Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

There is a blessed saying. I am not exactly sure whether it is a Hadith or a saying of the righteous. "In patience there is safety, and in haste there is regret." Deliberate action leads to safety. It helps a person to perform good deeds: Acting slowly and thoughtfully. وفي العجلة الندامة Whoever acts hastily will regret in the end. It inevitably ends in regret: When one jumps from one thing to another without consideration and acts without a plan. In the end, one will surely regret such hasty actions. When someone hastily and without consideration proclaims, "I will do this and that." Exactly such rash decisions lead to regret later. But when is haste appropriate? In good deeds. You should perform good deeds swiftly. Worldly matters, on the other hand, require thorough reflection. You should carefully consider how and what you will do. But with good deeds, haste is called for. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says, when a person commits a sin, he should immediately perform a good deed afterward so that the sin is effaced. One should immediately do good afterward so that the sin is erased. This haste should be in matters of the Hereafter. عجلوا بالصلاة قبل الفوت، عجلوا بالتوبة قبل الموت Hurry to the prayer before the time passes. If the time passes, you will not find the blessing of this prayer. Also hasten to repentance before death comes. After death, repentance is no longer of any use. One must know this. Haste is good in matters of the Hereafter. In worldly matters, it is not good. Therefore, handle worldly matters deliberately, slowly, and with planning. But for the Hereafter, immediately, without wasting time. Do not postpone these things to later. May Allah help us. Let us hasten to perform good deeds, insha'Allah.

وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ (22:40) Allah says: Whoever is with Allah will be victorious. Victory will belong to him, insha'Allah. Be with Allah, and then you will be victorious despite all difficulties. Whoever is with Satan can never be victorious. Even if he appears victorious, he is the loser. For when someone acts against Allah and thinks he has gained something in this world, he will have gained nothing in the Hereafter and will have lost. He will have prepared his path to Hell. That is the true defeat. It is not victory or defeat in this world that counts, but the Hereafter is important. Be with Allah, so that you are always victorious, insha'Allah. Let us conquer our ego. Let us defeat Satan, insha'Allah. This time is a very difficult time. All evil appears as good. It is now very easy to do these things. It used to be difficult to do evil. People who did evil were rare. Now it is everywhere. Allah has opened a way for them; now is their time. This is a test for the Muslims. Do not say: "They have done it, let's do it too; it's easy, nothing happens." They will be held accountable in the Hereafter. Then you will see who is victorious and who has lost. May Allah make us among the victorious, among those who are with Allah. Let us always be on Allah's side, insha'Allah. Then we are always victorious, insha'Allah. People should not be deceived by the words of these worthless people and stand against Allah. They will be greatly deceived if they do that. May they be with Allah, insha'Allah. May Allah not divert us from His path and let us remain steadfast, insha'Allah.

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has proclaimed that the Mahdi will appear to end the turmoil of the end times. His words are the truth. Everything he foretold has come to pass. He predicted all events until the Day of Judgment. In this, the Mahdi is the most important prophecy. When the Mahdi is mentioned, many people ask: "How are we to recognize him?" Therefore, someone comes forward every day and claims: "I am the Mahdi, follow me." Of course, most people do not take this seriously. For the true Mahdi will not wander around asking people for allegiance. When the Mahdi appears, he will be recognized. He will proclaim the Takbir. Then all true believers will follow him. Whoever claims today that he is the Mahdi is mentally disturbed. He is either insane, possessed, or foolish. Nothing else. Some people even believe them. They follow them blindly. They run after them senselessly. Whatever they preach, whether it is compatible with the Sharia or not, that is another question. Their followers are even more foolish than they are. It cannot be described otherwise. If the Mahdi had to visit each individual personally, he would need millions of years to unite all people and change the order. That is not how it will happen. How will one recognize the Mahdi? When he proclaims the Takbir, he will be recognized from West to East, from North to South. Every true believer will know it, hear it, and follow him. Among the self-proclaimed Mahdis, there are harmless lunatics and dangerous lunatics. They exploit people and act according to their own whims—only Allah knows their true intentions. Therefore, we must be vigilant. Some even refer to their sheikhs as the Mahdi. Some have also called Sheikh Nazim the Mahdi. There were some foolish people. They said: "Sheikh Nazim is the Mahdi." Others even claimed they were Jesus. Sheikh Nazim said: "We are only servants." "We are servants of the Mahdi, not the Mahdi himself." Sheikh Nazim made it clear directly. Likewise, today no sheikh is the Mahdi. The Mahdi is a different person. When the time comes, everyone will see him. He will turn oppression in the world into justice. He will turn evil into good, if Allah wills. May Allah unite us with him. Thanks to Allah, our Sheikh has shown us the way. As for those who claim "I am the Mahdi": "Mahdi" literally means "the Guided One." That is, from the word itself, anyone who guides people to the right path is, in a way, a Mahdi. But the true Mahdi, whom our Prophet (peace be upon him) announced, has not yet appeared. If Allah wills, we will witness him. May we all experience these blessed days together, if Allah wills.

