Look Inwards and Build Protection for Your Heart With Surat Al-Fil

August 11, 2026 August 11, 2026

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)

Safar Opens the Entrance of the Cave of Rahmah

Alhamdulillah, that Allah (AJ) granted us this blessed Muharram and to dress into the oceans of humility and istighfar (seeking forgiveness) and maghfirah (forgiveness), Allah’s (AJ) Divinely grace. God Almighty’s Divinely grace is the first month of this journey. It’s immensity, with all the remembrance of the holy souls and the holy events through Muharram, dressed and filled with immense lights and immense realities.

We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us from them and bless us from them and forgive our shortcomings. As a result of the lights of Muharram and within the next Sunday or this coming Sunday or Monday is the opening of the holy month of Safar. Safar Khayr and that Allah (AJ), inshaAllah, open from His oceans of haybah (majestic power) and majestic lights. That the holy month of Safar is the opening of entering into the cave in Surat Al-Kahf.

The Cave is Our Bomb Shelter When We’re Under Attack

That Allah (AJ) dress us from its immensities and the realities of the cave. That this journey is a journey from or within ourselves and the hardest struggle is within the self and to take a life in which the outside of difficulty and life of difficulty and stress. As soon as we train, we realize that our only safety and satisfaction is our ability to reflect and go inward.

The power of the cave becomes essential in our existence. It becomes the source of our refuge and the source of our power and connection. For if we train our lives, that every time there’s a difficulty like having a bomb shelter. That when the surface is under attack, you’re trying to go underground and God gave to us, Allah (AJ) gave to us, our own underground which is our heart. That as the exterior of our life is bombarded with testings and difficulties and confusions, then Allah (AJ) is opening for us for those to go in and become from the Ashab ul Kahf, the Companions of the Cave.

This Path Becomes Easier When Traversed With Love

It means that companionship is with the love and the ishq of the prophetic reality. That when we love the Divine, then we follow and adhere to the prophetic reality. It’s that love that draws us into the heart because that’s where the heart is the magnet of that love. That when we apply that love for the Divinely Presence, love for the prophetic reality, it emanates within the heart of the servant and becomes a magnet in which to pull us into that reality.

It means that, that path then becomes so much easier based on love. When we have that love and we develop that ishq and that good character and that, that desire to be with the Divine, it calls us and pulls us into that reality so that when we make our contemplation, we feel drawn to enter into the heart. We feel drawn to enter into the companionship and the Companions of the heart.

Allah (AJ) Can Only Be Found in the Heart of the Believer

Ashab ul Kahf means the Companions of the Cave. That cave is the love of the prophetic reality. The cave in which Prophet’s ﷺ holy heart is emanating and his Divinely lights and beatific lights of his soul is emanating. As a result of being in that location within the heart of the servant, it draws our entire being back into the cave. That becomes the importance of the cave and that the heart is the Ka’bah. Every reference to the holy Ka’bah in Qur’an for us to understand is a reference to the heart of the believer. ‘Neither Allah (AJ), not on heavens and not on Earth, but I’m within the heart of My believer.’

عَنْ وَهَبِ بِنْ مُنَبِّهْ، قَال رَسُولَ اللَّه ﷺ، قَالْ اللَّه عَزَ وَجَلْ: ” مَا وَسِعَنِيْ لَا سَمَائِيْ وَلَا اَرْضِيْ وَلَكِنْ وَسِعَنِيْ قَلْبِ عَبْدِيْ اَلْمُؤْمِنْ [حَدِيثْ اَلْقُدْسِي – اَلْغَزَالِي فِي اَلْإحْيَاء، وَ اِبنِ عَرَبِي فِي اَلْتَرَاجِمْ، صفحه ٢٢٤]

‘An Wahab ibn Munabbeh, Qala Rasulallahi ﷺ, Qala Allah (AJ): “Maa wasi’anee laa samayee, wa la ardee, laakin wasi’anee qalbi ‘Abdi al Mu’min.” [Hadith al Qudsi, Al Ghazali fi al Ihyaa, wa Ibn ‘Arabi fi al Tarajim, Safha 224]

Narrated by Wahab the son of Munabbeh that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, that Allah (AJ) said: “Neither My Heavens nor My Earth can contain Me, but the heart of my Believing Servant.” [Holy Hadith, by Imam al-Ghazali in Al Ihya, and by Ibn ‘Arabi in al Tarajib, Page 224]

True Pilgrimage to God is Leaving Bad Ways and Moving to Good

That when we clean the heart and take a lifelong effort of cleaning the heart, purifying the heart, continuously throwing out the idols of the heart. The material world is continuously trying to place idols within our heart. We described that before that the whole process of tawaf and the circumambulation, the whole understanding of hajj and making a pilgrimage to the heart, pilgrimage to the house of God – all of that the servant reflects towards themself.

