Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Today is the 27th of Ramadan for some, the 28th for others, and a completely different day for yet others. May Allah bless it and accept it, inshaAllah. Every year, people wait for the 27th night. This night, which transitions into tomorrow, is considered the 27th. Since Laylat al-Qadr usually falls on this date, Muslims try to revive this night with acts of worship with the intention of Laylat al-Qadr. These are, of course, beautiful occasions. There certainly needs to be an occasion for people to perform their acts of worship with even greater enthusiasm. Therefore, Allah will undoubtedly reward them according to their intentions. And this will lead to good, inshaAllah. This Night of Decree – we say it again and again – is better than a thousand months. That means a single night is worth as much as a whole lifetime. A thousand months correspond to about 80 years. 80 years is roughly the lifespan of a normal person; sometimes it is less, sometimes more. It falls within this range. In the words of Allah, the Exalted, in the glorious Quran, nothing is in vain; everything has thousands, indeed millions of meanings. Thus, Laylat al-Qadr also corresponds to an entire human life. By the grace of Allah, you can attain the reward for the acts of worship of an entire lifetime in a single night. Therefore, our intention is directed exactly at this. May Allah grant us many more such Nights of Decree. If we sincerely make our intention towards this, we will receive this reward. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Ask Me, and I will give to you." So do not be afraid: Just because Allah grants the reward of a whole lifetime in this night, it does not mean that He will not give anything anymore after that. He will most certainly continue to give. With Allah's permission, He also grants a thousand Nights of Decree. And a person can win the reward of an entire lifetime in each of these thousand nights. A believer accepts this, knows it, and does not contradict it. The ignorant, on the other hand, find fault with everything. If you pray, they complain: "You have prayed too much." If you do good, they say: "You have done too much." If you send blessings upon the Prophet, Salawat, they say: "That is not right." If you fast, they say: "You must not fast, that is not allowed." They say: "It is enough, do not do too much." There are many who strive to prevent good. Therefore, a person who has a spiritual guide, a Murshid, does not stray from the right path. However, whoever does not have a Murshid gets lost even on a straight path. Since they have no Murshid, many people fall for such individuals; because of them, they give up religion, faith, and Islam. They make religion so difficult that people run away from it. So they do more harm than good. Therefore, you should always speak of what is beautiful and good. What a great benefactor Allah, the Exalted, truly is... All bounties are in His Hand. He grants these bounties as much as He wills; the grace of Allah is boundless and immeasurable. May Allah bless these nights. May they be full of blessings and good for people. The state of the world is known; since its creation, it has never been a comfortable place. And today, the situation is exactly the same. Many ask: "What will happen?" Most people ask: "What will become of this situation?" Exactly what Allah wills is happening; do not worry, do not be sad, and do not be afraid. If you torment yourself with grief and worry, it does no good at all. Only what Allah has decreed will happen. Therefore, be with Allah; with Allah's permission, you will be among the winners. May Allah bestow upon us all the reward and grace of these nights, inshaAllah. May Allah bless it.

وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنَ الۡمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ حَىٍّ (21:30) وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً طَهُوۡرًا (25:48) Allah Azza wa Jalla says in these verses: "We have created everything from water and given life to everything through water." The water that We send down from the sky is absolutely pure water. The foundation of Islam is purity. For the ablution (wudu) and the major ablution (ghusl), water is absolutely indispensable. Through water, both physical and spiritual life exist. In physical life, of course, nothing works without water; where there is no water, there is absolutely nothing, and thus no life. Therefore, these rain showers also fall only by the power of Allah. Of course, He makes it rain when He wants, and when He does not want to, He does not make it rain. To claim: "This or that would happen instead," is, of course, a different topic. If Allah wills, He makes the water evaporate and turn into clouds; He makes it rain not over your city, but right over the middle of the sea. What do you want to do in such a case? You are powerless there. Therefore, one must be thankful to Allah and know how to appreciate the value of these blessings. One must consider water and everything else as a blessing from Allah. One must value this blessing. One must treat this blessing with respect. In this regard, we must express our gratitude to Allah. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) has cursed in his blessed Ahadith the one who urinates into a stream or river, that is, relieves himself in the water. One must not take this lightly; a direct curse was pronounced for this. Therefore, water is an immense blessing. Thank Allah, Allah Azza wa Jalla has granted us this blessing through the blessings of these months and days. In a spiritual sense, the purification for prayer, wudu, and any form of worship to stand before Allah Azza wa Jalla also takes place through this blessed water. Without water, it is simply impossible. After all, one cannot wash oneself with gasoline or diesel. One also cannot wash oneself with alcohol. They do not cleanse you, they are not purifying (tahir); ritual purity cannot be achieved with them. Wudu and ghusl can only be performed with this blessed water. Only then will the spiritual blessings reach you as well. If wudu and ghusl are missing, this spirituality is also absent. Sometimes people say: "I may not have made wudu, but I am clean, my heart is pure." When you then ask: "Do you pray?", they answer: "No, I don't." If you ask: "Why not?", they make up excuses. There is neither wudu nor ghusl. Most people nowadays do not pay any attention to this anymore. That is why nothing good happens to them. Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, warns: "Do not waste water." He himself performed wudu and ghusl with very little water. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim handled it exactly the same way. He could perform his wudu with a small vessel, just a glass of water. He did not take ghusl with a whole bucket, but with a small water bottle; that is how much respect they showed for water. Unfortunately, people nowadays are not aware of this. They waste and pollute the water, and therefore it loses its blessing. May Allah increase the blessings, praise be to Allah for these gifts.

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ (2:82) Allah, the Exalted, says: Those who believe and do good, righteous deeds will abide in Paradise forever. What is Paradise? It is a place that the human mind can hardly comprehend; something that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and that no human has ever been able to imagine. Such is the true nature of Paradise. People often compare it to worldly life and ask themselves: "What on earth will we do there?" They often wonder: "How will we pass the time there?" Allah, the Exalted, calls Paradise "Darussalam" (Abode of Peace) and "Darussurur" (Abode of Joy). It is a place of perfect beauty, a place completely free from strife and conflicts. Before entering Paradise, one drinks from the basin of Kawthar of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). After that, nothing of the bad worldly traits remains within a person. Neither envy nor resentment, neither greed nor shamelessness – absolutely no trace of all these bad character traits is left behind. Whoever enters Paradise in this pure state will live in perfect harmony with the other people there. The behavior of others will no longer cause them any discomfort whatsoever. These people will experience absolutely no more suffering, and they will abide in Paradise forever. There is neither fear nor worry there, neither sorrow nor boredom. That is exactly what Paradise is. People seek Paradise on earth; but do not look for Paradise here. For this is the place of trial. Allah can indeed grant you bliss in this world as well. But this too happens solely through Allah's providence and His immeasurable grace. But no matter how beautiful this world may be, it can never be compared to Paradise. Such a comparison is simply impossible. If one has a good spouse, Allah-fearing children, and righteous people around them in this world, then it is like a foretaste of Paradise. A loving spouse, righteous children, and good companions are like a reflection of Paradise and a great gift from Allah. However, if the spouse has a bad character, distances themselves from religion and faith, and the children are the same, then it is like a piece of hell on earth. May Allah protect us from this. We live today in a time, at the end of days, in which there is an attempt to force all people into the same mold. Even if you live at the other end of the world, you are forced into the same pattern of thinking as someone on the other side of the globe. Through movies, media, and much more, a uniformity has been created; everyone is supposed to eat the same, read the same, and live in the same way. And they transfer exactly this worldly thinking to the Hereafter by asking themselves: "What on earth are we supposed to do there?" In Islam, there is no place for such a way of thinking. Every person should use their own mind, think deeply, and turn to Allah, the Exalted. The gifts of this world should rather be used as a means and a tool to build our Hereafter. Those people, however, only want to build this world for the sake of the world. That is why all their efforts ultimately come to nothing. No matter what they achieve or do, they will never find true fulfillment or satisfaction. A sincere Muslim, on the other hand, finds true happiness in both this world and the Hereafter, with Allah's permission. May Allah let us experience the Paradise of both worlds, insha'Allah. As long as one is in the company of righteous people, one is already in Paradise, in a sense, with Allah's permission. One then experiences Paradise both on earth and in the Hereafter. Such spiritual gatherings are true gatherings of Paradise. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) taught us that gatherings of people who are on the path of Allah are gardens of Paradise. The Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) said: "When you pass by a garden of Paradise, enter it, take your share of it, and find your rest therein." The companions asked: "What are these gardens?" He answered: "They are the circles of knowledge, the spiritual instructions, and those places where people gather for the sake of Allah." May Allah multiply these heavenly gatherings for us, insha'Allah. People should participate in these places of earthly Paradise; for they form the bridge to the eternal Paradise in the Hereafter. May Allah grant us all the strength to do so, insha'Allah. With Allah's permission, we will also be united in Paradise, there is not the slightest doubt about that. Allah, the Exalted, speaks in a Hadith Qudsi through our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam): "I am as My servant thinks of Me." And so we always harbor the firm hope and thought that Allah will admit us into His Paradise. Allah, the Exalted, will certainly not turn us away. For He is truly the Most Generous of the generous.

