How to Know Your Closeness to Allah (AJ), Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and to Your Shaykh

October 1, 2024 October 1, 2024

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

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمْ

A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

I seek refuge in Allah 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)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Madad (support) ya Sayyidi ya Rasulul Kareem (The Most Generous Messenger), ya Habibul ‘Azim (The Magnificent Beloved). Unzur halana wa ishfa’lana (gaze upon my condition and intercede for me) wa abidona madadikum wa nazarekum inshaAllah ta’la fi hadhal majlis. Madad ya Sayyidi ya Sultanul Awliya (King of Saints) Mawlana Shaykh Abdullah Faiz ad-Daghestani (Q), madad ya Sayyidi ya Sultanul Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil Haqqani (Q), madad ya Sayyidi ya Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani (Q), unzur halana wa ishfa’lana, abidona madadikum wa nazarekum, inshaAllah ta’la. Ya Rabbi ana abdukal ‘ajeezu, dayeefu, miskinu, zhalim, wa jahl. If not for the grace of Allah (AJ) that I cease to exist.

Who are Those Whom Allah (AJ) has Favoured?

That Allah’s (AJ) greatness and that we’ve taken a path of nothingness and that to ask continuously for ourself to be nothing. That Allah’s (AJ) rahmah and mercy to dress upon us and to dress us from what Allah (AJ) has dressed upon those whom He favored;

- Amongst the Prophets (as),
- Amongst the Siddiqs (truthful),
- Amongst the shuhada (martyrs) and
- The saliheen (righteous).

Allah (AJ) promised that if you keep their company, it is the best of company.

(٦٩) وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقًا

4:69 – “Wa man yuti’ Allaha war Rasola faolayeka ma’al ladheena an’ama Allahu ‘alayhim minan Nabiyeena, was Siddiqeena, wash Shuhadayi, was Saliheena wa hasuna olayeka rafeeqan.” (Surat An-Nisa)

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger (pbuh) are in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Favours/Blessings – of the Prophets, the sincere Truthful, the Martyrs/Witnesses to the truth (who testify), and the Righteous, and excellent are those as companions.” (The Women, 4:69)

Whom Allah’s (AJ) ni’mat (blessing) upon them, Allah’s (AJ) lights upon them, Allah’s (AJ) blessing upon them. That in this month of Muharram and the realities of ‘Ashura and the sacrifice of Karbala and the caravan of gham – the caravan of sadness that is not only the passing of Imam Hussain (as) and the Shuhada e Karbala (as) but all the difficulty in which that family endured from that time of a slaughter all the way to Damascus and whatever occurred upon them. That Allah’s (AJ) lights dress them, bless them and accepted that sacrifice. InshaAllah all of Ummat e Muhammad ﷺ (nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) to be dressed by those lights, to be blessed by those lights.

We Don’t Appreciate What We Have Until We Don’t Have It

What people give in our life, we can’t imagine. Especially when they’re around, Ya Rabbi. If they’re not around, we can’t imagine what they uphold. What barakah (blessing) comes from them and what functions within our life. So, you don’t appreciate what you have until you don’t have it. On how it is a mercy, is a blessing, whether from our families. You don’t appreciate your family, complain about your wife, your husband, your children, until a day Allah (AJ) either send them on a vacation or they’re no more, God forbid. As soon as the house is quiet, you realize, ‘Ya Rabbi, I liked all that noise. All that yelling and screaming, it reminds me of home. Now it’s quiet, it’s like a qabr (grave).’ Nobody wants to live within a qabr by themselves.

Never Take Anything in Life for Granted

Same for people whom are pious and we gather around, we love them, so much faiz and blessings in all our associations. As if like a tasbih (prayer beads) that they keep people together and if they pull that string, those beads begin to go in all different directions of what Allah (AJ) dressing them and blessing them. We don’t understand until a day when they’re no longer around us. It means that everything in our lives is not to take for granted. Try to love what you have, try to respect what you have, don’t worry about loving something else that’s far away, love what you have. Our life is about that reality. Try to appreciate everything that we have and what Allah (AJ) has given to us. Whether it’s our guides, our shaykhs, our family, our children and our spouses.

