In the Hereafter, we will regret those moments in which we did not make the most of the opportunities to perform good deeds, such as attending the gatherings of Dhikr. A person’s life is passing by rapidly. Allah ta'ala created us as the superior form of creation. All of mankind are equal, and the main difference between us is our status in the sight of Allah ta'ala. The true human being is the one who believes in Allah ta'ala and implements His commands.
We must assess ourselves and reflect upon how strong our relationship with Allah ta'ala truly is. It is a shame that we only concern ourselves with becoming wealthy in this world.
The person who recites the Kalimah — the testimony of faith — becomes honoured in the sight of Allah ta'ala. He becomes distinguished from the rest of mankind. We should utilise the wealth of imaan which Allah ta'ala has granted us in order to earn success for the Hereafter. We should aim to enter Paradise without first serving time in the Hellfire.
It is a great shame that we compromise our faith for the sake of the world. One act of disobedience from Shaytan caused him to be expelled, despite his extensive worship. Yet we reject many commands of Allah ta'ala and still consider our sins to be minor. We commit fraud in order to earn more wealth and regard it as insignificant. However, we will be held accountable for all of our wrongdoing.
A person who does not utilise his faith is indeed unfortunate. Imaan fluctuates just as the moon changes throughout the month. Just as we admire the beauty of the fourteenth night when the moon is full and illuminated, Allah ta'ala desires our faith to become complete and radiant. When a person’s faith is strong, he benefits in both this world and the Hereafter, and he becomes a source of benefit for those around him, just as the moon benefits creation with its light. The stronger our faith is in this world, the greater the rewards we will receive in Paradise.
Every believer should be concerned about strengthening his faith.
How is faith strengthened? Our faith is strengthened through our deeds; however, faith cannot be increased through deeds alone. Although deeds are valuable, they do not provide the complete benefit for one’s imaan. The faraa’id actions alone are not enough to complete our deen and strengthen our faith fully.
In reality, our faith is connected to love. The first thing Allah ta'ala created was the element of love. Worship is based upon love. If there is love for Allah ta'ala within our deeds, then our worship is accepted.
There are many forms of love that can come between our love for Allah ta'ala, such as love for one’s wife, attraction towards women, and love for the world. However, after reciting the Kalimah, we testify that we love Allah ta'ala above everything else.
Love is demonstrated from the depths of the heart and not merely from the tongue. The actions of the lover of Allah ta'ala reflect the love he possesses for Allah ta'ala. Love is the first thing we should strive to develop.
What is the benefit of attaining the love of Allah ta'ala?
In a Hadith it is mentioned:
“Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah has perfected the faith.” [Abu Dawud Shareef]
Allah ta'ala also says in Hadith Qudsi:
“My love is a right upon those who love each other for My sake. My love is a right upon those who maintain relations for My sake...” [Musnad al-Bazzār]
It becomes compulsory for Allah ta'ala to love such people in return.
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
“When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him’. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him.” [Bukhari and Muslim Shareef]
Thereafter, the entire creation recognises the WaliAllah and respects him.
When a person spends his life in this manner and constantly loves Allah ta'ala, it becomes second nature to him. He connects himself to the world only for the sake of Allah ta'ala. He marries a spouse based upon her relationship with Allah ta'ala rather than merely her appearance and worldly qualities.
When a person possesses love for Allah ta'ala, his actions and the way he lives reflect that love. When he lives in this manner, his deeds are performed in the best way, and after every action he remains connected to Allah ta'ala. We fail to experience this because we do not truly strive to develop love for Allah ta'ala.
When you serve the WaliAllah, you receive reward and blessings. We should attend the Khanqah, contribute towards its construction, and serve the Khanqah, and through this we will be rewarded.
Where is this love acquired?
A person acquires the love of Allah ta'ala through the Khanqah and through the company of the WaliAllah. Wherever the WaliAllah sits is considered a Khanqah. It is necessary to acquire this love through the Khanqah, and this is how faith becomes complete.
The companionship of the Prophet ﷺ is what enabled the Companions to become Companions and attain such lofty ranks. Similarly, the companionship of the WaliAllah is the root of all success, and through it a person attains the love of Allah ta'ala.
A man once asked the Prophet ﷺ, “When will the Hour be established?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “What have you prepared for it?” The man said: “I haven’t prepared for it very much (by way) of prayers or fasting or charitable giving, but I love God and His Prophet ﷺ.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “You will be with those you love.” (Bukhari Shareef]
This Hadith shows us that it is not sufficient for us to fulfil only the faraa’id. Rather, we must also possess love for Allah ta'ala and His Rasul ﷺ.
We also learn from this Hadith that we should reflect upon death at every moment.
Every believer should be concerned about his death and the condition in which he will die. If a believer remembers death twenty-five times a day, Allah ta'ala will forgive that person and grant him Paradise. In reality, we should anticipate our death and strengthen our belief regarding it.
Through preparing for death, Allah ta'ala grants strength to our faith. This is the cure for us. We should constantly remain concerned about removing our sins and wrongdoing.
