Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. (18:13) Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, mentions these young people in the Glorious Quran. He tells us their story. They were very wealthy and rich, but the most important thing was: they were intelligent people. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, had created them such that they possessed everything. They lacked nothing. Yet, they abandoned these things considered valuable for the sake of Allah's path and turned towards what is truly valuable. This was not a situation that just anyone could have given up simply by controlling their ego. They were the king's favorites. Money, wealth, possessions, property, women... whatever you name, it was all there. So they lived here virtually like in Paradise. They lived in an earthly paradise. But they realized that this was not the truth. This paradise was not real; all of that is actually rubbish. If one is not on Allah's path and worships this guy instead, these things have no value. They pass away quickly. Either he gets angry and throws us out, or he has us beheaded; and even if we live, what is the use? It is finite. Allah placed guidance in their hearts. With this guidance, they attained the greatest of all gifts. They left everything behind and advanced on the path of Allah. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has praised and mentioned them eternally in the Glorious Quran. Thank Allah, there are memorial sites for these blessed ones in some places. But the actual place is here. For our Sheikh-Father, Sheikh Nazim, and our Hajji-Mother confirmed it as well; they pointed it out and said: 'It is here.' Their true place is here. In Damascus, where we lived, there is also one, but that has nothing to do with it. In Jordan, there is one, that is also something else, but the actual one is here. The place described in the Glorious Quran and pointed out by our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Friends of Allah is here, thank Allah. Visiting this place is a blessing. Of course, you can receive this blessing from anywhere. That means, when you recite for all the Friends of Allah, Prophets, and righteous ones, you must dedicate it to all of them, so that the reward from every single one also returns to you. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explains the grace, generosity, and bounty of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. If you dedicate it to every person, He gives you back just as much reward. This means: Thank Allah, our path—the path of the Muslim, the path of faith, the path of Tariqa—the path of the people who believe in it, is the most beautiful path. But Satan naturally does not want them. He has brought forth a group that acknowledges neither intercession nor Friends of Allah nor Prophets. They say: 'They are all humans like us.' Roughly speaking, they mean: 'Sit down and read for yourself, that is enough.' And that is only if Allah accepts it... Thank Allah, every time we recite and dedicate it, we gain billions in rewards. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: 'One to ten.' As many billions of Muslims and believers as there were and are in the world, that is how many rewards we have won. Thank Allah, that is a great gift. That people today chase after worldly conditions is irrationality. They have much intellect, but what they do is irrational. 'I have no work, no money, my business didn't work out...' Even if your business didn't run, even if you went broke: Are you still alive? You are alive. Why are you alive? Because you have provision. If you had no more provision, you would not be living. As long as you have Rizq, you live. Then one must be grateful. The most important thing is to be on this path. As long as one is on the path of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, one loses nothing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'The affair of the believer is amazing.' Everything is good for him. Whether it goes well or goes badly—for the believer, it is good. Nothing of his is lost. If things go badly, he is patient and receives his reward. If he is poor, Allah gives him the reward for his poverty. If he is sick, he gets reward for that too. So, if there is any kind of sorrow, there is certainly a recompense and a reward for it. If there is good, he gains reward and good deeds through his gratitude. That is why this world, the current order, only makes people run after the worldly. 'This one did this to you, that one did that...' Actually, people deserve it too. They ignore the gift of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and hope for gifts from others. They wait for it: 'This one will do good to me, this one will give me work, this one will raise my salary, this one will buy from me...' They forget Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and think that it is people who give the provision. Whereas it is Allah who gives the provision. Therefore, this is an important matter. All people have been deceived. There are no people of the 'old school' left. People in the past trusted more in Allah. Men went hungry, went thirsty, but they lived nonetheless. They lived from Allah's provision. Those of today eat and drink and have everything, but still there is no contentment. Contentment is the greatest treasure that Allah has given. Nothing else. The rest are unnecessary things. May Allah protect us, it is such a thing... Who gives anything for free? Is it the minister, the prime minister, the boss, America, or Africa? Who gives for free? No one in this world gives anything without something in return. No one gifts you anything. If you take something, you certainly have to provide the return for it, be it much or little. However it may be. The only One who gives without something in return is Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. Therefore, trust in Allah. Free yourselves from the sorrow of this world. Whoever trusts in Allah, Allah stands by him. Hasbunallah wa ni'mal wakil. 