
Reality of Mirrors and Musa (as) Accompanying the Unseen Khidr (as)
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
A’udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. “Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum.” And that I am an oppressor to myself, ana abdukal ‘ajeez, wa dayeef, wa miskin, wa zhalim, wa jahl. And but by the Grace of Allah (AJ) that I’m still in existence. And that Allah (AJ) InshaAllah dress us from his rahmah and mercy.
﴾أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ… ﴿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)
Break the Mirror of Illusion and Delusion
A’udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem, Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. InshaAllah the understanding of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ describing that, ‘the believer is a mirror to his brother.’
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
“.اَلْمُؤْمِنُ مِرْآةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ”
‘An Abi Hurrairah (ra), qala, qala Rasulullahi ﷺ: “Al mu’min miratal mu’min.”
Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The believer is the mirror of the believer.”
And has a reality that this world, there’s a mirror in which we are casting a reflection. In this mirror of who I am, it’s sending a false image of me. And by who calls me and what they think of me, gives me an understanding of who I am. And that’s not my reality; that’s not even the look of my reality. It’s all like house of illusions. And this mirror in our spiritual path has to be broken that we break this world of illusion and delusion. The illusion that our parents gave us, our friends gave us, and whoever called upon us, what they cast upon us of who we are and what we should be, is a way of illusion and delusions.
The Believer is a Mirror to His Brother & Sister
What Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ brought with that Holy Hadith is oceans of reality, that the believer is a mirror to his brother and sister.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
“.اَلْمُؤْمِنُ مِرْآةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ”
‘An Abi Hurrairah (ra), qala, qala Rasulullahi ﷺ: “Al mu’min miratal mu’min.”
Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The believer is the mirror of the believer.”
It means that when you find a believer in life, and not everybody is a believer. It means that the level in which this talk is one whom they have iman (faith). So, this is not people who accepted Islam. This is at the level of those whom Allah (AJ) granted a nur (light). Their nur has been granted and as a result they have an iman, a faith. Because of the light of that faith, they are reflections.
So, anyone who looks at them, doesn’t really see them. Because what happens with the ayna (mirror)? That’s why you in your spiritual class, these are things that you put notes and then certain things you highlight and post it. That these ahlul iman (people of faith), wherever in life if we should be lucky enough to find one that when we deal with them, interact with them, learn from them, they are merely mirrors, cause the words of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ are 1,000 percent true.
The Spiritual Path is to Know Myself, Not the Shaykh
I’m not seeing the Shaykh, I’m not understanding the character of the Shaykh. My interaction with the Shaykh is at a level where I think I know him is incorrect, You have no understanding cause he doesn’t know himself either. He’s on a journey to know himself too. So, nobody could claim to know someone when they don’t even know themself. Even if they know themselves, they don’t know themself.
Because Allah (AJ) at every moment is in a new tajjali (manifestation). And Prophet ﷺ is inheriting so every moment Prophet ﷺ is in a new tajjali, and at every moment spiritual seekers are being raised with new tajjalis. There’s no one place you reach and say, ‘Now I know myself.’ It’s infinite in its capacity. So, then you can’t say, “I know him.” When my path was not to know him, but was to know myself.
A Real Guide is a Purified Mirror and Like a MRI Casts Our Sickness
As a result, how is my interaction with that mirror. And that mirror is casting who I am. Because I don’t have the training to understand myself. I don’t have spiritual firasah (spiritual vision) to go inside myself and see my character defects. So, then that’s why they train that keep looking at their picture, keep watching the videos, keep keeping their company. It is an ayna, it’s a mirror for you to understand; not who they are, but who you are. Cause the light that shines from them, you find all your aggressions, you find all your anger.
Every time they make you angry, you should be journaling because this is a school; this is not a philosophy class. Every time I become angered, I should be writing, ‘Why he just said what he said and I got angry, I got disturbed, I got confused. Whatever I got, it was to show me – it’s like advance medical technology, it’s like a MRI and a CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scan. As soon as you look, so it’s like MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), as soon as they’re looking, and watching their video, looking at their picture, learning how to make your tafakkur (contemplation), all their image starts to hit to you and it begins to cast all these sicknesses. That’s the concept of an MRI; when you go to a doctor, things that are inside of you have to be brought out so that you can truly be clean.
