The basis for a man's success depends on his Hereafter. He continues to prepare himself for the Hereafter, but he should not be satisfied and at ease until his result doesn't come out.
Even if Allah has given him the ability to worship and do good deeds day and night, he shouldn't sit and back rely on this, rather, he should continuously think and make effort that today Allah has given you this opportunity, so continue this opportunity until that stage when you are departing from this world. So if a man receives this opportunity then alhamdulillah he is successful. His Hereafter would be fantastic. And these opportunities one should take hold of. All life long one should constantly work hard and strive but not just once and he should always be concerned that Allah please continue to grant me the ability and then I can succeed.
Sometimes you see people depart from the world and one can testify that such a person is successful. Today someone passed away in Pakistan, he was connected to this silsalah, this order, such a unique connection he had with this silsilah that not only his children, but his grandchildren are also connected to this silsilah.
In this moment he is in the final stages of his life. Imagine the scenes when the angels come and question him and his answer will be given by his children who will be sitting engaging in Allah's dhikr in the morning. SubhaanAllah.
My Imaan says that the angels won't question him, rather they will congratulate him, that you left such an offspring in the world, that when you are departing, your children they will testify and their children will testify to the state of your Imaan. So such fortunate people depart the world who are extremely successful. So he is gone. And mashaaAllah he is leaving the khaadim, those who are serving the silsilah, ghulaams. Workers. His whole family are in the service of this silsilah. So from our heart we pray for him that Allah makes his further stages successful and everybody gets such a death and everyone gets children like this and children like this through his generations that the Naqshbandi blood continues. So this is success. To attain this success, how do we attain this succes? This is from the Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Closeness to Allah. All things are attained via Allah's nearness. The more a person is connected and close to Allah, the more his ranks are raised higher. And his condition continues on that. And his dunya continues on that basis and his hereafter continues on that basis. So Qurb, nearness to Allah is the root of the matter. How close is this servant to Allah and how much is he trying to get closer to Allah. This is the ongoing effort. If we know something that there is a way a path to Allah and what is that? Qurb-e-Ilaahi, to attain the nearness to Allah. Always a person should be concerned that I need to get Closer to Allah, closer to Allah, connected to Allah. So Allah ta'ala has prepared the means for us to achieve this, that a servant gets close to me. Because Allah wants. Allah says that you are far. But I am not far from you. Allah says you are far. Maybe. But I am not far from you. I am closer to you than your own jugular vein but you are far. So this is not good that we are far. Allah doesn't like that His servant is far from him. From the creator. So Allah has given us such an action, a great action that it makes a person get so close to Allah that no other action can get you closer to Allah than this one. Totally authentic deed. Allah has given to the people of faith that so much, at that time immediately, within a second, it gets a person close to Allah and Allah has announced that in the Quran in beautiful words with depth and there's a sajdah within that verse so we won't recite it in Arabic now. So Allah says, "just prostrate to me and come close to me." In other words only a person who really loves Allah, can really understand the depth of this. If someone is beloved to someone and he gives his all for that person and he says, "Remove the veil and come close to me." So how quickly will he move that veil to come closer to his beloved." But between Allah and His beloved, Allah has only placed one thing. Allah says, "you're not far I am waiting for you, i have prepared for you. Just do one action. Rub your forehead on the ground and I will be close to you." Allah says you'll do sajdah and I'll take you closer to me. I'll take you to that stage of closeness that it will be the highest level of closeness to me. The Maqaam of Qurb is the highest level for a believer and he attains it not in salaah, but I say, in sajdah he attains it. Salaah is the starting point for that. Remember this. All the preparation that a person goes through, wash his hands, putting water in his nostrils, clean the nose out, khilaal through the beard, khlialal of the fingers. Clean your feet. Wash until here, wipe the neck, wiping the head, wudu parts. Every part of the wudu purifies the body, Allah ta'ala is preparing for you in reality, what for? Why is he making you do all of this? What you attain through the Ibaadah of wudu. Wudu is not the objective. It is not the end point. Wudu is the invitation. It is the start point. For example you're washing your limbs, doing miswak and everything, so SubhaanAllah amazing reward just in the preparation. That when you prepare, you do wudu, you get clean and then you look up to the heavens and recite the kalimah. Then Allah say, I have opened up alll the doors of paradise for you. Just in the preparation. Look at the way to Allah's nearness. Allah says "my servant is getting closer to me."
And then Allah ta'ala says stand infront of me and Allah has made a separate place for this - The masaajids for a person to come and pray to Him. Then Allah ta'ala gives a method and a person stands there. Allah says you have come to meet me, first do this action, Raise your hands and detach yourself from everything in the world. Raise your hands in the beginning of salaah. When a believer raises his hands, then he doesn't have permission to look at anyone, to speak to anyone, to think about anyone, to listen to someone, to eat food, to take something, to drink water. Its a unique worship. Why does this happen? The fasting is separate. A great worship but in this worship, prayer, Allah makes him detach from everything. Independent from everything. These are the phases of love. So Allah says I detach you from everybody, everything, no one, left, right, nothing, you can't even look around you. Just point your eyes towards one place. Allah has given the method that when you're standing, then look here. When you bow, then look here. When you sit then look somewhere else. And when you do these actions, this much reward, this much reward, this much reward. Different parts. And you still haven't got the end point. So how much reward is Allah giving on the way to the end point. Then he continues on that journey, independent, detached from everyone, "Allahu akbar." The words he says are, "Allahu akbar."
That Allah apart from you there is nobody greater than you. The greatness of everyone else has left my heart, all fears have been removed from my heart, everything I am afraid of has left my heart. Just like you know, for example, something is coming and there is a child with you and immediately he runs and grabs on to his father and the child thinks that he is protected in his fathers embrace. A child believes that nothing horrible can affect him. In the same way, when a person says Allahu akbar in the beginning of salaah, he doesn't care about anything else, whatever harm you can inflict, whatever weapon, sword, you can try to do this to me. Whatever. But he is independent at that time. He has no fear. He says because he has certainty that Allah is the greatest and there is no one greater than Allah. That's it. Then he is immersed. What is he seeking in this phase he is reciting Hamd? What is he looking for? Reciting kalimaat. He is seeking his beloved. The one who is praying.
الحمد لله رب العالمين
And he is reciting the nasheed of his beloved. Of Allah. He is reciting praise. You are like this. You are like this. You are the Maalik. You are the Khaaliq, the creator. You are the one who gives, everything belongs to you, my Maalik. Then he goes into Ruku. Bowing posture. Then he remembers Allah. Then he stands up again. These are the different postures like you do Saee in Umrah. What is it? This is the feeling of Hadhrat Haajrah. She is looking for her child, running this way, running that way. Sometimes she went this way, to that mountain, to this height. So it was her emotion and condition looking for her child. In the same way the servant when he is in the salaah, then he is looking for Allah, his servant, his creator. I am looking for you my beloved, where are you? Where shall I find you? SubhaanAllah. So Allah says continue, keep coming, keep coming my servant. Get closer to me. He stood. Then he went into bowing. After bowing then he seats His servant. Then after sitting, then Allah says put your forehead on the earth. Alhamdulillah. From his mouth he says, "Subhaan." He said "Allahu akbar" at the top and here he said, "Subhaan." Allah you are pure. Glory be to you. You have given me closeness that where people think that dirt on the ground is dirtiest of all but Allah says humility and humbleness is there on the ground where you will meet your lord. In sujood. Does anyone bow in front of anyone? Prostrate? But the human becomes a helpless person. Total simplicity and humility. And Allah says, "recite my tasbeeh." And this is called sajdah. And Allah says "come close to me."
