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Rewards of Steadfastness
English Bayan, 38 mins
8th July, 2021

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​Rewards of Steadfastness
​The pious elders of the Deen present an example: if a human being plants a tree or is in charge of an established tree, then if that person does not look after that tree and protect and water it regularly, and if he does not tend to it properly and look after it in the right manner, then no matter how good the tree is, and no matter how much fruit it has borne previously, and no matter how famous or popular that tree is, it will eventually be come barren due to not having been looked after properly. It will become dry and will not bear any fruit, and thus it will not benefit anyone; it will become useless. However, if that tree is protected and looked after and maintained properly by being watered correctly on a regular basis, then that same tree will give nice, good fruit and will benefit human beings and will become popular due to the good taste from the fruit that it bears. The pious elders of the Deen have explained that this is due to that person having looked after and watered the tree regularly, which is what caused the tree to bear fruit.
​In the same way, through the Grace and Mercy of Allah ta’ala, a human being definitely gets opportunities to perform A’maal, and sometimes he doesn’t realise how valuable and precious those deeds are and how much he is drawing near to Allah due to them. Even so, Allah ta’ala definitely gives that person opportunities and chances because Allah ta’ala loves the people of Iman very much indeed. For as long as that person is in this world, Allah ta’ala wants to save that believer from Jahannam in every way and to take him to the highest grade of Paradise. This is from the Karam and Fadhl and Mercy of Allah, but human beings don’t realise this when they engage in good deeds.
​Today, for example, we are attending this great gathering and we are not capable or deserving of this at all. If we look at the Fadhail and virtues of this night, we are not deserving of this. Look at the Hadiths in which Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam mentioned the greatness of this night and also of the month that is going and the one that is about to start. Think – Dhul Qa’adah is going and Dhul Hijjah is coming, and this is the last night of Jumu’ah in Dhul Qa’adah. And SubhanAllah, we are engaged at this time in a deed about which you can find Hadith after Hadith. There are so many Hadiths about this Amal, namely the Dhikr of Allah. You hear and read about the virtues of Dhikr of Allah, and we should think ‘This is such a great deed, so how did it come into our destiny?’ If it has come to someone for the first time today, he should realise that Allah subhana wa ta'ala pulls and draws a person towards that action and helps him to attain it.
​Look how great a deed this is! You will have heard and enjoyed the Hadith about this that is narrated by Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah radhiAllahu anh, and if you get that deed physically after hearing the praise of the deed that is mentioned in the Hadith, then that action becomes Jannah for the people of Yaqeen. We can’t imagine how Allah ta’ala has given us such a deed; we were lazy and bone idle and could not imagine getting the opportunity to do such a deed. What has Allah’s Rasool sallallahu alayhi wasallam stated about this? We read this Hadith narrated by Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah radhiAllahu anh, which is present in many of the Kitabs, stating that when people are assembled and gathered for the Dhikr of Allah – say SubhanAllah, just as we are sat, even though we are wasters and Allah ta’ala has kept these deeds for good people – then when Allah ta’ala takes people to such a gathering, Allah ta’ala immediately allows four rewards to descend on those people. This is a Hadith – it is Haqq, it is the truth, and if a person does not believe this, he cannot be a Muslim. Four rewards immediately descend upon those who are assembled in that gathering, rewards so great that we cannot imagine, and they are accepted rewards.
​The first reward is that Allah says ‘My special, select angels surround that gathering on all four sides.’ And what is meant by ‘surround’ here? It means that those angels separate the people in that gathering from the rest of humanity; they become a separate Makhluq. And the angels themselves are a unique Makhluq; they spread out their wings and they pile one upon the other until they reach up to the heavens. Look how beloved this action of Dhikrullah is to Allah – the angels are directed to surround that gathering. We don’t realise. If someone acquires a detached house, don’t ask how great we think that is; or if someone buys a nice car, we heap praise upon it. But if Allah ta’ala praises a person due to something, and if Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam is praising that action, then what an opportunity it is for a human being! The angels surround the gathering of Dhikrullah from all four sides.