The Interaction with the Shaykh Exposes Our Character
That’s why when you interact with them, their interaction is only mimicking for you. Because in every face, they’re different with every person. Because each one has a different tajjali, a different reality. As soon as you get in front of the mirror completely, their interaction with you going to be completely something different, because now you’re in the full presence of the mirror. When you make tafakkur and contemplation, you watch the video alone in your home, that mirror is casting to you. If you took the path serious, you would be writing with a book all the time, your muhasabah and your accounting. This made me angry, this made me angry, this made me disturbed. This made me confused, this made me to have questions, this made me to have doubt.
And it’s not the Shaykh. It’s that mirror that is reflecting back to you that these are sicknesses that lie dormant within yourself, or they’re apparent and Allah (AJ) wants you to know them. Otherwise how you can clean and be responsible to clean that which you don’t see. So they’re responsible to bring it out. It’s that mirror that’s reflecting back to you that these are sicknesses that lie dormant within yourself or they’re apparent and Allah (AJ) wants you to know them. Otherwise how you can clean and be responsible to clean that which you don’t see. So they’re responsible to bring it out.
The Guide Reflects the Love of Divinely Presence Within Our Hearts
Once you begin to clean and to clean and to clean, then they begin to teach you from the level of cleaning begins to move. This level of ishq (love) begins to come. You can’t love yourself, you don’t know how to, we don’t know how to. When we begin to look at them, in this love for the divinely presence, they begin to reflect that love of divinely presence within our hearts. It means this whole secret of mirroring is that when I love them, because I truly can’t love myself because we don’t know how to, without a state of arrogance and pride. So, then we were taught to efface, efface, and be nothing. This true state of love, when we love them, respect them, be of service to them, make our life committed to the turuq (spiritual paths) and to the way, we begin to have a love. And then Allah (AJ) deposits a secret within their heart for me, for the one whom seeking. I don’t know how to find that love within myself.
Find Out Who You Are and Stop Manipulating the Scenery
Many people expect the world to love them but they don’t know how to truly even love themselves, correct themselves, perfect themselves. They seek love in all the wrong places. Thinking that they can change people, ‘Be like this, be like that so that I can be happy.’ Tariqah (spiritual path) comes and teaches, no, no that’s not what Allah (AJ) wanted, that’s not love. Trying to modify and change people to suit you, you’re not going to find out who you are; you just manipulated the scenery. You move the characters the way you wanted instead of letting Allah (AJ) control the character. Each character will come into my scene and life to disclose what Allah wants in that scene.
In the House of Mirrors, Everyone is Reflecting Our Character
Once I become a seeker and I start to work on my character, I realize that now everyone in this house of mirrors is reflecting to me of my character, because I don’t see it within myself. You know to cut here (Shaykh points to his chest) is very difficult and pull something out. I can’t see it. But if I put a mirror up and look, I can go through the mirror. So a lot of medicine they were reflecting. I can look to the mirror and see.
People serve as that reality for us. When Allah (AJ) enters you into the turuq (spiritual path), he makes all the students to be minor reflections of the reflection of the Shaykh. One, the Shaykh is the full mirror that’s sending all these realities, you’re never knowing him. Say, ‘Oh! I kind of know the Shaykh.’ You don’t know anything, you don’t know yourself. You didn’t even see what he really looks like. Don’t look at his form on this physical body. What’s his image in the world of light?
We Checked-in to Find Our Sickness, Not to Diagnose the Hospital
Then all the students serve as mirrors so your interaction with all of them, whatever they’re bringing out in your characteristic is something wrong with you. Because you don’t put the blame ever on other people that they’re this, they’re that, they’re this. No, because I’m here to find my sickness. I checked into the hospital to know my sickness. I didn’t check into the hospital to diagnose the hospital; that would be kind of arrogant. I came to this hospital of ishq to reach this love. And my sicknesses are blocking me. My sicknesses are veiling me from everything I’m asking for. I’m asking for it, I’m asking, ‘Ya Rabbi, Oh! Grant me these doors, grant me these openings, let me to be in the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.’ Prophet ﷺ is reminding, then take away your sicknesses. Take away these bad characteristics.
