Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) said: "Which deeds are the best in the sight of Allah?" It is to bring relief, joy, and inner peace to the heart of a believer. When a believer sees another and smiles at him, it fills his heart with tranquility. When you greet him with a friendly face and ask how he is doing, he naturally becomes happy. And through this joy, one attains the pleasure of Allah. Actually, this is not that difficult, but depending on character and habit, some find it hard or they simply don't do it. Out of thoughts like "We don't get along" or "He is not on my level," some people don't even greet; and even if you greet them, they do not return the greeting. Such people do exist. But they will have to bear the consequences for their behavior. Because if one seeks Allah's pleasure with such easy deeds, He grants them a great reward. Even here on earth, this brings a person inner peace and joy. It drives sorrow away from the heart. If you make a problem out of it, it will only burden you. Of course, it is not always easy to please everyone. That is a different matter. People today often lack the decency and sensitivity of the past. Nowadays, there are many who immediately take advantage when you approach them with a smile. But to keep it short: Greeting everyone you meet—entirely in the spirit of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam), who said: "Spread the Salam"—should be a matter of course for a Muslim. Greeting is a hallmark of Islam. Giving the Salam is Sunnah. Returning the greeting, however, is Fard (obligatory). If you say "Salam alaykum" to someone, you have fulfilled the Sunnah. If the other person does not reply with "Wa alaykum salam," they commit a neglect of duty. This entails a serious responsibility before Allah. Whoever takes on this burden will feel the consequences as spiritual unrest. When someone greets you, you simply say "Alaykum salam" and go on your way. You don't have to sit down especially for it and have long conversations. But this greeting alone creates a beautiful connection between people. It is a wonderful way to strengthen togetherness and at the same time attain Allah's pleasure. That is exactly how it is. Without a doubt, Allah loves the believers and the Muslims. This rule naturally applies not only to followers of the Tariqa, but to all Muslims equally. Sometimes we travel to foreign countries. The people we meet on the streets there greet us. Either they greet first, or our companions do—and everyone returns the greeting warmly and with a smile. But unfortunately, there are also people who claim about themselves: "I am a Muslim." Among them are some who cannot stand the Ahl as-Sunnah and the followers of the Tariqa. They constantly wear a sullen face and frown. It is exactly such people that our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) is not pleased with. These people do not return the greeting and they drive others away from the religion with their grumpy nature. They neither accept the greetings of others, nor do they greet anyone themselves. May Allah protect us from this, but even among Muslims there are such characters. Insha'Allah there are not many, but they do exist. Even if they are only a few, they stand out unpleasantly in society due to their dismissive manner. Surely you have also often encountered such people, just as we have. You greet them, but as soon as they realize that you follow the path of the Ahl as-Sunnah and our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam), they do not return the greeting—simply because they reject this path. May Allah protect us. That is why Mawlana Sheikh Nazim used to say about them: "Abusu'l-wajh, karihu'l-manzar." This means something like: "Sullen face, knitted eyebrows, and a repulsive appearance." Insha'Allah we will never be like that, but will always meet our Muslim brothers and sisters with a smile. Help people as much as you can without scaring them away. And even if you cannot help them practically, a smile is already enough. It is completely sufficient to show people a friendly face. May Allah help us all with this. Of course, this is not always easy, but Insha'Allah, Allah will support us all.

وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَعِبٞ وَلَهۡوٞۖ وَلَلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَۚ (6:32) Allah, Azza wa Jalla, says: "The worldly life is nothing but a play and a pastime." "But the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear (Allah)." All praise is due to Allah that we were together with the believers and Muslims on the path of Allah by His grace during these blessed days. There were those who visited us, and we also made visits, praise be to Allah. The sacrificial animals were slaughtered. The pilgrims have performed their Hajj. That is the highest level of bliss. Thus, this worldly life does not pass only with play and pastime. Thus, a person can become truly happy. If a person does what they want, as long as it lies within the permitted (Halal) bounds, these deeds return to them as a reward. As long as one is on the path of Allah, Azza wa Jalla, and the beautiful things that please a person are within the Halal realm, Allah records a reward for them and also bestows gifts upon His servant. If one is thankful for the bounties He has given, life does not pass meaninglessly. It is lived fulfilled to the fullest. All of this becomes a preparation for the Hereafter and accumulates in the account for the Hereafter. And so these blessed days came and passed as well. The days pass quickly; may they not pass in vain with Allah's permission, in sha Allah. May they not pass emptily. That they pass fulfilled means: Every breath one takes after having remembered Allah, Azza wa Jalla, is fulfilled. It is not a loss, it is not meaningless. Everything you do during the times when you do not remember Allah, when He does not come to your mind, is a loss. Even if the whole world belonged to you, even if all people adored and loved you; as long as you are not on Allah's path, this does not have the slightest significance or benefit. Therefore, this path is Allah's beautiful path, the path of Islam, which is full of blessings. The more you honor and revere our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, on this path, the more you too will be elevated with Allah. His path is beautiful; every beauty is in it. Goodness is with him, taking care of the weak and poor is with him; he watches over his Ummah and will be an intercessor for them in the Hereafter. He always asks Allah for intercession for his Ummah. Therefore, his right cannot be repaid; the right of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, can never be repaid. The more you honor him, the more appreciation you experience, the more you are elevated and ascend. If you do not show respect to our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, your prestige and your worth will also fall. You lose all worth. Satan also leads some Muslims astray. Even if he cannot turn them away from the religion, he chooses this path by saying: "At least I will nullify the rewards that the believers have gained." He whispers and says: "Do not revere him at all, the Prophet is also just a human being like you." And this is, of course, to the detriment of the people. Not loving our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, is a great harm. It is a loss, nothing else. Therefore, it is beneficial and a great gain to honor our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. May Allah make our gain lasting, inshaAllah. May we attain his intercession. Without his intercession, we will have a hard time. The person who attains his intercession finds salvation.

A blessed Friday and a happy Festival of Sacrifice to you all once again. May Allah preserve these beautiful days for us eternally, insha'Allah. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the Hadith that we quoted in the sermon: "The strong believer is better than the weak one," or as he said it. That means the strong believer is the better one. Someone who is of use to his fellow human beings is more beloved by Allah and a better person. Because whoever possesses strength helps others and wards off harm from them. That is, of course, how it should be. But not everyone can do that. Allah the Exalted and our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proclaim what a great virtue this is for those who act accordingly. These are qualities that Allah loves, and people who act this way are loved by Him. Therefore, one must strive for it. Even if you are not physically capable of it – that is, if you cannot intervene directly – you should do what is in your power. Help the weak and the poor. Because help has many faces and is not limited to a single form. For this reason, one should constantly work on oneself and develop oneself in the best possible way. If an opportunity presents itself, one should take it. Further on in the Hadith, it says: "One should strive for the good." Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "One should strive for even more good." A strong believer is therefore someone who uses opportunities to become even stronger. That is exactly what our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advises us to do. The next point is this: If something happens to you, do not say, "If only I had done this or that...", our Prophet warns. Because Allah's predestination has already been fulfilled, and with an "If only I had" you change absolutely nothing. What's done is done; it is in the past. You must leave it behind and look ahead. There is no reason to mourn it and torture yourself with it. What happened, happened. The will of Allah the Exalted has been fulfilled. This is the destiny that Allah has decreed; it is of no use to still be sad about it. If you learn from it, you emerge as a winner. If you do not, you will only grieve senselessly with an "If only I had". Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "This little phrase 'if only' opens the door for Satan." Satan then whispers to people: "If only I had done that, if only I had bought this, if only I had gone there, if only I had..." Every word of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is extremely valuable and a guiding light for us. This constant "If only I had" is a great human weakness that we all carry within us. In some, it is even particularly pronounced, so that they get completely caught up in it. So that exactly this does not happen – meaning that our morale and our mental balance suffer as a result – our Prophet warns us against it. Because Satan wishes you no good, only bad. And this "If only I had" opens the door for him to do just that. So do not fall into this trap. In a noble Quranic verse it says: "Fa tawakkal 'ala Allah, innaka 'ala al-haqqi al-mubin" (27:79) – So rely upon Allah; indeed, you are upon the clear truth. In this verse, we are therefore instructed to rely upon Allah. Because you are on the right path, on a clear path of truth. So mourn the past no longer and do not fret. Take these beautiful words of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to heart and follow them. In this way, you will not only be successful and happy, but you will attain bliss in this world and the hereafter. May Allah grant us all this bliss, insha'Allah.

