People holding green flag of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)

Expect to Struggle Through Many Distractions and Obstacles on Your Spiritual Path

August 1, 2026 August 1, 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)

Every Nation was Saved on the 10th of Muharram, ‘Ashura

InshaAllah, welcoming of the holy month of Muharram and the ten days of ‘Ashura in which Allah (AJ) grants a salvation. That every nation was saved on the 10th of Muharram. That from the levels of the heart, if we go, Sayyidina Adam (as) was granted after 40 years of repentance on the 10th of Muharram. [He] Was granted a salvation, was granted a forgiveness.

Sayyidina Nuh (as) because each one represents the completion of faith and the reality of the perfection of the soul. That Sayyidina Nuh (as) was told to build the ship. It means Sayyidina Adam (as) is coming from heavens with knowledges, makes a mistake and is sent on to this Earth for a spiritual experience, a physical experience, how to survive outside of that paradise reality.

Sayyidina Adam’s (as) Du’a of Forgiveness

As a result of struggling for 40 years and making forgiveness, asking for forgiveness and maghfirah on ‘Ashura and the time of salvation, Allah (AJ) accepted his repentance. With certain words, “Allahu Ya Hamidu bi Haqqi Muhammad ﷺ, Ya Allahu Ya Allah (AJ) be Haqqi Imam ‘Ali (as), Allahu al Khaliq bi Haqqi Fatima tul Zahra (as), Ya Rahman bi Haqqi Imam al-Hassan (as), Ya Raheemu bi Haqqi Imam al-Hussain (as).”

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

يَا حَمِيدُ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّد ﷺ، يَا عَلِيُّ بِحَقِّ عَلِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامْ)، يَا خَالِقُ بِحَقِّ فَاطِمَةُ الزَّهْرَاءِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامْ)، يَا رَحْمَنُ بِحَقِّ حَسَنْ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامْ) ، يَا رَحِيمُ بِحَقِّ حُسَّيْنِ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامْ)

”Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Ya Hamidu bi Haqqi Muhammad ﷺ, Ya ‘Aliyu be Haqqi ‘Ali (as), Ya Khaliqu bi Haqqi Fatimatuz Zahra (as), Ya Rahmanu bi Haqqi Hassan (as), Ya Raheemu bi Haqqi Hussain (as).”

“In the name of Allah, the Most compassionate, the Most Merciful

O’ the Praiseworthy for the sake of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), O’the Most High for the sake of Imam ‘Ali (as), O the Creator for the sake of Fatima Zahra (as), O the Most Compassionate for the sake of Imam Hassan (as), O’the Most Merciful for the sake of Imam Hussain (as).”

Muhammadan Realities Were Taught to Sayyidina Adam (as)

[He] Began to make du’as (supplications) and that was from Sayyidina Adam’s (as) tour of paradise and what Sayyidina Jibreel (as) had shown Sayyidina Adam (as) of the realities of the lights of paradises, the reality of Prophet ﷺ, the reality of Sayyidatina Fatima tul Zahra (as), the reality of the gate for Imam Ali (as) – all of these realities that were taught to Sayyidina Adam (as).

It means he knew a certain way of code. As a result, then Allah (AJ) accepted, ‘By means of these words that you have asked Me, now make your du’a and that your repentance be accepted.’ So, it has an immense understanding in the path of knowledges that it’s not just what we recite only or that you recite certain things, but the knowledge of what’s being recited on how it may open something from Allah (AJ), from haqqaiq and its realities.

Allah (AJ) Forgave Sayyidina Adam (as) Once He Mentioned Haqqiqatul Muhammadiyah

That straight ayahs (verses) of Qur’an and tawbahs (repentance) that he was making, for 40 years he was making those du’as until he asked, “Ya Hamidu bi Haqqi Muhammad ﷺ”. That it was inspired within his heart, an isharat (sign) that, ‘Remember what you were seeing. Remember the Muhammadan haqqaiq and Haqqiqatul Muhammadiyah (The Muhammadan Reality) and by means of that reality, ask Allah (AJ) by that means to forgive you.’

