Mawlana Sheikh Mehmed Adil. Translations.

Here is the revised SRT file. The grammar has been corrected, and the phrasing has been smoothed out to sound more natural in English while preserving the original meaning and Islamic terminology. إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةٞ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَ أَخَوَيۡكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ (49:10) وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٰنِۚ (5:2) This is the command of Allah. Muslims, the believers, are brothers. You must be united. Allah will help you. He bestows His mercy upon you. Allah’s command is also to help one another, to do good deeds, aiding Islam and Muslims. Give charity and do everything good for each other. Do not allow any hatred or envy between you. Alhamdulillah, this is a blessed place. Mawlana Sheikh Nazim visited here many times. Of course, all the people here are people of Tariqa, alhamdulillah. There are Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Chishti, Rifa'i, Badawi—all these Tariqas. Each one has a blessed Imam from the lineage of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. They have been spreading light to millions of people for centuries. So, there is no need to be enemies with one another. On the contrary, there must be mutual help. This is also from Allah; He gave each of His creations a different ability, a different test, a different path. Each person's heart is inclined toward a specific place. But what is important is the destination: going to the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, all Tariqas are paths leading to the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. So when you are on this path, you must obey what the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, says and what Allah orders. You must be together. Of course, each Tariqa may have different practices. These differences should not make you unhappy with others. You must accept everyone. Do not interfere with others. Look only at yourself. Teach your ego to be humble and obedient. Do not get angry over everything. Do not create problems for others over small matters. No, this is not good. From the beginning of Islam, Shaytan could never win using an enemy from the outside. Any enemy that came could not succeed in finishing Islam or destroying the Khilafah (Caliphate). It was always done from the inside. They create fitna (discord) between one another. Then they split, causing Muslims to kill each other. And after that, the enemy comes and takes over. This has happened many times in history. History is very important knowledge. The Quran contains "Ulumul awwalin wal akhirin." The knowledge of the beginning and the end. It teaches history and the stories of what happened before so you may learn a lesson. And Allah says, "Fa'tabiru ya ulil absar." (59:2) "Fa'tabiru ya ulil albab." Take heed, O you who have sight, who have hearts to understand. Many times, Muslims failing to help one another has caused disaster for the Ummah. Just now on the road, we were speaking with our brother. I asked, "Who destroyed the Ottoman Empire?" Muslims. Muslims—and he was also a Turk, like the Ottomans. The Ottomans were not just Turks; there were seventy nations in the Ottoman Empire. And they were fighting for Allah Almighty. Those who failed to help, which caused the beginning of the Ottoman end, were from Crimea. Now they are fighting with the Russians and others there. They are fighting for Crimea and other lands. This was all once the empire of the Giray. Sultan Giray was a Tatar Sultan. He controlled that whole area. Ukraine, Russia—all of this was Muslim country. They were Muslims. The Ottoman Sultan was going to conquer Vienna, Austria. They asked these people for help, and they said, "Yes, we will help you." And what help did they need? Only to keep the enemy from attacking from behind. But out of envy, the Giray—"Giray" means Sultan in the Tatar language—let the enemy pass through their lines. They defeated them all, killed them, and seized the entire Ottoman treasury in that war. This was the second Siege of Vienna. The first one was in the time of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. I was in that area and saw where they said Sultan Suleiman reached. He signed a treaty there, for he was a great Sultan, and then he returned. But the second time, it was not necessary to wage this war, yet it happened. And what was the result? After this, the Ottomans began to slowly lose their power. Because the treasury was gone, and half the army became martyrs (Shahid). They hardly saved the Sultan from there. But afterwards, what happened to the Giray? That whole area was taken by the Russians. They killed them and took everything from them. Until now, there has been no benefit from that betrayal. Why is this? It is because of Muslims not helping each other. For this reason, we say that even though we are a small jamaat (community), there is no need to make problems over small things. You must continue. Allah has given you many places. Do not be envious. We must be open to everyone coming here who does not create fitna against the Tariqa. Let there be Quran recitation, Hadith recitation, Mawlid, Zikr, and Sohba. It must continue. If you fight with each other, other people will take you and throw you out. They may look like they are helping you, just as happened with those people in history. Later, they will seize everything and discard you. This is what has happened in the history of Islam many times. As I said, the Ottomans were Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. They defended the Tariqas and others. Others were the same way. The Tatar Giray was also Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. He was not Shia, not Wahhabi. At that time, there were no Wahhabis, alhamdulillah. In that area, Central Asia or Russia, there were no Wahhabis. At that time it had different names, like Kazan and others. Every year, the Kazan Tatars would go to Moscow, collect spoils of war (Ghanima), and return. They were strong because they were Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah and they defended Islam. So fitna arises even if people are Ahlus Sunnah. They were not Shia, not Salafi, not Wahhabi. Alhamdulillah, at that time Wahhabis did not exist. But unfortunately, today, the worst Wahhabis are in that area— the region of Russia or Central Asia. They plant this fitna and destroy the people. Even if you go there now, if you are not from the same Tariqa, they view you as an enemy. This is a great fitna in that region. From that time until now, it has been growing. If you are not from their group, they are not happy with you; they treat you as a foe. This is a massive discord. Therefore, you must cut off the head of fitna while it is small. They say you must crush the snake's head when it is small. If it grows big, you cannot catch it or