Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٞ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُۥ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلٗا (33:23) Allah praises the men who stand by their promise. This refers to what they promised Allah Azza wa Jalla and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). They do not withdraw this promise. They pledged this for their whole lives, until death. They remain men of their word, never changing. Apologies to the ladies, but we must say this: Nowadays, many people have ceased to be "men" [of honor]. Some men say something, but later, when it doesn't suit them, they deny it. They say, "I just said that; I do not care about promises or anything else." Why are we saying this? Alhamdulillah, most of you here are locals. Perhaps half of this Jamaat is from this area, while others come to listen from London or other places. Whenever we came here in the past, we would visit Sheikh Walid. Sheikh Walid, the Palestinian. He was here in this area, spreading the Tariqa among the English, Pakistanis, Arabs—everyone. I have known him since 1985. Back then, we used to drive an old, small car to Peckham to visit Mawlana Sheikh. From that time on, he never changed his path. He could have claimed to be a Sheikh in his own right. He could have established a "Tariqa Walidiya," if he wished. Because no one forced him to guide people to Sheikh Nazim. He had knowledge, he had everything, and people were with him all the time. But he did not follow his ego and say, "I am a Sheikh, I am this, I am that." He strongly kept his promise until Mawlana Sheikh passed away. Until Mawlana Sheikh passed from this world, he did not change his word. Because Mawlana gave the order. I, too, am not eager to be a Sheikh, but it is Mawlana's order. He said, "This man will be the Sheikh for you." So he did not refuse, nor did he say, "No, I do not accept, I am already a Sheikh," or anything like that. He did not say, "There is no need to follow what Mawlana Sheikh said." He could have said, "I am a Sheikh, I have been in the Tariqa longer than this new Sheikh, and I am better than him." No, he simply accepted and gave his love just the same. Because he was very clever and wise; he possessed wisdom. He knew that this Way is not about the Sheikh. This Way is about the Path itself. The Sheikh comes and goes, but the Way remains the same. Love for this Way must not change. Whoever comes, follow the order. Especially those who claimed, "I love the Sheikh, I have been a murid for fifty or sixty years," but then, when the Sheikh gives an order, they say, "No, I do not accept this; I must be the Sheikh." But this man [Sheikh Walid] was not like that. For this reason, Allah praises such people. Allah calls this a "man." Even women are considered "men" when they stand by their promise; they are stronger than the men who do not stand by their word. This is a very important Tariqa because you cannot easily find a real Sheikh or a real Tariqa. If you spend fifty years in the Tariqa and do not understand this, then you are nothing. You are merely existing by accident. You find yourself in the Tariqa, and after a lifetime, you ask, "What am I doing here? Who am I?" You are here because this is the ship of salvation. Like Sayyidina Nuh—I often say Mawlana Sheikh is like Sayyidina Nuh. When you are on his ship, you will be safe from this world, and for the Next World as well. So you must know—do not be uncertain. Be sure you are safe, do not object, and do not say things Allah is unhappy with. Just follow. Alhamdulillah, our way is clear. Many times people asked, "Do you have a representative in your place?" Everywhere is open, Alhamdulillah; we are very open to everyone. Our door is open. Whoever comes is welcome. Whoever is not happy, bye-bye. We do not keep people by force, but our way is to keep people safe. To know—and not to wonder—"Why am I here? Why am I in this dunya?" Many people go crazy, shouting at their mothers and fathers, "Why did you bring me into this world?" Your father and mother did not bring you; Allah created you and sent you here. So when you realize this, you will be satisfied and happy. There is no running away. Just wait. Wait, wait, wait, and when your time comes, you will meet your Lord, InshaAllah. Do not be anxious or worried, asking "How will I survive?" When your provision ends, you will die. Even if you have billions, you cannot put one extra morsel of food in your mouth or drink one extra drop of water. You cannot take