Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

When narrating a Hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, it is essential to read it correctly and quote it faithfully. Since the noble Hadiths were not written down at first, they were passed on orally from one Companion to another. In this process, of course, some, such as Jews and others, put fabricated Hadiths into circulation. However, most of these fabricated Hadiths were weeded out. Nevertheless, one can occasionally come across them. But what is truly crucial here is what the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 'Whoever attributes a Hadith to me that is not from me, let him take his place in Hell.' For all the words of the Prophet are important; they show us the way. There is a Hadith on this, but since I don't remember the exact Arabic wording anymore, I will convey its meaning: Most people are deluded about two things, that is, they deceive themselves. These are youth and health. He says 'maghbun' – 'maghbun' means deceived, cheated. The Arabic that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, spoke is the most eloquent and purest Arabic. Even the Companions were sometimes astonished by the Prophet's choice of words. For the knowledge was given to the Prophet directly by Allah, which is why it was not necessary for him to know how to read and write. The knowledge was instilled in him directly. This word 'maghbun' is a very profound word that describes human self-deception, and it is difficult to grasp its full meaning. Regarding youth, people think it will last forever. They always say: "I'll do it later." They procrastinate on everything and say, 'I'll do my prayer later.' Nowadays, the situation has become even worse. In the past, people thought about getting married at 18. Today, people are 40 and still consider themselves young, almost like a child. And so they deceive themselves. Life passes by. They have neither started a family, nor raised children, nor fulfilled their duties of worship. They deceive themselves. 'Maghbun' means, in a sense, to have deceived oneself. Some people turn 50 or 60 and still consider themselves children. They still do whatever comes to their mind. And then they expect to be respected by others. But how are people supposed to respect them? The second point is health. When a person is healthy and well, they think it will always stay that way. But no, one must take care of that as well. A person should look after their health in order to fulfill their duties of worship on time. One should complete the tasks they have while they are still strong. What tomorrow will bring is uncertain. That is why the people of today have gone completely astray; there is hardly any religion, reason, or logic left. They think this state will last forever. And suddenly they realize that life has passed them by. If they are lucky, they will reach 60 or 70 – if not, their time is up sooner. That is why this life is so important. It is a gift from Allah. One should not waste it. One must not waste it under any circumstances. The devil is always coming up with something new. He seduces the youth. And so they waste their young years senselessly. And then they stand there at a loss, asking themselves: 'What just happened? What are we to do now?' So act as Allah and His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, have taught us: Appreciate the value of your life. Do not waste it. Do not neglect your prayers while you are young and healthy. Perform the Hajj if you have the opportunity, and keep your fasts. These are the things that will remain with you. Neither youth nor health will last. May Allah grant us a blessed life. May we live in health and well-being, insha'Allah.

Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good. (16:128) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says: So if we want Allah to be with us, then this is the path He shows us: Fear Allah. Fear of Allah means having reverence for Him; it is the fear of having to stand before Him in shame after a bad deed. Furthermore, one should have the fear of leaving this world after a bad deed without repentance, because that would be a terrible end. So if you want Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, to be with you and help you, then fear Him. Being Allah-fearing means doing good to people. It means avoiding doing evil to them. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, loves the doer of good – referred to in the verse as 'Muhsin' – that person who helps people. The Tariqa, Islam, the Sharia – they all command this. But those who do not adhere to it follow their own minds. He says, "I am a Muslim," but torments other Muslims. He says, "I am a Muslim," but harms people. He says, "I am a Muslim," but commits all kinds of fraud. But the greatest fraud is to lead sincere Muslims astray from their path through deception, in order to make them like themselves. Therefore, being with the righteous means being with Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Not being with them displeases Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, and thus means not being with Allah. Being with Allah means, first and foremost, honoring and respecting our Prophet – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. It means showing respect to the Sahaba, the Ahl al-Bayt, the Awliya, and the Mashayikh – to all of them. That is the path that Allah loves and is pleased with. But those who do not follow this path only follow their own ego. They do what their ego tells them. Therefore, be vigilant. Do not be deceived. Every day we hear: 'This one cheated, that one deceived, stole money, and then fled.' But the theft of money is not the worst thing; the real danger is having one's faith stolen. So, do not let yourselves be deceived or cheated under any circumstances. Worldly possessions come and go, but when it comes to the Hereafter, there are no compromises. May Allah protect us, may He save us from their evil. Insha'Allah, may Allah make us all His beloved servants who are with Him.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Do not prolong the prayer or the sermon.” For in the congregation behind you, there may be children, sick people, or elderly people. Be considerate of them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) recommends: “Be brief, so as not to overburden the people.” He says: “When you pray alone, you can pray as long as you wish.” However, when you pray in a congregation, you must be considerate of every individual. Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) teaches us to make worship manageable for the people, to make it easy for them and not to overburden them. When people come to pray today, they wish for it to be swift and not unnecessarily prolonged. Of course, there are places and times where prayers are longer; whoever wishes to can specifically choose to attend them. Otherwise, difficulties arise. For example, there are mosques where the Tarawih prayer is performed with a complete recitation of the Quran. Whoever has the necessary stamina goes there for the Tarawih prayer. But whoever does not have this strength looks for an imam who prays more swiftly, as it suits their own condition. However, if an imam prolongs the prayer without being considerate of the congregation, it can bring more sin than blessing. For our Prophet (peace be upon him) knows best about the people's capacity and condition. Since he has taught us this, we should also adhere to it, insha'Allah. May Allah enable us all to act for the good of the community, insha'Allah.

Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. (2:286) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, does not burden man with anything that exceeds his strength. He commands nothing impossible. This means the commandments of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, are simple and can be fulfilled by everyone. Yet man exerts himself a thousand times more for his own ego than what Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, demands of him. But when it comes to fulfilling His commandments for Allah's sake, he becomes lazy. Most people then don't do it at all. And yet, Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, Himself gains no benefit from it. He has commanded it for your own good. But you push that aside, chase after the whispers of Satan and your ego, exhaust yourself, and bring yourself to ruin. Such is man. The good seems difficult to him and the bad, easy. But for man, nothing good ever comes from what is bad. Whoever follows his ego and Satan always suffers a loss. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has revealed these commandments so that man may free himself from this loss and find his way back to His path through repentance and forgiveness. He has given these commandments for the well-being of His servant, of man, and of all mankind. Whoever does not follow them then says: 'It's too hard for me; I can't manage to get up for the morning prayer.' And yet, you only have to pray as soon as you are on your feet. But even that is already too difficult for him, and he does not do it. He says: 'I can't manage to perform the prayer on time, but I'll make it up later.' But he never gets around to that either. And yet he has the audacity to ask Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, for all sorts of things: 'Give me this, give me that.' 'I don't pray, but I do Tasbihat.' Doing Tasbihat is all well and good, but it is not an obligation for you. Your obligation, on the other hand, is the prayer. You can do Tasbihat 24 hours a day, your whole life long – it will never outweigh the value of a single obligatory prayer. Therefore, the commandments that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has imposed on us are simple, and we can fulfill them. Do not follow your ego, do not be lazy. Never give in to your ego. Even the slightest giving in leads to you missing a prayer time, and you can never get that time back. If you say, 'I'll do it later,' it will always just become another 'later.' And while you keep procrastinating, life is suddenly over. May Allah grant mankind insight. May Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, give us the strength to follow all His commandments, insha'Allah.

And We made your sleep for rest (78:9) Allah says in the noble Quran: “And We have made your sleep for rest.” It is quite natural to dream in your sleep. Most people do not remember their dreams. Some people, however, do remember them. They complain, “We have terrible dreams.” They lament, “We see jinn, we see this and that,” and ask, “What should we do?” A dream in itself has no effect. Therefore, a frightening dream also has no effect, as long as one does not tell it to anyone. But if you tell it to someone who has no knowledge of it, and that person interprets it badly—may Allah protect us from that—then that dream will usually come true in a bad way. Therefore, whether your dream is good or bad, do not tell it to anyone who is not knowledgeable about it. If you wish to tell it, then only to a person who can interpret the dream positively and correctly, so that it also leads to something good. Otherwise, you only cause yourself unnecessary sorrow. So, one should not tell everyone everything, especially when it comes to dreams. So if you have terrible dreams, you do not need to be afraid at all. By Allah's permission, nothing will happen as long as the dream is neither interpreted nor told to anyone. Or if you have such a dream, get up and recite a verse or a surah, recite the Fatiha. Then, by Allah's permission, it will cause no harm. For most people consider what they see in a dream to be real. Things like jinn or spirits that one sees, in reality, remain in the dream; by Allah's permission, they cause no harm. May Allah make your dreams turn into something good. They are also one of the mysteries through which Allah shows His servants His omnipotence. In sleep, a person can see things that would never cross their mind, completely unexpected things. A person can see the most astonishing things. All this is a sign by which Allah shows humanity His omnipotence. Sometimes one has such terrible dreams that upon waking, one is glad and says with relief, “Thank goodness it was just a dream.” One should thank Allah that it did not happen in reality but was only a dream. This too is one of the great wisdoms of Allah. His wisdoms are infinite; the human mind cannot comprehend them. Some may now research and ask, “How do dreams arise, what is going on?” Of course, there are different types of dreams. Some arise from what one experiences during the day. Then there are satanic dreams. And there are dreams through the grace of Allah. Those, in short, are the different types. May Allah turn everything for the better. May Allah protect us all from evil.