'Hasbunallah' means trust in Allah; it means: 'Allah suffices us.' His treasuries do not end. He says: 'Ask as much as you want.' Now the others demand; they advertise to you: 'This one gives so much, you will earn so much.' Yet there is no real equivalent value. Then you look at what you have in your hand: Everything has been sucked out and is gone. For a tiny thing, they have sucked you dry to the bone and left you nothing. Therefore one must be careful, pay attention to this. Especially in these days, greed has reached its peak. Everyone knows these situations. Something pops up, one person says 'I won', a thousand people rush to it, and everyone loses. Be that as it may, we were also here on a journey these three days. These things exploit people's good faith. Even if one is not naive, they deceive even the smartest people. Nothing is for free. Pay attention, there is no such thing as 'I give one and gain a thousand.' Especially nowadays, such a thing does not exist at all. Protect your possessions and your property. Especially in recent years, people are being deceived with the dream of selling their residential home or their property: 'I will sell a house and buy three hundred houses,' and then they end up on the street. Nowadays, the biggest problem, the most frequent complaint reaching us is: 'The landlord is throwing us out of the house.' Whatever; supposedly his son or his daughter is coming. Actually, he doesn't like the rent; he wants to have more rent. Be reasonable. Unless it is a matter of life and death—even if they lay the treasures of the world before you—do not sell your house just to 'do business.' You should have a place where you live, a roof over your head. Do not simply give that up lightly. As our ancestors said: In this world a dwelling, in the Hereafter, faith. These two things are very important for a Muslim. There is also a Hadith of the Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); three things are important in the world. One is the house in which one lives, one is a righteous wife, and one is blessed provision, says our Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, these are important things. Take this advice here seriously. For there are many people who say, 'I will not be deceived,' but they are deceived nonetheless. May Allah protect us. May Allah protect the believers from the evil of the wicked and guide them to the good. They should support and advise one another. 'Religion is advice,' says the Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). That means: If you want to do business, then—as mentioned—do not leave your house, your place of residence behind; do not sell it. Do not let yourselves be deceived just to 'do more business and gain power.' Hopefully, this advice here will be useful for everyone. With the blessing of the saints, may it be full of blessings.

And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. (5:2) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, says: "Help one another in doing good." "Wherever there is good to be done, help one another," says Allah, the Almighty. For from good, good arises again. And do not cooperate in sin and aggression. (5:2) "Do not help one another in evil and hostility," says Allah, the Exalted. Who acts according to this? The people of the Tarikat do this. Although we are in this world, they work for the Hereafter, for the pleasure of Allah. They help materially and spiritually, as much as they possibly can. This is the path of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); the path he has shown to us all. Whatever one can do... And if one cannot do anything, then smiling at a person's face; that too is a good deed. That too is something beautiful. Instead of looking at someone angrily or sternly, meeting them with kindness is already a good deed. These are the principles of the Tarikat. The command of the Tarikat is the path of our Prophet. Path... "Tarikat" means path; it means treading the path that our Prophet has pointed out. Nothing else. Nowadays, it is often portrayed in such a way that people think of something bad when they hear "Tarikat". Yet Tarikat means goodness, it means beauty. It means being useful to people and helping. Above all, it means remembering Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. There is nothing bad in this; all its commandments are the essence of humanity. Islam is the natural state of man anyway, and the Tarikat is also the essence of being human. What defines a human being? What is the difference between a human and an animal? They say: "This person behaves humanely." Humanity means not doing evil, but bringing about good. That is exactly what the Tarikat is. It means guiding people to the right path and raising them to be a "perfect human being." The perfect human being is a beautiful, good person. A person whom Allah loves... Whom people also love; who harms no one, deceives no one, and does no evil. That is Tarikat. Thanks be to Allah, Insha'Allah, may Allah be our Helper. The more people find this path, the more beneficial it is for everyone; no harm comes from it. Those who harm humanity, society, and the people are those who have strayed from the path. Those who are on the path bring benefit. Path means "Tariq," from which "Tarikat" is derived. With Allah's permission, we have embarked on this path for the sake of Allah's pleasure. To this place and to other places as well... Today we have come here; we come once a year, thanks be to Allah. May Allah grant us to remain steadfast on this path and to come here as long as we live. Let us hope it is blessed. May Allah be pleased with you all. You have come at such an early hour. This too was done solely for Allah's pleasure, for nothing else. You have come neither for food or drink, nor for money. Purely and sincerely for Allah... May Allah be pleased with you all. May He reward you abundantly. May our blessings be a means of guidance for the people around you. For your family, your neighbors, your relatives... Turks, Kurds, Arabs, English... All Muslims who exist are all servants of Allah. Therefore, these gatherings should be of benefit to them, Allah willing. Everyone wishes to see their own family, children, and relatives as good people. May Allah grant this, Insha'Allah. May it be a source of guidance for them, and may we be a means for their guidance, if Allah wills. May Allah guide us as well and not let us stray from the right path. May He not let us follow Satan and our ego, Insha'Allah.