That the pilgrimage, the true pilgrimage to God, is leaving bad and moving to good, leaving the outside world of form and migrating into the heart. That God cannot be found on the outside. His signs are everywhere. You go to the ocean, you say, ‘Subhanallah!’ You go to the mountains and everything that’s beautiful upon this Earth of nature, we say, ‘Subhanallah – glory be to Allah (AJ)!’

Train Yourself to Spend Time Working on Your Heart

We see the signs of the beatific creation, but to find the Divinely Presence requires the pilgrimage and the real hajj that begins inward. The washing of oneself, the disconnecting of the form and beginning to enter within the heart of the servant and then the reality of difficulties on the outside is to draw the servant inside because it’s a calling of love. When the servant is too distracted by the outside, Allah (AJ) begins to throw difficulties on the outside that, ‘Why are you going out there? I’m in here.’

The reality of difficulties and testings begins to understand or unveil itself is an expression of love with the Divinely Presence. That why are you wasting your time outside? Balance yourself. Train yourself on how to spend time inside. When the servant can make their pilgrimage into their heart and that becomes a year-long process into that hajj.

Hajj is an Inward Journey Towards Divine Realities

As we said before, the reality of hajj is they wouldn’t get on a plane and fly there. They would set off in a year’s journey. So, what one used to do physically by taking away your assets, sell your business or whatever the people would do for hajj – imagine 100 years ago, no planes. They would sell what they have. They would say their goodbyes and they would set on a journey of 12 months, at least, in journeying to reach towards Mecca and Madina.

That, symbolically is being done on the spiritual path. That as we begin the first month, this is a 12-month journey to the 12th month. It’s a journey inward for the believer in which they are making their hajj. They are now entering into the cave. They’re making their approach into that reality. They’re asking Allah (AJ), God Almighty, to help them to wash their heart, cleanse their heart, retreat into the inner core of their reality so that they to be Companions with this love and this Divinely love.

You Will Be With Whom You Love

That Allah’s (AJ) love is emanating with the reality of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ and the love of all the prophets. When one keeps that love within their heart, the respect of all of the holy prophets, all their lights are residing within the heart of the servant. That’s in the ‘Levels of The Heart’ book that the soul of Sayyidina Isa (as) – Jesus Christ and peace and blessings be upon him must be within the heart of the servant. It means you’ll be with whom you love.

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: ‏… فَقَالَ (رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ): ‏”‏ أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ.‏” ]اَلْمَصْدَرْ: مُسْلِمْ:. ٧٥٢٠ ]

‘An Anasin (ra): … Faqala (Rasulullahi) ﷺ: “Anta ma’a man ahbabta.”

Narrated Anas ibn Malik (ra) that …the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “You will be with whom you love.” [Source: Muslim 7520]

Love All Prophets and Their Eternal Message

When Prophet ﷺ was teaching for us, ‘Love all the prophets. They’re all my brothers.’

أَنَا أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ، وَالأَنْبِيَاءُ إِخْوَةٌ لِعَلاَّتٍ، أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ شَتَّى، وَدِينُهُمْ وَاحِدٌ

“Ana awla an-nasi bi-ʿIsa ibni Maryama fid-dunya wal-akhirah, wal-anbiya’u ikhwatun li-‘allat, ummahatuhum shatta, wa-dinuhum wahid.”

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”

It means that when we love them, they all reside within our heart. Every step of the way, they’re teaching us our eternal journey. That they have a message at their time, but they have an eternal message that is beyond space and time and which is in an eternal message in which to always reach and perfect oneself towards the Divinely Presence.

Safar is a Time to Look Inwards With Divine Practices

So, it means then Safar and opening of Safar is such a majestic energy. That everything on the outside is in the continuous shaking and crumbling and difficulties because Allah (AJ) is calling upon the servant, ‘Don’t look out. Look in.’ That this is a time in which to enter into the cave. So, those whom try to keep their discipline of meditating, contemplating, putting a few minutes every day in which to reflect inward, to go into their heart, ask to be dressed by these tajallis (manifestations), blessed by these tajallis, then alhamdulillah, Allah (AJ) opens for them a majestic light.

That majestic light has immense blessings, immense dressings and to be dressed from the people of the cave in which Allah (AJ) described their reality in Surat Al-Kahf. That, that they have a immense haybah, majestic might, is upon their souls. That we want to take from that light and take from that reality.

Recite Surat Al-Fil and Surat Al-Kafiroon This Month

Alhamdulillah, that when you go to the app and begin to recite and read, that it’s the opening of the power of 18 and the reality of 18 because it’s the second lunar month of 9, the second power of 9. Each of these are powers of 9. This is the reality of 9 x 2, the second 9 which becomes the power of 18. The 18th surah (chapter) of Qu’ran begins to dress us and draw us near and dear into that reality.