So then everyone is a reflection of something Allah (AJ) wants me to know. When a person is aggressive with me, there’s something in my nature that’s aggressive and intolerant. When the person is rude with me, Allah (AJ) wants me to taste, ‘You see how that rudeness it hurts, don’t be rude, don’t break people’s hearts.’
Allah (AJ) Will Keep Testing Us Until We Know Ourself
And that’s why the du’a, that’s why if you copy their du’as your path becomes easier. Wa ufawwidu amri illAllah, innAllaha basirun bil ‘ibad.
وَاُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِيْ اِلَى اللهِ. اِنَّ اللهَ بَصِيْرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
“Wa ufawwidu amri ilAllah, innAllaha basirun bil ‘ibad.”
“I entrust my affair unto Allah. Truly, Allah is aware of His servants.”
When I’m being oppressed too much by characteristics, I say, ‘Ya Rabbi, I know you’re watching, I know this is it, it’s just too much. I understand it, I understand whatever coming to me, this is something I have to work on, I got it.’ If you’re not making the du’a, then Allah (AJ) knows you didn’t get it. So, He keeps sending more of these characters that keep aggravating and agitating.
Take an Account and Write Everything That Upsets You
But the smart one, the one whom excels in tariqah (spiritual path), he’s writing and writes that, ‘Why, why this person says like this I become angry? Why this person said like this, I become agitated. Why the Shaykh talks like this, I become…’ I begin to learn about myself. I was here to understand myself and then that love is deposited into their heart. When I begin to love them, this is the true love Allah (AJ) begins to reflect.
And that’s why these Awliya (saints) are reciting that, ‘I found love in you, I found a divine ishq in you.’ And as a result of finding that love, Allah (AJ) reflected it back into my own heart and I became ashiqeen (lover). Because I didn’t love the dirty way of myself and my bad character and arrogance and pompous. This love, when I sought and I clean and I clean and I clean and a life continuously of cleaning, of monitoring, ‘Why am I getting upset? What is Allah (AJ) trying to show me in this interaction I got upset?’ So, continuously cleaning, cause a house that’s not clean, it’s not livable. You can’t say I cleaned it once a year. Your home is to be cleaned every day, every day, every day it’s for us to tasawwuf (self purification), it’s to continuously clean.
Through Love of Awliya, You Find Love of Prophet ﷺ and Love of Allah (AJ)
But in this love, we can’t find this divine love in ourself, it’s cast into the mirror. As soon as we search, I found, when I truly found Allah (AJ) is when I found that love within them. When I found the love of the Shaykh, love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, love of these Awliyaullah (saints), in my love for them I found the divine love. as a result, Allah (AJ) cast that love within my heart. Because it’s, ‘You’ll be with whom you love’.
قَالَ رَسُول اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم: الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَب
Qala Rasulullah (saws): “Almar o, ma’a man ahab.”
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “One is with those whom he loves.”
As soon as I love them and realize, this light of Prophet ﷺ is reflecting in them. This light of Allah (AJ) is reflecting in Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. If don’t know that, I don’t know where I’m going. How could they open any door when you know who you’re standing in the presence of? That’s why this is a school of adab (manners). You still don’t know how you’re making your salawat (praising). Somebody calls and says, “Oh! I make zikr (remembrance) of Allah (AJ), I make zikr of Allah (AJ),” like he thought he reached the highest. No, the zikr of Allah (AJ) is the salawat on Prophet ﷺ. You’re not understanding yet the adab of this reflection and this mirror.
