Nisf e Sha’ban – Night of Salvation
From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi
A’udhu 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
Nothing Can Contain the Speech of Allah (AJ) Except Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ
The sign of Allah (AJ) is going to be the Holy Qur’an, the speech of Allah (AJ), that nothing can contain it. There is no fabric. There is no stone. There is no book that can contain the speech of Allah (AJ) except what Allah (AJ) created by His two hands and blew from His spirit into that reality and its most purified reality called “Muhammadun Rasulullah ﷺ”. So, kitabAllah, the walking book of Allah (AJ), is the reality of the soul of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. That’s why when we read in Surat al-YaSeen, Allah (AJ) testify again. ‘This is not poetry. Inna huwa, huwa zikrun wal Qur’anun Mubeen.’
﴾وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْآنٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿٦٩
36:69 – “Wa ma ‘allamnahush shi’ra wa ma yambaghee lahu, in huwa illa dhikrun wa Quranun Mubeen.” (Surah YaSeen)
“We have not taught/instructed him (Prophet Muhammad) in poetry, nor it is befitting for him. He (Prophet Muhammad) is not but Zikr (Message/Remembrance) and the Quran, making things clear.” (YaSeen 36:69)
He’s the zikr (Divine remembrance) of Allah (AJ). He’s the praise and salutations and glorification of Allah (AJ). “Wal Qur’anun Mubeen,” that he’s Manzil e-Qur’an, the one whom is the house of Holy Qur’an will be manifesting from this blessed and beloved soul that Allah (AJ) will be known through that reality, its immensity, its beauty and its proximity.
Holy Qur’an is Continuously Revealed on Nisf e Sha’ban as a Warning (Holy Qur’an, 44:3)
Then Allah (AJ), in Surah Dukhan, is then saying, “Inna anzalnahu fee laylatin mubarakah wa kunnu munthireen.”
﴾إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ﴿٣
44:3 – “Inna anzalnahu fee laylatin mubarakatininna kunna munthireen.” (Surat ad-Dukhan)
“Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind].” (The Smoke, 44:3)
Indeed, ‘Anzalna’, Anzalna is the action. ‘Hu’ is the one receiving the ‘Anzalna’. ‘Wa anzalna hu.’ So, it means how Allah, Allah (AJ) inspire them to read it? Anzalna is the action of we are…this is a revelation, a movement or sending down to Janab e-Hu. ‘Anzalna Hu’ is the subject of who is receiving what Allah (AJ) is sending. So, Anzalna Hu, it’s sent to ‘Hu’. Fee laylatin mubarakan, then Allah (AJ) is then giving on a blessed night. It’s sent as a warning, ‘munthiran,’ as a warning for mankind from this soul of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Words of Holy Qur’an are Combined With Nurul Muhammadi ﷺ
Allah (AJ), when we were reading the du’a (supplication) is this Ummal Kitab, the mother of all books. If the kitab…the furqan is just the understanding of Qur’an from somebody who doesn’t know the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. It’s a book of right and wrong. Qur’an, Allah (AJ) describes the Qur’an is Allah’s (AJ) speech mixed with the Arabic prophet of Allah (AJ). It means it has to mix into the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and becomes Holy Qur’an because Nurul Muhammadi (Muhammadan light) is attached to the words that are coming out.
So, then the reality of Holy Qur’an, the light of Holy Qur’an is reflecting through the holy speech, the ancient tongue that Allah (AJ) created to be known by of this reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. So, it means then this reality flowing from that ocean of realities and Allah (AJ) saying that, ‘We revealed it to you on a blessed night, this reality. Its continuously being revealed on this blessed night of Nisf e-Sha’ban as a warning.’
Every Precise Matter is Made Distinct on This Night (Holy Qur’an, 44:4)
Aindina inna kunnamursaleen…where are we? ‘Yufraqu min kullu amrin hakeem’. On a night is made distinct every precise matter. Amrin hakeem is the hikmah (wisdom) of every amr (order).