And how does a person get close to Allah. Allah says that a person who attains such nearness to Allah. It's like he is seeing His Lord and this is called the Mi'raaj of the believers. Why did Allah give Mi'raaj? Allah says that my Nabi came to me and saw me in the heavens, and his ummah will see me on the earth. SubhaanAllah look at the great unique opportunity. Allah says prostrate and attain my nearness. So brothers such a great action Allah has given to us. Qurb. His nearness. Qurb-e-Ilaahi. So how can the servant be far from His lord. But what have we done to this? Allah has given us such a great blessing, salaah. It has become a difficult for us today for the ummah. Today salaah is a mountain. It's a burden. Its a test. Our feet don't go towards salaah. Shall I go to the masjid? "Maybe, but its extremely difficult so I'll pray at home," we say. My brothers this is not something which we detach from our body and throw away to the side. We think we are free from it. "Good riddance." We say. I have presented to you a style of thinking about salaah in a faqeeri way. In a way of the lover of Allah. I didn't present it to you in the fiqhi, jurisprudence way. Yes. I presented it to you in a loving way. Such a beautiful enjoyable action of salaah then if we do not attain Allah's Qurb, then are we that lazy in salaah that that is how bad our relationship with salaah is. If tomorrow we are to pass away and go in our graves. The questions will come to us. What will be the solution to those questions? Tell me. And what platform will I stand on in the Hereafter and give the answers. What will be my position. Think about it. So Allah ta'ala, His mercy. He gives His servant a reminder that somehow come to me. Come to me and come close to me. Come close to me Allah says. But the servant, thousands of wrong paths that he has adopted, he makes excuses. He says I can find Allah ta'ala here. I can find Allah ta'ala from other actions. I'll find Allah from other actions. My brothers. If you find Allah ta'ala, you will find Him only in the sujood. Let me tell you this clearly. Where Allah has said you will find Him is only where you will find Him. That's it. No other place will you find Allah. Destroyed are those people who are trying their own methods and opinions. "I get Allah's nearness from here. I do other things. This is just a side thing, I don’t need to pray." You will find people like that. "Oh I get Allah ta'ala's magnificence in sajdah and salah." Apart from that, other things where people claim to find the magnificence of Allah, that is Shaytaan and it is the deception of Shaytaan that deviates them that "keep prostrating to me," shaytaan says. Because a person does shirk at that time when he breaks Allah's principles and he follows the principles of Shaytaan. That's why a person who has Imaan can also become a Mushrik. Because after bringing Imaan and faith, even though he believes, even then he's in danger if he breaks Allah's principles and he runs after other principles to find Allah. Then he's in danger and that's why Shaytaan gets a chance. And that's why he says, "I find Allah here. Or I do this worship or action. I do other things and get closer to Allah. It can never be. Impossible. Never can it be. Remember that point. No complete Kaamil Sheikh will show you any other path to Allah's nearness. The true Sheikh will show you only one path to attain Allah's nearness. And what is that? Sajdah. Prostration. Let me tell you this clearly. The most important thing that a Kaamil complete Sheikh will teach his student is that he will strengthen his salaah and the true student, honest student, the difference between a good mureed and a false mureed is that the honest and righteous student who is travelling to Allah, when he has the correct intention that he wants to attain Allah's nearness, then the first difference you will see is in his salaah. He wil become an observer of salaah. The true honest disciple because the love will be burning inside him for salaah. He cannot be a mureed. He's a liar student who is not praying salaah, even if his children do not pray salaah, he's not a mureed. Remember this point. That inside him if he doesn't have the love for salaah then how will the love for salaah come inside his children? The most important concern a student should have for his children is that, "how will my children pray salaah?" Before the Quran. Before Hifdh, Quran Memorisation. You know this desire, "I want my children to be Haafidh and this and that." I've seen regularly. Such mothers who are teaching their children. "He’s done this much hifdh." But at the same time they're 18 years old and never have they pushed them or dragged them to the masjid. Never a father I've seen who drags his child to the masjid. "He’s doing Hifdh, he's done this many juzz." My brothers, first and foremost develop the passion inside of them. As soon as they're mature, place a toppee on their head and stand him next to you in salaah. I've seen such children one a half year old, 2 years old, from their tongue, Allah comes out of their mouth. When they see their father and mother go in to sajdah, then they start shaking. The child is shaking. You see a child. Like we recite Quran and they are moving, do dhikr and they're moving to that action, so how does a child have the awareness and the consciousness and the love not even knowing what the parents are doing, he sees his parents praying salaah and he begins moving the postures of salaah. Never can that child cannot start to pray.
If you make your child a Haafidh, what is the benefit tell me? Just to show the world, Aalim, scholar, Haafidh? Just to show the people of the world? What is the benefit? To tell the people of the world? If you want to make your child an observer of prayer, then you have made that child everything. We have no need for dunya that the people of this world praise us and our children. We want Allah to be pleased with us.
Thats what we need. A person who prays salaah attains everything in this world because Quran will give you the nearness to Allah, Hifdh will give you the nearness to Allah, knowledge will give you nearness to Allah, all of these will give you but what is this? Allah ta'ala says, but me. You can only see me if you want to obtain the Maqaam of my Qurb which is only in prostration. Yes child is Haafidh, he never prays salah, he doesn't go to the masjid, you don't see him praying here, you don't see him praying there, no care for salaah and we are just praising and big headed that our child is a "Haafidh." My words may be bitter, my friends may be upset with me, and if they are, then so be it. I don't care. I dont mind. I dont care about anyone if they're upset. Because I care about our Lord Allah, what He thinks. Somebody, If he comes on the right path due to my words alhamdulillah. Remember when I speak, after that I look at the result, that one man. When I speak I give invitation to dhikr and after that when I see that due to that invitation. I don’t see that are the people praising me, Wah wah what a great bayaan, speechless, what do I see, I speak about myself and you are my friends I share with you What do I look at? How do I determine? After this bayaan, after I have spoken I see that, has a new person come to that gathering who is practicing upon that? Alhamdulillah then when I see it, I understand that what I said was accepted by Allah. One man if he comes. Yes I say it was accepted. Who was not there yesterday. Yesterday I was sat and today he comes again, I say "Allah, SubhaanAllah you have delivered the message to that person. I am successful and he is successful that on your call he came and he's solid. So this is my standard to measure my friends. Until Allah is not in our sight, Allah's nearness. Allah's love, then everything is a waste. Everything is temporary. Look at this on focus on this what I'm saying to you. Your children. Before, yes make them Haafidh and Aalim but first step for children is to make them such observers of Salaah that he doesn't leave any salaah performed in the masjid. Otherwise his eating is Haraam, his drinking is haraam, his clothes are haraam, his love is haraam, his walking is haraam. Everything of that human being is haraam. What is there in his life if he's not doing this action tell me. Yes were big headed, my son is this, he's doing this, he has achieved this, maybe, maybe he is whatever he is, big signs, big degrees, university, graduate oh yes, we need one thing. Does he do what Allah says, My nearness is attained in that action? That's it. Dont look left and right. That's our objective of life. Rather other things, if you're children are after the dunya, I made him study hifdh and he doesn't have the intellect to pray salaah. Be upset with that person. Scold him and be strict with him so he realises and that inside I have nothing and this is what I need to do. And for the one who has nothing, you should be big headed and say "my child, he prays salaah permanent" and be happy about it. My children. And don't say it out of pride so that you're showing off to people and putting other people down. No. Say it in such a style and manner that, "I appreciate my child and alhamdulillah I'm grateful for Allah's blessing for my child and we are praying salaah."
Not, "my child is this, your child is sinful. My child prays salaah." This is an extreme sin, full of pride that you think, "my child is praying salah and your child is useless." Never even think this for a second, that you look at another child and you show off with your children and praise your children that they are praying." Remember this.
I've seen it with my eyes. That his child, your child will also become worse than the other child. I've seen this. Those people who are big headed and they praise their children with pride which is inside ingrained that I want to show off to other people that look at my son he's pious he's praying salaah and he goes to the masjid and he gives adhaan," then doing this praise of your child, if you do it due to Allah's blessing and you want to create passion in other people and you want to share that goodness with other people because have pain for the other person with the intention of tableegh and you're saying it without giving pain to someone else. Then it's reward for sharing the goodness. But if you're showing your child's piety to others because you're elevating your child and your belittling the person, then remember my friends very quickly, your sons will be in that position of the person you are criticising, I've seen this with my eyes. So never put someone down. Don't belittle someone's children. "Your daughter is like this, your son is like this." No. Say it with sadness and pain that, "Allah improve those people as well. Dont belittle them and make them feel ashamed. No. There's a method of sharing things with somebody.