it. So don't worry, be happy. Allah Azza wa Jalla has promised everyone's provision (rizq) and life span. It is set for a certain amount and a certain time. When the time comes, you will go. Many people make their lives like hell before even going to the Akhirah (Hereafter). They make their lives hell, worrying every single day. When we are not happy, quickly perform Wudu and pray two rakat. It is important for all human beings to pray. Because prayer is the time we are nearest to our Lord, Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah Azza wa Jalla is everywhere. But when you pray, He is in your heart. He said, "The whole universe cannot contain Me, but I can fit within the heart of My believer." It is a small heart, but Allah says when you realize this, He will be in your heart, and all problems will vanish, InshaAllah. This is very important, so do not leave. Do not leave this Way. Do not be deceived by others who claim they will teach you better than this Way. Because our Way, from Mawlana Sheikh Abdullah ad-Daghestani and Sheikh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani and all the Mashayikh, is exactly as it was in the Prophet's time. It follows the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Sunnah and shows people every goodness. The best thing, the greatest teaching from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), is to be humble. All the Mashayikh were humble; no one claimed to be better than others. They said, "We are only serving." "We are servants to the Ummah and to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)." When you see others, scholars or otherwise, saying "I am this, I am that," do not follow them. Alhamdulillah, Allah bless this Walid Effendi; he was such a humble one. Such a good man, and Alhamdulillah, his lineage also continues. It is very important to see something continue. It is very important. Even if you are doing something small, do not quit. Do not leave this Way. Do not be deceived by others who claim to be "the real ones" these days. Find good people and follow them. If you follow some of these others, they will lead you off the path. They say, "There is no need for prayer," which is a misunderstanding. Great Mashayikh and Awliyaullah, like Jalaluddin Rumi, say, "To be with a Saint or a Sheikh is better than a hundred years of sincere worship." But some may misunderstand this to mean one should not pray or do anything. No; when you are with a Saint, he will show you how important it is to worship. How important it is to follow the right way, the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). All these Awliyaullah adhere to the Sharia of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Tariqa and Sharia go together. Without Sharia, there is no Tariqa. Because at that stage, everyone would just do whatever their ego desires. They would say, "Why pray? We are sitting, doing Tasbih and Dhikr; there is no need to pray." Others would say, "Why go for Hajj when it is so crowded? We can go another time." Or, "Why fast in summer? It is too long and hot; we will fast on these short days instead, it is much easier." That is what would happen. So without Sharia, there can be no Tariqa. This is very important. You will find every Awliyaullah is very strict regarding the Tariqa. And not one of these Awliyaullah is outside the Sharia. You cannot find anyone who has a Maqam or Mazar (shrine) who is outside of the Sharia of the Madhahib. There are no blessed places for them. This is only for those who follow Sharia and Tariqa. You can see this around the world. In Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq—everywhere. It is those who are following Sharia. Those who do not follow Sharia have no place where people come to seek blessings from them. And to go and ask Allah for the sake of these people is also important. Because you receive Baraka; Allah showers blessings upon this place which is beloved to Him. And you can take from this. You are not asking *from* this person; rather, for their sake, you ask Allah Azza wa Jalla. To give you what you want. Because Allah gives everything. Many people confuse this, and later it becomes a problem for them. May Allah save us from our egos. And help us follow the right way. Not to be deceived by people who claim this and that. Those who do not listen to the Awliyaullah. Who do not listen to the will of the Awliyaullah. The will of the Awliyaullah is to be together, and not to stray from the way of the Mashayikh, InshaAllah. Allah bless you.

