Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

There is a saying: "Laysa ba'dal kufri dhanb." What does this mean? It means there is nothing... when someone is a non-believer, not in Islam, there is no sin greater than this. Regarding all sins, if one is a kafir—a non-believer—whatever he has done is nothing compared to the state of being a non-believer. This is a rule of Islam. Now we see in every news report: "They did this, they are doing that, this is like this, that is like that." People are afraid and ask, "What is this?" But this is nothing compared to being against Allah Azza wa Jalla. "Kafir" means to be against Allah Azza wa Jalla. To not accept Allah, to not accept His commands. So, when the situation is like this, it is the biggest sin. This is the biggest sin. For this reason, when someone becomes Muslim, Allah sweeps away everything done before, and he begins a new life. A new life begins without sin. Afterwards, slowly... of course, everyone can commit sins, but these sins can be brought before Allah, and Allah forgives. Allah Azza wa Jalla says: "If you ask for forgiveness, I forgive you." But when you are against Allah, regarding all that you have done... you cannot ask for forgiveness when you do not accept Allah. From whom would you ask forgiveness? From this one, from that one? You would have to ask millions for forgiveness. But by accepting Islam and accepting Allah Azza wa Jalla... because regarding Islam, all prophets were of Islam. The religion of Allah for human beings is Islam. From Adam (alayhi salam) to our Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it was all Islam. Don't say, "This is Christian, this is Jewish, this is something else." No, it is all Islam, meaning the religion of Allah. It came one by one until Sayyidina Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and he completed the religion. After this, there is no other religion, no other prophet. So, may Allah give hidayah (guidance) to these people who are not yet on the way of Allah—who are not accepting Allah, who are fighting Allah, who are against Allah. May Allah give them guidance to be safe from this bad position, inshaAllah.

وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓ (7:31) Allah (Azza wa Jalla) says: "Eat and drink, but do not be excessive." Do not commit Israf (wastefulness); take what is enough for you, do not take more. This is what the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said: when you eat, do not fill yourself 100%. Maybe 80%, 70%, or 90%, but not 100%. Nowadays, people are not just full; they eat much more than they need. And they eat without the proper Adab (etiquette) of eating. This causes illness and heaviness; it is not good for the body or the spirit. They just like to fill the stomach. You should only eat enough to give you strength for Ibadah (worship) and your work; take only what you need. But not too much; when you do more, it becomes an illness and a burden. For this, we must follow the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. He ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said: "Nahnu qawmun la na'kulu hatta naju', wa idha akalna la nashba'." (We are a people who do not eat until we are hungry, and when we eat, we do not satisfy ourselves fully.) When we eat, we do not get full. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. It is also Sunnah to begin with salt. And to eat while you are sitting, not standing up. No, that is not from the Sunnah of the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. When drinking or eating, you must be sitting. This is very important. Most people nowadays do everything against it... Shaytan makes them go against what the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said. With fast food, you eat while standing. You drink while standing. Even I see sometimes in marathons or other events, they give them water while they are running. This is very bad, very harmful. Especially if you are tired, walking, or running, you must sit for a little bit—maybe one or two minutes—before drinking water. Do not drink while you are running. Standing up to drink and eat? Who stands up to eat? Only animals, because they cannot sit and eat. They eat and drink standing because they cannot sit. But even they do not walk and eat; when they eat, they stop to eat. When they drink, they stop to drink. Human beings are adopting every bad habit. It has become a habit for people to eat while standing. Very few people eat while sitting, begin with salt, and start with 'Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim' and a Dua. When you finish, you should make Dua, and then go to your work, study, or whatever you need to do. Also, when you are fasting, you must have Sahur. The Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said there is Barakah and health in Sahur. For Iftar, you must break your fast with a date, or if there are no dates, then water. This is Sunnah, Alhamdulillah. For our 24 hours, throughout the 12 months, the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam has told us how to live and how to follow his path. To be on the path of the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam brings, first of all, blessings, and secondly, health and happiness. Every good thing is in his way. May Allah keep us on his path and away from these new teachings of Shaytan and his army. We must be careful of them. They want every badness, illness, sadness, and misery; this is what they want. But the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, Alhamdulillah, will save us from this, Insha'Allah.

