Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

The father of one of our mureeds, may Allah bless his soul, used to say, What is meant to happen, happened. What does this mean? Everything happens according to the will of Allah. Many people often say about themselves or others: If I had been in this position 20 years ago, I would have been happier. More successful, better off, my life would have been different. If I hadn’t met that man or that woman, I would have been happier. But now I am miserable. I am not happy; my work is not going well. What was meant to be, has happened. Don’t dwell on the past. You can't change it. This is the will of Allah. Allah has written, and so it came to pass. Life is passing by. Years, days, months are slipping away. All these moments pass. The past cannot be changed. The only thing we can do is focus on the present. Tomorrow remains unknown. You don't know what's going to happen in the next hour. Use your intellect and make the best out of the present moment. Don't continue to torment yourself with past regrets. Of course, one should feel remorse for their mistakes. You can feel sorry. If you seek forgiveness from Allah, He forgives. If you have wronged others, and they are still alive, you have the chance to seek forgiveness from them. You can put right what you did wrong. If you have acted unjustly towards someone, apologize. If they forgive you, it's good. But if they don't forgive you, or you can't find them to apologize, it’s a dire situation. People often lament the past: "If only these people had done that, things wouldn’t be like this." Everything happens by the will of Allah. That's not to say that we accept any wrongdoing that was done. The day of judgement approaches and those who inflicted these injustices will be held accountable. The world must be as it is until the light of Allah emerges to cleanse all of this. What we await is Sayyidina Mahdi, peace be upon him. How beautifully did saints like Mawlana Rumi speak about life: Yesterday was yesterday. We do not know what tomorrow brings. Life is but this moment. This understanding is of utmost importance for everyone. If we can act with this awareness, how wonderful it would be for us. May we be able to live this way until the end of our lives.

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 'Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds - they will have the Gardens of Paradise, Firdaws, as a lodging' (18:107) Praise be to Allah, these are good news for the believers, for you, In sha'a Allah. Allah promises those who believe and do good deeds that He will reward them with Paradise Firdaws. Firdaws is the highest paradise. We are happy for everyone who believes in it. We believe in it, not in something else. Some people believe in Allah in different ways. Allah will treat you the way you believe in Allah. We believe that Allah will bring us into His Paradise. We are, In sha'a Allah, believers as much as we can be. Our deeds are mere formalities. But Allah is merciful. Allah accepts our deeds, even though He does not need our deeds or anything else from us. We are inadequate, yet Allah rewards us due to His Mercy. This is what we believe in. Allah promises to be merciful and compassionate to us in many verses in the Holy Quran. We must believe in that. Be happy. Good news to the believers in this world and the hereafter! Allah speaks the truth. Allah speaks in many verses about His mercy and the good news to the believers. There are good news for the believers in this world and the next. Good news for us. Be Happy, praise be to Allah, for the greatest gift of all gifts: the faith. To believe is the best thing. Praise be to Allah, Allah accepts your prayers and your fasting. What we do is truly nothing. We know that it is nothing, yet: In the Divine Presence, it is great! Even if our deeds do not go beyond the external form, Allah considers them extremely valuable. We must act with humility, not arrogance. Do not brag about the fact that you didn't sleep all night and prayed. No. It is nothing. Allah does not need it, but He delights in the service of His servant. But do not think that what you do is great. In sha'a Allah, Allah accepts and rewards us In sha'a Allah with Paradise. We believe in that; there is no doubt about it. The promise of Allah is true. Allah has promised it. Allah has promised it and we believe in it. We must believe in that. Do not believe those who sow doubt in your heart. There are people that would enjoy, if possible, to confine everyone in Hell. Awliya’u Allah, the friends of Allah are different; they say: "O Allah, make me huge, confine me in Hell, so nobody else will fit in anymore." This mercy is the difference between those who love Allah, and those who are arrogantly convinced of their own deeds. What man does is insufficient, and nothing is worse than being proud of it. A man's deeds are not even enough to compensate for a single grace of Allah. May Allah gather us all, In sha'a Allah, and also guide others. Do not drive people from Paradise. Don't think there's not enough room in Paradise for everyone. Paradise is big enough for a thousand times, a million times, a billion times more. You must believe in that. Allah's Paradise is vast; His kingdom is infinite.

It is said that what will protect man is to guard his tongue. I'm not sure if this comes from the Prophet, peace be upon him, but this saying teaches us how we as humans can be safe. And how can a man be safe? By guarding his tongue. If you guard your tongue, you will be safe. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "I will guarantee Paradise for the one who protects his tongue and what is between his legs from bad things." This is very important. But these days, Shaytan stirs up people to always have to say everything, to express their opinion on everything and reveal what they think. They force people to speak. But when you say something, it becomes dangerous for you and is not good for you. Much worse, it becomes dangerous for your afterlife. If you ask Allah for forgiveness, He forgives. In this world, people do not know mutual forgiveness. People do not forgive each other. When you say something, even if it is right and you are in the right, you are exposing yourself to danger. Better to remain safe. Don't say everything you know, you think, or what you see. There is no need for it. You won't gain anything from it. Even if you are 100% or even 1000% right and you say such a thing, it will not be to your advantage, it will only harm. We live in an era where Shaytan controls everything. So you can't just say anything. We are surrounded by Shaytan's kingdom. So be silent and save yourself trouble. Because what they want is exactly that: for you to get into trouble. Shaytan is out to cause you trouble. Shaytan wants you to get into trouble and you to be destroyed. It is better for you to take a pause and just wait. Because every kingdom has an end. Nothing in this world lasts forever. Everything has its time. It comes, it goes, it comes, it goes. Everything happens successively, like consecutive images that become a film. Spring comes, summer, autumn, winter. Everything happens quickly in succession, it runs. And this has not been the case for one year, but since Adam, peace be upon him. They say that since then 7000 years have passed, maybe more. Only Allah, the Almighty, knows exactly. Since man's creation by Allah, the Almighty, there have always been nations that came and went, that ruled and were destroyed. Then new, even stronger nations came, but they too became weak and went away. Then new ones came, and they too rose and fell again. So it will continue until the day of the Last Judgment. We are now living in a time when it is not appropriate to raise one's voice, to make objections or to do anything. It has no advantage, no benefit. For now, we live in the world controlled by Shaytan. If we have to, then we pretend to be dead. When the Mongols attacked and slaughtered everyone; some people survived by simply pretending to be dead. They woke up and had survived. Now we also have to be like that, if it comes to that. It's not the time to say something now. They kill people and they will also kill you if you say something. So you don't need to do anything, but just pretend you're dead. Afterwards, Insha'Allah, comes the Kingdom of Heaven and then you can wake up and experience the heavenly time. It is a time of happiness, if you survive until then. And if you don't survive, then you will be safe in the hereafter. The most important thing is to be safe in the afterlife. In this world, everyone will die. Regardless of whether you die as a martyr, die in the usual way or die in any other manner, no one lives forever. We must be patient. Of course, we don't approve of the kingdom of Shaytan, but we can't do anything about it because it is his time now. There's no use, no benefit, in causing problems for yourself or others. Just stay silent. Because the time will come, InshAllah, the time of the heavenly kingdom, the time of the Kingdom of Justice and Blessings, where everything will be good. These days, you cannot even distribute a drop of water around the entire world. No. So pause until the time comes. We see people trying to do something. It's not easy to stand still, because all Muslims are being attacked around the world. But we can only be patient. All we can do is to ask Allah the Almighty to save them. When Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was thrown into the fire, the fire did not burn him. Because when Allah protects you, even fire cannot burn you. All we can do is to pray. Of course, it's hard hearing and seeing people being killed. But all we can do is ask Allah the Almighty to ward off this fire and make it cool and good, Inshallah. May Allah help mankind, because oppression is not good for humankind. But oppression has been there since the time of Adam, peace be upon him. People have this weakness, that they kill. Since the time of Cain and Abel, killing has been going on and it will continue until the Day of Judgment. What matters is that we are not Cain but Abel. Even though Abel was the one who was killed, he was the winner. Kain and those who came after him and follow his example were and always are the losers. That is the course of life. Until the Day of Judgment, there will always be wars. But in the afterlife, one will be answerable and some will go to hell while others get to paradise. May Allah the Almighty consider us among those who get to paradise. May Allah the Almighty save mankind. Islam brings salvation. Islam means peace. Islam is the only solution because everything they have invented and implemented has only led to the destruction of humanity. They have tried everything and have destroyed everything, leaving nothing behind. Now the time has come, and only Allah knows when, for the peace of Islam to reign throughout the whole world.