Our life now is always about worrying about something else and it would be better somewhere else and it would be better with someone else and that carries through with again our children, our wives, our spouses, our husbands, our shaykhs. Whatever it is in life that we’re always not content with. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us with that contentment. Days of difficulty open and we don’t understand that what these awliyaullah (saints) were carrying and we see confusion to be everywhere. Alhamdulillah, a reminder for myself tonight is that from “Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Atiullah atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum.”

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)

How to Know Our Proximity to Allah (AJ)?

Our Life is Like a Mirror

That how to know that if Allah (AJ) loves us, how to know our proximity to Allah (AJ), our proximity to Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, our proximity to our shaykh and our awliyaullah (saints), pious people whom Allah (AJ) has blessed and dressed and to know our love and our nearness to Allah (AJ). It is always a reminder for myself is that how dear is Allah (AJ) to you. If we want to understand ‘Ya Rabbi where am I with You? How is my love for You?’ Mawlana Shaykh’s (Q) teaching comes back that what is your love for Allah (AJ)? Because this life is but a mirror. It means that if your love for Allah (AJ) is so immense, if the love for The Creator is so immense you find the overwhelming sense that you have to do more.

Like a love that I know I’m coming short and I know by Your Grace that You’re not punishing me. Because I see the doors of ‘azaab (punishment) everywhere. Ya Rabbi ighfir lana. Bija habibika Muhammad ﷺ ighfir lana Ya Rabbi. All these salawats (praises upon Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) are for us a reminder. ‘For love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, Ya Rabbi, keep ‘azaab away, keep punishment away, keep Your dissatisfaction away. Don’t give up on me.’

Only Allah (AJ) Gives Permission for His Name to Be Mentioned

Don’t take for granted what you have. A day can come where Allah (AJ) if He should give up and you don’t feel that love. You don’t feel that attraction coming and you don’t feel like you want to pray. It’s not your cleverness. But the rays of the sun that was coming, if it doesn’t shine the servant enters into a cold winter. It’s that loving ray of Allah (AJ) that shines upon the heart of the servant that draws them near, makes the relationship based on love, based on muhabbat. That, ‘With this love Ya Rabbi how can I earn Your satisfaction? How can I plead for Your forgiveness that keep shining upon me and then I can make my salah (daily prayer). Keep shining upon me and I can give my zakah (charity). Keep shining upon me and I can enter into fasting with the sense of love.’ That none of it is a burden but these are all acts of love that Allah (AJ) will send. Mawlana Shaykh (Q) describing that, that love you have is a reflection of Allah’s (AJ) love for you.

Because you look to the mirror and say, ‘Ya Rabbi I’m not making my salah. I’m not paying my zakah. I’m not wanting to do my sawm (fast). I’m not thinking about my Hajj (pilgrimage).’ Then you find yourself to be distant. Don’t think of yourself as clever that no you didn’t want to pray. That you didn’t want to come and make zikrullah (remembrance of Allah (AJ)). Zikr (remembrance) of Allah (AJ) you read in Surat An Nur that Allah (AJ) said, ‘We gave them permission to mention Our name within their homes. Their home, within the home and within your home.’