Today, Alhamdulillah, is Friday. It is a gift from Allah to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and his Nation. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, praised Jumu'ah, stating that Allah Azza wa Jalla designated this best of days specifically for the Ummah of Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Friday is special, and every Friday night is a blessed night. From the very beginning—from Maghrib last night until Saturday—everything is more valuable on this day. On this day, Allah created the world, and Qiyamah (Judgment Day) will take place on this day. It is very important for Muslims because, on this night, Allah allows the spirits of the deceased Muslims to visit their families. Therefore, you should offer them a gift as well. This gift is not like the practices of certain groups who are non-believers or non-Muslims. They do not seek the blessings of Jumu'ah; instead, some place food or alcohol at their family's graves, thinking it benefits them. This is for non-Muslims. For Muslims, the best action—as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, mentioned—is to visit your parents' graves if possible, and recite Surat Yasin. This is the best gift for them. Of course, you can also give charity on their behalf. You can provide help to others with the intention that the reward reaches them. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, also said that whenever you perform a good deed—like praying or fasting—intend it for your parents and those you love. Allah Azza wa Jalla will grant them the same reward, and your own reward will not be diminished. This is a bounty from Allah. You will not lose anything. On the contrary, you will gain. Your father and mother will be happy, and they will be blessed. All of this reaches them. Once they pass away, their ability to earn rewards ceases—as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said—except through these good gifts coming from family or others. Of course, there is also Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity) and beneficial knowledge that helps people. Not knowledge that corrupts or harms people. Allah provides everything for the benefit of humanity. Allah Azza wa Jalla calls upon them to save themselves. Yet they run away. You know that usually, people flee from fire, but these people are running towards the fire. The Fire is not a light matter; burning is the worst pain for anyone. Even a physical injury is not as severe as burning. For this reason, Allah Azza wa Jalla commands us to stay away from Hell, to stay away from the fire. Come to Paradise. Allah is Merciful, and He grants opportunities to everyone so they may enter Paradise, Insha'Allah. May Allah grant hidayah (guidance) to them all. And may Allah keep us safe from evil, Insha'Allah.

Accepting an invitation is a Sunnah of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. Alhamdulillah, whenever they invite us here or to another place—our sons and our brothers—to meet together, to mention the Name of Allah, to send Salawat upon the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam, and to gather for the sake of Allah. This is one of the orders of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. And Allah makes us close to each other, to have more love, more respect, and more happiness with one another. So, these places are blessed places. Because for years and years, they have been praying, fasting, giving charity to people, and giving lessons for children and adults to read the Quran and listen to the Hadith of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. So, it is a very acceptable place. Especially in such countries which are not Islamic countries, but Allah Azza wa Jalla made it possible for us to do this. In the old times, no Muslim could practice Islam in a non-Muslim country. But now, SubhanAllah, Allah has opened this. But when this is opened, many people or many creatures are not happy with this place. Because here, normally in non-Muslim lands, the Name of Allah is not mentioned, nor is prayer performed as Allah ordered; so Shaytan is not happy with this. But with what makes Shaytan unhappy, we must be happy. With everything that makes Shaytan happy, we are not happy. We do not agree with Shaytan. We agree with the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. We love the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. We love his Ahl al-Bayt and his Companions. We love the Sahaba. We love the Awliyaullah, the blessed ones, the beloved ones of Allah Azza wa Jalla, everywhere. Alhamdulillah, when the people here travel to some country, they quickly visit the Maqam of these blessed ones. Why? Because there, too, Allah showers them with His blessed Light, His Nur. For this reason, we say that such a place in such countries gives blessings from Allah Azza wa Jalla to those who are around, and brings Hidayah for them. And also for ourselves, so that we do not forget Allah Azza wa Jalla, and do not forget the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. So we must help as much as we can, with any kind of help. Even if you just come and sit with the Jama'ah, mentioning Allah and making Dhikr, this is a big thing for you. You cannot imagine the benefit for one who comes to a gathering place for Allah. He may come with many heavy burdens, but with this Majlis, this gathering, they are thrown off, and Allah bestows upon him reward, blessings, and happiness. This is the benefit of a Majlis with Salatu 'ala an-Nabi, as Allah Azza wa Jalla orders the Mu'min to send Salat and Salam upon the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam. So we are trying... MashaAllah, they have been here for maybe more than twenty years, or even more, I think. People come every time: for Jumu'ah, Eid, Ramadan; and on all blessed nights, I think they hold gatherings. So, the whole time they are working for whom? For Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah Azza wa Jalla, in His Mercy, does not look for small things; He does not look for faults. If you are coming here, don't think you will go without being forgiven; Allah will forgive you. He will forgive us because He is happy; we are like children or something similar. When a child does something wrong, people do not get angry with him. This is a small one, a very baby one; we don't do anything. So we do not say anything