This reward is for Dhikr – it is specifically Dhikr that has been mentioned here. The word Dhikr is used in the Hadith that tells of this reward. Every action is deserving of reward, and each action has a reward assigned to it. We have Salah and Hajj and Zakah - and Hajj is Hajj, and Zakah is Zakah, and they each have their own Fadhail and virtues – but this Hadith is specifically about Dhikr. You cannot join this with other Hadith or other A’maal, saying ‘Oh this is Dhikr and that is Dhikr.’ This is referring to Dhikrullah specifically and purely, to the mentioning of Allah’s Name, to Hamd and to Thana. That is Dhikr of Allah and that is the definition. Otherwise, you can say that everything is Dhikrullah. If four men are sitting and talking about Allah, that is Dhikr as well, they say. We could say that any pious deed that you are doing is Dhikr, but this point is about the virtues of Dhikr, and this specifically means the gatherings of Dhikr, where purely and simply you do no other action except the physical action of Dhikr.
Right now, this is not a Dhikr Majlis. If I give a talk and then get up, then this would have been a gathering of speech – and there are also virtues to this. Such gatherings have their own unique Fadhail; there are specific virtues for discussions and for speaking, just as there are virtues for reading Hadith and virtues for reciting Qur’an. Those deeds are not devoid of Fadhail, but when you do the Amal mentioned in this Hadith, then those virtues pertain. Say SubhanAllah. At this moment, this gathering has not attained the title of a Majlis of Dhikr and will not do so until we actually do Dhikr. Do you understand? You can say that every gathering is a Majlis of Dhikr, but in reality, it becomes a gathering of Dhikr when you do that specific Amal. For example, if I say that there is a Dars of Hadith but then I don’t mention any Hadiths and I do Dhikr instead, then that won’t be a Dars-ul-Hadith, will it? If I say that there will be a Tafseer of Qur’an, but then I do some other action and don’t deliver any Tafseer of Qur’an, even if what I do instead is a good action, that doesn’t make it a Dars of Qur’an. It will only be such when Tafseer is delivered. So when you announce that a Majlis of Dhikr is to take place, it becomes a Dhikr Majlis only when Dhikr is performed; and this Hadith is specifically referring to the action of Dhikr.
So it is stated that whenever a gathering of Dhikr takes place, the first reward is this, that the Dhakireen are surrounded at that time on all four sides by angels, and they also fill the space between the heavens and the earth above them. They are not just surrounded, but the space above them is also filled, so tell me, if the gathering is surrounded by angels, then what will be the glory of that gathering? Imagine the Noor of that gathering. Is this happening with us? It hasn’t happened yet because up to now we have just been talking, but inshaAllah, Allah will give the Tawfeeq. Maybe my breaths will stop before Dhikr, in which case the reward in the Akhirah will be for speaking, because the Dhikr did not start before I was called back to Allah. Say SubhanAllah.
So when we start doing Dhikr, it is then that it will turn into a Dhikr gathering. At the moment, we are doing a warm-up; this is a starter. We are warming up. You know how when you eat, you get a starter? Well, this is the starter. And when Dhikr starts and you recite ‘HasbunAllahu wa Ni’mal-Wakeel,’ then your hair will stand on end, tears will flow from your eyes, and you will say ‘We have arrived at that Majlis about which Allah ta’ala announced.’ The person with insight will see the reality - how great is the reality that such a person sees. But if the eye of the heart is overtaken by love of the world, what does that person know about the love of Dhikr? Moulana Rumi rahmatullah alayh said ‘When I recite the Name of Allah, then every particle and atom of my body melts!’ They were the people of Dhikr of Allah – and may Allah ta’ala also give us the Tawfeeq to do Dhikr in this way.
So the second reward for Dhikr of Allah that is stated, on top of the first reward which is that the angels assemble around that gathering, is that Allah’s Rahmah surrounds that gathering. So what would be the Hal of the people at such a gathering? Could any difficulty afflict them? Could any distress come to them? Can anyone oppress those people? Will any issue or difficulty arise for them? No. If, despite this assurance, someone who comes to the gathering does experience some difficulties, then shaytan attacks that person, and if that happens, give shaytan an answer immediately, saying ‘Allah ta’ala has given me this problem – it was in my destiny – but Allah ta’ala will compensate me for this due to the Dhikr. This will become a treasure for me in the Akhirah and a great reward for me, because despite my difficulties, I am still doing this action. I have Yaqeen in the benefit of what Allah ta’ala has given to me by doing this action that Allah ta’ala has recommended.’
And what is the third reward? Allah ta’ala says ‘When My Rahmah surrounds that gathering, then I allow Sakeenah to enter those people who are attending the gathering’ – and this is a special reward and a very special effect that Allah ta’ala gives. This Sakeenah is a very unique and special reward – may Allah ta’ala also give us Sakeenah and send that contentment down onto our hearts.
