SHIRK AND HIDDEN SHIRK IS MORE DANGEROUS

Shirk and Hidden Shirk is More Dangerous

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

A’udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

InshaAllah a reminder always for myself, Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah and the reality of tariqat and following the teachings of Ahl ul Haqqaiq and the people of realities. Moving to the reality that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal wants to dress the nation of Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, all creation. And Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam described, “Addabanee Rabbi fa ahsana ta’deeb.“

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أَدَّبَنِي رَبِّي فَأَحْسَنَ تَأْدِيبِي

“Addabanee Rabbi fa ahsana ta’deebee.”

“My Lord taught me good manners and He taught me in the most excellent way”  Prophet Muhammad (saws)

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And the only thing that Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam claimed was that, “I’ve been sent to perfect the manners of humanity and the characteristic of insaan,” so that insaan reaches the noble dress in which Allah ‘Azza wa Jal dressed.

إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُ تَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ الْأَخْلاقِ‎‎

“Innama bu’istu le Utammima makarimal Akhlaq.”

“I was sent to perfect your manners.” Prophet Muhammad (saws)

These are the representatives of the heavenly kingdom.  Always a reminder for myself that everything Mawlana Shaykh teaching from Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and that Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sending from Divinely Presence is the perfection of character and the avoidance of pride and arrogance and bad manners.

Pride and Bad Manners Contaminate the Good Actions

And that in every action we do, to be vigilant if bad manners are entering that amal (action) or entering the heart, both extremely dangerous. If the bad manner is entering within the amal and the action, that action becomes contaminated. So even like a pure glass of water, if somebody begins to sprinkle wine into your water, it’s now dead- it’s contaminated for you to drink.

So like our amal and our actions Maulana Shaykh always teaching to be vigilant, that if in my actions and in my prayers and whatever I’m doing is pride and bad character entering, then it has no value in Divinely Presence.

At the same time, taking vigilance over ourselves and asking, “Ya Rabbi, is pride and arrogance entering into my heart?” If it’s entering into my heart, again Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reminding, Maulana Shaykh teaching; then that person has no value in Divinely Presence. Because any drop of arrogance is a drop from shaytaan. And that’s why shaytaan was brought down from the maqam and from teaching angels.

Satan was Brought Down because of His Pride

Doesn’t matter what you think your amal is raising you or how proud you are in the actions that you do. And that your actions you may deem to be superior to others but if they are in contamination of pride and arrogance, contaminated by satan himself because these are the characteristics of satan, then that action is based on falling because he’s the imam of falling. He’s the one who is the reminder that: “Ooh I built myself, built myself,” but all along it was built by pride and arrogance. And it only took one action, one symbol of humility to expose all of its corruption. And that’s everything in religion is defined in that one action.

The Divine saying, “Everything you’re building, your relationship with Me based on your amal, based on your heart. If it’s based on arrogance and pride I will reveal one action- minimum one action- to expose it and bring you down.” And you have a descent like satan from lofty maqams or stations and immediately plummet to the earth. All I have to show is that if there’s an arrogance and all He asked from satan was, “Bow down. Bow down.”

‘Bow down’ is big because, all his life he (Satan) is thinking he is worshiping and he can only listen to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal, only take obedience to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal, everything only Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. And Allah ‘Azza wa Jal said, “You bow down and respect Bani Adam,”

2:34 – ” Wa idh qulna lilmalayikati osjudo li Adama fasajado illa ibleesa aba wastakbara wa kana minal kafireen.” (Surah al Baqarah)                 

“And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Bow Down to Adam“; so they prostrated, except for Iblis. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers/who reject faith.” (Holy Quran)

All the malaikah bowed. As soon as they got up they saw Iblis is still standing there, not bowing. And the malaikah, out of fear, they bowed down again. And that’s why in our salah (daily prayer) we have two sajdahs (prostrations). They feared that why he’s not bowing down. Allah ‘Azza wa Jal then exposing that, “I don’t need all your amal. I don’t need all the things you did. You think you are doing it out of pride and arrogance.”