for this; even sometimes we are laughing at what he has done, even if he has done a naughty thing. For this, for us also, we are also like babies, like children when coming here. We are doing many things wrong, but Allah forgives us, and He gives to us and rewards us from His mercy and every good thing. We are in need everywhere now, not only in a country like a non-Muslim country. Everywhere, people are now in one shape. What one is like in London, one is like in Beirut, and like what one is in Berlin. One in Cairo is the same thing as one in Bristol; in Pakistan also they are the same. Because they are teaching each other to act the same. For the ego, maybe they enjoy their ego and they think it is good, so everywhere in the world has become the same. For this, we are in need of guidance for people to know good and bad. Now they are only teaching bad. Even in the most far places, they are going and teaching them bad things which are not for human beings, not for believers. Even for animals, it is not good for them. For this, Allah Azza wa Jalla is looking for such a place where believers are gathering. He is showering from His mercy, from His power, spiritual reward. And this reward makes this world continue living. Without them, you cannot have anything. Because the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam is saying regarding these Awliyaullah: "Bihim tumtarun, bihim tunsarun, bihim turzaqun." For the sake of these people—there are Abdal, Awtad, Akhyar, these Awliyaullah—the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam says by the sake of these people, Allah sends rain. With these people, He gives victory. With these people, Allah gives provision. With these people, all this is through them by Allah, by His wisdom. And some people are not happy with Awliyaullah; they say they are like us, they are nobody, and it is only Allah giving this. Allah Azza wa Jalla, the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam is saying this; He put them there. They are not looking for the wisdom of this. He put the wisdom of this to hold this blessing for the earth, for believers. Without them, it will be all Allah Azza wa Jalla's cursing coming, and the whole world will be finished with nothing. But with these people, Allah is showering them, and they are spreading this mercy and barakah for human beings. For this, it is not only for believers that He is sending this rain or other things; it is for all human beings and for animals, for everything. This is their duty; they are doing this work by Allah's will. Allah Azza wa Jalla chose them and sent them to East and West, and they are in this duty, this job. Until, of course, they are not living forever; they must die. When they are dying, Allah sends for each one; when one passes away, Allah sends somebody else in his place. This continues until Mahdi alayhi salam and Isa alayhi salam; they will be like this. And of course, when the time of Mahdi (alayhi salam) and Isa (alayhi salam) finishes, all believers will be taken from dunya; only non-believers will remain. We are looking for their barakah, for their support for us, for Muslims, for believers, especially for Tariqa people. They are nearer to them than other people; Tariqa people are very near to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) and to Allah Azza wa Jalla. This is why you ask, "Can we not be like this?" If you like this way, come to the way, and nobody prevents you from coming to this way. Nobody is jealous of you; nobody rejects you. Come, go in this way, be a beloved one of Allah, and be happy; be a winner. Otherwise, do not be hopeless and do not be angry about something you cannot do anything about. Yesterday, Alhamdulillah, we had the Khatm Khwajagan Zikr in Peckham Mosque. Before that, we visited a murid, an old murid of Mawlana Sheikh—very old. And he has a serious illness. And Mashallah, I asked, "How are you?" "Alhamdulillah," he said, "I am very, very happy to see you." I said, "I wanted to visit you last week, but we..." He said, "This is no problem. What Allah wants happens; no problem at all." "Don't think of it as a problem. How are you? I am also good." He has kidney failure and cannot walk too much. But his face was Mashallah like a lion, not afraid of anything that happened to him. He just completely surrendered himself, and the whole time he was remembering Mawlana. He said, "Mawlana was saying this, he was doing this, we went with him like this, we came like this." He was not mentioning his illness, his sickness, pain, or anything. He is just completely leaving himself to Allah Azza wa Jalla. If anybody can do this, he will be very relaxed, very happy. Nothing affects him. Now, for a small thing, people go running to the doctor, running to the hospital, doing MRIs, X-rays, blood tests, everything. Afterwards, they say, "Oh, Alhamdulillah, we don't have anything." It was just imagination that "we are in a bad condition." And they don't have anything. But this man, he has every illness, but he does not care. He said, "This is what Allah wants, and He wants this, and it will happen, so it is no problem for me." Nowadays, people are complaining about very small things. When you complain... Allah Azza wa Jalla does not love those who complain. Because He says, "My servant is speaking against Me; he is complaining." "I gave them all this ni'mah, all these good things, and still My servant is complaining." So Allah Azza wa Jalla is not happy with this. So every time you have something, don't complain. Just ask Allah Azza wa Jalla to give you health, wealth, happiness with your family, and a good life. And the most important thing is to give you strong belief. Strong belief is the most important thing in this life. Without belief, there is no benefit. Maybe a chair is better than you if you don't have belief. May Allah give us this belief and make us happy with Allah Azza wa Jalla, with everybody, with the Prophet, with our believer and mu'min brothers, family, and children, Insha'Allah. They are very important people; be good to these people, Insha'Allah. May Allah reward you, Insha'Allah protect you always, and make you serve the believers, the mu'mins. For non-believers also, Insha'Allah, may Allah send them to you to make Shahada and to be on the way of Allah Azza wa Jalla, to be in the House of Allah Azza wa Jalla, Jannatul Firdaus, Insha'Allah.