﴾فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ ﴿٤
“Feeha yufraqu kullu amrin hakeem” (Surat Ad-Dukhan)
“On that night is made distinct every precise matter.” (The Smoke, 44:4)
So, it means that what Allah (AJ) is bestowing upon the soul of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ because we said that Lauh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablets), everything is created from Nurul Muhammadi ﷺ whether Ka’bah on Earth, Baitul Ma’mur in heavens, Lauh Mahfuz, the Preserved Tablets. Where are all these? What did they all created by? There is only one light that Allah (AJ) going to make all realities from is called ‘Muhammadun Rasulullah’ because it has to stay within the ocean of tawhid (oneness). La ilaha illAllah is the power. Muhammadun Rasulullah ﷺ is the manifestation; can’t be more. There can’t be a third one coming in.
Laylatul Nisf e Sha’ban is When Allah (AJ) Reveals the Ancient Destiny for the Year
So, from that Muhammadun Rasulullah ﷺ, everything has been made. Everything is manifesting from that light of reality. Allah (AJ) then described that this Laylatul Nisf e-Sha’ban is a blessed night. It’s a night in which Allah (AJ) is revealing the destiny for that year. It’s already been written from ancient, but He’s going to reveal it as a guidance and a warning for people of amr (command). Every amr, every amr and order, its hikmah (wisdom) and hakeem means every hikmah of every amr for this year, Allah (AJ) will be revealing what is anciently been written.
Allah (AJ) reveals to the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and everyone Ahbab e-Nabi (lovers of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ), they move and run to the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ for their lights to be dressed by its blessings, to be given their isharat (sign), to be given their lights, to be given their tajjalis (manifestations) so that they imitate the ulul amr (people of divine order) because “Atiullaha atiur Rasul wa Ulul amre minkum.” That the ulul amr are definitely all gathered already there.
…ياأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ
4:59 – “Ya ayyu hal latheena amanoo Atiullaha, wa atiur Rasoola, wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat an-Nisa)
“O You who have believed, Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you… ” (The Women, 4:59)
Pious Souls Gather in the Heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ on the Night of Salvation
They’re gathered in the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to take their amr (command). “Wa kullu amrun hakeem” (Holy Qur’an, 44:4), every order of Allah (AJ), its hikmah is being revealed on this night in malakut (world of light). They don’t care if not one person on Earth acknowledges it. It’s of no value. It doesn’t take anything from Allah (AJ) away. It doesn’t stop the process. So, one thing is happening in the heavens and another is you’re sitting on Earth. First importance is to know what’s happening in heavens.
So, it means these rijal (mature men of God), these souls from Budal, Nujab, Nuqab, Awtad, Akhyar, Jinni wal malaika are gathering. They are the ulul amr (saints) of Allah (AJ). They are the people that take the alif. They are the people who serve the meem and as a result, Allah (AJ) made them to be rabbaniyun (lordly souls). As a title, amr is given to them. They follow the command of Allah (AJ). So, then where would these souls be gathering on this blessed night? They would be gathering in the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Every Command of the Year is Being Conveyed to Their Souls
As their souls and their arwah is in the presence of that reality, Allah (AJ) will give isharah (sign) to the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. For every wisdom of every order, every command that will be coming out that year is being conveyed onto their souls. Each to their darajah (spiritual station) and to their certification and to their security clearance. They’re taking the amr (command) of Allah (AJ) from Atiullah to Atiur Rasul. They cannot go above to hear from Allah (AJ). They are the ulul amr so they wait for the isharah that came to Prophet ﷺ and then from the holy heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, these lights are burned into their reality.
So, they understand the hikmah of everything coming and they don’t have to understand at that moment every hikmah. It’s been put into the reality of their soul and as they move throughout that year, all its realities, its guidance, isharats, all its commands will become clear to them. So, it’s a blessed night with immense lights, immense blessings, immense guidance, immense isharats.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a Mercy From Your Lord
So, we can’t even understand the immensity of that night in the presence. The night signifies the moment of non-manifesting. When they take and seclude themself, night is a seclusion. When they seclude themself and go and return back to their lord and return back into the associations of light. They’re being given all the isharats and the wisdoms of what Allah (AJ) and the orders, commands and warnings from Allah (AJ). Then those commands will be carried out throughout the year.
When we understand that and that’s why the next two verses after that. We should have gone also is then, ‘It’s a matter proceeding from us. Indeed, We are the Ones who sent the messenger as a mercy from your Lord. Indeed, He is hearing and He is knowing.’ “Rahmatan min rabbika inna huwa Samee’ul Aleem.”
