The Path to Heavenly Peace: A Journey of Struggle and Faith

July 9, 2024 July 9, 2024

5.3K

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

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمْ

A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘aalameen, was salaatu was salaamu ‘alaa Ashrafil Mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadul Mustafa ﷺ. Madad ya Sayyidi ya Rasulul Kareem, Ya Habibul ‘Azeem, unzur halana wa ishfa’lana, ‘abidona bi madadikum wa nazarekum.

Atiullah wa atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum. Always a reminder for myself, ana abdukal ‘ajeez, wa dayeef, wa miskin, wa zhalim, wa jahl, and but for the grace of Allah (AJ) that we’re still in existence.

أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُم… ﴿٥٩﴾‏ …

4:59 – “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat an-Nisa)

“…Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…” (The Women, 4:59)

Always a reminder for myself ana abdukal ‘ajeezu, dayeefu, miskinu, zhalim, wa jahl, and but for the grace of Allah’s (AJ) rahmah and mercy that we’re still in existence. Bi madadikum ya Sayyidina Hamza (as), ya Sayyidina Jamaluddin Ghumuqi al Husayni (Q) that the barakah (blessing) of this holy weekend and their holy souls. Alhamdulillah reminder always for myself that when we want a heavenly peace, you have to be prepared to fight.

The Reality of Peace and Struggle

When you want heavenly peace, you have to be prepared to fight. When we want heavenly peace, you have to be prepared to fight. It’s not a fight against people, it’s a fight against devils. It means this material world fools us and they say, ‘Oh I want peace,’ they find a bush and they sit next to it and they say, ‘I found peace.’ The reality of peace is that Allah (AJ) warned us in Holy Qur’an that, ‘The devil is an avowed enemy to you.’ That his oath is in the Qur’an; ‘I’m going to attack Your servants in front of them, behind them, to the right of them, to the left of them, even above them and definitely from below them.’

ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ ﴿١٧﴾‏

7:17 – “Summa la aatiyannahum mim baini aideehim wa min khalfihim wa ‘an aimaanihim wa ‘an shamaaa’ilihim wa laa tajidu aksarahum shaakireen” (Surat Al-A’raf)

“Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You].” (The Heights, 7:17)

In six directions shaitan (satan) has given an oath to attack us and his faith is solid. So means awliya (saints) come and describe don’t ever think you can make a bargain with him, that you can convert him, that you can even have dialogue with him. Because Allah (AJ) said, so scary that say, ‘A’uzu Billah – seek refuge in Me from him, he’s too powerful for you. Seek refuge in Me from him.’ So you can’t just go to a bush and a tree and say, ‘I have peace.’

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

You’ve to Fight for Peace

So the tariqah (spiritual path) comes to us and teaches us – if you truly want peace, you have to fight. That’s what they call the struggle; Jihadil Akbar – the great struggle, the ‘Great.’ This is coming from Prophet ﷺ to the presence of holy companions that had many fights, many battles. Above that Prophet ﷺ is describing for them Jihadil Akbar (greater struggle) as if their jihads (struggles) were not akbar (great). That, ‘From what you think you fought, the greatest fights are coming.’

عَنْ جَابِرُ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَوْمٌ غَزَاةٌ. فقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: ” قَدِمْتُمْ خَيْرَ مَقْدَمٍ مِنْ الْجِهَادِ الْأَصْغَرْ إِلَى الْجِهَادِ الْأكْبَرْ.” قِيْلَ وَمَا اَلْجِهَادِ الْأكْبَرْ؟ قَالَ ﷺ: ” مُجَاهَدَةُ الْعَبْدِ هَوَاهُ .” [البيهقى في كتاب الزُّهدِ الْكَبِير ٣٧٣ والخطيب البغدادي في كتاب تاريخ بغداد، جزء ١٣، ٤٩٨]

“An Jabiru (as) qala, ‘qadema ‘ala Rasulullahi ﷺ qawmun ghazatun. Faqalan Nabiyu ﷺ : “Qademtum khaira maqdamin min jihadil Asghar ilal Jihadil Akbar.” Qeela “wa ma al Jihadil Akbar?” Qala ﷺ : “Mujahidatul ‘abdi hawahu.” [ Bayhaqi fi Kitab Az Zuhdil Kabir & al Khatib al Baghdadi fi Kitabi Tarikh Baghdad, Juz’ 13/498]