Praise be to Allah, we find ourselves again in these blessed days; we are in the last days of Ramadan. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) says that the blessed night in which the glorious Quran was revealed usually falls in these days. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) explains that this is mostly the case in the last ten days, that is, after the twentieth day. Particularly on the odd-numbered nights, the probability is said to be higher. It is Allah's wisdom that He has hidden this night, Laylat al-Qadr. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) says about this: If people knew the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr, they would only pray on that night and not otherwise. For this reason, Laylat al-Qadr can fall on any given night of the entire year. But mostly it falls in the month of Ramadan, and there in the last ten days. Therefore, one enters I'tikaf in the last ten days and increases one's acts of worship. The blessing of Ramadan is even greater in these last ten days. Whoever has not yet given their Zakat or Fitra catches up on these acts of worship during those ten days. Thereby, they also receive more reward. So that the days do not pass unused, the scholars said: "Treat every night as Laylat al-Qadr." And they said: "Consider every person as Khidr (Aleyhisselam)." For he too is hidden and can encounter people in various forms. So as not to unknowingly be disrespectful or impolite to anyone, one should practice patience and show respect to people; if this is done for the sake of Allah, it will be accepted by Him. It is exactly the same with Laylat al-Qadr. As mentioned in Surah Al-Qadr, the glorious Quran was revealed on that night. It was revealed to our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) on this night. Undoubtedly, the glorious Quran is the eternal word of Allah. This word was revealed in stages through Allah's wisdom. The revelation to our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) was completed over a period of 23 years. Yet the complete manifestation of the Quran was bestowed upon our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) on that night. After that, the revelations followed gradually until the entire religion, that is Islam, was completed. Islam, the religion of Allah, was completed and it was proclaimed that there is no other religion besides it. In any case, Islam has been the only true religion since Adam (Aleyhisselam). Nowadays, some ignorant people speak of "interreligious dialogue". Christianity, Judaism, Islam – fundamentally, by their origin, they are all a single religion, so there is no real "dialogue" in this sense. The heavenly religion of all prophets is Islam. Allah says: "Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam" (3:19); there is no other. Allah sent the prophets one after another so that the religion would be completed. They all proclaimed the same truth. For the source is the same, there is no difference; and there is no other religion either. Other belief systems are not true religions anyway; they are things that people have invented according to their own ideas to satisfy themselves. For Allah created man as a servant and so that he may know his Lord. Those who follow the true religion know their Lord. Those without religion, however, turn to other things. They say to themselves: "Let us worship idols, stones, statues, insects, or animals." Therefore, the true religion is undoubtedly a truth that Allah has bestowed upon mankind. People must find and accept this religion. Nowadays, there are nations that consider themselves "very smart"; they look down on others, but are themselves in a pitiful state. The state they are in does not correspond to that of a sensible person. A wise person turns to Allah, gets to know Him, worships Him, and follows His commands. Thanks be to Allah, this blessed month of Ramadan is full of blessings. Many miracles have happened in this month. The greatest miracle is undoubtedly the glorious Quran. It is the greatest miracle of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). The word of Allah, the true word, the glorious Quran, was revealed in this month. May Allah not deprive us of His blessing. As our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) said: Whoever invites a fasting person to Iftar from their lawfully earned (halal) wealth in Ramadan, Allah and His angels will host them. On the night of Laylat al-Qadr, the Angel Gabriel (Aleyhisselam) also asks Allah for their forgiveness and delivers the glad tidings that their acts of worship have been accepted. InshaAllah, may Allah count us among these people too.

لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا (9:40) Allah Azza wa Jalla proclaims in the Noble Quran: When the honorable Abu Bakr fell into distress in the cave during the Hijrah and thought they would be caught, he was worried. Of course, not for himself, but he thought, "What will happen to our Prophet?" Our Prophet said to him: "Do not be sad, do not worry, Allah Azza wa Jalla is with us." When Allah is with a person and the believer has internalized this, sadness, sorrow, and distress cannot harm him. Of course, such feelings may arise, but one must immediately turn to Allah. That is a beautiful saying. The Glorious Quran is beautiful from beginning to end; it shows us both the good and the bad. The wonderful path of our Prophet means bliss and goodness for us. Since we live in the end times, there is every kind of oppression and malice around us. It is everywhere and can affect anyone. Therefore, one must remember: Allah is with us, and when Allah is with us, nothing can harm you. The honorable Bilal al-Habashi cried out in the burning sun, in the scorching heat, while heavy stones were placed on his back, without giving in: "Allah is Ahad, Allah is One, Allah is One." These torments that he endured were nothing in his eyes. They could not harm him. Because he was with Allah, these torments did not affect him. What truly affected him deeply was the separation from our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). Because Allah Azza wa Jalla had destined him to be at the side of His beloved servant. For this reason, after the passing of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam), he could no longer bear it in Medina and went to Damascus. And he passed away in Damascus. That means, what should truly affect a believer in this world are matters of faith. As long as no harm is done to faith, the rest is insignificant. May Allah protect us; may we protect our faith, inshaAllah. Nowadays, there is every kind of oppression. Even those who claim to be Muslims oppress people worse than the disbelievers do. What a disbeliever will do is clear anyway. So what is our duty? Our duty is to seek refuge in Allah and to be with Him; for Allah is the Victorious. وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ (12:21) "La ghaliba illAllah." If you are with Allah, by Allah's leave, no one can do anything to you or harm you. وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ (40:44) This is a saying of the Prophet Yaqub (alayhissalam). In these difficult times, when we are with Allah and remember these Companions and Prophets, our own sufferings are absolutely nothing. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) says: "I am the Prophet who has endured the most suffering." He endured all these hardships for the pleasure of Allah and for his Ummah. Therefore, simply by belonging to his Ummah, you have already received the greatest blessing. May Allah protect us and not subject us to severe trials. Because trials are not easy. Some people unknowingly ask for trials or demand hardships. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) says: "Never ask for them." Our scholars also say that trials are difficult. A trial is not just so easily overcome. Therefore, we cannot withstand trials; ask instead for Allah's favor, Ihsan. Allah Azza wa Jalla deals with His servants in two ways: through favor and through trial. Therefore, you should always ask for Ihsan for yourselves, seek the favor of Allah Azza wa Jalla. May Allah grant us all from His favor, inshaAllah. For the sake of this blessed month of Ramadan, may He keep bad people away from us so that we are not tested by them. May their evil fall back upon themselves, inshaAllah. Because there are many malicious people around us; many who want to cause harm to others. If that is so, then let the malice of these people fall back upon themselves. We want nothing else; we only ask Allah for grace and mercy. We hope for Allah's blessing, inshaAllah.

قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰنَاۚ (9:51) Allah Azza wa Jalla says: Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us from eternity. People in the current situation panic and ask themselves: "What will become of us?" Everything will happen exactly as Allah wills it. Nothing else will happen. Nothing happens that He does not will. Therefore, you must trust completely in Allah. There is no other place of refuge. فَفِرُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۖ (50:51) So what to do? Allah Azza wa Jalla says: "Flee to Allah." Seek refuge in Allah. There is no other place of refuge. The world is upside down, the future is uncertain; people are panicking and asking themselves: "What are we to do?" Do not panic. Whoever is with Allah does not panic. We come from Allah and to Him we shall return. It is as simple as that. Let those panic who do not know where they come from and where they are going. With Allah's permission, we have no reason to panic. However much provision (Rizq) Allah has intended for us and where He has decreed it – everything is in His hands. Our task is to trust in Him and continue to dedicate ourselves to our work, our prayers, our family, our environment, and the service to our fellow human beings. Let our deeds be for the pleasure of Allah, so that they are not in vain. Then neither the endured hardship nor the performed good deed is in vain. Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: "How wonderful is the affair of the believer." He emerges as a winner, whether he is doing well or is in difficulty. So there is nothing that would be in vain or lost. The most important thing we must do is seek refuge with Allah Azza wa Jalla, trust Him, and rely completely on Him. This is also one of the conditions of faith (Iman). Amantu billahi wa mala'ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi... wa bil-qadari khayrihi wa sharrihi minallahi ta'ala. One must believe that everything comes from Allah; that both the good and the bad are decreed by Allah. Only then will you be rewarded for it. Anything else would be disbelief. Nowadays, some people pride themselves on saying: "I do not believe in that." If you do not believe, you will bear the consequences. You will suffer from it in this world and experience much worse in the hereafter. Nowadays, there are constantly new fads; children and youths believe their friends, but not their father, their grandfather, or the scholars. And afterwards they do not know what to do anymore. Therefore: Do not go astray and do not harbor bad thoughts. Allah Azza wa Jalla has predestined the provision and the lifespan of every person. That is exactly how it will happen. Therefore, do not follow your ego (Nafs). Protect your ego from the bad and the haram. Keep away from any form of evil and from bad places. Trust completely in Allah. The state of the world is obvious anyway. There are no signs that the world is getting better. It is getting worse day by day. Our Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, says: "The best of times is my time." "Then the time of the caliphs, and then..." – by which he meant the time after him – "every coming day will be worse than the previous one," said the Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam. Today, the decline is proceeding much faster; every day is worse than yesterday. Therefore, do not expect that we will have a comfortable life in this world. Place your hope in the hereafter. Then Allah will grant you relief both in this world and in the hereafter. May Allah protect you all, insha'Allah. Beautiful days will also come. The time of Mahdi (alayhissalam), proclaimed by the Prophet, sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam, will dawn; it will be a short period, yet similar to the Time of Bliss, Asr'us-Saadah, at the time of the Prophet. After that, this too will pass. Nothing in this world is permanent. Eternity and permanence lie in the hereafter. In this world, everything is only temporary and transient. May Allah protect us.

ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ (27:3) Allah, the Exalted, praises those who believe, establish prayer, and pay their Zakat; He shows them His grace. Zakat, of course, is something that must be paid from year to year; it is a debt owed to Allah, the Exalted. One cannot flee from debt. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "If a person takes on debt with the intention of not repaying it, he will never be able to repay it. However, if he takes it on with the intention of repaying, its settlement will be made easy for him." Therefore, this is a debt owed to Allah, the Exalted. Paying this should be easy for a believer and not be burdensome for him. Through giving Zakat and Sadaqah, neither money nor wealth decreases. Do not think like that at all. If you say: "I only have a little money, if I give some away, it will become less", then know that it will not decrease at all. When you give, it does not become less. Only when you do not give does it become less. That is why the subject of Zakat is one of the foundations and pillars of Islam. Whoever does not fulfill this duty commits a great sin, and the harm ultimately only affects himself. For the Muslims in the present time do not give it; most do not pay any Zakat at all. Anyway, many do not even pray anymore. But even those who do pray do not give their Zakat – at least most of them do not. People resort to tricks, do this and that, or it does not even cross their minds to pay Zakat. Therefore, one does not pay their Zakat and even believes they have gained something by doing so. Yet, they have no idea what they have truly lost. There is both a material and a spiritual loss; thus, both are present. A person who rejoices