Al-Hawariyyun (the Disciples) asked for a table from Heaven. As-Sahabah Al-Kiram (The Companions) each wrapped a stone against his stomach, yet did not ask. The Prophet (ﷺ), The Master of Creation, had 2 stones wrapped against his stomach. Know what you want and what you are after. If the whole world was yours, what would be the value without ‘Ishq. The real goal is the Sultan. Without the Sultan, what is the value of the Palace? Know the one for Whom “The Sajdah for Adam” was actually made.
Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim
Sultan ul-Awliya Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Al-Haqqani An-Naqshbandi ق
Sohbat of the 16th of June – Sha’ban
As-salāmu ‘alaykum. O beloved brethren of Shah Mardan. Māshā’Allāh. Shah Mardan is the Lion of all lions. Beloved brethren, his lovers – māshā’Allāh – how wonderful they are! May our assembly be an assembly of light! May our assembly be an assembly of joy and happiness! Let’s experience joy, let’s open up, let’s become stronger! Let’s not despair! Let’s not despair, because desperation is unbelief. Desperation is unbelief. Hopelessness is unbelief. Here you go, O Shah Mardan, your beloved brethren are awaiting you filled with loving admiration. Let’s learn something! Let’s learn something to be in the service of the Lord of Might and Glory.
“What is your duty?” Our duty consists of servanthood for the Lord of Might and Glory. Welcome, O Shah Mardan. O beloved brethren, close companions of Shah Mardan, if only the whole world were his beloved brethren, his close companions. But the people of our age keep close companionship with cats and dogs instead and direct their love to them. They say, “I love my cat, I love my dog, I love my horse, I love my donkey.” What is the use? Here you go, O Shah Mardan, O Lion of Allah, here you go! We want some of your marvelous words to inspire us, that’s what we want. We want something from your spiritual power. We want spiritual power, not the power that comes from eating and drinking. Who takes his power from eating and drinking is an animal. Who takes his power from spirituality, he is a human being. Here you go, O Shah Mardan, here you go, say it! Explain to people, what it means to be human! Explain their duties to them.
Welcome, O beloved brethren of Shah Mardan. O you close companions of that Lion, welcome to you. This is a laden table, a table spread, a table. What kind of table? Shah Mardan will make it clear to us. O Lion of Allah, here you go, let’s say “Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm”. We are in the magnificent month of Sha‘bān, the blessed, holy and highly appreciated month, which carries the name of the Master of all creation (blessings and peace be upon him!). Take, take from it as much benefit as you can! Don’t go around the markets looking for goods! Some people are just interested in food. They belong to the category of animals. Others are only running after clothes, they have become captives of their desire to dress up. They are not searching for real beauty, but by dressing up they want to be seen as beautiful. “We’ve done our duty”, they say. Here you go, O Shah Mardan, tell us! Let him explain to us.
Yā Rabbī. Today is yawmu s-sabt, it is Saturday. Allah Most High has special grants of mercy for every day, special gifts, special benefactions, special honours, which He assigned to the children of man. Here you go, O lovers of that Lion, lovers of Shah Mardan, welcome to his laden table, to his table spread. Then let us say “as-salāmu ‘alaykum, O servants of Allah!” They are the ones, who love being Allah’s servants, not food and drink, not collecting the rubbish of this world. O beloved brethren, Shah Mardan’s way is the way leading to Allah. Who wants to go another way than this one, what is he? Who says, “we want to go another way” he is rubbish, he has no value. Search for it, let’s see what’s there!
O Shah Mardan, O beloved brethren, O close companions, we are looking for true love, for real affection. We are looking for the love of the loftiest of all lofty ones. Understand, that Allah Most High did not send you to busy yourself with eating the fodder of this world! Here you go, O Shah Mardan. Here you are, O greatest of all lions. Give us a bit of energy, power and strength, our goal is Allah, our benevolent Protector. This is a laden table. With what do we start at our laden table? We start with “Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm”, we open our spiritual table with BismiLlāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm. It opens up, and truly amazing things appear. The apostles of Prophet ‘Īsā, the companions of that great prophet who was endowed with firm resolution, what did they ask? What did they want? “Let a laden table come down for us”, they said. How strange! He was a great prophet, a prophet sent by Allah, Sayyidinā ‘Īsā, ‘alayhi s-salām. Sayyidinā ‘Īsā, ‘alayhi s-salām wa ‘alā nabiyyinā, ‘alayhi s-salātu wa s-salām.
