
The Way of Testing is to Remain Silent and Have Good Character
This Article Has Been Translated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ1zuG63Vkg
From the Realities of Mawlana Shaykh (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
Alhamdulillahi rabbil al ameen, wa salatu wa salam ashraf al mursaleen Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammad al Mustafa ﷺ, bi madadakum wa nazarakum Sayyidi Ya Rasul al Kareem Ya Habib al Azeem, Madad Ya Sultan Mawlana Shaykh Abdulah Faiz Daghestani, Madad Sayyidi Ya Sultan al Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al Haqqani, Madad Ya Sultan al Qulubina Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani Madad al Haqq Ya Hujat Allah al Mukhlis, unzul halana wa ishfalana.
In Reality of Shamsul Arifeen (Sun of Knowers),
Always a reminder for myself on these holy nights and holy days that we entered into Muharram and the way of Shams al Arifeen. The gnostic realities of the sun of the religion, the star of all religions, the star of all the prophets, the star of all the Imams, Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ – a shining star, a bright star, a star at the center of this entire universe, and the way that he guided his holy companions, his Ahlul Bayt, and his awliyaullah. They are all under his command, under the feet of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. There are 12 months and 12 hijabs and realities that are moving towards the Divinely Presence. The first of which is Baab al Tawbah (Gate of Repentance), they move from the power of 9. As common people are moving from Surat Fatiha, they did from Surat Fatiha to Surat Yusuf, and Allah (AJ) raises the servant and makes them to enter through Baab al Tawbah and awliyaullah they move from the 9th Surah. For those who don’t know, now you know! [I won’t say what song that’s from! (Shaykh laughs)]
Why Surat at Tawbah doesn’t start with Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem?
Awliya (saints) start with 9th Surah, it’s Baab al Tawbah which means that they have a journey. They’re going places. They’re taking the souls of their students and they’re following their Shaykhs on a journey. Every Muharram – no haram – Imam Ali (as), Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as) are the two great Siddiqs that opening this gate. No Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem on Surat Tawbah means enter in to be sacrificed, Bismillah Allahu Akbar! Later, in the third month of the lunar month (Rabbiul Awwal), Allah (AJ) may dress the servant with the reality of Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem in Surat Naml and the ant, the 27th Surah, “inna huwa Sulayman wa inna huwa Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem,” On the 3rd of the 9, Allah (AJ) will reopen the reality of Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.
﴾إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿٣٠
27:30 – “Inna Hu min Sulaymana, Wa inna Hu Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.” (Surat An-Naml)
“Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, He/it is (as follows): ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. (The Ant, 27:30)
Muharram is the Baab e Tawbah (Gate of Repentance)
But the first, the gate of Tawbah, is to be sacrificed and the bad character to be sacrificed, and Allah (AJ) send every type of test, every type of irritation, every type of aggravation. And there are 40 Grandshaykhs in an observation room. What was the movie with Jim Carrey that he was living in a bubble? ‘The Truman Show’. I recommend everybody watch ‘The Truman Show.’ If there’s any bad, naughty scenes then leave those alone, but the Truman show was showing, you know…he thought he had a whole life on his own, and the whole world was watching him on TV. Just for our understanding, why Allah (AJ) wanted something like that to be known? Because we think our life is…ah…nobody knows what we’re doing. Nobody’s testing me. I’m not accountable for what I say when I’m dealing with a Shaykh, or how I interact with the Shaykh.
We are Under Observation and Everything We Do is Recorded in the Heavens
But the Shaykh is just a vehicle from your Lord and your Creator, if that’s who you worship. It is a vehicle from your Prophet ﷺ, if that’s who you love. If you don’t love, then you can tune out and you do whatever you want and grab your key to jahannam. But the key to Paradise and the key to realities, they’re teaching for us, you’re in observation 24 hours a day. You’re on a television that’s broadcasting in Heaven – everything you do, everything you think. Every action that you do, the angels are your recorders. Your eyes are your recorders. The jinn all around you are recorders. All the pious souls that Allah (AJ) gave their soul the ability to witness are recording.
