quotes will do the trick.

" ...You are executing his SOUL!!... And there is no cure,..there is no prosthetic for that. "

- Al Pacino's Colonel Slade in the film, "Scent of a Woman".

------------------

The Tyranny of The Nafs

2005-10-09T08:47:00.000-04:00

Ramadan Mubarak to all. The most Blessed of all Months has begun. What we intend to do with it now that it has, is entirely upto us. Or is it upto our Nafs'?

The demanding persona of our Nafs, that which Western Psychology refers to as our Ego, can be likened to that of a Tyrant. Because ultimately, the Tyrant wants it all for himself. We live to serve him. If by our misfortune we find ourselves under his leadership, our every freedom becomes a non-entity. Shaykh Ragip Frager, the West Coast representative of the Jerrahi-Halveti Order, likens this Tyrant to the Pharaoh, as well as the potential of our Nafs to become as Prophet Moses (AS). What does he mean? Well, just that our Nafs can either become a power hungry, megalomaniac like the Pharoah, wanting nothing more than to bask in perpetual adulation and worship of the world(This is the natural state we find the nafs in, willed by the myopic love for the material baubles surrounding it and us).

OR

the capacity to be transformed to detach from the world and to love Allah, and to desire love from Allah. This potential can then be translated into the dignified, understated strength and taqwa personified by Kalim'Allah, Prophet Moses (AS). If and when this occurs, the practice of Remembrance (Dhikr) rather than self-praise is given creedence by this motley sentience which resides in all of us.

It is the only thing constant with the Nafs. Change. It may degenerate beyond Pharoah-like qualities into a wild, animalistic mentality if we indulge it enough. Because there are no limits for the Nafs. It ALWAYS wants more. More Praise, More Lust, More Wealth and More Gratification. However, we can mold our Nafs with Remembrance, Prayer, and Love for Allah rather than the rotting transigience of this world. Remember: That's with true Repentance and true Remembrance.

Shaykh Frager describes that True Repentance will not only expiate sins(Insh'Allah) but transfom the Nafs to become regretful and with time, inspired.

Repentance is only True, when we make no justifications for our past sins, we ask humble forgiveness for our present sins and status after our own aknowledgement of the fact, and finally we sincerely intend NOT to repeat them in the future.

How do we know if our Repentance is indeed True and has been accepted by Allah? Shaykh Frager goes on to say that when it is, those things hated by Allah which we were so attracted to and driven to committing, now are hated by us. We feel a disdain for those things deep within our hearts. This, dear brothers and sisters, is true Progress. Insh'allah may Allah give us Tawfiq this blessed Ramadan to become productive in the way of the Light. Ameen.

For further reference, I request all to try and pickup Shaykh Frager's "Heart, Self, and Soul". Oh, and also to read it sincerely. It is a Rare Gem in any time, or place, and I recommend it to all those who claim to possess a brain.

Additionally, as my work occupies most of my time, and the time that is left over I must devote to my family, I regret I may not have any to give this blog(Plus, rural India has a way of throwing wrenches in the gears of technology) Please excuse this, as I hope to contribute much more in the future.

To conclude, here is a thousand + words on who I am.
Again, may Allah bless all our homes with peace and barakah this Ramadan, in the months to come, and in this life and the hereafter.

Unaysah with her Father.

So it Begins...

2005-09-15T08:58:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are: A brand new, shiny blog. But Outward looks are not the order for the day. Instead, this blog will focus on finding the cosmetic to beautify our hearts. Our sirr. Our self and our souls.

Tall order? Maybe. But in a world where spirituality is scarcer than accountability; where up is down, and the rabbit hole branches in to a 72-headed hydra of hypocrisy everywhere you turn,...a light is necessary. Will I provide that light? No. I'm just a spectator. But a seeker as well. Seeking what? Why, the path of course.

The Paths to Paradise are many, as are those to Hell. But the Path to Allah? But One.

That is the Path which consolidates all Paths.

The Path of Remembrance.
The Path of Struggle.
The Path of Humility.
The Path of Strength.
The Path of Mercy.
The Path of Rasulallah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.

Insh'allah, May Allah guide this blogger as a doctor in Rural India, as a seeker of true knowledge(given by the true Shaykhs - the heirs of the prophets), as a critic of socio-political injustices, as a reflector of creation, as a husband and finally a father. May Allah guide his family, his brothers and sisters, this ummah, and this world to Love.To Light. And Finally, to Him. Ameen.

We all begin in darkness. But we are all destined for light. If you seek, You will find there are Oceans.