The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, says: If you have no shame, then do as you please. "If you no longer know shame, then do what you want." When a person no longer possesses a sense of shame, they are capable of anything. Shame is a part of faith. Shame is decency. Not everything is permitted. Everything has its measure and its limits. If everyone lives just as they wish, everything will sink into chaos. Therefore, there can of course be no limitless freedom. For limitless freedom inevitably violates the freedom of others. And that also leads to chaos. Therefore, the best for mankind are the laws of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. In man-made laws, however, much originates from one's own ego and the whisperings of the devil. Laws have been enacted that promote shamelessness and indecency and even place them under protection. This is practiced in Western countries. They permit and forbid as they please. They mostly forbid what is actually good. If you try to do good or speak the truth, you are condemned for it. This is the consequence when shame is lost. Shame is the honor of mankind. It is shame that distinguishes humans from animals. Even in some animals, a kind of decency can be observed. Some of them behave almost like humans. They too show respect to their brother, their mother, and their father. They do not harm them. People today have become worse than them. They have declared every form of shamelessness and immorality permissible. And on top of that, they despise and torment those who still possess a sense of shame. Shame is the honor of a person; it is what makes a person human. May Allah never take this quality away from people. However, when a person finds Islam, they attain—praise be to Allah—the highest levels in this world and the Hereafter, for Islam unites every form of beauty within itself. Faith is the highest rank. It is the most sublime quality. It is the greatest grace of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Whoever possesses this grace has attained all beauty. May Allah grant them all faith and guide them, insha'Allah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform prayers abundantly in your homes, so that the blessings therein may increase.' This, of course, refers in particular to the Sunnah prayers that one performs at home. Although the obligatory prayers in congregation are more meritorious in the mosque, performing the Sunnah and voluntary prayers at home is a source of blessing. Through this, the blessing in the house is increased. 'Greet everyone from my Ummah whom you meet, so that your reward may increase.' This means, greet one another to be rewarded for it. The more often one greets, the greater one's own reward also becomes. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Give your homes value by performing a portion of your prayers in them.' This means that a house in which prayers are not performed has no true value. The true value of a house comes from prayer. Therefore, perform your voluntary prayers at home. Prayers like Tahajjud, Duha, and Awwabin are particularly blessed when performed at home, and they bring blessings into the house. Give your homes value and do not turn them into graveyards. For a house in which prayers are not performed is like a graveyard, where prayers are also not offered. It is a place without soul and without blessing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The voluntary prayer that someone performs at home is a light.' 'So illuminate your homes with it,' said the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This means that prayer brings light into the house. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform your voluntary prayers at home to increase the light in your homes.' 'The virtue of a voluntary prayer performed at home over one performed in front of others is like the virtue of the congregational prayer over the prayer of an individual.' This means: The value of the voluntary prayer at home is as much greater than that of public prayer as the value of the congregational prayer exceeds that of individual prayer. So, just as the obligatory prayer in the mosque is more meritorious, the voluntary prayer at home is also particularly meritorious. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'O people, perform your prayers in your homes.' 'Verily, the most meritorious prayer after the obligatory prayers is that which a person performs in his house.' Here too, the same point is emphasized again. So, performing the voluntary prayer at home... For the obligatory prayer in the mosque already brings a reward 25 to 27 times greater. But performing the voluntary prayer at home is all the more recommended and rewarding. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform voluntary prayers in your homes and do not turn them into graveyards.' Prayers are not offered in a graveyard. Therefore, a house in which prayers are not performed is like a graveyard. It is soulless and without blessing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform prayers in your homes and do not neglect the voluntary prayers there.' By voluntary prayers, every kind of additional worship is meant: the night prayer, the prayers during the day, the prayer after ritual ablution – all these are voluntary prayers. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform voluntary prayers in your homes and do not turn them into graveyards.' So once again: If prayers are not performed in your homes, they resemble graves. 