The aim of the Naqshbandī Ṭarīqah is to teach the murīd to say – “I am a weak servant.” Then he becomes available to be supported by heavenly power. If the murīd does any action to accept or to follow a Shaykh he will be supported by the Shaykh, by the Grand Shaykhs, by the Prophet ﷺ, and by Allāh ﷻ. If he takes one step, they will complete the other 99.
Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim
Sultan ul-Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Al-Haqqani An-Naqshbandi (ق )
Sohbat of the 7th of December, 1993
The meaning of Tariqa is association – when you going to a Sheikh – association with a sincere servant, sincere servant of Allah Almighty. And the secret is from their declaration. Because with whom you are sitting that person going to give to you from himself. Of what he has been granted, may give. Rasulullah (ﷺ) just he gave from his lights to his companions. Just gave from his knowledge to his companions. Just he gave to his companions what he has been given from wisdoms. And it is going to be according to attender’s attention. And whole Grand Sheikhs and other ordinary Sheikhs, they are as followers to Rasulullah (ﷺ) and to GrandSheikh. They were using that association and they were giving also, as much as they have been granted through their GrandSheikhs to murids, for preparing murids for yawmu l ‘ard, the day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgement, the Day of Exhibition. That should be last day, Yawmu l-Qiyama, the Day of Resurrection.
Everyone should come to Divinely Presence and he is going to show what he brought through his life, which things he is bringing as ornaments. He is going to show in Divinely Presence in front of whole people, whole gathering that day – Yawmu l ‘ard, the Day of Exhibition. Whole Prophets they are trying to prepare their nations for that day. And the Seal of Prophets, Rasulullah (ﷺ), his mission also is to prepare his ummah, his nation, for that day, that everyone is going to be in Divinely Presence. And they are going to be in the presence of whole Prophets and in the presence of whole Awliyas, in the presence of whole mu’mins, and in the presence of whole mankind, and in the presence of whole heavenly beings, in the presence of angels. Everyone coming and going to be in front, in the presence of whole creatures. First in Divinely Presence and then holy presence of Rasulullah (ﷺ), other Prophets, peace be upon them, that is yawm al ‘ard. And what you brought and how you came – it is going to be shown to you and to everyone.
And the real mission of Rasulullah (ﷺ) is to bring his whole nation in a perfect looking – in a perfect condition, in a perfect vision – so that he should be proud in Divinely Presence, for his nation that all of them coming with a perfection. And the inheritors of Rasulullah (ﷺ) they are Awliyas and they are also on same route, on same manner. They are trying to make their followers, the nation of Sayyidina Muhammad (ﷺ), to be introduced in his holy presence, then to be introduced into Divinely Presence with their perfect perfections. And every association taking that point, their target to reach to that point.
Now, governments they’re using some rules, for example for labourers, that labourers daily they are paying something for their pensions. If they are paying 1pound, their boss paying 2 pounds, government coming paying 5 pounds. He pays only a small amount but businessmen, the owner, giving twice or 3 times more and government giving much more. Now, we are trying to give to you something according to our GrandSheikh’s orders. This is a humble meeting, humble association. What we are giving – too small but our GrandSheikh paying more and whole GrandSheikhs sadat an-Naqshbandiyin, Allah blessing them, they are paying also Then Rasulullah (ﷺ) paying, then, when it is going to Allah, Allah Almighty covering everything. Yes, you know that it is so simple association, but our only hope that we are trying to imitate for, to do something according to commands of our GrandSheikhs and that is enough to reach to their blessings. We are not claiming anything more. That is what we are claiming. We are doing this as they ordered – to speak something from East from West, from Earth or from Heavens, from waters, from mountains, from trees. It doesn’t matter. We are trying to dig for a building with ordinary shovels and instruments. Then government sending this big, bigger machine. What is that? Bulldozer, quickly making and quickly building.
And most important thing it is to try to keep their advises. What they are saying – to believe. What they are advising – to try to keep it. Tariqatuna s-Sohba. As you are saying O our Grand Sheikh. Now, yes! We are listening to your command, we are sitting. We don’t know anything but you know! Let us know something for that day that whole nations going to be gathered in Divinely Presence. What it should be best for that day – to know it and to try for practicing. To know and, if we are practicing 1% from 100, 1 we are keeping, we hope that they are going to complete it to 100. Therefore itiba’, itiba’ – that means to follow your GrandSheikh or your teacher, or your adviser. That is important. And.. when you are putting or stepping one step, they are stepping to you 99 steps.