How wonderful! Our Prophet’s (ﷺ) companions did not ask, they did not ask “let a – laden table come down for us, we’re starving, we’ve had nothing to eat”. “We’ve tied stones on our stomachs” the companions of our Prophet (ﷺ) said. When the Messenger, the Messenger of men and jinn, the Messenger and Beloved of the Almighty uncovered his blessed belly, they said, “you have tied two stones!” Tying stones did not bother this Prophet. Filling his stomach was not what he was after, this Prophet. This Prophet is the Beloved of Allah. His only wish was, “It is You I want, it’s You!” “All I want is You, O Lord of Might and Glory!” The kingly Messenger, whose blessed name, whose blessed name this month carries, Sha‘bān. The noble month of Sha‘bān, is called the month of our distinguished Master. What a noble month. Whatever you ask for, will be given. It is a feast, a feast for the inhabitants of heaven, as well as a feast for those on earth who know.
Here you go, O Shah Mardan, here you are, make it clear! Let’s listen attentively, to be saved from the worries of our stomachs. Who is saved from the worries of his stomach, is saved from all troubles. No trouble remains. Whose worry is it, anyway? All they think about are some morsels of food, which pass our throat. Their daily worry is about nothing but food and drink. But the Exalted Lord of Might and Glory is informing His Beloved (ﷺ) and from His Beloved, Shah Mardan takes. You must know, what it is you want, know, what it is you want! Don’t live only to silence your evil ego! Animals do this job, know this craft, but a human being should not let food and drink be his daily worry. For a perfect human being, for the brethren of Shah Mardan, their daily worries are not about food and drink. Their daily worries are different. They want a different kind of contentment.
O Shah Mardan, here you go. Let us understand a little more. If the whole world was yours, what would be the benefit? What value would it have to possess the whole world without loving You? If you possess the palace, but what’s inside it isn’t yours; if what’s inside isn’t yours, what can a human being, what can we do? Did you find the sultan inside the palace? Were you admitted? That’s what you have to look at! These people without heads, the people of our age, they want the palace, but they don’t want the sultan. They have debased themselves, brought down their value to the lowest level. Who wants Allah, possesses honour, has value. But the one who doesn’t want Allah, what honour does he have? No honour at all!
O man, O people living in this world, become aware of your humanness. Who is a human? Ooh! Being human is such a rank that even the angels said, “We wish that rank had been for us!”. Because being the closest of all creatures to Allah Most High was granted to the Children of Ādam. Allah loves them. What is the wisdom of His love for them? He loves them for the sake of His beloved, O glorious Messenger! Here you go, O Shah Mardan. May those blessed ones, who teach mankind humanness come to us! We don’t need any of those who continue to amass worldly things to teach us their ways. We don’t need donkeys. We need a sultan, a master of his horse.
How marvelous, O Shah Mardan, greatest of all lions. Well, what is your sign? Your sign is Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm. Say, “Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm”, and all your troubles will disappear. No darkness will remain in the heart and the mind’s thoughts will be free from every kind of fear or excitement. The true goal, what it is that you want, is what you have to know. I want to find the sultan. What should I do with the sultan’s palace? If the sultan is not there, what shall I do with the palace? But really, people in our age are ignorant. “Wa lā tabarrajna tabarruja l-jahiliyyati l-ūlā”(33:33) Do you understand arabic? What does Allah Most Exalted and Most High say? “Wa lā tabarrajū”. Don’t be seduced by this world! Don’t run after this world with an animal-like passion as the people of the age of ignorance used to do! Although he made peace treaties, the Prophet even made peace with the idol worshippers. Still the way of the Prophet is completely different from their (idol-worshippers) way. The Prophet is looking for the Sultan. They look for the donkeys of this world.
Māshā’Allāh, O Shah Mardan. Good tidings for you, O beloved brethren, what wonderful news for you. Really, you must ask for this! You must know what to ask for. If people knew what to ask for, there would be no fighting or riots. But they don’t know what to ask for. Not knowing what to ask for, they attack each other fighting. Don’t let this world be the thing you’re asking for! What is there to be had in this world anyway? If there’s no sultan, what’s the benefit of the palace for us without the sultan? To look at the trees? To look at the animals? To look at the houses or places? No! All that does not give honour to man. What gives honour, is to search for the way to Allah Dhū l-Jalāl, the Owner of all this, to find Him and to reach to Him. If you search, you will find. O man, if you know what you are looking for, think about what’s behind, then you will understand for what you have lived.