Don’t let Pride enter your Heart and Actions

Then the real mashaa’ikh of haqqa’iq and reality, they begin to remind us: in everything we do, don’t build your house based on pride and arrogance. Every action, every amal because we don’t know yet the heart and we don’t understand we’re building the heart. But every action is a building- building our faith with prayer, with shahadah, with the salaah, with zakaah, with saum of Ramadhan and the hajj– all of these are building the walls of our house, which is the house of faith that lies within our heart. The house in which Allah ‘Azza wa Jal’s light will occupy: “Qalb al mu’min baytullah”.

قَلْبَ الْمُؤْمِنْ بَيْتُ الرَّبْ
“Qalb al mu’min baytur rabb.”

“The heart of the believer is the House of the Lord.” Hadith Qudsi

The heart of the believer is the house of the divine. Allah ‘Azza wa Jal says, “Don’t build that house ‘cause I can’t come in if there’s pride and arrogance.” So then Allah ‘Azza wa Jal describes the heart in Qur’an that, “Sanctify it, purify it, cleanse it and then circumambulate around that house,” means the heart. Be vigilant of the heart and of the action that in everything we’re doing, is it based on pride and arrogance?

Then every amal, are we praying and is the praying based on you think that you are great because you are praying, and that you pray a lot and you pray perfectly and you do all sorts of nice things with your prayer? Then you begin to build the relationship that your salaah is something special to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. And now pride and arrogance has filled that amal. Pray because Allah ordered you to pray and know that every prayer doesn’t count in His Divinely Presence. He doesn’t look to it, He sees the filth and the horrible smell of it. And you pray only because you have been ordered to pray.

The biggest shirk is the Hidden shirk (Partnership with Allah)

You train yourselves and we train ourselves not to see anything in our action because the first usool is no shirk and the biggest shirk is the hidden shirk. ‘I think I’m something, my prayer is great’. As if you’ve made yourself Allah or God and you’re praying to yourself because you’re so pleased with yourself. You’re so pleased with your actions.

Then they warn that now pride has entered into that amal (action). If pride is entering that amal, most definitely it’s entering and penetrating into the heart. And then you come across people who when they pray they think the whole earth is shaking. And they have to move their qibla 4 or 5 degrees here and there as if it’s counting, as if they are like a rock and they are throwing it and Allah’s going to catch it. They become so particular in their action, as if their action is of some benefit and some counting and the whole world will be saved by it. It’s filled with pride and arrogance.

Allah ‘Azza wa Jal says, “I’m the Lord of the east and the west and anywhere you direct your face, you’ll find Me.”

وَلِلَّـهِ الْمَشْرِ‌قُ وَالْمَغْرِ‌بُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿١١٥

2:115 – “Wa lillahil mashriqu wal maghribu fa aynama tuwallo fathamma wajhullahi,  innAllaha Wasi’un ‘Aleem.” (Surah al Baqarah)

“And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” (Holy Quran)

Don’t Think Your Action Counts in the Divine Presence

First level of that salaah not to even believe it counted: “Ya Rabbi I’m praying because You ordered me, but it’s filled with nifaq (Hypocrisy). It’s filled with shirk khafi, the hidden shirk within my heart. Only through Your Mercy would You accept that amal to be written for me, that maybe malaika will perfect it and clean it. Maybe the intercession of Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will intercede on that amal, wash it and perfect it and present it to Divinely Presence.”

Means the way of adab (manners) is a way of training ourselves that: how dare I think anything I do has a value? Leave it for Allah ‘Azza wa Jal to determine if it has a value. We negate it. We negate it as nothing, and Allah ‘Azza wa Jal has the right to say, “You know it’s okay you counted it as nothing. I’m accepting it,” versus the arrogance of saying, “No, I think of it as something great; therefore You owe me.”

The whole relationship then changes to where everything you’re doing, you think you’re owed something. You think that you are great and you have accomplished something and that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal now owes you; and that’s not a condition in which anyone should hope to meet their Lord. ‘You owe me’- astaghfirullah (Allah forgive us)! Allah ‘Azza wa Jal says, “No matter what you did, it didn’t pay for just the eyesight I gave you, the breath I gave you, the health I gave you, the wealth I gave you. You could have been a cripple sitting in a chair and worshipping me. I could have sent you through the jungle and been eaten alive just to enter into My paradise.” The cost of paradise is very heavy, is not an easy ticket.

