The Greatness of Salawat on Prophet Series Vol.8

The All-Encompassing Power of the Purest Love
The Greatness of Prophet (s) Series, Vol 8
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
7 April 2012 Lefke, Cyprus
Suhbah after Zhuhr Salaat

(Shaykh Bahauddin insists Shaykh Hisham sit in Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s chair.)

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani ‘r-rajim. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem. Don’t think I’m always standing; I always stand to speak in conferences, but since Shaykh Bahauddin asked me to sit, I will sit, I will not stand, but out of respect I will substitute this cushion (on which Mawlana Shaykh normally sits) with this (older one from the floor).

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani ‘r-rajim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi ‘l-Alameen was-salaat was-salaam `alaa ashrafi ‘l-Mursaleen Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa `aali Saahbihi wa ajma`een. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidee Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, madad. Dastoor, yaa Sayyidee Shaykh `AbdAllah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghestani, madad.

They say every salaat with miswaak equals twenty-seven salaat without miswaak. The adab of using the miswak is to sit like this (on knees, covering the mouth) and to recite, Allahumma tahhir qalbee min ash-shirki wa ’n-nifaaq, “O Allah! Purify my heart of idolatry and hypocrisy.” When the enemy was approaching, the Prophet (s) told the Sahaabah (r) to go on their knees and rub their teeth with the miswaak, and as soon as they did that the enemy ran away, thinking the Sahaabah (r) were going to eat them! The tajalli of using the siwaak is to scare Shaytan, and by using siwaak your prayer is 27 times better.

We spoke of the Greatness of the Prophet (s) and of how the one who loves the Prophet (s) will move and speak in his (s) presence, keeping adab. Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an:

يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ
Yuhibbuhum wa yuhibboonahum.
People whom He loves and who love Him. (Surat al-Ma’idah, 5:54)

He loves them and they love him! I will tell you one incident that took place after Friday prayers in Damascus. Grandshaykh (q) used to give suhbah after Jumu`ah and lead dhikr, which did not exceed thirty minutes. Usually he sat on a cushion in an area twice as big as this masjid. Some people sat on cushions and some sat in rows on the floor. Me and Shaykh Adnan usually sat directly facing Grandshaykh (q), and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) was on his right, translating, like today Shaykh Bahauddin is sitting on his right. One time, me and my brother thought, “Why is Mawlana sitting on cushions? Let us make nicer cushions for him,” as Baba Tahseen, may Allah bless his soul, made nice cushions for Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. So we made nice cushions and Grandshaykh saw them and sat on them and prayed for those who made that sweet, nice gesture. We didn't say anything and Mawlana didn't say anything. That was in 1968.

In 1973, four months before Grandshaykh (q) had his operation and left dunya, he was sick and laying in bed, but we know that he was not really sick. Then he wanted to show who is the one to be respected after him, to give us a sign. Every wali gives that sign, as the Prophet (s) did with Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) when he was sick and he ordered Abu Bakr to lead the prayers and he closed all windows of the houses of the Sahaabah (r), except the window of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, which is still open up to today.

As I said previously, the letter “haa” in the word “hubb,” love, stands for “hayaat,” life, and the “baa” stands for “baqa’,” eternal existence. So when a person loves someone, from their intense love the remembrance of that someone always exists in his mind and heart. Similarly, the love of the Shaykh stays there eternally, it never goes! On the other hand, the Shaykh’s love to his mureeds stays with him and he will not enter Paradise without taking them with him to Eternal Life, as the Prophet (s) will not enter Paradise without taking whole ummah, and there are many ahadith on this subject.

So Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) was very happy with that gesture of the new cushions. He didn’t say anything, but he prayed, “Those who love me, may Allah (swt) love them!” as Allah (swt) said:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Qul in kuntum tuhibboona 'Llaaha fattabi`oonee yuhbibkumullaahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunoobakum w 'Allaahu Ghafooru 'r-Raheem.
Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you and forgive your sins, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat Aali-'Imraan, 3:31)

You have to love Allah (swt) and the Prophet (s) more than you love yourself, as the Prophet (s) said:

لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من ولده ووالده والناس أجمعين. وفي رواية (ومن نفسه التي بين جنبيه
La yu'minoo ahadukum hatta akoona ahabba ilayhi min waladihi wa walidihi wa 'n-naasee ajma`een. wa fee riwaaya wa min nafsi ‘l-ladhee bayna jambayhi.
You are not considered a believer until you love me more than you love your son, your father, and all of humanity, (Bukhari) and in one narration: and love me more than yourself.

The Prophet (s) is saying, “None of you is considered a believer until he loves me more than all his family.” That is why Allah (swt) gives to awliyaullah, because they leave even their families for the sake of the Prophet (s)! If you tell me that Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) didn’t leave his family, clearly you have no knowledge of him! He often left his family to travel for Grandshaykh (q), entering seclusion for forty days, six months, nine months, one year, and also traveling all around, not waiting in one place for people to come to him.

After his seclusion in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara in 1969, Grandshaykh (q) said, “When I was returning to Sham, the Prophet (s) said to me, ‘Yaa Waladee! Don't run after people; rather, people will come to you. I am sending mukhlisee ummatee, the most sincere of my ummah to you!’” I remember this as if I am seeing it now. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) is carrying that secret, because the next Shaykh carries whatever secret his Shaykh has that was given from Prophet (s). So that is why we see Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) is like a spotlight, a magnet to whom people from east and west are drawn. Many people contact us through the Internet and although they don't know Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, from only reading his suhbahs they want to see him and they are coming. And it is not simple to come, to pay US $2,000-$3,000 to see the Shaykh, and even you might not even see him! That shows that every one who comes here is a sincere person who will be under the shafa`ah of the Prophet (s)! We cannot say ‘under the wings’, but they are under the protection of Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani (q), Grandshaykh `AbdAllah al-Fa`iz ad-Daghestani (q), Shaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani (q) and Shaykh Abu Ahmad as-Sughuri (q), all the way back to the Prophet (s)!

Before I mention about the chair we made for Mawlana Shaykh, I would like to read the hadith they just sent me. Everyone here believes whatever I say, but there are some people on the Internet that might not, because they are square-headed people who, regarding everything we say, constantly ask, "Where is your evidence?" Imam Shafi`ee (r) said, “If one-hundred scholars come to question me I will win, but if one jaahil, ignorant comes to me, he will win.” Ignorant ones always question, “Where is your proof? Show us the evidence.”

Grandshaykh (q) said that Ummat an-Nabi (s) will consist of 400 billion people on Judgment Day, and I also heard it from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q). Like the salawaat of Grandshaykh Sharafuddin ad-Daghestani (q) that we recently mentioned, I never found it anywhere until I recently found that part of it was related by Sayyidina `Ali (r), in the book Nahj al-Muttaqeen, Peak of the God-Fearing. Grandshaykh (q) said whoever recites that salawaat one time will receive the reward of all human beings from the time of Sayyidina Adam (a) to Judgment Day, reciting it while standing!

As for the ummah of the Prophet (s) being 400 billion people, I didn't find any text on it until recently. Grandshaykh (q) used to tell us to pick up a book, which is to show helplessness and weakness when we deliver suhbahs, and he cautioned us not to say things from east to west that people like to hear but from which they may not understand anything. It is not imaginings, as those who [casually] speak of the Divine Essence, Dhaat al-Buht, where people don't understand such deep topics. So you have to be careful.

When I was young, I often wondered where I could find this, and recently I did. Imam Ghazali (r) mentioned towards the end of his book Faysal at-Tafriqa, translated to English as The Boundaries of Religious Tolerance in Islam: “The Prophet (s) will intercede for the ummah 70,000 times 70,000 times 70,000.” Just like we read in Dala`il al-Khayrat, “allahumma salli `ala Sayyidina Muhammad alfa alfa marrah,” where “alfa alfa” is one million, “alfa alfa alfa” is one billion, and “alfa alfa alfa alfa” is beyond what we can count! 70,000 times 70,000 times 70,000 is 343 billion people, which is very near 400 billion, which is what Grandshaykh had said [is the number of human beings in the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)].