Wa ja'ala lakum al-arda tahura. Allah Azza wa Jalla created the Earth, and He made it clean for us. For the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), the entire Earth is clean. You can pray anywhere; it is pure. Originally, it is clean, but human beings make it dirty. In some places, you cannot pray if it is filthy. But in a clean place, you can pray; it is permissible to pray anywhere, whether inside a mosque or outside. Before the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), prayer had to be in a specific place, like a temple or a sanctuary. Why? Because for others, the land was not considered clean everywhere. It was restricted to certain places only. But for the sake of the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), Allah made the whole world pure, so you can be anywhere and pray. But now, we see that people are making it dirty everywhere. As Allah says: "Zaharal fasadu fil barri wal bahri bima kasabat aydin nas." (30:41) Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by what the hands of people have earned. Now the land, the water, and the sea are spoiled; they have become bad. How? By human beings. It is human beings who make it like this. Through their envy, and because they want everything for themselves without thinking of others, they have ruined it. Mawlana Sheikh always used to say: "Beton, Nylon, Hormone." Beton means concrete, nylon is plastic, and hormone—you know what hormone is. They have made it so that life seems impossible without these things now. Why? Because they became accustomed to this. Before this, many other things could be used instead. But now, regarding concrete, you cannot do much about it. In our personal lives, you can hardly find anything without it. Maybe very few—perhaps five or two percent—are built differently, but most people are, of course, using concrete. Of course, it is acceptable to use it in places where it is obligatory or necessary. You can, but not where you are living. Everything is turning to concrete. In summer, it radiates heat, and in winter, it lets the cold pass through to your body. Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about this anymore. As for hormones, they put hormones in everything. You cannot avoid this; it seems impossible now. The third thing: Nylon—plastic. This, we can avoid. Even if you only avoid this third one, it is a huge achievement for us. For this reason, Allah made this material capable of being recycled. Yet, Muslims are throwing it everywhere. Alhamdulillah, there is inspiration for people to set up places everywhere to collect this waste. It is filthier than—sorry to say—human waste; plastic is more harmful. So, when you have something like this, it is obligatory for you not to throw it away and make the world dirtier. And do not commit israaf (waste) either. You must collect it and put it in the designated place. This will be a Sadaqah (charity) for you because you are cleaning. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: If you remove harm from the street, it is Sadaqah for you. Even if you do not give Sadaqah from money—because the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said that for each of the 360 joints in your body, you must give one Sadaqah daily. The Sahaba had nothing; most of them were hungry and could not find anything to give. They asked: "O Prophet, we don't have anything; how can we do this?" He replied: "Every good deed you do is Sadaqah." To remove dirt or a stone from the street is Sadaqah; to smile at your brother is Sadaqah. And ultimately, Salatul Duha suffices for all of this. But what is important here is that the more Sadaqah you give, the better. Especially regarding the mosque; when you clean the mosque, even for a small thing, Allah rewards you in Jannah with a brick of gold. Cleanliness is very important. Our main principle in Islam is: "An-nazafatu minal iman"—Cleanliness is from Iman (Faith). Iman is higher than Islam; it opens the heart and the self. So InshaAllah, this message is for the whole world. Now we hear of people who pay no attention to this at all. You see Islamic countries are dirtier than other countries; they lack this practice. May Allah help us; it is important. We say that by avoiding this, you save at least a third of your health, InshaAllah. May Allah keep us safe, clean, and beloved to Allah and the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said: "Innamal 'ilmu bit-ta'allum, wa innamal hilmu bit-tahallum." Sadaqa Rasulullah fima qala aw kama qala. Knowledge is only attained through learning. You must acquire it, or you need someone to teach it to you. This knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim – from the cradle to the grave. Every day one must learn a little bit more. You must strive for knowledge. This is obligatory – Fard – for every Muslim man and every Muslim woman. Of course, this means: a little every day. But our intention should be constant, insha'Allah. And of course, you will discover something new every day, even in things you thought you already knew everything about. Do not say: "I already know everything, I do not need to learn or ask anything anymore." Knowledge is infinite. It is not reserved for just a single individual. Therefore, insha'Allah, everyone here must concern themselves with it – be it during the daily