Quran 4:59 Obey Allah, Obey Prophet Muhamamd (s), door, saints, ulul amr

Three Levels of Love, Presence, Annihilation Part 2

June 16, 2014 February 4, 2022

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Love, Presence, Annihilation P2

Muhabbat, Hudur, Fana

From The Teachings of Mawlana Shaykh (Q) as Taught by Shaykh Sayed Nurjan Mirahmadi

Importance of Tafakkur and Keeping the Presence

To know yourself is to be in Islam (submission) and have a shaykh (guide) to sit with and learn from. Our way is to focus on Mawlana Shaykh and keep his presence with you at all time. When you don’t feel the Shaykh’s presence, then you will think to yourself, why? What have I done that I don’t feel shaykh’s presence? Did I not do my awrad (daily practices)? Keeping the shaykh’s presence, asking for madad (support), keeping your practices, and asking Mawlana Shaykh to dress you with his presence is hard. But that is the concept of insan kamil (perfected human being).

How could you be insan kamil (perfected being) and reach Allah (AJ)? You have to go through nur (light), to the sir (secret) to get to the naar/diya (source of light), and then you will get to alif which is Izzatullah (Allah’s (AJ) Might and Magnificence). Now everyone has a nur (light).

It doesn’t matter if you are with Mawlana Shaykh. You can be sitting in front of them, but not be getting anywhere. The importance of tafakkur (contemplation) and muraqabah (meditation) was that you could connect with the shaykh. Otherwise, you could sit with them for 20 years and nothing can happen and you will go to the grave like that. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al Haqqani, is the shaykh e kamil (perfected guide) and he has many representatives. Therefore, come to his representatives and understand how to reach to the sultan. Don’t just sit at home because nothing will happen. That’s just sun bathing.

Three Levels of Love, Presence, Annihilation

Shaykh Teaches You About Love

The reality has to teach you from the three presences: muhabbat (love), hudur (presence) and fana (annihilation) By that nur (light), that representative has to teach you about the presence. He will teach you how to love the shaykh. Muhabbat (love) is when you love. You have to know the shaykh to keep his hudur (presence). The representative is the physical representative of the hudur of shaykh (presence of the guide). Therefore, you feel the shaykh’s (master’s) presence, when you are with the representative (your teacher). Therefore, the representative (teacher) is called muqaddam (the one who follows upon the footsteps) because they were the most (advanced) in their foot step. The muqaddam also has to teach you to keep special presence of the shaykh and teach you to keep the hudur of Mawlana Shaykh 24 hours.

Love of Mawlana Shaykh takes you to the presence of the shaykh.
1. First come to the Sufi Dargah (Khaniqa), to be in his (teacher/muqaddam) physical presence
2. Then be in the presence of the shaykh spiritually
3. That begins to be fana in shaykh (annihilated in master)

Annihilation – Fana fi Shaykh, Fana fir Rasul, Fana Fillah

Brick by brick fana (annihilation) is opening because you keep love and you keep the hudur (presence) of Mawlana Shaykh; that is physical and spiritual presence. You can’t say that I watch internet and connect with the shaykh through internet. You need the physical hudur (presence) because their representative has Shaykh’s hudur (presence).

فَنَا فِي الشِّيخْ، فَنَا فِي الرَّسُولْ، فَنَا فِي الله

“Fana fi Shaykh, Fana fir Rasul, Fana Fillah”

“Annihilation in Guide, Annihilation in the Messenger, Annihilation in Divine”

There are different levels:
1. First level is the muhabbat (love), then the hudur (presence), and then fana fi shaykh (annihilation in master)
2. Second level is the muhabbat (love), hudur (presence), and then fana fir Rasul (annihilation in Messenger)
3. (Nothing is for the 3rd level. Because fana fillah is only for Prophet ﷺ)

Even in first level of fana fi shaykh (annihilation in master), there is Izzatullahi (Allah’s (AJ) Might and Magnificence), wa izzat ar Rasul (honour of the Messenger), wa izzat al mumineen (honour of the believers).

﴾وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٨

63:8 – “…Wa Lillahil ‘izzatu wa li Rasooli hi wa lil Mumineena wa lakinnal munafiqeena la y’alamoon..”(Surat Al-Munafiqoon)

“…And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.” (The Hypocrites, 63:8)

Just in the understanding of your relationship with the shaykh, has the three Izzat (honour). Therefore, the Face, the Presence, and Essence are from that secret; which we explained earlier.

Hudur un Nabi ﷺ – Presence of the Prophet ﷺ

Which hudur (presence) are we talking about? Hudurun Nabi ﷺ (Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ presence). Which is the reflection of huduru Nabi ﷺ? Anytime hudur (presence) opens, it is from the hudurun Nabi (Prophet’s ﷺ presence) which reflects to the huduru shaykh (master’s presence); which then reflects to mumineen. That’s from izzat ar Rasul which Allah (AJ) gave.