Then that Truman Show shows, ‘Oh my life is on TV, I just don’t know who’s on the other side of that TV box.’ But they know! They come into your life and say, ‘you’re under observation! You know, 2-3 words and you flip your faith and begin to jabber and yell and scream and say all sorts of crazy things.’ It don’t take you but two words to flip you. Then shows how low the level of faith, how low the level of understanding. And this way is unbelievably difficult and it may not be meant for everyone. If they’re not prepared to be tested, they’re not prepared to be squeezed and nothing come from their mouth, nothing come from their fingers, nothing come from their character in the squeezing.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Teaches That Allah (AJ) is Always With Us
So then the reminder of this way and 9th Surah 40th verse, where Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is describing the cave, that he entered into the cave with Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (as), and that the Quraysh were coming to kill, and Prophet ﷺ was confirming that Allah (AJ) is with us. And from that 9 ayat 40, they’re entering into that cave, and this is the real Ashab al Kahf.
…ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا…
9:40 – “…thaniya ithnayni idh huma fil ghari idh yaqolu lisahibihi la tahzan inna Allaha ma’ana, fa anzalAllahu sakeenatahu, ‘alayhi wa ayyadahu, bi junodin lam tarawha…” (Surat At-Tawba)
“… as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.” And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see…” (The Repentance, 9:40)
7 Sleepers of the Cave, 7 Eternal Attributes, and 7 Opening of the holy Face
Prophet (Muhammad) ﷺ is the real of all the imitated stories. As there was a lion with the 7 sleepers, that lion of Allah (AJ), Sayyidina Ali (as), and the 7 eternal attributes that lie within this cave, within the heart of Prophet ﷺ. And at every time there are awliyaullah that are carrying these 7 essences for all of humanity. They are the holy face. When Allah (AJ) describes, “Everything will perish but the Holy Face” (Surah Al-Qasas, 28:88).
﴾كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ ۚ ﴿٨٨
28:88 – “…kullu shayin halikun illa wajha” (Surat Al-Qasas)
“…Everything (that exists) will perish except His holy Face…” (The Stories, 28:88)
Awliya (saints) carry that. They carry the 7 openings and 7 essences of that face. It means that when they enter into the heart, the real cave of Allah (AJ) is the heart of Prophet ﷺ. When they enter into that cave, they’re looking to that Holy Face. It means these 7 souls are conveying these essences upon their reality.
Ashab al Kahf (Companions of the Cave) were in Complete Submission
Allah (AJ) describes in Ashab al Kahf and the People of the Cave, how they are in complete tasleem. They move left, they move right, based on the sun. The sun shines, they move a certain way. The sun shines, they move another way. It means they take all their guidance from Shams al Arifeen (Sun of Knowers), Shams al Nubuwa (Sun of Prophet-hood) – everything and every isharat from Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. So they’re asking and teaching for us ‘Come to be from Ashab al Kahf’; that the Ashab al Kahf they’re going to dress us, the real Ashab al Kahf of Prophet ﷺ dress us, bless us, but it’s not easy.
وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّـهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ اللَّـهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا ﴿١٧﴾
18:17 – “Wa tarash shamsa idha tala’at tazawaru an kahfihim dhata al yameeni wa idha gharabat taqriduhum dhataash shimali wa hum fee faj watin minhu, Dhalika min ayati Allahi, man yahdillahu fahuwal Muhtadi, wa man yudlil falan tajida lahu waliyyan murshida.” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“And You would have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. That was from the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah, guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray, for him you will never find Saintly Guide to the Right Way.” (The Cave, 18:17)
We Will Be Always Tested
Then Surah Kahf comes and describes what type of character they want. They want us to understand that you’re dirty. Your understanding is dirty. Your characteristics are dirty. You’re najis, so you’re like a dog. So the example Allah gives to the dog, that you can’t come thinking, ‘I’m a great one. I’m the best one. I’m a spiritual one.’ Say ‘No, ya Rabbi, I’m nothing! What’s the hope for me?’ and Allah (AJ) says, ‘See dogs? They’re najis and they’re dirty, but a dog was able to enter into these realities.’ And then they describe the character of the dog, because we have to always remind ourselves and me first, when the testing… it never ends! There’s never a time where you say, ‘Now I’m the dog that can speak,’ and they throw more stones at you.
Take the Testing and Be Loyal
They describe that this dog was inspired to accompany because the characteristic of a dog is very loyal. They said then every dirty person can reach to this reality. It’s not only for the super pious. Allah (AJ) said, ‘No, the dog that is najis, that you can’t even pray once you touch a dog.’ That had been given a tremendous honor.