Jabir (as) narrated: ‘Some warriors came to the Holy Prophet. The Prophet (Muhammad) (pbuh) said to them, “Welcome back from the minor Jihad/Struggle to the greater Struggle.” It was asked, ‘What is the greater struggle Oh Prophet of Allah (Pbuh)?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied: “it is the servant’s fight/struggle against his own Ego/worldly desires.” [Bayhaqi in book of ‘The Great Asceticism & Al Khatib Baghadadi in book of History of Baghdad, Vol 13, 498]

The Importance of the Presence of the Prophet ﷺ

A warning to the nation that doesn’t have the presence of Prophet ﷺ with them at all times, they must develop that presence and that’s why ‘Muhammadan Way.’ You have to have that love, you have to keep the presence of Prophet ﷺ, you have to keep the companionship; you will be with whom you love. The best of those to love is Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

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

‘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 and Obedience

So “Atiullah,” we worship none but Allah (AJ). Allah (AJ) gave to us the command, “Wa atiur Rasul” so we made our love to be supreme for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. By that love and the dedication to that love, Prophet ﷺ inspires within our hearts, ‘Go to my Ulul Amr (saints). They carry a tremendous love in their heart and a presence – my presence in their heart.’

أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعوا 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)

If you sit with them, it’s like a Madina because you’ll be with whom you love.

Keep The Companionship of ‘Ashiqeen (Lovers)

If you meet one of these ‘ashiqeen, they carry that personality with them everywhere. They carry the love of Prophet ﷺ, they carry the love of the Holy Companions. Because of the immense love they had for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and they carry the love of Ahlul Bayt (Holy Family of Prophet ﷺ) means this is a kamil (perfected) love. They don’t exclude one from the other because they want to be in the association of ‘ashiqeen – those whom they gave their lives and their entire wujud (existence), their being for the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. So they keep that companionship of Ulul Amr.

The Concept of Peace in Islam

As a result only by means of that connection can they truly begin to struggle in the way of peace. They want to reach taslim (submission), they want to reach Islam. They say in the news, ‘Oh they talk about Islam is a religion of peace but they don’t look very peaceful.’ Because when you look at something with sarcastic and critical eye and never sat to say, ‘What is your concept of peace?’ The concept of peace wasn’t we all sit near bushes and trees and we just declare that we’re going to have peace and we forgot there is avowed enemy all around us. Because shaitan’s greatest gift to mankind – made them to forget that he exists. The awoke nation and has always been awoke is the nation of Islam, the nation of La ilaha illAllah Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ (There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah), not the group in Chicago.

لَا إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌا رَسُولْ الله

“La ilaha illallahu Muhammadun Rasulallah”

“There is no deity but Allah, Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

But Ummat e Muhammad ﷺ (Nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) they have been always awakened. They came on with this message and light from Prophet ﷺ as a reminder – don’t forget the avowed enemy and you’re never going to sit in tranquillity, you’re never going to sit in prosperity, you’re never going to sit in accomplishing what Allah (AJ) wanted from you if you don’t have a sense that you’re fighting on a daily basis. So the emails that come and the people whom sit and they’re complaining they have to think.

The Reality of Daily Struggle

When Allah (AJ) wants your religion to be real, He gives you to a group and in that group when their faith is real, they’ve been fighting for 25 years to keep themselves relevant. Because this is the inheritance of fighting. It means the shaykh’s trainings is they’re under continuous battle; a battle to keep their flag up, their teachings up, their way up and many raiders have come, not all the students know, the inner circle know. Because they’ve fortified the fortress every time a raid comes. Others may just not know who comes, who goes, what’s happening here, what’s happening there, who’s posting what somewhere. The external eye says, ‘What’s all this?’ Internal eye says, ‘This is the way, this is the way to fight and struggle.’ What Allah (AJ) is going to give you? To go to World War III? That’s not here yet. But if you don’t have a life in which you continuously struggle to keep what you believe in because that struggle is Islam, that struggle is for my peace.