cut its head. And its poison will spread everywhere. It is truly a terrible poison spreading now. So we must be united. Do not make an issue out of small problems. Do not say, "They said this, they did that." We ask Allah Almighty to put happiness in our hearts for our brothers. For our brothers, the Murids, and all Muslims. To be safe from all evil things. It is not easy to achieve this state. Because when you intend to give charity or do a good deed, many things arise to make you run away from it. There is a story... One Imam was delivering a sermon (Khutbah). He said, "Allah will reward whoever gives a handful of rice—for each grain, Allah gives a reward." "Whoever gives wheat, flour, or oil—there is a reward for everything." He was saying, "It will be good." That there was a great reward for this. One of the attendees listening to this became very excited. He ran home immediately. He gathered some food and tried to leave. Suddenly, he found his wife standing in front of him. "What is this?" she asked. He replied, "The Imam said I must give this in charity; it is very important." "Put that down!" she ordered. The Imam was waiting outside. He thought, "Where is this man?" The mother of Shaytan was there. She acted like a Shaytan. So whenever you want to do something good, many Shaytans appear. That is why they say that when a gathering is held by people who do not love the Prophet, you can find thousands of people around them. But when you go to a Sohba or gathering for the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, you may find only ten percent of that number. I used to wonder why this is. It is for this reason. Shaytan does not touch those other people; he is happy with them. He wants people to run away from rewards, from the love of the Prophet, and the love of Allah Almighty. So he happily pushes them, saying, "Yes, yes, look, more people should come." But to the others, he whispers, "Don't do this, don't make Salawat on the Prophet." "You will be cursed, you will be a Mushrik (polytheist), you will be like this, you will be like that." When you attend a good Sohba or a blessed Majlis, they attack you, whispering doubts (waswas) to you. "Is what we are doing haram? Why are you here?" "Those people said this is haram, this is shirk, and you will go to the fire." "Your Dua will not be accepted, you will never be forgiven." But everything they say is the opposite of the truth. Allah Almighty says, "I am Ghafur (Forgiving), Rahim (Merciful)." Until your last breath, you can ask for forgiveness, and I will forgive you. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said that Allah Almighty says: "If these people did not commit sins, I would replace them with people who sin and ask forgiveness, so I could forgive them." "Because I love to forgive." Allah says this. Yet they do not accept what Allah says. Why? Because they are envious. They are full of jealousy. They do not want any good for human beings, or for anyone. Jealousy is the worst attribute. It is from Shaytan. It causes one to run toward Hell. And they still insist on it. It is also a trait of Kufr (disbelief). Even if he knows the truth, out of jealousy, he would rather throw himself into the fire than accept what the other person has. This is an important matter. Therefore, may Allah keep Muslim hearts safe from jealousy. Safe from straying from the truth, from the way of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam. This is the way of mercy, the way of happiness, the way of good tidings. "Bashiru wala tunaffiru." The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "Give good tidings and do not drive people away." Tell people that Allah forgives everybody. Do not worry. Some people come saying, "We are doing bad things; perhaps we cannot enter Jannah." No—when anyone asks for forgiveness with a sincere intention, The Quran Azim-ush-Shan says, "Yubaddilullahu sayyi'atihim hasanat." (25:70) He changes their sins into rewards. They are no longer sins. The sin is removed, and Allah puts a reward in its place. This is who Allah Almighty is. We must thank Allah. We must thank Allah all the time, saying, "Ash-shukru lillah, Alhamdulillah, Ash-shukru lillah." He has placed us on His path. So let there be no problems between Muslims over small things. There are some foolish people who, when angry, say, "Allah may forgive, but I do not forgive." This is... May Allah grant right thinking to these people. May Allah forgive us all. We are in need of this from Allah Almighty. May Allah keep us firmly on His path. So we do not fall. Alhamdulillah, we are with the Mashayikh, with Mawlana, and the people of Tariqa. May Allah raise their stations. Grant us for the sake of Allah. We must give thanks and ask Him to keep us on this way. May Allah elevate us more and more, inshaAllah.

Walladhina amanu billahi wa rusulihi ula'ika hum as-siddiquna wash-shuhada'u 'inda Rabbihim lahum ajruhum wa nuruhum. (57:19) Allah Azza wa Jalla praises the believers; they are the best and hold the highest rank in the Divine Presence of Allah Azza wa Jalla. It is important for everyone to be like these praised ones in the Divine Presence of Allah Azza wa Jalla and the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. How can we be like this? By following the Awliyaullah; they take you to this high maqam (station). Because without them, no one can reach this high maqam. It is very rare, but even they have a Murshid. We call this the 'Uwaisi' path, where they are taught by Sayyidina Khidr (alayhi salam). Without a Murshid, without a teacher, you cannot truly follow anyone. Whoever does not follow this, his Murshid will be Shaytan. He may think he is doing very well, doing everything right, but at some point, it will all go to waste, and he will end up without Iman, without belief. It is a very dangerous thing to go by yourself into a dangerous place; at any time, your feet can slip, and you will fall. For this reason, do not be without a Murshid. Just hold onto their hand; that is enough to save you. But if you want your ego to be big, do not follow these people; go and do what you like. In the end, you will fall. No one will save you; you will only be with Shaytan. Because it is very easy for Shaytan to take you from the right way to what he wants. Inna ad-dina 'inda Allah al-Islam. (3:19) The religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. Whoever goes outside of this way of Islam—la yuqbalu minhu—Allah will not accept it from him. Allah Azza wa Jalla says this in the Quran Azim ash-Shan. Whatever you do outside of this way, you will be following your ego, and it is dangerous. In the end, it will be very bad for those who follow their ego. May Allah keep us on His way. The way of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, the way of the Awliya, the way of nur, of light. May Allah fill our hearts with this love, insha'Allah, and with nur, insha'Allah.

