Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Every soul will taste death; then to Us you will be returned. (29:57) Death is something that everyone must taste. Yet as long as a person lives, they believe they will never die. Therein lies a wisdom of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: When the reckoning is over on the Day of Judgment, death will be brought forth and slaughtered like a sacrificial animal in a place between Paradise and Hell. As soon as it is slaughtered, immortality begins—for all eternity. For both the inhabitants of Paradise and those of Hell, there will be no more death. This world is a transient place. Man will certainly taste death on earth, but afterwards, death will be abolished forever. Death will be slaughtered between Paradise and Hell; after that, it will exist no more. Death belongs to this world. In the Hereafter, in Paradise, however... Now, people sometimes ask themselves: "What are we supposed to do there forever?" Yet you yourself believe, as long as you are alive, that you will never die. Even though hardship and suffering are so great here, man still does not want to die and suppresses the thought of death. In the Hereafter, however, it is different. The conditions of this world do not prevail there. When one enters Paradise and drinks from the Kawthar Pool of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), grief, sorrow, and all the evil of this world leave the person. Neither envy nor any bad thought remains within the person. There is no longer anyone who inflicts suffering, no more fear—nothing bad remains. Therefore, that state—the state of the Hereafter and of Paradise—cannot be compared with this world. There are even people who consider themselves scholars, who deny eternity and ask: "What are we supposed to do there?" But the promise of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is true. In Paradise, one lives eternally in peace and beauty. There are no worries there like: "What will happen tomorrow? Will I get a raise? How much money will I earn? What will I live on?" Bliss prevails there, and one is eternally united with one's loved ones. There is no more separation from loved ones. There are no worries, sorrow, or fears like: "I have to part ways," "he has grown old and is dying," "he is sick," "he had an accident," "they were attacked," or "someone harmed them." Therefore, man should work for the Hereafter, so that... This world is transient. But for the believer, everything is of benefit—both the hardship and the ease. For the non-believer, however, this has no benefit, no matter how pleasant his life is; the true gain lies in the Hereafter. May Allah not lead us away from the faith. These misguided people, who pose as scholars, lead the people astray. They lead innocent people and children away from the right path. They destroy their Hereafter. They are lost forever—may Allah protect us. May Allah protect us from evil. May He strengthen our faith, Insha'Allah.

Our Prophet (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) says: "He who repents of his sins is like one who has never sinned." This means: If someone repents, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, accepts this repentance. Allah created man in such a way that he is prone to mistakes and sins; for He wants him to repent. If someone says: "I have sinned, I will not be forgiven anyway, so I will continue," then he is making a great mistake. Man sins and subsequently repents, and Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, forgives this sin. The most important thing is to repent and ask for forgiveness; this is a mercy from Allah for His servants. The door of repentance is open. Only when the Last Day approaches in the End Times does this door close; then no more repentance will be accepted. At that time, sins will meet their just punishment. But until that time comes, the door of repentance stands wide open. Therefore, it is a great blessing to ask Allah for forgiveness daily for our committed sins, mistakes, and shortcomings. Thanks be to Allah; in His great goodness, He forgives us our sins through His mercy and grace. May Allah forgive us all. For there is no human who is free from sin, whether through small or large mistakes. The Prophets alone are flawless. Our last Prophet (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) is the last human who is completely free of sin and error. After him, every human has faults and sins. But whoever repents and asks for forgiveness, Allah forgives him. May Allah forgive our mistakes and sins, Insha'Allah.