and thinks, "I have made a profit", is actually only deceiving himself and acting foolishly. Therefore, it is better to pay the Zakat in the month of Ramadan, as the reward for it is then even greater. This way, one does not miss the timeframe either and simply pays from Ramadan to Ramadan. For the timeframe for Zakat is one year; a full year must have passed over it. But what if the year has not yet passed? That is also possible; one can pay it together with the rest of their Zakat. If one gives it in advance and says: "I am paying this now as my Zakat", then that is also accepted. Because it is not certain whether we will live to see the next year. Moreover, it is very good to pay it directly when the time for it has come. Of course, the Zakat varies for different things. The most important are savings such as money and gold. Their Zakat rate is fixed: It is two and a half percent. For harvests, livestock, and similar goods, there are other calculations. If a person calculates this accordingly and pays his Zakat, he frees himself from a debt, and that brings him inner peace. Allah then looks upon you with favor. "My servant has paid his Zakat, obeyed My command, and pleased Me", with these words Allah, the Exalted, looks upon this person with joy. Therefore, it is extremely virtuous to give Zakat in Ramadan. In this way, the timeframe aligns with the Islamic calendar, and one also receives the multiplied reward. May Allah not let debts burden us and not let us live in dependence on others. It is hard to be indebted to Allah, the Exalted. Unfortunately, some people very much like to incur debts. Those who borrow money with the intention of not repaying it believe they have made a profit. Yet, they will not get rid of these debts their entire lives, and what they borrowed brings them no blessing whatsoever. So if a person has debts to Allah or to his fellow human beings, he should settle them immediately. If he is poor and cannot pay, he should ask the people to waive it and say: "Please count this as your Zakat." That is also possible. In this way, the creditor's Zakat is considered paid, and the debtor is freed from his debt. Therefore, when taking on debt, a person should already have the firm intention of repayment. May Allah not put anyone in the position of having to take on debt. One should accept something with the firm intention "I will repay it", so that Allah grants one relief in that moment. May Allah help us all. May Allah, inshaAllah, make it easy for us to obey His commands. Obeying divine commands is sometimes hard. For one's own ego, Satan, as well as worldly desires all play a role in this. All of this drives a person to oppose this command. Firmly reject all of this and obey the command of Allah. May Allah be the helper of us all.

قُلۡ سِيرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱنظُرُواْ (29:20) فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِ رَحۡمَتِ ٱللَّهِ (30:50) Allah (Azze wa Jalla) says: "Travel through the earth, observe Allah's creation, and draw a lesson from it." This is the command of Allah. Walking is something good. It is the Sunnah of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). One of the characteristics of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) was that he never seemed strained when walking. He walked as if he were going slightly downhill; he did not rush. Actually, constant rushing is not good. Running and rushing are not meant for human beings; other creatures run. A human being walks calmly. Nowadays, however, running has become a trend. Every day, people run for an hour or two. Why do they run? Completely for nothing... Just to exercise and supposedly do something good for the body. Yet, exactly the opposite happens. It brings nothing but physical harm and exhaustion. It has absolutely no benefit. When walking calmly, one can read something, repeat what has been memorized, or make Dhikr. Exactly this kind of walking is useful; it is a healing. Praise be to Allah, we too have the intention to practice the Sunnah of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) everywhere. We do that too; we go for walks everywhere, in the beautiful places that Allah has created. Praise be to Allah, we were granted this again this morning. But something amazing happened. We usually take the same path every day. Today I thought to myself: "I will not go back the same way, but take another one." As I was walking through a garden, I briefly thought: "I wonder if the owners will mind?" I said to myself: "They probably won't say anything, we are just walking on the path and not eating up their field!" as I passed by there. I saw a poor African worker busy inside. I walked a bit further and there was a car parked. When he saw me, he stopped. He got out of the car and greeted me. It was a decent, young man. He asked: "Are you the son of Sheikh Nazim?" I answered: "Yes." He said: "I love Sheikh Nazim very much and have great respect for him... This field belongs to me." A huge field; I had already seen in passing that spinach was planted there. While I was thinking about this, he said: "I could not sell this spinach. Since you are here now, why don't you harvest it, so that it may be a good deed from us." "This way, we can also do something good," he said. "Otherwise, I would have just plowed the field." So he would have driven over it with the tractor and mixed it into the soil. "If you like, you can have it," he said. I said: "May Allah be pleased with you." "This will be a great blessing for you as well as for us." This means Allah (Azze wa Jalla) destined exactly this path for us. He guided us there step by step. Although I could have taken many other paths, He led me exactly here. Meeting this young man certainly holds many