﴾أَمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ﴿٥﴾ رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿٦
44:5-6 – “Amran min AAindina inna kunnamursileen. Rahmatan min rabbika innahu huwa assameeAAualAAaleem” (Surat ad-Dukhan)
“[Every] matter [proceeding] from Us. Indeed, We were to send [a messenger]. As mercy from your Lord. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” (The Smoke, 44:5-6)
Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ Operates With Heavenly Senses
That has its own reality that ‘huwa’ most definitely hears and he knows. When Allah (AJ) in the holy hadith said, ‘I’d be the hearing in which you hear. I’ll be the seeing in which you see.’ Who is then the king of that hadith? Its reality of Muhammadun Rasulullah ﷺ.
… وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ،.” [ رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ]
“…, wa la yazaalu ‘Abdi yataqarrabu ilayya bin nawafile hatta ahebahu, fa idha ahbabtuhu kunta Sam’ahul ladhi yasma’u behi, wa Basarahul ladhi yubsiru behi, wa Yadahul lati yabTeshu beha, wa Rejlahul lati yamshi beha, wa la in sa alani la a’Teyannahu, …”
“…My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary acts of worship so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him…” Hadith Qudsi (Sahih al-Bukhari, 81:38:2)
That what Allah (AJ) then clarifying, ‘We bestowing to this reality, all these wisdoms and hikmahs and knowledges that already written upon the soul of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.’ So, immensity of its blessings, something that can’t be imagined.
Spend the Night of Laylatul Bara’ah in Salatul Khair
Then for dunya (material world) people, awliyaullah (saints) came into their lives and said best on the 15th of Sha’ban that you sit and make du’a (supplication). Sit and make your salawats (praising upon Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ). Sit and make your prayers. It’s called Salatul Khair. It’s a voluntary prayer. Nobody can negate somebody from praying voluntary prayers. Nobody can tell anyone that, ‘Ibadah is not allowed. Worshipness is not allowed. This an innovation.’ There is no innovation in ibadah, an accepted ibadah and prayers.
When you’re praying prayers that are prayers, you’re making salah (daily prayer). You can make as much salah as you want, sunnah salah. You can recite ayatul Ikhlas as much as you want. So, awliyaullah came and said, ‘Recite it one thousand times’ because every three has the ajer (reward) of one whole recitation of Qur’an. With all its secrets, all its realities, you are reciting every three Surat al-Ikhlas, Allah (AJ) dresses the soul as if it recited the whole entire Qur’an.
Imam Ali (as) Achieved Whole Ajer of Holy Qur’an Quickly to Marry Fatima az-Zahra (as)
There are hadith on this reality. When Sayyidatina Fatima az-Zahra (as) and Prophet ﷺ gave a wird (specific spiritual practice) and people to recite and he said, ‘From my companions, I want to get Sayyidina Fatima az-Zahra (as) to be married. I’m going to give a wazifa (recitation) and whoever recites this wazifa, then we’ll accept the hand.’ They all ran to do the wazifa. Imam Ali (as) came back after a few minutes and said, ‘I finished.’ Said, ‘Huh?’ The Sahabi (Holy companions) shocked cause Prophet ﷺ knows. He knows the secret.
Of course, he’s (Imam Ali (as)) the winner. He’s going to show them that he knows these realities. He knows these trusts. He has the reality of these knowledges. He came back. Say, ‘How you have recited all of Qur’an like this?’ (Imam Ali (as)) Said, ‘I read 3 Surat al-Ikhlas.’ It had the whole ajer of Qur’an and basically what Imam Ali (as) read that day is almost identical to the Naqshbandi awrad (daily practices).
Imitate the Shaykhs – They are Reflections That Mirror Blessings Upon You
So, it means there are ways and realities that Allah (AJ) has given, have immense blessings, immense blessings. So, to sit and to recite Surat al-Ikhlas 1000 times, you can do by tasbih (prayer beads). Then to pray 100 rakah (cycle of prayer) means 50 sets of two, so that you’re spending the night in worshipness and in remembrance to be dressed. Why? Because Allah (AJ) is granting immense blessings in malakut (heavenly realm).
We are a people who understood the reality: if you can’t be there and you’re not from somebody who’s there, at least you imitate those who are there. That’s why we took shaykhs. It’s because they are reflections. If they are going to be in those associations, they taught us that recite these things on these days and these blessed days and blessed nights. By reciting them, you’re going to be mirroring these blessings and they’ll be dressing upon you.
