Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

When waking in the morning to begin the day, there is a Hadith, I think, where they ask how you are starting the new day: "Kayfa asbahtum?" You say, "Asbahna wa asbaha al-mulku lillah." How was your night, and how are you beginning the new day? Say, "Alhamdulillah, we are beginning our day with Allah." Everything is for Allah. "Al-mulku lillah"—everything belongs to Allah. And the winner is: "Aflaha man qal La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah." The winner for all time is the one who said, "La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah." This is what human beings, especially Muslims, must know. Everything is for Allah. Since He created this world and created Sayyidina Adam 'alayhi s-salam, every day is the same. Nothing is getting less from Allah's "Al-mulk" (Dominion). Everything is the same. Don't worry about life, about this. Only be sure that you will be a winner when you say, "La ilaha illallah," and be an obedient one for Allah 'Azza wa-Jalla. Now, at all times in this world, there are many issues, many things that people worry about. Of course, in our days it is more than in other days, but also, nothing has changed for Allah, nor for us. So, Alhamdulillah, we will be happy, and we are happy to be saying this: "La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah," salla l-Lahu 'alayhi wa-sallam. Allah bless you. Wa min Allah at-tawfiq, al-Fatihah.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا وَيَنشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الْوَلِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ (42:28) Allah, Azza wa Jalla... Masha'Allah, all this rain—because everything is in His Hand, the rain and everything belongs to Him... In all of this, the tremendous power of Allah, Azza wa Jalla, is revealed. The rain... Masha'Allah, it has been pouring rain since morning. If people—if those who disbelieve—want to see a miracle: here is the greatest miracle! Entire seas are floating up there in the air. Whenever He wills and wherever He wills, He sends down His mercy from them. Either He grants mercy, or He punishes through it. May Allah treat us with mercy, may this rain be a blessing for us. May it bring no harm, but be full of blessing. Yet before His power... One must have awe before Allah's omnipotence. He decrees everything—He does whatever He wills. The clouds move across the sky. There are countless seas up there, vast bodies of water in the air. Entire oceans are flying through the skies! Wherever He commands, He causes it to rain. And where He does not will it, they simply pass on. The same cloud passes across the sky without a single drop falling. Truly, everything from Allah, Azza wa Jalla, is a miracle. People talk about this and that miracle... A miracle means accomplishing what seems impossible. Yet for the omnipotence of Allah, Azza wa Jalla, there is no "impossible." Therefore, people should learn from this and thank Allah. And never lose hope in Him. "And He sends down the rain after they had despaired"—"qanatu" means giving up all hope. Yet one never loses hope in Allah—no matter what happens! No matter what situation one is in: one must firmly trust that Allah's help will come. Whoever gives up hope in Allah, his faith is weak—or he has no faith at all. Disbelievers fear everything anyway, because they have no support in life. The believer, on the other hand, relies upon Allah, Azza wa Jalla. Because everything is in His Hand, he seeks refuge in His mercy. He remains steadfast on His path. He enters into this mercy, and Allah protects him. May Allah protect us all. May this rain also be full of blessings. May it benefit the entire Ummah, insha'Allah. May deep faith and blessing also descend along with this mercy, insha'Allah. May Allah be well pleased with you all.