For this Shaban al-Muazzam al-Karam, Insha'Allah, in three or four days, we will celebrate the 15th of Shaban—the night of the 15th. It is a very blessed night. It is as Allah Azza wa Jalla says in the Quran: "Fiha yufraqu kullu amrin hakim" (44:4) On this night, everything destined for the coming year—what will happen, who will be born, who will die, who will become sick or rich, married or not married—all of this is written on this night. Therefore, it is very important; it is one of the most important nights in the Islamic religion and calendar. It is very significant, and Mawlana and the Mashaykh paid great attention to this night. It begins at Maghrib. After Maghrib, we read Surat Ya-Sin three times. Before each reading, you make an intention: for provision (rizq), for long life in Islam and health... After that, we make dua. Later in the night, after Isha, you can perform Salat al-Tasbih. Then, until Fajr, you can pray; you can offer one hundred rakat of nafil (voluntary prayer). Normally, one should read 'Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad' (Surat Al-Ikhlas) one thousand times in total. But Mawlana Shaykh made it easy for us. In the first rakat, read Al-Ikhlas twice, and in the second rakat, read it once. Some people may finish in an hour, some in one and a half hours, some in two hours. You can do it slowly. It is not like a summer night which is short; it is a long night here. You can pray, then stop to rest, then pray again. It will be good for you—a reward for this year—and a time to ask Allah for what you want. The most important thing is to be in Islam—for you, your family, and everyone to be in Islam, following the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). To be away from bad habits, bad friends, and bad people—to keep your distance from them. This is also very important. It is more important than money, more important than gold, more important than anything: to be safe and spiritually clean. Because this "dirtiness" is now everywhere; wherever you go, you find it. So it affects you in everything—your health, your family, your friends—everything is affected. Therefore, it is very important to ask Allah Azza wa Jalla for protection from Shaytan and his army. They have a huge army now; Shaytan's army numbers in the billions. Not just one or two, not one or two million—it is billions. Very few people are good. If we had one billion good people, that would be great, but it is not like that. Everybody is following Shaytan and what he says. Even if they say, "We are not following," in reality, it quickly becomes apparent that they are following Shaytan and his way. For this reason, the most important request in your dua this night is for strong Iman (faith)—for us, for our families, children, brothers, sisters, and everyone. It is truly the best present you can give them. Because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said the most acceptable prayer is the one you make for your friend or brother without them knowing—to ask Allah for the best for them, and to be together in Jannah. This brings a great reward from Allah, and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) loves this as well. Without them knowing, if your friend is in trouble, has a health issue, or a problem with the government or people, ask Allah Azza wa Jalla to provide a solution and end that problem. Problems bring problems; good brings good, Insha'Allah. So this is very important for this night. Also, one should fast on the 15th of Shaban. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to fast three days every month during the full moon—they call them the "white nights" because the moon lights up everywhere. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fasted these three days every month. Of course, we are not fasting every time, but on occasions like this, we must fast. There are many hadiths about this night and day, and how Allah gives barakah (blessings) and rewards without count. He gives through His generosity. Alhamdulillah, the people following Tariqa are blessed; they are the lucky ones. Because they catch every good thing and put it in their treasury. There are many kinds of people who are not following Tariqa. There are normal Muslims; perhaps most of them don't pray or fast, but they are still Muslim. Then there are Muslims who pray and fast but don't know about these blessed nights or days. To them, it is just like a normal day; they pray their five times. When Ramadan comes, they fast Ramadan, but after that, they don't do anything extra. This is not a huge problem. But the worst problem is with people who prevent others from doing good deeds. If they see you praying, they ask, "Why are you praying like this? Why are you praying so much?" This is not acceptable. Sometimes this stems from ignorance; they even claim this is shirk or bid'ah (innovation), saying "it's like this" or "like that." They prevent their own people, and many unlucky people follow them, performing no Sunnah, no nafil, and no fasting after or before Ramadan. For them, nothing is holy: no night, no day, no man, no woman, no Sahaba, no Tabi'in. Many of them even say things about the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that we cannot say here; it is not good to repeat what they say. These are unlucky people. But Alhamdulillah, we are lucky to be following the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) until now, doing as much as we can. We ask Allah Azza wa Jalla to accept it. We can only do this much—we cannot do everything the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did. But our intention is to follow what he did. "Innamal a'malu bin-niyyat." The Prophet said deeds are by intentions, and Allah Azza wa Jalla says intention is very important. So with our intention, Alhamdulillah, Insha'Allah we will get the reward of following the whole Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). May Allah grant other people this luck as well, to be fortunate enough to follow this. We always say our doors are open for everybody. "Come to Allah, calling to Dar-us-Salam." Allah calls people to Jannah, to the Land of Peace. Allah Azza wa Jalla is calling for happiness, for every good thing. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is calling, and we are following this, also calling those who are away from this path: Come to Allah, come to the Prophet, come to Paradise. You will be in Paradise in Jannah and in the Dunya, Insha'Allah. This Paradise is in your heart; just as Sayyidina Ibrahim was in the middle of the fire, yet it was Paradise for him. It is the same for all of us. So we are calling people: don't stay away from this door. The door is open; don't be foolish by not coming inside. There is a saying: When Allah Azza wa Jalla is giving, don't be late. Don't be away from it. When the tap is open, fill your pot with water. Don't wait and say "I will fill it later," because it may not always be running. When it is running, go quickly, ask, and take. When you find the tap open everywhere, don't be lazy, and don't say "I can take it later." You don't know if you will be here later, or if the tap will still be running. This applies to everything in Dunya as well. I must mention this because people sometimes ask about rizq (provision). I saw this in writing from one of our brothers who was a goldsmith, buying and selling gold. He put a small notice up. He said, "1. No credit; I cannot give loans." And the second point he wrote was: "When the tap is open, fill your pot; don't close it." Leave it open; don't say "I will close it and open it later." Continue. I have heard many people say over the years, "My work was good, but I got fed up and wanted to rest, so I closed." Later, they tried to open again, but never succeeded. So when it is open, continue with everything. For rizq, for knowledge, for life—when things are good, don't say "maybe this, maybe that, I must rest." "I must not work too much"—no. When Allah opens for you, don't close the door of His provision. You may regret it later. Continue everything continuously; it is good. Consistency is good; you must not stop, don't wait. Mawlana Shaykh also used to say, "Our way is hard work; whoever is tired, whoever stops, is not from us." Don't be tired, don't stop, don't get fed up. May Allah give us himma (zeal) and quwwa (strength) to be like him, Insha'Allah. Mashallah, until his last day, he had himma and did not stop. Even now, Mashallah, he is sending his barakat to people, guiding people to Tariqa in dreams or through inspiration. He is still giving to us, Alhamdulillah, with his baraka. May Allah bless you and bless this month, Insha'Allah. May Allah enable us to continue without getting fed up, Insha'Allah.

Rajab has ended, and now it is Sha'ban; we are nearly approaching the middle of Sha'ban. It is a blessed month, the month of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Alhamdulillah, it is a great ni'mah (blessing) to be doing what pleases Allah. He has granted this ni'mah for all of us to gather for His love, for the love of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and for the love of Awliyaullah. It is very important to give love and to bring happiness to the hearts of people. Do not offer hatred or harbor any bad thoughts. It is a great favor from Allah, a ni'mah—the greatest thing—to be under His command, not outside of it. When you follow His command, you are safe. If you are not under His command, you are rebellious, and you will always face problems and trouble. Nothing will be good for you. Perhaps you think to follow people who say, "Come, we will give you everything; leave this path." Many people go after dunya, and they abandon what they were doing. But this gives them nothing, only misery—the exact opposite of what they were thinking. And if some leave... may Allah keep us safe... hopefully, they will return. If they do not return, it is a truly bad thing for them. We are always saying, "Allahumma thabbitna 'ala al-haqq" (O Allah, keep us firm on the Truth). May Allah keep us on this path and not let us stray from it. This is very important; we must be careful because Shaytan pursues everyone who does good. He does not get tired, he does not get fed up, and this continues until the end of life. For this reason, gatherings like this—or wherever you may be with other murids—are essential. Even if it is once a week, or every two or three weeks, you must at least gather with good people. So that... may Allah bless you, Insha'Allah. May He keep you safe from straying off this path. May Allah save us.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإٖ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةٖ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَٰدِمِينَ (49:6) Allah Azza wa Jalla says: if an irresponsible person—someone whose word cannot be trusted—comes to you, be careful. Investigate; verify whether what he said is true or not. Do not accept what he says as if it were law and then attack other people. Otherwise, you will regret it later. Why? Because those people are innocent; they have nothing to do with what this man said. Afterwards, the consequences will be very bad for you. You will feel terrible because you acted quickly without thinking, and without verifying if the news was true or not. Therefore, regarding everything, you must be sure. When you hear something, you must also be careful. You must research and see if it is valid or not. Only then should you decide what to do. This applies to everything. Many times people come saying, "We went to the doctor, and the doctor said we must have this operation." I tell them every time: you must be sure; you must ask another doctor as well. Not just one; ask two or three. If they all say the same thing, then you have no other choice. So you must be patient and do what they say. But based on just one opinion, don't be quick to act, for afterwards there is no turning back. You will regret it and say, "Oh, I wish I hadn't done this." "I wish I had asked others." This applies to everything. There may be good people you know, and an enemy of theirs says something bad about them. You become angry about this, and maybe you go and fight with them. Later, when you learn the reality, you will feel very sorry. You will be ashamed of yourself; you will feel very bad. Allah Azza wa Jalla is our Creator. He guides us and orders us to do every good thing. To obey Him and stay away from all evil. Do not put yourself in a position where others blame you because of your own actions. No hurry. Don't be in a rush. Al-ajalah min ash-shaytan; haste is from Satan. You must hurry only for good deeds. Regarding bad things, you must take your time; wait. Wait one day, ten days, one month, ten months—no problem. This is better than finding yourself in a difficult position, where you regret and are ashamed before people and yourself for what you have done. May Allah keep us from following bad people or anyone with bad intentions. May He not put us in a condition where Allah is unhappy with us, the Prophet is unhappy with us, and people are unhappy with us. May Allah keep us safe from this bad outcome, inshaAllah.