يُرِيۡدُ اللّٰهُ اَنۡ يُّخَفِّفَ عَنۡكُمۡ​ۚ وَخُلِقَ الۡاِنۡسَانُ ضَعِيۡفًا (4:28) Allah, the Exalted, says that He wishes to lighten the burdens of people. Humans were created inherently weak. Allah, the Exalted, explains that He has created humans inherently weak by nature. Therefore, there should be no hardships imposed on them. Allah says that it should not be made difficult for humans, but those who follow their desires make life difficult for themselves. Whoever follows their desires causes more difficulties and mischief. Allah, the Exalted, on the other hand, wants only good. Because humans are weak, there are divine commandments they should follow to overcome this weakness. If they do not follow these, they go astray. There they will encounter sorrow, difficulties, and misfortune. Those who follow their desires and their ego, associate with bad people, and turn away from Allah's path make their lives burdensome. Humans are not only weak but also ruin themselves through such behavior. Allah, the Exalted, wants only the best for humans. He wishes nothing bad for people. It is Satan who wants the bad. Allah has given humans free will—whoever controls their ego will be saved. Whoever is unable to control their ego will be swept away by it. Their end will be disastrous. Their life will be ruined. Humans can overcome their weakness only on Allah's path. However, if they follow their ego, this weakness intensifies and becomes even more disastrous. May Allah protect us all from this evil. May we remain on Allah's path, insha'Allah. May Allah grant us relief, insha'Allah.

Our Prophet—Allah's blessings and peace be upon him—teaches us that Muslims should not be estranged from each other for longer than three days. This is not allowed. Of course, it can happen that a Muslim is hurt or offended by another Muslim. One is then hurt and wants to avoid contact. But even then, the Prophet—Allah's blessings and peace be upon him—teaches us not to hold grudges. Nowadays, people find a reason to be offended over everything. Whether within or outside the family. Especially in families, there are often disputes. From small quarrels, real enmity then develops. And this enmity leads to even worse things. Therefore, the Prophet—Allah's blessings and peace be upon him—teaches us: Good brings forth good; and bad brings forth bad. Holding grudges is a form of bad. As long as a Muslim does not deviate from the way of Allah, we should maintain contact. Only if someone renounces the faith is it no longer necessary to keep contact. The most important thing is that Muslims support each other. One must be able to admit one's mistakes. If someone makes a mistake, one should forgive. These are the cornerstones of Islamic coexistence. Otherwise, ever greater problems arise. It accumulates and becomes worse and worse. Unnecessary conflicts arise. Harmful things happen. Therefore, it is better before Allah if we recognize and avoid our own faults. Muslims must stick together. There are already enough enemies of Islam. It is not permitted for Muslims to do evil to each other or to consider each other as enemies. This harms both themselves and the Muslim community. May Allah protect us from that. May Allah protect us from the evil of the devil. The scheme of the devil is great. May Allah protect us from his evil.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: تفاءلوا بالخير تجدوه "Be confident, and good will come to you." This means, no matter what you do, where you go, or which activity you pursue—assume that it will turn out well. The Prophet (peace be upon him) assures us that this is exactly how it will be. Not only is this better for you personally, but Allah the Almighty will also reward your confidence. A sick person should say to themselves: "I will recover." A job seeker should think: "I will find a position." Whoever sets out should be convinced: "It will turn out well." One should say to oneself: "We will surely go there and return safely." Fundamentally, one should assume that everything will have a good outcome. If you think from the outset, "This won't work anyway, it won't succeed," then you destroy your own hope. Similarly, a sick person harms themselves if they say, "I will never get well again." If instead they say, "If Allah wills, I will get well; Allah will grant me healing," then, with Allah's help, they will recover. That is even more effective than medicine. A positive attitude and firm faith have a stronger effect than medications. It is more effective than anything else. Therefore, the words of the Prophet are a guide for people and show us the good. So always think positively. "Our efforts will bear fruit; it can only get better. If Allah wills, we trust in Allah. It will be good, even better"—that should be your way of thinking. There are people who are known as 'bearers of bad news': They are people who speak ill of everything and only predict misfortune. That is not good and doesn't help anyone—in fact, it only causes harm. May Allah protect us from that. Positive thoughts are the key. May Allah grant us good and lead our affairs to the best, inshallah. May everything become even better and more beautiful, inshallah.

فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ (59:2) Allah the Almighty commands: "So take warning, O people of insight." (59:2) Life in this world exists so that we may draw lessons every moment. Everything has wisdom, a divine manifestation. People who can see recognize this, draw lessons from it, and benefit from it. Those who cannot see know nothing. They come ignorant and leave ignorant. They can neither benefit from anything nor gain any advantage. A person who draws lessons benefits from everything. Drawing lessons is a command from Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty did not create worldly life for us to live and perish like grass, but so that it may serve us as gain for the Hereafter. Therefore, it is a command to draw lessons. Draw lessons; draw lessons from everything. You can draw lessons from your own life. You can also draw lessons from the actions of others. Drawing lessons from what is seen means: to reflect on its wisdom. Even if you do not understand something—merely reflecting on it and thinking "Allah the Almighty has His wisdom in it" is already beneficial. At that moment, you remember Allah the Almighty. In Allah's creation, there are many instructive things. In the past, future, and present, there is much from which one can draw lessons. أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ عَبَثٗا (23:115) "We have not created you in vain," says Allah the Almighty. (23:115) Therefore, the whole of life—both your own and that of others—is there to draw lessons, to be good, and to keep away from evil, insha'Allah. May Allah help us. May Allah help us to understand these wisdoms, insha'Allah.

Allah, the Exalted, says: اِنَّكَ لَا تَهۡدِيۡ مَنۡ اَحۡبَبۡتَ وَلٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهۡدِيۡ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ (28:56) "You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills." Allah grants guidance to whom He wills. The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: "Guiding one person is better than the whole world and everything in it." Therefore, it is a great reward to lead someone to Allah's path. If a person is granted this grace, they should strive for nothing else. Both during the Sheikh's time and today, many people, thanks to Allah, have taken this path. Thousands, tens of thousands of people have followed the path of guidance, the path of the Prophet, the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, and the Naqshbandi Order. But sometimes we no longer see some of them. Our doors are open to all. We did not buy them just because they were guided. Everyone can come and go as they please. No one is obliged to anyone. This is a matter of the heart. If Allah has guided someone through you, that should suffice for you. You do not need to seek other benefits. This is a great gift from Allah, the Exalted, to you. It is a great grace when someone is guided through you and remains on this path. Unfortunately, there are those who complain and say: 'These people came to the Tariqa through me and got to know the Sheikh through me,' and then lament that especially the women no longer serve them: "Now they no longer serve me, they no longer honor me." Yes, people can show you respect and honor you, but you have not bought anyone. Allah has created every person free. No one is the servant or slave of another. If it comes from the heart, one serves for Allah's sake. Everyone must know this truth, especially the followers of the Tariqa. For the Tariqa is the essence of the Sharia. The limits of the Sharia are fine as a hair. The Sharia is sharp as a sword; one must be careful. While you are doing good, do not harm yourself, so that nothing bad happens to you. When you see these people on the right path, thank and praise Allah. Thanks be to Allah, while millions of people are astray and know neither Allah nor the Prophet, have neither religion nor faith, neither morals nor anything else. It is not right to be upset because a blessed person is not with you, even though they are following the same path. Do not cause difficulties for this person. Do not cause them sorrow! This is very important. The door is always open for those who enter the path. Thousands, tens of thousands came to Sheikh Nazim Effendi. We do not see all of them, only a small part. If most continue from the heart, we are happy; if not, may Allah also guide them. May Allah not lead anyone astray. After having guided a person to the right path, you should thank Allah. Do not let other thoughts enter your heart. Instead of what you might receive from them, Allah will grant you greater and better things. These are things to pay attention to. Especially for the followers of the Tariqa. Unfortunately, the Tariqa followers talk everywhere: 'He was like this, that one was like that.' Our Tariqa is open. Our door is open. Whoever wants to come to us is welcome. Whoever wants to go elsewhere, as long as they are on the right path, on the path of Allah and the Prophet, should go. There is no reason for sadness. Wherever their heart inclines, there they go. Whatever they do. The main thing is that they do not leave the path. That is the most important thing. May Allah keep us all firm on this path. May He not let us follow our ego, inshaAllah. May Allah, the Exalted, show us His way. May He protect us from misguidance, inshaAllah.

