Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Praise be to Allah. "And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither." (3:97) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has made Hajj obligatory for people who are able to do it. Whoever Allah grants the opportunity, they set out on the journey. Even if obstacles are sometimes placed in the way of those who want to go - whoever is destined for it, they go, praise be to Allah. For this, Allah be thanked, infinite thanks belong to Him. Praise be to Allah, it was granted to us again this year. We went and returned in the evening. May Allah accept it. May Allah be pleased with all of you. May Allah also grant it to those who could not go, insha'Allah. Many set out. Their intention was to obey Allah's command. Insha'Allah, their Hajj has also been accepted. For an obstacle was placed in their way and they could not complete their Hajj. Their reward is also great. They have followed the path of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had also once intended to make Hajj, but when he could not enter Mecca, he turned back. Later Allah granted it to him. The Hajj of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the Hajj-i Akbar. Since the Day of Arafat fell on a Friday, this Hajj was the "Great Hajj," Hajj-i Akbar. Therefore, Allah has surely also granted their reward to those who could not go, according to their intentions. That we went again is also a decree of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Initially we had no intention at all, but although we had no intention, it was later granted to us and we went. Praise be to Allah, this Hajj of ours now counts as a voluntary Hajj. If it is destined, then one goes. If it is not destined, then you can strive and exert yourself as much as you want - it will not happen. One year before our first Hajj, we had made quite an effort and said: "Let us go for Hajj." In that year it did not happen, in the following year it happened. Insha'Allah, it will be granted. For those who cherish this intention, may Allah decree it and lead them to completion, insha'Allah. This year many went and were sent back without being able to perform their Hajj. More people were sent back than pilgrims who reached there. Allah is also kind to them. Allah's kindness is boundless. Insha'Allah, their Hajj has also been accepted. May Allah make His gifts permanent. Thanks be to Him. One must be grateful for this. It is a great mercy, a great blessing. To reach those places and visit Allah's House as well as the Prophet and return is one of the greatest blessings, one of the greatest mercies in this world. One must recognize their value. To go there and return without recognizing their value is not right. May Allah make us among those who recognize their value. Thanks be to Him, for through gratitude, gifts multiply.

"...And it is a duty upon mankind for Allah to make the pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find a way thereto..." (3:97) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has established the Hajj as one of the pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for whoever is able to travel there. Praise be to Allah. In this verse, Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, speaks: "And proclaim to mankind the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass" (22:27) When the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) built the Kaaba in Mecca at Allah's command. Then Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, said: "Call to prayer." From the Kaaba, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) called to prayer. This call was intended to bring people to the Kaaba. Of course, there was no one there. Only Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his son Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him). When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) saw no one, he asked: "What is the wisdom behind this?" It was revealed to him: everyone who hears this call until the Day of Judgment will have the fortune to go to Hajj. Therefore, people for whom it is not destined sometimes cannot go. But for those for whom it is destined, Allah opens the way, and they go. At a time they never would have expected. Praise be to Allah, we too had no such intention this year at all. May Allah be pleased with our brothers - when they suggested it, we did not refuse the offer. This is an honor that comes from Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. If Allah makes it possible today, we will undertake this journey, may Allah complete it. It is a wonderful, the most beautiful journey. The Hajj journey, the pilgrimage, to visit our Prophet and perform the Hajj, and inshallah return safely. May Allah help the people there - there are many people who embark on the Hajj path. Inshallah the way will be opened for them. They will complete their Hajj and return. It will have been destined for them too. They are those who have heard the call of Prophet Ibrahim. They will both fulfill their duties and perform great acts of worship and return laden with rewards, without losing anything. Because much reward is earned there. Unfortunately, the pilgrim loses most of this reward there due to his misdeeds, while still there, and usually returns. He will have performed his Hajj, but he has left the rewards there. Therefore, one must be careful. That place is sacred, the most sacred place in the world. Don't let your ego rule over you there either. You must be patient in everything, have patience and inshallah with these rewards - there are such rewards that in 10 days, 20 days, a month, some in 40 days, you will acquire more rewards than all the rewards you have received throughout your entire life. May Allah help. Praise be to Allah for these blessings that He grants. May Allah also destine it for those who cannot go.