So, alhamdulillah, by that reality, Allah (AJ) accepted. Then ‘Ashura, these lights were granted, the repentance was granted. Sayyidina Nuh (as) building a ship of safety and has to do with the realities of the soul and being tested and continuously being tested. That ship and that najat (salvation) was granted on ‘Ashura to find land and safety. Sayyidina Nuh (as) represents our soul.

The Islamic Lunar Calendar is Based on the Movement of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ

Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) and Sayyidina Musa (as) were saved on ‘Ashura. Sayyidina Musa (as) was saved from the hands of those who would betray him on ‘Ashura. Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ began the hijrah (migration), movement from the reality of Mecca into the opening of the cities of light, the reality of the city of light, the reality of the soul which Madinatul Munawwara (luminous city of Prophet ﷺ) that Prophet ﷺ was granted that permission to begin that opening.

As a result, that is the reality of the hijrah which we call that pilgrimage. That pilgrimage starts on the first of Muharram. As a result, our calendar and the Islamic lunar calendar is based on the movement of Prophet ﷺ. It means that is that the imitation of why we say that these 12 months, we are in a continuous hijrah. We are in a continuous state of pilgrimage to the Divinely Presence.

Mecca Represents the Dunya World, Madinatul Munawwara Represents the Heavenly Realm

That Prophet ﷺ set out on Muharram to begin to open these realities and arrive within Madinatul Munawwara on ‘Ashura and the city of lights which represents the reality of the souls and the heavenly kingdom. That the Mecca reality is the dunya (material world) and the Madina reality is malakut (heavenly realm). That Allah (AJ) opened for Prophet ﷺ, this city of lights and the Madinatul Munawwara; the beatific lights of the realities of paradise and malakut (heavenly realm), inshaAllah.

That same hijrah (pilgrimage) is then the example of our path and struggling. Then all the way to ‘Ashura and the events of the family of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and the events of Karbala and Imam al-Hussain (as) in which the family of Prophet ﷺ set out into the deserts of Karbala in Iraq. They were betrayed and as a result of their being betrayed, then those became the killing fields in which the Muslim community attacked Imam al-Hussain (as) and they shed the blood of the family.

Allah (AJ) Granted a Salvation to the Muhammadan Nation in the Realities of ‘Ashura

72 members of families and companions and the presence of Imam al-Hussain (as), all in the realities of ‘Ashura and that by means of that difficulty, Allah (AJ) granted a najat to the entire nation of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. So, many, many, many realities, immense realities that have to do with this opening of light and this reality of salvation. One – for us to think as we’re beginning this year is that this is a life of struggle.

It means that when the master and the king of our way is a continuous symbol of our lives. That, ‘I’m going to set off from Mecca and move towards Madinatul Munawwara.’ As a result of that movement, Imam Ali (as) asked Prophet ﷺ, ‘Let me stay in the bed where you’ll be…where the people whom are coming after you will be looking for you. They’ll find me in the bed. Let them to sacrifice me, harm me and you leave towards Madinatul Munawwara.’

Imam Ali (as) Sacrificed Himself for Prophet ﷺ Being of Ultimate Service

It means that where Allah (AJ) wants from you, the inhabitants of Mecca, we’re going to harm Prophet ﷺ. That you continue with the journey and deliver the message of Allah (AJ). As a youthful innocence, Imam Ali (as) laid within the bed to sacrifice his life for that reality. Just on that point, the tariqah (spiritual path) comes and begins to teach: our life is about struggle.

That opening the year and opening our lives with the concept of khidmat and service and struggling. That every time we want to be of service in life, it means that not serving shaitan, but trying our best to serve Rahman (The Most Compassionate), shaitan become very angered and he is not going to let that just run to the finish line and do whatever is necessary.

We Are Trying to Hold Tight to the Rope Moving Towards the Finish Line

Anytime a servant of Allah (AJ) wishes to pick a flag and say that, ‘I want to represent this reality’ because every service is a flag because you become a flag bearer of your reality. If it’s a huge service, it’s a huge flag. If it’s serviced and there’s no small service, but whatever people are doing, they have to visualize in their lives, it’s a flag.