And the fourth reward is also very unique. Before the people depart, Allah ta’ala starts to remember the attendees among a select group of His Mala’ikah. Allah ta’ala mentions them by name, saying ‘Such and such attended the gathering of My Dhikr, and also this person and that person.’ Even for sinful people like us, within seconds of us attending that gathering, our destiny opens up. Allah ta’ala is giving us this action in our destiny, and I would like to say that these rewards that Allah ta’ala gives to the Dhakireen should be sought on an ongoing basis. Attend these gatherings every morning and evening; come regularly, on a daily basis. When you attend this Halaqah in the morning, you will get the same reward for the morning session. This is why in the Khanqahs, which are the headquarters of the Walis of Allah, you will see that these rewards are continually available. One gathering finishes, and then the next one comes around – morning and evening, this is the programme; People are always busy in the Dhikr of Allah. You may know that in the Khanqahs - which Allah ta’ala gave us, whether we foolish people appreciated that or not - Dhikr if Allah would always take place there. What was the Hal there? Alhamdulillah, Dhikr would always be going on there. Why? Because a Khanqah is established in order that the rewards of Dhikr can be attained.
So these are the great rewards, but remember the point about the tree. When Allah ta’ala gives us this Amal, after that we might think that we are free and then we can just go, but Allah ta’ala says ‘No - it is not the case that you should do this action and then just go. There is a condition.’ This relates to the example that the pious elders gave of the tree, because every Amal that we are given needs protecting. If Allah ta’ala sends a new person to come and do this Amal of Dhikr, and he hears about its virtues, then immediately he should make Niyyah for one thing. He should think ‘Oh Allah ta’ala, You have given me such a tremendous Amal, so now give me the courage and determination to establish this deed in my life.’ That is when the fruit will grow on the tree that Allah ta’ala will give you in Jannah. The reward of every Amal will be transformed into that fruit if you make this Niyyah, saying ‘Oh Allah, in the same way that You have given me this today and have brought me here today, I will try to do this on a regular basis from now on because I want to keep experiencing this taste and enjoyment.’ But what do we do? We just wipe our hands and think ‘Oh, that’s it – I am free now. I came and now I will leave it.’
Look, Allah ta’ala has mentioned about this in the Qur’an. {إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ} Allah ta’ala mentions this Amal here. The pious elders have said that these are a select group of people to whom Allah has given the Tawfeeq that they accept that Allah is their Rabb and that everything they do will be done in obedience to Allah – { قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ}. My Hadhrat made a beautiful point about this - what Ajeeb statements the Walis of Allah make! He said that { إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ} does not just have one meaning, for this verse refers to both the Aqeedah and the Amal of human beings. Yes? When a person says { رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ} this means that a person is saying that he has handed himself over to Allah ta’ala in respect of both Amal and Aqeedah. Thus, the whole Deen comes into this - the beliefs of a human being and his Amal. This relates to those who say ‘Allah ta’ala has given me both of these things at this moment in time,’ like those who are here who have been given both Dhikr and Iman together. Such a person thinks ‘Allah ta’ala has given me complete, first class Aqeedah.’ There is no doubt in such a person’s Aqeedah, alhamdulillah.
So once both things have been bestowed upon us, Allah ta’ala has planted the tree, and to get the fruit of that tree the second thing is: {إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ} – SubhanAllah. So Allah ta’ala is saying that then it is your duty to have Istaqamat on this Amal and this belief, and to ensure that you are regular and consistent in it. This is your duty. Allahu ar-Rahman has given the Tawfeeq to do this good Amal, and shaytan tries to take you away from that Amal and to generate laziness and neglect by saying ‘Oh there’s no benefit – leave this. You have done this so many times, but there is no benefit.’ Shaytan wants to break that Amal of yours that Allah ta’ala has given you the Tawfeeq to do. This applies to any good action, not just to Dhikr. He does this with any good deed that Allah ta’ala gives you the Tawfeeq to do – these two forces will clash within you.