"And spend from what We have provided for you" (63:10) Thus speaks Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, in the glorious Quran. "Give from the gifts that We have granted you, do good" - thus commands and recommends Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. The believer does not work only for this world. His work, his activity in this world, is done for the afterlife. Not solely for this world. In everything he does, his intention should be directed toward earning Allah's pleasure. If he wishes, the entire world can belong to him - there is nothing reprehensible about that. But if he works only for this world, not even a penny of it will benefit him. Therefore, this is of great importance. For the believer, for the Muslim, this is an essential matter. One must take this into consideration. One must think about this. Are we only chasing after the things of this world? Whoever sacrifices his afterlife for this world is a fool, says our Prophet - peace be upon him. He is worthless, he says. Not for this world alone, but for the afterlife it should be. Provide for wife and children, provide for your family, give to the Muslims. Possess as much as you want - do not fear it. But if what you do is only for this world, then you should fear. If you earn even a penny while only pursuing worldly things, then fear. Your intention should be thus: My striving, my zeal, my effort are not only for this world; I will use the world for the afterlife. Say to yourself: "I will not sell my afterlife for this world." Then you will be successful. Muslims often do not heed this. Then they rejoice all the more, the more they gain from the world. Even when they rejoice, even when they appear satisfied, they find no inner peace. They become restless. For without Allah's pleasure, there is neither satisfaction nor peace. Only when it is done for the sake of Allah's pleasure does this matter find its solution. The person should, as we said, work in such a way that he uses the world for the afterlife. He should work and exert himself. A lazy Muslim is also not an exemplary person. A diligent Muslim is an exemplary person. "The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer," says our Prophet - peace be upon him. A strong Muslim is better than a weak Muslim. Strength often manifests in his wealth, his gold, his silver, his possessions. This Muslim is stronger. If it serves the good and is done for the sake of Allah's pleasure, then it will be blessed. May Allah grant this understanding to all of us. Making this distinction is important. Whoever knows how to distinguish finds the good. The good is Allah's pleasure. May Allah constantly grant us this good. May He not let us follow our ego.

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) performed and continues to perform many miracles. Those who have faith will be victorious. His miracles remain for all time. This means his miracles in this world last until the Day of Judgment. One of them is the conquest of Constantinople. When our Prophet said "Constantinople will be conquered," it was considered the most powerful empire in the world at that time. No one dared to approach it. People wondered: "How could this be possible?" They fought with all their strength for the conquest of Constantinople. Finally, it was destined for Sultan Mehmet Khan to accomplish this conquest. He conquered Constantinople. He received the praise of our Prophet (peace be upon him). His soldiers also received this praise as Islamic warriors. After that, they blocked every path for the unbelievers and prevented enemies from entering Islamic lands and territories. There are many such miracles. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also announced things that were yet to happen. Much of what was to happen before the Day of Judgment has already occurred and become apparent. A part is still pending. These are the great signs. When these also appear, the Day of Judgment will be near. There is no such thing as eternal existence of this world. In this material world, there is no eternity. Eternity exists only in the afterlife. The person who attains the afterlife has truly won. For this reason, every Muslim since the time of our Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted to attain this honor, to partake in this beautiful word, this glad tidings of our Prophet. Every Muslim strived for this honor. For this cause, many gave their lives as martyrs, many became veterans. They too attained this honor according to their intention; Allah the Almighty granted it to them. Allah the Almighty's wisdom is infinite. For this reason, blessed companions also came to this city and found their final resting place here. They became blessed burial sites. Thank Allah, so that they may be blessings and beacons for the Muslims. That was also their destiny. Thank Allah, these places where they rest, and the surrounding areas, became strongholds of Islam. This blessed city is, with Allah's permission, the head of Islam. It is the center of the Caliphate. Therefore, disbelief, no matter how strong it may be, cannot triumph. With Allah's permission, those who are with Allah triumph, those who are with Allah the Almighty, those who walk on the path of our Prophet. They are always victorious. Always victorious, always winning are those who are with Allah. But those who are with Satan are always at a loss. May Allah protect us. May Allah bless it. These days of ours are also blessed days.