وَلَا يَخَافُوۡنَ لَوۡمَةَ لَاۤـئِمٍ (5:54) Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran that for a believer who is with Allah, the opinion of others is unimportant. What others say is of no significance to someone on Allah's path. The only important thing is to be on Allah's path. They do not worry about "whether this person will like me or that one won't." Their only concern is that Allah accepts them and is pleased with them. That is their entire goal, their drive, and their thoughts. May Allah accept us. We should not worry whether someone likes our clothing, our recitation, or our gait. Whoever is with Allah thinks of no one else but Him. The only thing one should consider is whether what one eats, drinks, and wears is in accordance with Allah's will. In Islam, there is no rule that says you have to care whether this man or that woman likes something. In Islam, you should be properly and cleanly dressed. You should keep your clothing clean and avoid impurity. After that, it's simple—your food should also be pure. There should be no impurity, no dirt. These people who do not like Islam and Muslims have both dirty clothing and impure foods. For example, alcohol is impure. If alcohol touches your clothing, you must wash it to cleanse it. You must wash your clothing so that the impurity disappears. The same applies to food. Now these unreasonable non-Muslims get upset: "There are people who eat dogs. How can anyone eat dog meat?" "You eat pork, which is even more impure than that." What kind of logic is that? There is no logic there. A person who does not believe in Allah has no logic. Nothing about them is right or proper. If you try to please them, they will make a monkey out of you. If you conform to their whims, you will be exposed to every kind of ridicule; they will laugh at you. Then you will truly become a laughingstock. A person on Allah's path achieves the greatest gain by being as Allah wants them to be. All their affairs will be good. They will walk on Allah's path. If you are constantly looking at whom you please and whom you don't, Allah will not look at you graciously and will not be pleased with you. May Allah's pleasure be upon all of us. It brings nothing to constantly worry: "He said this, she said that." On the contrary, if there are people who do not like us—that is, do not like Islam—and we do what they do not like, then we are happy about it. If we gain through good deeds that they do not like, then let them not like it. We do the good because it is good. If they like it, fine; if not, it is not important either.

Allah the Exalted speaks to us in the Holy Quran. وَمَنۡ اَحۡسَنُ دِيۡنًا مِّمَّنۡ اَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهٗ لِلّٰهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ وَّاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ حَنِيۡفًا​ (4:125) The best people are those who follow the faith of Abraham and profess allegiance to the community of Abraham—the community of Islam. His religion is Islam. Whoever follows this path belongs to the best people before Allah. To be a good person in the eyes of Allah—that is the task of every human being. For everything we have comes from Allah, and we are indebted to Him. We all belong to Allah. We are His property. He is our Lord. Allah is the Exalted. He gives us our livelihood, grants us health, and—most importantly—our faith. We must be grateful to Him and follow His path. He is the one who saves, who gives, and who takes. He is Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, Allah says: "Blessed is he who follows this path." That is the truly good person. Allah the Exalted shows us the right path. He says: "This is the right path you should follow." There is no better path than this. Do not stray onto other paths. Do not follow other people. Do not follow those who have strayed from the path—you would perish. Whoever claims "We have saved you, we have helped you" and in doing so leads you away from the right path, benefits neither you nor himself. Therefore, it is right to stay on Allah's path. People speak of the "life decision." This is the true life decision. To remain steadfast on this path and to go into the hereafter upon it. That is the best, the most beautiful, and the wisest decision. Allah the Exalted says: وَاتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ خَلِيۡلًا (4:125) He took Abraham as His beloved. Abraham was among the Prophets of special determination, the great Prophets. There were 124,000 Prophets. Among them are the Prophets of special rank—the 'Ulul Azm. They have the highest ranks. Abraham is also considered an ancestor of our Prophet. Of course, the Prophethood of our Prophet stands in first place, and as the last Prophet, he completed Islam for humanity until the Day of Judgment. Islam is not a difficult religion. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) says: "Do not overburden yourselves; Allah accepts what you are able to accomplish." Also do not say when you do more that it is enough! Therefore, our Prophet says: "Do not overburden yourselves." Do not load too much upon yourselves. Fulfill the commandments according to your abilities. Of course, do not neglect the obligations. Do not neglect them. Do not neglect the prayer, fasting, and other obligations, but you do not have to force yourselves to do more. For sometimes one sees people who return from bad ways, from ways that Allah does not love. They say: "I will do this and that" and start full of zeal. Then they take on too much. They cannot sustain it. Therefore, small but consistent deeds are the most beloved to Allah. Better to do a little, but consistently, without interruption. Therefore, Islam is an easy religion, not a difficult one. Whoever says it is difficult is lying. May Allah protect us from that.