If a new person has come today and Allah ta’ala gives him this Amal and he has sat down to partake in this good deed, then Allah ta’ala says {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا}, meaning that if he now adopts regularity in this Amal, then his tree will grow tall and strong. And immediately after emphasising this Istaqamat, Allah ta’ala mentions the reward for steadfastness. And this doesn’t come from doing an action for just a few days, or for coming sometimes in the morning and leaving it on other days. This is like the example of a wild, untended tree which then becomes barren and dry and rotten due to not having been looked after and watered. Every Amal gives a person benefit when he becomes regular in that deed, when he becomes steadfast. The Qur’an is saying this; Allah’s Kalam is saying this. Aqeedah and A’maal, both together, and then Istaqamat – {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا}; this verse is for those who adopt Istaqamat and are regular and consistent on the actions that they do.
But look at how many people are lazy and do not come to Dhikr. One person comes and then he doesn’t come, and another person starts coming for a while and then leaves completely, without any excuse or problems - Allah has given him good health and everything. Being sleepy is not an excuse, although of course, once in a while sleep may overtake you, or you may get late, or something may happen beyond your control that prevents you from coming. Also, the pious elders have said that coming only sometimes can also be Istaqamat, because you are not an angel. Sometimes your eyes may not open, or something happens, or you are forced to change plans due to an issue, but if your Niyyah was there and you wanted to be regular in coming and to travel on the path, then it is said that you should not fear if there is occasional laziness or if a problem crops up, because your Niyyah is correct; you want to do that good action. Due to this, you will be included as a person of Istaqamat.
For example, a person might make a Niyyah today that he will come every Thursday night on the night of Jumu’ah. He says to himself ‘It will be hard for me to come every day, so I will come every Thursday to get the reward of the gathering on the night of Jumu’ah.’ If a person makes this Niyyah, then SubhanAllah, he will prepare himself when the next night of Jumu’ah comes around again, thinking ‘I definitely have to go today because it is hard for me to go on the other days.’ This becomes Istaqamat for that person. And if it so happens that due to work commitments or some other issue, you cannot come one week, then even that will be included as Istaqamat. Allah is Kareem - He is so generous.
And when this Istaqamat comes, then the Qur’an gives a beautiful explanation of what happens next. Allah says {تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةُ}. Allah declares the first reward here, saying ‘Whoever is steadfast and regular upon an action, then {تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةُ} the angels will descend and come to that person. When will they come? They will come at the most severe time, the most difficult time – imagine. Yes? The Mufassireen have written that the angels will come with this reward for having been regular on that action. For having been steadfast, they will give you the fruits due to that. What fruits are they? Those angels will come at the time when we will be in desperate need, when Khawf and distress are all around and there is nothing to combat them – when will that be? At the time of death, which is the hardest and most difficult time. And the second very difficult time is when a person is lowered into the grave – is there any time more severe than that? And the third time of difficulty is when a person is removed from the grave on the Day of Resurrection. On these three occasions, upon the person who had Istaqamat and was regular on his deeds the angels will descend at those times and will come to that human being – at the time of death, when put into the grave, and when coming out of the grave on the Day of Judgement.
At those three times, the angels will come and do what? What will they do? Allah says {أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ} – those angels will give encouragement to that person. They will come in a nice, Noorani appearance to the person who is about to depart from the world and is afraid, and they will say ‘Why are you afraid? Don’t worry - there are no issues. What are you worried about? We, the angels, have come to you!’ Allahu Akbar – yes? They say ‘No problem,’ and they encourage that person and give him good hope. They say ‘Don’t be upset or down – there is nothing to be scared about. You are going with greatness. We, the angels, are with you and we are here to welcome you and take you.’ Yes? Allah says {أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُوا} – ‘Do not grieve or fear!’ The time of death is such a severe time; when you are lowered into the grave, imagine the Hal of a person at that time, wondering what treatment he will receive. But even there, the angels will come and give encouragement, saying ‘What are you worried about? Don’t be scared.’
Now tell me, if you go to a sick person and encourage that person and cheer him up, bringing him peace and putting him at ease, or if a person is stuck in a problem, and you go to that person and encourage him and help him, then his heart will open up as he thinks ‘Oh, here is someone who has come to assist and help me.’ So at that time when there is nobody to help, the angels will come and give encouragement and explain to us and put us at ease by presenting themselves to us with love. Imagine this reward that Allah will give at that time – and who will attain this? Those to whom Allah gave the Tawfeeq to do Dhikr and who had Istaqamat and were steadfast upon it. Remember this. If Allah gives a good deed to someone and that person practices it regularly and does not leave it without a good excuse, then that person establishes the tree properly and that tree will bear fruit. {أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ} SubhanAllah.