﴾إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ …﴿٥٦
33:56 – “InnAllaha wa malaikatahu yusalluna ‘alan Nabiyi …” (Surat Al-Ahzab)
“Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet [Muhammad ﷺ]…” (The Combined Forces, 33:56)
La Ilaha IllAllah Reflects to Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ
This mirror is so powerful that “la ilaha illAllah” (there is no deity but Allah) reflects to the mirror which is known as “Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ“ (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah). What happens when the mirror shatters? Everything collapses. This whole of creation collapses back to la ilaha illAllah. So, when Allah (AJ) causes ‘everything to taste of death,’ every angel will die, every paradise will collapse, everything will collapse. Means what? Allah (AJ) smashed the mirror. And in reality nothing really existed, it was just a reflection; it goes back to la ilaha illAllah.
﴾كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ … ﴿٣٥
21:35 – “Kullu nafsin dhayiqatul Mawti,…” (Surat Al-Anbiya)
“Every soul shall have a taste of death…” (The Prophets, 21:35)
So, it means the depth of understanding mirroring is unimaginable. All our technology is based on this mirroring of satellites, every signal is being mirrored to somewhere to be sent to you. Your madad (support) is being mirrored. As soon as you make your madad, the Shaykhs are sending to your soul a reflection, and this series of mirroring comes and hits you. Because they’re all reflecting back these realities.
From One Gaze of Rasul-e-Kareem ﷺ, Awliya Can Walk on Water
So, this is an infinite ocean of realities. But in these sayings of Rumi and isolation and solitude and love and finding love. And, ‘I really can’t love Allah (AJ) until I found my beloved.’ ‘When I found that one who represents Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to me, I fell in love,’ and in that love, it became a reflection.’ And this is a love of ihtiram (respect). This is not a romantic love, this is a love of ihtiram like your love for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. It’s not something to be romantic and dirty from dunya (material world) understanding. This is an ishq and that’s why these naats (praises) are so beautiful.
This is an ishq that they found a divine love that so powerfully intoxicating. That if they get a gaze of the face of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, they will become in a drunken state. So euphoric, so blessed, so excited. They can walk on water from that ecstasy, from that grace and the immense rahmah and generosity of that Holy Face that you actually looked at me. And I know with all my wrong and all my bad I don’t deserve a gaze from your Holy Face. But you are Rasul-e-Kareem (the Most Generous Messenger), Wajhi hil Kareem, the generous face of Allah (AJ). That you gazed at me, took away every mushkilat (difficulties), took away every type of difficulty, took away all my despair. Took away my feeling that I have to achieve a maqam (station) and there is no maqam for me to achieve. But you looked at me. You looked at me and my life became clear. That look at me and hold me and take me to my destination and that’s all I need. Because if in this dirty state you looked at me, I know that everything is washed and purified and cleaned. And then the rest of this dunya is but an illusion and time that we’re passing.
Every Word of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is Revelation
It means this way of seeking has immense realities, that the teachings of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, they’re not something empty, they are not something shallow. They’re oceans that one word, he’s ‘wuhi al Quran’ that Allah (AJ) is describing that he doesn’t speak but that it’s revelation. He doesn’t speak but that it’s revelation. What type of power is this revelation? That every kalam, every word, every utterance and breath of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, the immense ocean of its reality.
﴾وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ ﴿٥
53:3-5 – “Wa ma yantiqu ‘anil hawa. (3) In huwa illa wahyun yooha. (4) ‘Allamahu shadeedul Quwa. (5)” (Surat An-Najm)
“Nor does he (Prophet Muhammad (s) speak from [his own] desire. (3) He is not but a revelation revealed. (4) He was taught by one Mighty in Power. (5)” (The Star, 53:3-5)
Keep the Company of the Shaykh and His Students
So, it means our life is about reaching this goal. Our life is to be in the mirror of these associations. Find these ahbab and lovers, keep their company. Keep the company of the students, in the craziness of their character you find your defect. You find, if that’s what you’re looking for to reach to a station, reach to the proximity, then you find your characteristic. You understand why everyone’s aggravating and agitating and bothering. And you write, you write, you write and then you will become apparent in your writing. ‘Who knows himself will know his Lord.’
مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَهْ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ رَبَّهُ
“Man ‘arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa Rabbahu.”