(٣٦) فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّـهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ

24:36 – “Fee buyotin adhina Allahu an turfa’a wa yudhkara feeha ismuhu yusabbihu lahu feeha bilghuduwwi wal asal.” (Surat An-Nur)

“(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah has permitted to be raised to honour; and that His name be mentioned therein: In them He is glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again).” (The Light, 24:36)

Worship is a Gift and a Privilege From Allah (AJ)

It means by permission of Allah (AJ) – ‘We allowed our servant to mention Our name.’ It’s a ni’mat. It’s not a choice I made here that I thought I was clever and I showed up. Allah (AJ) sent a love and said, ‘I love you. You have permission to go mention My name. I love you. You have a permission to make salah.’ If that ray doesn’t dress you, there’s no way you’ll stand for salah. If the ray doesn’t dress you, there’s no way you’ll make your fasting. People are dropping off left and right. Allah (AJ) is not happy with them. Allah (AJ) is not satisfied with them.

So means that in every du’a (supplication) we’re asking, ‘Ya Rabbi please continue to shine upon us. Continue to forgive me. I will try to make myself to be better. I’m trying to improve my love for You.’ Awliyaullah come into our hearts and into our lives and remind us that increase your love. As much as you love Allah (AJ), you should find the reflection of what Allah’s (AJ) love for you.’

Allah’s (AJ) Love for Us is More Ancient Than Our Love for Him

Many awliyaullah and Abu Yazid al-Bistami (Q) in his ma’rifah (Gnosticism) and all of what he put upon himself to exhibit his love and to move towards that ma’rifah, when the day opened and the heart opened and Allah (AJ) revealed what Allah (AJ) wanted to reveal. His dialogue with that Divinely Presence and his astonishment that ‘Ya Rabbi I thought it was my immense love for You that was bringing me into Your presence. Only to find that it was Your ancient love, Your ancient, qadim love for me that was calling me. It was calling me.’ It took away the ‘amal (action) thinking that it’s your ‘amal and that you’re doing Allah (AJ) favour. That your salah is Allah’s (AJ) favour, your zakah is Allah’s (AJ) favour, that your fasting is Allah’s (AJ) favours versus my cleverness. Awliya come into our life and remind us that this is God’s blessing. If He dresses you with that blessing, every action will begin to appear upon that servant. Then we begin to know that I must be then moving towards the closeness and the love of Allah (AJ).

How to Know Our Proximity to Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ?

Same then for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Because our life is about trying to ask that how am I with Allah (AJ)? In nutshell that if you love Allah (AJ) and all your actions are moving towards love, you must know that Allah (AJ) is immensely in love with you. For if that love didn’t exist, there would be no way to be sitting on this floor and chanting and praising Allah (AJ). How do I know that I’m drawing closer to Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ?

Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ Wants Us to Have Good Character

Awliyaullah come into our life and said that if you met the requirements of Allah’s (AJ) love, then what Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ asked for us? ‘That have good character. My only claim, I didn’t come and claim that I’m great about this, I’m great about that, but that Allah (AJ) made my character and my manners to be great. That my character that Allah (AJ) testify “Khuluqul ‘azheem.” That my character and Allah (AJ) said the character of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is ‘azim, is magnificent and munificent.’ Prophet ﷺ saying, ‘That’s all that I want from you, abdi.

(٤) وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

68:4 – “Wa innaka la’ala khuluqin ‘azheem.” (Surat Al-Qalam)

“Truly, You (O Muhammad!) are of a magnificent character.” (The Pen, 68:4)

If Allah (AJ) loves you and you love Allah (AJ), all that I want from you is good character. Keep my way, keep my example, be an ambassador of good character, good manners, good adab.’

How to Know Our Proximity to Our Shaykh?

This World is But An Illusion

Then the ulul amr (saints) come into our lives and awliyaullah and saliheen (righteous) whom following them, they’re reminding us: if you want to know that you’re close to the shaykh because this world is a world of illusion. The closeness to Allah (AJ) is based on muhabbat (love). That it takes from the world of light not the world of form. So you can’t look to the world of form and say, ‘Oh this person seems to have everything, Allah (AJ) must love them.’ No, no, no. It has nothing to do. The dunya (material world) is but an illusion. Allah’s (AJ) love for a servant is based on muhabbat and hidden. Many may not know how close that servant is with Allah (AJ) and nothing from the world of form shows that love. It means this whole tariqah (spiritual path) is based on that reality.