They are asking to reach to you. And they are asking at least an influence from your side for Tariqatul ‘Aliya, for most distinguished Naqshbandi order. They are asking only a little bit move[ment]. Say at least – “I am Naqshbandi.” Say at least – “I have a Sheikh.” Say at least – “My love with GrandSheikh or Naqshibandi order. I love him and I love whole Naqshbandi GrandSheikhs. Even I can’t move with them, but my heart full with love for them.” Say – “I am Naqshbandi and I am saying daily 100 times la ilaha illa Allah and at the end, la ilaha illa Allah Muhammadur Rasulullah (ﷺ)” Say – “I am a follower from the most distinguished Naqshbandi order because I am keeping one advice from that GrandSheikh and I am saying daily 100 times Bismillahi r-Rahman r-Rahim.” Say – “I like to be Naqshbandi, I like to be with them here and hereafter.” Is enough to say – “I am keeping daily program from GrandSheikh. 100 times Allahumma Salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ali Muhammad wa s-sallim.” Say! “I like to be a Naqshbandi, to follow them, to be with them here and hereafter and I am praying daily 2 rakaat shukur liLlah, thanking to my Lord that making my heart to be with His Awliyas.” Even a person may say, just “I gave my oath, oath… to a GrandSheikh and he taught me and ordered me to say before I am sleeping, 10 times La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadu r-Rasulullah (ﷺ).” Or “He ordered me to say 10 times Ya Allahu Ya Allahu Ya Allah. And I am accepting and I am keeping.” Or, “A GrandSheikh from Naqshbandi order ordered to me and I oath (promised) to him that I am going to keep. He ordered me to say before I am sleeping, to say 7 times Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rabbi, ighfirli wa rhamni.”
Naqshbandi murid must be happy by being servant. Naqshbandi murid, must accept to be servant, to leave other titles wholly and coming and asking to be servant.
It is ok, just he is going to be under the flag of that GrandSheikh, who he is following. “He ordered to me, I like to be Naqshbandi but I don’t know to do anything, but GrandSheikh ordered to me that to, to work through his works and I accepted. Then I am going to grocery shop and bringing something that he is ordering me to bring” – that is also with GrandSheikh, because he is going to be his servant. Who serving a GrandSheikh, going to be his servant. Who is servant to GrandSheikh, going to be servant to Rasulullah (ﷺ). Who is going to servant to Rasulullah (ﷺ) going to be servant to Allah, Jalla wa ‘Ala. Naqshbandi murid must be happy by being servant. Naqshbandi murid, must accept to be servant, to leave other titles wholly and coming and asking to be servant. Who is going to agree, to be happy by being servant, he is going to find the doors of most distinguished Naqshbandi order from far East to far West, between East and West, so wide. Naqshbandi teaching only to make people to accept servanthood, and Sheikh teaching murids as servants – to be servants. Who is going to be best servant, going to be introduced to Prophet. That is that, what we prepare.
Ana ‘abdun ‘ajizun. (I am a weak servant) When you are saying “ana ‘abdun”- faqif (then it stops). And you are saying “ana ‘abdun ‘ajiz” – I am weak servant, then Divinely power through Prophet (ﷺ), through GrandSheikh runs to you.
Look from beginning, now coming real point of our association. That is what they are asking to say. He said you don’t know, we don’t know what we should say here, but their himmat, their special power, bringing us to a point that it is necessary to be known. Now it is well known and it is not difficult to remember it and it is impossible to forget it up to last moment. That the result of whole association is to make attenders, to make murids, to accept servanthood. To say “I am servant.” Nothing else. Ana ‘abdun ‘ajizun. (I am a weak servant) When you are saying “ana ‘abdun”- faqif (then it stops). And you are saying “ana ‘abdun ‘ajiz” – I am weak servant, then Divinely power through Prophet (ﷺ), through GrandSheikh runs to you. Then you should be able to do your servanthood easily, you are not going to be tired, no. And Divinely power runs to you. You are feeling weakness and tired when you are going to be with you [yourself]. That means, with your pill (battery) battery you are looking that, your battery is getting weaker, weaker going to finish but when Divinely power running to you, why you are going to be tired?
Sufi Qalam 