“Who knows himself, knows his Lord.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Know Yourself and Battle the Lords that Govern You
First lords are those bad characteristics that govern me. They are like big shaitans (satan) that run on my character, make me get angry, make me get like this. You are not serving Allah (AJ), you’re serving these shaitans that make your character to flip. If you didn’t fight them and start to kill them, how you going to reach to Allah (AJ). That’s why then when I begin to know myself, I know what’s sparking me and I’m now ready to fight it. Not to slap the person who bothered you but slap myself; go home ‘tak’, you know get these things and ‘pow, pow, pow.’
We saw on some of these movies (hitting noises). Sometimes you feel like you deserve a good beating from yourself. I can’t believe I did that and just you don’t know what to do. But that’s important to have that understanding in my life that how I could do like that. Make istighfar (seek forgiveness), cry, penalize myself, do something as a punishment for myself. Pay reparation. Do something so that you stop doing that. You don’t keep doing something bad and then just go onto the next day. So, they understood then this understanding in the reality of mirroring.
Story of Nabi Musa (as) Acompanying Khidr (as)
Nabi Musa’s (as) Pursuit of Where the Two Rivers Meet – Hu – Hey & Waw
When we’re talking today it was an important subject. This whole tafakkur, this whole world of contemplation is for the world of malakut (heavenly realm). They’re not interested in the world of form. This world of malakut is what they want to reach to. This world of malakut is what they want their connection from. So then we’re talking about the reality of Sayyidina Khidr (as) and Sayyidina Khidr (as) is an unseen servant of Allah (AJ). He’s not a seen servant. The example of Nabi Musa (as) in the Qur’an that he wanted a knowledge and I wanted a knowledge from ‘where the two rivers meet.’
﴾وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَاهُ لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا ﴿٦٠
18:60 – “Wa idh qala Mosa lefatahu laa abrahu hatta ablugha majma’a albahrayni aw amdiya huquba.” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“Behold, Moses said to his attendant, I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel.” (The Cave, 18:60)
So, it means la ilaha illAllah Alif–Lam–Lam–Hey, Waw hits to Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ. This Hey-Waw, Hey is Hu. Hey-Waw is Hu. He says, ‘I want where they meet, I want your servant of Hu.’
Dead Fish Came to Life in Presence of the Unseen Servent of Allah – Khidr (as)
He set out with Sayyidina Yashua (Joshua) (as) and with Sayyidina Yashua (as) he’s going and he has a dried fish to eat for lunch. He gets tired and says, ‘Let’s have some lunch. What do we have to eat?’ He said it’s ajeeb (strange). Yashua (as) is telling Nabi Musa (as), ‘This is very ajeeb, I’m sorry to inform you. When we stopped back there, at the rock, this houti.’ So, every word Allah (AJ) is like a programming. This fish is called “Hu-ti.” This Hu-ti that was dead and dried, came to life. Got up, and jumped into this ocean.
﴾قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ الْحُوتَ وَمَا أَنسَانِيهُ إِلَّا الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُ ۚ وَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا ﴿٦٣
18:63 – “Qala araayta idh awayna ilas sakhrati fa-innee naseetu alhoota wa ma ansaneehu illash shaytanu an adhkurahu, wat takhadha sabeela hu fee al bahri ‘ajaba.” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“He said, Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan – that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly.” (The Cave, 18:63)
So between la ilaha illAllah Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ a Hu-ti got up and jumped into the water. Because they didn’t see Sayyidina Khidr (as). He wasn’t standing there and they passed him, because they were hungry. He’s not someone to be seen. It means our life is not you’re going to go somewhere and meet it and it comes to you like you are Hazrat Maryam (as), that it comes as a table of food in your presence.
Khidr (as) Inherits the Secret of Reviving the Hearts
This life was about seeking, for kalimullah, one who speaks to Allah (AJ). Allah’s (AJ) giving isharat (sign) to meet that servant, to meet that reality, he had to use his understanding of guidance. And he immediately picked up, when a dead fish comes to life, this is what I was looking for. There’s a servant of Allah (AJ) that has the secret of muhyil qulub (reviver of hearts) wa mahiz zunub (eraser of sins).