Good Manners is All that the Shaykh is Interested In

To know how close are you with the shaykh is not the one rubbing him and massaging him is the one who’s close to him. It’s not the one keeping his company that he’s close to him. The closest to the shaykh is the one who exhibits the perfect character that Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ wanted from them. It means the adab and the manners is all that the shaykh is interested in. Nothing from proximity. There are many shaykhs who are very far in distance, in space from their guide. It’s not the proximity to the guide that makes you to be close because sometimes they keep the craziest ones closest because they need a lot of attention. Otherwise, they would make a lot of difficulty.

This is not based on the world of form. The signs of closeness are based on the kholoq and the character that when the shaykh wants to show his love and wants to understand your darajat (station) and your proximity to the shaykh, they put you through immense testing. Immense testing where they will curse you, others will curse you, other people will come against you and never your character should change from its goodness.

Exhibit Sweetness in Face of Extreme Squeezing

That the character has to exhibit a character in which Prophet ﷺ will be happy with that character. Because all that the shaykh is interested in is that Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to be happy with them. So many, many awliyaullah, they came against, many cursings. Many people attack them. Many people say bad things about them. Many people backbite them to their face and still they exhibit sweetness. That like nature whatever you squeeze them, they try their best to exhibit good characteristics and fragrance. Even to the hand that crushes them, they give their oud, their bakhoor (incense), their fragrance.

It means this is a reminder for us in our lives that,

- We want to ask that, ‘Ya Rabbi, how close am I to You, Ya Rabbi?’ ‘Then how much is it that You love me, O My servant [Allah (AJ) asks]?’ If you are loving with all your being and trying your best to satisfy Allah’s (AJ) wants for us and we’re struggling in that process.
- How close are we with Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ? They come and say: how good is your manners and your character? Not your manners and your character with those who like you but those who come against you, those who slander you and backbite you. Now we see people all over internet and everywhere posting as if they’re pious and then in the next line cursing and judging and attacking.

Who are You Working For? Shaitan or Rahman (The Most Compassionate)

Our life and the life of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ was never to send anyone into the hands of shayateen (devils). If you understand that’s the game. That these are precious jewels. People’s souls are precious jewels. There’s not a Prophet (as) to the caliber of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ that came. The only mission of Prophet ﷺ was to save that nation, ‘Save what I’m responsible for that Ya Rabbi don’t let them into the hands of shaitan.’ So it means that good character is an exhibition of that understanding. If Prophet ﷺ wants the best of character, how is it that you could judge somebody, come against somebody and push them into the hands of shayateen. Who are you working for? You are working for Allah (AJ) or you’re working for shaitan? Shaitan is trying to make people to go to jahannam (hellfire). Rahman is trying to make people to go to paradise. If one is moving to jahannam, they’ll do everything possible to block it, with every rahmah (mercy) possible.

Awliya Work Amongst People to Save Them From Shaitan

That’s why they don’t understand pious people and awliya that they have to bring themself down to the lowest level of people to entertain with them, to operate with them, to make them to be happy, to save them from shayateen. They don’t operate at a level of piety where they hide and they wear all white and sit and make zikr in a cave and everybody have to come and kiss their hand. Nobody is going to come and kiss their hand. They get down and get dirty. They operate within the cities and the slums. They operate within people and bring and attract people to take them away from shaitan and back to Rahman.

They eat with everyone. They don’t judge. There are groups that say, ‘Oh the aqidah (belief) of this person is not an aqidah we will eat with.’ Was there a single Prophet (as) that had that belief? That every Prophet (as) ate with everyone. Every Prophet (as) gave sadaqah (charity) to everyone, regardless. These are Allah’s (AJ) creation. Our job is to bring people to paradise. If they are moving in the hands of shayateen, to take them away from the hands of shaitan and back into the hands of Rahman. So then how anyone could come against and curse somebody and attack and abuse somebody or make any type of derogatory statement to somebody or make la’nat (curse) on somebody?

