Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ (21:1) Allah says: The Day of Reckoning is drawing closer for the people. But they are in deep heedlessness and give it no thought. They want to know nothing about it. They just want to continue on their own path. The reckoning is no easy matter. On the other hand, it is easy, for Allah is All-Forgiving. Whether with the state or private entities – tax offices here or elsewhere audit extremely strictly; there is no such thing as forgiveness. You hear about pardons; someone murders a person and gets pardoned. But woe betide you if you mess with taxes in Europe or America. They do not forgive you for that; they put you in prison and you never know when you will get out again. With Allah, however, it is different. With Allah, too, there is a reckoning. But if you ask Allah for forgiveness as long as you are still breathing and in the world – even before this reckoning – then He forgives you. Then your account is already settled. If you sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness for your sins, Allah will forgive you. Therefore, Allah says to the people: This Day is drawing closer. Do not miss this Day. Do not miss the chance for forgiveness. As long as you are healthy, live your life in the world, but never leave the path of Allah. Do not turn away from the mercy of Allah. Allah's mercy is boundless. For no one knows when a person will close their eyes forever and take their last breath. No one can guarantee whether one will still be alive in an hour or in a day – there is no guarantee for that. Therefore, Allah constantly reminds us that this Day is near. The Hereafter is near, not far away. Some say the Day of Judgment is still far off. Even if it were far away: As soon as you close your eyes, your own Day of Judgment begins. You will open them again on the Day of Resurrection, rise from the grave, and walk towards the gathering place. You will ask yourself: "What happened? Did we lie here all these years? It went by so fast!" In the blink of an eye, Allah says, people will rush to the gathering place, completely stunned. Whoever has done good will thank Allah and praise Him for it. The other, however, who kept away from Allah in this world, will then bitterly regret it. He will regret his deeds, but there it will be of no use to him anymore. As I said: As long as we are in this world, everyone should ask Allah for forgiveness. Allah will forgive the committed sins. Nowadays, however, people have distanced themselves far from religion. As soon as it comes to pleasure or partying, thousands of people flock together. "There is something to celebrate there, let's go, amuse ourselves, distract ourselves, and have fun," they say, and run off. But when it comes to the path of Allah, they say: "Oh, what are we supposed to do there? What is the point of it all?", and keep away. May Allah grant people understanding and insight. May He grant them guidance, insha'Allah. May Allah not lead us astray from the right path.

Allah Azza wa Jalla speaks in the glorious Quran: قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِي يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۚ (3:31) Allah Azza wa Jalla has our Prophet say: "Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, so that Allah will love you too." To attain Allah's love is the most important thing. But how do you ensure that Allah loves you? By following our Prophet. If you follow his path, He will love you. If you love him, Allah loves you too. Our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) was sent for everyone, for all of humanity and the entire universe. To the jinn, the humans, the angels; to everyone... He is the Prophet of them all. Whoever seeks the pleasure and love of Allah Azza wa Jalla must follow our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). Some stand up and say: "We love humanity." What is there to love about humanity? Is there even any humanity left at all? Such a thing as humanity does not even exist anymore. For it says: "Wa idhal-wuhuschu huschirat." (81:5) That means: "And when the wild beasts are gathered", meaning when a wild world emerges. This verse points to the end times; humanity has been lost. Everyone is like a wild beast, ready to inflict every imaginable suffering on others. Therefore, the greatest suffering one can inflict on people is to lead them astray from the right path. To withhold the right path from them. Portraying those on the right path as liars and saying, "Do not follow them," in order to deceive people and deprive them of this great grace, has become an everyday occurrence nowadays. For the Muslims, Satan devises a different scheme, a different fitna (temptation), so that they do not honor our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). Satan seduces them so that they expect nothing from him and do not come close to him. So we see how he deceives people in different ways; he always finds a way. Among the disbelievers, there is no faith left anyway. They all believe they shot up from the ground like mushrooms. They have no idea about the soul, the hereafter, or the spiritual world. They are fundamentally deceived and have fallen into Satan's trap. That is why devotion to Allah, the love for Allah Azza wa Jalla, is the most important thing. For every individual and for all of humanity, it is the true sign of being human to honor Allah Azza wa Jalla and to believe in Him. Without this belief, there is no true humanity. For then they have neither anything to fear nor anything to hope for. They have neither hope for Paradise nor fear of Hell. They simply say: "There is no such thing." But in the end, of course, they will regret it. Man did not just come into this life, into this world, out of nowhere. Allah Azza wa Jalla created his body, let him grow slowly in the mother's womb, and subsequently breathed a soul into him. Only through this soul does a person truly become human. Through this, he distinguishes himself from all other creatures. Other living beings are not like humans; Allah Azza wa Jalla has granted him a very special status. So if you are a human being, you must believe in Allah Azza wa Jalla. So that you become aware of your humanity. You must honor our Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) in order to find salvation. That is the only salvation; there is no other way to be saved. People have tried everything they invented themselves; none of it was of any use to them, and they were left completely at a loss. The greatest sign of disbelief is stubbornness. A stubborn person persists in their stubbornness until the end and refuses faith. He may regret it later, but by then it is too late. Therefore, strive for the love of Allah Azza wa Jalla, so that we may attain His affection, inshaAllah.