وَقُلِ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيُؤۡمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيَكۡفُرۡۚ (18:29) Allah Azza wa Jalla says: "Say the truth." Speak the Haqq (Truth). Whoever wishes to believe, let him believe. And if he does not want to believe, he can choose to disbelieve. But you must speak the truth. The people must know the truth. After that, they must decide. But your obligation—what you must say—is the truth. Tell people who ask; tell them what the truth is, do not lie. Especially regarding the Haqq and the way of Allah. You must not say something wrong by yourself. You cannot invent things yourself and speak them. So, whatever the truth is, you must say it. There is no need to be afraid. Because when you are afraid, you might not speak at the right time. But everyone must accept the truth. Whoever accepts the truth, the Haqq, will be safe. If he does not accept, he may not be safe. This is what they call democracy; this is real democracy. Everyone is free to accept or not accept. But they must know. Here, there is no problem for them until the end of their lives. Until the end of their lives, they have the chance to accept. If they accept before dying, Allah will forgive them. If they do not accept, then there will be great regret. It is not like the dunya: "I regret not buying this; it was cheap, now it is expensive." In that case, you are still alive. But regarding that other regret—when you die—it is finished. So we must tell people this. You must accept this. Allah gives you this chance your whole life. You can be an unbeliever until the end of your life. But you do not know when the end of your life will be. Do not think you will live to be ninety, eighty, or seventy years old. Maybe at thirty years, it could end. Maybe fifty, maybe sixty. So you have no guarantee to do whatever you want and then regret and ask for forgiveness later. No, you must ask for forgiveness at all times. There is no guarantee in life. Only Allah Azza wa Jalla knows the end of people's lives. So one must be careful not to leave it until the end and then say, "Yes, you are right, you said this..." By that time, it may be too late. May Allah grant guidance to these people. And grant us good understanding, to be on the way of Allah at all times. To be careful not to be too late, insha'Allah. May Allah save us from our bad egos, insha'Allah.

مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٞ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُۥ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلٗا (33:23) Allah praises the men who stand by their promise. This refers to what they promised Allah Azza wa Jalla and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). They do not withdraw this promise. They pledged this for their whole lives, until death. They remain men of their word, never changing. Apologies to the ladies, but we must say this: Nowadays, many people have ceased to be "men" [of honor]. Some men say something, but later, when it doesn't suit them, they deny it. They say, "I just said that; I do not care about promises or anything else." Why are we saying this? Alhamdulillah, most of you here are locals. Perhaps half of this Jamaat is from this area, while others come to listen from London or other places. Whenever we came here in the past, we would visit Sheikh Walid. Sheikh Walid, the Palestinian. He was here in this area, spreading the Tariqa among the English, Pakistanis, Arabs—everyone. I have known him since 1985. Back then, we used to drive an old, small car to Peckham to visit Mawlana Sheikh. From that time on, he never changed his path. He could have claimed to be a Sheikh in his own right. He could have established a "Tariqa Walidiya," if he wished. Because no one forced him to guide people to Sheikh Nazim. He had knowledge, he had everything, and people were with him all the time. But he did not follow his ego and say, "I am a Sheikh, I am this, I am that." He strongly kept his promise until Mawlana Sheikh passed away. Until Mawlana Sheikh passed from this world, he did not change his word. Because Mawlana gave the order. I, too, am not eager to be a Sheikh, but it is Mawlana's order. He said, "This man will be the Sheikh for you." So he did not refuse, nor did he say, "No, I do not accept, I am already a Sheikh," or anything like that. He did not say, "There is no need to follow what Mawlana Sheikh said." He could have said, "I am a Sheikh, I have been in the Tariqa longer than this new Sheikh, and I am better than him." No, he simply accepted and gave his love just the same. Because he was very clever and wise; he possessed wisdom. He knew that this Way is not about the Sheikh. This Way is about the Path itself. The Sheikh comes and goes, but the Way remains the same. Love for this Way must not change. Whoever comes, follow the order. Especially those who claimed, "I love the Sheikh, I have been a murid for fifty or sixty years," but then, when the Sheikh gives an order, they say, "No, I do not accept this; I must be the Sheikh." But this man [Sheikh Walid] was not like that. For this reason, Allah praises such people. Allah calls this a "man." Even women are considered "men" when they stand by their promise; they are stronger than the men who do not stand by their word. This is a very important Tariqa because you cannot easily find a real Sheikh or a real Tariqa. If you spend fifty years in the Tariqa and do not understand this, then you are nothing. You are merely existing by accident. You find yourself in the Tariqa, and after a lifetime, you ask, "What am I doing here? Who am I?" You are here because this is the ship of salvation. Like Sayyidina Nuh—I often say Mawlana Sheikh is like