A companion asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for advice: "Give me a teaching that I can hold on to." "Lā taghdab," our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Do not become angry, do not lose your temper." He asked a second time, and again the answer was: "Do not become angry." On the third time, the companion realized: Even if I kept asking until tomorrow morning, his answer would remain exactly the same. So this is an immensely important point. But how do you manage that? How do you learn to remain calm and curb your anger? He gave the answer to that as well: "Knowledge is acquired through learning—and forbearance is attained by practicing forbearance," said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). You only acquire knowledge gradually; after all, one cannot learn everything in a single day. It is the same with forbearance: remaining calm is something that you have to practice step by step. It does not happen all at once, as if dipping something briefly into a pot of dye; such a thing takes time. Every time little things happen that you could get annoyed about: do not make a big drama out of it. Rather, tell yourself: "I will not let this provoke me. It is unnecessary, a pure waste of time. What good does it do me to get upset anyway? I could just as easily have made this mistake. So there is no reason to get angry." And the next time, you bring precisely that back to mind. "Fine, he made a mistake—nobody is infallible." And just like that, you remain calm. After a few times, you get used to it and do not get upset over trivial things at all anymore. Of course, there are things that one is allowed to be angry about—such as when the boundaries of Allah, the Exalted, are transgressed. Anger has its rightful place, but just not everywhere. Whoever constantly gets worked up without reason spends their entire life in anger and restlessness. If you pause and stay calm, however, you live with composure—and above all, you do yourself a favor. As the proverb says: "Sharp vinegar corrodes its own jar." If it is too pungent, it eats away at the vessel in which it rests. It is the exact same with anger. When you lose your temper, you harm yourself most of all—far more than the other person. May Allah grant us all forbearance and understanding, insha'Allah. May we remain on His path, insha'Allah.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ردوا السائل ولو بظلف محرق Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “Never turn away a beggar empty-handed—even if you give him only a burnt trotter or a scorched animal hoof.” So be sure to give him a little something. Even if it is worth hardly anything: Do not let anyone who asks you for help simply walk away. Following the example of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the great scholars also made it their practice never to send anyone away empty-handed. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ردوا مذمة السائل ولو بمثل رأس الذباب And our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) further says: “Give something to the beggar, even if it is as tiny as the head of a fly, before you send him away.” So the Messenger (peace be upon him) says very clearly: Do not send him away empty-handed; even if it is something completely insignificant—give it to him. Whether he likes it or not is entirely his own business. You have fulfilled your duty by doing so. When you look at some beggars nowadays: Someone toils all day long, baking bread or selling sesame rings—and when you then give the beggar the money for a sesame ring, he turns up his nose. That is his problem then. Therefore: Give something, no matter how little. Whether he is satisfied or not is entirely up to him. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جهد البلاء أن تحتاج إلى ما في أيدي الناس فتمنعه Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “The greatest tribulation of all is to be in need of what is in people's hands and to be refused by them.” So one is in need, and the other person has the means to help, but denies them and turns one away. And that is a terrible trial—may Allah protect us from it! قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شر الناس الذي يسأل بالله ثم لا يعطي Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “The most wretched of people are those who are asked for help for Allah's sake and yet give nothing.” Someone invokes the name of Allah and says: “Help me for Allah's sake!”, yet you give him nothing. Those are precisely the worst among people. Because the exalted name of Allah was invoked, yet no heed is paid to it. As our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) urges: By all means, give something, no matter how little—if only out of reverence for the name of Allah. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ضع في يد المسكين ولو ظلفا محرقا The Messenger (peace be upon him) says: “Place something in the hand of the needy person—even if it is only a scorched animal hoof.” قال داود إدخالك يدك في فم تنين إلى أن تبلغ المرفق فيقضمها خير لك من أن تسأل من لم يكن له شيء ثم كان This, too, is a profound wisdom that our Prophet conveys here from the Prophet David (peace be upon him): The Prophet David said: “Putting your hand into the mouth of a dragon up to the elbow and having it bite it off is still better for you than begging someone for help who once had nothing and only later acquired wealth.” One knows such upstarts: They forget their origins and often become unbearably arrogant. That is precisely what the Prophet David warns against. May Allah never let anyone be dependent on such people! قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مسألة الغني شين في وجهه يوم القيامة Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “When a wealthy person begs, it will appear as a blemish on his face on the Day of Resurrection.” Whoever actually has enough, but has made begging a bad habit, will be deeply disgraced on the Day of Judgment. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأن يأخذ أحدكم حبله ثم يغدو إلى الجبل فيحتطب فيبيع فيأكل ويتصدق خير له من أن يسأل الناس The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “That one of you takes his rope, goes out to the mountain in the morning, gathers firewood, sells it, eats from it, and gives in charity is far better for him than begging from people.” To make a living through the work of one's own hands and even give from the little one has is a thousand times more honorable than holding out one's hand to others. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم للسائل حق وإن جاء على فرس Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “The petitioner has a right—even if he comes riding on a horse.” So when someone asks—even if he arrives haughtily on horseback or nowadays in an expensive car—one should still not let him go away empty-handed. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لو تعلمون في المسألة ما مشى أحد إلى أحد يسأله شيئا Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “If you only knew the devastating consequences begging entails in the Hereafter, no one would ever walk up to another to ask him for anything.” Let alone begging: You would beware of ever asking for anything at all. Such a crushing burden is begging before Allah. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لو يعلم صاحب المسألة ما له فيها لم يسأل Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “If the beggar knew what awaits him because of it, he would never ask.” Were he aware of the boundless shame and sin that lies in it, he would rather starve than ever beg. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لولا أن المساكين يكذبون ما أفلح من ردهم This is a very crucial point. The Prophet addresses both givers and receivers, proclaiming what Allah, the Almighty, has revealed to him: “Were it not that the needy lie, whoever turns them away would never prosper.” For some exaggerate grossly, insisting: “I have absolutely nothing, I desperately need this and that.” “What a mercy that they sometimes lie,” says the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), “for otherwise, anyone who turns them away empty-handed would perish.” قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليجيئن أقوام يوم القيامة ليس في وجوههم مزعة من لحم قد أخلقوها The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “On the Day of Resurrection, people will come with not a single shred of flesh left on their faces, having worn it away through begging.” Begging literally strips a person of all dignity—so shameful is it before Allah. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من استغنى أغناه الله ومن استعف أعفه الله ومن استكفى كفاه الله ومن سأل وله قيمة أوقية فقد ألحف The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Whoever seeks self-sufficiency, Allah will make him self-sufficient.” Whoever does not humiliate himself before people, Allah grants him contentment and preserves him from dependence on others. “Whoever strives for chastity and restraint, Allah will keep him pure.” Whoever desires to preserve his dignity, Allah takes him under His protection. “And whoever seeks sufficiency from Allah, Allah will suffice him.” “Yet whoever begs while possessing the value of an uqiyyah has begged importunately.” So whoever continues to beg despite having their own reserves is willfully plunging into their own ruin.

أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (10:62) Praise be to Allah, yesterday we were able to visit the tombs of the blessed in Istanbul. We had not done that for a long time. Since this journey lies ahead of us, we were granted this visit—as a spiritual strengthening and to draw from their strength. First and foremost Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the spiritual Sultan of Istanbul; the Turks call him Eyüp Sultan. They are true Sultans. Rulers of the hereafter. Hala Sultan, Eyüp Sultan... In all the places where these companions of the Prophet rest—since they are rulers of the hereafter, their blessing and benefit endure forever. Whoever comes to them never returns empty-handed. Everyone certainly receives from their spiritual abundance. Allah, the Exalted, showers them with His mercy in this world as in the hereafter— at their resting places and wherever they dwell. They are the unshakable foundation of Islam on this earth. Wherever they may rest, but especially in Istanbul, the last seat of the Caliphate. When the Mahdi (peace be upon him) appears, he will take over the Caliphate from here. The Islamic world cannot exist without a Caliph. When he comes, he will take up the inheritance—for the sacred relics are preserved here. He will accept them and carry Islam out to the entire world. That is why the places of these blessed ones are full of peace and grace. They possess a profound attraction: no matter who, whether believer or not, traditional or modern—everyone is drawn to them to plead to Allah through their intercession. Some say: "We do not need intercessors for our prayers." Yet it is about their support—for our prayers pale completely next to theirs. It is they who are held in high esteem by Allah. We simply hope that our prayers join theirs so that they may be answered. Some claim: "Do not go to graves!" But one should not listen to such things at all. For the core of our faith is the hereafter. The prophets, martyrs, and friends of Allah do not die—they are truly alive. Their strength is even greater today. After their passing, their spiritual power is much stronger than during their lifetime. Because people seek help, and they must surely be assisted. That is why their spiritual power is all the greater now and their benefit even more palpable. May Allah grant us a share of their support and blessings. May we remain protected, for the enemies of Islam are many. Yet these saints break their power; they can do nothing against us. For the devils have gained the upper hand. They try with all their might to lead the community of Muhammad astray. Yet by Allah's leave, these saints are the bastions of Islam. Insha'Allah, the enemies will be brought to shame and must yield. With Allah's help, they can achieve nothing. May Allah bless everything. May their support always accompany us, insha'Allah. May their blessings continually rest upon us. There is so much blessing in them—without it, people could never have accomplished so much. Their presence brings so much good to people all over the world. Their blessing reaches every corner. May Allah always preserve this blessing upon us, insha'Allah. May their support be ever-present. May they share their spiritual strength with us, insha'Allah. May our entire journey, through their blessing, be a path to guidance, insha'Allah.