However much we may thank Allah the Almighty - it is never enough. For the more we give thanks, the more Allah the Almighty increases His blessings. So you not only give thanks, but also receive material benefit. Allah the Almighty loves the generous. The most generous of all generous ones is Allah the Almighty. He does not have the worry like creatures that something "runs out" or "is not enough". With Allah everything is infinite. His kingdom is infinitely vast. The human mind and imagination cannot comprehend Him. They research and occupy themselves with: "So big it is, so it is constituted". But what they occupy themselves with is not even like a point. If it were like a point, then it would have boundaries. "Do not think about Allah's essence", says our Prophet - peace be upon him. "Think about His kingdom." Think about the greatness of His creation - how little can the human mind comprehend of it! Both materially and spiritually, the greatness of His creation is much greater than the human mind could comprehend. People consider themselves important and behave disrespectfully and rudely toward Allah the Almighty. They claim impossible things. "No, it's like this! No, it's like this!", they insist. Hah, who are you anyway? Take care of your own condition, so that Allah helps you. May Allah the Almighty help. Be grateful for your condition, so that everything is increased and becomes more blessed. Our Prophet - peace be upon him - says: "Through gratitude, blessings remain and multiply." Therefore these people have fallen to Satan and follow his path. They talk a lot. They consider themselves clever. Allah forbid! Since Adam - peace be upon him - until today, billions, even trillions of people like you have come and gone. Many who have thought like you have existed - but what has become of them all? They have turned to dust and passed away. In the hereafter, the one who is with Allah the Almighty and is grateful wins. Therefore we thank Allah, thank for the grace of faith, so that it remains constant and multiplies - insha'Allah. May Allah also grant people guidance and understanding. That means: When the majority claims something, that doesn't mean it's right. What is right is what Allah the Almighty and our Prophet - peace be upon him - have said. After the recitation of the Holy Quran we say each time: "Sadakallahu'l-azim". The one who speaks the truth is Allah. Everything else besides Him is false and erroneous. However many people may consider themselves right - they are all wrong. May Allah protect from the false path.

By the dawn (89:1) And by ten nights (89:2) Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, swears by these blessed days. These days presumably begin today or tomorrow evening with the evening prayer. Even if the calendar shows this evening, one still needs to look at the moon to see the crescent. This is about these ten nights. These ten nights are among the most significant nights. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, announces that fasting on these days is especially virtuous. It is more meritorious than fasting on ordinary days. Of course, the obligatory fasting is Ramadan fasting. Everything outside of Ramadan is Sunna - voluntary fasting. Whoever wants to fasts, whoever doesn't want to leaves it; but fasting on these virtuous days brings great gain and blessing to those who are capable of it. May Allah also forgive those who cannot manage it. In any case, it is good to spend the first eight to nine days fasting, or at least the ninth day, the Day of Arafat - one should not miss this. Naturally, the good deeds one performs during these days are also more valuable. If Arafat falls on a Friday during these blessed days, the first day of the Festival of Sacrifice will be a Saturday, and this year it will be the great Hajj. I don't know how it will be this year. The pilgrims now follow the calendar there. That is their situation - God willing, their worship will be accepted. It is said that the great Hajj has the reward of seventy pilgrimages. But nowadays, especially in this time, it is said: If someone can make the pilgrimage even once, they should guard it like a treasure. This is really so, because the pilgrimage has become very difficult. If Allah grants one life, one manages to go on pilgrimage. If not, one could have already gone to the afterlife before one's turn comes in the lottery. But if the intention is there, Allah also accepts this according to the intention. Because as we say - this is no small matter. With each day it becomes more difficult. This is naturally also a wisdom of Allah, the Exalted and Almighty. In the past they traveled for six months; some came from such distant places and needed a whole year. The pilgrimage journey lasted six months, a year, or at least forty days - about two months. The journey was arduous, but when they arrived there, they could rest - now it's the opposite. This also shows that the pilgrimage is a strenuous act of worship. It is not an easy act of worship. No matter how luxuriously you travel - there will still be difficulties. This difficulty is