From Reflecting Divine Light to Sharing Divine Light – Changing Reality Q&A
From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi.
A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the rejected one
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, 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 in this holy month.
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)
Question 1: Sayyidi how can we know our light is enough to affect others life?
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: How to know that your light is enough to affect others lights? I think we have to start on a much more humbler approach is that, ‘Did I affect my own self with my light?’ So this is a course in how the huroof (Arabic letters) shows our path. For those that may be more familiar with Arabic, they understand tonight then insan [انسان] and the kalimah (word) ‘insan’ it describes tariqah (spiritual path). So when somebody says, ‘Where’s tariqah in Qur’an?’ We’ve given that example before “Istaqaamoo fi tariqah” and in just the kalimah of insan (human being).
(١٦) وَأَن لَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا
72:16 – “Wa alla wis taqaamoo ‘alat tareeqati la asqaynaahum maa’an ghadaqaa” (Surat Al-Jinn)
“And [ Allah revealed] that: “If they had only remained firm on their tariqa (straight path), We would have bestowed on them Rain/water in abundance. ” (The Jinn, 72:16)
That the huroof and the letters describe a spiritual path but the hardest part is the first noon. Its that first do you think you’ve made a connection with the Ulul Amr (saints) and that you’ve dissolved all the lower characteristics, the bad characteristics and that you’re truly reflecting their alif? Because they’re a alif. Right? So they’re like a sun because any alif is carrying that power and that light. So as a meditation and all of the trainings is to cast that light on to people so that they diminish the satanic influence and become more from Rahman (The Most Compassionate).
So first the person has to go through that struggle and understand how much they’re struggling, how much they come against their bad character. Once they feel confident in that entire struggle, it would be apparent to them how much light they have, they would know how much light they have and by virtue of how much they’ve suffered and struggled and continue to struggle. So it’s not all of a sudden, ‘Oh because I came to tariqah now I’m all the way at the top at the sunshine.’ So it’s a strong path, a heavy path. Being in front of that alif a lot of people burn and go haywire. So it’s not something easy because that alif will bring out all sorts of bad characters.
We said before like when you put something in a pot it looks nice to you but as soon as you boil it, what happens? All these bizarre things may come out of that when you boil. Same in science. The guys loaded a video today, in science anytime you want a catalyst and a reaction to occur, in the science you start the fire. You put it, you heat it. The process of heating agitates everything and in the agitation, you can begin to see what’s going on. So somebody who’s not agitated, they look like they have good character because their electrons are not been agitated. Literally when you heat them by the testing and the tariqah, the presence of the shaykhs, their madad (support), everything they’re doing they’re becoming very heated. So what happens when you heat something? All of the impurities begin to show themselves.
So it’s not for somebody to be complacent and happy with their bad character, ‘Oh that’s just the way I am.’ No you’re supposed to see the impurity and take it out and see the impurity and take it out until you heat pure gold and it goes back to gold. But when you first heat it, you’re going to see all these other elements and dirtiness, you have to take those out. That’s the process of emtehan (testing) and practice and all the heat of the tariqah energies and the presences of the shaykhs and the madads.
All the jinn (unseen beings) that people worship and are inside of them and they start to come out and in their homes and that’s the whole process of getting rid of all of the garbage that people have collected over the years like antiquities. You know they don’t know what they have but they have this whole collection of statues and bad character within themselves and in their wujud (existence) and in their being and surrounding. So all that has to be cleansed and when they’ve been cleansed, they know what their path was like. Then they go into knowledges and they understand the ‘Ilm ul Yaqeen (Knowledge of Certainty) and they’re very strong in Ayn ul Yaqeen (Vision of Certainty). As a result, they have many experiences from Haqq ul Yaqeen (Certainty of Truth). So the person has to reach to those, inshaAllah.
(٥) كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ
102:5 – “Kal la law t’alamoona ‘ilm al yaqeen.” (Surat At-Takathur)
“No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty.” (The Rivalry in World Increase, 102:5)
(٧) ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
102:7 – “Thumma la tara wun naha ‘ayn al yaqeen.” (Surat At-Takathur)
“Then you will surely see it with the eye/vision of certainty.” (The Rivalry in World Increase, 102:7)
(٩٥) إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ
56:95 – “Inna hadha la huwa haq qul yaqeen.” (Surat Al-Waqi’ah)
“Indeed, this is the true certainty.” (The Inevitable, 56:95)
Question 2: Sayyidi a question regarding the suhbat (discourse), how to detect light in others? How do we know if a person has the right light?