Walladhina amanu billahi wa rusulihi ula'ika hum as-siddiquna wash-shuhada'u 'inda Rabbihim lahum ajruhum wa nuruhum. (57:19) Allah Azza wa Jalla praises the believers; they are the best and hold the highest rank in the Divine Presence of Allah Azza wa Jalla. It is important for everyone to be like these praised ones in the Divine Presence of Allah Azza wa Jalla and the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. How can we be like this? By following the Awliyaullah; they take you to this high maqam (station). Because without them, no one can reach this high maqam. It is very rare, but even they have a Murshid. We call this the 'Uwaisi' path, where they are taught by Sayyidina Khidr (alayhi salam). Without a Murshid, without a teacher, you cannot truly follow anyone. Whoever does not follow this, his Murshid will be Shaytan. He may think he is doing very well, doing everything right, but at some point, it will all go to waste, and he will end up without Iman, without belief. It is a very dangerous thing to go by yourself into a dangerous place; at any time, your feet can slip, and you will fall. For this reason, do not be without a Murshid. Just hold onto their hand; that is enough to save you. But if you want your ego to be big, do not follow these people; go and do what you like. In the end, you will fall. No one will save you; you will only be with Shaytan. Because it is very easy for Shaytan to take you from the right way to what he wants. Inna ad-dina 'inda Allah al-Islam. (3:19) The religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. Whoever goes outside of this way of Islam—la yuqbalu minhu—Allah will not accept it from him. Allah Azza wa Jalla says this in the Quran Azim ash-Shan. Whatever you do outside of this way, you will be following your ego, and it is dangerous. In the end, it will be very bad for those who follow their ego. May Allah keep us on His way. The way of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, the way of the Awliya, the way of nur, of light. May Allah fill our hearts with this love, insha'Allah, and with nur, insha'Allah.

Here is the revised SRT file. The grammar has been corrected, and the phrasing has been smoothed out to sound more natural in English while preserving the original meaning and Islamic terminology. إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةٞ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَ أَخَوَيۡكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ (49:10) وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٰنِۚ (5:2) This is the command of Allah. Muslims, the believers, are brothers. You must be united. Allah will help you. He bestows His mercy upon you. Allah’s command is also to help one another, to do good deeds, aiding Islam and Muslims. Give charity and do everything good for each other. Do not allow any hatred or envy between you. Alhamdulillah, this is a blessed place. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim visited here many times. Of course, all the people here are people of Tariqa, alhamdulillah. There are Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chishti, Rifa'i, Badawi—all these Tariqas. Each one has a blessed Imam from the lineage of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. They have been spreading light to millions of people for centuries. So, there is no need to be enemies with one another. On the contrary, there must be mutual help. This is also from Allah; He gave each of His creations a different ability, a different test, a different path. Each person's heart is inclined toward a specific place. But what is important is the destination: going to the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, all Tariqas are paths leading to the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. So when you are on this path, you must obey what the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, says and what Allah orders. You must be together. Of course, each Tariqa may have different practices. These differences should not make you unhappy with others. You must accept everyone. Do not interfere with others. Look only at yourself. Teach your ego to be humble and obedient. Do not get angry over everything. Do not create problems for others over small matters. No, this is not good. From the beginning of Islam, Shaytan could never win using an enemy from the outside. Any enemy that came could not succeed in finishing Islam or destroying the Khilafah (Caliphate). It was always done from the inside. They create fitna (discord) between one another. Then they split, causing Muslims to kill each other. And after that, the enemy comes and takes over. This has happened many times in history. History is very important knowledge. The Quran contains "Ulumul awwalin wal akhirin." The knowledge of the beginning and the end. It teaches history and the stories of what happened before so you may learn a lesson. And Allah says, "Fa'tabiru ya ulil absar." (59:2) "Fa'tabiru ya ulil albab." Take heed, O you who have sight, who have hearts to understand. Many times, Muslims failing to help one another has caused disaster for the Ummah. Just now on the road, we were speaking with our brother. I asked, "Who destroyed the Ottoman Empire?" Muslims. Muslims—and he was also a Turk, like the Ottomans. The Ottomans were not just Turks; there were seventy nations in the Ottoman Empire. And they were fighting for