Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

The way of our Prophet (peace be upon him) is our way. Perhaps some do not know it, but in fact, the Tariqa and the Sharia are two parts of a whole. They cannot be considered separately. If you want to strengthen your faith, you should try to follow both the Tariqa and the Sharia as best as possible. These two complement each other. When you join a Tariqa, neither Allah, the Prophet, nor the sheikhs will impose heavy tasks on you like carrying stones on your back. Essentially, the Tariqa consists of following a spiritual guide connected to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Since the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), all companions were devoted to him from the heart. The generations that followed the companions were likewise connected to the Prophet (peace be upon him). But over time, even back then, some began to claim that a spiritual guide or a Tariqa was not necessary. Ultimately, these people either realized the truth and joined a sheikh, or they went astray and distanced themselves from the Sharia. Perhaps these people were only respected and esteemed during their lifetime. But after their death, no one paid attention to them anymore; their ideas were forgotten. Unfortunately, centuries later, some of their ideas were picked up and spread by malicious people. These ideas caused discord among Muslims. Our unity and togetherness were damaged. Especially after the end of the Islamic Caliphate, the situation worsened. Some did not want the Caliphate because under the Caliphate there had to be justice. Without the Caliphate, it is very difficult to ensure true justice. Therefore, the situation deteriorated even more after the abolition of the Caliphate. In the last times of the Caliphate, about one hundred fifty or two hundred years ago, some began to claim that their communities served Islam. These people had no real spiritual connection. Even if they had good intentions, their efforts were mostly unsuccessful. In the end, many went astray and unfortunately also led other people astray. Especially in the last thirty to forty years, the situation has increasingly deteriorated. Muslims have doubts about the followers of the Tariqa. People no longer know whom they can trust. These people try to portray good people, true followers of the Tariqa, in a bad light. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) predicted that in the last times of the community, the Dajjal would come. The Dajjal will move with his army from east to west and call people to believe in him. He will say: "For those who believe in me, this is paradise, this is hell," and thus deceive people. For those who believe in him, the place that is actually hell will appear like paradise. For the unbelievers, the place he calls paradise will actually be hell. Today, some people try, just like the Dajjal, to portray good as bad and bad as good. They deceive people by presenting bad as good. Therefore, many people are deceived by them and move away from the right path, from the Tariqa. They say they only want the Sharia, but in reality, they even sow doubts about the Sharia. They say: "We do not want any schools of jurisprudence." Yet the schools of jurisprudence are an important part of Islam. They say: "We read only from the Quran; we know that." They say: "We can issue fatwas." They say: "Every fatwa we give according to our own opinion is correct." This is very dangerous because issuing fatwas is not as simple as one might think. It requires great responsibility. Do not think that issuing fatwas is easy. When you issue a fatwa, you take on a great responsibility. In history, even great scholars hesitated to issue fatwas or become judges. But today, some people see no problem in issuing fatwas on every topic without sufficient knowledge and without consulting anyone. This situation creates more discord and disunity among Muslims. When discord arises among Muslims, Satan rejoices. For Satan wants people to go to hell. That is his goal. What makes Satan happiest is to lead people astray from the right path and drive them into hell. Sometimes people whom you consider good believers, good Muslims, can suddenly stray from the path. The reason for this is that these people have no real spiritual connection. Furthermore, it may be because they do not truly have good intentions. Those who follow these people are exposed to the same danger. No matter whom you follow, you must be sure that this person really has good intentions. What should our intention be? To be true servants of Allah and the Prophet, to help Muslims, to show them the right path, to give them love and every kind of support they need. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) even said that a smile for a Muslim counts as alms. Alms mean reward from Allah. For Muslims, there is no good deed without reward. Why do some people not like the Tariqa? Because the Tariqa clearly shows the beauty of Islam, its goodness, and the right path for humanity. Some do not like that. The Islamic Tariqa is the best example of how people should behave humanely. It teaches us true humanity. In the Tariqa, values like justice, mercy, and helpfulness are at the forefront. It teaches us to be good not only to people but also to nature, animals, water, stones—in short, to everything. Islam and the Tariqa offer comprehensive guidance on how to live from birth to death. They guide us in all areas of life. Islam not only teaches all these beautiful qualities but also encourages their application. This is not something that remains only in theory, as some hypocrites and humanists claim. Islam wants you to put into practice what is taught. While some remain only with words, true followers of Islam and the Tariqa implement what they say. One of the teachings of Islam and the Tariqa is: "lā darara wa lā dirāra," which means, there should be neither harm inflicted nor harm tolerated. This principle teaches us: Do not harm anyone, and do not allow anyone to harm others. Inflicting harm is absolutely unacceptable in Islam, in the Tariqa, and in the Sharia. One of the most fundamental principles in Islam is justice. The most important thing in Islam is justice. Unfortunately, justice is a very important value that we have lost nowadays. Not only the Islamic world but the whole world has largely lost justice. Large and small communities, individuals, everyone... Because injustice is so widespread that people have begun to consider it normal. It is hard to imagine how widespread justice was at the time of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and especially during the time of Sayyidina Omar. In those times, justice was the foundation of society. Sayyidina Omar was famous for his justice. His understanding of justice was a model for all Muslims. Not only Sayyidina Omar but all caliphs were known for this justice. This understanding of justice continued until the end of the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, the first thing the enemies did when the Ottoman Empire fell was to abolish the Islamic legal system. For a thousand years, the Turks rendered great services to Islam. During this long time, they contributed to the spread and protection of Islam. During these thousand years, the Turks practiced Islamic justice carefully. Throughout the world, the Turks were known for their just rule. Even those who did not like the Turks admired this justice. Especially the justice of Süleyman the Magnificent, one of the most powerful Ottoman sultans, was legendary. The justice of Süleyman the Magnificent was famous not only in the Islamic world but also in Europe. Everyone spoke of his just rule. They call him "the Lawgiver," meaning one who follows the law, who respects the laws. This epithet reflects his understanding of justice very well. This understanding of justice lasted until the day they were forced to abolish the Caliphate. In this new era that began after the abolition of the Caliphate, many things changed... After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps forty new states emerged on its territory. These states were told: "You must abolish the Caliphate and, more importantly, you must end this Islamic legal system." Because the Islamic legal system was the most just legal system humanity had until then. And when they ended this system, not only the Islamic world but the whole world lost true justice. This situation leads to many problems, misery, and all kinds of evil. Because when Allah is not pleased with people, He does not give them blessings and mercy. That is, for over a hundred years, the situation has been getting worse every day. This is a long-lasting process of decline. Once someone asked Sheikh Nazim: "Will the situation perhaps improve tomorrow or later?" Sheikh Nazim replied: "No, it will not improve." The situation will get a little worse every day until Sayyidina Mahdi comes and restores justice. Only then will there be a real improvement. Insha'Allah, all these difficulties will end when Sayyidina Mahdi comes. May Allah be pleased with us and not lead us astray from the right path. May Allah send Sayyidina Mahdi soon, for there is no more hope in the world from anyone. Now they are talking about the elections in the biggest and most powerful country in the world. But when you look at the candidates in these elections, there is no one you can really trust. Most candidates either behave like clowns or are in a pitiable state. There is no one anymore whom you can trust or about whom you could say: "That could be a good head of state." Previously, you might have been able to say, "This candidate could be good" or "That one would be rather bad." But now this applies not only in this country but all over the world. Insha'Allah, this time will end and a new era of conquest will begin. May Allah send Sayyidina Mahdi soon, Insha'Allah.