We are early; it is a journey we take every year. We have gathered here through Hacı Neslihan Teyze. I hope that everyone who was the cause of our meetings is granted the reward for it. We gather for Allah's sake. We gather in honor of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, and the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). We harbor no other intentions; today we even arrived early. The brothers present have no ulterior motives. They are here to attain Allah's pleasure. That is what matters; that is what really benefits a person. In everything, you should have the intention to do it for Allah's pleasure, so that it is of benefit and the reward remains secure for you. Otherwise, if one gathers only for this world, in the end everyone runs after the worldly, but the world flees from them. Dealings that are only out for profit, especially worldly gain, do not come to a good end. For in the nature of man lies egoism, self-centeredness. He wants "everything to be mine." Whatever you give him, he is not satiated; whatever you do, he is not satisfied. That is why meetings that take place only in the name of the world never bring any benefit. Even if one meets for worldly things, one must align the intention with Allah's pleasure. One should think: "This is indeed a worldly meeting, but the result should serve Allah's pleasure. May Allah help me to spend what we earn on His path for His pleasure." Many people come and deceive others for the sake of worldly profit. People let themselves be deceived and deceive themselves. One deceives the other, and thus the whole world deceives each other. No benefit whatsoever is achieved. The state of the world is developing, especially from the late Ottoman period until today, from bad to worse. Why? Is it due to the governments, the state? No! It lies with the people; for man reaps what he sows. What should the state do for you, what should the government do? You are like them, and they are like you. These people were not brought from the moon or the sun; we are all inhabitants of this earth. We live in this world. After the Ottomans... For the Ottomans were on the path of Allah; but in the very last period, those who destroyed it ruined everything. I say "after the Ottomans," but even in their final phase, leadership fell into the wrong hands, and after that, they ruined it more day by day. Why? Because there is no fear of Allah. There is no shame, no decency, nothing at all. Now, how are these people supposed to be? The value of a human lies in his humanity. And what is humanity? To possess a sense of shame, to do no evil, to cause no harm to people. That is what makes a human. He who is not human does the opposite. He is not ashamed, has no decency, is ready for any disgraceful act; he behaves like a wild animal. This is exactly what we have seen in the years we have experienced. Therefore, do not say: "If I am good, but the other is not, what should I do?" If you know Allah... Allah is there, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is present; nothing is lost. Not even a speck of dust escapes Him, says Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. The good the weight of a speck of dust that you do will not be forgotten, and the evil just as little. Allah forgives the evil if you ask for forgiveness, if you repent and plead for pardon. And for the good... Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, gives the reward for it. Whoever performs a good deed, Allah grants him tenfold reward. From tenfold to a thousandfold, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, gives reward. And if you have done something evil, He records a single bad deed. Allah is unjust to no one. So, just because He has noted ten rewards, He does not also write down ten sins; only one. If you have committed a sin, it counts as a single sin. If you have done good, He gives tenfold, thousandfold, ten-thousandfold reward; the door of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, is open. So if you want to do something and say: "He did evil, that one did evil, look, he won, I will do it like them"... If you do it like him, you might win once, win twice. Even if you win a thousand times and think you haven't been caught, it will benefit you neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. Do not believe that you have won just because you are happy to have gotten away with it. The evil of this deed affects the person in this world as well. Such a person will certainly find neither rest nor comfort nor peace. Therefore, as said, everything should be for Allah's pleasure. It should be as Allah wills; we should not leave His path. His path is the path of truth; we have no other place, no other path where we could go. The path of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, means safety. Every other path leads to ruin; man perishes. It has no benefit whatsoever. Man also has no place where he could flee. Perhaps you deceive in this world, steal and flee from here to another country, to another city, far away. Even if you flee to places where people do not see you, and believe you have gotten away in this world... In the Hereafter, there is no such thing. You have no place to flee, no place of refuge. You can only seek refuge in the forgiveness of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. If you seek refuge in the mercy and grace of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, and return to that path, Allah will forgive you and protect you. The problem with this world is: When people see others doing evil, they consider it an achievement and try to do the same. Many people have perished and been ruined on this path. They saw that the world is of no use to them, but they only realized it later and regretted it. Later, when it is all over, it is hard to start anew. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, often gives man a worldly opportunity. One must not let this opportunity pass. Allah has opened doors of good for you, doors of sustenance, enabled a good life with the family. This opportunity often comes only once; if you miss it, you will not find a second one. Thanks to Allah, we are approaching our seventieth year of life. After what we have experienced to date, man is rarely given a second chance. Therefore, one must be aware of this, appreciate the value, and must not lose it. If you lose it, it is, as said, hard to attain this thing a second time. Therefore, be careful, do not fall for the devil, do not fall for your ego. The elders used to say: "Little food, headache-free life" (contentment brings peace). You live with your family; do not be greedy and say "I want to earn more, in this way and that," and do not embark on unknown paths. Do not say: "He did it and won, I will also win." Maybe he wins; but out of a thousand people, often only one wins. Therefore, do not get involved in such things. Be content, be with Allah; that is your greatest gain. Here we say it for the second time. Mother Hajjah also used to say: "Luck is a one-eyed thing; its gaze is directed upwards." It lifts you higher and higher... Only at the very top does it look down; if it goes well, all the better. If not, and it suddenly throws you off, there is no salvation left. Therefore watch out, do not be greedy. Do not fall for the talk of this person or that one. For today's people have forgotten everything. While they say "I want to earn money, earn more," they often lose even what they already have and end up destitute. Therefore, be careful; these gifts are a mercy that Allah has bestowed upon you. Do not lose these gifts. Be mindful, for you will be held to account for these gifts. "You were given so much, what did you do with it, how did you act?" "Did it flow into the forbidden? How did you lose it? On what did you spend the sustenance of your family and children?" This will be asked about. May Allah protect us. This is important for here, for everyone. Thanks to Allah these devices exist, even though they are used for much evil. Every kind of filth and fraud is committed with them, but thanks to Allah, this advice, however small it may be, is a means for good. For the believer as well as the non-believer; whether he prays or not, everyone should hear this advice. For people lack contentment, satisfaction, and gratitude. One does not appreciate the value of the things given, the value of the gifts. May Allah protect us, may Allah not lead us astray from the right path, insha'Allah. May Allah be pleased with you.

May Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, protect the believers. Insha'Allah, let us keep our hearts firm. For we are in the End Times, and the trials of this era are numerous. Everything is becoming more difficult. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says about the End Times: "Yakunu al-mataru qayzan wa al-waladu ghayzan" (Rain will become a torment and children a source of wrath). This means that in the End Times, rain will become a calamity. For a long time, none falls, and then a flood comes and sweeps everything away. We see this everywhere in the world; people are losing their lives in floods. They destroy lands, crops, and houses. Since we are living in the End Times, these are all signs of it. Even worse is "wa al-waladu ghayzan"; this means children will become rebellious. Our Prophet (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) says there will be unruly, ill-tempered children who cause their parents grief. This is also among the signs of the End Times. This is naturally due to upbringing. Since children are not raised with Islamic values, they unwittingly go down the wrong path; they torment their families, cause trouble, and ultimately harm themselves. Since we live in the End Times, you should always pray to Allah thus: "May Allah grant blessed rain, and may our children be well-raised." People nowadays only complain when it is too late: "Our son torments us, our daughter does not listen." You must take precautions from the start. Do not raise them with harshness, but with kindness, and guide them. Teach them decency, morality, Islamic Adab, and about our Prophet, and implore Allah that they follow this path. As mentioned, the most important issue is the children. Rain and floods are indeed catastrophes, but if children do not turn out righteous, that is the greater catastrophe. This is significant not only for the family but for the entire society. Children disrespect their parents, chase after good-for-nothing people, ruin themselves, and inflict suffering on others. Therefore, may Allah protect the children of the Muslims, the children of Islam. And then there are these devilish people; they lure children into drugs. Once they get used to them, may Allah protect us... Therefore, one must be moderate with children; one must not fulfill their every wish. The child should work and make an effort. Even if you are wealthy, do not give them everything immediately; let them wait. The child must serve father and mother. Today, exactly the opposite happens; people lay everything at their feet and ask: "Why should the child have to work? What does our child want?" Although they are in financial hardship, they send them to private universities. Then let him not study; university is not an obligation. He should work, achieve something, and become a decent human being—a person who believes in Allah and respectfully serves his family. You send him to university, and the situation gets even worse. The child loses his way, goes there, and comes back completely corrupted. Therefore, send only the child who truly wants to study. Whoever does not want to study should not sit at home, but work. If he does not study and sits around at home, he will later hang out in cafes and elsewhere, surrounding himself with the wrong friends and bad thoughts. And then you expect him to become a righteous child. May Allah protect us. This is important, for this is the greatest malady of our time. They say, "I will have the children study," send them somewhere, do not know what they are up to, and complain afterwards. May Allah grant us all understanding and insight; may Allah not let us stray from the right path.

