2019/07 Jul | Zulkaedah Sohbah: Recent Episodes
SufiHub Naqshbandi
Audhu billahi min ash-shaitan ir-rajeem
๐นBismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem๐น
๐น KINDLY NOTE: The recordings in this podcast is initiated and personally documented by student attendees of Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil Ar Rabbani, the 41st Leader of the Nasqhbandi Aliyyah Sufi Order, in Singapore.
Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said in a sahih hadith,ย โad-deenu naseehaโย โ โReligion is advice.โ Religion is not a lecture for a scholar to give and go. It is advice, and advice doesnโt come except through experience. Advice cannot be theoretical.
Sayyidina Shah Naqshaband said,ย โtariqatuna as-suhbah wal-khayru fil-jam`iyyaโย โ โOur tariqat is association, it is keeping company, sohbah, association, and the best of the gathering is in coming together.โ Or it can be said, โOur way is guidance, and the best is in association.โ Without association, without advice, there is no way to benefit.
ุจูุณูููููููููููููููููููู ู ุง๏ทฒูุงูุฑููุญูู ููู ุงุงุฑููุญููู
_Know Your Hidden Enemy_
Sohbah Main Points
โ Betrayal From Inside
Through most of Islamic history, we see the fall of righteous Caliphs and loss of holy battles, largely due to the betrayal and deception of someone within the community.
Take for example, the difference between two holy battles led by Prophet Muhammad ุตูู ุงููู ุนูู ู ุณูู .
In Badr, the 313 Muslims took on a clear enemy, while in the Battle of the Trench, the Muslims were opposing an army far from sight, camped outside of Madinah. The munafiqun (hypocrites) of Madinah had also paved way for the enemy to attack the Muslims, blindside.
โ Know Yourself, Know Your Lord, Know Your Enemy
_Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord ุฌู ุฌูุง ูู ._ (Hadees)
One seeking to know oneโs Creator must first know why He ุฌู ุฌูุง ูู has honoured mankind with an honour so envied, it sent shaitan to his doom.
One must know and cultivate good traits that pleases Allah ุฌู ุฌูุงูู and avoid bad traits that earn His ุฌู ุฌูุงูู displeasure.
Azazil had worshipped Allah diligently, on his own will, for 40,000 heavenly years (1 heavenly day equivalent to 50 earthly years) but, at the Divine announcement of another creation having a loftier status than him, he was engulfed with jealousy and self-worth that he refused to obey the Command of Allah, ุฌู ุฌูุงููand became eternally accursed.
Within us is a part of shaitan called the ego. It is the hidden enemy and an ally of shaitan that will send us to complete destruction in an instant. It is an open doorway for shaitan to enter.
Shaithan's ego destroyed him, and he has vowed to take all of mankind to complete destruction too.
Grandsheikh Nazim said, _โ Ego is the most dangerous enemy. If your door is closed, all is good, but when you sleep (become spiritually neglectful) Ego opens the front gate and allows shaitan in.โ_
โ Ego Is A Ferocious Enemy Like No Other
Ego is no ordinary creature. It made a very big claim in the Quran 79:24 (when Pharaoh called out to his people)
ููููุงูู ุฃูููุง ุฑูุจููููู
ู ุงููุฃูุนูููู
_faqala anna rabbukumul aโla_
_โI am your lord most highโ_
This creature within us claimed he is God!
If Allah so Willed, we too might be claiming divinity and seeking to be idolised, if given the same power and wealth as Firaun.
Many were defeated by this enemy. Right till the death bed it never rests.
โ Ego Conspires With Shaitan To Trap Us
Ego wants all for itself and shaitan works together with it, greedy to take all of mankind to hell.
His hatred knows no bounds and he has not the slightest pity for us.
Mawlana quoted a dua' from Rasulullah ุตูู ุงููู ุนูู ูุณูู
_Ya Rabbi, lataqilni illa nafsi tarfarta ain.โ_
_Do not leave me to my ego, even for a blink of an eye._
As no one will leave a curious child alone, even for a split second, with a venomous cobra, so should our selves never be left alone with our egos.