Nabi Musa (as) Saw a Perfect ‘Abd (Servant) of Allah

Nabi Musa alayhis salaam said, “Ya Rabbi, let me to see one of Your perfect ‘abd, one of your amazing servants”. And he was inspired to go to a cave. And in the cave he saw somebody making zikr but he was astonished that when he looked at him, this servant had no feet, no hands and just his head and his torso, making zikr, zikr, zikr, zikr. He was astonished that, “Ya Rabbi, this is from Your best servants whom You most pleased with.” Allah’s inspiring, “Go, I show you one of My best servants.” And as he’s looking and talking to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal, amazed that the best of his servants is in such a difficult condition. Immediately a mountain lion came and ripped the man to pieces and was ripping him and as he’s ripping him to pieces he’s making his recitation, zikr of Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. Nabi Musa wa shocked and taken aback and say, “Ya Rabbi, what was that?”
He said, “The price of My paradise is not cheap, ya Musa alayhis salaam.”
Means it’s difficult and we think we are, we got the key based on our action?

Your Performance of Five Pillars are Not Real

1. Then they teach us to be vigilant, that: your shahadah (Testimony) was not real. When you say ‘Ashhadu an la ilaha illAllah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa RasolAllah’ (I witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad (saws) is His Servant and His mesenger). You don’t see anything. So why are you lying, that you’re taking the real shahadah? Shahadah means to be shuhood, to witness. If you’re not witnessing, the shahadah is a lie, it’s an imitation.

2. So Allah says, “What to be proud from? You come with your salaah (daily Prayer), your salaah you’re not seeing anyone. You’re not seeing ‘Assalamu alaika ayyuhan Nabi, asssalamu alaika wa ala ibadullahis saliheen’ (Peace be upon you, greetnigs O Prophet (saws) and greetings O righteous Servants of Allah). It means even the salah not yet became real.” Anyone who thinks their salaah is real, then when they’re giving salaams and saying Ashhadu an la ilaha illAllah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa RasolAllah’, they must be witnessing Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in front of them. They must be witnessing the words Allah ‘Azza wa Jal asked them to recite.

3. Their zakah (charity) that they give is a purification for themselves.

9:103 – “Khudh min amwalihim sadaqatan tutahhiruhum wa tuzakkeehim biha wa salli ‘alayhim, inna salawataka sakanun lahum, wallahu samee’un ‘aleem. (Surat at Tawbah)

“Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [ Allah ‘s blessings] upon them. Indeed, your invocations are reassurance for them. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” (Holy Quran, the Repentance)

And not to build any pride in what they gave and what they do. Because Allah ‘Azza wa Jal didn’t need it but we needed to give it. This was an amanat and a trust that was given to us. It’s being very very important part of our belief. When you think you’re giving, then you’re giving the hidden shirk to yourself [Right? First usool: shirk].

Biggest shirk that Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam concerned is the hidden shirk, hidden shirk: ana niyyah. When you think you’re the great one and that you are worshiping yourself and not Allah ‘Azza wa Jal.

The Charity you give was a Trust given to  You

Awliyaullah come into our lives and begin to teach the delicacy of these words and these actions. That when you give and you think and you become proud of what you gave, as if you gave, then you’re claiming it was yours and it was your smartness that you gave something. ‘I gave it’. They come back and teach: no no, your reality is that it was entrusted to you by Allah ‘Azza wa Jal and that’s why we call it amanat (trust).

If He gave you a spaghetti, piece of spaghetti or piece of rice and it was a trust that you were supposed to bring that rice to that event and you didn’t fulfill your trust- that’s the way to think. Not that ‘I’m so generous, you know, I’m doing this, I’m doing that. I brought water, I brought rice, I gave this, I gave that’. Then we build a relationship of pride within ourselves because of what we’re doing, we’re very proud of. As soon as we become proud of it, then we determine that we are not going to do it anymore: ‘I’m not going to be of service, I’m not going to help, I’m not going to volunteer because I’(the Pharoah ‘I’, the one ‘I’, the one eye of the antichrist ‘cause he talks with ‘I’). He’s inheritor from the Fir’aun. Fir’aun told Nabi Musa, “Ana rabbi al-ala,”- ‘I am the lord most high’ in his debate with Nabi Musa alayhis salaam.

فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَى
79:24  – “Faqala ana rabbukumu al ‘Aala.” (Surat An Nazi’at)

and (Pharoah) said, “I am your Lord All-Highest!” (Holy Quran)

From that time, that energy exists, what we call ‘ana niyah’, when we out our ‘I’-ness, and that’s the one that’s always confronting Allah ‘Azza wa Jal and not submitting to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. Where I put myself as my Hawa (desires) becomes my lord, my desire becomes my lord and I begin to bow down to my desires.

45:23 –  ” Afara ayta manit takhadha ilaha hu hawahu,…” (urat al Jathiyah)

“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire…” (Holy Quran, 45:23)

Return Your Amanat (Trust) to Allah (AJ)

The shaykhs of reality come and begin to teach: every action that you’re doing, look into that action and make sure that you’re cleaning it and scrubbing it and correct your words and your mind, correct your words and your dialogue to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. You are not giving anything; you are merely returning what was entrusted to you and that’s called submission.

57:10 – ” Wa ma lakum alla tunfiqo fee sabeelillahi wa lillahi meerathu assamawati wal ardi, la yastawee minkum man anfaqa min qablil fathi wa qatala, Olayika a’zhamu darajatan minal ladheena anfaqo min ba’du wa qatalo, …” (Surah al Hadid)

“And why do you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage/inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who spent (freely) before the victory,  and fought [with those who did so after it]. Those are higher/exalted in ranks/stations than they who spent afterwards and fought…” (Holy Quran, The Iron)

When you know that it’s a master’s house, it’s not your house. You can’t go inside the house and steal all the silverware and take everything that you want. Islam means to submit and you’re submitting to who? The owner of the house. So Allah ‘Azza wa Jal says, “I own that house and you are merely My servant. Are you accepting servanthood?”

“Aslamtu Ya Rabbi,” we’re asking to submit, to be a servant with under Your domain, not that ‘it’s mine that I can do with what I want’ but “I’m merely a servant, entrusted.” When then they become higher darajats (stations), and they become entrusted with the trust. Because they are no longer people who are pillaging and putting themselves in everything; but they negate themselves, become nothing and they begin to realize that, “I’m returning my trust to you ya Rabbi. I’m to be of service to You, ya Rabbi.”

Means that everything we do is based on that principle. So means that at every moment we have to be giving, at every moment we have to be serving, at every moment we have to be in service. And we have to constantly think of ways to serve Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And if our life becomes only about serving ourselves and every now and then, occasionally doing something in the way of Islam, that is not the way of perfection.

4. Then the Sawm (fast) is not that we fast and think that we’re special, but we’re asking to abstain- abstain from everything: “Ya Rabbi, let me to fast with my mouth, fast with my ears, fast with my eyes, to abstain from everything other than Your Divinely Rida and Satisfaction and what you love from Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.”

Means every one of our actions, they ask us to look into them and see that are we doing it for ourselves and to be recognized? Are we doing it with pride and anger, are pride and arrogance entering in that action? If so, it’s entering into the heart.

If the heart becomes overtaken, it becomes boastful for its prayers and boastful for its zakah, becomes boastful for its sawm, become boastful for its hajj, that it feels so self-righteous that he’s done so many great things as if Allah ‘Azza wa Jal so pleased with it and then become no different than the imam who fell from the heavens. And that was satan, teaching the angels, thinking he’s great; and one test, Allah ‘Azza wa Jal brought the whole house down.

They remind us that our way is the way of humility, the way of being nothing and negating and negating and negating. We’re trying our best to keep our self lowest to the ground so that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal doesn’t have to knock our legs out to bring us down. Means as much as Allah gives, know that you are nothing. As much as Allah opens within the heart, know that you are nothing. As much as Allah inspires within the heart, know that you are nothing.