يَا مُحْيِي الْقُلُوْبِ، يَا مَاحِي الذِّنُوْبِيْ ، سَلَّامْ عَلَيك
Ya Muhyil qulubi Ya Maahiz zunubi Salaam ‘Alayk
O the reviver of the hearts, O the eraser of the sins, Peace be upon you
He has the inheritance of Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ that he can with his light, muhyil qulub, immediately bring everything to life. Because Nurul Muhammadi ﷺ, nurul anwar wa sirratul asrar (light of every secret and secret of every light). It’s the secret of every existence. When he cast the light on what Allah (AJ) wantAs that light to be cast, by virtue of the light coming out, muhyil qulub, it revives everything that’s dead. Mahiz zunub, it crushes every sin. Because the sin is what’s making it to be dead. The sin is what’s making things to be blocked. So, with their light in one shot they have the ability to destroy the sin and by virtue of destroying that sin with that light, it comes back to life. He knew that this servant of Hu is from that reality and that reality is what he wanted, ‘Let’s go back.’
Nabi Musa (as) Wanted to See His Lord
So, Sayyidina Khidr (as) was not somebody seen. He (Musa (as)) had to look for a sign for that reality. Then you understand in the companionship that it required good characteristic to see Sayyidina Khidr (as). And Nabi Musa (as) wanted to see. He says, ‘I got the attribute of hearing but, ya Rabbi let me to see you.’ So, he wanted a high level of basirah (vision). High level of vision.
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَانِي وَلَـٰكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا ۚ فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾
7:143 – “Wa lamma jaa Musa limeeqatina wa kallamahu Rabbuhu, qala rabbi arinee anzhur ilayka, Qala lan taranee wa lakini onzhur ilal jabali fa inistaqarra makanahu, fasawfa taranee, falamma tajalla Rabbuhu lil jabali ja`alahu, dakkan wa kharra Musa sa`iqan, falamma afaqa qala subhanaka tubtu ilayka wa ana awwalul Mumineen.” (Surat Al-A’raf)
“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [Allah] said, “you will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in its place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord manifested His glory on the mountain, He made it as dust, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke/recovered his senses, he said, “Glory be to You! to You I turn in repentance, and I am the first of the believers.” (The Heights. 7:143)
So, when he asked, Allah (AJ) said, ‘Go, we’re going to send our glory onto the mountain,’ the glory of Allah (AJ) Nurul Muhammadi ﷺ. At that time the light of Prophet ﷺ appeared and Nabi Musa (as) khashi’a, out. He witnessed with his soul the light “ana awalul Muslimin” (I am the first of those who submit). Took his shahadah (testimony of faith) under the flag of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, negating his reality to accept the awalul Muslimin. It means I’m now accepting la ilaha illAllah Muhammadun RasulAllah ﷺ. It means then everybody in this path is to be negated and brought down.
﴾لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٦٣
6:163 – “La sharika lahu wa bidhalika omirtu wa ana awalul Muslimin.” (163) (Surat Al-An’am)
“No partner has He; and this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.” (The Cattle, 6:163)
Authorized Naqshbandi Shaykhs Hold Secret of Khidr (as)
As a result of that, he wanted now to see from these servants. Allah (AJ) sent him to Sayyidina Khidr (as) who’s not to be seen by the eye, it’s seen by the heart. And that’s why they passed it. When he came back and realized with his tafakkur, this is the point. At that time he was introduced to Sayyidina Khidr (as) which is the 11th Shaykh of the Naqshbandi order to draw your significance that whatever secret Sayyidina Khidr (as) has now, because he’s alive. He’s Hayyu al-Qayyum, he represents Bahrul Hayat (the Ocean of Existence). He’s alive and his secret runs in the tariqah.