So most important of all, yes advice comes in between the message as well. So I come back to the topic. What were we talking about. Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Nearness to Allah and how do we attain nearness to Allah? In sajdah. What month are we passing through? Ramadan. What has Ramadan come to do? Tazkiyah. To purify us. And the greatest method of purification is to go to the company of the Sheikh and the greatest Tazkiyah of the Sheikh is that he teaches the student to pray the best of prayers. Remember this. Our dhikr is not the objective. Dhikr is not the end point. The result of dhikr is the objective. The Sheikh tells you to do dhikr so that the love of Allah enters your heart, so that we implement Allah's orders, so that we perform the best prostration, wherever Allah says prostrate to me, look at me and I'm looking at you. Allah says I am looking at you. Allah says, no you are seeing me. That's the Maqaam you need to attain. What a great result for a human being. For me. For you. So which duty is this? Who grabs hold onto this? Those who are the honest deputies of the Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they are the Mashaaikh. Our Mawlana Lahori sahib Rahmatullahi Alayh said, The Ulamah, scholar, make the sweets and the Mashaaikh are the ones who feed the sweets. The Wali of Allah. They feed the sweets and give the taste of the sweets, the enjoyment. That, yes you hear the hadith from the scholar that , "this is salaah, this is sajdah," but "let me give you the taste of the sweet" says the Wali Allah. This is called Tazkiyah. Purification. So Tazkiyah is the greatest line of the deen of Islam and it teaches you salah. Not just salaah but prostration. The rest of the the salaah are different parts but the genuine part of the salaah is sajdah. Allah says, "do sajdah, find my nearness and come to me."
Whoever dies in sajdah, what a great death tell me. Can anyone say that he has died whilst in the postures of Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Nearness to Allah.
So how did Ramadan leave us? It is training us, coaching us. What did Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say about this? SubhaanAllah. That during the day my Lord has given the fast and Your Nabi, in the night has given you Qiyaam. Standing in Salaah. SubhaanAllah. This is Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that look, "nothing else has been presented to you like it has in Ramadan." That’s why he said 2 things in Ramadan. 2 physical acts of worship. One is from Allah and one Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave to us. SubhaanAllah. What did Allah ta'ala give to us in Ramadan? Fasting. What did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam give us? Taraweeh. Who gave this? So our beloved Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his style, with love and belovedness he gave the sweets to the Ummah. Look at his style. With tenderness and affection he gave taraweeh to the Ummah. What love and affection he had. Time for I'itikaaf came and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat in i'tikaaf and you know the straw type of mat like we have, so there was the barrier made out of straw in Masjidun Nabawi. SubhaanAllah. Imagine the scene. Right next to the house of Hadhrat Aishah Radiyallaha Anha which we call Riyaadhul Jannah today. Yes. I'm giving you the scene of Madinah in Ramadan. So it was the final 10 days of Ramadan and after 3,4 days that time will come. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, The Master of the 2 worlds sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his habit was that the barrier would be put up the straw barrier, so close to the house of Hadhrat Aishah Radiyallaha Anha said,
MashaaAllah "I also used to wash his hair from there coming out from the Hujrah." His private room. SubhaanAllah. Beautiful scenes. We don’t know how to say this, but Ajeeb, beautiful unique scenes that we cannot utter from the mouth. Sometimes in the Naat, nasheeds, I share those scenes with you. Very soon I will share a nasheed with you. In Ramadan, nice nasheeds are released SubhaanAllah. So this is a gathering of tazkiyah. We talk about love. I don't open the Quran and do tafseer infront of you. We exchange the love from the heart so that the light can come to the heart. SubhaanAllah. So then, the straw mat, the barrier and nothing else was there. SubhanAllah and nothing else was there. It was Ramadan, keeping the fast, all the Companions were there and nothing else. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is giving a gift to the Ummah at that time.
All the previous nations were giving the worship of fasting. Say SubhaanAllah. Allah says in the Quran, the fasting I prescribed to you, I gave to all the previous nations. But has anyone else got Taraweeh? The previous nations. SubhaanAllah. Nobody. Was anyone given the ability to pray Taraweeh? Only the ummah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was given the gift of Taraweeh. The Master of Madinah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who wrapped the black cloak around him. This is his Sadaqah. The green cloak he used to wear and the green clothes he used to wear. He gave us this. This is his Sadaqah. Taraweeh gift. So this was the habit of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Masjidun Nabawi and the companions, there was congregation and they prayed behind him. The Aashiq, the beloved. So what happened was that they saw that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began to pray Salaah. And they continued to pray a lengthy salaah. The noble companions were beloved, "what is our Sheikh doing, we'll do the same." Say SubhaanAllah. Yes because they wanted to follow their Sheikh. So all the companions, they practiced behind their Sheikh and then that became the deen. Where do you get this from? قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم , where did this come, that I heard this and I saw this and he told me, he told me. Where? Back to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said this. That is the deen. Formation of the deen. And the Sahabah who were the beloveds, they followed and they practiced it, they delivered it, then they delivered it, passed it and then it came Bukhari, Sahih Sittah, 6 books of Hadith and Jurisprudence and who? Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah Radiyallahu Anhu, he started it. The narration. So the Sahabah said what is happening here, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is praying. What is our Sheikh doing?" One saw, two saw, two days, the first day. The few of them they followed. They stood behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in salaah. Say SubhaanAllah. If he continued they continued. If he stopped then they stopped. Because the student should do this aswell. Yes, just start and don't be upset if for example, you get the elbow then don't be upset. You should be happy because you should be following and imitating. Try and end it. Go. Step back. Don’t do this. Some people they get upset. The foolish people. They should be happy that their Sheikh is giving them Tarbiyyah. Immediately they should send the box of sweets and Mitai to me that Hadhrat you gave me a good lesson. SubhaanAllah. Im just joking. Don't start sending me Mitai. So what i was saying? The noble companions mashaaAllah. They started to practice. Are you enjoying what I am saying or are you not? SubhaanAllah. So I just taking you through the scenes of Madinah and I'itikaaf and now I'm explaining to you how taraweeh came to the Ummah. The love and the affection to the Ummah. Little bit of time but with love I will share this knowledge with you. So look here brothers, that person who has gone into his grave and children are enjoying, they don't even know. They've probably even forgotten that he's passed away. They are listening. MashaaAllah how fortunate are they.
So mashaaAllah a few of the Sahabah, some were afraid they weren't sure, they were hesitant but they said, "okay let's stand behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, maybe he will tell us not to do." Maybe the elbow will come but the slap of the beloved is beloved isn't it. There's no pain because they enjoy that even if they get told off. The Sheikh slaps the student and he says, "please slap me again. I enjoyed that slap oh Sheikh, I loved it." So SubhaanAllah. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam didn't say anything. He said carry on my Sahabah. Because the love and the affection that he had. This was the style of his giving to the Ummah. And he is giving us. What is he giving and how was he giving? So first day the Sahabah prayed behind him and then their love increased. Second day the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did the same action, he stood again, 5 Sahabah stood and then 20 Sahabah stood. They didn't get an elbow. "Okay we will also join." The third day, the whole Masjidun Nabawi was full behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Yes this is an action which has been established. They are praying the Taraweeh and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is leading the Salaah.
And he gave Taraweeh to the Ummah with love slowly gradually. He didn't command the whole Ummah to pray. With love they were immersed in the Quran. The Quran was being recited and the person who was reciting. Imaamul Ambiyah, the head of the Prophets and who are listening? The noble companions were listening to the Quran. And this has come as a gift for the Ummah. Taraweeh salah and after the 3rd day, they prayed and then Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "listen my mureeds come here." Then the elbow came. What are you doing here? They said, "what you are doing here Oh Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we are doing the same." SubhaanAllah. "You are doing correct you are imitating me, who else are you going to imitate?" Obviously he is a mureed who imitates his Sheikh. Follows his Sheikh. But listen to me the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I was doing this but this imitation for you," I'm speaking to you in the language of love." These are not the word to word of the hadith. Just in between im giving an explanation. That he said,
"You imitated me, Allah ta'ala loved this extremely and was very happy with this." Say SubhaanAllah. "My beloved companions, your actions are so beloved to Allah." And they were the lovers of Allah. They became so happy at the time the sahabah. Light upon light. One was Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam words and secondly Allah loved what we were doing that our lives has been made. SubhaanAllah. Paradise has opened, the paths have been opened. The noble companions, amazing enjoyment. Just like you are swaying, imagine their swaying and their enjoyment.