Our Prophet – may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him – said in a noble Hadith: "The world is the prison and the dungeon of the believer." For the believer, this world is not a place of pure joy. He finds his true relief only in the hereafter. For the unbeliever, on the other hand, the world is paradise, but the hereafter is not. This is exactly what our noble Prophet – may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him – said. Compared to the hereafter, even the most luxurious life here on earth resembles a stay in prison. In comparison to the hereafter, the world is a completely worthless, insignificant, and arduous place. Measured against the beauty, comfort, and carefreeness of paradise, even the most powerful person in this world lives as if in a prison. For the unbeliever, the exact opposite applies. This here is his paradise; this earthly life is his paradise. Because in view of the terrible place that awaits him in the hereafter, the life of even the poorest unbeliever in this world appears like paradise. Thus, the honorable Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani was riding his horse one day, protected by a parasol and accompanied by his students. Then a fire worshipper or unbeliever stepped in his way. He grabbed the Sheikh's horse by the reins. The students wanted to intervene immediately, but Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani held them back so they could learn from it: "Leave him, let's see what he has to say." The man said: "I must ask you something." "Look at me: miserable, half-starved, and dirt-poor, without even shoes on my feet – and you Muslims claim this world is my paradise and your prison!" "How can you explain that to me?" he asked. "While I stand here so pathetically, you ride quite comfortably on your horse and lead a splendid life surrounded by your followers." "You are obviously doing excellently." "So how can this world be a prison for you and a paradise for me?" The honorable Sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani replied to this: "Given all the bounties and rewards that await us in paradise, this world is like a prison for us – no matter how well off we might be here." "Compared to the hereafter, to paradise, life here is nothing more than a prison and a burden." "You, on the other hand, may be in the most miserable situation, but compared to the hell that awaits you as an unbeliever, your current state is pure paradise." Upon hearing this, the man paused and immediately embraced the faith. Thus, he too was honored with Islam. This earthly life is nothing more than play and amusement. The truly good is the hereafter. In a Quranic verse it says: "Afala ta'qilun" (Do you not then reason?). Where is your reason? Allah has given you reason; use it, live and act accordingly. What do you want? The eternal hereafter, or would you rather wallow in luxury in this transient life and give up the hereafter for it? There are so many who give up the hereafter for exactly that. Sometimes we read or hear of instructive incidents. They say – and this fits well into this gathering – of a man who was a musician. He apparently played the violin. It is said that this man played the most beautiful melodies the world has ever heard. This did not just happen yesterday, but three or four hundred years ago. Allegedly, this man made a pact with the devil: the devil demanded his faith, and in return, he made him the best violinist in the world. And that is exactly what happened. Yes, he played wonderfully, everyone listened and was enchanted. But 300 years have passed since then. Today he deeply regrets what he did, but this regret is of absolutely no use to him now. Therefore, a reasonable believer, even if the whole world were laid at his feet, would never give up his religion or deviate from the right path. On the contrary, he also invites others to this right path. Because this is the way of reason, the way of beauty, the way of Allah the Exalted and of all Prophets. This is the path of those who use their reason. Those without reason wander astray off this path. They chase after mere illusions. Gold, silver, money, possessions ... all of this is nothing more than ordinary building material in paradise. There, the walls are made of gold and silver anyway, and there is never a shortage of jewels. Therefore, someone with reason does not let themselves be blinded by worldly things, but sets their sights on the hereafter. May Allah grant all of us these beauties, insha'Allah.