And the Shaykhs that are authorized by the tariqah they hold that secret of Sayyidina Khidr (as). They are servants of Hayyu al-Qayyum. Those whom they hold an ijazah (authorization) from that reality. They are servants of Hayyu al-Qayyum (The Ever-Living, The Self-Subsisting). They are the servants of that reality of Hu; they’ve been granted from
the Hey its “Hidayat” (guidance). They’ve been granted from the Waw Ahl e Muhabbat (people of love), ahbab (lovers) and they are servants of Hu.
And this is the city of realities “wa Ali Babu Hu.” So, this requires the cutting of your head cause you’re not going to see them with these eyes. This requires the head of no importance, declassify, de-signify, your head is of no value here. That you need to have a good heart.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : “أَنَا مَدِينَةُ الْعِلْمِ وَعَلَىٌ بَابُهَا، فَمَنْ أَرَادَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَلْيَأْتِ مِنْ بَاْبُهَا
Qala RasulAllah ﷺ: “Ana Madinatul ‘Ilmi wa ‘Aliyyun Babuha, Faman Aradal Madinata falya’ti min Babuha.” (Hasan)
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “I am the city of knowledge and Imam ‘Ali is its gate/gatekeeper, so whoever wants from the city must take from its gate/gatekeeper.” [Sound hadith by Imam Tirmidhi in al-Awsat]
Don’t Ask Questions, Pious People Will Veil Themselves
At that time Nabi Musa (as) introduced to Sayyidina Khidr (as). He saw now with his heart and the first thing that Sayyidina Khidr (as) is now talking to him that in this way, don’t talk, don’t ask me any questions.
﴾قَالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعْتَنِي فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِي عَن شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا ﴿٧٠
18:70 – “Qala fa ini ittaba’tanee fala tasalnee ‘an shay-in hatta ohditha laka minhu dhikra.” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“[Khidr] He said, Then if you follow me, do not ask me questions about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.” (The Cave, 18:70)
Why? Because as soon as you begin to talk your bad character will veil you from me. Your questioning and having shak (doubt) is going to veil you from seeing me so by the nature of our association will be finished. He was warning him, warning him that don’t ask. Don’t ask because Allah (AJ) is requiring a high level of purity of your heart with no shak. Because shak brings a veil unto the heart. When they have no shak and they’re walking on water, they’re seeing. That’s why the servant of Allah (AJ) said, ‘Don’t ask questions.’ Not because he can’t tolerate questions and give a nice answer. That, ‘This way is not for you to ask, this way is for purity of heart.’
Difficulty of Nabi Musa (as) in Accompanying the Unseen Khidr (as)
Then now imagine the difficulty of Nabi Musa (as) accompanying somebody he can’t see. That’s why then he went to a boat. Imagine somebody breaks a boat and Nabi Musa (as) is sitting on it. Says, ‘I’m a Prophet of God, why you just broke this poor man’s boat.’ Because they can’t see Sayyidina Khidr (as). They can only see Nabi Musa breaking the boat. So, that’s why he’s shocked. ‘I’m, Prophet of God, how you just did something like that? The people going to come against me and say he’s walking around breaking things.’ And that’s the level of the difficulty of the test.
﴾فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا رَكِبَا فِي السَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَا ۖ قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا إِمْرًا ﴿٧١
18:71 – “Fantalaqa hatta idha rakiba fes safeenati kharaqaha, qala akharaqtaha litughriqa ahlaha laqad jita shay-an imra.” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, Al-Khidr tore it open. [Moses] said, Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing.” (The Cave, 18:71)
Then he said that the boy passed away, say, ‘How you passed away a boy cause they’re going to blame me now. Nobody sees you.’ We’re walking and all of a sudden the boy died, they say, ‘Oh look, Nabi Musa is walking around he’s breaking boats and killing people.’ SubhanAllah, then you understand how difficult that test was. And that’s why he was like, this is you know please, why did you do that? And he says, ‘You know, this something now about to come out of this. Don’t ask.’ Because he didn’t want to veil himself but because of the concern of what people going to say when these things are happening and they don’t see you.
