Wisdom of Second 10 Days of Ramadan: Don’t Be A Flower On A Rock

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

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

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)

The Tariqah (Spiritual Path) is Built on Manners; Once Manners are Lost, No Benefit Remains

That we took this path of being nothing and that Allah (AJ) guide us. The tariqah is based on good manners. We talked last week that this way is based on good manners, the school of good manners, the school of good character. Once the character and the manners are gone then everything from the benefit of the tariqah is gone. So means that there is no more benefit when the student loses their good character and good manners. Alhamdulillah episode aired on Saturday that was so timely from these talks in Ramadan about guidance and light and building one’s faith. 

Everything in World Aims to Destroy Human Character as Satan Knows it is What Elevates Them

Because of the light and the proximity to the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, it is based on manners. The good manners, the good character, keeping respect, keeping one’s mannerisms towards the Divine. Asking ourselves to lose the animal characteristic and move more towards the Divine and heavenly realities. In a world where it becomes so much more difficult and so much more satanic. That everything around now from music, TV and every type of media influence is geared towards destroying the characters of insan (mankind) because shaitan (satan) knows the same reality. It is not their knowledges that will raise them because mashAllah everybody is knowledgeable now from internet and studying every type of knowledge available through YouTube. So it was the character that shaitan knew that if he destroyed the character, destroyed their ears and what they hear and that the influence of the ears would affect their language, their speech, their manners, their character, their level of respect. All of those would be destroyed and would destroy the character and any type of barakah and blessings that Allah (AJ) would dress upon the servant.

Pursuit of Anything Without Good Character Only Causes Corruption

This whole way of reality is based on these manners and good character. Based on the good manners and good character Allah (AJ) can dress the servant with anything and any type of knowledge. But the pursuit of knowledge or pursuit of anything with bad character is complete corruption – it corrupts the soul, corrupts the physicality.

The Oceans of Forgiveness and the Perfection of Ramadan

We pray that in this Ramadan and this Baab ul Maghfirah (the Gate of Forgiveness) – the first 10 days was the light of rahmah and mercy. That would allow us to enter and the second ten days are the oceans of maghfirah and forgiveness in which we are busy asking forgiveness. Asking Allah’s (AJ) forgiveness, the forgiveness of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. That Allah (AJ) wash us and cleanse us with the perfection of Ramadan and the perfection of Divine lights, the perfection of Holy Qur’an. That the Holy Qur’an to dress the soul of those whom Allah’s (AJ) rida and satisfaction and pleasure is upon them.

Litmus Test for Tariqah is Not Your Knowledge, But Your Character

So alhamdullah the litmus test for tariqah is not what people think they know. But the goodness of their character, the softness of their character, the loving nature of their character. That to see something wrong and remain silent, to see something that is not pleasing to you but to exhibit the best of character. So that the kholoq (character) and that which makes Allah (AJ) pleased is what will be nourished and blessed and dressed.

Faith Grows Through Good Character, Humility, and Guidance

So means that’s the secrets of tariqah. This is where they shine and the identity of people can be raised, the reality of people can be raised by taking the path of good character. When they have good character it allows them to be humble to listen. When they listen to the guidance and act upon what they’ve heard and what they’ve learned becomes the ocean of their faith. That’s what the episode was about faith and the immensity and the immense importance of faith.

That faith its secret is so individual. That as much as we have the good manners, brings humility. When we have humility we sit and listen that, ‘Ya Rabbi I want my faith to grow.’ Well, how will faith grow if He doesn’t guide us to a teacher? Because who will test you with your faith other than the general circumstances in life? But then without a teacher you don’t know what type of test that was. So as soon as Allah (AJ) wants to raise the servant, He must give them good character so that they’re humble, soft. With that humility and humbleness they begin to understand the teachings and they try their best to implement the teachings.

Importance of Following a Shyakh to Build Your Faith

As soon as they implement the teachings, that is their individual ocean of faith. It means that is when people understand that nobody… you don’t cut a shaykh and you think you took the shaykh out. You don’t cut people out and think you took them out. But what happens is every individual person’s faith becomes destroyed at the hands of their own action. So means that when we have good character and we’re coming to the schools of faith and good character. When we listen and then implement the teachings and, ‘I’m going to now do this teachings, I’m going to listen to these types of teachings, I’m going to make it to be real. So that my faith is real in life. I go out, I feed, I serve, I do these things what he taught of this, what he taught of that.’

When I listened for myself, not looking left and not looking right and I implement what I learned, then Allah (AJ) grants faith to the servant. The shaykhs don’t grant faith. Allah (AJ) grants faith. Allah (AJ) is the owner of the heart of the servant. But must be put in a condition to be tested for Allah (AJ) to grant the reward of that test. The turuqs (spiritual paths) and the tariqahs are these schools where Allah (AJ) guided you to be there. To listen to that teacher, to have good manners and good character, to be humble.