As soon as you hold that flag and that can be somebody donating because they’re all supporting. They’re all tugging the rope. It’s like a huge rope and thousands of pounds of weight of burdens. We’re all trying to push it to a finish line. Everyone holding that rope, shaitan‘s only interest. That’s why Allah (AJ) said, ‘Hold tight to this rope, don’t separate.’ Because it’s like a tug of war.

﴾وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ ﴿١٠٣

3:103 – “Wa’tasimo bihab lillahi jamee’an wa la tafarraqo…” (Surat Ali-Imran)

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not separate…” (Family of Imran, 3:103)

Shaitan Constantly Bites Our Hands to Let Go of the Rope

We’re all holding this khidmat to make Prophet ﷺ happy with us whether it’s supporting the charities, supporting the websites, supporting articles and posting them; whether reading and doing zikr (Divine Remembrance) – whatever, whatever this whole operation is doing, our tariqah lives are doing, we are trying to hold this rope and keep pushing it towards the finish line.

Shaitan, by no means, by no means whatsoever, is allowing anyone to do that because that goes against his entire grain of his own reality. So, his only job is to go to everybody’s hands and start biting on them; whatever he can do to get their service to be stopped. The one whom stops it as if he’s given in and put his flag of “La ilaha illAllah Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ” and surrendered that flag. Only at that time when they surrendered that flag, they’ll find a sense where shaitan is not biting them anymore because they’re then the mureed (devoted disciple) of shaitan because he’ll begin to take them and twist them and wind them in every type of direction.

لَا إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌا رَسُولْ اللَّهُ ﷺ.

“La ilaha illallahu Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.”

“There is no deity but Allah, Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (pbuh).”

If You’re Not Struggling on Your Path, You’re Doing Something Wrong

So, if you’re not struggling and you’re not finding those types of difficulty, you must be doing something wrong. If you took a path of ease, there’s no reward. So, there must be a continuous path of struggle. Now the struggle is everything. Struggle is that when we donate and oh, we struggled with that. Struggle when we give our time and ‘I could have been doing something else. I could have been texting my friends and enjoying entertainment instead of focusing on the zikr and doing my practices.’ Everything is a struggle.

Giving time in the way of a reality is a struggle. Being of service is a struggle, everything. You wear something and people say, ‘Why you look like this? Why are you with them? Why are you doing zikr? Why are…’ Everything shaitan is going to come against us to make our struggle difficult and to stop it. That’s the importance of the understanding of struggle and Muharram. That it sets the beginning is Surat Al-Tawbah and we advise people to recite and read Surat Al-Tawbah in your language for the sake of understanding ayatul kareem (generous verses of Holy Qur’an), the importance of the ayahs (verses).

Surah at-Tawbah is the Gateway to Prophet’s ﷺ Heart

The Surah Tawbah ayahs (verses) are immensely important in Naqshbandiya. That many ayatul kareem, when you read them, you say, ‘Oh, this is what the shaykhs are always reciting. This is all about the bay’ah (pledge of allegiance). This is about this, this is about that.’ It’s the gateway of this city of understanding, Shamsul ‘Arifeen (Sun of Knowers). That if we could imagine a gate for the entry into the heart of Prophet ﷺ, it’s Surat Al-Tawbah in which there’s no “Bismillah Rahmanir Raheem”.

It means then in this way of struggle, you cannot time out because Allah (AJ) didn’t put Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. It’s “Bismillah Allahu Akbar (Allah (AJ) is the Greatest)”. You came to be slaughtered. So, it means that at every direction, there’s a struggle. As soon as you think you have a second of ease, there’s ten other problems opening in different directions.