And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is able to find thereto a way. (3:97) Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam. Therefore, it is mandatory for everyone who has the possibility to do so – that is, whoever is financially and physically capable. It must be performed. Currently, the three holy months are right around the corner. Many people use their vacation to perform Umrah. They say: "Hajj didn't work out, so let's at least travel for Umrah." Go ahead and do that, may Allah accept and bless it, but the actual obligation is Hajj. Umrah is not an obligation. Actually, one should only perform Umrah after Hajj. But people say: "We registered but were not selected in the draw, so we will do Umrah." But what if it works out for Hajj next year? Since you have spent your money on Umrah, you won't be able to go to Hajj then. Therefore, one should first save the money for Hajj and set it aside. It is best to invest the money in gold rather than keeping it as paper currency. Put it safely aside. Then, if you are selected for Hajj, you can go. If it doesn't work out, you can perform Umrah – but not with this money! This money stays separate; you do not touch it. It remains there with the firm intention: "This is my money for Hajj." Allah will accept your intention. Even if you cannot go and pass away – may Allah grant you a long life – someone can be sent on your behalf with this money, and you will still become a Hajji. But if you live and it is destined for you, you will go yourself with this money. But people nowadays do not think correctly. They no longer use their intellect; they have surrendered their thinking to their devices and only do what they are told... So, this is how you must do it: Set your Hajj money aside. If you have extra money beyond that, then perform Umrah. Otherwise, keep the money safe. When the time is right, you will go to Hajj by Allah's permission. This way, you will have fulfilled this obligation. And even if you save the money but cannot go: Because your intention was pure and your preparation complete, you will receive the reward for it. It is destiny. If it doesn't work out this year, then perhaps the next. And if not next year, then in five years. Just like this year, where some were only selected for Hajj after 16 years. Then they have no money and complain: "What should we do now?" Well, you spent the money because you went to Umrah ten times. If you had saved the money, you would be relaxed now and could go to Hajj without being dependent on anyone. One has to use one's head a little. Allah has given us intellect and reason. Furthermore, you should consult with others: "Should I go or not, how should I go about it?" People say: "Hajj didn't work out, so let's just go to Umrah." As I said: Umrah is not an obligation. Prepare yourself for the obligation, and the rest will fall into place, insha'Allah. May Allah grant it to us. May Allah also make it possible for those who have not yet been able to go, and grant them an easy journey, insha'Allah.

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) constantly cares for his Ummah, crying out "my Ummah, my Ummah," and desires the salvation of his community. Undoubtedly, those who honor him will attain salvation. However, the state of those who do not honor him is devastating. The fate of those who are hostile towards him is total ruin. In this world as well as in the Hereafter, they are united with the Devil. Whoever is an enemy to our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is also an enemy of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. But whoever opposes Allah will never succeed nor attain victory. They are in a state of perpetual loss. Even if it appears as though they have won, their end is always bitter. Therefore, we must remain steadfast on the path of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). We must show him honor. The more we revere and praise him, the higher our rank rises with Allah. Whoever does not honor him possesses no value whatsoever. Even if they say: "I possess so much, I have read so much, I have wealth and followers" – all of that counts for nothing; they are worthless. True value lies with our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and with those who follow and honor him. All the Prophets of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, wished to be part of the Ummah of our Prophet. For these Prophets recognize the truth. Since they are not like ordinary people and see the high rank of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), they desire to belong to his Ummah. And we, thanks be to Allah, belong to his Ummah. We must always remain on his path. To forget him and sink into worldly matters is heedlessness (Ghaflah). May Allah not count us among the heedless, insha'Allah. Heedlessness is a terrible state. Heedlessness means spending life in ignorance until one suddenly wakes up. It resembles sleep or intoxication. When one wakes up, it is too late, and life is over. May Allah protect us and not count us among the heedless.

"And whoever is grateful is grateful for [the benefit of] himself; and whoever denies [His favor] - then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous." (27:40) Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says: "Whoever gives thanks, does so only for his own self." And whoever does not give thanks: Without a doubt, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is not in need of anyone; He is the Self-Sufficient (Al-Ghani). Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, needs neither thanks, nor worship, nor anything else from anyone. Whoever does good, does so for himself; and whoever gives thanks receives the recompense and reward for it. And whoever is ungrateful and denies [the truth], bears the burden himself. This means: Even if the entire universe were to give thanks, this would be of no benefit to Allah, the Mighty and Exalted; He is not in need of it. And even if the entire universe were to be disbelieving or ungrateful, it would neither harm nor affect Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, created mankind and all creatures. The good deeds performed, the acts of benevolence, and the rewards are meant for them themselves; they serve the servants' own benefit. They bring no benefit to Allah. Sometimes a person says: "I pray, I do this, I do that." Yet what he does benefits only himself. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has bestowed this favor upon you, and you are the one who benefits from it. But if you say: "I will not do that"... May Allah protect us, but some people are offended and therefore do not pray. Yet even if you are offended, you only harm yourself; you cause no deficiency or harm to Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, thereby. Muslims and believers must know this and be aware of it. It is not appropriate to perform acts of worship and count it as a favor to Allah; for the grace lies with Allah alone. Since He has enabled you to perform this good deed, you must rather be grateful to Him. May Allah grant us lasting gratitude for His gifts, Insha'Allah. May our gratitude not diminish, and may we not fall into disbelief. Let us be content with every decree of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, and live always full of gratitude and contentment, Insha'Allah.

Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) spoke: The mother of Sulaiman, son of David – peace be upon them – gave him the following advice: "O my son, do not sleep too much at night." "For too much sleep at night leaves one standing poor on the Day of Judgment." Since nightly acts of worship are accepted, she advised him this so that he would not sleep through the night. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, does not let the reward be lost of him who rises in the middle of the night, prays, and recites the Surahs Al-Baqara and Al-Imran. For a person, the Surahs Al-Baqara and Al-Imran are a precious treasure. This means: Even if one reads only their beginnings – the beginning of Al-Baqara and Al-Imran is just as valuable. Thus, the greatest treasure is the Surahs Al-Baqara and Al-Imran. Many people wish today – may Allah be pleased – that their children become Hafiz and know the entire Quran by heart, and they send them to learn for this. The children learn for one or two years. They memorize the entire Quran, but then forget it again. Therefore, our advice is: They should rather learn individual parts. They should, for example, learn Surah Al-Baqara and Surah Al-Imran. They should learn Surah Al-An'am, Surah Yasin, and memorize everything completely from Surah Al-Mulk onwards. That these remain firmly in memory is much better than memorizing the whole Quran and then forgetting it. For they must guard Al-Baqara and Al-Imran like a treasure. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: There is no one who intends to perform the night prayer but is overcome by sleep, for whom Allah does not write down the reward of his prayer anyway. His sleep is reckoned for him as Sadaqa (charity) in this regard. This means: He normally performs the Tahajjud prayer every night. But one night he falls asleep during that time. Allah nevertheless gives this servant the reward of the prayer. And his sleep counts as a charity for him. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) advised: Pray as long as you are fit and energetic. If one gets tired or strength fades, one should sit down. This situation occurs more frequently during night prayers. If someone is exhausted, he may also pray while sitting. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever prays much at night, his face will shine during the day. That means, the faces of most people – alhamdulillah, the believers – are beautiful and bright. On the faces of sinners who are far from religion lies darkness; gloom and ugliness prevail there. May Allah protect us from that. Whoever wants beauty should perform the night prayer, insha'Allah. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever goes to sleep with the intention of rising for the night prayer, but is overcome by sleep and does not wake up until morning, the reward of his intention will be credited to him. So he lay down. He lies down with the thought: "I will get up, pray Tahajjud, perform the Najat prayer or the Shukr prayer." Then it turns out that he slept until morning. Yet Allah credits him with all these rewards because of his intention. And his sleep becomes a charity for him. A charity bestowed upon him by his Lord. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Whoever recites one hundred verses in a night, the reward is written for him as if he had spent the whole night in worship. [...] The Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) means the following: Whoever reads one hundred verses at night is not counted among the heedless (Ghafil). For example, if one prays ten Raka'at and reads ten verses in each Raka'ah, that is one hundred verses. That means, one hundred verses are easy to manage. For instance, "Qul huwallahu ahad" consists of three or four verses. Each of them is a verse. Our Prophet speaks of the number of verses, not the Surahs. Whoever reads one hundred verses at night is not recorded as heedless. The heedless are those who are indifferent towards Allah, who forget Him. Thus, belonging to the heedless is nothing good. [...] Our Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Even if your prayer lasts only as long as the milking of a sheep, do not omit the night prayer. So even if it is only two Raka'at... Milking a sheep takes less than five minutes. Therefore, one should absolutely hold fast to the night prayer. In it lie such great rewards, ranks, and beauties, as our Prophet has announced. May Allah make this permanent for us, insha'Allah. We make the intention to do this until the end of our lives. May Allah give us what we intend.