Not one prophet proclaimed, “You should live for this world!” Not one prophet lived for this world. Prophet Sulaymān, “Innahu min Sulaymān wa innahu Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm”(27:30). What was the sword of greatness he held in his hand, prophet Sulaymān – upon him and our prophet be blessings and peace? What was it? It was “Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm”. The throne was made of gold, everything was filled with gold, but it was all nothing in the eyes of this prophet. Who looks for pastures and meadows? Animals do. Man does not run after pastures and meadows. O Shah Mardan, you are teaching us. You are teaching us with your daily sohbet, you are teaching us, so let’s learn. Let us comprehend our true value. “Wa lā tabarrajna tabarruja l-jahiliyyati l-ūlā”(33:33) Let’s not belong to those ignorant ones, who run after this world, let’s not be like those, who adorn themselves with the adornments of this world!
Shaytan makes people do the opposite, making them wear new clothes every day. They’ve also invented brand names, making them fashion. May their fashions backfire upon their heads! Fashion does not make people beautiful. Real beauty comes down from heavens. The face of every prophet shone like the moon or like the sun. Who looks at them, takes from their light. The noble angels fell prostrate in front of its magnificence. When Allah ordered “prostrate to Ādam”, was that due to the clothes he wore? Allāhu akbar Allāhu akbar. Allah Most High had clad him, in such robes of glory and greatness that the angels were so awed they fell down in prostration. “Usjudū li-Ādam”, they were told, “prostrate in front of Ādam!” What was there in Ādam? There was everything.
The only One deserving to be prostrated to is the Exalted Lord of Might and Glory. What was meant by “prostrate in front of Ādam!” was the divine robe with which the prophet Ādam had been dressed.
Here you go, O Shah Mardan! Tell us, what Ādam was given! The beauty, which was given to Ādam, the intelligence. Ādam was given, the capacity of thought and speech. His beauty, eloquence and rank – all that was not given to anyone else. He is Allah’s representative. When Allah said, “prostrate in front of Ādam!” – O ulama of Egypt, tell us, what is the meaning of His saying, “prostrate before Adam”? O ulama, explain it! When it was said, “prostrate in front of Ādam!” It was not him, they were to prostrate to. Isn’t that so? The only One deserving to be prostrated to is the Exalted Lord of Might and Glory. What was meant by “prostrate in front of Ādam!” was the divine robe with which the prophet Ādam had been dressed. He had been clad in a godly robe. That’s why He said, “prostrate in front of prophet Ādam!” at that time – Prophet Ādam was the one representing Allah Most High.
The angels said, “Make us Your representatives”, but He said, “It cannot be, you can not carry it. Only my new creation, Ādam, the one I created with My own hands, has that particular capacity. I’ve adorned him in a way that leaves all creation amazed. “Make us Your representatives.” “It cannot be. Look at Ādam!”, He said. The original meaning of “prostrate in front of Ādam!” is to prostrate to Ādam as representative of My Greatness, My Beauty, because he represents My Beauty! That is what you should prostrate to. You cannot bear My Being, I am the Lord of Might and Glory. So I have clad him in these robes. When I say, “prostrate before Ādam”, don’t think that Ādam is prostrated to. I am the One who is prostrated to.
O Lord of Might and Glory, send us the blessed ones, making things clear for us: Shah Mardan. O Shah Mardan, that one… It is impossible for Ādam to be ugly. You must understand this: It is impossible for Ādam to be ugly. Ādam is forever beautiful; he doesn’t become old, he does not become ugly, because he is the representative of the Lord of Might and Glory. “Prostrate in front of Ādam to Me! Prostration in front of him is for Me, because he is the one representing Me.” O our Lord, You are our Exalted One! O Shah Mardan, explain, so people may understand, so they stop fighting. They must stop fighting! Behind the beauty of the dress of Ādam-ness in which the Exalted, Benevolent, Protector clad him in His gracious Generosity to make it appear, the real meaning of “prostrate to Ādam” is “prostrate to Me!”
O our Lord, You know best. O Shah Mardan, O Shah Mardan. There cannot be an ugly prophet. The Prophets: our Master the Prophet is beautiful, prophet ‘Īsā is beautiful, too. Prophet Mūsā is majestic and beautiful, too. Prophet Sulaymān is a very beautiful and majestic prophet. Prophet Ibrāhīm is the highest expression of greatness amongst the prophets. O magnificent prophets! Here you go, here you go, explain it to us, Shah Mardan. O blessed ones, let’s uncover it, let us be joyful, let’s get to know ourselves, let’s get to know our Lord! “Man ‘arifa nafsahu faqad ‘arifa Rabbah”. “Who knows himself knows his Lord”, he says. Give us strength, give us comprehension. Dress us in robes of beauty, O my Lord!
