Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (39:53) Allah is the one who forgives all sins, He is the Forgiving. No matter what sins have been committed, upon repentance, Allah turns them into rewards, so that the sin is removed and rewards take its place. Allah has done this out of His generosity, to provide mankind every conceivable way to salvation. There are many people who spend their entire lives committing bad deeds or not doing good deeds, but if they repent before they die, they find salvation. The gates of repentance are open. The gates of repentance will only be closed on the Day of Judgment. From that point on, repentance will no longer be accepted. There are people who have doubts. There are scrupulous people, women and men, who ask: 'Will Allah forgive our sins?' Allah promises again and again, both in the Holy Quran and through the statements of the Prophet, that He will forgive. 'Repent, I will forgive your sins,' Allah proclaims as glad tidings. And yet there are still people who ask: 'Will He forgive me?' Allah will forgive. Do not doubt that. There must be no doubt about it. The word of Allah is the truth. You should listen to the word of Allah. Do not listen to your ego, which makes you doubt whether Allah will forgive you or not. If you listen to these doubts, then you are not listening to the word of Allah. This is an even greater danger. Do not doubt the mercy of Allah, and do not give in to the insinuations, "Would have, Could have, Should have." You must believe that Allah will surely forgive and will accept all good deeds. Whoever believes in the mercy of Allah will be saved. If someone thinks they can be saved through their own deeds, they are mistaken and will not be saved. May Allah protect from this mistake.

Allah is the Almighty and He, who makes everything happen according to His will. Many people are dissatisfied with their lives or themselves. This dissatisfaction is a familiar state for most people. Because many of them have no faith. They are missing something. They are directionless. That's why they reject everything. They are satisfied with nothing. They dislike many things. Then there are people with a bit of understanding of religion and faith. But they too are plagued by dissatisfaction. They complain: "I want to eliminate disbelief from the world. In my world, there should be no unbelievers. If it were up to me, I would do this and that differently." Everything has happened and happens with Allah's will. If Allah wishes, He will surely send a person to bring about change. And it will happen with Allah's permission. Allah's promise is the truth. Disbelief will end; there will be no more disbelief, no injustice, no evil. But the current situation requires that especially the followers of Tariqah be content with Allah's judgment, accept what Allah gives them, and not rebel against it. The knowledge and wisdom of Allah are unfathomable. The knowledge and wisdom of Allah cannot be questioned. In former times, many true saints and sages lived. The saints in the past were more numerous in public. Today's saints are hidden; they have withdrawn. Therefore, the world is full of people without faith. They are Muslims, but they have no faith. The number of people without faith has increased. They are dissatisfied with things and promise to do this and that differently. Meanwhile, they make judgments at their own discretion. In the past, there were many great true scholars and spiritual masters. One of them was Muslihuddin Efendi, a great scholar and saint. After completing the sciences of the exterior, he sought true knowledge. To gain this knowledge, he went to a great sheikh named Sumbul Efendi. The scholars of the Ottoman era had great respect for Sumbul Efendi. His rank was known. One day, Sumbul Efendi gathered his students and asked them the following question to test their suitability: "The question for your lesson today is: What would you change if the world were in your hands? Later, I will gather the opinions of each of you and ask what your thoughts on it are. May this task reveal how far your progress is," said Sumbul Efendi. They all thought about it all day. One by one, they came to their sheikh. "Sheikh, I would eliminate this injustice, I would change this and that, I would do this and that," they said until they all had expressed their opinions. Then it was Muslihuddin Efendi's turn. The sheikh asked him what he would do and how he would improve the world. He asked him: "What would you do if it were up to you?" "If everything were in my hands," he said, "I would leave everything at its respective center just where it is now. I would leave everything as it is. Allah has wanted everything this way. It is not for me to express a will where there is Allah's will," he said. Because of this answer, Muslihuddin Efendi became known as Merkez Efendi: the Sheikh who leaves all things at their center. He is revered to this day. He had great knowledge. Both in medicine and in the sciences of the exterior and the interior. He educated many students. He made good people. People visit him to this day. They learn from his wisdom. People always want everything to go their way. Merkez Efendi teaches Muslims a great lesson: Allah has created everything in the best way. Everything happens as He wills. This is a very important lesson. Those who accept and apply this wisdom find peace. They have no headaches. Their heart comes to rest. They are content that everything happens according to Allah's will. May Allah make us such servants.