hidden wisdoms. Because we thought – may Allah forgive – that there are hardly any believing people left here in Cyprus who perform such good deeds. But Allah sent this young man across our path. This shows that goodness has not disappeared. By Allah's leave, these good deeds will never end. From this land, to which Allah has granted faith, from this Muslim homeland, good people will emerge again and again. With the spinach he gave us, we could not only provide for the Dergah... And it was even way too much for the Dergah. Praise be to Allah, our brothers loaded it into cars and distributed it as a donation. During these days of Ramadan, this was a great charity and a blessing. Inshallah, it will also bring healing to the people. So there is beauty in everything. This is the providence of Allah... How things turn out! If we had not passed by there, he would have destroyed the spinach to replant the field. He could not have harvested and distributed it himself. Praise be to Allah, we have many brothers who help with the harvest. They went there, but we haven't even harvested half of it yet. Inshallah, we will have completely harvested the field in a day or two. Thus, it becomes a good deed for him as well as for our working brothers. Inshallah, it will bring healing to the people who eat it and fill their faith with light. When the intention is so pure, Allah gives us abundantly from His treasures. From His grace, His reward, and His blessing, Inshallah... May Allah increase the number of those who do good. And may it be healing and the light of faith for those who eat from it, Inshallah.

One of the acts of worship in the blessed month of Ramadan for those who are able to do so is Itikaf. Itikaf is performed in the last ten days of Ramadan. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) never skipped this Sunnah. His blessed house was adjacent to the mosque anyway. But when he entered Itikaf, he brought his sleeping things into the mosque. There were not many belongings in the house of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) anyway. There was a simple mat on which he slept, and something to cover himself with. In addition, there were the vessels he used for ablution. Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) brought these to the Prophet's Mosque and performed Itikaf there in a corner for ten days. For him it was obligatory; the obligations of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) were different from ours. What was commanded of him is not necessarily a command for us. The obligations are clearly defined; his other actions are Sunnah for us. Everything else is Sunnah; consequently, entering Itikaf is also a Sunnah. Itikaf usually lasts ten days; one makes the intention for the last ten days of Ramadan. For example, one can begin tonight, because according to the calendar, Ramadan has 29 days this year. If one wants to do ten days, one must enter Itikaf today, that is, starting this evening. After the evening prayer, one makes the intention and says, "I intend to enter Itikaf." For this, it should be a mosque where the five daily congregational prayers are performed. Women, on the other hand, set up a specific room at home and perform their acts of worship there. But, of course, they can also continue to do their daily household chores. However, they should only speak about what is necessary. Everyone should stay away from things like lying in Ramadan anyway, but someone who is in Itikaf must pay much more attention to this. Meals are also taken as normal. Some confuse Itikaf with the strict spiritual retreat, Khalwa, and think one is only allowed to eat lentils and nothing else. Yet this is a normal process; whatever is cooked at home, the person in Itikaf can also eat. But whether one is in the mosque, in the courtyard, or in the dining area of the mosque, one continues the state of Itikaf wherever one is. That means one should definitely have Iftar and Suhur. For there is great blessing in Suhur and Iftar. If one skips them, one misses out on their reward. Of course, one does not commit a sin by doing so, but one is deprived of this great reward. Some people skip Suhur. However, our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) explicitly said: "Have Suhur." Even if you get up and just drink a sip of water, that counts as Suhur. This is very important; it is not necessary for you to get up and prepare a huge feast just to have Suhur. You can have a feast if you want, or you can just have a bite of food or a sip of water; that also counts as Suhur. As mentioned, Itikaf usually lasts ten days, but it can also be kept shorter. One can do it for as long as one wants; whether it be three days or five days. In the Tariqah, it is even the case that someone who cannot go into Itikaf for long makes the intention upon entering a mosque: "I intend Itikaf for as long as I am in this mosque." That then also counts as Itikaf. Therefore, everyone should make this intention. Whether for prayer or at another time, upon entering any mosque, make the intention: "I intend Itikaf." This brings great benefit and is an immense grace of Allah. Thus, it is also bestowed upon this person, and they attain the reward of the Sunnah of our Prophet. May Allah bless it. May Allah make it lasting, inshaAllah. May Allah accept the acts of worship of all those who are in Itikaf. It is important anyway that in every city some Muslims enter Itikaf. InshaAllah this is fulfilled; many people love Itikaf and practice it. Some do it every year, others once in a lifetime, and still others every few years. But as already mentioned: to make the intention for Itikaf in every mosque one enters is a wonderful deed, inshaAllah. In this way, we attain the reward of the Sunnah, inshaAllah.

تِلۡكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۘ (2:253) Among everything that Allah Azza wa Jalla has created, there is something that is the most excellent. People and prophets have different ranks... Prophethood... There is the Nabi (prophet) and the Rasul (messenger). The highest level belongs to them. Even among them, there are different ranks once again. The one with the highest rank in all of creation is our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Among the angels, jinn, and humans created by Allah Azza wa Jalla, our Prophet stands at the very highest level. He is the servant most loved by Allah. That is how Allah willed it. He created our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, from His own light. And his light became the cause for the guidance of mankind. Every blessing and all good reaches us for the sake of the honor of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, it is our greatest act of worship to honor and esteem him. It is what brings us the greatest benefit. What will save us is the love for our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, following his path, belonging to him, and loving him. To love our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam... Our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, says: "You must love me more than your mother, your father, your children, and yourself." Does our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, actually need your love? No, he does not. It is only out of mercy that he commands us to love him, so that good may happen to us and we may come closer to Allah. Because Allah Azza wa Jalla has already given our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, everything; he is not in need of anything. However, the fact that from his birth he says, "My Ummah, my Ummah," serves only the purpose of remembering his community on the Day of Judgment and saving them. For this exact reason, our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, wishes for this love. People can only find salvation through him. They will be saved through his intercession. However, whoever says: "We do not want any intercession," will perish. Those who deter others and say: "I am a Hafiz, I am a scholar, I am this, I am that; do not mix things up, you are exaggerating in the love for the Prophet and committing shirk" – they have already perished. There is no salvation for them. Because a person alone cannot achieve anything through their own deeds. They cannot even walk two steps from here to there. May Allah give people understanding and insight. So that they may attain the grace of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. And receive his intercession. Otherwise, it is impossible; no one can be saved. Belonging to the Ummah of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, is the greatest honor. All prophets have wished: "If only we were part of his Ummah." But only for a few... has Allah answered this supplication. These are the Prophet Jesus, Khidr alayhissalam, Ilyas alayhissalam, and Idris alayhissalam. They are the fortunate prophets who are granted the honor of belonging to the Ummah of our Prophet. Because they are still alive. They too will attain this blessing. So the prophets too, as said, have their ranks... People are divided into ranks, and the highest rank belongs to our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. After that follow the messengers (Rasul) and the prophets (Nabi)... To those who received prophethood and a message, Allah revealed books which they proclaimed to the people. After that come the other prophets... There are one hundred twenty-four thousand prophets. And after them, of course, come the Prophet's companions (Sahaba). The Sahaba also have ranks among themselves, and these are already known anyway. Accordingly, the ranks increase; there are higher ones and there are lower ones. Therefore, one must know how to appreciate the value of everything. We must appreciate the value of every blessing that has been given to us. These are the gifts of Allah, Azza wa Jalla. They are all generous gifts. To love them, to be with them, to visit them... All of this is to our own advantage. Through this, we attain high ranks and receive, if Allah wills, an abundant reward. May Allah let us all attain their intercession. May He make us among those who know how to appreciate their value. And may He protect us from being among the deceived. People are so often deceived. The disbelievers were already deceived from the beginning anyway, and the devil is pleased with them. But this time, the devil is deceiving the Muslims as well. Because the greatest enemy of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, is the devil; no one hates him more than he does. If someone loves the Prophet, the devil whispers: "No one prays as much as you do, you are a Hafiz, a scholar, be careful not to commit shirk." This is how he deceives them and plunges people into misguidance. May Allah protect us from all evil.