1. Face = Izzat Mumineen (honour of believers) = muhabbat (love)
2. Presence = Izzat ar Rasul (honour of the messenger) = hudur (presence)
3. Essence = Izzat ulllah (Allah’s (AJ) Might and Magnificence) = fana (annihilation)

Every Reality Has a Face

In each section, there are three categories pointing to the same thing. For every secret, you have to come to the face. To get to the fana (annihilation) which is the essence, you have to go through the shaykh. Every reality has a face which you have to go through. When you concentrate in the face, Allah (AJ) says, ‘Everything perishes but the holy Face.’ Allah (AJ) is saying that everything vanishes; don’t focus in anything but the Face.

﴾وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّـهِ إِلَـٰهًا آخَرَ ۘ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ۚ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿٨٨

28:88 – “Wala tad’uo ma’Allahi ilahan aakhara la ilaha illa huwa kullu shayin halikun illa wajha hu la hul hukmu wa ilayhi turja’oon.” (Surat Al-Qasas)

“…Everything (that exists) will perish except His holy Face. To Him belongs the Command, and to Him you will be returned.” (The Stories, 28:88)

Allah (AJ) says to focus on haq (truth) and not the falsehood because falsehood is perishing.

﴾وَ قُلْ جَآءَالْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَطِلُ، إِنَّ الْبَطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا ﴿٨١

17:81 – “Wa qul jaa alhaqqu wa zahaqal baatil, innal batila kana zahoqa.” (Surat Al-Isra)

“And say, Truth has come, and falsehood has perished. Indeed falsehood, [by its nature], is ever perishing/bound to perish.” (The Night Journey, 17:81)

Haq (truth) is the Face because Allah (AJ) said, ‘Everything perishes but the Face.’ Focus on the face of the shaykh and that is love. By love, you keep looking at the shaykh and then it opens the hudur (presence). Then even when you are not with him physically, you will feel his hudur (presence). Only by concentrating on the Face, the hudur (presence) opens because of Izzatullah (Allah’s (AJ) Might and Magnificence). Izzat (honour) always flows from Allah (AJ) to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and then to the mumineen. It is like a rope reaching up.

Hold Tight to the Habl (Rope)

Allah (AJ) said, ‘Hold tight to the rope.’ Rope shows the tawhid (Oneness).

﴾وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا ۚ ﴿١٠٣

3:103 – “Wa’tasimo bihab lillahi jamee’an wa la tafarraqo…” (Surat Ali-Imran)

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not separate…” (Family of Imran, 3:103)

Allah (AJ) didn’t say hold tight to the bar because that would mean everyone is at the same level. Rope is showing that somebody is on top of you and somebody is below you. That Izzatullah (Allah’s (AJ) Might and Magnificence) flows through the rope. Rope is now a form; and the form is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Rope is called habl in Arabic and love is called hub. Allah (AJ) doesn’t care about the physical rope. The form is the Prophet ﷺ.

Sacrifice is in the Lineage of Prophet’s ﷺ from Ismail (as), to His Father to his Grandchildren

Mawlana Shaykh has talked about it. He said in one of his suhbat (discourse) that Allah (AJ) asked Ibrahim (as) to build Him a house. Ibrahim (as) was not a contractor but, Allah (AJ) wanted him to build his heart. Why did Allah (AJ) said to Ibrahim and Ismail (as) to build a house for Him? Ibrahim (as) built the foundation of faith. Therefore, he is called ‘father of faith’. The seed of that was Ismail (as).

Therefore, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, ‘I am from two sacrifices.’ He ﷺ is coming from the line of Ismail (as). His lineage is from Ismail’s (as) sacrifice that Allah (AJ) had asked Ibrahim (as) to sacrifice his son Ismail (as). Then Angel Gabriel (as) changed it to a lamb. The second sacrifice that Prophet ﷺ was referring to is from a time that Abdul Mutalib was going to sacrifice one of his sons and he was thinking about Abdullah (Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ father). However, someone came to tell Abdul Mutalib to sacrifice camels instead. But it did end with the sacrifice of Prophet’s ﷺ grandchildren. They sacrificed themselves in Karbala.

HUB (LOVE)

Hub (love) is created from two letters of ha and ba. Ha represents for hayat (ever-living) and ba represents baqa (eternal existence). Baqa is the Bahrul Qudra (Ocean of Power). Baqa means resurrected to Allah’s (AJ) Presence. Ahle baqa (People of Eternal Existence) operate from their reality, not from the physicality. They have reached baqa from the ocean of al-Haq (truth).
The word haq is made of two letters as well, ha and qaf. Ha represents hay (ever-living) and qaf is for al-Qayyum (self-sustaining). Hay and Qayyum are two attributes of Allah (AJ)). Haq (truth) is manifestation of the ocean of power. What comes from ocean of power is al-Hayy ul Qayyum (ever living and self-sustaining). As Allah (AJ) says in Quran, “Qaf, wal Quranil Majeed.”

