City of Knowledges is the Heart of Muhammad ﷺ & Imam Ali (as) is The Door

July 20, 2026 July 20, 2026

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From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ ٱلْرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

I seek refuge in Allah (AJ) from the accursed Satan
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘aalameen, was salaatu was salaamu ‘alaa Ashrafil Mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadul Mustafa ﷺ. Madad ya Sayyidi ya Rasulul Kareem, Ya Habibul ‘Azeem, unzur halana wa ishfa’lana, ‘abidona bi madadikum wa nazarekum.

Atiullah wa atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum. Always a reminder for myself, ana abdukal ‘ajeez, wa dayeef, wa miskin, wa zhalim, wa jahl, and but for the grace of Allah (AJ) that we’re still in existence.

أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُم… ﴿٥٩﴾‏ …

4:59 – “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat an-Nisa)

“…Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…” (The Women, 4:59)

Imam Ali (as) is The Door to the Holy City of Prophetic Knowledge

“I’m the city of knowledges wa Ali baabuha.” Imam Ali (as) is the door, the baab the reality of what baab.

ال رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ:”أَنَا مَدِيْنَةُ الْعِلْمٍ وعَلِيٌّ بَابُهَا”

Qala RasulAllah ﷺ, “Ana madinatul ‘ilmin wa ‘Aliyyun baabuha.” (Hasan, At Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali (as) is its door/gatekeeper.” [Authentic by Imam Tirmidhi in al-Awsat]  

That he carries the ba and the reality of the ba and that is the door to the city of Prophet ﷺ. The city is where? It is the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Manzil ul Qur’an (where the Holy Qur’an emanates). Where is all knowledge coming from? It is not one place where accounting comes out from and then somewhere else something else comes. But Manzil ul Qur’an which is the source of all knowledge all realities – ‘uloomul awaleen wal akhireen (knowledges of the beginning and the end).

Entering the Prophetic Heart Through Imam Ali’s (as) Door of Self Sacrifice

That everything of existence is going to be found from Holy Qur’an. Manzil ul Qur’an is that Prophet’s ﷺ heart is the house of Holy Qur’an, that is the city. So when Prophet ﷺ is giving us isharah (sign) that you want to enter into my heart the door of it is with Sayyidina Ali (as). That’s why in Muharram when the hijrah (migration) was beginning to the lights to the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Imam Ali (as) teaches us, ‘You want to enter into this reality, come sacrifice yourself because I’m the owner of bi sirratel laam jalala. I own the zulfiqar (sword of Imam Ali (as)). I own the reality of La ilaha illAllah Muhammadun RasulAllah.’

This kalimah (words) that comes La ilaha illAllah and become Muhammadan RasulAllah ﷺ where the two rivers meet. That, ‘Come, I teach you how to sacrifice yourself. To be nothing.’ Be nothing, sacrifice yourself. Because he is the door of that reality that Prophet ﷺ took Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (as) into the city, into the heart, they went into the heart. The one whom guarded the heart that, ‘You have work to do. I will show the nation who will come after, the way to seek your satisfaction. I will sacrifice myself for this way. It means I put no effort on my salah (daily prayer), my zakah (charity), my sawm (fast), my nothing.’ Didn’t ask Prophet ﷺ, ‘Well, what am I going to do, how am I going to reach?’ He said, ‘How will I hear, let them come to attack me and you take your beloved Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as).’

The Hidden Path to the City of Prophetic Lights

Awliyaullah come to teach that that’s the heart and that’s the reality towards the reality of Prophet ﷺ. So the Imam (religious leader) of the door is teaching, you want these knowledges, you want these realities. Then they found that from Mecca there is an underground path into Madinatul Munawaara (luminous city of Prophet ﷺ). So Mawlana Shaykh (Q) was describing that when they were doing construction in the 60s, the family that was renovating at that time, the Ka’bah. They took Mawlana Shaykh Hisham (Q) underground tunnels near Zum Zum. They had a car like a Cadillac that would drive all the way from Mecca in a huge tunnel into Madinah.

Because when Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah with his beloved Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as), Imam Ali (as) was already there waving, ta’ala al badrun.. ‘How did Ali (as) you get here?’ Because there is an underground passage from Mecca to Madina. So means he is teaching that you want to reach to the city of lights you want to reach to the realities of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ? Come exemplify your character to be nothing. Sacrifice yourself for the way. Sacrifice yourself means that come against all your bad characteristics for the sake of this reality in the heavens.

Sacrificing Bad Character to Enter the City of Lights

Don’t say: no I can be angry because anger serves me. I can be obnoxious because it is deserved at times. I can be bad because that’s the way Allah (AJ) created me. No, people have very bizarre explanations of how they are allowed to remain bad. When Imam is asking us, especially those whom claim to love? It is – put your head on the block. Put your bad character on the block. Say, ‘No, I’m going to sacrifice all my bad character, I’m going to sacrifice all that is displeasing to my lord, and then you inherit that zulfiqar.

Imam Ali (as) then comes and trains and says, yeah character and all your badness don’t open your mouth. We are going to continuously test you, try you, smash you, insult you, embarrass you. Efface you, give and take from you and say nothing. Keep good character so that you learn the way of effacing.