What is the worst thing that can happen to a human being? The worst is when one's own leader is not a good person, is not on the path of Allah – the Exalted and Almighty – and has no fear of Allah. This is a very bad thing – for small communities as well as for large societies, for an entire country, and for the whole world. For such people have indeed existed in the past as well. As soon as the opportunity presents itself, they follow their ego and become tyrants like Pharaoh or Nimrod; in doing so, they know no compromises. As is also proclaimed in the Noble Quran: يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُودُ (11:98) They went ahead of their people and plunged them into Hell. Such people devise a path for their followers according to their very own ideas. They say, "I have chosen this path for you, and you must walk it." Tyrants like Pharaoh and Nimrod had all those who did not worship them killed, hanged, and slaughtered. Exactly the same thing is happening nowadays. Anyone who acts like this brings no benefit whatsoever to themselves, to their people, or to humanity. In the century following the end of the Ottoman Empire, more and more of such people appeared. For there was no longer any power that could stand in their way; they are all the same. In the past, the Islamic Sultan stood against them; Islamic justice and mercy prevailed. He was eliminated, and since then they all resemble one another. The people who did not want the Sultan have suffered the most from it. They have suffered such great harm, and yet to this day they do not come to their senses. They still let themselves be deceived; most of them do not even feel remorse. They say, "We have won, we have fought for our freedom," and the like. But even if you have gained your freedom, you have lost all value as a human being. What use is freedom if a human being in themselves no longer has any value or meaning? Before Allah, a person's value is measured by their mercy, their compassion, and their good deeds; and this is exactly what only the Sultan exemplified. He too was removed, and as a result, the entire world sank into oppression, wickedness, and injustice. The men who put themselves at the head of the nations plunged everyone into the deepest misery. They have robbed people of their humanity; they have left neither reason, nor decency, nor good manners. Nothing of the sort remains. If one follows those who have strayed from the right path – may Allah protect us – then this leads to the worst conceivable end: Hellfire. Whoever understands all this as a test, does not let themselves be led astray, and stays on the path of Allah, will find salvation. One must say to oneself: "We will not follow them, even if our hands are tied. We do not approve of these actions, we stand on the side of truth, and we want to live as Allah demands of us." InshaAllah, we will still witness the time of the Mahdi (peace be upon him). The way things are going right now, this state of the world cannot last; never in history has the world remained permanently in the hands of tyrants. Therefore, in the end, great remorse will inevitably set in, and other, more beautiful days will dawn again, inshaAllah.

Allah, the Exalted, has sent the prophets to show people how they can draw benefit from everything. From Adam (peace be upon him) to our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 124,000 prophets have taught people everything. They showed them how they should live, how they should interact with others, and how they can win the Hereafter for themselves. They also warned against evil and pointed the way by saying: "This is not good, leave it." Whoever listened to them succeeded; whoever did not listen to them perished. Therefore, thanks be to Allah; these gatherings here are of great importance. This time we see that it is even more crowded; inshaAllah, people will draw even closer to one another. May Allah protect us. Sincere people approach others with all their heart and full of compassion; they strive to show them what is good and to teach them the religion. All their efforts serve solely the pleasure of Allah; worldly interests play absolutely no role in this. Thanks be to Allah, we know that Allah provides for everyone's sustenance. But unfortunately, sometimes even believing people do everything possible for their own advantage. When people then turn away from religion, they complain and ask: "How could this happen?" There is no reason to complain. Do your work sincerely, stay on the right path, and be honest. Pass on what you have learned to others. This will be the greatest benefit and the highest reward for you. That is why it is so important that people support one another and guide each other on the path. In doing so, one should always proceed kindly – there must be no compulsion whatsoever. Everyone should do what is in their power. What they cannot manage, Allah will forgive them. The most important thing is the intention. With a firm intention, Allah rewards a person even for an act they could not complete, entirely according to their intention. Our Prophet says in a noble Hadith: "The intention of the believer carries more weight than his deed." Let us assume you resolved: "I will perform this good deed," but found no opportunity to do so. Allah, the Exalted, accepts this as well. If you actually do something good, Allah credits you with tenfold the reward for it. However, if you only have the intention but do not put it into action, you receive your reward solely for the good intention. If you