Our Tariqat is the honorable Naqshbandi Order. Our way consists of following the path of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in adopting Adab, or good conduct, and emulating the Prophet, peace be upon him. He is the most perfect of humans, peace be upon him. The goal of the Tariqat is to emulate the Prophet, peace be upon him, and to implement everything he said. Now we live in an extremely difficult time, but even in this difficulty lies a blessing, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, said about the present time that those who only give one percent, will be safe from hell and a bad end. We thank Allah Almighty for this mercy, that even if we succeed in implementing one percent, it will suffice. In the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, one had to implement everything 100%. Not even 99% were sufficient, no, 100%. You had to implement everything 100%, just as the Prophet, peace be upon him, had done. Now we live in a difficult time and it is a mercy for us that it is enough for us to implement one percent. We thank Allah the Almighty for this, for the mercy he has given us through the example of our Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said that the faithful people who live in the end times are his beloveds. The companions of the Prophet, the Sahaba, were amazed by this. The Prophet said to them, “You are my companions, but the believers in the end times are my beloveds." You are my Sahaba, you see me, you live with me. Imagine what it must be like to have lived like a Sahaba, with the Prophet, peace be upon him. Imagine, the call to prayer is made, you go to pray in the mosque of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the one who leads the prayer is the Prophet himself, peace be upon him. Then you join a row with Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Sayyidina Omar, Sayyidina Uthman, Sayyidina Ali, Sayyidina Talha, all those great Sahaba. Yes, of course then one must implement everything 100%. The Sahaba witnessed the blessings and mercy that Allah Almighty descended upon the Prophet and the present community at every moment. Following the Prophet, peace be upon him, in his lifetime was a natural thing. About the believers in the end time the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Those believers, they live a thousand years away from me, and following me and loving me without having seen me." Therefore, they are my beloved ones, said the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Tariqah teaches to follow this path and to instill in people good conduct and good behavior. Good conduct requires the virtue of tolerating things that are against you. This is the hardest part. One must learn to tolerate, even when they are not satisfied with a person or situation. The Tariqah requires you to tolerate, according to the teaching of the Prophet, peace be upon him, what is against you. You have to accept and endure what is against you. And even if you don't accept it, you should not fight against it. Today, however, people are taught that if they do not accept something, they should go out on the street, scream, destroy, and burn things down. But those who are at the forefront of such a spectacle, destroying things, are not true humans. They are people who have been manipulated by Shaytan and deliberately pushed into this role. A normal human does not destroy. A normal person can walk on the street, yes, but they would never destroy things. It is Shaytan's teachings that lead people to destroy things, and it is Shaytan's agents who incite the masses to do harmful things and cause damage. Shaytan never wants man to have a good ending. Shaytan does not want man to be happy and lead a fulfilled life. Shaytan wants man to be always angry and to always experience evil. But the Tarikat teaches just the opposite. In Tarikat, it is about accepting what you have. But how does one learn to control one's anger, one's rage? The Prophet, peace be upon him, described it as a process that one must learn step by step, and that one must develop an awareness of one's anger and rage step by step in order to overcome one's anger. One cannot overcome one's anger at once, but must learn it step by step and develop an awareness of it. And when one has become angry, one should apologize. And when one apologizes, one will remember the next time. The next time, one will consciously remember where anger leads, and that it only creates situations for which one has to apologize: "Last time I did the same thing and it caused me dissatisfaction, I had to apologize." With this progressive awareness your anger will decrease step by step. Anger is not a good quality. In Tariqah, it is not acceptable to be angry just to defend your ego. Of course, one should be discontent with something that is against Allah, something that is against the Prophet, peace be upon him. Such a thing cannot be tolerated or simply accepted. Naturally, one cannot simply accept and tolerate the Prophet, peace be upon him, not being respected. But if your ego is criticized, then say to your brother, thank you for what you have said about me. My ego deserves even more criticism than what you have said. However, when it comes to Allah or the Prophet, peace be upon him, you should not accept things that are wrong. And even if you cannot speak against it, which can sometimes be difficult, you should at least disapprove of it in your heart. But when it comes to your ego, just accept it. But when it comes to Allah or the Prophet, you cannot simply accept and tolerate things that are wrong. And even if you are not able to openly speak of things, you should at least disapprove them in your heart. For sometimes it is better to remain silent. But when it comes to your ego, then say, what you have said about me is not enough for my ego – my ego is much worse. However, people cannot cope with criticism when it comes to themselves. They always want to defend themselves immediately and then they start defending themselves and the situation gets worse. You all know the story that took place when Sayyidina Abu Bakr sat with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and a person came and began to accuse Sayyidina Abu Bakr, insult him and spread falsehoods about him. Sayyidina Abu Bakr, however, remained silent and did not retaliate. The Prophet, peace be upon him, who was observing the situation, smiled. When Sayyidina Abu Bakr saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, smiling, he thought that this was a sign for him to retaliate now. When Sayyidina Abu Bakr began to defend himself, however, the Prophet, peace be upon him, left the assembly and walked out. The Sahaba immediately knew that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was not pleased. The Prophet, peace be upon him, showed us not only by his words, but also by his behavior, what is right and what is wrong. He was not pleased with the situation and expressed his displeasure by his silence and leaving. Sayyidina Abu Bakr immediately ran after the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, O beloved Prophet, peace be upon you. When I was silent and this man continued to insult me, you smiled. But when I started to defend myself, you got up and left. The Prophet, peace be upon him, explained: O Abu Bakr, while this man was accusing you and you stayed silent, the angels had answered for you, for each separate accusation. However, when you started defending yourself, the situation changed. Then Shaytan came and where Shaytan is, I am not. This is a big lesson for people, especially those who spend their day and night constantly writing news. I just reply with "Ok" or "No". It takes me 5 minutes to write a word and people complain that I'm not responding. But these people, they write day and night on this device and 99% of what they write is of no use. Be silent and quiet, let the other side write or say as much as it wants. Say: "Write it all out, speak it all out." And then, when you're tired and done with what you wanted to say, then go! But if you would discuss with him for ten hours, nothing would come out of it in the end. In the end, you would only be annoyed, have wasted your time, lost your inner peace and made yourself sick. All this writing and talking just leads to bad energy and this bad energy comes from Shaytan. The best you can do is to control yourself, to be quiet and not to justify yourself for your own well-being. Those who have too much time on their hands they can waste, we have nothing to say! Most people don't listen to advice anyway. So many come and say, we have an important matter this and that. And I say, don't tell me. Don't listen to this talk. During the time of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim there was already Internet towards the end, but before that, 20 years ago, people only had television. People spent all their time watching TV and even back then, just like now, they didn't listen to good advice. And then as now, people appeared on TV who said this and that and made things broad about the religion. And Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said, don't listen to these people. Especially don't listen to these people who say things against the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, those who drive people's heads crazy and make people unhappy with their news. If you watch them, you will only be unhappy and you will not get any benefit from it. You will only suffer damage. And now the situation is even much worse than 20 years ago with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. So be happy with what God has given you and do not listen to those who want to lead you astray from God's path. Especially