From Self-Sacrifice to the Siddiqiya (Truthful) Path

Then they hand you to Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as) who says, ‘I’m the one who went inside the city with Prophet ﷺ. It means I’ll teach you the adab (manners) of how to act within the kingdom of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.’ The great friend, he says you want the friendship? One was, how to achieve to get to the door, this kingdom is huge. Am I going to get there with my praying? Am I going to get there with fighting, am I going to get there with what? The Imam of the way comes and says, ‘No, no! The only one you fight is yourself.’ Come against all your bad characteristics and as if you died, all your badness died.

At that time the beloved friend Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as)… That’s why Naqshbandiya tul ‘Aliya is carrying the two realities. The great friend, the great Siddiq (truthful) comes and says inside this kingdom is only Siddiqiya, is only truthfulness. You cannot be a liar and say I’m with them.

Inheriting the Siddiqiya Character — Safety from One’s Tongue and Hands

You cannot base your life and foundation of lies and deceit and the harming of others. Who, Prophet ﷺ described your Islam is safe with the one whom saves you with his tongue and with his hands.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنّهُ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: ‏ “‏ اَلْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ اَلنَّاسُ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ مَنْ أَمِنَهُ النَّاسُ عَلَى دِمَائِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

‘An Abi Hurairah (ra), ‘an Rasulillahi ﷺ qala: “Al Muslimu man salema annaasu min lesanehi wa yadehi wal Muminu man amenahun naasu ‘ala demayehim wa amwalehim.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.”

That’s the best of Islam is that you’re safe with their hands and tongues. We heard that people are abusing people in religion. I never heard that! That’s crazy, other than real crazy people. But they’re harsh and mean and abusive with people. Prophet ﷺ described that you should be safe with their tongue and with their hands.

Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq’s (as) Lesson in Guarding the Heart from Satan

So, then this great Siddiq comes and teaches the best of character. In this heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, there is a hole in this cave in which shaitan (satan) is coming. The whole story of the cave is the kingdom of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. They come, you want to be next to the beloved of Allah (AJ), Allah (AJ) not going to let a haywan and a wild person to be in that presence. The Siddiqiya comes and teaches the best of and the sweetest character. That we are also from the ones who sacrifice – is not a different sacrifice. Now he teaches you the adab inside the heart of Prophet ﷺ. That he comes and says, ‘See this hole where shaitan is coming? Put your foot into it.’ The snake was eating the foot of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as). Sacrificing again showing the great companionship, ‘I will sacrifice myself for Prophet ﷺ as well.’

He says but this hole that’s in your heart, there is a shaitan that is continuously coming. Don’t let that shaitan enter your heart to attack Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Don’t come and attack ‘ashiqeen (lovers). If you attack them as if your attacking Prophet ﷺ, is a big gunnah (sin). Because they have good character. they stay quiet and you abuse them and you yell at them and you insult them. How many of them have been abused and been killed and they stayed quiet and said nothing. Because of the Siddiqiya character. That, we’re truthful. We came for the truth not to be deceived by falsehood.

Qadam as-Siddiq (On The Footstep of the Truthful): Standing Firm Against Shaitan

So, our beloved father Sayyidina Abu Bakr (as) come and teach, ‘Put your foot on that hole. Don’t let shaitan to come no matter how much you think it hurts. You put your foot on it until you can inherit from us Qaddam as-Siddiq. Then we will make your foot means your path and you way to be Siddiqiya.’

We want to see that the shaitan is biting and eating at your foot and don’t move it. Don’t compromise your belief and let shaitan to come and say, ‘Oh well no, shaitan is allowed to come every now and then and I can say bad things and I can spread insult. Because my Shaykh wants me to do that.’ What are you talking about, it is crazy. Our job was – keep your foot on that. Don’t let that snake out. For inside that room is the light and the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

The Heavenly Inheritance of Siddiqiya – Noble Character and Truthfulness

They trained with every difficulty, ‘Keep your foot – as much as they cast insult, keep your mouth closed. The snake just keep grinding at their foot until Allah (AJ) granting your foot, your istiqam, your firmness is Siddiqiya. That your grandfather will dress you Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as), Sadiq al-Mutlaq (The Absolute Truthful) will dress you. As your grandfather [Imam Ali (as)] dressed you to sacrifice out, your Siddiqya grandfather [Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as)] will come and say, ‘I’ll make your character. If I make one du’a (supplication) from Allah (AJ) that Ya Rabbi grant my grandchild to be truthful like I was. Dress him from my dress, grant him from my inheritance.’ Everyone waiting for their inheritance of their parents. What about the inheritance from our spiritual realities?

Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as) make your character to be truthful; no wishing to harm people, no wishing to abuse people. No wishing to intimidate but have good character. Because in that room, in that presence is the presence of Allah’s (AJ) most beloved ﷺ. So that they have a character of an Amir (leader), their character is very kingly. Because they come from a heavenly kingdom. They’re not wild wrestlers. They’re not a part of the ‘WWW association’ that only talk about ‘Women, Wudu (ablution), and Weddings.’ Those are the wild wrestlers they have ‘www belts.’ All their character bad and angry. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us of these blessings and the immensity of what they want to dress upon us and bless us with inshaAllah.

Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.

Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.

Original Date of Suhbah: April 7, 2019

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