We wish you a blessed Eid. May Allah let it be full of blessings and grace. This is one of the most beautiful gifts that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has given us. We have two festivals: the Festival of Ramadan and the Festival of Sacrifice. The special thing about the Festival of Sacrifice is that worship is even more in focus; sacrificial animals are slaughtered, and the Hajj is performed. The moment the pilgrims have waited years for is now here. Thank Allah, they too have safely fulfilled their Hajj obligation and discharged this responsibility. The blessing of the Hajj benefits both themselves and their families. At the same time, this blessing also reaches all those who benevolently wish the same for themselves. This is a tremendous form of worship that must not be underestimated under any circumstances. Therefore, today is a blessed day. May Allah grant us all strength and strong faith so that we too can enjoy these beauties. Infinite thanks are due to Allah for these magnificent bounties and gifts, insha'Allah. We have often spoken about the Hajj. By now, everyone knows its significance, and many strive in the hope that, insha'Allah, it will also be granted to them. Whoever does not have enough money should put some aside; insha'Allah, it will also be made possible for them according to their intention. As for the topic of the sacrifice (Qurban): We have four recognized schools of thought (Madhahib). Nowadays, however, there are also people who reject these four schools of thought. Not to mention Tariqas – today there are downright devilish ways of thinking that even reject the schools of thought. Those who claim: "We do not need a school of thought, we read and understand the Quran ourselves," actually understand absolutely nothing. They do not know what they are reading, and they do not comprehend what they are seeing. There is no religion without schools of thought. In the Hanafi school of thought, the slaughtering of a sacrificial animal is obligatory (Wajib). Of the four schools of thought, offering a sacrifice is only considered Wajib by the Hanafis. Wajib is a level between absolute obligation (Fard) and the highly recommended Sunnah (Sunnah mu'akkadah). So it is an important act of worship that one should perform. In the other schools of thought, it is considered Sunnah mu'akkadah; that is, as a practice that our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) regularly performed. There are Hadiths of our Prophet in which he said to our mother Fatima and the other companions: "Whoever has the means to do so should offer a sacrifice." Of course, offering a sacrifice is Wajib for those who are residents (muqim), i.e., not traveling. If someone is traveling and does not spend the holidays at home, the Wajib obligation no longer applies to them, and it becomes a Sunnah mu'akkadah instead. For someone who is a resident and not traveling, it is considered Sunnah mu'akkadah according to the other schools of thought. With the sacrificial animal, it is similar to the Hajj or Zakat: Whoever has savings worth about 90 to 100 grams of gold, for them it is Wajib to offer a sacrifice. Whoever offers the sacrifice may keep all the meat for themselves if they wish. If the person themselves is in need, they can consume the meat throughout the year. Thus, they fulfill their Wajib obligation, secure their food, and it does not become a burden to them. However, it is best to divide the sacrificial meat into three parts. One part is kept for oneself, another part is shared with relatives, acquaintances, and friends. The third part is distributed to the poor and needy. If one wishes, one can also donate the entire meat as charity (Sadaqah). Nowadays, it has also become very common to donate: The amount for the sacrificial animal is sent to poor countries, where the animal is then slaughtered in the name of the donor. In this way, the poor people there also get meat to eat. Some wonder: "Is that okay?" Of course it is, because there are many needy people who can only eat meat once a year. Therefore, it is a very good and meaningful deed to donate the sacrificial animal there. With Allah's permission, there is absolutely nothing against it. That is a wonderful act of worship. Thus Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says in the Holy Quran: "Fasalli li-Rabbika wanhar" (108:2), which means: "So pray to your Lord and slaughter sacrificial animals." Performing this act of worship brings one great benefit. Even if one does not eat the meat oneself, the poor profit from it and say supplications for one. Thus one receives a double reward: firstly for the sacrifice itself, and secondly for having fed the poor and made them happy. May Allah accept our acts of worship. Every act of worship is a beautiful thing. Actually, there are no difficult acts of worship at all. It is only the devil who makes them appear difficult to people. An act of worship always brings beauty and goodness with it. May Allah protect us from falling prey to the devil. May He permanently preserve these beautiful habits for us and not let us stray from this path, insha'Allah.

وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ (3:97) Allah has made the Hajj an obligation, fard, for mankind. He says, whoever is capable and has the means should do it; that is, it is an obligation. As long as there is no obstacle in the way, one should do it. Praise be to Allah, today is the Day of Arafah. We too are permitted to partake in the blessing (Fayd) of the Day of Arafah. The spiritual manifestation (Tajalli) that reveals itself on Mount Arafat is, praise be to Allah, also palpable here. Praise be to Allah, we feel it as if we were right there. This blessed and beautiful manifestation radiates upon us. Through Allah's grace and mercy, this is not something that happens every day; it is granted to us only once a year. May Allah be pleased with him and may his rank be high; through the spiritual support of our Sheikh, this manifestation is bestowed upon all our brothers. Even if one has not traveled there, the blessing, the manifestation, and the reward from there have, Allah willing, also descended upon us, praise be to Allah. So, what should we do? Today we will pray as much as possible, recite our praises (Tasbihat) and blessings (Salawat), and recite Surah Al-Ikhlas... Until the evening, one should read Surah Al-Ikhlas a thousand times. This is a huge gain that one should not miss out on. This is a special gift from Allah to mankind. Whoever does not want this, falls into disbelief and denies Allah, about him it says in the verse: "And whoever disbelieves, then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds"... Allah is not dependent on anyone. Allah's gifts are meant for the believers. He needs no one. He also demands nothing from anyone. Allah grants these gifts only so that His servants may attain reward and find His mercy. Far from it, Allah is not dependent on anyone; Allah needs neither the prayers nor the donations nor anything else from anyone. Allah gives these beautiful gifts simply to bless us, yet people do not accept them. They fall into disbelief; whoever chooses the path of disbelief bears the responsibility themselves. There are people who think: "With all my money, my weapons, and guns, I can achieve anything." All of that does not have the slightest value. If Allah denies even a single breath, they all perish and die; nothing else will happen. Therefore, infinite thanks be to Allah for these gifts and blessings that He gives us. May Allah increase them and let them last for eternity. What one should do on this day is, of course, as said, clearly established. One does good deeds, reads the Quran, recites blessings, and makes supplications... Just do as much as you can. Sometimes people think: The pilgrims are standing in Arafat now, staying there (Waqfa) and praying... There once was a Majzub who kept persuading the people: "Get up exactly at this time, stand up, observe the Waqfa together with the people in Arafat, and pray." A few times he even got us to do that. Afterwards, our Sheikh, praise be to Allah, said to us: "Do not do that." Such a thing is not necessary at all. Things are invented that do not even exist in the religion, and then one even believes they are doing something good. In this way, whether knowingly or unknowingly, discord (Fitnah) is caused. There is really no reason to cause discord. Just stay on the right path, that is completely enough. All practices in our Tariqah are in accordance with the Sunnah, the Shariah, and our spiritual path. There is nothing else with us. Therefore, do not pay too much attention to things you do not know. Just do what your own Sheikh, your Murshid, does; everything else is superfluous. May Allah forgive us all. May your Day of Arafah and your festival be blessed. Our brothers have set off for the Hajj; Allah willing, next year it will also be granted to those who could not travel, Insha'Allah.