intended to do something bad, but change your mind and leave it, it will not be counted as a sin against you. If you do it anyway, it is recorded merely as a single sin. If one shows repentance afterwards and asks for forgiveness, Allah forgives this too and erases the sin. This is exactly the path of Islam, the path of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam); it is the most beautiful path of all. Some people give in to their ego and avoid this path. They are afraid and consider it to be something bad. Out of concern that acts of worship might be too difficult for them, they abandon everything altogether. Others, in turn, say to themselves: "I'll do that later," and before they know it, life is over without them having done anything. Some do nothing at all from the very beginning – their situation is far worse. Because they do not even form the intention to do good. Someone who says: "I'll do that later," at least had the intention to do so. InshaAllah, Allah will forgive him too based on his intention. Thanks be to Allah, the days of the pilgrimage and the Festival of Sacrifice are now behind us. These blessed months mark the end of the sacred months. Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram... These sacred months are exceedingly blessed by Allah. They are a gift to us – a grace from Allah, the Exalted. We firmly resolve to spend these months performing acts of worship, inshaAllah. May Allah, inshaAllah, bestow His grace upon us according to our intention. Let us pray and perform acts of worship as best as we possibly can. The prayer is of immense importance. For those who do not yet pray, our esteemed Sheikh-Father has wonderful advice: "Whoever does not pray should start with at least two rak'ah a day." "He should maintain these two rak'ah for one or two weeks, or even one or two months. Once he has gotten used to it, he can increase it to four rak'ah." "He then maintains this for another three to five months." "After a while, the need of the body and soul for this spiritual beauty will grow all by itself." "In this way, he will – by Allah's permission – gradually begin to perform all five daily prayers." Fasting is equally important. It forms one of the fundamental pillars of our religion. In fact, many people do not pray. There are many who fast but do not pray – it was like that in the past as well. But they never skipped fasting. Even those who did not pray fasted the full thirty days during Ramadan. Some prayed only on Fridays, others only on holidays, but they all strictly observed fasting. Unfortunately, nowadays people are giving up even that. Some doctors nowadays even claim: "Do not fast under any circumstances, you are sick, it will kill you." Meanwhile, more expert doctors abroad deliberately have their patients fast because it is very healing for illnesses. And not just for fifteen or sixteen hours like us, but they have people fast for eighteen to twenty hours. The path that Allah, the Exalted, and our Prophet have shown us is exactly what human beings need – it fully corresponds to their nature. If a person aligns his life accordingly, he will find inner peace, be happy and successful both in this world and in the Hereafter. The most important thing, however, is to show respect to our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) and to hold him in high honor. No other human being may even remotely be compared to him. Unfortunately, some try to equate completely insignificant people with him – that is absolutely unacceptable. What we will need the most in the Hereafter is the intercession of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). Without his intercession, we would be lost. May Allah protect us from that. People without faith do not know this anyway, but recently a group of people has also emerged who consider themselves especially pious. They say about our Prophet: "He was also just a human being like us. You have to rely solely on your own deeds; you do not need his intercession." They even claim: "If you ask for intercession, you are committing shirk and associating partners with Allah." What they are saying is completely unreasonable; they are only harming themselves with it. If they were only harming themselves, that would be one thing, but they are also harming others. They sow doubts and whisper to people: "Have we committed shirk just because we recited blessings (salawat)?" They make people wonder: "Have we fallen from the faith because we had the Mevlid recited?" They plant doubts in their heads and alienate them from the religion. Therefore, do not listen to such people at all and attach no importance to them. After all, nowadays everyone has a smartphone in their hand; they go on the internet and listen to the confusing ramblings of completely unreasonable people. Even if one only listens to them casually, doubts begin to sprout. It is as if a pathogen were invading your mind. Just as one wears a mask in an infectious environment, you should protect your mind by not even clicking on the videos of such people in the first place. May Allah protect us from their evil. May Allah be pleased with all of you. MashaAllah, you gather here and remember Allah (dhikr). The path of our esteemed Sheikh-Father is the path of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam). Allah has shown us His grace. Thanks to sincere devotion, these honorable places of our ancestors have been filled with life again. Through this, reward continues to flow to those ancestors as well, and they make supplications for you