"Then whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve." (18:29) Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says: "Whoever wishes, let him believe, and whoever wishes, let him remain in disbelief." This is a matter of the heart. One cannot force anyone to become a Muslim. Even during the conquests, no one was forced to change their religion; no coercion was applied. Whoever wanted to become a Muslim did so. Whoever did not, remained in their faith, paid the tax, and was treated like a citizen. Why do we mention this? These days, the Pope, the head of the Catholic world, is here on a visit. The background of his visit is connected to the alteration of the religion by the priests who gathered in Nicaea 1700 years ago. For the pagan Romans called the followers of Jesus "Nasrani". They persecuted and killed them, giving them no peace anywhere. Finally, they mixed paganism with Christianity as they saw fit. 1700 years ago, that is, 325 years after Jesus, they said, "We are now Christians too," and came to an agreement. But they falsified the religion—Allah forbid—by claiming: "There cannot be only a single God; He must have a family, He must have a child." When the true followers of the Scripture who followed Jesus rejected this, they were all rounded up to be silenced. At the gathering in Nicaea, it was stated: "These are the true Christians; we do not accept others." They tolerated no one outside of their doctrine and eliminated them. Whoever could flee, fled; whoever remained either had to accept the new religion or was killed. That is the crux of the matter. That is the event that took place 1700 years ago. There were many groups that stood outside the state religion they proclaimed. One of them was the group called the "Nestorians." Salman al-Farisi also followed this path before Islam. The monks passed on the true religion; when one died, he referred [the follower] to the next. Finally, they sent him to Medina with the words: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) will appear there." And so he found our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Medina. He came from this group, from this chain. That means most of them professed the Oneness of Allah and worshipped Him. Then, when this Roman group appeared, they composed fake Gospels and forced the entire Christian world off the right path into polytheism through coercion and killings. This is exactly what happened. But insha'Allah, this meeting will be an occasion for people to recognize the true path. Our people are afraid and ask: "Is black magic being practiced? Will something happen?" No, there is no reason to worry. This is the home of the saints, the martyrs, and the Companions of the Prophet. Therefore, no one, no matter who comes, can achieve anything; nothing will happen. One must show hospitality to the guest. Let us treat them well. Perhaps Allah will place the light of faith in their hearts so that they recognize the truth, insha'Allah. The penultimate Pope suddenly met with Sheikh Baba and resigned from the papacy shortly thereafter. This is something that has never happened before in history. We asked Sheikh Efendi: "Why did he do that?" Sheikh Baba said: "He saw the truth." When he saw the truth, he stopped. They gave the people a pretext; they said: "He does not want to continue for health reasons." Actually, no Pope is replaced before he dies. There was no one who had resigned before. Even if he was ill, he remained in office until death. If Allah wills, this visit will be an occasion for the guidance of the people. And even if not: Many priests and monks in his circle have recognized the truth and have secretly become Muslims, even if they continue their duties. There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of them, and there always have been. Therefore, there is no reason for fear or worry. "And say, 'The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished.'" (17:81) "The truth has come, the false has passed away." When the truth comes, the false no longer has value or standing. Therefore, our people need not be afraid: "What will happen? What is going on?" Do not be afraid. Allah is with us; the truth is Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. The truth will reveal itself. Even if not now: Just as the Pope has come, Jesus will also come. With Allah's permission, he will eliminate all this falsehood. May Allah turn it to good. Insha'Allah, may it be an occasion for guidance. We have many brothers who have returned from the wrong path to the true religion; thanks be to Allah, they are the majority. Insha'Allah, may Allah grant the Muslims vigilance through this occasion, so that they hold fast to the truth.