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: Detect light in others? Why do you have to detect a light in others? Just detect your own light. So you have to build yourself, focus on yourself. We released a talk from Grandshaykh (Q) on Facebook, it was that the concept of our siwak (teeth cleaning twig) and making siwak and the du’a (supplication) of the siwak is actually, ‘Ya Rabbi protect me from nifaaqi wash shirki al khafi that protect me from hypocrisy and the hidden shirk (polytheism).’
.اَللّهُمَّ طَهِّرْ قَلْبِي مِنَ النِّفَاقِ والشِّرْكِ اَلْخَفِي
Allahumma tahhir qalbi minan nifaaqi wash shirki al khafi, “
O Allah! purify my heart from hypocrisy and the hidden polytheism.
Sultanul Awliya (King of Saints) described that the hidden shirk and the character that Allah (AJ) most dislikes and Prophet ﷺ dislike is the judgment of creation, the judgment of people.That when you begin to live a life thinking it’s your responsibility to judge people then you begin to mistreat people, dislike people and it makes all the groups to fall apart. Because now everybody is disliking and distrusting. So our responsibility in life is to judge ourselves, purify ourselves and leave others to their path. Whatever they’re doing is they have their Lord and Allah (AJ) will deal with them and raise them, teach them whatever is necessary.
So this whole path is not based on if somebody else has a light. If you’re asking which Shaykh to follow then you have to go back and look at the YouTube and read a book and see what you want to choose but you don’t come into a shaykh’s room and ask him, ‘Which Shaykh should I follow?’ So that question is based on other people, don’t judge people. If you’re worried about which shaykh to follow then go back and read the books and determine from the book you read and the YouTubes you listen to what your heart feels and then stand by it and hold firm. But not every shaykh is this reality because they don’t even speak this reality nor teach it, inshaAllah.
Question 3: Regarding last week’s suhbah (discourse) which of the companions is the one connected to the miswak (teeth cleaning twig)?
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: InshaAllah, yeah we have to get to that suhbat. So we know that from the talk, from the reality of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (as) that inspiration came, that is teaching that these souls of light they’re always around and have always been. At any time Allah (AJ) dispatch them and this is in the hikmah and the wisdom of destiny, predestiny and the world of light that nobody can say ‘no’ to that because Allah (AJ) does what He wants with His creation. So everything is a cause and effect.
When somebody has an ‘asaa (cane) and it symbolizes support and help and many different realities then alhamdulillah that the dispatch of the sunnah (traditions) of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ then has a very close link with the holy companions. This is their gift from Allah (AJ) and the khidmat (service) to the nation of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, the nation who accepted Islam and the nation who has to come to the da’wah (religious propagation) of Islam. Because all creation is under the banner of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. They accept it, alhamdulillah. They don’t accept it, they will accept it. So everything is created for that light. So the holy companions their life is to live a life of service to Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
So anyone who wants something from that Divinely Presence then Prophet ﷺ dispatches their reality to overlook and oversee them, witness over their nations and lend them a Muhammadan support. So that has an immense reality. InshaAllah when we get to the other urses (anniversaries of passing) and other birthdays and they illuminate us further on that so that we can keep going until the next event. But that was a gift, inshaAllah for the urs mubarak of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (as) and to teach an immense love for the holy sunnah (traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ). That, you know, you keep the sunnah and has an immense, immense reality. Just imagine because it’s a symbol of love and that’s why Allah (AJ) described to Prophet ﷺ that, ‘Anybody who revives your sunnah is granted the ajer (reward) of 70 martyrs,’ not one, 70 martyrs!
Mawlana Shaykh’s (Q) name was Muhyil Sunnah (reviver of the traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ). So this was a name and a title for these big awliya (saints) that this is a greatest honour – is to in life revive the sunnah. So when we have sunnah items, it is a great love for Prophet ﷺ. Its to tell people ‘carry your siwak! Until the secret comes to you, you’re getting all of its immense blessings. Carry your ‘asaa. If you know that the presence of Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (as) is there with you and you now know that reality then keep one in your car, keep one where you’re praying. Keep for that support and that, ‘Accompany me and my love for you and your love for me and my love for Prophet ﷺ, grant me an madad, grant me a support.’ So the main is that go towards the sunnah, it is an immense shield. Who is the ring? Who’s the reality of wudu (ablution)? Who’s the reality of siwak? I would imagine all of these holy companions, so do them all. Keep the sunnah so that we can keep their companions’ nazar (gaze) upon us, their love and du’as for us.