from the Hereafter. InshaAllah, Allah will multiply your numbers, so that the congregations at these gatherings grow even further. May Allah grant you righteous children, inshaAllah. Take good care of your children; after all, you are their mothers. Nowadays, everyone boasts: "Which university are you sending your child to? My child goes to a private school. They are incredibly smart and intelligent." Yet, the very best school, the very best university, is the mother herself. No school and no university has as great an influence as the mother. The true school of life is the mother. A mother who deeply cares for her child and raises them to be a good person with a strong character should nowadays be paid a salary of one or two hundred thousand liras. Raising a person who is of benefit to their country and their people is priceless. That is far more valuable than these empty schools and universities. Therefore, pay special attention to the education and upbringing of your children. Just because you take care of the child does not mean you have to be unconditionally at their service. The child has to listen to you. Maintain some discipline and do not give in to their every wish instantly. Children know exactly that a mother's heart is soft. They cry and whine until they get their way. No matter how much they whine – do not give in immediately. Let a little time pass. Give it to them only one or five hours later, so that they learn to appreciate the value of the thing. Anticipating a child's every wish before they have even asked for it ruins their character. Unfortunately, some parents practically turn themselves into servants to their children and ask: "Would you like this, or rather that?" before the child has even opened their mouth. You must pay special attention to these things. That means: Do not give children things that are useless or harmful to them, and proceed very consciously in matters of upbringing. May Allah be pleased with all of you. MashaAllah, may your community be lasting and full of blessings.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ (49:12) Allah commands people: "Do not harbor bad suspicions." He is saying that one should not bring others into disrepute through mere doubts. You picture something in your head just as you see it, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the truth. The truth is one thing, what you imagine is something completely different. This is a really important topic. It is also something that the Sheikhs do not like at all. Even when the situation was bad, Mawlana Sheikh Nazim always interpreted it in a good way. He always found an excuse and smoothed things over. So even if it was really bad, Mawlana Sheikh Nazim did not want to make it look bad. There is this approach, and there is the exact opposite of it. To this they say: "Inna su'a zanni min husnil fitan." This is just a saying that they made up themselves. It is neither a Hadith, nor is it in the Qur'an. Supposedly this means: "Bad suspicion is a sign of cleverness," but this is the exact opposite of what is right. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim stood on one side, but there were also many who were very close to him, yet followed exactly this second path. Most of those who took this path have since passed away. They constantly did the following: "This man is good, no, he is actually like this, this one here is bad" – they always found fault with everything and everyone. What exactly is the case with suspicion (Zann)? Imagine someone at night in a dark room; there is no light, everything is pitch black... He mistakes his pillow for something else, for some strange creature. He mistakes the blanket and the things over on the wall for some other creatures. He imagines all of this, tells himself: "These are terrible things," gets scared, and pulls the blanket over his head to hide. He thinks to himself: "How on earth am I supposed to endure this until morning, surrounded by all these things?" Then he turns on the light and sees that there is absolutely nothing there. One thing is just a pillow, the other the blanket, what is on the wall are clothes, a lamp; everything is completely normal. As soon as the light is on, he sees things as they truly are. He realizes that none of the evil things he had imagined even exist. And it is exactly the same with suspicion. That is why the Grand Sheikh also always scolded severely about such things. That means: If you are not one hundred percent sure about something, then do not accuse anyone and do not speak badly about them. Do not burden yourself with someone else's sin. Such suspicion (Zann) is a heavy burden. And of course, as with everything: Do not interfere in matters that do not concern you. Your task is to mind your own business. And do not drag others into your sins either. There are many people who say: "That is just how he is," then constantly talk behind people's backs and thereby destroy families and livelihoods. And afterwards they say: "We just thought it was like that, we just assumed it." Well and good, you assumed it, but by doing so you have definitely burdened yourself with a great sin. That is no small matter. Grand Sheikh said very important things on this topic. If one would really listen to him, one would understand how wrong one's own behavior and actions are. Therefore, one really has to be careful. Do not burden yourself with the sins of others and do not slander anyone. Of course, in your attempt to avoid Su'a Zann, you should not let yourself be taken for a fool either. Do