in these times when Shaytan is king. The whole world is under Shaytan's control and is ruled by new Nimrods, new Pharaohs; By new people claiming to be God; By people who think they can control the whole world. Those who believe they control everything are people without reason and are driven by their illusion because they believe they can control everything with this device they invented. This technology is also just a knowledge whose time has come now and which Allah has revealed. But people used this knowledge to become arrogant and believe they are god. And they now think there is no death for them and they can shape the world to their liking. They have no logic. They can't even control what happens in an hour. They can't even guarantee they will still be alive in an hour and yet they claim all these things. Now we live in a time where everything is against the good people. The order of the hour: Endure what is against you! Everything is against the good people and not to their advantage. Even the things that people think are good for them turn out to be things that are bad for them. Look at what happened two, three years ago. They administered this poison to the people and the people took it because they thought it was good for them. Later it turned out to be harmful. This is just an example to show that even what seems good actually is not good for people and therefore we have to be careful. Don't listen to what is against the teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Don't listen to what is against the teachings of Islam. We must stand against those and not listen to their words who are against the prophet and against Islam. We accept what Allah has given us and we don't want anything else. We defend our faith steadfastly. May Allah send Mahdi Alayhissalam for the rescue of this world. The time is now near and only Allah knows how many days, how many months or how many years are left. Shaykh Nazim said: "I have been waiting for Sayyidina Mahdi for 60 years. I have been waiting for him day and night. When I got up in the morning, I hoped he would appear in the evening. And in the evening I hoped he would appear in the morning. I was never tired of waiting or wondered why he had not come after all these years. Never did I say: today I am not waiting anymore. I waited for him to come in the evening and if he didn't come in the evening, then I waited for him to come in the morning. If he didn't come in the morning, I waited for him to come in the evening, said Shaykh Nazim. Every day I was waiting for him. Now we live in a time when the days have gotten much worse compared to then. Looking at the time before, even 10 years ago, the time of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. Now the time has become much worse in comparison. Because now the whole world is in a dismal state where there is no hope anymore. So Sayyidina Mahdi will appear very soon. May Allah allow us to live these beautiful blessed days with Sayyidina Mahdi May we be allowed to experience those days of Allah's light and bliss.

Sayyidina Abu Bakr recited this prayer: "Oh Allah, You know me better than anyone else and I know myself better than anyone else. Make me better than they think I am and forgive me the mistakes they know nothing about. And don't hold me accountable for what they say about me." Our job is to look after the people who have found the way to Allah, thanks to the sheikhs. Our sheikhs are great saints. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim called them "King-Size Awliya". Mawlana Sheikh Nazim was an extraordinarily great saint. Such a saint does not occur every 100 or 200 years. And his work still continues. We are all witnesses to his work. We have all gathered here because of his work. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim said about the Awliya that after their death they are seven times, even seventy times stronger than during their lifetime. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim is not an ordinary Awliya. He enjoys a very special rank with Allah, the Almighty. Many of you have not met him in person, but have seen him in dreams. Many of you may have not met him, but he has appeared to you in your dreams. Through his blessings you have entered this path and are participating in this gathering here. This gathering here is not ours, it belongs to the Awliya. And I am not worthy. We try, but in truth we are the ones who need the Awliya. They give us what we need as lovers of Allah. Through the Awliya we have come together here and through them we receive the grace, the blessing and the Barakah from Allah. Therefore, this gathering here is of special value. In meetings like this one can find the water of life. The Prophet Moses once sought after the water of life, the water that grants immortality. This water of life, which Prophet Moses once sought, is the water one can find in places like these. It is water that the heart drinks, and therefore the heart never dies. When you drink from this water, you receive the true life. That is the water of life. People are looking for the water of immortality. The water of immortality is found with the Awliya. Their hearts do not die. And we follow their example. The hearts of the saints never die, but constantly beat in the Zikr of Allah. It is the love for the Prophet, peace be upon him, that fills their hearts with eternal life. This is what we are seeking and this is why we come to gatherings like these. And at such gatherings we receive this water of life. We are now living in the anteroom of the Mahdi Alayhissalam. It is a time when there will be drought and dryness for many years and no water will be found. And the world is now in this state. Everywhere there is drought and no water is to be found. The true water of life is not to be found. Worldwide there are only a few places where this water still exists. But people don't seek this water. They don't go where this water is. They run away from this water. They flee into the desert, they run to other places. They think they can find something there in the desert, in the aridity. And even if it is near them, they cannot find it. We were in Palestine. May Allah, the Almighty, save the people there. During our stay there we were taken to Nablus. Nablus is a highly blessed city. There are many dervishes and many sites of saints there, and the people there love the Tariqa. On this trip we had a tour guide who said the following: "I am amazed at the Sufi meetings. Where maybe at most 300, 500 or not even a 1000 people gather. When we gather," says the tour guide, "30,000, 40,000 people gather." Yes, people run away from what is true. They chase after other things. But Allah will help those who are sincere. May Allah make them sincere and may Allah make them seek the Truth. We see many who nominally call themselves Muslims. But who follow some ideology. I don't know which. They follow the idea that it is forbidden to love the Prophet and that it is forbidden to love the good people, the Salihin. This is their condition. There are only a few people who really follow the way of Allah. Many are misled. And why are there relatively more who are mislead? Because Satan leaves them alone. Because they pose no threat to Satan. These are people who, without even knowing it, serve and assist Satan. But those who are sincere and follow the path of the Prophet, peace be upon him, are under protection. Our path is Allah's path. Under the protection of Allah, no one can defeat us. We pray for all believers. We pray for all Muslims. They think they can defeat Islam and Muslims. But Allah will send the water of life into the hearts of the believers, the Muslims, and they will be saved. For them there will be no fear. There is no fear for the one who is with Allah. This has happened often. Often in history humanity has witnessed attempts to eliminate Islam and Muslims, and to remove Muslims from this world. But they were never successful. This happened even in the times of the Prophet, peace be upon him and it continued after him. They attacked with large armies and with great worldly strength. But the Muslims were able to hold their own. Allah, the Almighty, defeated their armies. Therefore we have no fear. We have hope. In the end everything will be in our favor. What the Muslims are going through now is a trial from Allah. Muslims have to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, for help. Don't say he's dead, he can't do anything, peace be upon him. No, he's not dead, he's alive. The Shahid are alive. It's ridiculous to claim that the Prophet is dead, peace be upon him. They don't understand it, they only harm themselves. But they do not only harm themselves, but also other people. In many places in the Holy Quran Allah, the Almighty, mentions that there were moments when the Muslims saw no way out, no hope anymore, but Allah, the Almighty, sent his help and the believing Muslims were victorious. Nowadays we see all over the world how they are trying to exterminate the Muslims. We see it in Palestine and even worse is happening in other places. In Sudan, in India, in Bangladesh, in Burma, all over the world. Everywhere the aim is to finish off the Muslims. And how do they want to finish off the Muslims? By inculcating the Muslims that they should not love and honor the Prophet, peace be upon him. This is at the greatest danger, to destroy love and respect for the Prophet. Those who do such a thing and those who have been deceived by them and follow them, will be punished. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim said that the arrow of revenge from Allah the Almighty had been fired. Nothing can protect you from the arrow of Allah the Almighty's retribution, even if you have hundreds of people around you protecting you. This arrow will hit you. O Muslims, be careful and do not be deceived by those who have left Islam and deny the Hadiths and the Holy Quran. They still think they are clever, but the arrow of retribution will strike them. Do not take on Allah the Almighty, do not believe that you are strong, that you know everything. Allah will punish you. There is no doubt about it. People say, we do not want this. They say, we do not want it because it is not good for us. Then they say, it is not good for us because that person over there did not say it. This is the condition of people, they listen to everyone else, but they do not listen to the trustworthy, sincere, believing people. Allah will hold them accountable and then they will have no answer. And then, when they are exposed before Allah, they will regret, but it will be too late. That's why we strive to be among the good. As Sheikh Aziz said, only blessing and benefit come from being with the good. They spread a beautiful fragrance. They have a good aura. Being with the good brings good. Good people must also be careful when they try to talk with others. If people do not want to listen to you, there is no point in chasing after them. There are thousands of other people, thousands of other friends. There are people who have the ability to understand what you are saying, and they can rejoice in it and benefit from you. Do not waste time with those who are stubborn, and do not waste words on them. Keep away from them instead. As Sheikh Aziz said, a good friend is like a perfumer from whom good smells pass onto you, while a bad friend is like a smith. If you go to a smith, you only get stink or you might even burn your clothes. The condition will improve afterwards. If they accept it, they will become purer. Then they can become better, Allah willing. May Allah help us. May Allah protect us. It hurts our hearts when we hear that people, especially young people but also all people in general, are driven by Satan. People, especially young people, chase their desires thinking that they would achieve something. They are not aware that what they are doing is bad and they think it is ok. No, it is not ok. If you do something bad once, then darkness comes. If you do something bad again, then more darkness comes. And then you are so dark and totally dirty. You will be in a dirty and dark state. You will not be able to clean yourself. But you can clean yourself by begging Allah the Almighty for forgiveness. And say: O Allah, forgive me. I did not know what I was doing. O Allah, forgive me. Allah will forgive you. Allah will forgive you. If you ask Allah for forgiveness, Allah will forgive you and turn your sins into good deeds. This is Allah's promise. Sins are a heavy burden. And it is the weight of the sins that make people unhappy. The burden of sins is very, very heavy. If you free yourself from the burden of your sins, if you ask Allah for forgiveness and Allah rewards you with His generosity, you will be happy and feel good. You will feel good because you then belong to the winners. Because you have succeeded in recognizing the meaning of life. Allah the Almighty created you to bring you to Paradise. Because we come from Paradise. Our ancestor Adam and our ancestor Eve came from Paradise. And so we all come from Paradise. Do not move away from Paradise and do not follow the example of the devil who wants to deceive you and drive you out of Paradise. Do not let yourself be deceived, do not let yourself be betrayed, and secure your place in Paradise. May Allah help us. We live in a very difficult time. But there is no reason to lose hope. Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, has made good news about the time when evil will reach its peak in the end times. When evil reaches its peak, the Mahdi will come and turn oppression into justice. Justice is the best for people. Justice was lived best in the Islamic world. Even towards the end of the Caliphate, justice prevailed. Then came the tyrants. We have seen them, these tyrants: Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Lenin. We were witnesses of these tyrants. These tyrants continue. In the past there were obvious tyrants. Now these tyrants can't even be recognized externally anymore. Everywhere there are hidden tyrants. It's worse than before. You can hardly breathe freely anymore. They're breathing down your neck. We are now living in the time of tyrants, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, described it. But at the end of this time, the Mahdi will come and clean everything up. Nothing will be left of the injustice and evil. We pray that this will happen very soon now. May Allah the Mighty let us be with the Mahdi. May Allah let us experience this beautiful day. May Allah protect us from all the difficulties of this present time. Things are not in our hands. Nothing happens according to our will. Everything happens according to the will of Allah. This is what we believe. We believe that what the Prophet, peace be upon him, said will happen. Everything the Prophet, peace be upon him, told us will happen. May Allah protect and preserve us until we reach those beautiful days and experience a world without oppression, a world of justice.

May Allah Almighty bless you. May Allah bless us all. We have gathered here to attain the pleasure of the Allah Almighty, to strengthen our love for our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, and we have gathered out of love for our Sheikhs. We are here together out of love for our believing brothers and sisters. Allah Almighty showers his mercy and blessings on the assembly that takes place for him and in his name to attain his pleasure. Allah Almighty is generous and his generosity knows no bounds. His mercy also knows no bounds. This is the beauty of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty has no worry that he would run out of anything. We are grateful that this assembly takes place here. We have gathered here collectively to attain the pleasure of Allah Almighty and we expect nothing but the satisfaction, the reward, and the pleasure of Allah Almighty. The people who have come here have not come because it is weekend or they have nothing else to do. They have come solely for the purpose of gathering in the name of Allah Almighty, and to make Allah Almighty happy. With this intention, they left their home and came here. Surely Allah Almighty will reward this intention and this action. We try to be believers and have not yet managed to become true believers, but only imitate. We follow the path of the believers and the way of the believers is to follow the path of Allah. Following the path of Allah is the reason why we were created. Allah Almighty has created us to walk his path. There are people who call themselves thinkers and question everything and do not understand why things are the way they are and wonder why they are here and things happen and they look for the meaning and purpose of things. The meaning and purpose of our existence are obvious. Allah Almighty has created us and he has sent us to this world as his servants. We have to become aware of this fact and be happy and satisfied as believing people and be grateful that we have been created as the servants of Allah. This is the meaning and purpose of our existence and to be aware of this is the basis for leading a fulfilled life and a happy life. Because without meaning and purpose in life, you won't gain any happiness or satisfaction. As believing people, we all have reason to be happy. Unfortunately, it is the case that believing people nowadays look at the lifestyle of the unbelievers. The unbelievers, who suffer from their ignorance. So we see that believing people mimic unbelieving people, do what they do, and adopt the same way of thinking. This results in the believers being stressed, unhappy, dissatisfied, and searching for a meaning and purpose in their lives and not knowing why they exist and what their task in this life is. Unfortunately, believing people behave this way. But this is not the path that a believing person should follow. The path the believing person should follow is the path Allah has shown him. The believer is happy with and satisfied with what Allah has given him. As believers, we can only be happy and satisfied and grateful for every single breath that the Allah Almighty has granted us and brought us here in this existence, in this life. Sadly, there are also many people who not only do not know why they were created but also want to kill themselves. This is a hideous thing. This thing is not acceptable. A single breath, beside here on this earth, is worth more than a thousand years under the earth. During the time of our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, there were two companions of the Prophet, they both came from the same tribe and they both became Muslims at the same time. And during their lifetimes they practiced Islam as best they could and followed the example of the Prophet and fulfilled all their prayers, even performed extra prayers, performed the Tahajjud prayer and fulfilled everything that is Sunnah and Fard. They lived 100% as Allah, the Almighty, commanded them. Then there was a battle and during this battle, one of these fell as a martyr and died. The other lived on. After a year, he too died. He died due to an illness. Afterward, another companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw these two in his dream. And in this dream, the Sahaba saw that the one who had continued to live and then died due to the disease had attained a higher rank than the one who had died as a martyr. His standing in the afterlife was higher than that of the