also beneficial for the believer; it brings them reward and merit. It is worth taking on the hardships. Therefore, one should not find this situation strange. Whoever goes on pilgrimage must be patient. How fortunate is the one who controls themselves, harms no one, and completes their pilgrimage and returns! That is something very beautiful. For Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, says: "Do not argue during pilgrimage, do not quarrel." There are many admonitions on this topic. Especially our unreasonable - particularly Turkish - pilgrims go there and talk about politics and this and that. Man, you have already arrived there with difficulty. What do you care about politics? Forget this politics and political affairs. Pray to Allah, separate yourself from the world for these three, four days there. Don't look at who did or made what. The world continues anyway as it is. The world was never a paradise. Paradise belongs to those who walk on Allah's path - this paradise belongs to them. For them there is paradise both in this world and in the hereafter. Otherwise, to delve into worldly things and say during pilgrimage "this party, this man did such and such"... Leave that be. That is not your business. During pilgrimage you should stand firm yourself. Focus on yourself, forget the world. Pay attention to the spirituality there. Perform your prayer. Markets are not necessary - anyway, the markets are the same everywhere. It is not necessary at all to run around here and there. Perform your worship, as much as you can, in the Holy Mosque around the Kaaba or in the Prophet's Mosque - in the mosque of our Prophet, peace be upon him. It is not necessary to sit in the hotel and say: "No, we paid a lot of money for this hotel, our hotel is right across from the Kaaba, we follow the prayer from the room with the imam." If you do it, may Allah accept it. But it is better to go there and stand somewhere next to the Kaaba - although they don't let you get very close to the Kaaba anymore - on the same level, upstairs or downstairs somewhere and perform your prayer, your worship. Insha'Allah, Allah will accept it. May Allah grant this grace to everyone who wants to go. May He also give reward to those who have the intention according to their intention - insha'Allah.

What wonderful words Mevlana Rumi has, masha'Allah! Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has placed all conceivable human needs in Mevlana's heart, so that he put them into words. Masha'Allah, in every line, in every word there are great wisdoms. "The impossible will happen," he says. "The time you believe will never pass, will also pass," he says. What beautiful words. People think everything would continue forever like this. Yet no one knows what will happen in the next minute, in the next second. This world is based entirely on probabilities. It is based on probabilities; you cannot say "nothing will happen." Everything is possible. Nothing is certain. Everything can change. The only thing that does not change in this universe is Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Nothing can influence Him. Apart from Him, everything changes, everything takes on a different state. People believe they can secure themselves through their experiences and deeds, so that nothing happens to them. That is foolish, that is stupidity. To be truly safe, hold onto Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. If you do what Allah commands, then you are truly safe. Never let the love for our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, leave your heart. If you show Him reverence, then you are protected. About all prayers, a poem says: "A prayer is either answered or not - it hovers in between." You pray; either it is answered or not. But with our Prophet it is different. All acts of worship are like this: "Bayna al-akhz wa al-radd." Either they are accepted or rejected. Speaking Salawat for our Prophet, however, is an exception; Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, accepts this with certainty. However you pronounce it, He accepts it in any case. Therefore, this is the only thing that is certain. Of course, Satan also wants to prevent this. He leads people away from this path by saying to those who appear as Muslims: "You have committed Shirk, you practice Bid'a." Therefore we say: Nothing is certain. The only certainty is the love, the affection for our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, never rejects reverence for Him. Everything else He can reject - that is possible. But what is never rejected is the reverence and Salawat that are offered to our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Therefore it is our certainty, with Allah's permission, to always show reverence to our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. May Allah increase the love. May He make people aware of this too. For very foolish people have also emerged; without distinction between young and old, they walk around with strange ideas and say: "We accept this, we don't accept that." This is the fitna of Satan. May Allah protect from it.

Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, speaks: إِنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٰلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٞۚ (64:15) Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, says: "Your wealth and your children are truly a test for you." They are entrusted to us. We must strive to ensure that they walk on Allah's path. Raise them on the path of Allah. Strive so that they belong to the servants whom Allah loves. For your children and your family to walk on Allah's path requires sacrifice. One must overcome one's own ego and do what Allah demands of us. One must do what pleases Allah. The people whom Allah loves most are those who are young and walk on His path. Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, loves them. When He loves them, then this honor also befalls their families and those who raised them. And this honor is eternal. The good deeds that follow after them are recorded in their books and also benefit them. When a person dies, his book of deeds is closed. Only three things can still bring reward to a person after his death. The first is raising righteous children – he also receives reward for their good deeds. The second is teaching knowledge – as long as this knowledge continues, the teacher also receives reward from it. And the third are ongoing charitable works – good works like mosques or wells, whose benefit continues. The most important thing is to raise righteous children – this benefits both in this life and in the hereafter. Righteous children are useful as long as they live in this world, and their benefit continues even after you have died. One must pay attention to this, because since we live in the end times, Satan and his followers have gained power. They do not let up. The child already has its ego and its desires – Satan and his helpers support it in living these out. They help it to distance itself from Allah's path. If one leaves children to themselves, one later complains: "My son has become like this, my daughter has become like this." But if one applies too much pressure, it becomes different – it strikes back even stronger. Hayrul umuri evsatuhâ. So said our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. One must choose the golden middle path. Too much pressure doesn't work. One must approach with kindness and wisdom. Too much freedom doesn't work either – then the child becomes subject to its ego. One must free it from its ego. Everything properly and decently, as Islam teaches, as our Prophet has shown us – to raise in such a way that it becomes balanced and recognizes itself. Whoever recognizes himself recognizes Allah, the Exalted and Almighty. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, may Allah be merciful to him, says: "Men arefe nefsehu fekad arefe Rabbeh." Whoever recognizes himself recognizes Allah, the Exalted and Almighty. Whoever does not know himself knows nothing at all. All diplomas and degrees are then useless – they are worthless. If a person boasts: "I have studied so high, I am so deeply educated" – after he has not recognized Allah, he has understood nothing and has spent his life in vain. May Allah protect us from this. May Allah protect our children, our offspring, and all of us from the evil of the ego and Satan.