If that concept and that principle is not deeply ingrained within the heart, there’s no more growth, because as soon as you know a little bit or Allah ‘Azza wa Jal inspire you a little bit, your cup becomes full. That you become the knower of all knowers- you know everything.

So this way is the way of eternal growth, that, “Ya Rabbi, whatever You bestowed upon me, I’m nothing. Whatever You have taught to me, I’m nothing. Whatever You have given to me, I’m nothing. Let me to be of Your Divinely Service,” and that cup always to remain empty so that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal can continuously fill it, continuously fill it.

Then if that cup is continuously filling, it’s overflowing to be of service to the Divine, to be of service to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal’s creation. That becomes Dar ul-Ihsaan. Dar ul-Ihsaan means you are a cup overflowing-why? You’ve trained yourself to be nothing, be nothing, be empty. If it’s empty, it can be full. If it’s full it becomes overflowing because Allah’s generous: overflowing with knowledge, overflowing with barakah (blessing), overflowing with amal, overflowing with wealth, overflowing with everything that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal can give to it of the fountain of abundance.

Why we call them a’tayna kal Kauthar?

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ‌ ﴿١

108:1 – “Inna ‘atayna kal kawthar” (Surah al Kawthar)

“Indeed, To you (O Muhammad) we have granted the Fount (of Abundance).” (Holy Quran, The Abundance)

Means that the custodians of the Kawthar that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal giving to Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to Ashab an-Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to Ahl ul-Bayt an-Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to awliyaullah is that they are fountains overflowing, of everything. Everything overflows-why? Because then they understood that to be nothing and to receive from Allah ‘Azza wa Jal means then to be of service to Allah ‘Azza wa Jal.

To be nothing, to reach that nothingness and Allah ‘Azza wa Jal begin to bestow. But with the concept that if Allah’s going to bestow, it’s for what? to be of service.

Coming to the zikr is not an accomplishment, Be Grateful

A reminder that coming to the zikr is not an accomplishment. You’ve merely been granted a gift that Allah allowed you to remember His Name, ‘cause Allah says the same, that, “I allow My Name to be forgotten in their hearts,” or, “I allow My Name to be remembered in their homes,” with the best of homes is the heart.

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

“(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), (Holy Quran, The Light 24:36)

 Means that the coming to zikr is a gift from Allah ‘Azza wa Jal. Not that “I did a great accomplishment, I came to zikr and I ate lots of food.” That’s not the accomplishment. The accomplishment is to be of service to Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to be of service to the Divinely Presence. The reward is Allah ‘Azza wa Jal allows you to come and mention His Name. It’s a different way of thinking. We think that we did something great, “I got on the bus today and I came to zikr and wow, I had a great action.”

Tariqa comes and teaches: no, don’t think like that. Think like, “Ya Rabbi, thank You for letting me to mention Your Name. Thank You for giving me the invitation, thank You for giving me the right to sit and to praise You, to pray, to submit to You.” All of that is Allah’s Ni’mat onto my soul and onto my being and in exchange, “Ya Rabbi, let me to serve You, to be of service to You.” And every day asking, “How can I serve You, ya Rabbi? How can I serve,” and Allah can’t be served except through the door of Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for us.

That Allah ‘Azza wa Jal says, “You want to serve Me, then serve your Rasool alayhis salaatus salaam. Bring a love and honour and respect for the way,” and that reaching that Divinely Presence inshaAllah.

We pray that a reminder for ourselves, now the holy month of Rabbi ul-Awwal is opening up, that by Wednesday is the last Wednesday of Saffar, and by Thursday inshaAllah the opening of Rabbi ul-Awwal and by the 12^th I think will be January 13^th (2014) will be Mawlid an-Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam [Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (saws)]. So for us, such amazingly holy nights and holy realities, not that we are going to achieve anything; but we know that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal’s love for Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is going to be giving out lots of gifts, lots of lights, lots of blessings. All we have to do is join in the love to be dressed by it.

We pray that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal give us long life, to see that light and that love and that Allah ‘Azza wa Jal give us a good heart and good action to reach towards the love of Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen.

[Special thanks to sister Saira and sister Hafsa for their help with transcribing this suhbat.]

Youtube Playlist of Related Suhbah (discourse):

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