Every time we begin with gratitude towards Allah. With each of our actions, we should be grateful to Allah. Through gratitude, blessings, and gifts are multiplied. The gifts always remain consistent. The only permanence comes from Allah. Through His blessing, His power, His mercy, and His eternal being, we receive the gifts, whenever He wills. That's why we start everything with gratitude. Thanks to Allah, we have arrived again at these blessed days. The days pass quickly and fly by. Our thanks is for our steadfastness on the right path. We are thankful that we can remain persistent. We are thankful so that Allah may consistently grant us His gifts. We thank Allah for today, as it is the 19th of Ramadan. Tomorrow is the 20th, and then there is another beautiful worship: Itikaf. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, never missed this. Those who want and can do it, should do it. This means, it is not an obligation, but for those who want, it is a great blessing and a great benefit to practice Itikaf. Itikaf lasts for ten days. Itikaf can be done for seven days, five days, one day, or one hour. What matters is to have the intent, and to have the intent for Itikaf every time you enter the mosque. But actually, Itikaf lasts for ten days. Our Prophet, peace be upon him, practiced for ten days. But for the Muslims in general, it is enough to do as much Itikaf as they can. So, opening us up to the intention to practice Itikaf with each entry to the mosque gives us gates to rewards and the good path. In the Hadith at the Juma hutba, our Prophet, peace be upon him, pointed out that the blessings of Ramadan in the afterlife are turned into rewards that we cannot even imagine. In this world, people strive for meaningless things. They yearn for things of little value. They do nothing for the afterlife, the actual, eternal life. This is part of the determination that Allah intends for people. All we can do is deliver Allah's message to those who do not practice. Whether they act or not is up to them. If Allah does not bless them with it, they will not do it. But we should be sad about them missing out on such good things. May Allah protect us on this path. We must ask Allah that we do not become like them. May He makes us steadfast. On the path of Islam, of light, of beauty, may he make us steadfast and help us. Because one can never be sure of the whims of the ego. If one makes a misstep, they fall into an abyss and are lost. All efforts will then become worthless. Therefore, we need to stay alert. We need to show gratitude towards Allah. Say: "This is a favor from my Lord!" هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي If Allah does not bless you with this, no matter how hard you try, it will not be possible. It will not be possible. What Allah wills happens. Do not question: Why did Allah do this? Those who ask this question will achieve nothing. They will only lose many things, but gain nothing. These blessed days are a booty for the afterlife. Not a booty of the world, but a booty of the hereafter. You can take as much from it as you want. Nobody can say anything to you. The more, the better, says Allah. Our door is a door of generosity, says Allah. Do not hesitate, do not be shy. Take in abundance. Take as much as you want, says Allah. What do we do? While we run away and say we do not want it. Then we constantly complain about why we are in trouble. If you flee from Allah, where will you go? Trouble! That's a known fact. There are two ways, no third. There is the way of Allah and the way of the devil. You're either on Allah's way or on the devil's way. Whoever is on Allah's way, has won. Whoever is on the way of the devil, has lost. They can eat and drink as much as they want. They can eat day and night without interruption. It will not benefit them. The only benefit would be that their belly gets bigger and they get fat. It has no other advantage. The damages are greater than the benefit. May Allah protect us from such people. May he not lead us astray from the right path. Again, millions and billions of praises of gratitude to Allah that He brought us on this path. We have many examples in front of us. They are humans like you and me, but Allah has not given it to them. That's why we should be grateful! We need nothing else. Stay steadfast through gratitude! May Allah make us among the grateful.