Stand Firm in Your Faith

Now I may see the day I have peace now or I may see it only in paradise, that’s not for me to worry about. But what Allah (AJ) wants from us is you have to be in a system of struggling. So our lives they gave a knowledge, anyone who didn’t have that knowledge they fought the knowledge. [People] ‘Stop your books!’ ‘I’m not stopping my books.’ [People] ‘Stop your videos.’ ‘I’m not stopping my videos.’ [People] ‘You stop him,’ and they tried to hack our systems, they try to shut down the websites. Allah (AJ) is always reminding the heart, Prophet ﷺ is reminding because these are people of tafakkur (contemplation)… ‘What’s the deal with these people?’ He says, ‘Your life is to fight.’ If what you believe in, fight for it. If you think you’re going to put the flag down and hide amongst the people, you didn’t stand for anything.

Never Compromise Your Faith for Dunya (Material World)

If a man doesn’t stand for something, he’ll fall for anything. Right? Because you’re just going to hide your hat and they say, ‘Oh they’re coming after those people.’ Then you’re going to hide your beard; say, ‘Well they’re coming after those people.’ Then you’re going to hide your sunnah (traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) clothes; ‘They’re coming after those people.’ Before you know it they’re at your door and they came for you.

There’s no hiding. The faith is to struggle. ‘This is what I believe, here you go. This [beard] I’m going to grow, you don’t like it, too bad for you. This is my appearance, this is the way of my Prophet ﷺ. I’m not supposed to be popular with you. I’m supposed to be popular with the heavens.’ All with good character because we’re talking about the inner battle of the mind in which says, ‘Isn’t it easier just to surrender to shaitan?’ No! Cover your head – it’s a great battle. It wasn’t supposed to be a popularity contest. It was supposed to be a statement from heavens in the abode of shaitan that to remind people that, ‘We are from paradise and heavens. Do you remember?’ They say, ‘Stop otherwise we want to throw stones at you.’ Say, ‘Why do you want to throw stones at me? Is it that I remind you of the heavens?’ Say, ‘Yes exactly.’ Surat Al-YaSeen describes.

(١٩) قَالُوا إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُوا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾ قَالُوا طَائِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ ۚ أَئِن ذُكِّرْتُم ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ

36:18-19 – “Qaaloo inna tataiyarnaa bikum la’il-lam tantahoo lanar jumannakum wa la-yamassan nakum minnaa ‘azaabun aleem. (18) Qaaloo taaa’irukum ma’akum; a’in zukkirtum; bal antum qawmum musrifoon. (19)” (Surat YaSeen)

“They said, Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will certainly stone you, and a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us. (18) They (messengers) said, Your omen is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded (of Truth)? Rather, you are the people transgressing all bounds and are extreme.” (19) (YaSeen, 36:18-19)

The Challenges of Material World

So in our lives this dunya is geared to throwing stones at us. If at any time you think you’ll retreat, ‘Oh maybe it’s just easier if I just you know hide my identity.’ You lost that fight and you should be ashamed in Allah’s (AJ) presence and ashamed in the presence of Prophet ﷺ. Said, ‘You didn’t do anything here like this. What you’re going to do when the big problem comes?’ ‘I’m going to shave everything and put a cross on my chest,’ God forbid, and think that you’re going to imitate somebody else? No! If you don’t keep the small one, you lost already the big one.

So our life is 25 years of this. Keep struggling, keep struggling. Attack from inside, outside, in all directions. ‘We don’t like this teaching, we don’t like that, we don’t like that logo, we don’t like this.’ This [Phoenix logo] has Ya Allah (AJ), Ya Muhammad ﷺ, Ya Ali (as). Now try to burn it off my chest, you’re not going to touch it. You like it, you don’t like it, that’s your problem not mine. This I took as my flag – my sijjeel that I’m planning to go into battle with.

Upholding Your Beliefs Amidst Opposition

But you think shaitan going to allow that? He’s going to come to you every day and this one going to say this and that one going to say that and they’re going to say, ‘Take that down, take this off. You don’t need this.’ Say, ‘I do need it.’ This is my declaration, this is my flag to bear and I do it proudly. I have to show Prophet ﷺ I’m standing for something and it’s all peaceful and loving but still shaitan doesn’t leave you alone.