It is always ready to strike and its tricks can take one to jahannam (hellfire).
โ Worship With No Guidance Inflates The Ego
What Azazil did in one day of worship we can never accomplish.
However, his immense worshipping only magnified his ego.
Worshipping without a guide inflates the ego. Instead of humbling it into servanthood, shaitan sees himself as a lord who needs to be bowed to and served.
The worship done by shaitan, was the worshipping done with the ego.
Mawlana pointed out that iblis fell from Grace because he wanted not from the dunya but a status in akhirah.
What more for us who are not only seeking for akhirah, but also have worldly distractions, wants and needs.
โ We Possess The Source of All Evil
Grandsheikh Nazim said something of great importance, it could bring world peace instantaneously, โRealise that you possess the ego, the source of all evil all over the world. Now that you have been shown that the source of evil lies within yourself, you should not be busy looking for evil in anyone else.โ
Stop looking at the faults of others because we can be exactly like Firaun claiming godliness.
One must seek fervently for guidance and help from Allah against the ego and say,
_โO My Lord, help me against iblis and my ego. I entrust my iman to you.โ_
โ Place The Donkey In The Stable
Iblis saw himself better than just one man, Adam (a.s).
Therefore, if we ever feel better than anyone, than we have committed a satanic act. Naลซzubillah.
Worshipping should make one feel more humble and insignificant.
However, Mawlana says that the ego is a necessary creature. It is the donkey one rides to places, and the rider is oneโs iman (faith). Do not be foolish to place the man in the stables and tend to the donkey on a throne.
โ The Greatest Battle Is Within
Holy Prophet ุตูู ุงููู ุนูู ูุณูู
said _there will be plenty of Muslims in the end times but Islam would be in its worst state._
It is not easy to come to Allah ุฌู ุฌูุงูู . In the battle of Badr, the Muslims saw one man against ten disbelievers. It was intense and extremely difficult. Yet, Holy Prophet ุตูู ุงููู ุนูู ูุณูู said to them, _the biggest war (jihaddul akhbar) is the war against oneโs ego (jihaddul nafs)._
It is a lifelong struggle within. A big jihad.
โ Do Not Battle Alone
When preparing for war, the soldiers need to learn military tactics under the guidance of a knowledgeable commander.
One army will win, while the other loses.
Fighting this biggest war within, is a battle one CANNOT afford to lose because the loss would mean an eternal life of suffering in akhirah.
For this, the Naqshbandi Way is held upon sohbah (association/mutual reminding/advice) and goodness in its communal gatherings.
There is a Golden Chain of Spiritual Masters to command and guide those seeking to win.
AwliyaAllah (friends of Allah) are sent in our times to help us with the battle within and lead us to Allah by cautioning us of the tricks and traps of our ego and iblis.
โ Live With Fear of Allah Die With Hope
Imam Al-Ghazali said,
_โ The Bird of Imanโs wings are fear and hope but donโt put too much hope and put fear (in your heart) so you donโt take His ุฌู ุฌูุงูู Forgiveness easily.โ_
Allah ุฌู ุฌูุงูู is the Most Forgiving and choses whomsoever He ุฌู ุฌูุงูู wishes to forgive, but this does not mean a guaranteed pardon.
Hence, we should instil more fear of Allah in our hearts and upon reaching the door of death, we must die with hope in the Mercy of Allah ุฌู ุฌูุงูู
โ Never Claim To Be Someone Special
Preaching and calling others to the Way is highly encouraged. There is no better work.
However, one should do this with complete nothingness, meaning to never claim one possess such knowledge because one is gifted or intelligent, but to preach knowing that all knowledge and goodness comes from the Divine and one is a mere parrot repeating after its Master.
May Allah ุฌู ุฌูุงูู grant us to reach nothingness and to know our enemy within as the source of all badness. May we seek the firm handhold of a guide to reach an honourable destination in safety, as His ุฌู ุฌูุงูู honourable servants.
Bihurmatil Habib bi Hurmatil Fateha.