One of the diseases of the ego is self-complacency: Ujub. Ujub means self-love. These diseases of the ego can occur in anyone. Although they can occur in anyone, it is not good if someone who follows the Sharia and the Tarikat is self-complacent. Why is it not good? Because it diminishes the merit of performed prayers. 'I got up to pray at night while others are asleep.' Satan makes people say such things so that the merit of their prayers is lost. What you are doing is already flawed and only half of half. To make you completely lose the blessing of your deeds for Allah, Satan tempts you to fall into self-complacency. Self-complacency is a common danger on the spiritual path. Satan tempts people into self-complacency in various ways. Some people boast because of worldly things. They think they dress well, they are attractive, they are beautiful, they have this or that, and their status is so high. These are worldly matters. From the start, they have been busy with useless things. Self-complacency is not well-taken by people. Even though they work hard, people who consider themselves superior are not well-regarded. They are envied. Even if they gain recognition, they do not gain affection and they lose the blessing of their achievements. Especially for those on the path of Allah, self-complacency is not a good thing. Beware of self-complacency. If you pray, be grateful that you can pray. You should not put yourself above others because they don't do it. Allah has given you this grace, not the others. You must know that this does not come from you, but from Allah the Almighty. All the good deeds we do are a grace and a gift from Allah the Almighty. These are great gifts. We must be grateful for that. Allah, protect us from the evil of our ego. We should not feel superior and look down on others because we pray and commit pious deeds. Allah, protect us. Allah the Almighty has power over everything. He can take it away from you and give it to the one you despise. Then you are left with nothing. Allah, protect us from the pitfalls of the ego. May Allah protect us from the ambush of the ego in these blessed days.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم إِنَّ كَيْدَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا (4:76) صدق الله العظيم Satan's plan, his malice, is weak. No matter how strong it may seem, it is weak. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, can nullify Satan's plan, no matter how strong it may appear. People boast about their physical strength. They have no idea about spirituality. Or they don't believe in it. The true power lies in spirituality. Physical strength is useless against spiritual power. That's why we must focus on spiritual strength. Do not trust in the power of Satan, do not be with him. Those who are with him will lose in the end. Those who are against him will always win. Even if they seem to lose in this world, Allah will raise their rank in the end. The truth will come to light. This has been shown from the time of Adam to the Last Prophet, peace be upon them all, many a time. Like on this particular day, the 17th of Ramadan, when the Battle of Badr took place. The disbelievers said, 'We will annihilate the Muslims.' But they were defeated and withdrew. In our time today, the same conditions prevail. People have become even worse. They do things no human should do. Then they claim they are this and that, and their hypocrisy comes to light. Allah, the Exalted, humiliates them in this life. They will face punishment in the hereafter. Their destination is Hell. Everything they do is futile. All they do is nothing but evil. And this evil will hit them back. Muslims, who are with Allah, will always be successful. May Allah make us amongst the successful. أولئك الفائزون Allah describes those who are with Him as the winners: Faizun. Those who are with Allah, will always win. Those who are with Satan: حزب الشيطان هم الخاسرون Those who are with Satan will always lose. May Allah protect us. May we always be among those who are with Allah and not be led astray by Satan.

This blessed month of Ramadan is special in every aspect. In this month, our Prophet not only fasted and devoted himself to worship. He also participated in some great battles in this month. One of them was the great Battle of Badr. With the permission of Allah, despite being outnumbered by the enemy, those who were with Allah achieved victory. The names of these blessed companions were written down and hung in homes in former times. This served for protection. The companions also have various degrees. First come the Sabiqun al-Awwalun. They were the first to embrace Islam. Then come those who pledged allegiance by performing the Bay‘ah. And then come those who participated in the battles. Allah has assigned each of them a rank. Their ranks are high. The attention that our Prophet gave to them is proof that it is fitting to show respect to good people. This is not a new phenomenon, Satan has been trying since old times to prevent people from showing respect to these honorable persons. Without this respect, however, people do not get their share of the rewards. These gifts are given only to those servants loved by Allah. Therefore, we must be careful. It is not good to offend the servants loved by Allah. You only attract unnecessary problems and bring misfortune upon yourself. May Allah protect us from it. May Allah protect their secrets. May their ranks be exalted. We love those whom our Prophet loved. Whoever insults them will be in misfortune. This will remain until Judgment Day. Therefore, one should not be with ignorant people. Do not be with people who pose as scholars but are bad scholars: ulama as-su‘. Their number has increased. Our Prophet predicted this situation as a miracle. He said that in the last times there will be many scholars, but knowledge will decrease and there will be many people who speak empty words. So be careful. Do not blindly believe everything that is said and keep distance from people who speak badly. Their evil will also affect you. May Allah protect us. May Allah be pleased with the blessed Ashab al-Badr and all companions of our Prophet. Their ranks are high. May their blessings also reach us.

وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ (24:56) صدق الله العظيم Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, commands the payment of zakat. This is one of the pillars of Islam. Everyone knows that zakat must be paid, but people must be reminded. Human ego is characterized by stinginess. ٱلْأَنفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّ (4:128) In the Holy Quran, the term “Shuḥ” is mentioned, which describes extreme stinginess, utmost greed. The ego is stingy by nature. That's why people always need to be encouraged to give. One should not follow their own ego. If they do, they harm themselves. The harm caused by stinginess and greed is greater for the owner themselves than for others. That's why it's a great blessing to pay zakat. It leads to rewards. It's the key to all goodness. Do not see it as a loss of your wealth. Zakat means your wealth grows! If you give, Allah will give you more. If you do not give, Allah will not give. And even if Allah gives, you will not be able to see the benefit of your wealth if you do not give zakat. A wealthy person boasts of his wealth: "I am rich. Things are good for me!" It's not about the quantity. What's important is to benefit from it. Put all your wealth in one pile, say "This is mine". What does this money do for you if you don't do anything with it? It has no use at all. Zakat is the right of Allah. Allah the Exalted has intended it for the needy. Whoever pays zakat, Allah gives them blessings, goodness, and reward. The position of the zakat-payer in the hereafter will be elevated. Whoever does not pay zakat will receive Allah's wrath. Allah will not be pleased with them. If Allah is not pleased, then nothing will benefit you. That's why we remind once again. Zakat is not a very high amount. If everyone paid zakat, taxes wouldn't be necessary. In non-Muslim countries, taxes are raised to 80% or 70%. Even in our countries, taxes are high, yet there is no benefit or utility. It is still not enough. They always want more. Allah the Exalted only asks people for what they can bear. 2.5% zakat is a very small amount, but very blessed. If people would pay this small contribution, there would be no poverty. But people follow Satan and try to escape paying by fraud, or they don't even think about paying, or if they think about it, they say, "Why should I donate so much money?" The more money they have, the stingier they become. If they have a million, they donate 25,000. They say that's a lot, but if it's ten million, then they donate 250,000. If it's a hundred million, then they donate two and a half million. The more money they have, the more afraid they are to donate more, not thinking about how much more money they have. They only think about what they have donated, and not about what they still have. They think about the little they have given, not about the great they still have. This is stinginess. May Allah protect us from it. May Allah enable us to use our intellect in the right way. The intellect is there, but it's important to use it correctly. May Allah accept our good deeds. May Allah bless and accept what we have given. May Allah be pleased with those who give.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ (3:135) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, forgives a person's sins if he does not stubbornly repeat those mistakes and sins. However, if a person persists in his disbelief and wickedness, nothing can be done. He will have to suffer his punishment. Nowadays, people do not admit their mistakes. They insist on what they believe is right. O human, this is wrong and not good, what you are doing! This contradicts everything. It contradicts human nature. Yet, the human persists in these sins, which contradict the creation of Allah. They insist on it and also encourage others towards these sins and this wickedness. Do this, do that! You must definitely do it! If you don't, we won't help you, we won't give you any money, we won't do anything for you. Thus, they pressure the whole world towards this wickedness. What is wickedness? Every kind of sin is evil. It's wickedness. It doesn't benefit humankind. Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, created humans in the best form and wishes for humans to live in the most beautiful way. When a person sins, his rank decreases, his quality diminishes. And he falls so low that he becomes worse than an animal. Even an animal behaves more reasonably, better than a human in this situation. But when a person does good, his rank rises. The more good he does, the higher his rank becomes. We are now experiencing this blessed month. One should not stubbornly persist in his sins. A person should constantly check whether possibly, he has violated someone's rights or oppressed someone. He should examine himself whether he is right or wrong. If he is doing wrong, he should stop. Allah will forgive! The merit of repentance is sublime. What is profit? Profit is what you gain for the Hereafter. Profit in this world is worthless. Do not think that you have gained something by oppressing others. It will turn into punishment and torment for you in the Hereafter. May Allah protect us from that. We must not persist in doing evil. Hold yourself accountable and check if you are doing right or wrong. Sometimes, people are self-obsessed and are convinced that they are right. Sometimes, it is such that they are wrong in the matter they believe they are right about. Therefore, we must be careful in this world to fulfill rights and go to the Hereafter in a pure state. At all times we should ask for forgiveness; but this month is an even more beautiful opportunity for it.

لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (39:53) صدق الله العظيم Allah the Sublime says, do not lose hope in His mercy. Allah forgives all types of sins. There are people who say, "I am a grave sinner, my sins are too numerous. I can no longer escape from them. I will continue to commit my bad deeds and sins." To think this way is tantamount to having lost hope in Allah. This is not correct. Allah forgives all sins when forgiveness is sought. Allah is the Forgiving. Often, people do not forgive. No matter how much one apologizes, the other side remains resentful. But Allah forgives all committed sins and evils. He forgives them. This month is a beautiful month. One of its names is “the Month of Forgiveness”. It is the month in which Allah forgives. Ramadan is the month in which Allah grants mercy to the people. To ask for forgiveness for all committed sins and in the blessed Ramadan, to ask for Allah's forgiveness, is a great beauty that distinguishes this beautiful month of Ramadan. Allah's mercy and grace are always present, but in this month, the gifts of Allah are especially abundant. All the good deeds performed in this month are much more significant, so one should seize this opportunity. Likewise, if one has bad habits, such as alcohol, gambling, adultery, theft, insolence, or any evil, one should repent in this month and ask Allah for help to no longer do them. Many people suffer from cigarette addiction. Once started, it's hard to quit smoking. This month provides a good opportunity to quit. It will be easier in this month. Since one abstains from smoking throughout the month while fasting. Whether makruh (disliked) or haram (forbidden), it is important to know that smoking is definitely something very bad. It enslaves a person. It won't let go of your ego. People in the past called cigarettes the devil's pacifier. People find it difficult to quit. It's like children who can't wean off breast milk. Once addicted to this bad habit, one can't break free, even if one wishes to. Those affected become slaves to this addiction. They say they want to be free, but they can't. May they be freed from it by the blessings of this month. One must ask Allah for both forgiveness and help in repentance. One must ask Allah to support you in getting rid of this addiction. Smoking is something absolutely evil, and in no way beneficial. May Allah save those who are affected.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم أَتَأْمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (2:44) صدق الله العظيم Allah commands: You enjoin the good on others, yet you forget yourselves. When we give advice, we should first teach ourselves. We should first follow the advice we give. Only then should we urge others to do the same. Otherwise, we are unworthy in the Divine Presence. You command the good, you command the beautiful, but none of it is found in you. Inside you is the opposite of what you say. You do not keep a single one of your words. This condition is widespread among the scholars of the end times, as our Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, has reported. There are many people who talk a lot, who are talkative. Their presentation is diverse. But there are no actions. There is no goodness; there is nothing. Their words and the absence of corresponding actions are evidence against them. They will be held accountable: "You said these words, but you did not implement them." "You even did the opposite of what you said." Their punishment will be harsher than that of an ordinary person. Many of today's scholars not only preach inaction but also misrepresent things and spread falsehoods as if they were part of the religion. What they say will be used against them. If they do not repent, they will have to pay for it. They will also pay for it in this world. A person who sacrifices the Hereafter for this world will not be successful in this world nor in the Hereafter. A person or a scholar who thinks they are clever by exploiting their position to make a profit is not a wise person. Allah has given them opportunities. If they misuse this opportunity, then everything will go wrong, just the opposite will happen. They will destroy their actions and themselves. Before we demand anything from others, we should first demand it from ourselves. Teach yourself before you teach others. It's a big mistake to teach others while you yourself abide by none of it. This wrongdoing can be rectified. If one repents and asks Allah for forgiveness, it can be rectified. But if one insists on it, then it's a greater mistake. May Allah protect us from the evil of our egos. May Allah not let us deviate from the right path.