We teach love and people say, ‘Take the video down. What’s this stuff about energy you talk about?’ It was love. I mean we’re not saying… it doesn’t sound militant. I’m saying even in the way of love, the overwhelming tide of satanic forces even from the good side is to take it down. Why? It’s only talking about love, of energy of light, giving people hope, giving people a sense of commonality, ‘I don’t know the dogma of your faith but this energy stuff, oh I can come along to that.’ They say, ‘Take the video down’ and from abroad they’ll give talks against everything we teach. You think into your heart, ‘Why? Why we can’t all hold hands and kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya and be friends?’ Then they remind no it’s not meant to that, Allah (AJ) doesn’t want that.

Allah (AJ) Wants to See Our Struggle for Faith

Allah (AJ) wants to see what you’re willing to struggle for. If you like that sign, fight for it. If you like that teaching, keep your channels up, get your guys ready for hackers and people whom are continuously trying to come against your site. That becomes a life of struggle. You have to struggle in this way of love. Anyone who comes to our site we’re very transparent people. The talks are all about love, of energy, of commonality, bring people to this ocean of realities and still with that there’s difficulties. Why? Because shaitan said, ‘I’m coming from all directions. I don’t care your talks are nice or not nice, I’m still coming after you.’ So then our life was to struggle.

So when you meet a shaykh who has that type of characteristic especially if they love the companions, they love the Ahlul Bayt, they are going to inherit that reality. Then you wonder that at every moment there’s somebody invading from this side, there’s somebody invading from that side. They have so many invasions, they have to put a gate on the outside. They come in the middle of the night pounding on the rocks, they come to slash the tires. Why? So that shaitan says, ‘Just stop it, go home and retire.’ I think they asked one of these reciters who would talk about love and hope into poor areas and he got shot on stage while he was reciting and they took him backstage, he quickly tried to patch it up and go back on stage. Say, ‘Why don’t you quit?’ He says, ‘The evil never stops quitting. How can I quit?’

The Relentless Nature of Evil

Evilness never stops. It’s only the good people that shaitan is trying to get them to stop what they’re doing. So when you meet somebody like that, you have to commit yourself to that and understand the hikmah and wisdom of having something in life to struggle for. You say, ‘Ya Rabbi alhamdulillah, now I understood. So I’m going to wear my logo everywhere, they like it, they don’t like it; that’s their problem. It’s not harming anyone. It’s a sign of love. I’m going to post the video.’

Like we said before they have… what’s the one that finds rats or snakes? There’s a creature that you throw it into the hole, it finds all the snakes and comes out, huh? ‘Muskrat?’ Something like that, that goes into the hole and all the snakes come out. Our videos are like that for some reason. You throw this video of ‘ishq (love) into a chat group, my goodness from spiritually people who have probably no training, very bad words come out, very bad reactions come out as if you’ve talked about something strange. It was just a video of love and energy. But it just shows you that the system – this is you know shaitan attacking from six directions.

Embracing Spiritual Trials: Finding Purpose in the Struggle of Faith

Why Allah (AJ) allows that, why Prophet ﷺ allows that? It is so that that servant can feel they participate within a struggle. Because at that time they’re watching them, that you’re going to retreat and run away because you wanted something to be super popular and everybody to praise you for doing it or you did it because you believed in it? That you believe in the love of Prophet ﷺ and this is it. ‘Enjoy this video.’ If they want to curse and everything, you never lose your manners. You say, ‘Ya Rabbi forgive them for they don’t know what they’re saying but I did what I was supposed to do.’ You don’t know from amongst that group maybe one person will watch and come to the reality that they were meant to come to.

But the gist of what we’re trying to say if it’s coming across clearly is you have to have a struggle in your life. If every day you just come, sleep, eat and drink and sleep again but there was nothing that you struggled for, nothing you tried to rally with then something’s wrong. But when you’re with a shaykh of real guidance, everything is going to be a struggle. To keep the teachings, you’re going to struggle. To keep the way, you’re going to struggle. Right? Because the real shaykhs they’re in sunnah, they have turbans and beards, they have their entire system.