Sayyidina Nuh. When you are on his ship, you will be safe from this world, and for the Next World as well. So you must know—do not be uncertain. Be sure you are safe, do not object, and do not say things Allah is unhappy with. Just follow. Alhamdulillah, our way is clear. Many times people asked, "Do you have a representative in your place?" Everywhere is open, Alhamdulillah; we are very open to everyone. Our door is open. Whoever comes is welcome. Whoever is not happy, bye-bye. We do not keep people by force, but our way is to keep people safe. To know—and not to wonder—"Why am I here? Why am I in this dunya?" Many people go crazy, shouting at their mothers and fathers, "Why did you bring me into this world?" Your father and mother did not bring you; Allah created you and sent you here. So when you realize this, you will be satisfied and happy. There is no running away. Just wait. Wait, wait, wait, and when your time comes, you will meet your Lord, InshaAllah. Do not be anxious or worried, asking "How will I survive?" When your provision ends, you will die. Even if you have billions, you cannot put one extra morsel of food in your mouth or drink one extra drop of water. You cannot take it. So don't worry, be happy. Allah Azza wa Jalla has promised everyone's provision (rizq) and life span. It is set for a certain amount and a certain time. When the time comes, you will go. Many people make their lives like hell before even going to the Akhirah (Hereafter). They make their lives hell, worrying every single day. When we are not happy, quickly perform Wudu and pray two rakat. It is important for all human beings to pray. Because prayer is the time we are nearest to our Lord, Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah Azza wa Jalla is everywhere. But when you pray, He is in your heart. He said, "The whole universe cannot contain Me, but I can fit within the heart of My believer." It is a small heart, but Allah says when you realize this, He will be in your heart, and all problems will vanish, InshaAllah. This is very important, so do not leave. Do not leave this Way. Do not be deceived by others who claim they will teach you better than this Way. Because our Way, from Mawlana Sheikh Abdullah ad-Daghestani and Sheikh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani and all the Mashayikh, is exactly as it was in the Prophet's time. It follows the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Sunnah and shows people every goodness. The best thing, the greatest teaching from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), is to be humble. All the Mashayikh were humble; no one claimed to be better than others. They said, "We are only serving." "We are servants to the Ummah and to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)." When you see others, scholars or otherwise, saying "I am this, I am that," do not follow them. Alhamdulillah, Allah bless this Walid Effendi; he was such a humble one. Such a good man, and Alhamdulillah, his lineage also continues. It is very important to see something continue. It is very important. Even if you are doing something small, do not quit. Do not leave this Way. Do not be deceived by others who claim to be "the real ones" these days. Find good people and follow them. If you follow some of these others, they will lead you off the path. They say, "There is no need for prayer," which is a misunderstanding. Great Mashayikh and Awliyaullah, like Jalaluddin Rumi, say, "To be with a Saint or a Sheikh is better than a hundred years of sincere worship." But some may misunderstand this to mean one should not pray or do anything. No; when you are with a Saint, he will show you how important it is to worship. How important it is to follow the right way, the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). All these Awliyaullah adhere to the Sharia of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Tariqa and Sharia go together. Without Sharia, there is no Tariqa. Because at that stage, everyone would just do whatever their ego desires. They would say, "Why pray? We are sitting, doing Tasbih and Dhikr; there is no need to pray." Others would say, "Why go for Hajj when it is so crowded? We can go another time." Or, "Why fast in summer? It is too long and hot; we will fast on these short days instead, it is much easier." That is what would happen. So without Sharia, there can be no Tariqa. This is very important. You will find every Awliyaullah is very strict regarding the Tariqa. And not one of these Awliyaullah is outside the Sharia. You cannot find anyone who has a Maqam or Mazar (shrine) who is outside of the Sharia of the Madhahib. There are no blessed places for them. This is only for those who follow Sharia and Tariqa. You can see this around the world. In Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq—everywhere. It is those who are following Sharia. Those who do not follow Sharia have no place where people come to seek blessings from them. And to go and ask Allah for the sake of these people is also important. Because you receive Baraka; Allah showers blessings upon this place which is beloved to Him. And you can take from this. You are not asking *from* this person; rather, for their sake, you ask Allah Azza wa Jalla. To give you what you want. Because Allah gives everything. Many people confuse this, and later it becomes a problem for them. May Allah save us from our egos. And help us follow the right way. Not to be deceived by people who claim this and that. Those who do not listen to the Awliyaullah. Who do not listen to the will of the Awliyaullah. The will of the Awliyaullah is to be together, and not to stray from the way of the Mashayikh, InshaAllah. Allah bless you.