So it makes so much sense, this should make sense. Imam al Maturidi (Q), because they want us to start quoting from these things – is that shari’ah (Divine law) should make commonsense and sensical. Right? Because the rise of the clarification of the aqidah (belief) was to combat the extremist ideologies. Because they became very literal and very dogmatic and angry about everything. So then the clarification of the Islamic tenets of belief was then based on this has to be, and his school of thought was based on it has to be logical. So in this immense reality, it makes commonsense and that’s what’s important.
When something doesn’t make commonsense then you know somebody’s pushing something. You read Qur’an, anywhere you read Qur’an is beautiful. You’re at the qabr (grave), you read Qur’an as much as you want. Extremists come and say, ‘No you can only read it here and there and only read this or that,’ that’s a lie. That doesn’t make any sense at all well. Allah (AJ) said, ‘Everywhere is a masjid except when you go to wash yourself and forbidden places but everywhere is a masjid of Allah (AJ).’
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ, قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: الْأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا مَسْجِدٌ إِلَّا الْمَقْبَرَةَ وَالْحَمَّامَ [سُنَنُ التِّرْمِذِيِ ٣١٧]
An Abi Sa’idin Al Khudriyy qala, qala RasulAllahi ﷺ: Al Ardhu kulluha masjidun illa al maqbarata wa al hammamah.” [Sunan At Tirmidhi 317]
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “The entire earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi 317]
You can recite any part of Qur’an anywhere and Allah (AJ) said, ‘Everywhere is a masjid,’ so that’s commonsense. So extremist ideology just comes to agitate and aggravate everybody. So Maturidi (Q) and these aqidah of belief and Ashari beliefs were based on it has to be logical, commonsensical and that’s the way of awliya. That whatever they’re teaching is the depth and the deep, deep understandings of shari’ah and they bring it out as if like kindergarten. So people want to see quotes and quotations and footnotes. But no, it comes out enough for even a kindergartner to understand and to make sense. That’s Mawlana Shaykh’s (Q) gift and that was an immense reality of his presence is to take very complicated Islamic issues and bring it out for even a kindergartner to understand, inshaAllah.
But hold tight let’s see for the next urs and the next wiladat and birth then which of the companions bless us with their reality and that to draw near to that reality and how the Khalilur Rahman (Intimate Friend of the Most Compassionate) opened and parted the seas of ignorance and took from the hands of Fir’aun (pharaoh) into the Promised Land. That’s what’s important and the immensity of that reality and the great siddiqs (truthfuls) and the Muhammadan madad is throughout time, throughout time.
Imagine what Sayyidina Sulaiman (as) was doing with a ring. How much he was under attack from shayateen and devils and that now is coming. Sayyidina Sulaiman (as) knew that, that event would be far worse in the last days. That, ‘Ya Rabbi you saved our nation as a result of what you gave me in a ring.’ Right? His aqidah was what? Ishq (love) and muhabbat but he saved his nation was a ring. So it means there’s a secret in everything, there’s a secret in the shari’ah. That ring saved the nation of Sayyidina Sulaiman (as) from every type of shayateen (devils) and ifrit (powerful demon) and carried his entire nation on clouds. He had armies in the hundreds and tens of thousands on fabrics and moving in the air. This is Islamic law, Islamic jurisprudence, it’s all verified Qur’anic ayahs (verses). How is that possible? Allah (AJ) said, ‘It was by means of a ring,’ because when he lost the ring he lost that power. Who’s the ring? It’s the sunnah of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Every nation asked for support. Asked, ‘Ya Rabbi grant me a support, that grant me an ability to fight these things,’ and Allah (AJ) sent the support of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. The holy companions have eternally been in that world of light. They were not determined companions on Earth. Allah (AJ) didn’t say, ‘From these eeny, meeny, miny, moe you’re this one, you’re that one.’ It’s ancient, ancient souls from the time Allah (AJ) brought light into existence and named it Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. From that light partitioned and named Ali (as), named Umar (as), named Uthman (as), named Abi Bakr (as), named the lights from the world of light, pre-time of creation. Named them, dressed them, gave them their destinies and the position that they would hold and those lights all around the light of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. It’s not something from dunya (material world) that Allah (AJ) picks and chooses people but these are already been predestined in the world of light and then they manifest in the form – that’s Qur’an. “Allamal Qur’an”, but then “Khalaqal insan”.