Dunya Distractions are Like Bullets Moving at a High Velocity

So, it means that in every direction, every direction is a continuous struggle. So, that one to get this rope to keep moving and that each individual person not to let go of the rope. For if they let go of the rope, it’s not that you found an ease. It’s that something else has grabbed, grabbed hold of that servant. Now they’re on a completely different course. So, we pray that Allah (AJ) grant us an understanding, grant us the importance of khidmat and service, grant us not to be distracted.

That dunya (material world) has many distractions that take you from your focus, from your tariqah (spiritual path), from your practices. If you fall prey to those distractions, it’s like a bullet being fired. You think it’s small, but by the time it goes, it’s moving at such a high velocity. You find yourself so far from the path that you wanted to achieve and the realities you wanted to achieve. That’s the deception of shaitan that make everybody just to go in different directions and to do everything the wrong way and incorrect way.

Meditation and Contemplation Teaches Us to Deal With Struggles, Not Run Away From Them

This path of struggle is very real. That we have to find, in our lives, a continuous struggle, a continuous way to achieve these realities and these blessings and not to let go of that reality. If we’re doing it right, there should be a constant agitation, constant aggravation. That’s why the importance of teaching tafakkur (contemplation) and all the meditation is that without the meditation and spiritual practices, people will run from the difficulties.

They’ll put the flag and run. That’s it, they can’t do it. The whole purpose of the tafakkur in last days and why they opened it and why they opened a permission that whomever is sitting and locking their hearts, they’re having immense experiences. Why that? It’s so that they can continue holding the flag because anyone holding a flag was being tested. Then, of course, Allah (AJ) is opening.

Your Service Brings Tremendous Blessings and Mercy in Your Life

But if they walk away from testing, the openings close. Because why they’re going to open something for somebody who’s not doing any service? The service, the khidmat, brings rahmah (mercy). The khidmat brings a rahmah because we have given talks before that – what do you think are the blessings in your life? That you prayed, you ate some food?

What is it that you did or we do that we think brings blessings in our lives? ‘We ate, alhamdulillah. Allah (AJ)…Allah (AJ) blessing upon us’. We’re not blessed because we ate a lot. Allah (AJ) is not sending, showering blessings upon us because we eat a lot, because we sleep a lot. We pray, you had to pray. It’s a fard (obligatory). It’s mandatory. No, but we had, in our life, things that we were supposed to do, to be of service.

Being Blessed Creates a Light and Magnetism About You

Those services have immense blessings. Those are what make us to be blessed. Those are what people say, ‘Oh, mashAllah, you have such a light upon you.’ Those are the things that make people to like you, be attracted to you. Your work is like, oh, they feel that they need you at the office. Whatever it is that people find either a juzba, an attraction and energy that the souls of people or animals or creatures want to be around you, is the khidmat.

It’s the light that Allah (AJ) sending that, that you live a life of service. As a result of that service, there’s a tremendous blessing. That was the secret of tariqahs (spiritual paths) that they inherited. Otherwise, what made the Sahabi (Holy companions of Prophet ﷺ) to be honoured, kiram (noble) – to be honoured? Is it because they lived in the village and they just passed by Prophet ﷺ and then they went somewhere else? No, they’re not because they merely just saw Prophet ﷺ and lived somewhere and just did their own life, but the Companions and the Holy Companions were holy because of their khidmat and service to Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

We Carry the Flag and Serve the Muhammadan Nation Like the Holy Companions Before Us

Because there are people everywhere, but you don’t call them companions. Those whom took the companionship, they lived the life of khidmat to Prophet ﷺ. They served the nation and established the Islamic nation upon this Earth. Now the forebearers and those whom are carrying that flag is to continue the Islamic nation upon this Earth, the propagation of its knowledges and its realities and the Sunnah (traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) and the way of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

That’s the responsibility of this generation. If it is the last of the generations because the belief is that that dajjal (man of deceit) is on this Earth and that Imam Mahdi (as) is moving upon this Earth and the unveiling of his reality, inshaAllah, soon. If that’s the case, then this is an extremely blessed nation in which Prophet ﷺ describe that, ‘These are my muhibbin (lovers of the way). These are my ‘ashiqeen (lovers). They love me. They do anything for one glimpse of me and I love them.’ That’s why then the guidance is to teach people to love Prophet ﷺ, to achieve that title. Excuse me…to achieve that title.

[عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ:” مِنْ أَشَدِّ أُمَّتِي لِي حُبَّا، نَاسٌ يَكُونُونَ بِعِدِّيِّ، يودِ أحَدِهِمْ لَوْ رآنِي بِأهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ” ]رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

‘An Abi Hurairah (ra), ‘Anhu ‘anna Rasulallahu ﷺ qala: “Min ashaddi ummati li hubba, nasun yakunona bi’iddiyi yawdi ahadihim law raani bi ahlihi wa malihi.” [Rawahu Muslim]

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra), the messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The most loving of my nation are those who comes after me, and wish if they could sacrifice their money and family for a glimpse/gaze of me” [Narrated by Imam Muslim]

The Holy Companions Fought Endless Battles to Keep Prophet’s ﷺ Message Going

That’s a title and an honour that Prophet ﷺ has given but who will stand up to achieve it? That’s, that’s the reality. Who will achieve it are those whom Allah (AJ) guide to be with awliya (saints) and the students of awliya. Those whom they hear the guidance and they answer the call. The answer for the call is their service. We said the service is so easy, but so difficult by shaitan.

No matter how easy awliya make it, it still seems to be difficult for people. Before the Holy Companions, they had to fight to be with Prophet ﷺ. They would have battles at least two a day, imminent death. It wasn’t they were going to go out and just beat everybody up easily. There was immense battles of nations wanting to crush and to destroy the message of Prophet ﷺ. No life insurance. They did what they did for their extreme love for Prophet ﷺ.

We Struggle Today to Simply Share Links That Teach Prophet’s ﷺ Message

So, they lay the foundation that our life is about an immense struggle. As a result of their struggling, Allah (AJ) opened for them immense realities. Then every other nation, this became much more difficult, much more difficult, much more difficult. Even to the extent that they’re asking the khidmat and the service is to support, take a link and spread the knowledges. Get a sandwich and give out to people so that to bring a barakah (blessing) to you, your family and your children; whatever it is that the person can do to their ability.

If they can make 100 sandwiches and they have the rizq (sustenance), alhamdulillah. If they can do anything, they made it so easy is that take your finger, make a social media account, not in your personal name, putting your face on everything. Make it in the ‘Muhammadan Way, Sufi Meditation’ name. Take the content from the videos, chop them up into two minutes, three-minute segments and post it everywhere. Take the articles, post them. Take the charity links, post them. Take some sandwiches and foods and distribute them. Get a shirt, go out and find, in the west, grocery stores that will give to you food that they want to throw away so that Allah (AJ) won’t be angered by them.

Take what they will throw and give to people to eat. This is a…leaves our life to be an immensely blessed life. We pray that Allah (AJ) inspire us for this khidmat. By means of this khidmat, take away and bring such a rahmah that Allah (AJ), inshaAllah, forgive us for where we fall short.

Relying Solely on Your Prayers is a Misconception

If someone’s relying on only their salah (daily prayers) to save them and every other thing they’re doing wrong and sayyiat (sins) that they’re doing wrong and they’re only thinking, ‘Oh why…I pray, I go for Jum’ah (Friday prayer), everything will be cleaned,’ it’s a great difficulty. It’s a great misconception. That we do so many things wrong according to Allah’s (AJ) standard that the greatest, the greatest mercy is of service.

That when we do these khidmat, when we do these good deeds, that regulator – power is going up and shaitan is going down and the immense amount of hasanat and goodness that being dressed upon the souls of people whom they do these activities. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us, bless us, make the beginning of our Muharram and the beginning of our spiritual year to be a blessed year and Allah (AJ) dress it with the fountains of abundance. For every goodness done in Muharram, inshaAllah, Allah (AJ) multiplies that so throughout the whole year, that goodness will be flowing and being inspired upon the servant to seek Allah’s (AJ) satisfaction, 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: July 28, 2022

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