not allow yourself to be deceived. Allah has given you reason and insight; of course you will ask around and investigate. For example, if a marriage is approaching, one inquires: "What kind of person is this?" That is not Su'a Zann. To inform yourself in advance for the future: "Who is this, what does he do, how does he make a living, what did he do in the past, has he been married before, how has he treated others?" – that is not a bad thought and not Su'a Zann. You find out the truth and act accordingly. And people who know the truth will also speak openly if there is something. They can express their opinion, such as: "This person is like this, he has done this and that, he has a good character" or "We would rather advise against it." But do not badmouth anyone just because you have a mere suspicion and say: "No, I find that guy unlikable somehow." This very matter, namely the topic of marriage, is extremely important. Sometimes we are also asked; then we say: "Send a picture, what kind of person is this?" We ask: "How is the family, have you met them before?" If they then answer: "Yes, we have, they are good," then the matter is fine. So, go ahead and ask around and inquire. There is absolutely nothing reprehensible about that. What is truly reprehensible is to insinuate things about someone who has a family, such as: "You did this, you did that, you went there." By doing so, one causes unrest in their family, alienates the spouse, and destroys a home. That is exactly what true Su'a Zann is. May Allah protect us from this. It is an enormously important topic for all of us, but many people take it lightly and just talk recklessly. And then they also drag their counterpart into the sin. Then they all gang up together; one says: "He said that, so he knows it," the next thinks: "We believe him, this man is bad, this woman is bad" – and that is exactly how they then act. May Allah protect us from this. May Allah protect us all from these sins and forgive us all, Insha'Allah.

The highest goal of a believer is bliss in both worlds. A believer hopes for happiness and peace in this world and the hereafter; that is what he prays for. We have understood the hereafter: In paradise, man finds his true happiness. But this world is a place of testing. So how can one be happy here? As long as one stays on the path of Allah and follows His commandments as well as those of our Prophet, one finds inner peace. Then one has nothing to fear. For earthly life is short and flies by. Days and years slip away. Therefore, it is the greatest happiness to remain steadfast and move forward on Allah's true path. If the people around you – family, children, siblings, and friends – also walk the same path, that is perfect happiness. Of course, this world is a place of testing, even though no one likes to be tested. A test is never easy. Even children are afraid of tests and ask themselves: "How am I supposed to manage this?". Whether young or old, everyone fears tests. This world is also a testing ground, but for a believer, it is a test easily overcome. For people without faith, however, it is a very difficult test, because all their efforts will ultimately be in vain. They may believe they are doing good in the world, but in reality, they only cause harm. Man inflicts the greatest harm upon himself anyway – worse than anyone else could ever do to him. For Allah the Exalted has given man free will and commandments. With this free will, man can stay on the right path. Some may claim otherwise, but this is the law that Allah has established in His wisdom: Whoever walks this path will be happy. Bliss means that man finds deep peace both in earthly life and in the hereafter. Life in the hereafter is, inshaAllah, the highest form of happiness for believers anyway. Achieving this happiness is easy for believers who follow the path of Allah and His Prophet. Otherwise, the hereafter is truly not an easy place. There are many people in the world who merely call themselves "Muslims". Some are even ashamed to admit: "I am a Muslim". Abroad or in the presence of high-ranking people, they hide their faith and even think they are doing the right thing. In doing so, they only harm themselves; there is absolutely nothing good about that. As already said: The hereafter is a severe place. If someone lives to be a hundred years old here, people say: "He had a long life." But for non-believers, or for Muslims who do not walk on Allah's path, a hundred years in the hereafter are nothing at all. On the Day of Judgment, there will be people who have to wait a hundred, five hundred, a thousand, or even a hundred thousand years. Therefore, one must not take this lightly: To be happy in the hereafter, you must walk the path of Allah already in this world. You must follow the path of our Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him. You must love and honor him and hope for his intercession, so that in the hereafter, by Allah's permission, you may enter paradise without a single day of waiting. So that you may drink from the fount of Kawthar from the hands of our Prophet and enter paradise. Whoever neglects this on earth and merely calls himself a "Muslim" still has a gain, even if he only enters paradise after a thousand or five thousand years – for in the end, he will enter. Whoever has no faith at all, however, inflicts upon himself the greatest evil. May Allah protect us from this. May Allah grant us happiness in this world and the hereafter. InshaAllah, this perfect bliss of both worlds will be granted to us all.