The gatherings of Dhikr are not acts of innovation. We should not harbour doubts regarding the authenticity of these gatherings. Such negative whispers are from Shaytan. We must seek forgiveness; otherwise, we will be taken to account if we do not possess complete belief and love.
According to the Ahaadith, after participating in these gatherings, Allah ta'ala makes the angels witnesses that He has forgiven the Dhaakireen, and in this way He honours them. Whoever rejects this Hadith has fallen into disbelief.
قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
"Allah ta'ala responded, “I know what you do not know.” [2:30]
What is disbelief?
Allah ta'ala created the angels from light and the jinn from fire. He then created mankind from clay. The jinn and angels were amazed by this creation. After Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام was created, Shaytan entered him and wandered within him before returning. Shaytan then announced to the angels that mankind would not succeed because they possess desires and lusts and were created weak. The angels replied that this could not be.
Thereafter, Shaytan entered Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام once again and said that there was an organ which he could not penetrate or enter, for it had been sealed by Allah ta'ala.
Allah ta'ala says that although the human being may possess many desires, once the heart is purified and rectified, nothing can overpower him. He detaches himself from the world. This is precisely what the Naqshbandi Sheikh teaches.
Shaytan rejected the command of Allah ta'ala to prostrate to Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام, and as a result he was expelled and became a disbeliever. Similarly, a person who refuses to fulfil the commands of Allah ta'ala has also rejected His command and is expelled by Allah ta'ala just as Shaytan was.
Our knowledge and titles mean nothing if we are not obeying the commands of Allah ta'ala alongside them. Unfortunately, we have damaged the deen by failing to practise upon it. We take pride in our children becoming Huffaadh even though they fail to pray. Such parents are cursed, and their generations are cursed. Allah ta'ala curses the oppressors, and the Qur’an increases them only in wretchedness in this world.
As for the true believers, if we seek knowledge for the wrong reasons, then we have only wronged ourselves.
A dog is an animal which is sometimes likened to a pig due to lacking noble qualities. However, Imam Qurtubi رحمة الله عليه mentions in Tafsir Qurtubi that despite the dog being impure, it was still mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Kahf due to its companionship with the AwliyahAllah. Similarly, will Allah ta'ala not elevate the Muslim who sits in the company of the AwliyahAllah?
After taking a pledge from the Sheikh, we must fulfil that pledge. We should obey his instructions and guidance no matter how much hardship we face along the way. A student can never fail in this manner.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.
In the Hereafter, we will regret those moments in which we did not make the most of the opportunities to perform good deeds, such as attending the gatherings of Dhikr. A person’s life is passing by rapidly. Allah ta'ala created us as the superior form of creation. All of mankind are equal, and the main difference between us is our status in the sight of Allah ta'ala. The true human being is the one who believes in Allah ta'ala and implements His commands.
We must assess ourselves and reflect upon how strong our relationship with Allah ta'ala truly is. It is a shame that we only concern ourselves with becoming wealthy in this world.
The person who recites the Kalimah — the testimony of faith — becomes honoured in the sight of Allah ta'ala. He becomes distinguished from the rest of mankind. We should utilise the wealth of imaan which Allah ta'ala has granted us in order to earn success for the Hereafter. We should aim to enter Paradise without first serving time in the Hellfire.
It is a great shame that we compromise our faith for the sake of the world. One act of disobedience from Shaytan caused him to be expelled, despite his extensive worship. Yet we reject many commands of Allah ta'ala and still consider our sins to be minor. We commit fraud in order to earn more wealth and regard it as insignificant. However, we will be held accountable for all of our wrongdoing.
A person who does not utilise his faith is indeed unfortunate. Imaan fluctuates just as the moon changes throughout the month. Just as we admire the beauty of the fourteenth night when the moon is full and illuminated, Allah ta'ala desires our faith to become complete and radiant. When a person’s faith is strong, he benefits in both this world and the Hereafter, and he becomes a source of benefit for those around him, just as the moon benefits creation with its light. The stronger our faith is in this world, the greater the rewards we will receive in Paradise.
Every believer should be concerned about strengthening his faith.
How is faith strengthened? Our faith is strengthened through our deeds; however, faith cannot be increased through deeds alone. Although deeds are valuable, they do not provide the complete benefit for one’s imaan. The faraa’id actions alone are not enough to complete our deen and strengthen our faith fully.
In reality, our faith is connected to love. The first thing Allah ta'ala created was the element of love. Worship is based upon love. If there is love for Allah ta'ala within our deeds, then our worship is accepted.
There are many forms of love that can come between our love for Allah ta'ala, such as love for one’s wife, attraction towards women, and love for the world. However, after reciting the Kalimah, we testify that we love Allah ta'ala above everything else.
Love is demonstrated from the depths of the heart and not merely from the tongue. The actions of the lover of Allah ta'ala reflect the love he possesses for Allah ta'ala. Love is the first thing we should strive to develop.
What is the benefit of attaining the love of Allah ta'ala?