The scholar Mustafa ar-Rafi`ee suggested on page 68 of his book, `Ijaaz al-Qur`an, The Miraculous Nature of the Qur’an, “the number seven has the symbolic meaning of perfection,” and the Prophet (s) [mainly] used the numbers seven and zero. In numerology, zero represents nothing; it is annihilation, that nothing exists except Allah, while the number seven represents the Seven Paradises that Allah (swt) will give everyone on the Day of Judgment. So that shows us that when awliyaullah say something, if you didn't understand it don't object, but rather say, “They know better.”

Everyone loves the Shaykh and so they move according to the love in their heart and sometimes that makes conflict and sometimes it goes easy, because it is not possible that everyone has the same level, just as everyone's fingerprints and irises are different. Therefore, you might like this one and he might like that one; you might like this Shaykh and he likes another Shaykh. Alhamdulillah we are guided to Sultan al-Awliya, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani (q), but that doesn't mean other mureeds don't love their Shaykh.

So coming back to the story, when we put the cushions Grandshaykh (q) was in his room and he told your (Shaykh Bahauddin’s) father, “Go do the dhikr.” Mawlana Shaykh went up the steps slowly and Grandshaykh said, billahi `alayk, “Don't reject by Allah,” meaning, “Go and do the dhikr as I cannot, I have no energy.” So Mawlana Shaykh Nazim went up, and we love him so we arranged the cushions before he came, fluffing and putting them back nicely, and Mawlana looked at it and read Fatihah, and he sat like Shaykh Bahauddin is sitting now, not on the chair. We said, “Mawlana please sit here,” but he said, “No. I am afraid because to be near the Sultan is to be near fire. Any mistake or any unacceptable move can put you in a problem. And Shaykh `AbdAllah didn't say, ‘Sit in my chair.’ Adaban is to behave as if he is sitting now, present here, so I have to sit on the side,” and he sat on the side.

Let us mention another story that we will benefit from. Grandshaykh had five representatives: Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, Shaykh Husayn, Abu Muhammad al-Mi`daami, Shaykh Abu `Esam and Shaykh Farouq. After that incident happened with the chair, we were sitting and Grandshaykh’s place was empty, although he was spiritually present on his chair except for his soul. Someone came from the door all the way and sat in Grandshaykh’s place, and took his miswaak and hit Mawlana Shaykh Nazim on the head, and Shaykh Nazim did not say one word! That person said, “This is not your place, this is my place! I’m a representative (superior to you)!” If a representative of Grandshaykh `AbdAllah acted like that, what behavior do you expect from some representatives today?

And then the story continues, but I will not narrate it here except to say that they escorted him out as if nothing happened. If that happened to any other representative they would feel humiliated. So we learned from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) that the proper adab is to not sit where the Shaykh sits, or to use the same plate he uses, etc., so as not to make yourself familiar with him, because familiarity is only for the Shaykh’s family and mureeds must know their boundaries.

We used to enter Grandshaykh’s house freely, then one day he said to us, “O my son! Don't look at how I interact with my family as I must treat them as normal human beings, but mureeds must be very careful as that does not apply to them. They must be very respectful, know their boundaries and not transgress their limits or they might be in a problem without even knowing it!” After that we were very careful, but undoubtedly he loved us very much. For many years, we came to Damascus from Beirut at two o’clock in the morning and knocked on Mawlana Shaykh Nazim’s door, made wudu with him, then went to Grandshaykh `AbdAllah’s house and prayed all the way up to Fajr and Ishraaq, then returned to Beirut. Of course we are not saying that you may not love your Shaykh, no. In fact, one must become annihilated with the Shaykh, giving their life to him, to achieve the states of Fana’un fee ‘Llah, Fana’un fee ‘l-Habeeb, Fana’un fee ‘sh-Shaykh, annihilation in Allah, annihilation in The Beloved, annihilation in the Shaykh.