O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful. (49:6) Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, addresses the believers: “If a Fasiq—that is, someone whose word is not trustworthy—brings you news, then verify it thoroughly.” Investigate exactly whether what was said is true or false and what lies behind it. Otherwise, you may unknowingly harm others and later regret what you have done. This means: Do not pass a hasty judgment on anything. One must not judge solely based on what one has seen or heard. You must absolutely get to the bottom of the matter. You could have misunderstood what you saw, and what you heard could be a lie. One must pay close attention to this. For sometimes one turns against someone, argues, or fights—merely because of a word one has picked up. Then it turns out that the news was false and the bearer is a liar. Then one stands there—full of remorse and burdened with guilt. Yet this man is unreliable anyway; someone whose word cannot be trusted. Do not judge others and do not turn against them solely based on his statement. Investigate thoroughly. If, after verification, it proves to be true and action is required, then act accordingly; if not, then let it be. These warnings serve to protect you from difficult situations and subsequent apologies. In this way, you avoid slander and shameful situations. No matter who stands before you—whether man or woman—you will not have to feel ashamed before anyone. The blessed word of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, teaches Muslims every kind of propriety and beauty. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed these noble verses to protect you from difficult situations. May Allah allow us to recognize the truth. For in this day and age, there are many people with a beautiful face but a bad character. There are people who wish evil upon others for trivial reasons. Of course, there are also sincere people. Insha'Allah, may the good not be treated like the bad. May Allah protect us from such a situation. May Allah protect us.

"And you see the people in a drunken state, while they are not drunk, but the punishment of Allah is severe." (22:2) This is a verse from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, from the magnificent Quran—the words of Allah that are valid for all times. The blessed, honored word of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is eternal. His word applies to every era. Although this verse was revealed regarding the Last Day, people in this world also resemble drunkards—especially in the End Times. The verse states: "They are not drunk," yet due to the severity of the situation, they appear as if they were drunk. In our present time, it is exactly the same. On the Last Day, this state will be even more intense, but a similar situation prevails even now. People have forgotten Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They are confused and do not know what to do. They are at a complete loss. The path lies directly before them, but in their drunkenness, they do not see it. They are disoriented, bumping into things here and crashing into things there. Yet the path of salvation from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is clearly visible. Salvation lies solely in Islam, in nothing else. Those who abandon this path resemble those drunkards; this state clouds their minds. Just as a drunkard has no control over himself, so it is with these people. However, whoever takes the straight path and holds fast to the rope of Allah has a firm footing. The others are tossed back and forth. They speak of this or that system or invent their own rules as they see fit. They consider themselves clever, yet they harm people. They inflict the greatest harm upon themselves and others. Therefore, do not deviate from Allah's path. Follow His way. Fulfill the commands of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. The more you follow them, the safer you will be. Wake up from this drunkenness, for the intoxication of this world is in vain. Put that aside. But as if that were not enough, some resort to all sorts of means to worsen their condition and intoxicate themselves further. Whoever consumes such things not only remains intoxicated but also ruins himself and his entire surroundings. May Allah protect us. If you wish to escape this evil, hold fast to Allah's way, remain on His path, and be as Allah wishes. Do not follow the footsteps of the devils; the path they point to is not a true path. Their actions are void and useless; if there were any benefit in them, they would have likely claimed it for themselves. May Allah protect the Ummah of Muhammad, as well as our children and families. For they have targeted them as well and are teaching them every kind of wickedness. They want to eliminate everything that exists in the name of good. But Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will perfect His light, insha'Allah. At the end of this drunkenness there will be salvation; at the end of this darkness there will be brightness and light, insha'Allah. May Allah bring these days about soon, so that we may live to witness them, insha'Allah.