Witnessing Divine Realities Through Faith, Action, and Good Manners

As a result of what you listened to and you acted upon it, Allah (AJ) opens then the faith of the servant. That’s why it is so individual because there could be hundreds sitting and each at a completely different level of faith and understanding. With all the events that are happening in life based on the faith of people, Allah (AJ) opens for them everything to be real. What we said before and the video on the weekend was describing that. That when we talk of Armageddon it is not a matter of, ‘It didn’t come and you people always say that.’ But the one who has faith, it came and they witnessed through their heart what Allah (AJ) wanted them to witness of an Armageddon.

What Allah (AJ) wanted for them in their own individual being. They saw and witnessed an Armageddon, they witnessed the destruction and the bad character and dunya (material world) and all its collapse. As a result Allah (AJ) opened for them realities and visions of these beatific souls that don’t require the physical earth to be destroyed. But what it requires the nafs (ego) of people and the block upon their nafs and upon their mind. So as much as you make your belief to be real always its foundation is good manners. You live by it, you understand it. You don’t try to think of it through your mind, it becomes real for you. As a result of becoming real then you are with Imam Mahdi (as), you are with Sayyidina Isa (as), you witness what Allah (AJ) wants you to witness of realities. That’s what is important in our lives.

Those Who Don’t Work on Their Character Can’t Claim Piety

People whom they don’t work on themselves and they don’t exhibit good manners and they don’t exhibit good character then there can be no claim to piety when the character is not good. Because then all the praying it didn’t change their character, all their fasting didn’t change their character. When the mouth is foul, the actions are foul then love becomes hate.

Difference Between People with Bad Character and the Faith of Awliyaullah (Saints)

So means all of these characteristics then show that it was not something firm. The difference between these types of people and awliyaullah is that their faith is a deep root. Their root and the trunks of their tree go very deep into the reality of their soul. It means that they’re firm; means when Allah (AJ) describes that, ‘The mountains are like awtad (pegs)’ because they’re like pegs. That their faith is so solid and strong it goes so deep in their characteristics. As a result they’re like green evergreen trees that any time you’re with them your faith becomes strong and secure by the level of their faith.

وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا ﴿٧

78:7 – “Wal jibala awtadan.” (Surat An-Naba) 

“And Mountains like Pegs.” (The Tidings, 78:7) 

What they [awliyaullah] are trying to avoid are people who live their lives like a flower on a rock. Their claim is that they’re pious, they’re good. But they’re like a flower on a rock that is not rooted into anything. The slightest bit of rain, any type of testing, any type of agitation brings out the worst of them. That flower, what happens when it is growing on a rock? It washes away! The faith, the character all washed away.

Awliyaullah Stay Truthful in Their Love and Character Through Any Testing

What Allah (AJ) wants that to exhibit the character like awliya that their roots are very deep in their faith, their characters is firmly been tested. That no matter wind and storm and tufan and every type of difficulty comes, they try their best with all their practices to adhere to their faith, their character. To be truthful in love and truthful in the way of the character of love.

In the Second 10 Days of Ramadan Pray for True Character and Steadfastness

That’s what is these 10 days, second 10 days of maghfirah (forgiveness) and asking Allah (AJ) forgiveness and say, ‘Ya Rabbi grant us this true character. Grant my roots of my iman (faith) to be deep, deep in an ocean firm into Your grasp.’ “Is taqaamoo fi tareeqat” – means, ‘Hold firm to the path,’ this path of ‘ishq and love and not to be like a flower on a rock.

(١٦) وَأَن لَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا

72:16 – “Wa alla wis taqaamoo ‘alat tareeqati la asqaynaahum maa’an ghadaqaa” (Surat Al-Jinn) 

“And [ Allah revealed] that: “If they had only remained firm on their tariqa (straight path), We would have bestowed on them Rain/water in abundance. ” (The Jinn, 72:16) 

That as soon as something comes, you don’t like it, as soon as something comes you talk bad about it. As soon as something doesn’t come your way you’re angry at the heavens, angry at Allah (AJ), angry at everything. That’s just a flower that comes and goes but may fool itself because it thinks it is beautiful and it is a flower. But in reality there are no roots and the slightest difficulty is making it to come off and flow away and wash away.

The Purpose of Testing and the Way of ‘Ishq (Love) is to Deepen the Roots of Faith

We pray that Allah (AJ) make our roots to be firm. That’s why the purpose of testing and the purpose of this way of ‘ishq that Allah (AJ) make the roots to go deeper and deeper and deeper. That their good character always to be shining and exhibiting the good characteristic that Allah (AJ) is pleased with. To be firm in the way of ‘ishq and muhabbat (love), and the love of Allah (AJ) and love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.

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 14, 2022

Related Articles: 

• Good Manners and Character are the Key to Tariqah
• Hold Tight to the Rope of Allah, Tie Yourself to That Which is Firm
• The Way of Testing is to Remain Silent and Have Good Character
• Ramadan is the Month of Reflection, Sacrifice, and Spiritual Ascension

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