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ (98:5) Allah has commanded: They should serve Allah sincerely and be grateful for His blessings. To possess true sincerity (Ikhlas) is a high spiritual rank. There are many Muslims, but only a few of them are truly sincere. For whoever lives Islam only according to his own ideas is far removed from this sincerity. He only does what his ego (Nafs) desires; he turns the permitted (Halal) into the forbidden (Haram) and the forbidden into the permitted. He simply calls himself a "Muslim" as he pleases and is satisfied with that. For some, even that is missing: There is neither prayer nor worship. They are Muslims in name only. Unfortunately, most people are like this nowadays. May Allah count us among the sincere. The rank of sincerity is the highest rank of all. Ihlas means sincerity; whoever has Ihlas is absolutely honest and truthful. Appearing differently on the outside than one is on the inside has nothing to do with sincerity. That is the condition of ordinary people. Because man lacks sincerity, he always directs himself according to which way the wind is blowing. He gets carried away and simply blown away. If a wind then comes from the other direction, he is driven somewhere else again. Without sincerity, he lets himself be driven everywhere and believes everything. An insincere person is more likely to believe in the bad than in the good. Therefore, the actual duty is to be sincere. Turning to Allah with pure worship, standing before Him, and attaining the highest levels of Paradise should be our goal. Since this is Allah's command, we must obey it. Of course, it is difficult to achieve this all alone. Only a few succeed in this; not even one in a million manages it alone. Therefore, one should not make it so difficult for oneself. Joining a Tariqa (Sufi path) and following the path of these sincere people brings great ease. Nowadays, many people view the Tariqa with skepticism. Yet the Tariqa is based exactly on this divine command. It is based on the commandment to serve Allah sincerely; that is what Tariqa means. Whoever does not join a Tariqa, as said, drifts around aimlessly according to his own whims. The Tariqa is something good in every respect; it has absolutely nothing bad about it. But the devil and his followers oppose it. There are people who act pious and often claim: "We don't need anyone, we can manage alone." But in reality, they too are following some person. And the one they follow is often a person who does not possess the slightest spark of sincerity. Therefore, one should stay away from such people. After all, there are many different Tariqas. But as far as sincerity is concerned – because there only Allah's pleasure is sought and there is no place for showing off (Riya) – the Naqshbandi Tariqa is the strongest. Therefore, it is good to join it. Of course, other Tariqas are legitimate as well. It is not an obligation to necessarily belong to the Naqshbandi Tariqa; it perhaps does not suit some people's nature. Their hearts might incline more towards another path – that is also completely fine. It can be any authentic (Haqq) Tariqa. But a person must absolutely attach themselves spiritually somewhere. When people turn away from the Tariqa, they also lose their sincerity. While there may be many religious communities (Jamaat), the sincerity of a community is one thing, that of a Tariqa is something completely different. Because an ordinary community is not based on an unbroken chain of transmission (Silsila); it only emerged later. The chain of a Tariqa, however, reaches directly back to our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). With Allah's permission, it is under His protection and follows His path exactly. May Allah make us all His sincere and pure servants, inshaAllah. May no malice toward anyone dwell in our hearts.

The greatest gift that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has given to mankind is faith, Islam. There is nothing more beautiful than this. A Muslim should rejoice in this from the bottom of his heart. Every day, he is granted Allah's grace and support. These wonderful blessings surround the servants whom Allah loves. Therefore, someone who is a Muslim and obeys Allah is the happiest and most blessed person. That is true happiness, real bliss. Such happiness cannot be found in anything else. A happiness that is fleeting is not true happiness. What matters is the eternal. Even if one were to live a thousand years in this world, the time would pass like the blink of an eye. What good is that? It brings absolutely nothing. However, the gifts that the eternal Allah bestows upon the Muslims and believers are limitless. And these gifts are not bound by time. We are currently in very special days, Masha'Allah. Today is the seventh of Dhu al-Hijjah; tomorrow is the so-called Day of Tarwiyah. On this day, the pilgrims prepare to set off for Arafat. And the day after is, of course, the Day of Arafat. These are among the most blessed days of the entire year. They are gifts that Allah, the Almighty, has given to Islam and the Muslims. Of course, everyone wishes to be in these blessed places. No matter how exhausting and arduous it may be, one