Allah Almighty. Those who failed to help, which caused the beginning of the Ottoman end, were from Crimea. Now they are fighting with the Russians and others there. They are fighting for Crimea and other lands. This was all once the empire of the Giray. Sultan Giray was a Tatar Sultan. He controlled that whole area. Ukraine, Russia—all of this was Muslim country. They were Muslims. The Ottoman Sultan was going to conquer Vienna, Austria. They asked these people for help, and they said, "Yes, we will help you." And what help did they need? Only to keep the enemy from attacking from behind. But out of envy, the Giray—"Giray" means Sultan in the Tatar language—let the enemy pass through their lines. They defeated them all, killed them, and seized the entire Ottoman treasury in that war. This was the second Siege of Vienna. The first one was in the time of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. I was in that area and saw where they said Sultan Suleiman reached. He signed a treaty there, for he was a great Sultan, and then he returned. But the second time, it was not necessary to wage this war, yet it happened. And what was the result? After this, the Ottomans began to slowly lose their power. Because the treasury was gone, and half the army became martyrs (Shahid). They hardly saved the Sultan from there. But afterwards, what happened to the Giray? That whole area was taken by the Russians. They killed them and took everything from them. Until now, there has been no benefit from that betrayal. Why is this? It is because of Muslims not helping each other. For this reason, we say that even though we are a small jamaat (community), there is no need to make problems over small things. You must continue. Allah has given you many places. Do not be envious. We must be open to everyone coming here who does not create fitna against the Tariqa. Let there be Quran recitation, Hadith recitation, Mawlid, Zikr, and Sohba. It must continue. If you fight with each other, other people will take you and throw you out. They may look like they are helping you, just as happened with those people in history. Later, they will seize everything and discard you. This is what has happened in the history of Islam many times. As I said, the Ottomans were Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. They defended the Tariqas and others. Others were the same way. The Tatar Giray was also Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. He was not Shia, not Wahhabi. At that time, there were no Wahhabis, alhamdulillah. In that area, Central Asia or Russia, there were no Wahhabis. At that time it had different names, like Kazan and others. Every year, the Kazan Tatars would go to Moscow, collect spoils of war (Ghanima), and return. They were strong because they were Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah and they defended Islam. So fitna arises even if people are Ahlus Sunnah. They were not Shia, not Salafi, not Wahhabi. Alhamdulillah, at that time Wahhabis did not exist. But unfortunately, today, the worst Wahhabis are in that area— the region of Russia or Central Asia. They plant this fitna and destroy the people. Even if you go there now, if you are not from the same Tariqa, they view you as an enemy. This is a great fitna in that region. From that time until now, it has been growing. If you are not from their group, they are not happy with you; they treat you as a foe. This is a massive discord. Therefore, you must cut off the head of fitna while it is small. They say you must crush the snake's head when it is small. If it grows big, you cannot catch it or cut its head. And its poison will spread everywhere. It is truly a terrible poison spreading now. So we must be united. Do not make an issue out of small problems. Do not say, "They said this, they did that." We ask Allah Almighty to put happiness in our hearts for our brothers. For our brothers, the Murids, and all Muslims. To be safe from all evil things. It is not easy to achieve this state. Because when you intend to give charity or do a good deed, many things arise to make you run away from it. There is a story... One Imam was delivering a sermon (Khutbah). He said, "Allah will reward whoever gives a handful of rice—for each grain, Allah gives a reward." "Whoever gives wheat, flour, or oil—there is a reward for everything." He was saying, "It will be good." That there was a great reward for this. One of the attendees listening to this became very excited. He ran home immediately. He gathered some food and tried to leave. Suddenly, he found his wife standing in front of him. "What is this?" she asked. He replied, "The Imam said I must give this in charity; it is very important." "Put that down!" she ordered. The Imam was waiting outside. He thought, "Where is this man?" The mother of Shaytan was there. She acted like a Shaytan. So whenever you want to do something good, many Shaytans appear. That is why they say that when a gathering is held by people who do not love the Prophet, you can find thousands of people around them. But when you go to a Sohba or gathering for the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, you may find only ten percent of that number. I used to wonder why this is. It is for this reason. Shaytan does not touch those other people; he is happy with them. He wants people to run away from rewards, from the love of the Prophet, and the love of Allah Almighty. So he happily pushes them, saying, "Yes, yes, look, more people should come." But to the others, he whispers, "Don't do this, don't make Salawat on the Prophet." "You will be cursed, you will be a Mushrik (polytheist), you will be like this, you will be like that." When you attend a good Sohba or a blessed Majlis, they attack you, whispering doubts (waswas) to you. "Is what we are doing haram? Why are you here?" "Those people said this is haram, this is shirk, and you will go to the fire." "Your Dua will not be accepted, you will never be forgiven." But everything they say is the opposite of the truth. Allah Almighty says, "I am Ghafur (Forgiving), Rahim (Merciful)." Until your last breath, you can ask for forgiveness, and I will forgive you. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said that Allah Almighty says: "If these people did not commit sins, I would replace them with people who sin and ask forgiveness, so I could forgive them." "Because I love to forgive." Allah says this. Yet they do not accept what Allah says. Why? Because they are envious. They are full of jealousy. They do not want any good for human beings, or for anyone. Jealousy is the worst attribute. It is from Shaytan. It causes one to run toward Hell. And they still insist on it. It is also a trait of Kufr (disbelief). Even if he knows the truth, out of jealousy, he would rather throw himself into the fire than accept what the other person has. This is an important matter. Therefore, may Allah keep Muslim hearts safe from jealousy. Safe from straying from the truth, from the way of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. This is the way of mercy, the way of happiness, the way of good tidings. "Bashiru wala tunaffiru." The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "Give good tidings and do not drive people away." Tell people that Allah forgives everybody. Do not worry. Some people come saying, "We are doing bad things; perhaps we cannot enter Jannah." No—when anyone asks for forgiveness with a sincere intention, The Quran Azim-ush-Shan says, "Yubaddilullahu sayyi'atihim hasanat." (25:70) He changes their sins into rewards. They are no longer sins. The sin is removed, and Allah puts a reward in its place. This is who Allah Almighty is. We must thank Allah. We must thank Allah all the time, saying, "Ash-shukru lillah, Alhamdulillah, Ash-shukru lillah." He has placed us on His path. So let there be no problems between Muslims over small things. There are some foolish people who, when angry, say, "Allah may forgive, but I do not forgive." This is... May Allah grant right thinking to these people. May Allah forgive us all. We are in need of this from Allah Almighty. May Allah keep us firmly on His path. So we do not fall. Alhamdulillah, we are with the Mashayikh, with Mawlana, and the people of Tariqa. May Allah raise their stations. Grant us for the sake of Allah. We must give thanks and ask Him to keep us on this way. May Allah elevate us more and more, inshaAllah.

وَقُلِ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيُؤۡمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيَكۡفُرۡۚ (18:29) Allah Azza wa Jalla says: "Say the truth." Speak the Haqq (Truth). Whoever wishes to believe, let him believe. And if he does not want to believe, he can choose to disbelieve. But you must speak the truth. The people must know the truth. After that, they must decide. But your obligation—what you must say—is the truth. Tell people who ask; tell them what the truth is, do not lie. Especially regarding the Haqq and the way of Allah. You must not say something wrong by yourself. You cannot invent things yourself and speak them. So, whatever the truth is, you must say it. There is no need to be afraid. Because when you are afraid, you might not speak at the right time. But everyone must accept the truth. Whoever accepts the truth, the Haqq, will be safe. If he does not accept, he may not be safe. This is what they call democracy; this is real democracy. Everyone is free to accept or not accept. But they must know. Here, there is no problem for them until the end of their lives. Until the end of their lives, they have the chance to accept. If they accept before dying, Allah will forgive them. If they do not accept, then there will be great regret. It is not like the dunya: "I regret not buying this; it was cheap, now it is expensive." In that case, you are still alive. But regarding that other regret—when you die—it is finished. So we must tell people this. You must accept this. Allah gives you this chance your whole life. You can be an unbeliever until the end of your life. But you do not know when the end of your life will be. Do not think you will live to be ninety, eighty, or seventy years old. Maybe at thirty years, it could end. Maybe fifty, maybe sixty. So you have no guarantee to do whatever you want and then regret and ask for forgiveness later. No, you must ask for forgiveness at all times. There is no guarantee in life. Only Allah Azza wa Jalla knows the end of people's lives. So one must be careful not to leave it until the end and then say, "Yes, you are right, you said this..." By that time, it may be too late. May Allah grant guidance to these people. And grant us good understanding, to be on the way of Allah at all times. To be careful not to be too late, insha'Allah. May Allah save us from our bad egos, insha'Allah.