That you should not worship Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. (36:60) Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, speaks: "Satan is a clear enemy." And He warns: "Do not follow Satan." Satan is not a friend; and he will never be one. His traps are numerous; every step that man takes is lined with the traps of Satan. If you think: "I will befriend Satan a little so that he does not lead me astray," then you have deceived yourself. If you follow him even just one step, he will plunge you into ruin. He never wants what is best for you. Does an enemy ever want good for man? Never. He seeks to destroy him and plunge him into misery. That is exactly how Satan is. People nowadays follow him and say: "We will only go a little way along, then we will turn back." But very few return. For once you have followed him, he drags you down... He inflicts damage upon damage and plunges man into misfortune. He ruins both the worldly life and the Hereafter of man. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says: Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak. (4:76) "Undoubtedly, the plot of Satan is weak." When man repents and asks for forgiveness, all of Satan's efforts are in vain. That is why Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has shown mercy to man. Although He created Satan, He did not close the door of repentance to His servant. Thanks to the door of repentance, committed sins are forgiven, indeed even transformed into good deeds. Therefore, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "Repent and ask for forgiveness every day." Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "I repent and ask for forgiveness seventy times a day." Although our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was free of sin, he practiced repentance and asked for forgiveness. We must now constantly repent and beg for forgiveness. In order to remove the traps on this path and nullify the schemes of Satan, it is necessary to repent and ask for forgiveness. Nevertheless, one must be vigilant so as not to fall into his traps. May Allah be our Helper. May Allah protect us from the evil of our ego and of Satan. May Allah protect us all, insha'Allah.

Our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – says: There are two things reserved solely for Allah's knowledge. Do not believe any person who claims: "I know this, I know that." The first of these is the soul. The soul is under the command of Allah; only He knows it. Nowadays, there are people who pass themselves off as "scholars." They describe the soul and say it does this or that. They are not scholars; they are ignorant. For Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says: "Er-rûhu min emri rabbî" (17:85). It is a matter of my Lord; it rests solely within Allah's knowledge. Our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – did not say otherwise... Our Prophet conveys the commands of Allah in any case. No one knows it—what it is like, what its essence is. No one but Allah knows that. The second is destiny. No one knows destiny either, except Allah. How it is, whether it is good... What we call destiny is our life. Whatever is destined for you manifests itself. You live with it, and you go to the Hereafter with it. Destiny is one of the secrets of Allah. Therefore, one must submit to destiny when something happens. Whether good or bad, it is all one... People say: "You must endure what destiny brings you." One cannot escape destiny. If one escapes it, it is only by Allah's permission... Our Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) indicated that Sadaqa can avert calamity, but what is meant to happen will happen. And once it has happened... You live your life: you marry, you get divorced, you go and come... All of that is your destiny. When this destiny has been fulfilled, do not complain, do not blame anyone, and do not look for faults in others. This is Allah's dispensation, His decree. It is done and over. No matter what you do, you cannot change it anymore. Submit to it and say: "It came from Allah." Show contentment with it; that is better for you. If you rebel, you not only lose your reward but also inflict suffering upon yourself. When something happens... Accepting destiny is the foundation of Tariqa and what every human being needs. But people in general—those with no understanding of Tariqa, religion, or faith—blame others. In today's world, this is mostly the consequence of what is called "democracy": rebellion. People are not satisfied with anything. Whether politics or other things: games, football, this and that... People are constantly getting upset about them. It has happened, it is over! You can rebel all you want, you can struggle, but you harm no one but yourself. This is your destiny. Be content with it, submit. Obey Allah. One should pray: "O Allah, this came from You. Grant us the reward for it and let the outcome be good." That is just how it is. These topics are important, for this is how human life unfolds. There is the soul and there is destiny—you must not interfere in them. Know that they come from Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, and submit. May Allah help us all. May our destiny be blessed and our end be good; that is the most important thing.

Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Possessor of Strength, the Firm. (51:58) The Provider is Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. People do not think about the here and now; rather, they worry about the future and ask about it. They say: "In a few years, humans will no longer be needed for work." "Machines and devices will do everything." "One does not even need to exert mental effort anymore; they have invented something like 'Artificial Intelligence'." "Supposedly, it is meant to take over everything." They ask: "What work will remain for humans? What will they live on?" Whoever asks this is likely just an ordinary person. But the people of the spiritual path, the believers, must know that Allah, the Exalted, is the Provider. Even if the whole world were to become as hard as iron and the sky like copper, Allah, the Mighty, would still grant provision. For He is the Provider. One must firmly trust that sustenance will come. Even if there were not a single drop of water left, your portion would reach you. All that is visible and invisible lies within Allah's knowledge, His power, and His will. Therefore, doubts are a sign of weak faith. May Allah protect us from that. No matter how hard they try, livelihood is not in their hands, but in the hands of Allah. You will receive exactly what is destined for you. When your provision is exhausted, you will not be able to swallow another bite, even if the world belonged to you. You will not be able to drink another drop of water or take a single breath. This is the decree of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted. So there is no need to doubt and ask: "How are we supposed to live this life? What should we do?" That is unnecessary, for there is a guarantee from Allah: You will receive your share. No one can prevent that. Neither Artificial Intelligence nor anything else... In the past, they called wool "artificial"; today, they call the intellect "artificial". Therefore, there is no reason to worry. Believe in Allah, turn to Him. So flee to Allah. (51:50) Allah, the Exalted, says: "If you wish to flee, then flee to Allah; turn to Him." The heart of a believer rests in peace. He who has no faith is constantly worried and does not know what to do. May Allah grant us all this wonderful faith and strengthen our Iman, insha'Allah.

And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience]. (2:43) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has declared prayer to be the main matter. The most important thing in Islam is performing the prayer and giving Zakah. Now, there are some people who want to practice the religion according to their own discretion. They believe they are doing good by doing so. But nothing can replace prayer. That means, nothing can take the place of the obligatory prayer. You must absolutely perform it. Whatever else you do – you cannot make up for it. You will not be able to attain its merit and its reward. If you do not perform the prayer, you will have to pray for eighty years in the Hereafter for every missed prayer time. Eighty years – that is a whole human lifetime. A human lives about eighty years. So that is the duration of the obligation. That is why some say: "I am doing Riyazat." Good, but do you pray? No. Then what use is Riyazat to you? Neither Riyazat nor Tasbihat nor Sadaqa – none of this can replace prayer. The command in Islam and from Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, the pillar of the religion – that is the prayer. If you do not perform the prayer, you can do Tasbihat for a hundred years or fast for a hundred years for all I care. Whatever you do for a hundred years, even if you stand on your head – it does not replace a single prayer. Now, some people... Some say according to their own discretion: "I will handle it my own way." Others follow the word of others, but even that brings them no benefit. Not only is it of no use, it is actually harmful – because you neglect the obligatory and busy yourself with the voluntary. Voluntary deeds and Tasbihat do have their own reward, but they do not replace prayer. That means, you must absolutely perform your prayer. You can do your Tasbihat afterwards. You can also perform the voluntary deeds afterwards – do whatever you wish. It is the same with fasting. First, you must observe the obligatory fast. Afterwards, you can fast voluntarily as much as you want. Do not say: "I do not fast in Ramadan, but at another time – that balances it out." That does not balance it out. If you make it up, the reward will not amount to even a thousandth or a millionth of what it would have been worth at the right time. But if you perform it on time, at the times Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, has determined, then you can do any voluntary deed you wish afterwards. The voluntary comes afterwards. First the obligatory, then the voluntary. What is done before the obligation does not replace it. Therefore, man should not act according to his own discretion, but follow the path that Allah has shown. After you have fulfilled the obligation, you can, as said, do what you want. Do Tasbihat all day, all year – no problem. If you want to perform Riyazat, there is a method for that as well. If you do it on your own, it brings no benefit. You must learn from a Murshid or Sheikh how it is done correctly, or obtain his permission. Otherwise, it can be dangerous to practice Riyazat on your own. May Allah not leave us to our own ego. The ego says "I want to do good" – and can thereby lead people to evil. May Allah protect us from that.

Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "Two units of prayer performed in the last third of the night are more valuable than the whole world and everything it contains." "If it were not too difficult for my nation, I would have made it obligatory." So that means: Just these two units of Tahajjud prayer are more precious than the entire world with everything in it. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam wished so much that his nation would perform this prayer – he even said: "Were it not so difficult, I would have made it mandatory." For our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam, certain obligations applied that do not apply to us – they were reserved for him alone. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The honor of the believer lies in the night prayer." This means: The believing Muslim has a high rank with Allah. His true honor reveals itself in the nightly prayer. His dignity lies in being content with what Allah has given him – without expecting anything from people. Asking nothing from people, but only from Allah – that is the true dignity of the believer. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "Stand up at night and pray – even if it is only four or two units of prayer." This refers to the Tahajjud time. The night prayer before going to sleep is something else – that is not Tahajjud, but a prayer before rest. "Every household known for the night prayer is called out to by a caller: 'O inhabitants of the house, stand up for prayer!'" So Allah Azza wa Jalla sends an angel to those who regularly pray at night to wake them and call them to prayer. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The night prayer is performed in units of two." Not four at once, but speaking the greeting of peace after every two units – this is how the night prayer is performed. "If one of you fears that the time of the morning prayer is breaking, he should pray a single unit to conclude. This makes the total number odd." This refers to the Witr prayer. In the Shafi'i school of law, it consists of a single unit of prayer. Therefore, one always prays two units, and when the morning prayer approaches, according to the Shafi'i view, one adds a single one. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The night prayer is performed in units of two – always two, always two." "If you fear that dawn is breaking, conclude with a single unit. Allah is One and He loves the odd number." Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The voluntary prayers at night and during the day are performed in units of two." Furthermore, our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The night prayer is performed in units of two. It is best to pray it in the middle of the night." Or shortly before the morning prayer – that is precisely Tahajjud, the nightly prayer. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The night prayer is performed in units of two. But the Witr prayer is prayed as a single unit at the end of the night." This applies to other schools of law. In our school of law, the Witr prayer is often performed directly after the night prayer. One can also pray it later, but then there is the risk of oversleeping. This is handled differently depending on the school of law. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The night prayer is performed in units of two, and after every second unit, one recites the Tashahhud." This means: The Tashahhud is indispensable. In humility before Allah and with dignity, you raise your hands and ask: "O Allah, forgive me" – and you implore Him. Whoever neglects this, his prayer is incomplete. So after the prayer, one should raise one's hands and ask: "May Allah accept it." Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "Hold fast to the night prayer – even if it is only a single unit of prayer." Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam admonishes us: "Hold fast to the night prayer." "For it was the habit of the righteous before you, and it brings you closer to Allah." So this night prayer was already common among the peoples before our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam – they stood up at night to serve Allah. This brings the human being closer to his Creator. It keeps one away from sins. It expiates committed transgressions and wipes out sins. And it drives diseases out of the body. So if someone who stands up at night to pray is sick, this sickness will depart from him by Allah's permission. Our Prophet sall'Allahu alayhi wa sallam says: "The superiority of the voluntary night prayer over the day prayer is like the superiority of secret charity over public charity." That means: The night prayer is – just like charity given in secret – much more meritorious. A prayer when no one is watching brings immense reward.