In 1940, before we knew him, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) left Cyprus completely, although they were a very wealthy family that owned land and homes in Nicosia. Grandshaykh (q) told us that Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) sold everything and gave all his money to Grandshaykh (q) without leaving a penny. He said to us, “Look at how big his love is; he gave all that he had.” Grandshaykh (q) used that money to buy two parcels of land in Harasta and Douma. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) didn’t even look back after giving everything to Grandshaykh (q), and when he made his will, Grandshaykh (q) distributed that land among his family, and Mawlana Shaykh didn't say anything. So indeed, people love the Shaykh, but there must be boundaries. The Sahaabah (r) loved Prophet Muhammad (s); also, Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) gave everything in the way of Allah (swt). We do not doubt anyone's love to the Shaykh, as everyone loves according to his level.

يحشر المرء مع من أحب
Yuhshar al-maruw ma` man ahab.

The Prophet (s) said: Each person will be resurrected with the one he loves.

You will be resurrected with the one you love the most. If you love your Shaykh the most, you will be resurrected with your Shaykh; if you love your wife the most, you will be resurrected with your wife; or, if you love your children the most and they are on the right way, you will be resurrected with them. You will also be under the intercession of Prophet (s).

I will relate a story coming from the chain that links to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), who is the main source. It is related by Muhammad Zahid (q), who came after Shaykh `Ubaydullah al- Ahrar (q), who is buried in a cemetery in Samarqand reserved exclusively for scholars. This story is about one of his mureeds, Muhammad Qassim (q). One time Shaykh `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q) was very sick, so he ordered his mureed, Muhammad Zahid, to go to Herat, Iran and bring a doctor, which happened because the Shaykh saw something that was hidden from others and he wanted to expose it. Just as on the Day of Promises when Sayyidina Adam (a) was shown his descendants, he prayed to Allah (swt) to give forty years of his life to Sayyidina Dawud (a), and Allah (swt) accepted his du`a.

So Mawlana Qassim (q) told Muhammad Zahid, “Go quickly because I cannot stand to see my Shaykh sick!” What happened when the Prophet (s) passed away? Sayyidina `Umar (r) said, “Whoever says Muhammad (s) died, I will kill him!” and Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) said, “Yaa `Umar, don't say that,” and then recited the following verse from the Holy Qur’an:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىَ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
Wa maa Muhammadun illaa rasoolun qad khalat min qablihi ’r-rasulu afa’in maata aw qutila inqalabtum `alaa `aqaabikum wa man yanqalib `alaa `aqibayhi falan yadurra ’Llaaha shayan wa sayajzee ’Llaahu ’sh-shaakireen.
Muhammad is no more than a messenger; many messengers passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will reward to those who are grateful.
(Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:144)

Then Sayyidina `Umar (r) said, “Yaa Abu Bakr! It is as if I never heard that verse before.”

Mawlana Qassim (q) urged him to go quickly. Muhammad Zahid (q) said, “I left in such a hurry that I didn't even go home, but went straight to my destination. It took me thirty-five days to get the doctor. When I came back, I learned that Shaykh `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q) was completely cured and the mureed, Mawlana Qassim (q) had passed away although he was very strong physically and a wrestler and very good sportsman of archery and fencing. For this reason, I was surprised and wished to inquire about this incident, so I asked Shaykh `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q) about this.