wishes from the bottom of one's heart to be there every year. Last year, thank Allah, we were there. This year we were not granted this privilege, but as they say: "The heart is drawn there" – one always longs for these places. May Allah, through His grace and generosity, Insha'Allah, also grant us these blessings. Hopefully, on these blessed days, we too will receive our share of the gifts and blessings that Allah, the Exalted, grants to the pilgrims there. Unfortunately, people are in a state of heedlessness. The honorable Ali said: "An-nasu niyamun, iza mata intabahu." "People are asleep; only when they die do they awaken." But what good is it to awaken only after death? One must awaken in the here and now and embark on the path of Allah, the Almighty. As long as one does not seek the pleasure of Allah, there is absolutely no point in chasing after this world... One may attain worldly wealth as long as it is for the pleasure of Allah. One can easily be the richest person in the world, there is nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to remain on the path of Allah, the Almighty, and perform one's deeds for His pleasure. However, whoever lives only for this world and chases after it will end up empty-handed; it will be of no use to him. There are people who are literally swimming in money. Their wealth knows no bounds. But what do they do? How do they find inner fulfillment? They work seven days a week, twenty hours a day. They never take a vacation and are constantly just at work. What is the use of them saying: "I have earned such and such an amount of money"? That brings them nothing either in this world or in the Hereafter. May Allah protect us from becoming like them. To walk on the path of Allah – that is the greatest happiness of all. A person who has tasted the sweetness of faith will find joy in nothing else. May Allah let us all taste this beautiful sweetness of faith in honor of these blessed days, Insha'Allah.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الْوَلِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ (42:28) It is Allah Azza wa Jalla who sends down the rain. This rain is pure mercy. Sometimes it brings mercy, sometimes it brings wrath. But thanks be to Allah, this year it came as mercy. It has not been like this year for many years. Sixty years ago, this blessing was so magnificent every year. Abundant rain fell everywhere. Sixty years ago, the world was in a very bad state. Rebellion against Allah, disbelief, and pure denial of Allah prevailed. Therefore, Allah Azza wa Jalla had withdrawn His mercy from these people. And so they complained continuously: "Drought again," and this and that. Of course, people did not completely turn to Allah after that. Only very few did, but thanks be to Allah, the open hostility towards Allah Azza wa Jalla has disappeared. They forgot what they had experienced and gave themselves over to other things, to their own desires and lusts instead. Of course, there are also people today who oppose Allah and try to lead others astray, but back then it was much more extreme. In the sixties of the last century, disbelief reached its absolute peak. It was a time when the enemies of religion were extremely powerful. Therefore, Allah Azza wa Jalla withdrew His mercy from them, and the persistent drought became a punishment for the people. If Allah Azza wa Jalla wills, He does not let a single drop fall. But for the sake of the believers, the poor and needy, and the friends of Allah, He sends it anyway. Thanks be to Allah, these precipitations exist. As mentioned, back then in the last century, every evil had reached its peak. The greatest of all wrongs is rebellion against Allah. Associating something with Allah Azza wa Jalla (Shirk) is the absolute greatest wrong; it is a wrong directly against Allah. Back then they went even further than Shirk; they denied Allah completely. Therefore, nothing happens without divine wisdom. Thanks be to Allah, people realize this this year. Insha'Allah, this is also a glad tiding. That this mercy is now spreading means that the arrival of the Master of this religion is approaching. Let us consider this as a glad tiding, Insha'Allah. Exactly when it will happen, of course, Allah knows best. Sometimes it is said: "The Sheikh said he will appear this year." We are always expecting him, in every single moment. The promise of Allah Azza wa Jalla is true. Our belief in his coming is unshakable. Insha'Allah, we see a glad tiding in every good event. May Allah send its Master soon. Because in his time, there will be infinite blessings. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim used to say: "It will rain at night and the sun will shine during the day; that is how beautiful these days will be." There will be harvests twice a year, and the animals will have offspring twice a year. As they say: "Everything will be a single rose garden" – that is exactly how it will be. Therefore, all these things are harbingers of his arrival, Insha'Allah. That means the time is near. May Allah let us live to see these days. Injustice has extremely increased and spread everywhere. That is why we also see this as a glad tiding; may the savior of humanity appear soon, Insha'Allah.