'Do not make my grave a place of festival.' Visit the noble grave of the Prophet with reverence. It should not be like a festival site with noise and music. At this place, special reverence is required. One should visit it with humility. One stands before it and makes one's supplications. Whoever can, stands still; whoever cannot, says the greeting of peace and blessings while passing by. One should not settle down there as if it were a festival ground or a fair. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: 'Do not do that.' This place commands special reverence. It must be visited with decorum. 'Send blessings upon me.' There, while passing by, one says the greeting of peace and blessings. When one stands before the Prophet, one says the greeting of peace and blessings there. 'Wherever you are, your blessing will reach me.' No matter where in the world you say it, whether on a mountaintop or at the bottom of a well. As soon as one says the greeting of peace and blessings, it reaches the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: 'The voluntary prayer that someone performs in secret is equivalent to twenty-five prayers performed in the sight of people.' That is to say, that is how meritorious it is. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The prayer that one of you performs in his house, apart from the obligatory prayers, is better than his prayer in this mosque of mine.' Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: 'The virtue of the voluntary prayer performed at home over the one performed in public is like the virtue of the obligatory prayer over the voluntary prayer.' This means, that is how high its status is. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The obligatory prayer belongs in the mosque and the voluntary prayer at home.' 'Perform the two Rak'ahs of the voluntary prayer, that is, the Sunnah after the evening prayer, in your homes.' When voluntary prayers are mentioned, most people know that a distinction is made between the emphasized Sunnah (Sunnah mu'akkadah) and the other voluntary prayers. The other voluntary prayers are performed at home. The Sunnah prayers, on the other hand, are performed in the mosque. Because one might say to oneself, 'I'll skip this and pray it at home,' but then one forgets or something comes up. So what we refer to here as 'voluntary prayers' are those that come after the emphasized Sunnah (Sunnah al-Mu'akkadah) in rank. The Duha prayer, the prayer after ablution, the Ishraq prayer, the night prayers – all of these are such voluntary prayers. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Illuminate and adorn your homes with prayer and Quran recitation.' The adornment of houses is prayer and Quran recitation.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Ad-Dīn an-Naṣīḥa." Religion is sincere advice. Advice means saying what is good. When people ask for advice or an opinion, it means sincerely telling them what is good and right. It does not mean advising something wrong, but guiding people to the right path through good advice. That is the religion. Some people might then say: "No, that doesn't suit me." If someone reacts like that, it means that this person does not want to accept advice. It is also said: "Man lam yaqbalin-naṣīḥata, ḥallatin-nadāmatu." This means: Whoever does not accept the advice will regret it in the end. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has revealed the religion through our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He has explained to us what is good and what is bad, what is a sin and what brings a reward. Religion has its principles, its rules of conduct, and its obligations. Of course, most people cannot follow all of it. One does as much as one can. And for that, Allah will forgive a person. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, forgives such a person. But here there is a very important point. One person says: "I can't do it, may Allah forgive me." He says: "I have sinned, may Allah forgive me." But if you sin and then say, "No, I don't accept that," then everything changes. Then the situation becomes very serious. We commit sins, and we know that they are sins. When we sin, we say "May Allah forgive," we repent and ask for forgiveness. But if you are stubborn and say, "In my opinion, this is not a sin," although Allah has taught us through His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that it is. Whoever does not acknowledge that commits an even greater sin. May Allah protect us. Then their situation worsens. However, a person who acknowledges their sin and their mistake and repents will be forgiven. But whoever remains stubborn only makes their situation worse. Therefore, the commandments of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, are not up for debate. A sin is a sin. We are all sinners. May Allah forgive us. But we must not say about a sin: "This is not a sin." That is the crucial point. One must pay attention to this. People must pay attention to this. This means there are minor and major sins. Whoever has sinned should say: "I have sinned, may Allah forgive me." They should show remorse and ask for forgiveness. Then their sin will be forgiven. But if you say, "This is not a sin," then Allah will not forgive you. Because you are not even asking for forgiveness. If you were to ask for forgiveness, He would forgive you. But you do not, and you call that which Allah has called a sin, not a sin. By doing so, you only harm yourself. May Allah forgive us all. May He make us among those who accept the truth, inshaAllah.