But what the character of that dog is that you follow and I’m inspired to follow you for whatever Allah (AJ) wants you to achieve. I’m coming to follow you. I have a purpose. I have a reality. Allah (AJ) may want me to assist you, to help you, to guard your cave, to show love, to be of support. And Allah gave the example of the dog because the dog is very loyal. Be loyal! And then the sleepers were inspired which means Allah (AJ) then inspired these RijalAllah (men of God), ‘Throw rocks at the dog! Throw rocks at the dog!’ So it means every moment of our life – there’s no excuse. There’s no ‘But you said this, we did like this, this person meant this, this one did that.’
Strive to Reach the Loyal Character of the Dog
At every moment, Allah (AJ) wants to show this person is not worthy of entering that cave; that these characteristics are not of that reality. And they throw rocks in our life, and throw rocks in our life, and the character that Allah (AJ) wanted was the character of that dog. Where they threw so many rocks at the dog, until Allah (AJ) gave the dog a tongue, and the dog rised and said “No matter how much you throw of stones, I will not stop coming.” It means, I’m not gonna bark at you, I’m not gonna try to bite you.’
Because you know, you throw a stone, you throw something that’s not comfortable to someone, they bark and bark and attack. And out of your fear you have to make that attack dog to be passive. Throw it some meat, do things just to make the dog to be silent because it’s trying to attack you. That’s not the character of a saintly person, where you have to throw meat out to the dog so that not to be eaten by it.
But the character they want is that testing come, testing come, testing come, and that dog stayed quiet. Fierce too. He was huge. Imagine it like a lion of Allah (AJ) because Allah (AJ) later describes this dog was fierce. Had tremendous haybah! But did not use its fierceness against those whom Allah (AJ) loved.
﴾وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا ﴿١٨
18:18 – “Wa tahsabuhum ayqaazanw wa hum ruqood; wa nuqallibuhum zaatal yameeni wa zaatash shimaali wa kalbuhum baasitun ziraa’ayhi bilwaseed; lawit tala’ta ‘alaihim la wallaita minhum firaaranw wa lamuli’ta minhum rubaa” (Surat Al-Kahf)
“Thou wouldst have deemed them awake, whilst they were asleep, and We turned them on their right and on their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them, thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight, and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them.” (The Cave, 18:18)
Keep Good Character and Stay Quiet When Being Tested
They threw rocks and rocks and never opened its mouth. Always was with a smiling and good character. That Prophet (Muhammad) ﷺ comes to complete in our life, and teaches ‘Keep the best of character. No matter you’re on a broken path, broken road, continuously smiling, exhibiting the best of character, whatever rocks are being thrown, whatever rocks being thrown, keep consistent.’
Even Awliya (Saints) Are Being Continually Tested
Awliya (saints) come into your lives and begin to teach, even at higher levels, no matter what you think you accomplished, whatever you think you reached of darajats (ranks), they will insult you. They will openly tell their students that we don’t know who that person is anymore; that that person is not with us anymore. They will throw him out of the association. Mawlana Shah Naqshband came to the door of his Shaykh, and his door was shut on him. And that’s not a 1 minute thing, that’s a lifelong… if for Mawlana Shah Naqshband it took a day, for everyone else it’s a 1000 years in that state. That his Shaykh threw him out, insulted him in front of everyone, and he understood that I’m going to stay at that door. No matter what the Shaykh says, whatever he’s telling people, I’m there. And what they want of that reality?
Because the students don’t know; the students haven’t reached anything so they think, ‘Oh this person has been thrown out, this person…’. They spread rumors that he does magic, he does this, he does that. Every type of insanity, they spread for their own benefit. Testing that Allah (AJ) wants is that did you do it for people what you do? Or you did it for Prophet ﷺ? You did it for Divinely Love and the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ? If you did it for them, they recognize what you’re doing. You keep the best of character. Stay quiet. You don’t use your haybah to attack an Ashab al Kahf. You don’t use anything that Allah (AJ) gave to you to attack. It’s Nur Muhammad ﷺ. Just stay quiet! Let everything be crushed around you. Whatever buddha you became, they want to bring it down. Whatever people think of you, it will be brought down. Whatever you can imagine, it won’t stop.