Those Who Struggle Sleep Peacefully, Whilst Those Who Don’t Stay Anxious

People want to find like a hipster shaykh that he is wearing dark sunglasses, shorts and doing other things and say, ‘We all can look like him and we’ll walk around like that.’ No, say, ‘No, I want to follow one of these Naqshbandi teachings and I want something in my life to struggle for.’ As a result they come to the teachings, they come to the way, they come to the practices and every day they seem they’re fighting themselves. Do you hear yourself fighting against yourself? Then there must be something correct in what you’re doing. Say, ‘I don’t want to wear this. I don’t want to go all that way, I don’t want to do that, I don’t want to read this, I don’t want to pray that, I don’t want to post that,’ those are the battles against the nafs (ego) and the waswas (whispering). If we have that in our life, we are moving towards peace.

Because when you put in a good day’s struggle against yourself, against your whisperings, against not wanting to go to the zikr (Divine remembrance), not wanting to listen tonight, not wanting to pray, not wanting to whatever you’re not wanting and your nafs not wanting. When you do it and you fight against your nafs, you actually have that night is a night of peace. You sleep in salaam (peace) because you struggled in Allah’s (AJ) way, you tried your best to keep the way that you have to keep and Allah (AJ) grant you a salaam and you sleep like a baby.

But if you surrender to shaitan and all night long you’re worried, ‘Did I like do something wrong? Did I not do that? Did I not do this? Did I give my faith down? Did I drop my flag?’ You won’t sleep the whole night. All the way to morning waswas will be coming in your brain because now you know you have a problem with Allah (AJ). You know something is wrong. ‘This was a gunah (sin), I shouldn’t have done like that.’ There’s no peace.

So the servants of peace, real heavenly, Divinely peace, Allah (AJ) says, ‘You’ve got to take a path, find a group and struggle for something.’ Struggle to keep your faith, struggle to keep the shari’ah (Divine law), the sunnah, the way. Struggle to push out the teachings and everything that the shaykh is asking and all of it is by peace and love and good character and that’s even a struggle in this world now because everything is wicked and evil and dirty.

The Ultimate Victory Belongs to Allah

If you find that then reminder for myself, you are struggling in the way of Allah (AJ) and our life is to struggle and to Allah (AJ) belongs the victory. It means we put in a good day’s struggle and we keep thinking and complaining, ‘Why is like this? Why is like this? Why is like that?’ Reminder to the self, you were supposed to fight all day-long. You’re the servant of struggle and to Allah (AJ) belongs the victory. At night He grants you a peace and you sleep that, ‘You struggled in My way and I raised your station,’ and you have a daily nice life of 25 years of struggling, struggling, struggling to keep your existence, your faith and your family.

You’re not always going to be successful. It’s nice when they’re small. As they grow older, we said before like Sayyidina Nuh (as) you’re going to get one of them come up and say, ‘You know, thank you very much. Your ship is nice but I think I can find it my own way,’ and you did the best you could, you gave the best example that you could and the rest is in Allah’s (AJ) hands. You can’t force everybody to come, you can’t force everybody to get on the elevator. It’s very nice to think that you can go to the floor and put everybody in the elevator and take them all up to paradise. Allah (AJ) says, ‘It’s not going to work that way.’ Some are going to be left behind. That will be your sadness and your struggle.

But you pray, you do everything you’re supposed to, go out even do more good deeds, go out at night and keep crying and praying and praying for more guidance and maybe Allah (AJ) will send a guidance. But your life was to struggle and leave the victory for Allah (AJ). In the end I’m sure He has the best of intentions and the best of love for all His creation.

If You Surrender to Satan He will Torment You

We pray that Allah (AJ) guide us and inspire us and that our life is about a loving struggle and not to surrender to shaitan thinking that that will be peaceful. That actually is torment and that becomes anxiety, mental anguish. Because once shaitan grabs the servant, their mind will be lost. It means all night-long will be talking to their minds because now he’s got that servant completely to himself. Our peace and tranquillity is when we fight in the way of Allah (AJ) and Allah (AJ) then at the end of the night moves the shaitans aside and said, ‘My servant now enjoy your rest.’ Why? Because He said, ‘Come back to Me in peace,’ because at that time the soul returns back to Allah (AJ) in tranquillity.

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: April 29, 2023

Related Articles:

Please Donate and support us to spread these heavenly knowledges by clicking the heart button below.