Our gathering is for the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Our intention is to meet with you so that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, is pleased with us. We gather in this blessed assembly for the sake of Allah's pleasure, the Almighty and Exalted. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), we are happy to be here again. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has given us the opportunity to come here again. We meet with you for the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. We are happy about that. Our goal in life is to please Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Sheikhs, and the friends of Allah. If you can achieve that, it is a great grace from Allah, the Almighty and Exalted—the highest grace. For we live in a time in which we, as humans, cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Many people think they are on the right path, but then they realize that this path is not the right one. Alhamdulillah, the Awliya (saints) show us the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and enable us to follow the way of the Prophet. The way of the Tariqa means the way of the Prophet. That is very important because the way the Awliya show us is the way of the Prophet—it is his Sunnah. As followers of the Tariqa, it is very important that we give importance to the Sunnah of the Prophet. Those who follow the way of the Prophet and implement his Sunnah will not deviate from the right path. We must pay special attention to this command of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "You must follow me, my Sunnah, and the rightly guided Caliphs after me, namely Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Following them means fulfilling my Sunnah." They lived the way of the Prophet and acted according to his Sunnah. Whoever follows the Sunnah will not deviate from the right path. Now, in this end time, you see: For many years, many people have appeared who claim to be the true Muslims and draw people behind them by convincing them. Those who do not follow the Sunnah will neither attain blessings nor the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Why? Because they do not follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Sunnah is very important; it is no joke. We should follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) as best as we can. There are many Sunnahs that one can practice. In every life situation, down to the smallest detail, there are Sunnahs to follow. You may not be able to fulfill all of them. But you should pay special attention to the Sunnahs of prayer: The Sunnah of Fajr, the Sunnah before and after Dhuhr, the Sunnah of Asr, the Sunnahs of Maghrib and Isha. Many people do not pray the Sunnah prayers or do not pay attention to the Sunnah at all. "It's just a Sunnah. It is not a sin not to practice it. It is not important," they say. But yes! The Sunnah is important. Following the Sunnah is more valuable than all the gold and diamonds in the world. For every Sunnah that you follow here, you will be rewarded in Paradise; your rank will be elevated, and you will find more blessings and happiness in Paradise. What happens if you abandon the Sunnah? Your faith, your Iman, decreases. Satan calls: "Come, follow me." People follow him, abandon the Sunnah, forget Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, and leave their religion. Thus, Satan deceives the people. "Do not follow the Tariqa. Do not follow the Sharia. Follow me," he says. What does Satan command? "Two Rak'ahs of Fard prayer are enough. The Sunnah is not necessary." Reward is not necessary. Everything that is not Fard is not necessary. "Just do what is Fard, and it's enough," they say. No, it is not enough. It is not enough for Muslims. The more one can take, the more beneficial it is. In this life, everyone is chasing after profit. Everyone loves profit. Everyone loves gain. We, as Muslims, also love benefit and know the true benefit: It is the Hereafter, the true life. If the profit of this life does not help the Hereafter, it is not a benefit but harm, loss; Not gain, but loss. Imagine you have a billion in this world but cannot use it. That is a great loss. But on the other hand, you have nothing in this world. Yet your intention in life is: "I live and work for Allah. I take care of my family and children to attain the pleasure of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted." If you live with this intention, it will benefit you both in this world and in the Hereafter. But if you do not pay attention to living for Allah, it will be a loss for you. This gathering is a blessing and gain for all of us because we have gathered for Allah. Alhamdulillah, we come from far away. When we see you happy here, it makes us happy too. When a believer makes another believer happy, Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, is pleased with him; the Prophet (peace be upon him) is pleased with him; the friends of Allah are pleased with him. That is the beauty of the Tariqa: Making people happy and being sincere for Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. Everything should be for Allah. The Almighty and Exalted says in the Holy Quran: قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحۡيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ (6:162) لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُۥ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ (6:163) "Say, 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. And thus I have been commanded.'" (Surah Al-An'am 6:162-163) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says this in the Holy Quran as a description of the life attitude of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Our way, the way of the Tariqa, is the way the Prophet has shown—namely, to surrender to Allah with everything. That is the way. But now people confuse many things, as I said, and only seek something that satisfies their ego and follow that. It is now a difficult time in the world, both for Muslims and non-Muslims. Many things are happening, but we cannot do anything about it. What can we do? Focus on yourselves and make yourselves better people. That is a command of the Prophet (peace be upon him). And pray that Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, helps the Muslims and protects us from all evil. Do not follow people whom you do not know. You follow them, thinking you are on the right path, but they cause you pain. Allah is not pleased with them. Muslims follow such people without knowing the truth. That is the ignorance of the Muslims. But whoever follows a Murshid, a true teacher, a true scholar, will know. There are thousands of true scholars, but people do not listen to their teachings or sermons. Unfortunately, they only listen to the words of some misguided persons, youths, and children who are against the Tariqa, the Ahl al-Bayt, and the Sahabah. No respect, no manners, no good behavior. That is what they teach. On the other hand, there are thousands of scholars who teach the truth, but unfortunately, no one listens to them. The truly happy ones are those who follow the way of the Prophet and are with them—not with those who try to turn people away from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the friends of Allah. May Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, protect us.

فَسِيۡرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ (3:137) Allah the Exalted commands: "Travel through the land." See the dominion of Allah the Exalted on earth. Draw lessons from it and benefit from it. He says, be of benefit to the people. There are different types of travel. There are travels for worldly purposes and travels for the ego. There are travels for the sake of Allah's pleasure. God willing, this time we will travel to distant lands for Allah's pleasure. In these countries, there are both Muslims and non-Muslims. The Sheikh has guided the hearts of the people on this path. They continue on this path. The beautiful seeds he has sown are growing and multiplying. It benefits humanity. This path is the path of Allah. It is a grace from Allah the Exalted for the people. Of course, there are also Muslims, but sometimes people deviate from the path or do not follow certain things. Praise be to Allah, the Tariqah is in harmony with the Sharia. Our journey serves to demonstrate this path together. It will benefit us and them. Man lives for the hereafter. The world is the field of the hereafter. What you sow here, you will reap there. Praise be to Allah, people who are too immersed in the world and think of nothing but the world are awakened through this opportunity. They continue on Allah's path. They do not place too much importance on the world. They use the world for the sake of Allah's pleasure. That is also necessary. We should use the world not only for worldly purposes but to remember the hereafter. وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَىٰ تَنفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (51:55) Allah the Exalted says: "Remind." This reminder will benefit and be advantageous to the people. May Allah grant us success in this. May it be a means for new people to be guided and to find Islam. May we benefit the people by reminding them of the hereafter and enlightening their hearts. As for the benefit, we have nothing. We are only a means. It is the way of the Sheikhs. Through them and their influence, this beautiful path reaches the hearts of people all over the world as light, as the light of Islam. May Allah be pleased with you all. May more people come to this right path. For the path of the devil appears easier. It appears easier for your ego. But its ease is not good. Whoever follows his ego will be with his ego. Whoever follows the path of Allah the Exalted will win. May Allah make us all among the winners.

اِنَّمَا الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ اِخۡوَةٌ فَاَصۡلِحُوۡا بَيۡنَ اَخَوَيۡكُمۡ​وَ (49:10) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, commands: Muslims, believers are siblings. When discord arises among siblings, reconcile them with one another. This is a great virtue, an act of mercy. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says: If you do this, My mercy will rest upon you. لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُوۡنَ (49:10) This is very important because Satan constantly tries to drive a wedge between the believers and disrupt their relationships. If he succeeds, the person falls under the influence of Satan. He then slanders and commits evil. He does the things that Allah has forbidden. As our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Everything of the believer is sacred to another believer. His blood, his property, his life, his honor—Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has declared them inviolable. This must be observed. A person, when discord arises, is susceptible to all sorts of devilish actions. So when there are disagreements between people, one should resolve them with kindness and wisdom. It is important to focus on the positive and find conciliatory words, even if the parties have not directly expressed them. It can be helpful to emphasize the good intentions of the other person, such as saying: "I am sure this person appreciates you and does not wish to harm you." This is appropriate to make peace between people, to reconcile, to mediate. Nowadays, things often go differently. When something happens, they incite the person, or when a woman has problems with her husband, the families do not advise reconciliation but immediately say, "Get a divorce," and take her back to her parents' house. Instead of calming her, they stir up the conflict even more. They even do everything