{وَأَبۡشِرُواْ بِٱلۡجَنَّةِ} And then good news of Jannah will be given to him. ‘Oh foolish person, you are not going to hellfire. Look, Allah ta’ala has prepared Paradise for you!’ So should we leave this for the sake of small excuses and disappear? Look at the numbers nowadays at Fajr time; few people are coming, which is very sad considering that Allah has given us the Tawfeeq to do such a great deed for which there are the great rewards that I have told you about; and these great rewards come through the Istaqamat that Allah ta’ala is mentioning here. Make Niyyah that Allah ta’ala never takes us away from this practice, for Allah has given us such a great reward in these Majalis.
I remember another Hadith in which one Sahabi narrates that there is a Dua that is both verbal and practical pertaining to this practice in the morning. Both practical and physical elements are contained in this Dua – it is not just a verbal request, because in reality, the message is that you have to practice this Dua; it is not just a verbal Dua. So in reality, if a human being does this practice every morning, saying ‘Oh Allah ta’ala, You have given me the morning after Fajr to sit and do Dhikr of Allah,’ and then he sits in Dhikr while the sun is rising until Ishraq, and then he raises his hands to make this great Dua, saying ‘Oh Allah, You have selected me from Your creation, and You are sending down all these rewards to us at this moment; and all of this comes solely from You because You are Wahid, La Sharik who has no partner. Allah Hamd and praise is for You, and we are grateful to You alone; and gratefulness is all directed to You, oh Allah,’ then Allahu Akbar, what great statements he has made!
When a person makes these statements, both verbally and practically, verbally in the form of the Dhikr and the Kalimas that we recite, saying ‘La Sharik, You have no partner,’ and praising Allah with these great Kalimas, like La Hawla wa La Quwwata illa bi-llah, and La ilaha illa Anta Subhanaka inni Kuntu min-adh-Dhalimeen, and SubhanAllahi wal-Hamdulillahi wa La ilaha illa-llahu wa-llahu Akbar, and La ilaha illa-llahu Wahdahu La Sharika Lahu Lahu Mulku wa Lahu-l-Hamdu wa Huwa ‘ala Kulli Shayin Qadeer – SubhanAllah – while the sun is rising on one side and the Jamah is sitting down continuing to do this Dhikr, SubhanAllah, then will this be without benefit? SubhanAllah – Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that there are great rewards for those who Dhikr like this in the morning, who are not sleeping due to excuses like ‘I’ve got work.’ No – this time of the morning is only for Dhikr of Allah; this is the action that Allah ta’ala has ordered us to do, saying ‘After you are free from Fajr Salah, turn to Me and remember Me and praise and glorify Me. Be occupied in this Hamd and Dhikr while remaining in the very same place where you prayed Salah.’ Say SubhanAllah.
How much time we waste! Think: how many times in our lives have we done this action? And this is despite the fact that on this earth and in this country and in this Masjid, Allah ta’ala has established this action, SubhanAllah. Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam said ‘What is the reward if you do Dhikr in the morning? The reward is so great that if you do Dhikr in the morning, sitting down and reciting these Kalimaat, then Allah ta’ala bestows rewards upon that person for the whole day.’ Allah gives so many treasures due to this because that person is being grateful for the blessings of Allah that are to come in that day. Allah says { لَٮِٕن شَڪَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡ‌ۖ}- ‘When you do My Shukr, then I increase and multiply.’ And also recite these Kalimaat in the evening Majlis of Dhikr, because these are the two times that Allah ta’ala likes so much – in the morning while the sun is rising, and in the evening while the sun is setting. These two times are very unique, and the person who sits to do this in Jamah at these two times receives the message from Allah that they will receive the rewards and blessings of the whole of creation in the acceptance of their Dhikr. SubhanAllah – this is Dhikr of Allah, my friends.
How does this come? {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا} By being regular, steadfast and consistent you will get these rewards in this world - and then what will you get in the Akhirah? The angels will descend to you at the time of your death and when you are lowered into the grave and when you are taken out of the grave in a very difficult situation on the Day of Resurrection. That will be such a dangerous time; in some Hadith it is stated that some people will wake up from their graves and it will be as if Jinnat are with them. Their hair will be dishevelled, and they will be in a very bad, desperate state as they emerge from their graves, and will be wild like animals. By contrast, how will the Dhakireen be when they come out of their graves? Their faces will be shining like the moon on the 14th night! What condition needs to be fulfilled to attain these Fadhail? Istaqamat - steadfastness needs to have been adopted, so it is very important to become regular in this action. If so, the angels will give you the glad tidings of Jannah at time – what a great reward Allah ta’ala gives.