Wa ja'ala lakum al-arda tahura. Allah Azza wa Jalla created the Earth, and He made it clean for us. For the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), the entire Earth is clean. You can pray anywhere; it is pure. Originally, it is clean, but human beings make it dirty. In some places, you cannot pray if it is filthy. But in a clean place, you can pray; it is permissible to pray anywhere, whether inside a mosque or outside. Before the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), prayer had to be in a specific place, like a temple or a sanctuary. Why? Because for others, the land was not considered clean everywhere. It was restricted to certain places only. But for the sake of the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam), Allah made the whole world pure, so you can be anywhere and pray. But now, we see that people are making it dirty everywhere. As Allah says: "Zaharal fasadu fil barri wal bahri bima kasabat aydin nas." (30:41) Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by what the hands of people have earned. Now the land, the water, and the sea are spoiled; they have become bad. How? By human beings. It is human beings who make it like this. Through their envy, and because they want everything for themselves without thinking of others, they have ruined it. Mawlana Sheikh always used to say: "Beton, Nylon, Hormone." Beton means concrete, nylon is plastic, and hormone—you know what hormone is. They have made it so that life seems impossible without these things now. Why? Because they became accustomed to this. Before this, many other things could be used instead. But now, regarding concrete, you cannot do much about it. In our personal lives, you can hardly find anything without it. Maybe very few—perhaps five or two percent—are built differently, but most people are, of course, using concrete. Of course, it is acceptable to use it in places where it is obligatory or necessary. You can, but not where you are living. Everything is turning to concrete. In summer, it radiates heat, and in winter, it lets the cold pass through to your body. Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about this anymore. As for hormones, they put hormones in everything. You cannot avoid this; it seems impossible now. The third thing: Nylon—plastic. This, we can avoid. Even if you only avoid this third one, it is a huge achievement for us. For this reason, Allah made this material capable of being recycled. Yet, Muslims are throwing it everywhere. Alhamdulillah, there is inspiration for people to set up places everywhere to collect this waste. It is filthier than—sorry to say—human waste; plastic is more harmful. So, when you have something like this, it is obligatory for you not to throw it away and make the world dirtier. And do not commit israaf (waste) either. You must collect it and put it in the designated place. This will be a Sadaqah (charity) for you because you are cleaning. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: If you remove harm from the street, it is Sadaqah for you. Even if you do not give Sadaqah from money—because the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said that for each of the 360 joints in your body, you must give one Sadaqah daily. The Sahaba had nothing; most of them were hungry and could not find anything to give. They asked: "O Prophet, we don't have anything; how can we do this?" He replied: "Every good deed you do is Sadaqah." To remove dirt or a stone from the street is Sadaqah; to smile at your brother is Sadaqah. And ultimately, Salatul Duha suffices for all of this. But what is important here is that the more Sadaqah you give, the better. Especially regarding the mosque; when you clean the mosque, even for a small thing, Allah rewards you in Jannah with a brick of gold. Cleanliness is very important. Our main principle in Islam is: "An-nazafatu minal iman"—Cleanliness is from Iman (Faith). Iman is higher than Islam; it opens the heart and the self. So InshaAllah, this message is for the whole world. Now we hear of people who pay no attention to this at all. You see Islamic countries are dirtier than other countries; they lack this practice. May Allah help us; it is important. We say that by avoiding this, you save at least a third of your health, InshaAllah. May Allah keep us safe, clean, and beloved to Allah and the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said: "Innamal 'ilmu bit-ta'allum, wa innamal hilmu bit-tahallum." Sadaqa Rasulullah fima qala aw kama qala. Knowledge is only attained through learning. You must acquire it, or you need someone to teach it to you. This knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim – from the cradle to the grave. Every day one must learn a little bit more. You must strive for knowledge. This is obligatory – Fard – for every Muslim man and every Muslim woman. Of course, this means: a little every day. But our intention should be constant, insha'Allah. And of course, you will discover something new every day, even in things you thought you already knew everything about. Do not say: "I already know everything, I do not need to learn or ask anything anymore." Knowledge is infinite. It is not reserved for just a single individual. Therefore, insha'Allah, everyone here must concern themselves with it – be it during the daily Wird, or when serving as an Imam or Muezzin. You must learn these things really well. "Innamal 'ilmu bit-ta'allum," says the Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam). You must practice this. Now, for the future here with our Mashayikh: From morning until the Isha prayer, someone must recite. Not always just the Muezzin; every day someone else should do it, to learn how to perform the Tasbihat and call the Adhan. From Fajr to Isha, insha'Allah, someone different every day. And when we are traveling, when there are not many people around, a new Muezzin must step up. You must be trained to be a Muezzin. It should not always be the same person, or just the host. There should be many Muezzins. Alhamdulillah, we should take the Kaaba as an example; there are many Muezzins there. Also in Medina al-Munawwara there are many Muezzins. In the holy mosques there are many, all different. So it is important not just to listen and say: "Good, he is already doing it, we do not need to do it." No, you must learn and you must practice, insha'Allah. For being a Muezzin is a great honor. The Muezzins are praised in the Divine Presence of Allah – 'Azza wa Jalla. As far as their voice reaches, they will be forgiven by Allah. And on the Day of Qiyama, it is said, they will tower above all other people. So, insha'Allah, wherever you go: Learn and practice this. The second part: "Innamal hilmu bit-tahallum." That means not to be angry, but to show gentleness. People say: "I get angry quickly, what should I do?" "I cannot simply dip you into a paint pot and pull you out again so that you are no longer angry." The Prophet (ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said: "Gently, gently" – through practice. Every time anger rises, you must remember: "I must be gentle." If you are very angry, it will become a little less intense thereby. The next time again; remember every time. Eventually, perhaps in a month, a year, two years, or maybe ten, there will be no more anger, insha'Allah. May Allah protect us from anger. Even if you get angry, you must calm down again quickly. Such was the anger of Mawlana Sheikh: like a straw fire. It flares up quickly and is over quickly. That is how it must be, for everyone gets angry sometimes, but afterwards the anger must vanish. Because anger ignites a fire within you; that is not necessary. You must get rid of this anger quickly, insha'Allah. May Allah help us with that, insha'Allah.

‘Wa ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-birri wa t-taqwā wa lā ta‘āwanū ‘ala l-ithmi wa l-‘udwān’, (Qur’ān 05:02). This is the best path for all humanity. It applies to Muslims as well; indeed, this must be for Muslims. This command is a duty for all believers. You must help each other in acts of goodness, whether through charity or by assisting people in any way. It can be with your hand, your tongue, or any other means of support. There are thousands of ways to help people. Allah Azza wa Jalla says, “Help.” Be united. “Ta’āwanu” means to cooperate and assist one another. Do not cooperate in bad deeds or in doing wrong. Do not do this. This instruction is for all mankind. Whoever claims to be a human being must behave this way. A Muslim must be even more committed to this. They must support one another. Give naṣīḥah—advice—and offer help. Many people believe they are doing good, when in fact they are doing very wrong things. Therefore, they must ask for guidance: “Am I doing right or wrong? I thought this was good according to my own reasoning,” but upon asking, you may find that it is not good, but actually harmful. Receiving this advice becomes a great help to you. It wakes you up from committing sin or doing wrong unknowingly. Sometimes you do something thinking it is good, but in reality, it is bad. May Allah Azza wa Jalla grant us the joy of helping others and receiving help, insha'Allah. May Allah Azza wa Jalla bless you.