He answered, ‘Muhammad Qassim came to me one day and said, ‘I sacrifice myself to you,’” like how the Sahaabah (r) came to the Prophet (s) and said, “We give our life to you!” Because he knew if a saadiq mureed with real hubb asks Allah (swt) for something, Allah (swt) will accept. “I said to him, ‘Don't say that another time; you have people whom you gather and look after. You take their hands.’” But no way Muhammad Qassim could not do that, because when the love is intense, even if the Shaykh tells him not to do that, the mureed will not accept his advice. “He said to me, ‘O my Shaykh! I am not asking you nor did I come to consult with you on this matter, but in fact I decided this within myself and it is finished. I came to you inform you that Allah has accepted my request.’” This mureed was also a wali. Shaykh `Ubaydullah (q) said, “I repeatedly told him not to do that, but he insisted and did not change his mind.” So the next day, the illness of the Shaykh transferred to Mawlana Qassim and he experienced shortness of breath and passed away, while the Shaykh became completely cured and was no longer in need of the doctor.”

I was completely amazed by this story as it goes beyond the mind! When love is true you cannot think, as that state takes one beyond all boundaries of the mind. I gave daleel yesterday from the hadith of the Prophet (s) and now from the book Al-Hadaiq al-Wardiyya Fee Tariqat an-Naqshbandi. This story is further related in Rashahat `Ayn al-Hayat, a similar book on The Naqshbandi Order:

Without any protest or argument, Qassim left `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar and died shortly after having taken the venerable Khawaja’s illness upon himself. The venerable Khawaja recovered his health and got up from his bed. The physician who had come was no longer needed. While Mawlana Qassim was at the point of death, `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q) stood at his bedside.

The Shaykh can stand near any person, physically or spiritually; it has happened to me. Once I was between life and death, and Mawlana Shaykh Nazim was at my bedside.

Mawlana Qassim lay motionless with his eyes glued at a spot on the ceiling. He suddenly turned his gaze to the venerable Khawaja and took his last breath in that position and died. Sayyidina `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar said, “Why do you think he was looking at that corner on the ceiling and then to me? Because all the Gardens of Paradise with all their richness, glamors, happiness, hoor al-`ayn and wildan, were displayed to Mawlana Qassim at that spot. He had his eyes fixed there, but he preferred to turn his face away from it all. Although it is the best, he turned his face to look at us instead and thus, he died looking at me. I was by his bed.”

Think to yourself, how much love a mureed or a representative can have towards his Shaykh? Where are we and where are they? We are very low, helpless, and mashaa-Allah they are very high. Our shuyookh are not as we see them, they are as they see us!

Prophet (s) said:

شفاعتي لأهل الكبائر من أمتي

Shafa`tee li ahl al-kabaa`ir min ummattee.

My intercession is for big sinners on Judgment Day.
(Imam Ahmad)

I discussed this with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim the other day, that daily people are making millions of salawaat on the Prophet (s), but on the Day of Judgment new prayers will be opened to Prophet (s) that were never opened before, as related in the book Adab al-Mufrad of Imam Bukhari:

The Prophet (s) will go into sajda on the Day of Judgment, and Allah (swt) will open du`as to him that were never opened to him before. Allah (swt) will then tell him to raise his head and ask, and Prophet (s) will raise his head and hands and ask for his ummah. Allah (swt) will say, “Go and take one-third of them.” The Prophet (s) will not be satisfied; he will go into sajda once more and make prayers that were never opened before. Then again Allah (swt) will say, “Ask and you will be given.” Prophet (s) will ask for his ummah and Allah (swt) will give him another third ot the ummah. Then the Prophet (s) will go into sajda and new prayers will be opened to him that were never opened before. Allah (swt) will tell him to raise his head and ask. Prophet (s) will raise his head and hands and ask for his ummah. Allah (swt) will then say, “Take all of them, except for that one!” That person will be the worst of the entire ummah, and everyone must think it may be them, as we are all sinners from the Prophet’s (s) nation. Then Allah will ask, “Who gave My Mercy to Muhammad (s)? I did, as I am Arhama ‘r-Rahimeen! I am The Best, Rahmah on Rahmah! Go with Prophet (s) to Paradise without hisaab, giving any account!”

This is what Prophet (s) said, and therefore, we cannot deny it! So yaa Rasoolullah! We are expecting from you because we love you, we love our Shaykh, we love our Way! Without looking at our bad `amal, with your intercession take us to Paradise!

Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.

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