martyr. The Sahaba who had seen this dream was at a loss and subsequently asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, how it could be that someone who was not a martyr had a higher rank in the afterlife than someone who had fallen as a martyr. The Prophet, peace be upon him, explained that the one who had died of a disease had lived a year longer than the one who had fallen as a martyr and in this way, he was able to pray more, practice more, perform more worship, and thus attain a higher rank. This is an example that shows us how important every breath is in our life. We must be aware of this and thank Allah Almighty for it. With every breath, it is necessary to give thanks to Allah the Almighty and to remember him. Remembering Allah means or Dhikr means that you think of Allah and are aware of Allah. And Allah Almighty raises our level higher and higher the more we become aware of him and remember him and remember him, be it through our thoughts or what we say with our tongue or through actions. It is important for a believer not to waste his time. There is always a lot to do. But the most important thing is to remember Allah and to be aware of him at all times. People nowadays feel bored and then to fight their boredom they watch TV, do this and that, and distract themselves with all sorts of things, and while they distract themselves, they also distract themselves from their worship. All the time they stare at this device and when it is time to pray they sleep. No, they don't even sleep, they keep looking at this device. Now also you cannot sleep. Day and night they look at this device as if they were hypnotized. People know nothing else but this device. So people spend their time with this device in today's time Because they are constantly busy with this device, people become unhappy and darkness creeps into their inner self and they become gloomy and dark in their thoughts and their view. But a believer knows that everything that happens happens by the will of Allah and knows that everything that happens is to his advantage and he is always the winning party. In every situation, a believer wins because he is rewarded by Allah Almighty no matter what situation he is in. If there are moments of happiness, the believer is happy. Even if there are moments of unhappiness, the believer is happy and wins. If there are moments of sorrow, the believer wins. If there are moments of joy, the believer also wins. He is always the winner because he is with Allah the Almighty. But when it comes to the unbeliever, he is constantly suffering and nothing is to his benefit or advantage. A believer is therefore always winning and victorious and happy because he knows and is grateful for all the things that Allah Almighty has given him. Being able to exist alone is enough to be grateful for this greatest gift. Allah Almighty gives everyone the chance to take advantage of his treasures. Allah Almighty has no worry that his treasures and his blessings will ever run out. People, however, are in a state of hypnosis, trance, and inattentiveness. They are not aware of Allah. Allah still gives them more and more. Yet they are still not aware of Allah but run after their desires and run after what their ego demands. And then people wonder why they are unhappy and they complain about not liking this life. Then to make themselves happy they look at other people and expect them to make them happy. Or they run after Shaytan who makes people forget the Allah Almighty even more and tempts people to make themselves dependent on others. These people they then make themselves dependent on are not even honest people. They do not believe in good people. Because good people do not lie but tell them the truth. But they cannot handle this. They follow bad people. They follow them because they lie to them from start to finish. And it is this lie that makes them happy. But eventually, this lie ends and then there is only regret. Much worse, however, is when the realization only comes in the afterlife. May Allah protect us from these bad people. We live in an era where everything has been turned upside down. Goodness is portrayed as bad. Bad is portrayed as good. Honesty and truth are ignored. Lying and deception are valued. We now live in the end times. But this situation will change. We have nothing. We have no machines, weapons or economic influence. We have nothing. We are not even zero, we are less, negative. But we have something that is stronger than all weapons. We have prayer, dua! Prayer is the most effective. When the time comes, all these weapons will come to a standstill through a single prayer. They will no longer be able to use anything more from it. We are now waiting for this time and this time is near. Oppression, injustice and all kinds of evil have reached their peak. After the peak comes the downfall of evil. Now we are waiting for it. This is good news for those who believe. We are believers. We follow the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. We follow the example of our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, with him. We attest that everything the Prophet, peace be upon him, with him predicted has come to pass. Now there are just a few things that need to happen. We pray that we will reach that beautiful time, that good time, that time of justice. Justice is the most important thing for people. For when justice comes, everything will be fine. For with justice, there will be no oppression anymore. While there is no more oppression, no more injustice, people will be happy and they will stop fighting each other. Instead, there will be blessings and happiness. All this will still take place before the Day of Judgment. During this time, a certain time will last, perhaps 40 years. But then even this beautiful time will come to an end. Because man has ego, and he tends to follow Satan. Then the end will come, the Day of Judgment. So there will only be a good time, maybe 40 years. After these 40 years, corruption will start again. Then Allah, the Almighty, will send a breath to this world. And with this beautiful breath, the believers will leave this world. The apocalypse will then occur and the apocalypse will hit the unbelievers. Then we will be gathered for the Day of Judgment. And Allah willing, we will be allowed to enter Paradise afterwards. There are 40 years of good times to come.

For Tariqah, the crucial task lies in amassing virtuous individuals and imparting wisdom. In the eyes of Tariqah, Shari'ah is equivalent; there's no divergence. For both spiritual and overt blessings to manifest in people's lives, it necessitates the influence of Tariqah. Consider it like a bird. A bird can't soar with just a solitary wing; it necessitates a pair. Countless individuals resist the doctrine of Tariqah. They possess merely half and are impotent in action. They may be surrounded by a multitude, but when expected to contribute, they yield nothing; their souls are parched and barren. Tariqah serves as a conduit to the waters of life, leading us to genuine life and divine understanding. Tariqah has various interpretations subjected to people's perceptions. Shari'ah and Tariqah are synonymous; no disparities exist. Tariqah stands for establishing connectivity with the Prophet, blessings upon him, through our successive spiritual guides. This marks the distinction of Tariqah. By pledging Bay'ah loyalty, your hand extends to the Prophet, blessings upon him, establishing a connection. Consequently, everything transcends beyond mere stale doctrines. You merge with the rivulet, nourishing life with its rejuvenating waters. It's these waters that cause the barren land to bloom, painting it green, sprouting fruits and spreading goodness among humankind. Do not fear the path of Tariqah. Tariqah replicates the path of the noble Prophets. Prophets were known for their boundless giving, expecting nothing in return. We require no reciprocation from others nor do we anticipate any acknowledgement. Our mission is to elevate the peoples from life’s bottommost pits to celestial heights. That is our ultimate goal. Those who avidly chase worldly pleasures find the world elusive. While aware of this, people still pursue worldly pursuits. In numerous Hadiths, the Prophet, blessings upon him, stated that one can't attain happiness by manically chasing after the world. If you chase after the world, it escapes your grasp. Conversely, relinquish the world and it pursues you. This is the universal principle all 41 Tariqahs aim to cultivate among people. Sayyidinā Abdu l-Qādir Jīlānī practiced worldly renunciation for 25 years. He lived amid desert barrenness, stripped of everything. When he emerged from solitude, the world gathered at his feet. Despite his eminent status, his heart remained detached from worldly grandeur. His return marked the start of his prestigious reign. His reputation soared. For 25 years, he led a hermit's life amid the desert’s desolation. Returning to civilization in Baghdad, his circumstances improved significantly but the increased wealth failed to sway his steadfast heart. His inner self remained indifferent to worldly measures of poverty or prosperity alike. “I am nothing and have nothing.” “The fine attire that I wear or this lavish lifestyle I lead bear no significance.” The teachings of Tariqah stress upon the inconsequence of poverty and wealth. Your heart should remain unaffected amidst riches. Similarly, poverty shouldn’t cause a stir within your heart. If even a trace of worldly desires clouds your heart or your self-identity is reliant on material possessions, you're barred from the divine presence of Allah. Express gratitude for all divine provisions. True gratitude and devotion also involve