At all times, for Allah Azza wa Jalla, we say Alhamdulillah wa Shukrulillah. Allah Azza wa Jalla helps us with everything; every breath, every second, every minute. Allah Azza wa Jalla is with us; we must realize this and thank Him for it. Many people—ignorant people—do not know what is good and what is bad. Normally, those who lack this understanding have no mind and bear no responsibility; they belong in a mental institution. But there are some who are not in an institution; they are responsible. They go to school, they teach, they work and do business, but when it comes to thanking Him, they do not. This is not good for those who behave this way. Everything is accounted for by Allah Azza wa Jalla, and you should know Him and be thanking Him. The people who do not know this are worse than the creatures. Allah Azza wa Jalla created all creatures—even stones, even trees—and they are all praising Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah Azza wa Jalla gave them the knowledge to recognize their Creator. If humans do not know their Creator, they arrogantly think they are better than you. Be careful with everything; you must be content. Allah Azza wa Jalla gave everything to you, including the knowledge to know Him. Many people act without looking at what the consequences will be. May Allah Azza wa Jalla make us knowledgeable people: to know Him, to accept Him, and to thank Him.

The Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, “Ad-Dīnu n-Naṣīḥah.” Everyone asks for naṣīḥah, which means advice. When someone asks you— “Al-mustashāru mu’taman.” So says the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. The one who is consulted must be trustworthy. Therefore, naṣīḥah is very important in religion to show the good things, to show the way—the right way—and every good thing for you in life, for Dunyā and for Ākhirah. Those who ask for naṣīḥah—people ask for advice on good things. Naṣīḥah is not: "How shall I rob these people?" "How shall I kill these people?" "How shall I cheat these people?" This is not naṣīḥah. And they do not even need to ask this much. They are doing so by themselves. Shayṭān teaches these people. There is no need for naṣīḥah for such people. Naṣīḥah is to prevent the doing of bad deeds. Our doors—the door of Ṭarīqah, the door of Allah Azza wa Jalla—are open for people who are asking for goodness. Goodness brings goodness. Badness brings badness; it never brings good. A bad deed never yields good results. So, we must be very careful about those who claim, “I am in Ṭarīqah,” yet cheat people, saying things that are not in Ṭarīqah, not acceptable in religion, and not acceptable in normal times; not like this current time, where everything is upside down. We cannot speak about right now. But in normal times, everything good would bring good. And the bad always brings bad. Maybe you enjoy yourself for one minute, two minutes. After that, nothing. Then again, you want to do this bad thing. You think you are enjoying yourself. But it is like a fire; every time you throw wood or throw anything flammable, like petrol, it flares up more against you. You will not be happy with this. This has become common all around the world. This evil is spreading from East to West, not only in Western countries. This badness is growing everywhere. Why? Because Allah Azza wa Jalla has given them so much from His Azza wa Jalla favors: money, cars, jewelry, work—everything. Now they claim there is poverty in the world. It is not true. The first time I went to Hajj, you could hardly find a fat man or a fat woman—I only saw that the Egyptians and Iraqis were fat. The others were just skin and bone; nothing. Now when you go, masha’Allah, it is like a herd of cows; everybody is huge, masha’Allah. Where does this come from? Because they have plenty. They are eating and growing their desires, growing their egos. Even those following Sharī’ah have now given themselves a fatwa to do whatever is ḥarām. "We make a fatwa according to this Madhhab, maybe according to the Ithna-‘Ashari [Twelver] Madhhab, or another Madhhab—I don’t know which Madhhab—that you can marry twenty women, you can take a woman as a jāriyah." This is now, SubhanAllah, all they are thinking about: from the stomach and below; nothing else. This is, unfortunately, what we see and what we hear about. Of course, also from above: sniffing powders up the nose or anything else. They are doing all of this. Muslims are doing this too! This is very sad! Allah Azza wa Jalla gave you all this, and you act this way! “Yā ’Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna ’Āmanū Qū ’Anfusakum Wa ’Ahlīkum Nāran Waqūduhā An-Nāsu Wa Al-Ḥijārah”, (Qur’ān 66:06). This means: O people, O human beings! Beware of Hell! How is the Hellfire lit? With stones and people. Because when they are thrown into Jahannam, they will be like a mountain. Each one thrown into Jahannam will be atop the other like a mountain. Not like the mountains in England, which are small. It is like the Himalayas. So it will be fueled with stones and with people. Why