So is it difficult for you to pray Taraweeh now, tell me? What happened after that then? SubhaanAllah so Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that Allah loved this action so much but I am your Nabi and I don’t want to give you hardship.
SubhaanAllah. He loved the Ummah so much. He said "I am afraid that it is so beloved and pleasing that maybe Jibraeel عليه السلام will come so I'll speak to you before he does. Maybe you will become stuck with what i do. So let me speak to you before incase Jibraeel عليه السلام comes and makes it compulsory upon you and in doing so it would be difficult upon you my children." So Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I know that you are stood here but there will be an Ummah who will come after you in Bolton and they'll be born in other parts of the world, in America and in other parts and they wont be able to pray Salaah. They won't come towards the masjid, "no my shop and my house or this and that." Excuses. So where will they come to Taraweeh? So such a thing where love has been given to the Ummah that they will come running to the salaah and SubhaanAllah Allah has also given a limit so they are not given too much in excess. This is the work of the a Sheikh. The he doesn't pester the student. He doesn't force the student. He gives with love and affection to his followers. He doesn't make them upset or distressed. "Do this, pray this nafl." No. He will bring them to you and put them in your lap but with love an affection, nicely so that you can embrace it with your heart. SubhaanAllah. So this is the case, My Lord, He gave you fasting in the day and your Nabi gave you Qiyaam. And now it is your choice but SubhaanAllah so that it doesn't become compulsory upon you, but you have permission to pray it at home or in the masjid, however you pray it. So there he didn't tell them not to do it but he gave them permission with love and affection and he demonstrated to them how to do it. And then after that, the noble companions were they to leave their salaah? How could they leave their salaah? So someone is praying here, someone is praying there, so 4 men, someone here is the Imaam, someone is praying here, someone is praying at home, prayer was established. Then Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu passed away in the same condition and then Umar Radiyallahu Anhu, he was Umar. SubhaanAllah. He was passing by Masjidun Nabawi and then from Allah inspiration came to him, because Subhanallah Nabi, his speech and Allah ta'ala used to confirm it. So when Umar Radiyallahu Anhu spoke, Allah ta'ala also confirmed his speech also. SubhaanAllah. It is present in the Quran, a few verses are like that. That the decision is almost being made, Umar Radiyallahu Anhu spoke, and then he said 'this or this?" And then Allah ta'ala from above said that whatever Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said should be decided. SubhaanAllah. He was Fãruq. He was the one who created Farq. Differentiation between disbelief and Islam. That was his blood. That was his practice SubhaanAllah. He said this is deen and this is bid'ah. This is shirk and this is love. So when he establishes something, then nobody can put a stop to that and there's no choice after that. So he passed by Masjidun Nabawi and SubhaanAllah Hadhrat Umar called the Sahabah, "oh my companions," immediately they all came. Yes instruction. It was his era. He was the Imaam. He was the leader of the believers. He was the deputy of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and every sahabi came. "Please instruct us." He was Khalifah of his time. He said my heart feels that you are all praying here and there and you are all separated, you have done congregation with our Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and that's not incorrect, congregation did occur behind him and he was the Imaam and he gave the instruction so he said, "the rest I will complete for you now." SubhaanAllah. You are praying so pray in a loving way, in a nice way speak in a nice way and do the action, i'll tell you in a nice way. Because I'm his disciple and it's all coming from there but it is coming in a certain way so you don't get scared suddenly from this action." So Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said, the point is this, "will you do this?" They said "yes we will, please tell us." He said "shall I tell you the method?" He said, "my heart feels that you're praying here, separated in different parts. Isn't it better that we all get together and read in congregation?" They said "totally we are ready." He said, "okay i'll make the Imaam." Say SubhaanAllah. Why? He said "i'll make the Imaam. It's the choice of the Nabi." SubhaanAllah such a great statement. He said "it's Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's choice not mine. That I will instruct him. My order here, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam brought it to this stage. It is my selection."
Are you enjoying what I am saying? SubhaanAllah. Are you feeling the fast. No you're not. Are you hungry.
So what happened after that? Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said 'it's my choice.' Its his choice. His selection but I will give the instruction. What did he say? Who will be the Imaam? Such great sahabah. Their names. Quran memorised on their tongue. He said "no everyone has failed." Listen. Umar Radiyallahu Anhu made an announcement about whom Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about that companion.
"All the sahabah recite Quran, I like everyone's Quran but most of the all the best Quran recited the best which is who? Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. Every companions rank and status was separate and nobody can compare to Hadhrat Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu from any of the companions in recitation. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave titles. Hadhrat Ali KaramAllahu Wajhah, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about him, that he is the Great Qaadhi, justice cannot be decided like Ali Radiyallahu Anhu can. Hadhrat Haarith Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, all scholars, but no ones knowledge can compare to him. These were his special qualities. SubhaanAllah.
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned regarding Hadhrat Zaid bin Thabit Radiyallahu Anhu that all the Sahabah are knowledgeable, but regarding the knowledge of Inheritance, no one's knowledge can compare to Hadhrat Zaid Bin Thabit Radiyallahu Anhu. These were his special qualities. SubhaanAllah. They said, "All of you are aware of the differentiation between Haraam and Halal, however Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said out of all the companions, the most greatest is Muadh ibn Jabal Radiyallahu Anhu in this quality. But Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said out of all the companions the most greatest is Muadh ibn Jabal Radiyallahu Anhu in this quality. So Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made these stars shine and he selected them. Say SubhaanAllah. So Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Quran recitation, Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. SubhaanAllah. So I say that every Haafidh should be a lover of Hadhrat Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. The Huffadh today probably don't even know their names because we just want to hifdh to show the world. We dont even know their names. At least remember the name Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. Who was he? He was the lover of the Quran recitation. Such a lover of the Quran that Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I like listening to his Quran, that's it." His recitation, his tajweed I like to listen." His melody is his melody. His methodology is what I want to hear." SubhaanAllah. So then after that Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu stood and behind were all the Sahabah. The great congregation. From that time until today until Qiyaamah, 20 rakaat taraweeh will continue. SubhaanAllah. So where did it start? Masjidun Nabawi. Try to stop it, even in the Kabah it takes place even in Masjidun Nabawi 20 rakat takes place. Even if their Aqeedah, belief whatever their faith is, but taraweeh whenever it comes, Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu's command will continue. 20 rakaat Taraweeh. Yes. So if someone wants to pray 8,6, play games, drama, but the real order which Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave through Umar Radiyallahu Anhu is, If you pray, then pray 20 rakaat. If you don't pray, then run away. Its not Fard, compulsory. Go. But who is the lover of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who leaves Taraweeh. Then the enjoyment in Taraweeh. What is the reward? What was our topic? Qurb-e-Ilaahi, nearness to Allah. Announcement made my Ramadan. Oh monkeys. If you are looking for Allah's nearness and you are running away from Salaah? Where will you get from your Lord? From here from here from here. From this Ibaadah? Why are you deceiving yourselves? I am the Lord, if you want to attain Allah, then only in Sajdah, but you're leaving Sajdah? This action? In every sajdah, Maqaam of Allah's nearness, you cannot even imagine. The solution on every Sajdah. Do sajdah. Not 'sujood.' Not plural. Read the verse "sajdah." Is this not the case my brothers? Yes. One prostration and you can attain my nearness. One prostration of a believer is so precious.
Allah's nearness. Allah purifies him. Allah says that His nearness is attained via that one sajdah.