maintaining equanimity when something is lost from your life. This is the exemplar set by our holy saints, enlightened scholars, and companions of the Prophet Sahabah. They disregard worldly affairs. The esteemed scholar Abū Ḥanīfah was conscripted for a judge's position. But when he refused, he was subject to imprisonment. He consistently declined gifts. His character was marked by a profound fear of God. Though we fall short in emulating him. Those eminent scholars, possessing intricate knowledge, exhibit scrupulous attention towards minute details and their consequences. Their roles serve as luminaries, shouldering the responsibility of delivering sagacious religious verdicts. Scholars like Abū Ḥanīfah consciously kept away from all harm's way. Abū Ḥanīfah realized that as a judge under the Sultan’s command, it would imply complying with the Sultan, the Vizier or any higher authorities. Hence, he refrained from agreeing. The Sultan acknowledged Abū Ḥanīfah's brilliance, but failed to grasp the wisdom behind his declined offer. The Sultan's men even enforced Abū Ḥanīfah's judicial appointment. Despite his ripe age, they unabashedly subjected him to physical torment. They beat him until he succumbed to death, honouring him with the title of a martyr. Abu Hanifa firmly refused to serve as a judge under the sultan's court. Had he conceded, the world would be at his command. But of what use would such wealth be to him? He already possessed everything of true value. Above all, he bore the fear of God. He led a life, always aware of divine presence. This epitomizes the knowledge of God: Ma'rifatu Llāh. How did Abū Ḥanīfah attain this stature? Abū Ḥanīfah believed that if it weren't for the tutelage of Jāfar as-Sadiq for two years, he would have perished. In Abū Ḥanīfah's words, without his mentor's guidance, he would have met his ruin and amounted to nothing. His two years of discipleship under Jāfar as-Sadiq salvaged his life. Jāfar as-Sadiq stands as one of the significant Sheikhs in Naqshbandi Tariqah’s Golden Chain. Jāfar as-Sadiq played the role of a spiritual mentor to Abu Ḥanīfah. Jāfar as-Sadiq bestowed upon Abū Ḥanīfah the elixir of life. This divine, life-bringing water propelled Abū Ḥanīfah to an eminent scholar's position, imām āẓam. Majority of Muslims today adhere to his jurisprudence. Even Imam Shāfi'ī benefitted from his wisdom. They are the true servants of Allah. We consider it our privilege to tread their path. We revere those whose lives reflect the Prophet's blessings, peace be upon him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, lauded these exemplary characters on numerous occasions. The Prophet, peace be upon him, praised Abu Ḥanīfah too. The Prophet, peace be upon him, argued that his accurate knowledge would protect faith and be the bedrock of Islam. All the Imāms and jurists seek knowledge from him. Abū Ḥanīfah exercised humility and acknowledged his mistakes. He valued integrity. He engaged in discourses and offered counsel to his disciples. His students went on to become the era’s most esteemed scholars and their legacy continues. They serve as the pillars of Islam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, during his lifetime commanded strictly to confine the written record to the holy Qur'an, avoiding any mingling with his Hadiths. With Sayyidinā Abū Bakr, Sayyidinā Umar, Sayyidinā, the practice of recording the Prophet's sayings, peace be upon him, was initiated. The Prophet, peace be upon him, commended his Ṣaḥāba saying they resembled stars in the sky; guidance will follow whichever of them you pursue. All Ṣaḥāba were spiritual guides. All of them bear the title of Imam, following closely in the Prophet's footsteps, blessings upon him. This is an indisputable fact. However, with the passing of the Prophet, peace be upon him, the Ṣaḥāba left one by one. Hence, the urgency arose to write down the Prophet's sayings, peace be upon him, and all religious matters in general, to establish the corpus of Islamic jurisprudence. Particularly during the reign of Sayyidinā Umar, the Prophet's sayings, peace be upon him, were diligently recorded and safeguarded. This rooted the foundation for Hadith studies. Today, however, we see ones claiming to be hadith scholars, ironically dismissing the hadiths. They are the Satan's embodiment. They cherry-pick hadiths, accepting some and dismissing some. These revered hadith scholars, who painstakingly passed down the Prophet's sayings, have meticulously scrutinized every word for authenticity. Only those sayings with verifiable linkage to the Prophet, peace be upon him, supported by a chain of transmission, made it to the record. Moreover, these hadith scholars performed an Istighārah invariably, awaiting the Prophet's dream apparition and seeking his confirmation prior to documenting the hadith. The revered hadith scholars treated the hadiths with such utmost caution that assured the inclusion of solely the Prophet's words, peace be upon him. Any individual casting aspersions on hadiths sows seeds of discord and unrest, becoming a fitnah trigger. Their motive is essentially to dismantle people's faith and demolish Islam. Abū Ḥanīfah was merely an illustration. Thousands of other saints akin to Abū Ḥanīfah radhi Allahu anhu have sacrificed their all to protect the sanctity of this religion and ensure its preservation till the Day of Judgment. Allah shall reward these scholars abundantly for every soul guided under their guardianship. The Prophet, may peace be upon him, professed that anyone who mentors or steers others on the righteous path will be rewarded by Allah for each individual. If it involves a single person, the reward is for one. If it involves two, then the reward is doubled. If there are ten, the reward increases tenfold. Be it a hundred, the reward multiplies a hundredfold or even millions, billions of times. Allah is bountiful. His rewards are endless, and each person will be recognized for each act of kindness they perform. Thus, learned scholars will reap immeasurable rewards until the Day of Judgement. They are enlightened individuals who follow the Prophet’s teachings and guide others likewise, receiving Allah’s rewards for every person they guide. Additionally, the Prophet, peace be upon him, warned against leading individuals astray, as punishments will be meted out accordingly. For two, there are two penalties. For billions, countless penalties await. Those inducing others off the righteous path are misguided. They think they're gaining something with fame but are instead losing their essence, their true worth. Our deep respect and love are pledged to scholars, saints, Sahabah, and Ahlu l-Bayt - inclusive. We cherish them. We affirm their teachings. The path of Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah, this is the path we tread. The path of Tariqah acknowledges all Sahabah and Ahlu l-Bayt. They make no distinction among them. Whoever incites division is not in the Prophet’s favor. The Prophet, peace be upon him, identified them as his companions. He compared them to celestial stars, invaluable and precious. Whoever is their adversary is an adversary of mine, stated the Prophet. This sentiment is echoed in numerous Hadiths. Hence, we are, Allah willing, following the path of the Prophet, that of the righteous comrades of Allah. We do not adhere to the teachings of those who perhaps emerged only four or five decades ago. They came into existence in these end times, spreading destructively akin to cancer, with the intent to obliterate Islam. They spread doubts and destruction through various countries, annihilating faith. Following this, they lay waste to Islam. Hence, we pray for Mahdi Alayhissalam to come. We are now in a time from which there's no coming back, with insufficient time left to rescue people from these disastrous affairs. Each day, more doubts are sewn into people’s minds by a rising number of devils and Antichrists. Our only salvation lies in Mahdi alayhissallam. He will, Allah willing, resolve this massive predicament. The esteemed Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim presages the advent of a massive broom. Allah willing, we will be fortunate enough to witness these beautiful days where disbelief, paganism, skepticism, Satan’s followers, and the Antichrist will cease to exist. We are hopeful of witnessing these times, God willing. It will be a time teeming with blessings worldwide. Mawlānā Shaykh prophesies that when Mahdi alayhisallam arrives, all these displeasing concrete infrastructures will be removed overnight and dumped in the sea by jinns. These structures generate illnesses, harmful energy, negative entities, and stand as symbols of the communist system. If you were to venture into Uzbekistan or Russia or surrounding regions, you’d notice their penchant for concrete. It hardens hearts. All these concrete structures will be banished, and the Earth and sky will thrive again with Allah’s blessings. Refreshing rains will fall overnight, lending to lush green days, abundant food, and sheep that propagate biannually. It will be an era of enormous blessings devoid of disbelief. Peace, prosperity, and happiness will abound, and poverty will be completely eradicated. As the Prophet, peace be upon him, declared, one would try to donate Zakah only to find no one in need of it. Forced to take it back and deposit it into Baytu l-Mal to fulfill their obligation of giving. Gold will be abundant, resembling a mountain. Nobody will have a want or need for it. This is, Allah willing, the time that awaits us. We hope its arrival is imminent and plea to Allah to send Mahdi Alayhissalam to rescue all mankind. Humans are currently in great peril, teetering on the brink. May Allah keep us safe.