In a Hadith it is mentioned:
“Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah has perfected the faith.” [Abu Dawud Shareef]
Allah ta'ala also says in Hadith Qudsi:
“My love is a right upon those who love each other for My sake. My love is a right upon those who maintain relations for My sake...” [Musnad al-Bazzār]
It becomes compulsory for Allah ta'ala to love such people in return.
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
“When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him’. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him.” [Bukhari and Muslim Shareef]
Thereafter, the entire creation recognises the WaliAllah and respects him.
When a person spends his life in this manner and constantly loves Allah ta'ala, it becomes second nature to him. He connects himself to the world only for the sake of Allah ta'ala. He marries a spouse based upon her relationship with Allah ta'ala rather than merely her appearance and worldly qualities.
When a person possesses love for Allah ta'ala, his actions and the way he lives reflect that love. When he lives in this manner, his deeds are performed in the best way, and after every action he remains connected to Allah ta'ala. We fail to experience this because we do not truly strive to develop love for Allah ta'ala.
When you serve the WaliAllah, you receive reward and blessings. We should attend the Khanqah, contribute towards its construction, and serve the Khanqah, and through this we will be rewarded.
Where is this love acquired?
A person acquires the love of Allah ta'ala through the Khanqah and through the company of the WaliAllah. Wherever the WaliAllah sits is considered a Khanqah. It is necessary to acquire this love through the Khanqah, and this is how faith becomes complete.
The companionship of the Prophet ﷺ is what enabled the Companions to become Companions and attain such lofty ranks. Similarly, the companionship of the WaliAllah is the root of all success, and through it a person attains the love of Allah ta'ala.
A man once asked the Prophet ﷺ, “When will the Hour be established?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “What have you prepared for it?” The man said: “I haven’t prepared for it very much (by way) of prayers or fasting or charitable giving, but I love God and His Prophet ﷺ.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “You will be with those you love.” (Bukhari Shareef]
This Hadith shows us that it is not sufficient for us to fulfil only the faraa’id. Rather, we must also possess love for Allah ta'ala and His Rasul ﷺ.
We also learn from this Hadith that we should reflect upon death at every moment.
Every believer should be concerned about his death and the condition in which he will die. If a believer remembers death twenty-five times a day, Allah ta'ala will forgive that person and grant him Paradise. In reality, we should anticipate our death and strengthen our belief regarding it.
Through preparing for death, Allah ta'ala grants strength to our faith. This is the cure for us. We should constantly remain concerned about removing our sins and wrongdoing.
The gatherings of Dhikr are not acts of innovation. We should not harbour doubts regarding the authenticity of these gatherings. Such negative whispers are from Shaytan. We must seek forgiveness; otherwise, we will be taken to account if we do not possess complete belief and love.
According to the Ahaadith, after participating in these gatherings, Allah ta'ala makes the angels witnesses that He has forgiven the Dhaakireen, and in this way He honours them. Whoever rejects this Hadith has fallen into disbelief.
قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
"Allah ta'ala responded, “I know what you do not know.” [2:30]
What is disbelief?
Allah ta'ala created the angels from light and the jinn from fire. He then created mankind from clay. The jinn and angels were amazed by this creation. After Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام was created, Shaytan entered him and wandered within him before returning. Shaytan then announced to the angels that mankind would not succeed because they possess desires and lusts and were created weak. The angels replied that this could not be.
Thereafter, Shaytan entered Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام once again and said that there was an organ which he could not penetrate or enter, for it had been sealed by Allah ta'ala.
Allah ta'ala says that although the human being may possess many desires, once the heart is purified and rectified, nothing can overpower him. He detaches himself from the world. This is precisely what the Naqshbandi Sheikh teaches.
Shaytan rejected the command of Allah ta'ala to prostrate to Hadhrat Adam عليه السلام, and as a result he was expelled and became a disbeliever. Similarly, a person who refuses to fulfil the commands of Allah ta'ala has also rejected His command and is expelled by Allah ta'ala just as Shaytan was.
Our knowledge and titles mean nothing if we are not obeying the commands of Allah ta'ala alongside them. Unfortunately, we have damaged the deen by failing to practise upon it. We take pride in our children becoming Huffaadh even though they fail to pray. Such parents are cursed, and their generations are cursed. Allah ta'ala curses the oppressors, and the Qur’an increases them only in wretchedness in this world.
As for the true believers, if we seek knowledge for the wrong reasons, then we have only wronged ourselves.
A dog is an animal which is sometimes likened to a pig due to lacking noble qualities. However, Imam Qurtubi رحمة الله عليه mentions in Tafsir Qurtubi that despite the dog being impure, it was still mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Kahf due to its companionship with the AwliyahAllah. Similarly, will Allah ta'ala not elevate the Muslim who sits in the company of the AwliyahAllah?
After taking a pledge from the Sheikh, we must fulfil that pledge. We should obey his instructions and guidance no matter how much hardship we face along the way. A student can never fail in this manner.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement these precious pearls of wisdom. Ameen.