﴾ق ۚ وَالْقُرْ‌آنِ الْمَجِيدِ ﴿١

50:1 – “Qaf, wal Quranil Majeed.” (Surat Qaf)

“Qaf. By the honored Qur’an.” (The Letter Qaf, 50:1)

Ahle Baab (People of the Door):
Habl (rope) is coming from that ocean of power. There are qasidas (prophetic praises) that says Ahabab (lovers) and Ahle baab, those who guards the door.

أهْلَ بَابَكَ أَحْبَابِكَ
يَا رَبَّ يَا رَبَّ يَا رَبَّ
أَنَعَمْ عَلِيْنَا عَلِيْنَا
مَدَدَ مَدَد مَدَد

Ahle babak, Ahbabak
Ya Rab, Ya Rab, Ya Rab
An’am ‘alayna ‘alayna
Madad, madad, madad

Your beloveds are the people of the door
O Lord, O Lord, O Lord
Send your blessings upon us
Help us, send us your support

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, ‘I am the city of Knowledge and Ali is the door.’

“أَنَا مَدِيْنَةُ الْعِلْمٍ وَ عَلِيٌّ بَابُهَا”

“Ana madinatul ‘ilmin wa ‘Aliyyun baabuha.”

“I am the city of knowledge and ‘Ali (as) is its door/gatekeeper.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Baab Hu Prophet ﷺ is the city and Ali (as) is the door of Hu. Prophet ﷺ is encoding that I am Hu.

The Root of the Word is Important

Understanding the Arabic language is important according to Shah Naqshband (q). In Arabic, the roots of the word is important. Whatever the branch, it’s from the same root. For example, taslim means submission. But people are misinterpreting it when they say, “Yaa ayyuhal ladhina aamanu sallu ‘alayhi wa sallimu taslim.” They say taslima is peace, but it means submission. It means, ‘Oh, those who believe, praise and submit.’

﴾إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً ﴿٥٦

33:56 – “InnAllaha wa malayikatahu yusalluna ‘alan Nabiyi yaa ayyuhal ladhina aamanu sallu ‘alayhi wa sallimu taslima.” (Surat Al-Ahzab)

“Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet [Muhammad ﷺ]: O you that believe! Send your blessings upon him, and salute him with all respect.” (The Combined Forces, 33:56)

Taslim means submission from Atiur Rasul (obey the prophet) (Holy Qur’an, 4:59) and from the ayat (verse) of Qur’an, ‘Tell them, ya Muhammad, if you love Allah, fatabioni.’

﴾قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّوْنَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُوْنِيْ يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَغْفِرْ‌ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ ﴿٣١

3:31 – “Qul in kuntum tuhibbon Allaha fattabi’oni, yuhbibkumullahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunobakum wallahu Ghaforur Raheem.” (Surat Ali-Imran)

“Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Family of Imran, 3:31)

Connection between Habl (Rope) and Hub (Love):

Hold tight to the rope. Prophet ﷺ is the rope, the habl. The ones close to Prophet ﷺ are the ulil amr (saints). Al habab (lovers) and ahle baab (people of the door). Hubl and hab are made of the same two letters of ha and ba. They both have ha of hayat (ever-living) and ba of Bahrul Qudra (Ocean of Power). Why then focus on material world? Allah (AJ) is not going to send a physical rope. Therefore, it’s important to look at the huroof (letters) of Arabic alphabet. Ha of hayat (ever-living) and ba of baqa (eternal existence). Look for the people of hayat (ever-living) because they are the ropes.

﴾ ياأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ…﴿٥٩

4:59 – “Ya ayyu hal latheena amanoo Atiullaha wa atiur Rasola 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)

Face Take us to Presence and then To Essence

From face to the presence and the presence shoots you up to the essence. That is the mi’raj (ascension) of the soul. Why do some people feel the energy and power of the Lailatul Isra wal M’iraj (Night of Ascension)? That’s because they have seen the face, and they have the love; therefore they feel the hudur (presence) in Lailatul Isra wal Mi’raj. Our mi’raj is with Mawlana Shaykh and Mawlana Shaykh’s is with Prophet ﷺ and in Prophet’s ﷺ heart is the Divine Presence.

From the material world, everything is locked to form and they don’t want to lose the form. People are so focused in what is Ka’bah, where is the Ka’bah, and which way is the qibla that they have forgotten the reality of the Ka’bah being the heart of the Prophet ﷺ.

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: June 16, 2014
Updated: February 4, 2022

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