So my brothers, what is important is that when Allah ta’ala gives us the Tawfeeq to do an action, we don’t just put it away in our pockets and bank it for later. Remember – piety and Wilayat come through Istaqamat, not through actions. We think that Walis of Allah do a lot of Ibadah and fast a lot and pray a lot of Salah – no. Wilayat is not obtained from Ibadah. Rather, if you want to attain closeness to Allah and reach that destination, you won’t get this through acts of Ibadah. {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا} The Qur’an is explaining that it is Istaqamat that will give you Wilayat. If you have steadfastness on this Amal, then Allah ta’ala says ‘I will give you Wilayat and My friendship!’ SubhanAllah.
I will share an example from the life of Hadhrat Junaid al-Baghdadi rahmatullah alayh, who was a great Wali of Allah, known as Sayyid-ut-Ta’ifah. He has a great status and rank among the Awliya. Hadhrat Junaid al-Baghdadi rahmatullah alayh had a Khanqah just like we have a Khanqah, and people used to come and sit down and strive and make effort on the path; MashaAllah, this is what people do, isn’t it? So in the same way, a person came, a poor soul, a friend of Allah, in order to make effort in Hadhrat’s company, and he didn’t just sit for one or two years. This effort is not about one or two years or one or two weeks – ask those people who are here. There are people here who came to me when they were young, and now their beards are white, MashaAllah. Fifty years have passed since they first sat in the Khanqah, and if you were to go to our Khanqahs, you would see such people sat there now in the same way, remembering Allah with their Tasbeehs. One person will have been coming for fifty years, another for forty years and another for thirty years, and it is not about who knows who. I don’t even know myself who is there, but if you pick the phone up or go there, you will find them all sitting there, listening to our Majlis alhamdulillah. Yes? {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا} This is such a great action, so they have established this gathering for this purpose. These Khanqahs will never end, no matter how much opposition to them arises, because Allah’s Name has been established there – and who can wipe away the Name of Allah? Nowadays I can’t go there physically because Allah has sent me to you, but the Khanqahs are there, and the voice is there; the Majlis is there, and they are doing Dhikr.
So in the same way, this Faqeer came to the Khanqah of Hadhrat Junaid al-Baghdadi rahmatullah alayh – these are the habits of the Khanqah from day one. He sat there one year, two years, three years until he didn’t know how long he had sat there. Ask those people who came long ago, and they will say ‘I have been here for forty years?’ You will be shocked – ask some of those in the Manchester Khanqah and they will tell you that they have been sitting there for fifty years. They will tell you if you ask them, but it feels to them as if they just arrived today. Why is this? Because the taste and the pull and the attraction of Dhikr is such that a person cannot imagine leaving Dhikr of Allah. May Allah ta’ala also give us love and Muhabbat like this. This is happening four metres away from your home, but even then you make excuses and bunk off! Do you all make Niyyah to come regularly? How bad it is if we don’t come!
So this person sat down in Hadhrat’s Khanqah and sat there for twenty years, and then he stood up and said ‘I’m going now.’ Hadhrat Junaid rahmatullah alayh said ‘What? Why are you leaving so soon?’ He said this because twenty years is nothing in this path. So he said ‘What is the issue? Why are you leaving?’ Now everyone has an intention when they come, and if Wilayat is thought of as a matter of miracles, some people want to see the miracles of a Wali of Allah when they come. They think ‘I will see how many sons I have after he raises his hands and does Dua for me. The Duas of the Wali of Allah are accepted straightaway.’ This is the sort of standard that we apply when defining who is the Wali of Allah, but actually, this has no connection with Wilayat. Yes, when a Nabi raised his hands, then Mu’jizah would occur, and if a Wali of Allah does the same and it is accepted, then this is a Karamah – both are Haqq, no doubt. But this doesn’t mean that if no miracles are evident that he is not a Wali and cannot be a Sheikh. There is no necessary condition that Karamaat have to be present; there is no connection between Karamat and Wilayat, no connection at all. If throughout the life of a Wali of Allah, he doesn’t have any Karamat, then he is still a Wali of Allah. This is from the Hikmah of Allah – sometimes He shows such things and sometimes not. There is wisdom behind it.