Wird, or when serving as an Imam or Muezzin. You must learn these things really well. "Innamal 'ilmu bit-ta'allum," says the Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam). You must practice this. Now, for the future here with our Mashayikh: From morning until the Isha prayer, someone must recite. Not always just the Muezzin; every day someone else should do it, to learn how to perform the Tasbihat and call the Adhan. From Fajr to Isha, insha'Allah, someone different every day. And when we are traveling, when there are not many people around, a new Muezzin must step up. You must be trained to be a Muezzin. It should not always be the same person, or just the host. There should be many Muezzins. Alhamdulillah, we should take the Kaaba as an example; there are many Muezzins there. Also in Medina al-Munawwara there are many Muezzins. In the holy mosques there are many, all different. So it is important not just to listen and say: "Good, he is already doing it, we do not need to do it." No, you must learn and you must practice, insha'Allah. For being a Muezzin is a great honor. The Muezzins are praised in the Divine Presence of Allah – 'Azza wa Jalla. As far as their voice reaches, they will be forgiven by Allah. And on the Day of Qiyama, it is said, they will tower above all other people. So, insha'Allah, wherever you go: Learn and practice this. The second part: "Innamal hilmu bit-tahallum." That means not to be angry, but to show gentleness. People say: "I get angry quickly, what should I do?" "I cannot simply dip you into a paint pot and pull you out again so that you are no longer angry." The Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said: "Gently, gently" – through practice. Every time anger rises, you must remember: "I must be gentle." If you are very angry, it will become a little less intense thereby. The next time again; remember every time. Eventually, perhaps in a month, a year, two years, or maybe ten, there will be no more anger, insha'Allah. May Allah protect us from anger. Even if you get angry, you must calm down again quickly. Such was the anger of Mawlana Sheikh: like a straw fire. It flares up quickly and is over quickly. That is how it must be, for everyone gets angry sometimes, but afterwards the anger must vanish. Because anger ignites a fire within you; that is not necessary. You must get rid of this anger quickly, insha'Allah. May Allah help us with that, insha'Allah.

‘Wa ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-birri wa t-taqwā wa lā ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-ithmi wa l-‘udwān’, (Qur’ān 05:02). This is the best path for all humanity. It applies to Muslims as well; indeed, this must be for Muslims. This command is a duty for all believers. You must help each other in acts of goodness, whether through charity or by assisting people in any way. It can be with your hand, your tongue, or any other means of support. There are thousands of ways to help people. Allah Azza wa Jalla says, “Help.” Be united. “Ta’āwanu” means to cooperate and assist one another. Do not cooperate in bad deeds or in doing wrong. Do not do this. This instruction is for all mankind. Whoever claims to be a human being must behave this way. A Muslim must be even more committed to this. They must support one another. Give naṣīḥah—advice—and offer help. Many people believe they are doing good, when in fact they are doing very wrong things. Therefore, they must ask for guidance: “Am I doing right or wrong? I thought this was good according to my own reasoning,” but upon asking, you may find that it is not good, but actually harmful. Receiving this advice becomes a great help to you. It wakes you up from committing sin or doing wrong unknowingly. Sometimes you do something thinking it is good, but in reality, it is bad. May Allah Azza wa Jalla grant us the joy of helping others and receiving help, insha'Allah. May Allah Azza wa Jalla bless you.

At all times, for Allah Azza wa Jalla, we say Alhamdulillah wa Shukrulillah. Allah Azza wa Jalla helps us with everything; every breath, every second, every minute. Allah Azza wa Jalla is with us; we must realize this and thank Him for it. Many people—ignorant people—do not know what is good and what is bad. Normally, those who lack this understanding have no mind and bear no responsibility; they belong in a mental institution. But there are some who are not in an institution; they are responsible. They go to school, they teach, they work and do business, but when it comes to thanking Him, they do not. This is not good for those who behave this way. Everything is accounted for by Allah Azza wa Jalla, and you should know Him and be thanking Him. The people who do not know this are worse than the creatures. Allah Azza wa Jalla created all creatures—even stones, even trees—and they are all praising Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah Azza wa Jalla gave them the knowledge to recognize their Creator. If humans do not know their Creator, they arrogantly think they are better than you. Be careful with everything; you must be content. Allah Azza wa Jalla gave everything to you, including the knowledge to know Him. Many people act without looking at what the consequences will be. May Allah Azza wa Jalla make us knowledgeable people: to know Him, to accept Him, and to thank Him.