"And whoever Allah leads astray, there is no guide for him." (39:36) "And whoever Allah guides, there is none to lead him astray." (39:37) When Allah the Almighty wants to guide a person, no one can lead him astray or misguide him. But when Allah - may He protect us from this - wills that someone goes astray, no one can bring him to the right path. The most important thing to progress on this path is the love for our Prophet - peace be upon him - and to approach him with respect and reverence. This makes you steadfast in the religion of Allah the Almighty. You will be in the company of good people. But if you say out of ego: "I will acquire knowledge, I can do it alone," then - may Allah protect - neither faith nor anything else remains. Therefore, this path is the path of our Prophet - peace be upon him. This path makes a person steadfast with Allah's help. As long as he remains on this path and continues walking it, he has neither fear nor sorrow. Fear and sorrow only arise from deviating from the path. Nothing can help the person who deviates from the path anymore. Even if the whole world belonged to him, it would be completely worthless. Therefore, it strengthens our faith when we walk the path of our Prophet - peace be upon him - whom Allah loves, showing him respect and reverence according to our abilities, mentioning him and sending blessings upon him. Otherwise, we see it: They think: "What could be so special about the Tariqa?" The Tariqa means nothing other than walking the path of the Prophet - peace be upon him. Deviating from this path means misfortune and eternal loss. This path is a luminous path; it is the path of our Prophet - peace be upon him. Many people are afraid and say: "Just don't deviate from the path!" To avoid deviating from the path, you follow the path of our Prophet - peace be upon him - and do a small lesson every day, an exercise to remind yourself of this path, even if it's just a little. Even if you can't accomplish everything, it's important that you at least do something. "Ajall al-karamāt dawām at-tawfīq" This means: Walking the path without interruption, even if only in small steps, without giving up - this doesn't lead you away from the path. But if you once deviate from the path - may Allah protect - the return becomes difficult. May Allah be our helper. May Allah grant guidance to people. For as it is said: Allah the Almighty gives guidance to whom He wills, and withholds it from whom He wills. Insha'Allah, even those to whom Allah has granted guidance must follow this path to remain steadfast. May Allah protect us, may Allah make us all steadfast - insha'Allah.

O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. (4:59) Our Grand Sheikh, Sheikh Abdullah Dağıstani, repeated this blessed, venerable verse very frequently. Obey Allah, the Almighty and Exalted; obey our Prophet; and also obey the Ulul Amr, that is, your government, your state. First, you should naturally follow the commands of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Then also obey the Ulul Amr. If an ordinary Muslim remains in his normal state, actually nobody particularly interferes in his affairs. So that nobody interferes in his affairs, he will be obedient and manage in worldly matters. Otherwise, if he does the opposite, our Grand Sheikh told us - at that time in Damascus the government was not an easy government, but still those who did not oppose managed to get by. Therefore, it is not necessary to put oneself and others in danger. As long as obedience is possible - if you rise up and act arbitrarily against the government, against the state, that is not acceptable anyway. No matter how tyrannical the government is, you will still obey it. To oppose it is not right; even according to Sharia rulings it is so. Whoever rebels, whoever opposes, opposes the command of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. For example: As long as they don't force you to do something forbidden, one does not oppose them. They naturally don't force you to "drink alcohol." They also don't force you "to steal." Those would be things according to their own ideas. In such cases, obedience is not required. After you have performed your prayer, your worship, and secured your livelihood, it is not necessary to stir up rebellion against the Ulul Amr or to oppose them. Some people consider themselves clever and oppose the government, the state. Afterwards, they get themselves into trouble and harm themselves. They also harm their surroundings. Then they have not acquired merit, but sin. Therefore, the duty of the Muslim is not to cause harm to others for worldly matters. Harm inflicted for worldly benefit is not acceptable with Allah, the Almighty and Exalted; it is considered a sin. The fashion of today's time has become to stir up unrest everywhere and to turn against the state, the government. This brings no benefit, but only harm. First it harms those who do it - evil comes to them and it is also not accepted by Allah. Whom Allah has appointed, the Muslim will follow and go his way. He will obey; whether he follows Allah's command or not, that lies in Allah's will, the Almighty and Exalted, for His servants. It is a person whom Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has placed over us - it is the state. One should not interfere in his legitimate affairs. If you obey, then nothing will happen to you, no harm will come; you will be under protection. Nobody should interfere. The most important thing is not to interfere. One should not interfere. May Allah protect. Everyone should take care of their own affairs, their own condition and their family; that is enough. May Allah give people reason and wisdom, because most people think "We are doing something good," while they are actually harming themselves first. May Allah protect and preserve from rebellion. We live in the end times, there is much rebellion. May Allah protect and preserve us all.