Allah, the Exalted, says in Surah Al-Fajr: وَٱلْفَجْرِ ١ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍۢ ٢ وَٱلشَّفْعِ وَٱلْوَتْرِ ٣ وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ ٤ هَلْ فِى ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌۭ لِّذِى حِجْرٍ ٥ Allah, the Exalted, makes an oath here. And at the very end of this noble Surah, it says: فَٱدْخُلِى فِى عِبَـٰدِى ٢٩ وَٱدْخُلِى جَنَّتِى ٣٠ This means: "Join the ranks of My servants and enter My Paradise," says Allah, the Exalted. He begins this Surah with an oath and ends it with glad tidings. He swears by these nights, by the first ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, because their virtue and their value are immense. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) says in a Hadith: Whoever fasts a single day during this time receives the reward of an entire year. If one fasts on any of these nine days, one receives the reward of an entire year. The Day of Arafah, meaning the ninth day, however, is even more virtuous and blessed. For on this day, the pilgrims are in Arafat and stand there in prayer. Allah, the Exalted, has dedicated this day to our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and the Ummah of Muhammad, and accepted their pilgrimage. The reward for the acts of worship performed on this day is incomparably higher and is bestowed much more abundantly. Namely, when the reward of the pilgrims unites with the reward of the others, it multiplies – it becomes many times greater. The days we are currently in are extremely blessed days; today is already the fifth day. Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed this grace upon us in honor of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). We thank and praise Him for it. Thanks be to Allah, we are allowed to experience these days and witness the care and grace of Allah. Belonging to the Ummah of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) is the greatest honor of all. We truly must appreciate this. It is a priceless privilege to belong to this Ummah. Neither gold nor silver, nor any jewels – nothing in the world can outweigh this. But some just do not know how to appreciate it. Allah, the Exalted, has not granted it to them, therefore they do not recognize this value. They waste their time, simply talk idly, and in the end they stand there empty-handed. On top of that, they are also ungrateful and thereby only burden themselves with even more sins. May Allah protect us from this. In the days we are in right now lie the grace, the goodness, but also the tests of Allah. He has bestowed this upon the Ummah of Muhammad as an immense gift, the true value of which we should know. Allah, the Exalted, makes an oath, and that alone already shows how valuable these days are. Whatever good you do and acts of worship you perform on these days; such as the night prayer, for example. If you get up for even just one night, it will be credited to you as if you had spent the nights in prayer for a whole year. With the so-called Qiyam al-Layl, some mistakenly believe that one must pray continuously until dawn without sleeping at all. However, our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) explained: Whoever prays two Rak'ah at night, goes to sleep, and then gets up again for Tahajjud, has spent this night as if he had prayed the entire night. The night prayer is therefore not difficult at all; Qiyam al-Layl does not mean that one has to stay awake the entire night. Allah has made it easy for us: You go to sleep with ablution, get up, renew it, and perform your prayer. That will be credited to you as an act of worship; indeed, even your sleep is then considered an act of worship. A thousandfold thanks are due to Allah. In honor of our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), may Allah allow us all to attain his intercession, Insha'Allah. May He never lead us astray from his path and the love for him, and may He always increase this love in our hearts. For Satan tries to deceive people in every conceivable way. Many people do not show our Prophet the respect that is truly due to him. This is exactly why it is the greatest act of worship of all that we honor our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and recognize his true value. This too is a grace and a gift from Allah; we must never let this feeling fade within us. After all, the love for our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) does not demand of us: "Go out with a pickaxe and shovel and break stones." It is completely sufficient if you carry sincere love and respect in your heart. That is what earns you his intercession and secures it for you. "I will intercede," promises our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). May Allah not exclude any of us from his intercession.

Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) says: "Whoever believes in Allah should speak good when he speaks." And whoever has nothing good to say should rather remain silent. Silence is more virtuous, it is simply better. It is much better to remain silent than to choose bad words. People nowadays, however, do exactly the opposite. If someone remains silent, they say: "He has no idea" or "He is boring". They say: "Don't be silent, say something!" And as if that were not enough, they also spread all sorts of things in writing. Yet it is completely unclear whether that is even true or false. By doing so, they unknowingly bring sins and a heavy burden of guilt upon themselves. That too is a great burden, which then weighs heavily on a person. It is really better to refrain from that. Sure, if you make a mistake, you can show remorse. But a word that has once left the mouth can never be taken back. It is irrevocable. You might apologize, but once a word is out in the world, you don't even know how many people you would actually have to apologize to. Exactly for this reason, our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) advises us: When speaking, one should always think carefully about what one says. One should not just talk for the sake of talking. For the sake of the pleasure of Allah and the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam), one should ask oneself beforehand: "Is this good now or not?" May it inshaAllah be good. Because good attracts good, and bad only brings bad - there is nothing else. The people of our time misunderstand everything and do exactly the opposite. They do exactly the opposite of what would be good. All they say is: "Speak! Say something, don't be silent, speak!" Fine, then just talk as much as you want. But who even takes you seriously anymore? Who are you anyway? You can talk as much as you want. It brings absolutely nothing, it only causes harm. So if we open our mouths, let us inshaAllah talk about things that please Allah and our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). May Allah prevent bad words from crossing our lips, or things that we will later regret, inshaAllah. May He protect us from saying things that harm others, inshaAllah. For the sake of the blessings of these days.