The basis for a man's success depends on his Hereafter. He continues to prepare himself for the Hereafter, but he should not be satisfied and at ease until his result doesn't come out.
Even if Allah has given him the ability to worship and do good deeds day and night, he shouldn't sit and back rely on this, rather, he should continuously think and make effort that today Allah has given you this opportunity, so continue this opportunity until that stage when you are departing from this world. So if a man receives this opportunity then alhamdulillah he is successful. His Hereafter would be fantastic. And these opportunities one should take hold of. All life long one should constantly work hard and strive but not just once and he should always be concerned that Allah please continue to grant me the ability and then I can succeed.
Sometimes you see people depart from the world and one can testify that such a person is successful. Today someone passed away in Pakistan, he was connected to this silsalah, this order, such a unique connection he had with this silsilah that not only his children, but his grandchildren are also connected to this silsilah.
In this moment he is in the final stages of his life. Imagine the scenes when the angels come and question him and his answer will be given by his children who will be sitting engaging in Allah's dhikr in the morning. SubhaanAllah.
My Imaan says that the angels won't question him, rather they will congratulate him, that you left such an offspring in the world, that when you are departing, your children they will testify and their children will testify to the state of your Imaan. So such fortunate people depart the world who are extremely successful. So he is gone. And mashaaAllah he is leaving the khaadim, those who are serving the silsilah, ghulaams. Workers. His whole family are in the service of this silsilah. So from our heart we pray for him that Allah makes his further stages successful and everybody gets such a death and everyone gets children like this and children like this through his generations that the Naqshbandi blood continues. So this is success. To attain this success, how do we attain this succes? This is from the Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Closeness to Allah. All things are attained via Allah's nearness. The more a person is connected and close to Allah, the more his ranks are raised higher. And his condition continues on that. And his dunya continues on that basis and his hereafter continues on that basis. So Qurb, nearness to Allah is the root of the matter. How close is this servant to Allah and how much is he trying to get closer to Allah. This is the ongoing effort. If we know something that there is a way a path to Allah and what is that? Qurb-e-Ilaahi, to attain the nearness to Allah. Always a person should be concerned that I need to get Closer to Allah, closer to Allah, connected to Allah. So Allah ta'ala has prepared the means for us to achieve this, that a servant gets close to me. Because Allah wants. Allah says that you are far. But I am not far from you. Allah says you are far. Maybe. But I am not far from you. I am closer to you than your own jugular vein but you are far. So this is not good that we are far. Allah doesn't like that His servant is far from him. From the creator. So Allah has given us such an action, a great action that it makes a person get so close to Allah that no other action can get you closer to Allah than this one. Totally authentic deed. Allah has given to the people of faith that so much, at that time immediately, within a second, it gets a person close to Allah and Allah has announced that in the Quran in beautiful words with depth and there's a sajdah within that verse so we won't recite it in Arabic now. So Allah says, "just prostrate to me and come close to me." In other words only a person who really loves Allah, can really understand the depth of this. If someone is beloved to someone and he gives his all for that person and he says, "Remove the veil and come close to me." So how quickly will he move that veil to come closer to his beloved." But between Allah and His beloved, Allah has only placed one thing. Allah says, "you're not far I am waiting for you, i have prepared for you. Just do one action. Rub your forehead on the ground and I will be close to you." Allah says you'll do sajdah and I'll take you closer to me. I'll take you to that stage of closeness that it will be the highest level of closeness to me. The Maqaam of Qurb is the highest level for a believer and he attains it not in salaah, but I say, in sajdah he attains it. Salaah is the starting point for that. Remember this. All the preparation that a person goes through, wash his hands, putting water in his nostrils, clean the nose out, khilaal through the beard, khlialal of the fingers. Clean your feet. Wash until here, wipe the neck, wiping the head, wudu parts. Every part of the wudu purifies the body, Allah ta'ala is preparing for you in reality, what for? Why is he making you do all of this? What you attain through the Ibaadah of wudu. Wudu is not the objective. It is not the end point. Wudu is the invitation. It is the start point. For example you're washing your limbs, doing miswak and everything, so SubhaanAllah amazing reward just in the preparation. That when you prepare, you do wudu, you get clean and then you look up to the heavens and recite the kalimah. Then Allah say, I have opened up alll the doors of paradise for you. Just in the preparation. Look at the way to Allah's nearness. Allah says "my servant is getting closer to me."
And then Allah ta'ala says stand infront of me and Allah has made a separate place for this - The masaajids for a person to come and pray to Him. Then Allah ta'ala gives a method and a person stands there. Allah says you have come to meet me, first do this action, Raise your hands and detach yourself from everything in the world. Raise your hands in the beginning of salaah. When a believer raises his hands, then he doesn't have permission to look at anyone, to speak to anyone, to think about anyone, to listen to someone, to eat food, to take something, to drink water. Its a unique worship. Why does this happen? The fasting is separate. A great worship but in this worship, prayer, Allah makes him detach from everything. Independent from everything. These are the phases of love. So Allah says I detach you from everybody, everything, no one, left, right, nothing, you can't even look around you. Just point your eyes towards one place. Allah has given the method that when you're standing, then look here. When you bow, then look here. When you sit then look somewhere else. And when you do these actions, this much reward, this much reward, this much reward. Different parts. And you still haven't got the end point. So how much reward is Allah giving on the way to the end point. Then he continues on that journey, independent, detached from everyone, "Allahu akbar." The words he says are, "Allahu akbar."
That Allah apart from you there is nobody greater than you. The greatness of everyone else has left my heart, all fears have been removed from my heart, everything I am afraid of has left my heart. Just like you know, for example, something is coming and there is a child with you and immediately he runs and grabs on to his father and the child thinks that he is protected in his fathers embrace. A child believes that nothing horrible can affect him. In the same way, when a person says Allahu akbar in the beginning of salaah, he doesn't care about anything else, whatever harm you can inflict, whatever weapon, sword, you can try to do this to me. Whatever. But he is independent at that time. He has no fear. He says because he has certainty that Allah is the greatest and there is no one greater than Allah. That's it. Then he is immersed. What is he seeking in this phase he is reciting Hamd? What is he looking for? Reciting kalimaat. He is seeking his beloved. The one who is praying.
الحمد لله رب العالمين
And he is reciting the nasheed of his beloved. Of Allah. He is reciting praise. You are like this. You are like this. You are the Maalik. You are the Khaaliq, the creator. You are the one who gives, everything belongs to you, my Maalik. Then he goes into Ruku. Bowing posture. Then he remembers Allah. Then he stands up again. These are the different postures like you do Saee in Umrah. What is it? This is the feeling of Hadhrat Haajrah. She is looking for her child, running this way, running that way. Sometimes she went this way, to that mountain, to this height. So it was her emotion and condition looking for her child. In the same way the servant when he is in the salaah, then he is looking for Allah, his servant, his creator. I am looking for you my beloved, where are you? Where shall I find you? SubhaanAllah. So Allah says continue, keep coming, keep coming my servant. Get closer to me. He stood. Then he went into bowing. After bowing then he seats His servant. Then after sitting, then Allah says put your forehead on the earth. Alhamdulillah. From his mouth he says, "Subhaan." He said "Allahu akbar" at the top and here he said, "Subhaan." Allah you are pure. Glory be to you. You have given me closeness that where people think that dirt on the ground is dirtiest of all but Allah says humility and humbleness is there on the ground where you will meet your lord. In sujood. Does anyone bow in front of anyone? Prostrate? But the human becomes a helpless person. Total simplicity and humility. And Allah says, "recite my tasbeeh." And this is called sajdah. And Allah says "come close to me."