"And when I am ill, it is He who cures me." (26:80) True is the word of Allah, the Most High. Allah, 'Azza wa Jall, sends illness, and He grants healing. Everything comes from Allah, 'Azza wa Jall. When Allah decrees an illness for a believer, it is so that their rank may be raised and their sins forgiven—yet this does not happen in the same way for everyone. Some are afflicted more severely, others less so. In this, too, lies His divine wisdom. Allah gives people everything as a test: So that the ranks of some are raised, and the sins of others are forgiven. This illness also comes from Allah. For the sick, the path to recovery naturally involves the doctor; after all, one must not simply leave it untreated. But one must not drive oneself crazy—some people are extremely prone to such overthinking. "Am I sick? Is something wrong with me?" And just like that, such people constantly run to the doctor for no reason at all. Others, on the other hand, are genuinely ill. Therefore, one should always act with a sense of proportion and prudence. Nowadays, people rush off for every little thing, just because hospitals and treatments are free. And in the end, a lot of unnecessary things are done. Of course, there are remedies from the Sunnah, but these too require expertise and moderation. You cannot go getting cupped every five minutes or doing whatever else. Medication must also be taken with care. Stick to what has been prescribed so that the treatment actually works. And even if a complete cure does not occur, Allah still relieves the burden. In reliance upon Allah, always take your medicine with the Basmala so that it brings healing. For healing comes from Allah, not from the pill itself. The medicine is merely the means. Therefore, never say: "I got better solely because of this medicine." It is Allah's decree: He grants the recovery, the medicine was only the means. In this precisely lies the test for us humans. As mentioned, it is a test—and sometimes human beings become arrogant and think they are untouchable. Sometimes Allah sends an illness for that very reason: to break this false pride. Behind every illness lies Allah's wisdom. Some complain and ask: "Why me of all people?" But whoever rebels deprives themselves of their entire reward. Then one has endured all that suffering and pain completely in vain. It comes from Allah; rather say: "May Allah heal us," and never lose faith in Him. Even up to the very last breath, one does not give up hope in Allah. Healing is always possible; ask your fellow human beings for their supplications. Thank Allah for ordaining this for us in order to raise our rank with Him. That is why: some complain and rebel... yet there is no other door to knock on. You want to contend with Allah just because He sent you an illness? Where do you intend to flee? There is no refuge from Him. To Allah we belong, and to Allah we shall return. There is no escape. May Allah protect us from that! May Allah grant us health—for health is an invaluable blessing. A truly tremendous blessing. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that many people are deceived about essential things; they simply do not reflect on them. Life passes them by without them realizing how precious health is. Only when they fall ill do they realize what a great gift health actually was. May Allah protect us and grant all the sick a speedy recovery. May Allah protect us all, insha'Allah. May He spare us severe trials through illness, insha'Allah. May Allah grant us well-being and keep our faith intact, insha'Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: “Istawū wa-lā takhtalifū fa-takhtalifa qulūbukum”—or whatever the exact wording was: “Stand straight and close together.” “Be united and do not sow discord among yourselves.” For through discord, your hearts harden and become corrupted. And once the heart is corrupted, every deed only serves one's own ego. It is no longer done for the pleasure of Allah. Whoever does not restrain their ego will find no place on this spiritual path—indeed, not even in true faith. So the hearts must hold together; they must be one. When walking together on the path of Allah, the hearts must not be divided. “Do not judge one another saying: ‘You are like this, and you are like that’,” the Prophet admonishes. Do not let your hearts be poisoned. Hold together and stand upright with one another. Most often, this is said before prayer, especially by the imams at the Kaaba and in Medina—though often merely out of routine. In our school of thought, the Takbīr is actually said directly once the Iqāma is called. That is how it is among the Hanafis. It may be different with others, but with us, the Takbīr occurs at the words: “Qad qāmati-s-Salāh”. The imam simply pronounces it then; in our school, one does not need to verbally admonish the rows, though perhaps in other schools of thought one does. But fundamentally, this admonition applies above all outside of prayer: Hold together, remain sincere, and do not deviate from the path. Do not follow your whims. If you are already coming here, do not let the devil rob you of the reward and blessing. And if you only have discord in mind, then it is better to stay away entirely. If you want to drift away or hold a grudge, you do not have to sow discord and poison the hearts of others. For where division reigns, the heart becomes corrupted. It is the heart that matters: that it remains pure and sincere, and bears no grudge or hatred toward one's brothers and sisters. That is the core of faith—and the spiritual path serves solely to internalize exactly that. For nothing else; certainly not for arguing. May Allah protect us—yet the devil creeps in everywhere among Muslims. Even on the best of paths, he constantly tries to introduce disunity. May Allah bring us to our senses. And unfortunately, he often succeeds in this. Muslims feud with Muslims; even companions turn against one another. May Allah help and open our eyes. Whoever treads this path must keep their heart pure: harbor no hatred toward others, and always see the good in them. When the ego sulks: “He did this, that one did that!”, then tell it: “You yourself deserve far worse.” If criticism comes our way, then it is rightly deserved. The other person is right—let us look instead to bettering ourselves. We should not inflate our ego, but overcome it. May Allah assist us in this. May such gatherings grow, insha'Allah; may love increase, and may our hearts become pure.