(٣) عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ (٢) خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ
55:2-3 – “Allamal Qur’an (2). Khalaqal Insaan (3).” (Surat Ar Rahman)
”It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. (2) He has created Mankind. (3)” (The Beneficent, 55: 2-3)
So always the world of light comes first and then this world of creation manifests. So what’s been written in a ancient world of light and light scientifically they know has no time. So who were they in this world of light? What was their role over all times and what Prophet ﷺ dispatched? Just the ring gives you an understanding of what type of power it had, how it commanded the ifrit and shayateen to be fearful of it. They didn’t move because of the might in the ring that Allah (AJ) gave. What do you think then the ring of Sayyidina Muhammad’s ﷺ nation and in the last days what those rings will have!
So when they start to disclose these stuff then there’s an amazing reality in this reality. So people, don’t use your brain. Just use your heart. There’s a reason why awliya are dispatching these. That get these rings, get these canes, get these siwaks, get all this sunnah of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Get the sunnah clothing, the way of the heavens because it has an immense power, immense reality and we pray that Allah (AJ) dress us and bless us from the immensity of these lights, inshaAllah.
Question 4: Regarding the huroof, why did we start from the last letter in the word insan instead of the first? Forgive our ignorance.
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: Sure. Well, you have to reach to the heavens because you’re here on earth. So we’re trying to reach a heavenly reality but we’re starting from our earthly presence. So we traverse towards the reality. You’re not coming from the reality to the earth to know the earthly reality, you’re leaving your earthly reality to move to the heavens, inshaAllah.
So alif is the Divinely Presence so we don’t start from Divinely Presence. We understand that we are here on this earth so our earthly understanding to traverse, break the atmosphere and enter now into the world of lights. This is the way of reflecting inward and the spiritual warrior and spiritual journey, inshaAllah. Those two noons we have the graphics and on the Nurmuhammad website [Nurmuhammad.com] we have the articles and you know graphics people used to put out these graphics with beautiful graphics with a sun on the first noon, a moon on the second noon. These were then very important for posts. Maybe Ali can make a post that shows ‘insan’ with the sun and the moon, inshaAllah [shaykh mentions a brother]. But this is the month in which to ask for it. Why they brought it now is because “Subhana man huwal Khaliq anNur” is coming.
سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ الْخَالِقَ النُّورْ
Subhana man huwal Khaliq anNur
Glory to Him who is the Creator, the Light
So everyone is encouraged that Rajab is opening so Sunday night, Monday wherever you’re opening and the reality of Rajab is opening is that read the welcoming of Rajab, shower to welcome the month of seclusion, the month of Allah (AJ) granting light. Anybody who wants to enter in 40 days of lentil diets to control desires and control bad habits, anybody who intends to do their fasting on certain days or lots of days or all the days, it’s the time for ‘ibadah and worshipness. So it’s immense, immense.
It’s always people get upset when you teach after it started because then they say, ‘Oh you didn’t give us an opportunity to learn all of this.’ So this time we start a little bit earlier that anybody who wants to do lentil diet, I’m sure you got an email already. Don’t ever unsubscribe from our emails – that’s rude and also it cuts you off from announcements and understandings. So the email went out for Rajab or should have gone out. So Mahdi better send it out inshaAllah [shaykh mentions a brother]. I think he sent it yesterday. That has the awrad (daily practice), the wazifas (spiritual practices), you want to do the Rajab lentil diet, what to recite. So all of these things so that we can receive these lights. Imitate a people and you’ll be from them.
So alhamdulillah these are from the realities of Sultanul Awliya and if we imitate them at least we get the ajer and the reward of the immense lights and blessings for the love and the ishq of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. The Monday starting, Thursday will be the first Friday of Rajab and that’s Laylatul Raghaib (Night of Desires) in which the light of Sayyidina Abdullah (as) went into the womb of Sayyidatina Amina (as) and that that light of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ was transferred to the mother’s womb and becomes the Night of Wishes and Desires. That what the nation wishes for the sake of the arrival of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ that Allah (AJ) grant to them, dress them, bless them and by means of that take away difficulties from them. That’s the holiness of Thursday night and the first Friday of Rajab. So we pray that Allah (AJ) give us a life in which to see that night, to be dressed by it, to be blessed by it.