Fasting the Next Day Completes Allah’s (AJ) Ni’mat Upon Us
So, we sit and we recite what they’ve given us to recite. They’re completely voluntary but they have an immense reality behind them. That’s why shaitan (satan) is so fiercely to block it and say, ‘No, no, no, no. This is this. This is this’ and make every type of not polite word when it comes to worshipness. So, it means it has an immense reality. That’s the blessings of sitting and trying to take that tajjali (manifestation), take that dress and that Allah (AJ) dress us and bless us.
We said before that that the next day of fasting is so that Allah (AJ) can complete His favours upon us. These lights are of an immense reality that we cannot achieve only by our worshipness. By sitting, Allah (AJ) then gave the reality that if you are fasting, then I give the reward directly from the fasting. So, the state of fasting on the 15th is that so Allah (AJ) can complete His ni’mat (blessings) upon us and dress us and bless us from these realities.
You Don’t Lose Blessings When You Have Good Intentions
So, alhamdulillah, that Allah (AJ) gave us this love within our hearts to guidance and to follow the reality of awliyaullah (saints) and how to reach from these understandings, to be dressed by these blessings and understandings that have immense blessings for our life, immense blessings. Imagine how many difficulties were taken away just by following what they taught us to follow. We sit. We recite. You don’t have to feel that you’re being elevated. You don’t have to know anything. All that we know is how many blessings have come into our life and difficulties taken away. How much sustenance been granted as a result of that reality, by sitting and on holy nights and just waiting for these tajjalis (manifestations) to reach to us by imitation.
So, we pray that Allah (AJ), by the barakah and the blessings of the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ too numerous to even put with the tongue and to describe with the tongue. That if we’re right, imagine then the immensity of the blessings that people are receiving and the people who say, ‘No, there is no Shab e-Barat.’ What if these awliya were all right and you missed it and it didn’t cost you anything to get it other than, you know, the nafs (ego) and shaitan that become partners and tell people, ‘No, no don’t do that.’ Do what in its place? Go to a movie? Watch television? You’re going to miss all this ni’mat. So, it means that anyone who has a drop of wisdom in their brain; if someone tells them there is a possibility of a blessing tonight, what do you do? You sit and get it! What could be better in my life to sit and take that blessings? Even if the person was wrong, you don’t think Allah (AJ) will give you the blessing because your intention was good? “Kullu a’malu binniyat.”
عَنْ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَال بِالنِّيَّاتِ.” [صَحِيِحْ مُسْلِم: رقم ١٩٠٧، كتاب ٣٣، حَديث ٢٢.]
‘An Amirul Mumineen ‘Umar ibn al Khattab (as) qala: qala Rasulullahi ﷺ: “Innama al ‘aamaalu bin niyaat.” [Sahih Muslim, Raqam 1907, Kitab 33, Hadith 22]
The leader of the believers ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (as) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Verily all deeds/actions are based on their intentions.” [Source: Authentic by Muslim: Number 1907, Book 33, Hadith 22]
Allah (AJ) Gives Many Ways to Reach Blessings and Doesn’t Wish Hardship Upon Us
If a servant sits with an intention that they heard something good and they should do this as a good, Allah (AJ) is the one whom is the best to give the hisab (account). Allah (AJ) gives everything. Says, ‘You sat for it, I’m going to dress you from it.’ So, it means in anyway you look, we are people who are hunting for barakah and blessings and realities. Allah (AJ) make everything to be blessed and easy. He doesn’t want difficulty for the servant. So, you can sit on these prayers on a chair, you can sit on the floor, on your knees, to make your salah (daily prayer) – whatever’s easiest for you. Allah (AJ) doesn’t wish for a hardship upon the servant.
So, alhamdulillah, so many ways to receive blessings and barakah. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us, bless us from these realities and that to reflect from the highest intention. That we know nothing and we ask for the intention of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, the intention of Ashab an-Nabi ﷺ (Holy Companions of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ), the intention of Ahle Bayt an-Nabi ﷺ (Blessed Family of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ) and the intention of awliyaullah fis samahi wa fil ard to be dressed upon us. What they know is the intention, ya Rabbi, grant us from that reality.
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: 2021-03-27
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