And how does a person get close to Allah. Allah says that a person who attains such nearness to Allah. It's like he is seeing His Lord and this is called the Mi'raaj of the believers. Why did Allah give Mi'raaj? Allah says that my Nabi came to me and saw me in the heavens, and his ummah will see me on the earth. SubhaanAllah look at the great unique opportunity. Allah says prostrate and attain my nearness. So brothers such a great action Allah has given to us. Qurb. His nearness. Qurb-e-Ilaahi. So how can the servant be far from His lord. But what have we done to this? Allah has given us such a great blessing, salaah. It has become a difficult for us today for the ummah. Today salaah is a mountain. It's a burden. Its a test. Our feet don't go towards salaah. Shall I go to the masjid? "Maybe, but its extremely difficult so I'll pray at home," we say. My brothers this is not something which we detach from our body and throw away to the side. We think we are free from it. "Good riddance." We say. I have presented to you a style of thinking about salaah in a faqeeri way. In a way of the lover of Allah. I didn't present it to you in the fiqhi, jurisprudence way. Yes. I presented it to you in a loving way. Such a beautiful enjoyable action of salaah then if we do not attain Allah's Qurb, then are we that lazy in salaah that that is how bad our relationship with salaah is. If tomorrow we are to pass away and go in our graves. The questions will come to us. What will be the solution to those questions? Tell me. And what platform will I stand on in the Hereafter and give the answers. What will be my position. Think about it. So Allah ta'ala, His mercy. He gives His servant a reminder that somehow come to me. Come to me and come close to me. Come close to me Allah says. But the servant, thousands of wrong paths that he has adopted, he makes excuses. He says I can find Allah ta'ala here. I can find Allah ta'ala from other actions. I'll find Allah from other actions. My brothers. If you find Allah ta'ala, you will find Him only in the sujood. Let me tell you this clearly. Where Allah has said you will find Him is only where you will find Him. That's it. No other place will you find Allah. Destroyed are those people who are trying their own methods and opinions. "I get Allah's nearness from here. I do other things. This is just a side thing, I don’t need to pray." You will find people like that. "Oh I get Allah ta'ala's magnificence in sajdah and salah." Apart from that, other things where people claim to find the magnificence of Allah, that is Shaytaan and it is the deception of Shaytaan that deviates them that "keep prostrating to me," shaytaan says. Because a person does shirk at that time when he breaks Allah's principles and he follows the principles of Shaytaan. That's why a person who has Imaan can also become a Mushrik. Because after bringing Imaan and faith, even though he believes, even then he's in danger if he breaks Allah's principles and he runs after other principles to find Allah. Then he's in danger and that's why Shaytaan gets a chance. And that's why he says, "I find Allah here. Or I do this worship or action. I do other things and get closer to Allah. It can never be. Impossible. Never can it be. Remember that point. No complete Kaamil Sheikh will show you any other path to Allah's nearness. The true Sheikh will show you only one path to attain Allah's nearness. And what is that? Sajdah. Prostration. Let me tell you this clearly. The most important thing that a Kaamil complete Sheikh will teach his student is that he will strengthen his salaah and the true student, honest student, the difference between a good mureed and a false mureed is that the honest and righteous student who is travelling to Allah, when he has the correct intention that he wants to attain Allah's nearness, then the first difference you will see is in his salaah. He wil become an observer of salaah. The true honest disciple because the love will be burning inside him for salaah. He cannot be a mureed. He's a liar student who is not praying salaah, even if his children do not pray salaah, he's not a mureed. Remember this point. That inside him if he doesn't have the love for salaah then how will the love for salaah come inside his children? The most important concern a student should have for his children is that, "how will my children pray salaah?" Before the Quran. Before Hifdh, Quran Memorisation. You know this desire, "I want my children to be Haafidh and this and that." I've seen regularly. Such mothers who are teaching their children. "He’s done this much hifdh." But at the same time they're 18 years old and never have they pushed them or dragged them to the masjid. Never a father I've seen who drags his child to the masjid. "He’s doing Hifdh, he's done this many juzz." My brothers, first and foremost develop the passion inside of them. As soon as they're mature, place a toppee on their head and stand him next to you in salaah. I've seen such children one a half year old, 2 years old, from their tongue, Allah comes out of their mouth. When they see their father and mother go in to sajdah, then they start shaking. The child is shaking. You see a child. Like we recite Quran and they are moving, do dhikr and they're moving to that action, so how does a child have the awareness and the consciousness and the love not even knowing what the parents are doing, he sees his parents praying salaah and he begins moving the postures of salaah. Never can that child cannot start to pray.
If you make your child a Haafidh, what is the benefit tell me? Just to show the world, Aalim, scholar, Haafidh? Just to show the people of the world? What is the benefit? To tell the people of the world? If you want to make your child an observer of prayer, then you have made that child everything. We have no need for dunya that the people of this world praise us and our children. We want Allah to be pleased with us.
Thats what we need. A person who prays salaah attains everything in this world because Quran will give you the nearness to Allah, Hifdh will give you the nearness to Allah, knowledge will give you nearness to Allah, all of these will give you but what is this? Allah ta'ala says, but me. You can only see me if you want to obtain the Maqaam of my Qurb which is only in prostration. Yes child is Haafidh, he never prays salah, he doesn't go to the masjid, you don't see him praying here, you don't see him praying there, no care for salaah and we are just praising and big headed that our child is a "Haafidh." My words may be bitter, my friends may be upset with me, and if they are, then so be it. I don't care. I dont mind. I dont care about anyone if they're upset. Because I care about our Lord Allah, what He thinks. Somebody, If he comes on the right path due to my words alhamdulillah. Remember when I speak, after that I look at the result, that one man. When I speak I give invitation to dhikr and after that when I see that due to that invitation. I don’t see that are the people praising me, Wah wah what a great bayaan, speechless, what do I see, I speak about myself and you are my friends I share with you What do I look at? How do I determine? After this bayaan, after I have spoken I see that, has a new person come to that gathering who is practicing upon that? Alhamdulillah then when I see it, I understand that what I said was accepted by Allah. One man if he comes. Yes I say it was accepted. Who was not there yesterday. Yesterday I was sat and today he comes again, I say "Allah, SubhaanAllah you have delivered the message to that person. I am successful and he is successful that on your call he came and he's solid. So this is my standard to measure my friends. Until Allah is not in our sight, Allah's nearness. Allah's love, then everything is a waste. Everything is temporary. Look at this on focus on this what I'm saying to you. Your children. Before, yes make them Haafidh and Aalim but first step for children is to make them such observers of Salaah that he doesn't leave any salaah performed in the masjid. Otherwise his eating is Haraam, his drinking is haraam, his clothes are haraam, his love is haraam, his walking is haraam. Everything of that human being is haraam. What is there in his life if he's not doing this action tell me. Yes were big headed, my son is this, he's doing this, he has achieved this, maybe, maybe he is whatever he is, big signs, big degrees, university, graduate oh yes, we need one thing. Does he do what Allah says, My nearness is attained in that action? That's it. Dont look left and right. That's our objective of life. Rather other things, if you're children are after the dunya, I made him study hifdh and he doesn't have the intellect to pray salaah. Be upset with that person. Scold him and be strict with him so he realises and that inside I have nothing and this is what I need to do. And for the one who has nothing, you should be big headed and say "my child, he prays salaah permanent" and be happy about it. My children. And don't say it out of pride so that you're showing off to people and putting other people down. No. Say it in such a style and manner that, "I appreciate my child and alhamdulillah I'm grateful for Allah's blessing for my child and we are praying salaah."
Not, "my child is this, your child is sinful. My child prays salaah." This is an extreme sin, full of pride that you think, "my child is praying salah and your child is useless." Never even think this for a second, that you look at another child and you show off with your children and praise your children that they are praying." Remember this.
I've seen it with my eyes. That his child, your child will also become worse than the other child. I've seen this. Those people who are big headed and they praise their children with pride which is inside ingrained that I want to show off to other people that look at my son he's pious he's praying salaah and he goes to the masjid and he gives adhaan," then doing this praise of your child, if you do it due to Allah's blessing and you want to create passion in other people and you want to share that goodness with other people because have pain for the other person with the intention of tableegh and you're saying it without giving pain to someone else. Then it's reward for sharing the goodness. But if you're showing your child's piety to others because you're elevating your child and your belittling the person, then remember my friends very quickly, your sons will be in that position of the person you are criticising, I've seen this with my eyes. So never put someone down. Don't belittle someone's children. "Your daughter is like this, your son is like this." No. Say it with sadness and pain that, "Allah improve those people as well. Dont belittle them and make them feel ashamed. No. There's a method of sharing things with somebody.