Man... is a weak creature. Without assistance (Madad), he can do nothing. What comes from one's own ego is useless. Now, certain movements have emerged again. There is a group again that leads people astray. They say that asking for assistance is a sin, is forbidden. But how are you supposed to manage it alone? "You must do it alone," they say. "Just read what is written there." "Just say that." You are leading people astray from the path, from the path of our forefathers. Since the time of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such groups have always existed. There is a group that denigrates the true path for the people. They keep reappearing. They appear in different guises; they are not all the same. But the true path will, if Allah wills, remain unchanged until the Day of Judgment. Madad means to ask for help. It means to ask Allah, the friends of Allah, our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the sheikhs for help. We ask for Madad so that we do not speak from our ego; We ask for Madad so that we do not follow our ego; We ask for it to be able to speak the truth. Those who belong to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah, meaning the true Ahl al-Sunnah, are those who honor, cherish, and love our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There is another group that calls itself "Ahl al-Sunnah," but in reality, does not belong to it. They show no honor to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They have no respect whatsoever for the Sahaba and the other great role models. These are people who have strayed from the true path. May Allah protect us from that. Those who follow them will perish. Unfortunately, there are many people who allow themselves to be led astray. And one who has been led astray will also lead others astray. They harm others and keep them from goodness. They prevent them from becoming the servants whom Allah loves. They lead them astray. Without love for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), without reverence for Him, everything else is in vain; that is impossible. This is what both logic and reason dictate. When Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, Himself praises and exalts our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so much in the glorious Quran... How can you then just stand up, say, 'I know the Quran, I know the Hadith,' and claim that one is not allowed to exalt anyone? If you do that, you become an idolater, an unbeliever. There is neither a reasonable nor a logical explanation for this. A person with intellect and reason follows the path of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and shows Him reverence. He must know that this is the highest station and the noblest duty. May Allah make us steadfast. May Allah protect the Ummah from the evil of these people, insha'Allah.

O you who have believed, if a wicked person comes to you with any news, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance, and then become regretful for what you have done. (49:6) Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says in the noble Quran: A Fasiq is an unreliable person. His actions are in accordance neither with the Sharia, nor with the Tariqa, nor with humanity. That is, a person who is not on the right path is called a Fasiq. A Fasiq is, in other words, a bad person. If such a person brings you news, do not believe it blindly. 'Investigate its truthfulness,' commands Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. Check whether it corresponds to the truth. Otherwise, you might act upon his word, attack others, cause them harm, and when you then learn the truth, you will deeply regret what you have done. So, one must pay special attention to this. Nowadays, one could call almost 99 percent of the people in the world Fasiq. We live in such a world. This applies to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Fasiq does not necessarily mean godless or an unbeliever; there are also many Fasiq among Muslims. Therefore, this distinction does not matter here. For what is a Fasiq? It is someone who lies and does not keep their word. However, the Fasiq of today have gotten their hands on an even more dangerous tool than before. Call it media, call it the internet, whatever you want to call it... In the past, someone might have appeared on television and spread a piece of news, a lie. Back then, some heard it and others simply did not. But now, the Fasiq have an enormous reach. They have plunged the world into misery. As the saying goes: 'Everyone who has a mouth, talks.' And when they talk, they cause damage. So if you hear a piece of news on the internet, on television, or anywhere else, do not believe it immediately, do not immediately become suspicious of people, and do not do them an injustice. Find out the truth, the real facts, so as not to violate the rights of others. In order not to violate the rights of other people, this is a basic requirement. After all, one can recognize a person. A scholar is recognizable, and so is an evildoer. When a scholar speaks—and although everyone can make mistakes—he does not want to cause harm. The scholar speaks the truth; he says what is right. To attack a scholar by saying, 'You are no scholar, you have no idea about religion, faith, and humanity,' and to violate his rights, means a great loss and causes great harm. It harms not him, but yourselves. It is not the person whose rights you violate who is harmed, but you yourselves. Therefore, one must be careful. Just because someone has said something, one doesn't have to fly into a rage immediately and insult them. Everything they do is written down with Allah. They will have to answer for it before Allah. Therefore, one must be very mindful in this matter. For Satan has the whole world in his grip now. When he says something, the masses take one side and attack the person who has been made a target. They attack them. Even if the attacked person defends themselves, no one listens. Instead, people side with the evildoer. May Allah protect us from that. May Allah protect us all from violating the rights of others, insha'Allah.