Mawlānā Shaykh has spoken many good, beautiful words. What he always liked to say: Yawmun jadīd, rizqun jadīd. A new day, new Rizq, provision from Allah. Every day brings a new day. The old goes, the new comes. With this new day also comes new provision for each individual. Allah gives everyone their Rizq. So there is no need to worry about Rizq. When your Rizq is used up, even if you own the whole world, you can't take another bite to eat. Then you can no longer take a breath; no more drink a drop of water. But if you are still entitled to Rizq, then you will receive it. We must trust in Allah. Have no doubt that Allah provides for you. A believer, Mu'min, must believe that everything comes from Allah. Your Rizq will reach you, wherever you are. If Allah determines something for you, no one can take it away from you. May Allah grant Rizq that is ḥalāl, in shā'a Llāh. Everyone has Rizq. Some are good, others are not. May Allah gives us good Rizq, to strengthen our body and our faith. In shā'a Llāh, may Allah provide us abundantly with Rizq wāsi'ah.

With Allah's permission, we would like to give a good advice, nasīḥah, for two minutes. This is the way it was shown to us by the Mashāyikh. Mawlānā Shaykh Nazim advised that after the Fajr prayer, the day should start with a good nasīḥah, with good words. In shā'a Llāh, we will speak two words for blessing and barakah, In shā'a Llāh. We live in difficult times. The Prophet, peace be upon him, praised the believer, mu'min, who preserves his faith in these times. The ṣaḥābah asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, "Who are those you call your beloved? Are we not your beloved?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, you are my companions, my ṣaḥābah. My beloved ones are the believers in the end times. They have not seen me, but they love me. I also love them. That was said by the Prophet, peace be upon him. Moreover, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to the ṣaḥābah that they should do exactly what they have seen from him. "If you implement only 99 percent of it, I won't be satisfied," said the Prophet, peace be upon him. "But those believers in the end times, my beloved, even if they only do one of a hundred, it is good and enough for them and it will not harm them." If you look at the entire Islamic world, they might only implement a maximum of one percent of what the ṣaḥābah have achieved. What we do may be just one of a hundred things. One of a hundred is already a great achievement for us. May Allah help us. We are fortunate to be part of the community of the Prophet, peace be upon him. This is the greatest honor for us and we should rejoice in it. We should praise the Prophet, peace be upon him, as often as possible. Do not listen to those people who have been jealous since the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, up until now and until the Last Judgment. Anyone who prevents praising the Prophet, peace be upon him, and expressing blessings is simply jealous of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Jealousy is a vile characteristic. It's the first trait that makes up the devil. May Allah protect us from the devil.

We are currently in the month dedicated to the Prophet, as peace be upon him, known as Sha'ban. This month carries a distinct importance amongst believers. In profound honour of the Prophet, peace be upon him, we celebrate this month and many sacred nights within this period. Particularly, the night transitioning from the 14th to the 15th of Sha'ban. During this night, the events of the coming year are determined for everyone, even for the entire world. We are part of this world and everything that happens in it is interconnected with our actions and states of being. This blessed month is Allah’s gift dedicated to the beloved Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet, peace be upon him, is the light, not only for Muslims, but for all of mankind. In the early days in Mecca, the Prophet, peace be upon him, faced unprecedented torment. They inflicted untold sufferings on the Prophet, peace be upon him, in every way imaginable. Yet, on the night of Miraj, when the Prophet journeyed to heavens, Allah uplifted the Prophet to unreachable heights. Many extraordinary events unfolded that night. The specifics of where, how and what exactly happened, remain unknown to us. We simply do not know. It is beyond our understanding. The occurrences of that night were exclusive to the Prophet, peace be upon him. During his night journey, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was shown everything: Jannah, Jahannam, Sirat, Mahshar. Allah revealed all these to him during that night. There are no time or space constraints for Allah. It all lies beyond our comprehension. Two or three years after that night of the Miraj, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was ordered to migrate to Medina and leave his hometown Mecca – which is, of course, not an easy thing to do. Mecca was his birthplace, where he grew up. Leaving all that behind was a difficult decision. However, the Prophet, peace be upon him, obeyed Allah's command and left Mecca accompanied by Sayyidina Abu Bakr. Some might wonder why Allah didn't instantaneously transport the Prophet, peace be upon him, to Medina. However, wisdom lies in everything that happens. The Prophet, peace be upon him, had previously journeyed billions of light-years in a second. Yet, how did he migrate to Medina? On a camel. He met with attacks and torture along his journey. There's a profound wisdom behind this. Through this enduring journey, the Prophet, peace be upon him, set a commendable example for all Muslims to follow. However, many Muslims today are unaware of the suffering that the Prophet had to endured. They tend to think they are the only ones who suffer. But, no one has experienced suffering as intense as the Prophet, peace be upon him. The Prophet endured unthinkable forms of torture and suffering. He was pelted with stones, covered in dirt, humiliated, and debased. Despite all this, the Prophet, peace be upon him, remained patient. Had he wanted, a single angel could have put an end to all the abuse. The Prophet, peace be upon him, advised mankind to exhibit patience and accept life as given by Allah. During his journey from Mecca to Medina, numerous extraordinary incidents occurred, particularly in the cave of Ghar al-Thawr. Alhamdulillah, Allah gave us the opportunity to visit that cave. The cave is not large enough to accommodate a conventional visit. It is very tight, difficult to enter or even fit in. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was in that cave and something significant also happened there. What occurred in that cave? All the 7700 Naqshbandi Sheikhs, in their spirituality, pledged allegiance (Bay'ah) to the Prophet, peace be upon him. This gathering in the cave is of particular significance for the Naqshbandi Tariqah, and indeed, all Tariqah. Tariqah is the path of the truth, and there are 41 Tariqah. The Naqshbandi have a special bond with the Prophet, peace be upon him. There in that cave, Sayyidina Abu Bakr, alongside all future Naqshbandi Sheikhs until the Day of Judgment, pledged their allegiance (Bay'ah) to the Prophet, peace be upon him. Until the Day of Judgment, there will be 7700 Naqshbandi Sheikhs in total. This is the way of the Tariqah – the source of their strength. Tariqah and Islam, Shariah, are inseparable. They are intertwined and can't exist separately. Whenever there were severe division among the Muslims and people had lost their way, the Naqshbandi Sheikhs united the Muslims and guided them towards the right path. You might be familiar with Ahmad Sirhind, Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani, but you should also know about Yusuf Hamadani. Yusuf Hamadani was a great saint. He was the mentor of Ahmad Yasawi. Yusuf Hamadani and his disciple Ahmad Yasawi lived in a time when the entire Central Asian region was against Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah. They refused to show respect to Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Umar, or Uthman. They rejected the companions of the Prophet. The entire region shared this sentiment. The creed of the Fatimids from Egypt was prevalent at that time. They opposed the Khulafa'u r-Rashidin. The entire region was against the companions of the Prophet until Yusuf Hamadani and his disciple Ahmad Yasawi arrived. These individuals were great saints. Without any fighting, they alone managed to bring millions of people back to the path of Islam and laid the groundwork for faith in Anatolia before the Ottoman Empire. They prepared this region, and when the Ottomans arrived, Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah was widespread. Without them, these millions would not have returned to the path. If not for these Sheikhs, Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah wouldn't exist there. It is outrageous how some people dare to call such great Sheikhs Mushriks. Without their work, Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah wouldn’t be around. Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah wouldn't have been resurrected without them. Without them, Islam wouldn't have reached as far as the heart of Europe. Without them, Muslims wouldn’t have survived the oppression and tyranny of the Soviet regime. Thanks to these Sheikhs work, may Allah be pleased with them, people were safe from the devil and his aids. For instance, consider Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Sirhindi, also known as Mujaddid-i-Alf-i-Sani who defended Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah- without any fight, without a sword, without a weapon, without a bomb. He successfully reinstated Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah in India and the surrounding regions. We have the privilege of being in line with them. In addition, there are 40 other Tariqahs; all of them are Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah. Particularly in Africa, they established Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah without a fight, only through the spiritual practice of Tasawwuf. Tasawwuf spread from north to south. It spread across west Africa, Nigeria... How can anyone possibly combat this desert? That’s impossible. However, followers of the Tariqah, blessed by Allah, came to this continent, which some demeaningly refer to as the black continent. How audacious of them to label Africa as the black continent? Allah has bestowed light upon the people there. May Allah help them. They endure a lot of suffering, but Allah will reward them. Allah will be pleased with them. The Prophet was also content with them. One time, an incident concerning Bilal al-Habashi took place. During the incident, a Sahaba remarked, "Oh, you son of a black woman." The Prophet was infuriated by this comment and the injustice it projected. The Sahaba rushed to Bilal al-Habashi, apologized, laid his head at Bilal's feet, and confessed, "My head belongs under your feet." This is the level of respect and decency that the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught. This is what the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught. This is what Tariqah and Islam teach. No person is superior to another unless they fear God. And fearing God doesn’t involve pride or arrogance. Pride or arrogance has no place in Tariqah. Tariqah is reserved solely for the humble. The humbler you become, the higher you ascend. The Prophet, peace be upon him, stated: من توادع لله رفعه Whoever humbles themselves for the sake of Allah's love, Allah will elevate them. When people engage with you in an aggressively arrogant manner, it is sometimes befitting to respond assertively. However, it's completely out of line to flaunt your ego before humble, respectful individuals. Regrettably, humble people are often subjected to belittling arrogance. The mindset of anyone who displays pride or arrogance is fundamentally flawed. Considering everything happens through Allah and nothing is of our own achievement, there's no place for self-pride. It is Allah who bestows you with everything. You should acknowledge these gifts with humility and gratitude, rather than using them as a means to look down on others scornfully. Such behavior will lead to your humiliation by Allah. The revered Sheikhs of the past were cautious to avoid statements against another Sheikh. Their conduct contrasted with people today who label themselves as scholars, Sheikhs, Imams, and so on. These people lack the decency and respect of our forerunners. They don't abide by Tariqah, but are guided by their own pride and arrogance. They desire recognition by the loftiest titles. Emulate the old scholars, in one instance they consulted a scholar on an issue. The scholar stated about this issue, "This is unacceptable!" Then they sought the opinion of another, who said about the issue: "That's fine!" Attempting to create discord with these two opposing views, they tried to incite a quarrel between the scholars. They approached the first scholar, saying, "You declared this unacceptable, but the other Sheikh considers it fine!" The scholar responded, "That scholar is like an ocean. A little dirt cannot tarnish the ocean; it washes itself clean." That was the response of the initial scholar. Subsequently, they approached the other scholar, saying, "You deemed it okay, but the other scholar does not find it acceptable!" The second scholar replied, "That scholar is unfailingly pure, as a white sheet. Faint stains do not blemish it." Both scholars dealt with each other with the utmost respect and no one claimed the other was wrong. The scholars maintained perspective on the issue, excusing each other. Such was the nature of the past scholars. Most were disciples of a Sheikh, adherents of the Tariqah, and conducted themselves with decorum. This is of utmost importance. May Allah guide us. We exist in an era marked by an upheaval of norms. The Prophet, peace be upon him, prophesied a time when the feet would ascend to the position of the head. The Sahaba were puzzled, asking, "How is that possible?" Indeed, ineptitude is now placed in control; the feet have become the head. It should be the head, with its understanding and control, not the feet that lead. The head harbors understanding, sight, cognition, and hearing. Yet, we find ourselves in a flipped world where the 'feet' assert control. May Allah assist us. We are in the end times. It’s a critical period. Considering the hardships in today’s world, now is the time to reap the greatest spiritual reward. Despite modern difficulties and suffering, following Allah's path and obeying His commandments will guarantee you incomparable rewards from Allah. May Allah help all Muslims. Every day, we witness people spiraling into a misguidance. Do not succumb to unsavory influences or fall for the enticing words of unscrupulous individuals who coax, "Try it once, it'll make you happy." Resist going along. Putting a foot in will land you in a trap from which escape becomes impossible. This advice is not only for the present, but also for distant listeners. Keep away from people of ill-repute and unfavorable company. Associating with such people is like visiting a blacksmith, so cautions the Prophet, peace be upon him. You either risk getting singed or carrying off an unwelcome scent. Spending time with people harboring negative energy will affect you similarly, dragging you down into unhappiness. So, it’s best to avoid such company from the beginning. We are living in the final era. Insha’Allah, the arrival of Mahdi Alayhissalam will usher in an urgently-needed breakthrough. We anticipate this event, as was foretold by the Prophet, peace be upon him, the most trustworthy and honest, Sadiq al-Amin! His predictions will inevitably manifest. Just a few events remain unrevealed, until Mahdi Alayhissalam arrives to rescue this world from all evils, unsanctity, and corrupt individuals. The world will then be pure, insha'Allah. As conveyed by Mawlana Sheikh Nazim, we should invoke Allah in every prayer to hasten the arrival of Mahdi Alayhissalam. Insha’Allah, Allah will send him swiftly.