So most important of all, yes advice comes in between the message as well. So I come back to the topic. What were we talking about. Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Nearness to Allah and how do we attain nearness to Allah? In sajdah. What month are we passing through? Ramadan. What has Ramadan come to do? Tazkiyah. To purify us. And the greatest method of purification is to go to the company of the Sheikh and the greatest Tazkiyah of the Sheikh is that he teaches the student to pray the best of prayers. Remember this. Our dhikr is not the objective. Dhikr is not the end point. The result of dhikr is the objective. The Sheikh tells you to do dhikr so that the love of Allah enters your heart, so that we implement Allah's orders, so that we perform the best prostration, wherever Allah says prostrate to me, look at me and I'm looking at you. Allah says I am looking at you. Allah says, no you are seeing me. That's the Maqaam you need to attain. What a great result for a human being. For me. For you. So which duty is this? Who grabs hold onto this? Those who are the honest deputies of the Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they are the Mashaaikh. Our Mawlana Lahori sahib Rahmatullahi Alayh said, The Ulamah, scholar, make the sweets and the Mashaaikh are the ones who feed the sweets. The Wali of Allah. They feed the sweets and give the taste of the sweets, the enjoyment. That, yes you hear the hadith from the scholar that , "this is salaah, this is sajdah," but "let me give you the taste of the sweet" says the Wali Allah. This is called Tazkiyah. Purification. So Tazkiyah is the greatest line of the deen of Islam and it teaches you salah. Not just salaah but prostration. The rest of the the salaah are different parts but the genuine part of the salaah is sajdah. Allah says, "do sajdah, find my nearness and come to me."
Whoever dies in sajdah, what a great death tell me. Can anyone say that he has died whilst in the postures of Qurb-e-Ilaahi. Nearness to Allah.
So how did Ramadan leave us? It is training us, coaching us. What did Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say about this? SubhaanAllah. That during the day my Lord has given the fast and Your Nabi, in the night has given you Qiyaam. Standing in Salaah. SubhaanAllah. This is Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that look, "nothing else has been presented to you like it has in Ramadan." That’s why he said 2 things in Ramadan. 2 physical acts of worship. One is from Allah and one Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave to us. SubhaanAllah. What did Allah ta'ala give to us in Ramadan? Fasting. What did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam give us? Taraweeh. Who gave this? So our beloved Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his style, with love and belovedness he gave the sweets to the Ummah. Look at his style. With tenderness and affection he gave taraweeh to the Ummah. What love and affection he had. Time for I'itikaaf came and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat in i'tikaaf and you know the straw type of mat like we have, so there was the barrier made out of straw in Masjidun Nabawi. SubhaanAllah. Imagine the scene. Right next to the house of Hadhrat Aishah Radiyallaha Anha which we call Riyaadhul Jannah today. Yes. I'm giving you the scene of Madinah in Ramadan. So it was the final 10 days of Ramadan and after 3,4 days that time will come. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, The Master of the 2 worlds sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his habit was that the barrier would be put up the straw barrier, so close to the house of Hadhrat Aishah Radiyallaha Anha said,
MashaaAllah "I also used to wash his hair from there coming out from the Hujrah." His private room. SubhaanAllah. Beautiful scenes. We don’t know how to say this, but Ajeeb, beautiful unique scenes that we cannot utter from the mouth. Sometimes in the Naat, nasheeds, I share those scenes with you. Very soon I will share a nasheed with you. In Ramadan, nice nasheeds are released SubhaanAllah. So this is a gathering of tazkiyah. We talk about love. I don't open the Quran and do tafseer infront of you. We exchange the love from the heart so that the light can come to the heart. SubhaanAllah. So then, the straw mat, the barrier and nothing else was there. SubhanAllah and nothing else was there. It was Ramadan, keeping the fast, all the Companions were there and nothing else. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is giving a gift to the Ummah at that time.
All the previous nations were giving the worship of fasting. Say SubhaanAllah. Allah says in the Quran, the fasting I prescribed to you, I gave to all the previous nations. But has anyone else got Taraweeh? The previous nations. SubhaanAllah. Nobody. Was anyone given the ability to pray Taraweeh? Only the ummah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was given the gift of Taraweeh. The Master of Madinah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who wrapped the black cloak around him. This is his Sadaqah. The green cloak he used to wear and the green clothes he used to wear. He gave us this. This is his Sadaqah. Taraweeh gift. So this was the habit of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Masjidun Nabawi and the companions, there was congregation and they prayed behind him. The Aashiq, the beloved. So what happened was that they saw that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began to pray Salaah. And they continued to pray a lengthy salaah. The noble companions were beloved, "what is our Sheikh doing, we'll do the same." Say SubhaanAllah. Yes because they wanted to follow their Sheikh. So all the companions, they practiced behind their Sheikh and then that became the deen. Where do you get this from? قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم , where did this come, that I heard this and I saw this and he told me, he told me. Where? Back to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said this. That is the deen. Formation of the deen. And the Sahabah who were the beloveds, they followed and they practiced it, they delivered it, then they delivered it, passed it and then it came Bukhari, Sahih Sittah, 6 books of Hadith and Jurisprudence and who? Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah Radiyallahu Anhu, he started it. The narration. So the Sahabah said what is happening here, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is praying. What is our Sheikh doing?" One saw, two saw, two days, the first day. The few of them they followed. They stood behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in salaah. Say SubhaanAllah. If he continued they continued. If he stopped then they stopped. Because the student should do this aswell. Yes, just start and don't be upset if for example, you get the elbow then don't be upset. You should be happy because you should be following and imitating. Try and end it. Go. Step back. Don’t do this. Some people they get upset. The foolish people. They should be happy that their Sheikh is giving them Tarbiyyah. Immediately they should send the box of sweets and Mitai to me that Hadhrat you gave me a good lesson. SubhaanAllah. Im just joking. Don't start sending me Mitai. So what i was saying? The noble companions mashaaAllah. They started to practice. Are you enjoying what I am saying or are you not? SubhaanAllah. So I just taking you through the scenes of Madinah and I'itikaaf and now I'm explaining to you how taraweeh came to the Ummah. The love and the affection to the Ummah. Little bit of time but with love I will share this knowledge with you. So look here brothers, that person who has gone into his grave and children are enjoying, they don't even know. They've probably even forgotten that he's passed away. They are listening. MashaaAllah how fortunate are they.
So mashaaAllah a few of the Sahabah, some were afraid they weren't sure, they were hesitant but they said, "okay let's stand behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, maybe he will tell us not to do." Maybe the elbow will come but the slap of the beloved is beloved isn't it. There's no pain because they enjoy that even if they get told off. The Sheikh slaps the student and he says, "please slap me again. I enjoyed that slap oh Sheikh, I loved it." So SubhaanAllah. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam didn't say anything. He said carry on my Sahabah. Because the love and the affection that he had. This was the style of his giving to the Ummah. And he is giving us. What is he giving and how was he giving? So first day the Sahabah prayed behind him and then their love increased. Second day the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did the same action, he stood again, 5 Sahabah stood and then 20 Sahabah stood. They didn't get an elbow. "Okay we will also join." The third day, the whole Masjidun Nabawi was full behind the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Yes this is an action which has been established. They are praying the Taraweeh and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is leading the Salaah.
And he gave Taraweeh to the Ummah with love slowly gradually. He didn't command the whole Ummah to pray. With love they were immersed in the Quran. The Quran was being recited and the person who was reciting. Imaamul Ambiyah, the head of the Prophets and who are listening? The noble companions were listening to the Quran. And this has come as a gift for the Ummah. Taraweeh salah and after the 3rd day, they prayed and then Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "listen my mureeds come here." Then the elbow came. What are you doing here? They said, "what you are doing here Oh Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we are doing the same." SubhaanAllah. "You are doing correct you are imitating me, who else are you going to imitate?" Obviously he is a mureed who imitates his Sheikh. Follows his Sheikh. But listen to me the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I was doing this but this imitation for you," I'm speaking to you in the language of love." These are not the word to word of the hadith. Just in between im giving an explanation. That he said,
"You imitated me, Allah ta'ala loved this extremely and was very happy with this." Say SubhaanAllah. "My beloved companions, your actions are so beloved to Allah." And they were the lovers of Allah. They became so happy at the time the sahabah. Light upon light. One was Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam words and secondly Allah loved what we were doing that our lives has been made. SubhaanAllah. Paradise has opened, the paths have been opened. The noble companions, amazing enjoyment. Just like you are swaying, imagine their swaying and their enjoyment.