to prevent a return. That's how most people are nowadays. This puts the woman in a dilemma: She can neither enter into a new marriage nor reconcile with her husband. Instead, she is confronted with a multitude of new problems. These things require attention! People nowadays insist: "I am right." Even if you are right, sometimes you have to be patient for a good coexistence. Therefore, it is our duty to advise with wisdom and compassion. If there are disagreements or discord in the family or between people, one should explore all ways to achieve reconciliation. That is something that pleases Allah. Between siblings in faith, Muslims, spouses, in the family, between children and parents: In all these relationships, you must do your best to promote peace and good coexistence. May Allah grant good coexistence. Sowing discord is easy. Reconciliation is the more difficult path. May Allah help us in this. May no discord arise in families and between people. May good people come together.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَانَتۡ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسِ نُزُلً (18:107) Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, will grant Paradise as a home to those who believe and act righteously. They will be the inhabitants of Paradise. Whoever does good in this world, believes in Allah, and serves Him, will be granted an eternal, blissful life in the hereafter. The truly beautiful life is Paradise. Sometimes people say "like in Paradise." About some places in the world, you say: "It is paradisiacally beautiful here." But Paradise is more than just beauty. Perfect peace prevails there. No worries, no disputes, no more Day of Judgment. As soon as one enters Paradise, the Day of Judgment is behind them. The Day of Judgment happens only once. Whoever passes it well will never again experience sorrow or worry in Paradise. No more money worries. No more tax concerns. No jealousy. No oppression. Nothing but beauty. In Paradise, there is only goodness. Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, invites everyone to Paradise. وَٱللَّهُ یَدۡعُوۤا۟ إِلَىٰ دَارِ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ (10:25) Allah, the Exalted and Almighty, calls everyone to Paradise, but only a few follow this call. Allah's Paradise is immeasurably vast. No one will be turned away because too many have entered. Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says: The last Muslim to leave Hell does so after serving his punishment. No Muslim remains in Hell forever. The last one who comes out enters Paradise and thinks, "Surely there's no more place for me; it must be full." He is called out to: "Enter Paradise; a place has been prepared for you." "That cannot be," he says. "I was in Hell for so many millions of years." "How can there still be room in Paradise? So many billions have already entered." At first, he walks away but returns at the call. When he's told "Enter," this last newcomer sees that he's assigned a place six times the size of the earth. Such is the vastness of Allah's Paradise. It is enough for all, and there is still surplus. So let us follow Allah's call. Allah will surely forgive us. There is no doubt about that; praised be Allah. If Allah wills, we will all be together in Paradise. We will be near our Prophet. We will be together with the sheikhs. And we will also be reunited there with our ancestors.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) teaches: "Even a little bit of something intoxicating is a sin, haram." Mind you, he is not only speaking about alcohol but about everything that causes intoxication. Intoxicating substances... Nowadays, there's a whole range of them. From grass (weed) to pills to injections. They are all haram. Some think: "We don't drink alcohol; we only smoke weed. Weed is harmless." Far from it! No, it's not that simple. It remains a sin. It is sinful because it intoxicates. No matter what it is—all intoxicants are sinful. What does intoxicating mean? It clouds the mind and makes one a fool. People spend money to lose their minds. May Allah protect us from giving in to the base desires of the ego. When the ego's desires lead one astray from the right path, it makes one a fool. If you absolutely want to be crazy, have yourself admitted to an insane asylum. That's not normal. Alhamdulillah, this was not so common in Damascus in the