So this person said ‘I have not seen any miracles whilst in your company. I have not seen you floating in the air or any such miracle, even though I heard people say that you were this and you were that, and that if you raised your hands, your Duas would be accepted straightway. This was my Niyyah when I came, but I have seen nothing of the sort.’ So then Hadhrat Junaid rahmatullah alayh asked a question, SubhanAllah. He said ‘You may not have seen any of these things you refer to, but did you see any gaps in the program that we do morning and evening? Did you see me omit any Sunnah actions?’ The man replied ‘No – I have not seen you do any action that was devoid of the Sunnah. I have always seen you practice everything properly according to the Sunnah. You have always had Istaqamat on that, and I have never seen any hint of laziness in this regard.’ Hadhrat Junaid said ‘This is my greatest Karamah, and this is how Junaid became Junaid, oh foolish person! If it were not for this, then I could never have become what I am for all these years. It was not through Ibadah, but rather {ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُوا} – I took hold of Istaqamat and regularity in my actions, and then Allah ta’ala gave me this Maqam and Darajaat.’
So my brothers, take hold of the Dhikr of Allah that you have in front of you. Allah ta’ala has given you this, so why do we have gaps in our attendance? Why do we bunk off and say that we don’t feel like it or we don’t enjoy it or we don’t want to do it? Don’t worry, for it is not about enjoyment or taste. Allah ta’ala has announced in the Qur’an that you will definitely get that result, no matter how down or distressed you may become, no matter whatever comes your way. If you go out to buy meat and encounter a rainstorm on the way which leaves you soaked, you will persevere through the wind and the rain, even if the electricity gets cut off, and you will get the meat when you reach the shop, won’t you? In the same way, whatever comes in the way of distress or illness or difficulties, don’t worry about it. Allah says that if you have Istaqamat and regularity, you will arrive at your destination - and we need that destination. We need that destination, alhamdulillah. Allah has made a promise about this point, so don’t be sad or worried if there are any incidents or difficulties. Just do one action: do Dhikr of Allah and keep doing the Dhikr that your Sheikh has prescribed to you. Whatever he has told you to do and in whatever manner he has explained to you, do it in that same way persistently and regularly, whether you feel any benefit or not. The benefit is on its way; it is arriving. You will see the benefit when you die, and when you are lowered into your grave, and when you are resurrected from your grave. At that time, you will see the angels come and give you the good news.
May Allah ta’ala give us all the Tawfeeq. Ameen. Now we will start the gathering of Dhikr, alhamdulillah. Until now it was a speech - and giving and listening to a Bayan is also a great action and there are many Fadhail associated with that. But they are different Fadhail, and now we are going towards Dhikr, so we will concentrate on that action that we are about to do. So sit in the Dhikr of Allah with total focus and attention and love, and even if it is just for five minutes or three minutes, you will get the full reward for this alhamdulillah. All four rewards are coming – the angels are about to surround you, and Allah’s Rahmah will envelope you, and Sakeenah will come into your heart, and mention of you will be made in the gathering of Allah - say SubhanAllah! Whoever does not have Yaqeen in this is not a Muslim, and if he is not a Muslim, then what can we say to that person?
We should be so grateful that Allah ta’ala has brought us here and that we will acquire these rewards, and we should make Niyyah as well, saying ‘Oh Allah, whether I have to come from far or near, I make intention that I will always come on Thursday night.’ Do we make this intention, my brothers? Be steadfast and regular in attending the Majlis on Thursday nights and resolve that whatever happens, on Thursday nights we are definitely going to come. Those who live near and who have learned Dhikr should slap themselves and think ‘Why have I not been coming? How could I have made this mistake? I am foolish if I don’t come!’ Definitely slap yourselves once or twice and resolve that you are not going to miss Dhikr again and that you will run to this Ni’mah of Allah ta’ala’s gathering. What will you do tomorrow if it does not continue? What will you do then?
So we will start Dhikr now, alhamdulillah, and we will start with such a great Kalimah, one which Allah ta’ala Himself joins in with: {إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ} This Kalimah with which we are to start Dhikr is one of which Allah says ‘I don’t pray Salah and I don’t keep fasts and I don’t do Hajj, but this is a deed which I also do!’ What is that deed? Allah says ‘Salli! I send blessings upon My Habeeb sallallahu alayhi wasallam. I also send Durood and Salam upon the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam’ - and so we join with Allah ta’ala in this great action, and we will start Dhikr with this deed.
Recite Durood Sharif.
13th Jul, 2021
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