Never Curse Anyone!

No matter what you think the person wrong, don’t make a la’nat, don’t make attacks. A day may come in which Allah (AJ) fed up with you. All the actions that they see were bad actions and then from Allah’s (AJ) rahmah, it moves into Allah’s (AJ) ‘azaab. Because we don’t know our standing with Allah (AJ). That’s why everything is based on good character. That constantly through good character, through good manners. ‘Ya Rabbi, who am I to judge Your creation? My only responsibility is to exhibit good character and take people away from shaitan, and move them to Rahman.’ We pray that Allah (AJ) open for our hearts to understand.

Door of Awliyaullah is Always Open for People

Those people whom their character is like that and that no matter how you squeeze them, they continue and try their best to be sweet, to be fragrant, to be merciful. That their doors are always open no matter how many times you harm. How many awliyaullah have people that continuously try to aggravate, agitate and harm them? They keep their doors open for them, that Allah’s (AJ) rahmah to be dressed upon them. But don’t think with your eyes and with your ears that, ‘Oh this person is close, this person is close.’ No, no.

The Closest One to the Shaykh is the One with Best of Character

The closest one to the shaykhs are the ones that exhibit good character. Why? Because they’re close to Prophet ﷺ. Prophet’s ﷺ rida and satisfaction upon them. That they are emtehan (test), continuously people calling them names you can’t imagine. We know through tariqah and through our training, we’ve had shaykhs that have said big insults against us and you stay quiet. Understood, you have to be like Ashab ul Kahf (Companions of The Cave). The dog of Ashab ul Kahf didn’t raise a word.

Student of Tariqah Should Live a Life Like the Dog of Ashab ul Kahf

All students of the turuq (spiritual paths) know their life like the dog of Ashab ul Kahf. What the dog said? ‘I want to accompany you, you are Ashab ul Kahf you are the big, big ones of Allah (AJ).’ Said, ‘No way for you to accompany us. You’re going to give us away,’ and they began to throw rocks at the dog, throw rocks at the dog and the dog took the rocks and didn’t. It wasn’t a regular dog that go and bite somebody. Now today if you say one thing wrong, they give you an angry face like a demon and then begin to try to attack you and the worst are the munafiq (hypocrite) that go home and begin to come angrily against. That one step from love they become munafiq and enter into hypocrisy and begin to attack. That’s not love. Love is that they throw rocks at you and your love never changed. Throw rocks at you and your love never changed until Allah (AJ) gave the dog a tongue and he stood up and said, ‘No matter what you throw at me, I’m not changing. My duty is to guard the cave.’

It means that then gives us all a chance that something najes (dirty), that something unclean and dirty like a dog Allah (AJ) saved it, gave it a haybah (majestic might) that it guarded the cave with a tremendous haybah. That anyone who saw that dog came into fear and allowed that dog into paradise. If Allah (AJ) going to bring a dog into paradise, means we all have a chance with good character. That we don’t bite, we don’t attack. We pray that Allah (AJ) open for us an understanding,

- To please Allah (AJ) from “Atiullah”
- To please Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ – “Atiur Rasul” and,
- To please “Ulil amre minkum” [Holy Qur’an, 4:59]. 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.

Always Seek Mercy Through Humility and Love

Those who don’t want to enter through the door of humility and good character then there are people whom Allah (AJ) is sending upon the earth who have no mercy in their heart. By means of their harshness and lack of mercy they will purify each other. We pray that Allah (AJ) spare us from that. That we don’t want to be washed in a hard and difficulty but we’re coming through the doors of beatific light. That Ya Rabbi we’re the people of ‘ashiqeen (lovers), deal with us gently Ya Rabbi, instead of going through the hard door we pray, 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: October 29, 2016

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