Everything We Do Should Be Out of Love for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ
Then Allah (AJ) put into your heart that if you’re doing it for Us, and doing for love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ – that’s all that matters for you. People? Don’t worry about it. So it means this test, it increases and increases. If you can’t pass door one, imagine what the higher doors are! Where you think you’ve done something in life, and anyone come sit with him say this one we don’t like him anymore. This one, we have nothing to do with him anymore. This one, we threw him out of our associations. And Mawlana Shah Naqshband then inspires within your heart, keep your head at their threshold, don’t move! Don’t move. Don’t open your mouth. Unimaginable test! Unimaginable sacrifice. Unimaginable heartbreak; that continuous heartbreak, and that all you see of this dunya is heartbreak. And you are doing it all for the love of Allah (AJ) and love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Everywhere is Karbala and People Come Against You
That’s why they say, “Everywhere is Karbala.” You step into one city and everybody is in Karbala there. All of them are Yazids. And they think they love Prophet ﷺ too! You are talking about people who lived in a life in which they may have seen the Sahabi Kiram (companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ! Maybe some of the older ones lived to see Prophet ﷺ at that time. They saw! And they saw the companions, and they slaughtered the family! It’s unimaginable how that can happen – to see that Nur Muhammadi ﷺ! We’re not talking about, you know, thousands of generations later. We’re talking about right there, fresh, like fruit was still fresh.
And you think for the rest of us, Yazid has any mercy on us? No! 1000 layers of disguise are upon a person and they can’t see the light of Ahlul Bayt (holy family of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ), and they can’t see the light of Prophet ﷺ, and anyone … and Allah (AJ) says, “Everywhere you step is Karbala.” Every Yazid will begin to come out of the woodwork. Every Yazid that has a hatred for Prophet ﷺ, astaghfirullah, has a hatred for Ahlul Bayt, has a hatred for ‘Why are you different that I am? In my life I’m doing and Allah (AJ) never recognized me. Why Allah (AJ) is recognizing you?’ Because this was their fight with Prophet ﷺ. ‘We’re serving water here – all generations – what made you to be special?’ You know, they were the caretakers of the idols.
Shaykhs Come to Spread Love and People Attack them
Allah (AJ) is telling, ‘Everywhere you step is Karbala.‘ If you truly love Prophet ﷺ, that love fills your heart, and fills your being. Everywhere is Karbala, and everyday is an Ashura, and their companions of these Shaykhs, they know! Because they keep coming back say ‘Shaykh, why did they attack us? Why did they throw us out like that? We only came with goodness. We came with khair (goodness), we came with a love, and that’s the way.’ This is the inheritance. This is the day where our Grandshaykhs and our grandfathers remind within our heart, ‘You carry my way? Everywhere you step is Karbala and everywhere is an Ashura.’ Because they are attacking Ahlul Bayt at every level and every location. Even the ones who think they love Ahlul Bayt, they’re fiercely putting daggers into them to break their heart, to destroy them, to bring them down. What Allah (AJ) wanted? If you really love them, be like that dog — don’t say a word!
The people would be astonished that these things, so many bad things said about you, you don’t say anything. Say ‘no.’ Just quiet. Because you do what you do out of love for Allah (AJ) and love for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. May Allah (AJ) give us more and more love on this day, more and more muhabbat, more and more understanding.
This Way is Based on Silence and Loyalty
This way is based on loyalty. This way is based on silence. This way is… if you can’t control your mouth, then put a rock in your mouth. For 7 years Sayyidina Abu Bakr as Siddiq (AS) is teaching with immense realities, that ‘I silenced my mouth,’ not because anything bad was going to come from As Siddiq al Mutlaq, but what Allah (AJ) is going to dress. But for us, we put the rock to silence the bad. And in those days the rock meant from talking, but now people with their fingers can text you and email you all sorts of insanity. Better you put your fingers under a rock! Put them under a rock. Put them to a hot pan and punish them every time they type something bad. No, don’t do that because then everybody gonna come with burnt fingers! I saw that in the Kung Fu, there’s a hot pan. You know that big tub? And at the end for his graduation he had to lift it and show that he could contain. But I’ve seen Silat masters they put their hand into hot oil, and until they can reach Bismillah ar Rahman ar Raheem, so we will introduce that next year, inshaAllah (Laughing)! Samosa with your fingers! (Laughs) Nor I, not nobody will pass! So alhamdulillah, maybe we use some cold water first, you can make jello!
Subhan rabbika rabbil ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bihurmati Muhammadu Mustafa, baser as-surat al-fatiha.
[Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.]
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