And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life. (20:124) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says: "Whoever turns away from My remembrance and does not remember Me, his life will be toilsome and oppressive." The current times we are living through demonstrate this clearly. Distress prevails everywhere in the world; there are many problems and every kind of sorrow. Livelihood problems, family worries; there are difficulties of all kinds. Allah, the Exalted, explains the reason for this as follows: Staying away from the remembrance of Allah. Forgetting Him. And showing no gratitude for the bounties that Allah has granted. Precisely for these reasons, these hardships arise. People demand a solution to the problems from the state; they demand more money. They say: "The money is no longer enough." Yet one should ask Allah for His blessing so that it suffices. If there is blessing (Barakah) in what you have been given, you will have more of it. The money given to you ends up in the hands of the "wolves" in no time. It would be better not to increase wages at all. Ask Allah instead. Say: "Do not increase it." "Leave everything as it is so that the blessing remains." One must ask Allah, the Exalted. And say: "Grant us blessing." If there is blessing in what one has, one is not dependent on anyone. Man does not demand more then. He says: "This is enough." And when Allah adds His blessing to it, everything becomes easy. This is proven; this is experience. The greedier people become, the more the blessing diminishes until nothing remains. Now they rejoice and say: "We are getting so much more money." But what they earn on one side, they spend double on the other. People are not aware of this. They rejoice: "We got a salary increase." They rejoice... Sometimes they wake up briefly, but continue as before anyway. They continue down the same path. People must finally wake up. They should wake up so they can find Allah's blessing. Ask Allah for it. Whoever asks Allah wins. Whoever demands from people will be disappointed and achieve nothing. May Allah grant us blessing. Even if it is little: As long as it is blessed, it is better than a lot. May Allah help the people. May He give them awareness and vigilance. May they return to Allah. May they remember Allah. Then their lives will be pleasant. May Allah be our Helper.

Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says: "Kullu bani Adama khatta'un..." There is also a continuation to this. That means, every child of Adam, every human being can make mistakes; indeed, he does make them. It is not just the possibility of "being able to," he actually makes them. Of course, in this day and age, there is no one who does not make mistakes. Only the Prophets are error-free and flawless. Except for them, everyone makes mistakes. Even the Sahaba make mistakes, as do the Ahl al-Bayt, the Imam, the Awliya, and the Sheikh. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has given man error. But so that he recognizes his mistake and repents... If he repents, he receives a reward for that as well. This means that error was decreed by Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, to show the imperfection of man. Only the Prophets are the most perfect, and we shall follow them. They are the ones who are free of error, so that respect is shown to them. Of course, our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is the last Prophet. There is no Prophet after him. Nonsensical people appear who say "I am a Prophet"; they belong in a madhouse. Making mistakes is not a bad thing. Man must learn a lesson from his mistake. If he makes a mistake, he must accept it and say: "This is a mistake, I must not make it a second time." Not accepting the mistake is a flaw, an imperfection. This means that this person has not benefited from their mistake. One can also benefit from mistakes. If you have made a mistake, do not make it a second time. That remains in a person's memory. If he did not make this mistake and no one warned him, he would repeat this mistake for a lifetime, thinking he was doing the right thing. He would be chasing after what is wrong. In the end, he then sees that with his actions he has either sinned or done these things in vain. Bad things are more likely to remain in a person's memory. Most people do not remember the good; usually, they remember the bad or the negative. For example, someone went somewhere, there was an invitation, he didn't like the food, this and that... That stays in his memory: "At such and such a place, we had a bad meal." Yet he has eaten thousands of times after that. It does not cross his mind at all: "How good that meal was," that does not cross his mind. What he remembers is that bad food; the food was salty, tasteless, etc., that is what he remembers. But he does not remember the good, only rarely. That is why the one who turns back from a mistake is a person whom Allah loves. What we call a mistake: It can be a sin as well as normal, everyday errors. Man also learns from this and can live his life better. Therefore, people today do not accept mistakes at all; they say: "We are perfect." Yet there is no perfect human being; everyone can make mistakes. This is the blessed word of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; it is certainly so, everyone has faults. He must correct his mistake. As soon as he notices it, things improve. Even if he does not know it, a person should say "Astaghfirullah" every day and pray: "O Allah, we repent for our known and unknown mistakes." May Allah forgive our mistakes, insha'Allah.