is this? Because they are doing all of this. Even with what Allah Azza wa Jalla gave them, they are committing this ḥarām, doing this bad thing. After that, what happens? First, their Īmān leaves them. After that, their Islām is also gone from them. They become real Kāfir, atheists. They become unaccepting of Truth. For this reason, we say very surely to those who are cheated by such people: Be careful! The Ṭarīqah, our Naqshbandī Ṭarīqah, is the most careful regarding Sharī’ah. Sharī’ah is very important for us. You cannot do as you like. You cannot give fatwas as you like. You must be very aware. This is for the benefit of each individual, and for the benefit of the society you are living in. When one apple—every time we give this example—when one apple is rotten in a box of apples, all the apples will be ruined. Normally—I cannot go to the garden for work much now—we take maybe ten people, and masha’Allah they work very well. But if one of them is not working, he affects all of them. Because of this, I separate them: “You stay here. Just do khidmah [service] in the Dergah. If you like to sleep, sleep. If you like to leave, leave. But don’t come with us.” This is important. So, when there is a bad person in the family, he cheats on his wife all the time. I have heard this many times. I have heard this story many times just this week. He claims he prays five times, masha’Allah. Allah Azza wa Jalla will throw these prayers back in his face. “He is a Murīd,” he also claims. The Shaykh will spit on his face. Unfortunately, they come to Ṭarīqah and say “We are following,” and after that... You are coming for advice for your life. Be good! Do not commit ḥarām! Do not follow your ego! Because this ḥarām will never be enough for you. Even if the whole world were women, this would not be enough for you. As Mawlānā Shaykh used to say, a man who is good to his wife, Allah Azza wa Jalla protects him from other women; he does not look outside. But if he looks, it will be a curse upon him; he will never be satisfied. And zina (adultery) will make him poor! The first and biggest consequence of this, if he does not stop and does not ask for forgiveness from Allah Azza wa Jalla, is that he will eventually become poor, having no money. And when he has no money, no bad woman will look at his face. There is no loyalty. Their loyalty is only to money. And when this man commits zina, he will become poor and will have nobody, not even his wife. He will lose his wife and will just suffer in Dunyā. And in Ākhirah, he will be in Jahannam too. May Allah Azza wa Jalla protect us. Therefore, be very careful. Do not fall for someone wearing a turban and Jubbah saying, “Okay, we have a fatwa from Mawlānā, from the Shaykh, or from others.” Do not believe them. We never accept ḥarām. We do not accept ḥarām. It destroys families, destroys children, because the children will also become like him. I am very sad about this. All day, every day, I am hearing this same story. They are sending messages saying this. And people are still believing these people. They say, “Yes, Islam approves this for them.” Most of these "non-Madhhab" people are doing this. They say, “We go to Europe, there are jāriyahs, there is I don’t know what... this is ḥalāl for us.” It can never be ḥalāl. They do not know what is ḥalāl or ḥarām. And when it comes to you praying and making ṣalawāt upon the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, they say, “This is Bid’ah, this is ḥarām, this is shirk.” But when they do every dirty thing with women, or with non-women, it is somehow ḥalāl for them. So we must be very careful not to look at this. Do not look at bad things, bad movies, or anything else. Shayṭān has put this everywhere in the telephone. Sometimes when you open the telephone, they quickly pop up a bad, dirty picture. Shayṭān is everywhere. So be careful! Be strong! Have a strong will! Do not look at this. Allah Azza wa Jalla will be happy with you, and the Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam will be happy with you. And you protect your family, your society, your jamā’ah. All will be protected by this, in shā’a Llāh. May Allah Azza wa Jalla protect us. This is the most difficult fitnah. Really, this time is even worse than the time of Sayyidinā Lūṭ. It is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time, it was only in two cities. Now it is the whole world. And when you say something, it is forbidden to say that it is bad. For this, may Allah Azza wa Jalla protect us. We must protect ourselves because Shayṭān is in full power attacking human beings—not only Muslims, but attacking all human beings. May Allah Azza wa Jalla send us Sayyidinā Al-Mahdi ‘alayhi s-salām to save us. Really, we are sinking. Not thinking—sinking. As the Egyptians say: “About what you sinking?” The whole world is sinking. Like Qārūn with his money. Now that they have too much money, they are all sinking into the sewage; not into the earth, but under the sewage—we are all sinking together. May Allah Azza wa Jalla save us from them.