past. We had a neighbor who drank alcohol. May Allah have mercy on his soul. He later repented and stopped. When he was drunk, we were astonished. Our mother, Hajjah Amina, would always say: "The man has lost his mind again." "What do you mean he loses his mind? Does he go crazy?" we asked. She explained: "For a while, he is out of his senses. Then he comes back to himself." People want to spend money to lose their minds. Humans are, in any case, only half in their right mind. And when they drink, they lose their minds completely. They no longer know what they're doing. الخمر أم الخبائث Alcohol is the mother of all evils. That means intoxication is the breeding ground for all bad things. It leads to all sorts of misdeeds. Afterwards, they say: "I can't remember anything. I wasn't in control of my senses; I was drunk." Seriously? Even in Europe, among the so-called "unbelievers," your driver's license is taken away if you drive drunk. Here we are supposedly in a holy Muslim country. A drunk person kills so many people. He does who knows what. But the punishment for it is hardly as severe as for running a red light. What else can one say? These people need punishments so they don't give in to the desires of their ego. Punishments are necessary. May Allah protect us from the evil of our ego. For this problem has gotten out of hand everywhere. It is rampant in the Islamic world. Why? Because faith has been lost. They no longer have faith. They claim: "We are Muslims." Some misguided groups consider themselves especially pious and declare others to be unbelievers, while they themselves consider these substances permissible and consume them. Then they kill people, run them over. They commit all conceivable atrocities. May Allah protect us from this evil, the temptations of the devil, and the desires of our ego. There is no harmless trying out or experimenting. Absolutely not! وَلَا تَقۡرَبُوا الۡفَوَاحِشَ (6:151) "Do not even approach it," warns Allah the Exalted. Keep your hands off it; don't even come near it. Whatever it is, stay away from it; avoid this filth. May Allah protect us all.

Sayyidina Ali says: رأس الحكمة مخافة الله "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." It is the origin of all knowledge. For a person who has reverence for Allah and fears Him will do nothing evil. He is protected from all kinds of evil. He never loses sight of Allah. Unfortunately, people today have lost all sense of shame and modesty. They no longer fear Allah. It is said: "Beware of those who do not know the fear of God." May Allah protect us from this and guide people to the right path. The fear of God is no disgrace. But for today's people, it seems to be so. They think obedience to Allah does not suit their desires. It hinders them from yielding to their lusts. It keeps them from doing evil. It hinders them from harming others. Therefore, they want nothing to do with the fear of God. Instead, they follow the desires of their ego, and the whole world preaches: "Follow your desires." So they indulge in all kinds of vices and evils of the ego. They are even encouraged to do so. It keeps them from doing good. People no longer know discretion. In the past, they were ashamed and acted in secret. Now they openly proclaim: "Follow the desires of your ego, do everything you crave." Listen to nothing else. There is freedom, they say. Do what you want. Freedom—they give you the freedom to do evil. And then they wonder why the world has become like this. Of course, it becomes like this. When a person follows his ego, he finds nothing but evil. The whole of humanity follows their desires. From great to small, the world is upside down. To the one who does not participate, they say: "We will not help you." "You do not allow this evil, so we will not support you." Keep your help to yourself. May Allah assist us all, God willing. Allah's help is decisive. Others may help or not; a person finds what is destined for him. If Allah helps you, no one can stop you. What He gives, no one can withhold. Therefore, let us fear Allah and follow His commandments as best as possible. For our weaknesses, let us ask for forgiveness; Allah will accept our repentance and help us. Do not oppose Allah. To oppose Him is folly. May Allah protect us from that. May He grant people understanding and insight. People even pay money to lose their minds. What more can be said?

وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ (7:31) Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, says: "Eat and drink, but do not be wasteful." Allah has predetermined for every person how much food and drink they will consume in their lifetime. When this predetermined amount is exhausted, the person dies. That is the normal case. There are exceptions where people with special gifts can manage without food. But normally, a person dies if they do not eat and drink once their predetermined amount is depleted. There is no other possibility. Therefore, you will certainly receive the food that is destined for you. When you receive your food, you should be grateful to Allah. For He has provided you with this sustenance. The provision from Allah is something amazing. For every bite, it is determined who will eat it. No one else can eat that bite. The one for whom it is destined will definitely eat it. This is the belief of a Muslim. Therefore, a person, wherever he is, will eat the bite that is destined for him. For this reason, our scholars say, based on a Hadith of the Prophet, that when a guest comes, his provision has already arrived. For what he will eat there is being prepared. This person will eat here. Therefore, the one who hosts the guest also benefits. His provision has also come. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim loved guests and said: "Thanks to you, we also receive our provision." He used to say: "Because your food is here, we are also given food so that we can offer it to you." Such are the great scholars. Whatever Allah has given, whose food it is, it will come. It will be there, in that place. And others will benefit from it. Therefore, people now panic and say: "We will do this, we will do that." There is no need to panic. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, provides. Whatever this provision is, one will receive it. And whoever eats should be grateful and depart. He should not say: "I did not like it." Whoever says "I did not like it" behaves improperly. This behavior means rejecting the gifts of Allah. And whoever does not accept the gift will be deprived of the gift. So the more grateful you are, the more it will increase. Wherever you go, do not consider the gifts that someone offers you as coming from that person. Consider them as coming from Allah, so that you thank Allah. This gift is a great gift. Whoever does not recognize the value of this gift loses. And he will not even find what he despised. Therefore, thank Allah for the gifts He gives. If Allah wills, every bite will become light and faith in our body. It will become strength. It will become the strength to walk the right path. Begin with Bismillah and end with Bismillah and Al-Fatiha when you eat. Then it will become strength and faith, with Allah's permission.

Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says: The earth belongs to Allah. If you follow Allah's path, Allah will be with you. If you deviate from Allah's path, He will replace you with other people who love Him. They will certainly walk on Allah's path. Thus it is. It has always been so even after the time of our Prophet. The world does not belong to the unbelievers, but to Allah. Since the world belongs to Allah, He takes and gives as He wills. Allah does what He wills. If a people say, "We do what we want," it has no value. Without being on Allah's path, everything is useless and worthless. Allah takes whom He wills. Therefore, it is wise to stay on Allah's path. It is unwise to deviate from it. If you stray from Allah's path, neither you nor your family nor your country retains any good. Do not oppose Allah. Allah has given you everything. Allah only wants the best for you. But you desire what is bad. Whoever desires bad finds no good. One must repent and return to Allah's path. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, says that we should repent every day: Say "Astaghfirullah" at least seventy times so that Allah forgives us. Straying from the path like mad brings nothing. It leads only to bad—at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. May Allah protect us from that. We see it. Throughout the entire Islamic world, young and old have fallen into the hands of the devil. It starts with alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes because they consider it something special. The devil deceives them. Then he leads them off the right path. Families are destroyed. May Allah protect us. Why does this happen? Because they oppose Allah and do not believe in Him. Whoever believes does not do such things. May Allah preserve us and guide us rightly. May He not replace us with others.

The illnesses of the ego are, of course, numerous. One of them is the susceptibility to praise. The more praise the ego receives, the more satisfied it becomes. Flattery makes it even more content. The ego enjoys this greatly. However, the wise have said: One should neither be sad when someone criticizes the ego, nor rejoice when it is praised. Both should be treated equally. This means that whoever rejoices at praise and is saddened by criticism is subject to their ego. After that, the ego can no longer be controlled. One should stand neutral toward everything. One should not pay attention to the words of others but keep one's own ego in check. One should not ascribe too much importance to it and not spoil it. For an excessively large ego can no longer be restrained. One must keep it small constantly. In humility, one should say: "My ego is not praiseworthy," and when one encounters difficulties, one should say: "What they say is still mild; it is true. My ego is even worse than that." Whoever follows the Tariqah should especially heed this, so as not to succumb to their ego. Otherwise, one will be ruled by an excessive ego. Only a small ego can be conquered. May Allah help us with that. There is also the following: Some people flatter to achieve something. That is well known. They try everything to deceive others. They say: "You are so good, you are so great," and flatter. The person then feels obliged and gives in. Why does he yield? Because his ego was flattered, the person can be more easily manipulated. Otherwise, this would not be possible. Someone who controls their ego will not, with Allah's help, be exploited or moved to unjust concessions. May Allah protect us all from the dangers of our ego and help us to conquer our ego.