So, that becomes an immense importance and the app gives an awrad (daily practice) of what to recite on a daily basis. I believe seven Surat Al-Fil and Surat Al-Kafiroon and we described before the Surat Al-Fil again because of the protection in this month. This is all in reference to the heart. When Ashab ul Kahf are the Companions of the heart, it means the cave of the Divinely Presence is the heart of the servant.

Surat Al-Fil Describes the Attack Against the Holy Ka’bah

The recitation of seven Surat Al-Fil is for the protection of the heart of the servant. As Allah (AJ) protected the exterior house of the Divinely Presence, when in the battle of the elephant, when they came to make an attack against the holy Ka’bah, the people of that area retreated and said that, ‘This Ka’bah has a Lord. That All God Almighty will defend the Ka’bah.’

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ ﴿١﴾‏ أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ ﴿٢﴾‏ وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ﴿٣﴾‏ تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ﴿٤﴾‏ فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ ﴿٥﴾‏

105:1-5 “Alam tara kaifa fa’ala rabbuka bi ashaabil feel. (2) Alam yaj’al kai dahum fee tad leel. (3) Wa arsala ‘alaihim tairan abaabeel. (4) Tar meehim bi hi jaaratim min sij jeel. (5) Faja ‘alahum ka’asfim m’akool.” (Surat Al Fil)

“Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant. Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?. And He sent against them Flights of Birds, Striking them with stones of baked clay. Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.” (The Elephant, 105:1-5)

The Holy Ka’bah is a Divinely House, Like Your Heart

So, they retreated. The whole story of Surat Al-Fil, we’ll go next week, inshaAllah. [They] Began to attack and Allah (AJ) defended His house. That’s the same understanding for our eternal because we have to take an eternal message and understand how do we apply that today. So, the awrad in this month has Surat Al-Fil because of the importance of Safar and opening of the cave in the heart.

That Allah (AJ)…we’re asking, ‘Ya Rabbi, that make my heart to be Your Divinely house. This Divinely cave in which I can seek refuge from everything of shaitan and that Your light and those whom You love reside within my heart; not those whom have gone astray and those whom bring Your anger, but Your Divinely light within my heart. You are the defender of my heart for I have no ability to defend myself against satanic attack and the enemies of the Divinely Presence that want to come against my heart and my path and my direction.’

Keep the Company of Nabiyeen, Siddiqeen, Shuhada wa Saliheen (Holy Qur’an, 4:69)

It means then the recitation of Surat Al-Fil seven times daily is for the protection of the heart. The seven layers and levels of the heart that are in the immense oceans and realities of that ocean of Divine blessing. So, by reciting the Surat Al Fil, we’re asking that Allah (AJ), ‘As You defended the holy Ka’bah, that defend my heart in which it becomes a Ka’bah. Your light to reside within my being and that Your Divinely grace to reside within my being.’

If Allah’s (AJ) light is going to be residing within the heart of the servant, then the servant has to be in the company of nabiyeen (prophets), shuha…siddiqeen (truthful), shuhadayi wa saliheen (righteous).

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

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)

Allah (AJ) is With the Prophets, Truthful, Martyrs and Righteous

It means that these are the four categories that Allah (AJ) is with them. The righteous servants, the martyrs, in which they martyred their physical bodies or their spiritual martyrdom in which their desires died. They witnessed the reality. Siddiqeen, the truthful companions whom truthful with their deeds and with their actions in the accompanying of the holy prophets of the Divinely Presence.

The category of nabiyeen means loving and respecting the companionship of all the holy prophets of the Divinely Presence. If we keep these four categories of love and companionship, then Allah’s (AJ) guarantee from holy Qur’an is that, ‘I am with them. I am with nabiyeen, siddiqeen, shuhadayi wa saliheen. These are the best of company to keep.’

Sanctify Your Heart and Seek Allah’s (AJ) Protection

So, alhamdulillah, that this is a month, the holy month of Safar, we say it a little bit early coming on Sunday so people can say, ‘Oh, I understood what to do. I understood to take a shower, welcoming. Do the etiquette of welcoming the holy month of Safar with the understanding that I’m entering not outside to find God, I’m entering inside to find Your reality. That sanctify my heart. Make my heart to be your Ka’bah. Defend my heart as you defended the Ka’bah, ya Rabbi and the Ababeel, the birds that come to defend.’

Allah (AJ) make for us angels that come to pelt all the shaitans whom are trying to attack our heart and deviate our heart from His Divinely Presence, inshaAllah. So many, many, many blessings with the lights of Safar and the majestic lights and haybah; what we call the majestic lights of Safar that illuminate the heart and dress with the might and Divinely might and Divinely power, inshaAllah. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us from its realities and that the secrets of Surat Al-Kahf begin to dress us and bless us, inshaAllah coming in Sunday, Monday depending upon where people are.

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: August 25, 2022

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