Our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) said: "Which deeds are the best in the sight of Allah?" It is to bring relief, joy, and inner peace to the heart of a believer. When a believer sees another and smiles at him, it fills his heart with tranquility. When you greet him with a friendly face and ask how he is doing, he naturally becomes happy. And through this joy, one attains the pleasure of Allah. Actually, this is not that difficult, but depending on character and habit, some find it hard or they simply don't do it. Out of thoughts like "We don't get along" or "He is not on my level," some people don't even greet; and even if you greet them, they do not return the greeting. Such people do exist. But they will have to bear the consequences for their behavior. Because if one seeks Allah's pleasure with such easy deeds, He grants them a great reward. Even here on earth, this brings a person inner peace and joy. It drives sorrow away from the heart. If you make a problem out of it, it will only burden you. Of course, it is not always easy to please everyone. That is a different matter. People today often lack the decency and sensitivity of the past. Nowadays, there are many who immediately take advantage when you approach them with a smile. But to keep it short: Greeting everyone you meet—entirely in the spirit of our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam), who said: "Spread the Salam"—should be a matter of course for a Muslim. Greeting is a hallmark of Islam. Giving the Salam is Sunnah. Returning the greeting, however, is Fard (obligatory). If you say "Salam alaykum" to someone, you have fulfilled the Sunnah. If the other person does not reply with "Wa alaykum salam," they commit a neglect of duty. This entails a serious responsibility before Allah. Whoever takes on this burden will feel the consequences as spiritual unrest. When someone greets you, you simply say "Alaykum salam" and go on your way. You don't have to sit down especially for it and have long conversations. But this greeting alone creates a beautiful connection between people. It is a wonderful way to strengthen togetherness and at the same time attain Allah's pleasure. That is exactly how it is. Without a doubt, Allah loves the believers and the Muslims. This rule naturally applies not only to followers of the Tariqa, but to all Muslims equally. Sometimes we travel to foreign countries. The people we meet on the streets there greet us. Either they greet first, or our companions do—and everyone returns the greeting warmly and with a smile. But unfortunately, there are also people who claim about themselves: "I am a Muslim." Among them are some who cannot stand the Ahl as-Sunnah and the followers of the Tariqa. They constantly wear a sullen face and frown. It is exactly such people that our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam) is not pleased with. These people do not return the greeting and they drive others away from the religion with their grumpy nature. They neither accept the greetings of others, nor do they greet anyone themselves. May Allah protect us from this, but even among Muslims there are such characters. Insha'Allah there are not many, but they do exist. Even if they are only a few, they stand out unpleasantly in society due to their dismissive manner. Surely you have also often encountered such people, just as we have. You greet them, but as soon as they realize that you follow the path of the Ahl as-Sunnah and our Prophet (sallAllahu aleyhi wa sallam), they do not return the greeting—simply because they reject this path. May Allah protect us. That is why Mawlana Sheikh Nazim used to say about them: "Abusu'l-wajh, karihu'l-manzar." This means something like: "Sullen face, knitted eyebrows, and a repulsive appearance." Insha'Allah we will never be like that, but will always meet our Muslim brothers and sisters with a smile. Help people as much as you can without scaring them away. And even if you cannot help them practically, a smile is already enough. It is completely sufficient to show people a friendly face. May Allah help us all with this. Of course, this is not always easy, but Insha'Allah, Allah will support us all.

وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَعِبٞ وَلَهۡوٞۖ وَلَلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَۚ (6:32) Allah, Azza wa Jalla, says: "The worldly life is nothing but a play and a pastime." "But the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear (Allah)." All praise is due to Allah that we were together with the believers and Muslims on the path of Allah by His grace during these blessed days. There were those who visited us, and we also made visits, praise be to Allah. The sacrificial animals were slaughtered. The pilgrims have performed their Hajj. That is the highest level of bliss. Thus, this worldly life does not pass only with play and pastime. Thus, a person can become truly happy. If a person does what they want, as long as it lies within the permitted (Halal) bounds, these deeds return to them as a reward. As long as one is on the path of Allah, Azza wa Jalla, and the beautiful things that please a person are within the Halal realm, Allah records a reward for them and also bestows gifts upon His servant. If one is thankful for the bounties He has given, life does not pass meaninglessly. It is lived fulfilled to the fullest. All of this becomes a preparation for the Hereafter and accumulates in the account for the Hereafter. And so these blessed days came and passed as well. The days pass quickly; may they not pass in vain with Allah's permission, in sha Allah. May they not pass emptily. That they pass fulfilled means: Every breath one takes after having remembered Allah, Azza wa Jalla, is fulfilled. It is not a loss, it is not meaningless. Everything you do during the times when you do not remember Allah, when He does not come to your mind, is a loss. Even if the whole world belonged to you, even if all people adored and loved you; as long as you are not on Allah's path, this does not have the slightest significance or benefit. Therefore, this path is Allah's beautiful path, the path of Islam, which is full of blessings. The more you honor and revere our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, on this path, the more you too will be elevated with Allah. His path is beautiful; every beauty is in it. Goodness is with him, taking care of the weak and poor is with him; he watches over his Ummah and will be an intercessor for them in the Hereafter. He always asks Allah for intercession for his Ummah. Therefore, his right cannot be repaid; the right of our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, can never be repaid. The more you honor him, the more appreciation you experience, the more you are elevated and ascend. If you do not show respect to our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, your prestige and your worth will also fall. You lose all worth. Satan also leads some Muslims astray. Even if he cannot turn them away from the religion, he chooses this path by saying: "At least I will nullify the rewards that the believers have gained." He whispers and says: "Do not revere him at all, the Prophet is also just a human being like you." And this is, of course, to the detriment of the people. Not loving our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam, is a great harm. It is a loss, nothing else. Therefore, it is beneficial and a great gain to honor our Prophet, sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. May Allah make our gain lasting, inshaAllah. May we attain his intercession. Without his intercession, we will have a hard time. The person who attains his intercession finds salvation.

A blessed Friday and a happy Festival of Sacrifice to you all once again. May Allah preserve these beautiful days for us eternally, insha'Allah. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the Hadith that we quoted in the sermon: "The strong believer is better than the weak one," or as he said it. That means the strong believer is the better one. Someone who is of use to his fellow human beings is more beloved by Allah and a better person. Because whoever possesses strength helps others and wards off harm from them. That is, of course, how it should be. But not everyone can do that. Allah the Exalted and our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proclaim what a great virtue this is for those who act accordingly. These are qualities that Allah loves, and people who act this way are loved by Him. Therefore, one must strive for it. Even if you are not physically capable of it – that is, if you cannot intervene directly – you should do what is in your power. Help the weak and the poor. Because help has many faces and is not limited to a single form. For this reason, one should constantly work on oneself and develop oneself in the best possible way. If an opportunity presents itself, one should take it. Further on in the Hadith, it says: "One should strive for the good." Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "One should strive for even more good." A strong believer is therefore someone who uses opportunities to become even stronger. That is exactly what our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advises us to do. The next point is this: If something happens to you, do not say, "If only I had done this or that...", our Prophet warns. Because Allah's predestination has already been fulfilled, and with an "If only I had" you change absolutely nothing. What's done is done; it is in the past. You must leave it behind and look ahead. There is no reason to mourn it and torture yourself with it. What happened, happened. The will of Allah the Exalted has been fulfilled. This is the destiny that Allah has decreed; it is of no use to still be sad about it. If you learn from it, you emerge as a winner. If you do not, you will only grieve senselessly with an "If only I had". Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "This little phrase 'if only' opens the door for Satan." Satan then whispers to people: "If only I had done that, if only I had bought this, if only I had gone there, if only I had..." Every word of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is extremely valuable and a guiding light for us. This constant "If only I had" is a great human weakness that we all carry within us. In some, it is even particularly pronounced, so that they get completely caught up in it. So that exactly this does not happen – meaning that our morale and our mental balance suffer as a result – our Prophet warns us against it. Because Satan wishes you no good, only bad. And this "If only I had" opens the door for him to do just that. So do not fall into this trap. In a noble Quranic verse it says: "Fa tawakkal 'ala Allah, innaka 'ala al-haqqi al-mubin" (27:79) – So rely upon Allah; indeed, you are upon the clear truth. In this verse, we are therefore instructed to rely upon Allah. Because you are on the right path, on a clear path of truth. So mourn the past no longer and do not fret. Take these beautiful words of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to heart and follow them. In this way, you will not only be successful and happy, but you will attain bliss in this world and the hereafter. May Allah grant us all this bliss, insha'Allah.