So is it difficult for you to pray Taraweeh now, tell me? What happened after that then? SubhaanAllah so Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that Allah loved this action so much but I am your Nabi and I don’t want to give you hardship.
SubhaanAllah. He loved the Ummah so much. He said "I am afraid that it is so beloved and pleasing that maybe Jibraeel عليه السلام will come so I'll speak to you before he does. Maybe you will become stuck with what i do. So let me speak to you before incase Jibraeel عليه السلام comes and makes it compulsory upon you and in doing so it would be difficult upon you my children." So Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I know that you are stood here but there will be an Ummah who will come after you in Bolton and they'll be born in other parts of the world, in America and in other parts and they wont be able to pray Salaah. They won't come towards the masjid, "no my shop and my house or this and that." Excuses. So where will they come to Taraweeh? So such a thing where love has been given to the Ummah that they will come running to the salaah and SubhaanAllah Allah has also given a limit so they are not given too much in excess. This is the work of the a Sheikh. The he doesn't pester the student. He doesn't force the student. He gives with love and affection to his followers. He doesn't make them upset or distressed. "Do this, pray this nafl." No. He will bring them to you and put them in your lap but with love an affection, nicely so that you can embrace it with your heart. SubhaanAllah. So this is the case, My Lord, He gave you fasting in the day and your Nabi gave you Qiyaam. And now it is your choice but SubhaanAllah so that it doesn't become compulsory upon you, but you have permission to pray it at home or in the masjid, however you pray it. So there he didn't tell them not to do it but he gave them permission with love and affection and he demonstrated to them how to do it. And then after that, the noble companions were they to leave their salaah? How could they leave their salaah? So someone is praying here, someone is praying there, so 4 men, someone here is the Imaam, someone is praying here, someone is praying at home, prayer was established. Then Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anhu passed away in the same condition and then Umar Radiyallahu Anhu, he was Umar. SubhaanAllah. He was passing by Masjidun Nabawi and then from Allah inspiration came to him, because Subhanallah Nabi, his speech and Allah ta'ala used to confirm it. So when Umar Radiyallahu Anhu spoke, Allah ta'ala also confirmed his speech also. SubhaanAllah. It is present in the Quran, a few verses are like that. That the decision is almost being made, Umar Radiyallahu Anhu spoke, and then he said 'this or this?" And then Allah ta'ala from above said that whatever Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said should be decided. SubhaanAllah. He was Fãruq. He was the one who created Farq. Differentiation between disbelief and Islam. That was his blood. That was his practice SubhaanAllah. He said this is deen and this is bid'ah. This is shirk and this is love. So when he establishes something, then nobody can put a stop to that and there's no choice after that. So he passed by Masjidun Nabawi and SubhaanAllah Hadhrat Umar called the Sahabah, "oh my companions," immediately they all came. Yes instruction. It was his era. He was the Imaam. He was the leader of the believers. He was the deputy of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and every sahabi came. "Please instruct us." He was Khalifah of his time. He said my heart feels that you are all praying here and there and you are all separated, you have done congregation with our Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and that's not incorrect, congregation did occur behind him and he was the Imaam and he gave the instruction so he said, "the rest I will complete for you now." SubhaanAllah. You are praying so pray in a loving way, in a nice way speak in a nice way and do the action, i'll tell you in a nice way. Because I'm his disciple and it's all coming from there but it is coming in a certain way so you don't get scared suddenly from this action." So Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said, the point is this, "will you do this?" They said "yes we will, please tell us." He said "shall I tell you the method?" He said, "my heart feels that you're praying here, separated in different parts. Isn't it better that we all get together and read in congregation?" They said "totally we are ready." He said, "okay i'll make the Imaam." Say SubhaanAllah. Why? He said "i'll make the Imaam. It's the choice of the Nabi." SubhaanAllah such a great statement. He said "it's Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's choice not mine. That I will instruct him. My order here, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam brought it to this stage. It is my selection."
Are you enjoying what I am saying? SubhaanAllah. Are you feeling the fast. No you're not. Are you hungry.
So what happened after that? Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu said 'it's my choice.' Its his choice. His selection but I will give the instruction. What did he say? Who will be the Imaam? Such great sahabah. Their names. Quran memorised on their tongue. He said "no everyone has failed." Listen. Umar Radiyallahu Anhu made an announcement about whom Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about that companion.
"All the sahabah recite Quran, I like everyone's Quran but most of the all the best Quran recited the best which is who? Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. Every companions rank and status was separate and nobody can compare to Hadhrat Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu from any of the companions in recitation. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave titles. Hadhrat Ali KaramAllahu Wajhah, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about him, that he is the Great Qaadhi, justice cannot be decided like Ali Radiyallahu Anhu can. Hadhrat Haarith Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, all scholars, but no ones knowledge can compare to him. These were his special qualities. SubhaanAllah.
Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned regarding Hadhrat Zaid bin Thabit Radiyallahu Anhu that all the Sahabah are knowledgeable, but regarding the knowledge of Inheritance, no one's knowledge can compare to Hadhrat Zaid Bin Thabit Radiyallahu Anhu. These were his special qualities. SubhaanAllah. They said, "All of you are aware of the differentiation between Haraam and Halal, however Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said out of all the companions, the most greatest is Muadh ibn Jabal Radiyallahu Anhu in this quality. But Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said out of all the companions the most greatest is Muadh ibn Jabal Radiyallahu Anhu in this quality. So Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made these stars shine and he selected them. Say SubhaanAllah. So Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Quran recitation, Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. SubhaanAllah. So I say that every Haafidh should be a lover of Hadhrat Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. The Huffadh today probably don't even know their names because we just want to hifdh to show the world. We dont even know their names. At least remember the name Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu. Who was he? He was the lover of the Quran recitation. Such a lover of the Quran that Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "I like listening to his Quran, that's it." His recitation, his tajweed I like to listen." His melody is his melody. His methodology is what I want to hear." SubhaanAllah. So then after that Ubayy Bin Ka'ab Radiyallahu Anhu stood and behind were all the Sahabah. The great congregation. From that time until today until Qiyaamah, 20 rakaat taraweeh will continue. SubhaanAllah. So where did it start? Masjidun Nabawi. Try to stop it, even in the Kabah it takes place even in Masjidun Nabawi 20 rakat takes place. Even if their Aqeedah, belief whatever their faith is, but taraweeh whenever it comes, Hadhrat Umar Radiyallahu Anhu's command will continue. 20 rakaat Taraweeh. Yes. So if someone wants to pray 8,6, play games, drama, but the real order which Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave through Umar Radiyallahu Anhu is, If you pray, then pray 20 rakaat. If you don't pray, then run away. Its not Fard, compulsory. Go. But who is the lover of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who leaves Taraweeh. Then the enjoyment in Taraweeh. What is the reward? What was our topic? Qurb-e-Ilaahi, nearness to Allah. Announcement made my Ramadan. Oh monkeys. If you are looking for Allah's nearness and you are running away from Salaah? Where will you get from your Lord? From here from here from here. From this Ibaadah? Why are you deceiving yourselves? I am the Lord, if you want to attain Allah, then only in Sajdah, but you're leaving Sajdah? This action? In every sajdah, Maqaam of Allah's nearness, you cannot even imagine. The solution on every Sajdah. Do sajdah. Not 'sujood.' Not plural. Read the verse "sajdah." Is this not the case my brothers? Yes. One prostration and you can attain my nearness. One prostration of a believer is so precious.
Allah's nearness. Allah purifies him. Allah says that His nearness is attained via that one sajdah.