Alhamdulillah, we arrived safely in London. This is the first time, alhamdulillah, that we have visited this particular mosque. Mashallah, Muslims are building many mosques. In the past, nearly fifty years ago when Mawlana Sheikh first came, there was nothing; there were no mosques at all. Even at the Central Mosque, there was only a tent. Alhamdulillah, after that, thousands have started coming. Alhamdulillah, this is light. It is the House of Allah Azza wa Jalla. The House of Allah spreads light, spreads blessings, and spreads barakah. Alhamdulillah, Allah rewards those who build mosques, help mosques, or assist in anything for the sake of Islam. Regarding mosques specifically, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) says that whoever builds a mosque or helps build one, Allah will build a palace for him in Jannah, in Paradise. When you build something like this, the good that comes from it is like investing money and receiving interest—but this is interest that lasts forever. Alhamdulillah, this is wonderful. Mashallah, may Allah bless all of you. Alhamdulillah, I believe everybody helped; whether small or big, they helped. May Allah reward us, inshaAllah. As we said, it is the House of Allah Azza wa Jalla. Allah is the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent—Allah Azza wa Jalla. We must also be merciful towards people, towards Allah's creation. This is the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The Ulama, the Salihin, the Awliyaullah, and the Mashayikh all follow this path. They want goodness for the creatures of Allah; whether human or not, we must be a mercy to everything. We should not be harsh. Allah Azza wa Jalla says of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): Raufun Rahim. This means our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is very gentle and very merciful. We are Muslim, so we must imitate him as much as we are able. We must wish well for everything and everyone. Do not be an enemy, and do not be envious. Because Allah Azza wa Jalla controls everything; everything is under His control. There was a great Wali from Turkey named Merkez Efendi. His Sheikh was a great scholar—I believe he was a Qadi (judge)—who left his position. His Sheikh put him through many tests, and eventually, he made him his Khalifa (successor). Since he became very close to the Sheikh, many of the murids—older murids who had been there for thirty or forty years—were a little jealous of him. They thought, "How can this be? He is new, yet the Sheikh is so happy with him." So the Sheikh wanted to teach all of them a lesson. He said, "I ask everyone: If Allah gave you power, what would you do?" One of them said, "I would make the whole world Muslim." Another said, "I would finish off all the kafirs." Another said, "I would ensure nobody remains poor." Many different answers were given. Then he asked Merkez Efendi, "You, what would you do?" "I would not do anything," he replied. "Why?" "I would leave everything in the center (Merkez)." Merkez means unchanged, balanced. "Why?" the Sheikh asked. He said, "Because Allah Azza wa Jalla wants it this way. I cannot interfere with Allah Azza wa Jalla." Therefore, all of us must be happy with Allah's will. We should help as much as we can and do what we can. But not with force, and not with violence. When Allah wants hidayah (guidance) for someone, Allah sends him guidance. If you try to force it, you cannot do it. But through softness, mercy, and doing good deeds for people, they will be happier with you, and Allah Azza wa Jalla will be happy with you. We must have good intentions. This is our intention: goodness for people, for humanity. Nowadays, of course, everyone is suffering. We are at the end of the life of Bani Adam (humanity); it is the End Times, and everything is very difficult and miserable. People are not happy. Allah has given them everything, but they are not happy. Why? Because they harbor envy, bad intentions, and bad character—everything bad. They only want for themselves, not for others. Allah gave us the capacity for good thinking. You must realize that if everybody is good, you will also be good; everything will be good. But when you are not happy, others are also not happy. Others are also jealous of each other, trying to create problems for one another. And then, for all people, there will be misery and poverty. Now Ramadan is coming, Shahru Ramadan. Normally, you can give Zakat at any time, but in Ramadan, it is best so that one does not forget. So when people ask for money, others say, "We don't have money." Why? Because the rich people are not giving. They are not giving their Zakat; they are not thinking of others. If they gave, it would be enough for all the poor people. But by not giving, a curse comes from Allah upon those who withhold. It also causes the poor to become more aggressive and miserable. And they pray against those who do not give, those who do not look after them. The whole system becomes corrupted. Islam shows us what is best for humanity, for the whole world. For a hundred years now, there has been no real Islam. Nobody says "We are Muslim." Even where we have two billion Muslims, there is no benefit at all. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "You will be many—lots of Muslims—but you will have no value." "Your value will be like the foam on the sea—no benefit, nothing." Maybe someone is happy with bubbles, but there is no substance to them. This is because they left real Islam, which existed with the Khalifa, the last state of the Ottoman Empire. This was not only for the Turkish; there were seventy nations within it—Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, Ethiopian, Zoroastrian—everything you can imagine was in this Ottoman Empire. The Islamic Ottoman Empire provided justice everywhere, defending poor people and oppressed people from everywhere. They finished it, and the whole world was finished. They thought, "When we finish this Empire, we will be happy; it will be good." No. They finished it, but things became worse and worse, full of suffering. And still, they do not accept this. They are poisoning everybody in this world, spiritually and physically. Even the sea is full of poison. This black poison—wherever it is found, there is misery, there are bad things, bad luck. I mean this black liquid, petrol (oil). Wherever there is oil, a curse descends there. Everybody descends upon them, killing them, taking from them, and not giving anything back. But in Ottoman times, no. They said the Ottomans were taking from the people. But what was in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf or any other place back then? Only desert. The Sultan used to send aid to feed them, to give them everything. And they did not appreciate this. When the oil came—this black, cursed liquid—they destroyed the Ottomans, and they destroyed the whole world. Even until now, you see that wherever there is oil, there is a curse. They keep running after it. SubhanAllah, it was not good from the beginning. There were times when it would seep out in some places, and people would say, "What is this black liquid? It is very dirty. Where is this coming from?" This was perhaps two hundred years ago; they didn't know about petrol or anything like that. Later, when they realized what it was, they started killing each other and killing all the poor people over it. And they claim, "We are saving them." This is not a system of justice. They finished the only system of justice; they killed it. After that, there was nothing. But we, alhamdulillah, are Muslim and we are happy because we depend on Allah. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that a time will come, a very bad time, a very dark time. There will be oppressors, zulm (oppression), and every bad thing; it will be like black nights. But when this happens, Allah will send one of my descendants, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said. He will remove all this darkness and he will fill the whole world with justice and peace, inshaAllah. SubhanAllah, this is good tidings. Because we know this, we also depend on Allah. We are not afraid. Who is afraid? The other people—"What will happen? This one is taking this country, that one is taking another country, there is bombing here, bombing there." All of this, for a Muslim, does not matter. Allah will reward any oppressed person; Allah will reward him. But for the oppressor, there will be no mercy. May Allah keep us safe and may Allah send us this Mahdi (alayhi salam) so we can see the good days that Allah and the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) promised. The whole world will be in peace, with no trouble. This will happen in Akhir Zaman (the End Times), inshaAllah. It is the end of time now. We are waiting, inshaAllah, for Sayyidina Mahdi (alayhi salam). May Allah send him to save this Ummah and to save humanity, all of humanity, inshaAllah.