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ (15:9) Allah, Azza wa Jalla, says: "We have sent down the Noble Quran to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and We Ourselves guard over it." Nothing of it is lost, nothing will ever be changed. For the Quran is the eternal Word of Allah, Azza wa Jalla—that is why it remains preserved forever. Of course, scriptures were also entrusted to many other prophets. Yet not a single one of them has remained uncorrupted. Barely one percent of it remains. Little by little, people altered them until they matched their own ideas. They are called "Holy Scriptures", yet their sanctity has long been lost. Because according to their own desires, people concealed some things and fabricated others. The Noble Quran, however, is right here among us as the uncorrupted Word and Book of Allah, Azza wa Jalla—nothing and no one can alter it. Sometimes one misreads or slips up while reciting, and others make mistakes as well. That does no harm; it does not matter. For it is under divine protection. Of course, if the meaning is completely distorted, that cannot be accepted. But Allah forgives when it happens by mistake. After all, no one does that on purpose—and when one makes a mistake, Allah forgives. It is easier for Arabs to recite without errors, as Arabic is their mother tongue. Non-Arabs find some pronunciations difficult; some things they master, while others they cannot pronounce quite correctly. Yet our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: There are two angels who correct our recitation and raise it up to Allah in perfection. So do not worry, it is not a problem. Everyone should simply strive to the best of their ability. Mistakes are part of being human, we are imperfect—Allah forgives. As long as the intention is sincere, everything is accepted. No one should lose heart and say, "I cannot read it properly." However one recites: the angels correct it, present it beautifully before Allah, and He accepts it. Allah, Azza wa Jalla, loves those who respect His Word and serve Him. May Allah make us all among His beloved servants, insha'Allah. May Allah be pleased with you. We can consider ourselves truly blessed: to belong to the Ummah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), to live in this era, and to recite and learn Allah's Word as best as we can—there is no greater gift. Whether poverty or illness—none of that matters. What truly matters is being on Allah's path and reciting His wonderful Word. This Word is healing, light, and pure blessing. May Allah preserve it, keep it alive in our hearts, and never let us forget it, insha'Allah.

"Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor upon the believers when He raised up among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom; and indeed, they had before been in manifest error." Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth. (3:164) All favor and all gratitude belong solely to Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla. What does it mean to hold a favor over someone? Reminding people of the good one has done for them. No one is entitled to do that except Allah. People should not do something and then boast: "I did this for you, I was so good to you." That belongs solely to Allah. Only Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, is entitled to do good and remind His servants of it... The greatest favor at that time was granted to the Meccans. In the noble verse, it says "ummi", meaning unlettered: they had no education, they could neither read nor write—just like most people at that time. They lived in ignorance. They basically knew nothing at all. Yet Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, sent our Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and thereby elevated them to the highest rank among all people. That is why Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, reminds them of this tremendous favor. Aside from Him, at most our Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, could have emphasized this; yet out of sheer humility, he never did. For no one possesses this true majesty and complete favor except Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla. Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, possesses attributes that do not belong to any human being. A human being must never presume to claim them. Whomever Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, has guided to Islam and faith—all gratitude and all favor belong solely to Him. That is why it is said: "Al-minnatu lillah"—all favor and all gratitude belong to Allah. My father's grandfather was a calligrapher. We still possess a calligraphic panel of his, on which precisely this is written: "Al-minnatu lillah". All favor and all gratitude belong to Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla. If, however, a person boasts: "I did this and that for you," that is not a noble quality. Therefore, it is said: Never hold over others the good you have done. It ruins the deed if you do good and then recount it afterward: "I did you this favor, I did that for you." Such a thing is improper. When you do good, do it sincerely for Allah; it is completely sufficient that He knows it. If you hold it over the person, however, you lose your entire reward. Instead of a hundredfold reward, you might be left with only a single one. If, on the other hand, you let it rest, Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, credits you with the full reward; your rank rises and your spiritual strength grows. Doing good to people is, in truth, a gift from Allah to yourselves. That others were helped or guided through you means: you were His instrument—and thus both sides have gained. So do not squander this blessing; may we preserve it, in sha' Allah. The human ego wants to boast, put on airs, and be above others. These are precisely the diseases of the ego. As said: there are things about which one must be very cautious. Both in what one says and in what one does, one should act prudently and always choose the best. For there are traits that Allah, 'Azza wa Jalla, loves, and others that He detests. May Allah protect us from deviating from His path, grant us vigilance, and make us conscious of what we say, in sha' Allah.

"Maintain the prayers and especially the middle prayer, and stand devoutly before Allah." [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:238] Allah, the Exalted, urges us to maintain the prayers, for prayer is the foundation of faith. It is a command of Allah... Without prayer, human life loses all meaning. Prayer is the pillar of religion. Without prayer, it simply does not work. Naturally, among the prayers, the obligatory prayers come first. Yet the Sunnah prayers are just as important; they too carry great weight. Now some people claim that the Sunnah prayers are not necessary at all. Supposedly, it makes no difference whether you pray them or leave them out. Naturally, punishment looms if you miss an obligatory prayer. For omitting the Sunnah there is indeed no punishment, but there is blame. You then become one of those who displease our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In doing so, you deviate from his path. No punishment will be imposed upon you, but it will be said: "You did not do well." They will blame you: "It was not right at all to abandon these prayers, the Sunnahs." Such a thing is by no means approved of. That is precisely why the Sunnah prayers are so important. Today, unfortunately, some act as supposed authorities and say: "On Fridays, just pray the two obligatory rak'ahs and go home. You don't need all the Sunnah prayers around it." There are indeed movements elsewhere that do not perform any Sunnah at all. They do not show any genuine respect to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) anyway. They stubbornly pray only the obligatory prayer and leave. And now some among us seem to be gradually trying to do the same thing. "The Sunnah is not needed." "You don't have to pray the Sunnah; if you fulfill the obligation, you are free of your debt." Certainly, the obligation is lifted—yet one thereby deprives oneself of countless rewards and divine blessings. One even runs the risk of forfeiting the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Sunnah holds such immeasurable reward and benefit; if people knew of it, they would not miss even the smallest Sunnah. Yet if they sincerely intend to observe the Sunnahs, they will be richly rewarded. They will even be rewarded for what they were once unable to complete. Yet whoever casually dismisses the Sunnah and claims it is superfluous misses out on a tremendous treasure. For all of these are precious treasures. Treasures for the Hereafter that will endure for all eternity. Only what you have done here in this worldly life will accompany you over. You will not be able to take anything else with you. Therefore, one should strive with all one's might not to miss a single prayer. Certainly, it happens that one misses a prayer. It can happen to anyone to miss a prayer. The obligatory prayer can naturally be made up. Obligatory prayers can be made up, but for missed Sunnah prayers there is no making them up. One must also be clearly aware of this distinction. If one says, for example: "I missed the noon prayer and am now making up its obligatory part"— then one can no longer make up the Sunnahs, neither those before nor those after. That is precisely why one must be so mindful. One should by no means miss them, for these opportunities cannot be repeated. May Allah grant people insight and understanding, so that they appreciate the value of these precious gifts. So that they comprehend their priceless value. May Allah help us all, insha'Allah.