Again, do your good deeds in this month and in these nights has immense blessings, immense blessings. Some people say that they do things and they don’t see anything – that’s incorrect. That everything has been given, everything has been dressed in their lives and much of what people don’t see of harm and hardship that was kept away from them as a result of good deeds and good actions. So that Allah (AJ) safeguard and keep people protected by this love and this way of rahmah and mercy inshaAllah and to keep good character, inshaAllah.
Question 5: Can you please talk a little bit about the lentil diet if we want to subject our nafs (ego) to this difficulty, inshaAllah?
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: Yeah, it’s a lentil diet so the lentils taste good. What can you do with it? You have to eat the lentil diet. I think in the instructions it says it – eat lentil diet, have one type of lentil formula, don’t keep changing it.
The purpose of the diet is to show you the importance we place on food. That our life is living around food, ‘What I’m going to have for lunch, what I’m going to have for dinner, what I’m going have for breakfast?’ Everyone’s excited to get to those points. Once you have only one thing that you can eat you’re no longer excited for breakfast, you’re no longer excited for lunch or for dinner. After about seven days you’re kind of fed up with lunch and dinner and it just shows you how much we’re relying on food. We’re not sustained by food but we live for food – the lentil diet actually shows that. That, that when they go into seclusions they’re given the lentil diet because it has enough protein, no meat products, no animal product within it.
As a result there’s a cleaning and purification of the heart. So at that point when their reliance on food begins to drop, they feel that their spiritual energies are much more powerful, especially in seclusions. So they have a tremendous amount of himmah (zeal) to do the zikrs (Divine remembrance) and the awrads that they have to do and have to complete. So it’s again one of the things to put upon oneself for 40 days and the instructions for the lentil diet go in. They have one form of bread like a pita bread with not too much fat on it like the big puffy breads. Either a lavash or a pita bread and then they can have some dates and tea or coffee with no milk products, no animal products, inshaAllah.
Question 6: Sayyidi the last time I tried the lentil diet my nafs nearly destroyed my life. Please advise.
Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi: Yeah, I don’t know you must have an importance in food in your diet. So that I can imagine the nafs, if your life is heavily inspired by meals then that can be a big fight against the nafs. You can try it again and see if you know if your life doesn’t sort of fall to pieces. But lentils shouldn’t be so extreme because you have the lentil, you have bread, you have dates you have tea or coffee so inshaAllah it should be okay and you may drop 30 pounds as a result. Because the importance of food is no longer there.
The desire to eat drops significantly but it’s also a training. At any time you find it’s enough then you know you call it quits. It’s not a sunnah. It’s a way of training and tarbiyah (discipline) through awliya because of their seclusions and their experiences in seclusion. The way of Prophet ﷺ was complete abstinence. So anybody wants to say, we got funny emails, ‘Oh where is this lentil diet a part of the sunnah?’ It’s not a part of the sunnah. The sunnah was actually not to eat. So Prophet ﷺ fasted the whole of Rajab many times and the sunnah was to not eat to the extent that because of the air you had to put stones on your stomach. Because of the air and the pain of hunger. So if you want to do that, is the sunnah of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
So by ease of awliya come and teach us, ‘Okay you may not have that and very few people will try that to fast the entire month and consistently fast and abstain from food and break your fasting with only one date. So that your stomach swells from air and from pain.’ So the sunnah of Prophet ﷺ is far more aggressive in fighting the nafs and the way to reach towards realities. So this is a merciful way with a softer approach. People can tolerate eating lentils and not fasting the whole month but it trains them in the same logic because after seven to ten days, you don’t really find yourself moving so aggressively for food. Dinner comes and goes and you may pass it sometimes thinking, ‘I don’t need that much.’ So it has an immense learning within it, inshaAllah. It’s a good addition to the ways of ‘ibadah (worship), inshaAllah.
Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.
Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.
Original Date of Suhbah: January 19, 2023
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- Realities of Insan Perfect Human – The Sun and the Moon
- 7. Rajab’s Practices and Du’as
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