And then he went to the wall. He’s tired and he was ordered to repair the wall but Sayyidina Khidr (as) wasn’t helping. It was Nabi Musa (as) building the wall by himself, tired, hungry. So why cant I ask for money for fixing the wall? Says, ‘Don’t ask.’ And then by the end the veil is shut and he said, ‘This is where me and you we go, depart.’ So, it means Sayyidina Khidr (as) then became veiled from the questioning.
﴾قَالَ هَـٰذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنِكَ ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا ﴿٧٨
18:78 – “Qaala haazaa firaaqu bainee wa bainik; sa unabi ‘uka bitaaweeli maa lam tastati’ ‘alaihi sabraa” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“He answered: ‘This is the parting between me and thee: now will I tell thee the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.'” (The Cave, 18:78)
Story of Grandshaykh Abdullah Daghestani (Q) and a Scholar
Sayyidina Abdullah Faiz ad-Daghestani, Naqeeb ul-Ummah wa’izzul-Ummah, described he was sitting with one of ulama (scholars) and they entered into a carriage. And then they were sitting, a third Shaykh appeared and that Shaykh looked at two of them and said, ‘Who’s, who’s Shaykh? Are you his shaykh or he’s your shaykh?’ He asked the other one first. The other one said, ‘He’s neither my Shaykh, nor am I his Shaykh.’ And then he started to talk to Shaykh Daghestani (Q) and Shaykh Daghestani (Q) was still talking to this third man which was Sayyidina Khidr (as). Kept talking to him, talking to him. And this other man saying, ‘I don’t see anyone. Where did he go?’ He said, ‘Your bad character veiled you from him. Allah (AJ) was testing you. What did it hurt for you to say, he’s my Shaykh and I’m nothing?’ But because the arrogance of the ulama, they are like a peacock. It would never ever try to say something like that.
Reality With Madad and Seeking Sayyidina Khidr’s (as) Support
So, means what? This way of seeing this and realizing this reality is not your salah. He didn’t get there because he prayed and prayed amazing amounts of praising. He didn’t get there by his zakat (charity), didn’t get there by his sawm (fasting), he didn’t get there by his fasting. He got there by his good characteristics. So, if you keep a good heart, a loving heart, that is the whole way. With this loving heart and good characteristics, they’re training, do your tafakkur, do your muraqabah (spiritual connection). Anyone of these Shaykhs of the shajarat (tree showing direct link to Prophet ﷺ) of the silsila (spiritual lineage) of Naqshbandiyatil Aliya.
Once you learn how to make your connection. Once you learn how to make all that you have to do, you ask the Shaykh madad, madad Sayyidi, dress us from the lights of Sayyidina Khidr (as). Ya Sayyidina Abbas Khidr (as) bi Madadakum wa Nazarakum, that come and send your faiz (downpouring blessings) upon me, your dress upon me.
And that’s why there are maqams on this earth; one in Umayyad Mosque that the name of Sayyidina Khidr is written. When you sit there with a clean heart Sayyidina Khidr (as) appears, gives you salaams, gives you whatever faiz and blessings. And the other one was when we went to Bursa. In that masjid there was a big beautiful Waw and all the local people say that this is a maqam for Sayyidina Khidr (as). Sit here, connect your heart, you sit there and immediately then Sayyidina Khidr (as), why to veil himself. Veil for the good hearts, sincere hearts.
Holy Souls are Like a Bridge for us Between Mulk wa Malakut
So, this means this whole way is based on good character and opening the heart. Break the bad character, break the mirror and open the realities of tafakkur and the realities of energy, the realities of malakut. We pray that Allah (AJ) give us more and more understanding, more and more dress of these lights and these blessings. And that these holy souls facilitate for us, facilitate for us like a bridge between mulk (earthly realm) and malakut (heavenly realm). They come as a bridge that they begin to teach us these knowledges of malakut that reaching into dunya. We want to walk on this, on this bridge towards the malakut and to receive the knowledges of malakut. And for these souls to begin to teach this malakut, they’re asking to be from this love and this ishq and good characteristics.
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: May 1, 2020
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- Sun Source of Light; Be Like a Moon, Reflect the Light
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