O Sultan of prophets, Prophet of the End of Times, our Master, Master of all creation. Hold fast to his way! You will flourish in this world & flourish in the hereafter. Who doesn’t hold fast to his way, will be disgraced in this world and destitute in the hereafter. Have mercy, my Lord! Send us many, countless ones, who, like Shah Mardan, will open up the way for us, O my Lord! May they open our hearts and fill them with joy, so we don’t fall for this evil world. Allāhu Allāh, Allāhu Rabbī, mā lī siwā-Hu, Allāhu Rabbī, Allāhu Allāh mā lī siwā-Hu, Allāhu Allāh, Subhān Allāh. O Shah Mardan, Māshā’Allāh. This lesson, this sohbet, is enough for your brethren till the Day of Rising. What never-ending and inexhaustible kinds of beauty Allah Most High makes known! “‘Allamahu l-bayān.” (55:4) “He taught him articulate thought and speech”. “Khalaqa linsān ‘allamahu l-bayān”(55:3-4). How many things He made known, Allah Most High, for the sanctity of His beloved – the Glorious Qur’ān.
His inheritor is Hazreti Mardan, Shah Mardan. In his hand is the sword of the All-Merciful. He has come to explain to us the realities, accept them and you will rise in rank! Don’t be absorbed in the dirt of this world! Running after the dirt of this world has ruined mankind. All fighting is about this evil world. Canons, guns and I don’t know what – all these soldiers, for what? To own this evil world? No intelligent being would do that. Many a man put forth his claim to this evil world, then left it empty-handed. They buried him under the earth. They could not leave him outside, because of the bad smell. He was unable to take on a pure smell. They didn’t take on the fragrance of prophets and saints; the fragrance, which comes from heavenly spheres. “Ah, if only we had been from those servants who had taken on their fragrance!”
Shah Mardan, here you go with your explanation! Make things clear for your beloved brethren, that’s what we want, we are not in need of this world. This world is of no use to us. What we are searching for is beauty, the absolute beauty of the Lord of Might and Glory, Allah Most High. It’s not this world we’re after. O son of Ādam, stop fighting! Stop struggling over your share of manure! They’re fighting over manure, over dung. O mindless people, is it worth it, to fight over manure, over a carcass? What kind of human are you? “The stable’s mine”, he says. What else? “All that’s inside it, all that dung.” Why are you running after that? You should search for the sultan.
O our Lord, for the sanctity of Your Beloved, grant us strength, grant us majesty, let them see the majesty of Islam! Let the ignorant ones among us learn, grant adab to those who have no manners! Bring those, who don’t revere You, to Your servanthood! All of us, O my Lord! O Shah Mardan, your brethren adore you lovingly. Let us belong to them, too! How wonderful, how beautiful that is. Subhān Allāh, Sultān Allāh, O our Lord, let none of our worries remain! Let us be filled with love for You and Your beloved! That’s what we’re asking for. And success is from Allah Most High.
O Shah Mardan, you’ve made your explanation clear. May your instructions be accepted! May our strength grow, may we be robed in the beautiful robes of the manifestations of magnificent Sha‘bān! Oooh, what beautiful robes and dresses has this magnificent Sha‘bān! Let us be dressed in them, too, let’s be joyous, let’s become beautiful! Beauty comes down from heavens, beauty does not come from the earth. Beauty comes from heavens. Allah Most High dresses it on those who ask for it. If you search for beauty, don’t search on earth! Beauty comes down from heavens and never from earth. Listen to Shah Mardan, so you may learn!
So let us say, Bismi-Llāhi r-Rahmāni r-Rahīm, so it may open up for us! Not regarding worldly things; may it open up heavens, so our spiritual being can reach to heavens! Let’s prostrate to our Lord! Let’s prostrate not on earth but in heavens! On earth it is an outward formality but our real prostration will take place in heaven. O knowers of Allah, O excellent ones, O believers, O ulama, listen well! Our real prostration does not take place on earth, it happens in heaven. What Allah wills happens and what He doesn’t will does not! Here you go, O Shah Mardan, make us familiar with it! Your brethren adore you lovingly. There’ll be no more hardship for us. Why that? Can there be hardship for someone who prostrates in heaven? What you learn on earth is to allow you to prostrate in heaven. Prostrate to your Lord Who makes some not (only) prostrate on earth but (also) in Heaven.
Allāhu Allāh, Allāhu Rabbī, mā lī siwā-Hu, illa Hu, yā Rabb. O Shah Mardan, you said it so nicely. May our inner being be filled, may we know what is means to be human. Let’s be from those, who prostrate in heaven! May Allah grant us to be among them, too.
Fatiha.
Sufi Qalam 