Which Way to Paradise?

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu Billāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

A’ūdhu bi-Llāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

(Qur’ān 04:76). ‘Inna kayda l-shayṭāni kana dha‘īfā’, ‘Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.’ Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is saying that shayṭān may seem strong but his tricks and he himself are weak, and those who follow him are weak. No matter how much he thinks he holds the world in his hands, Allāh ‘Azza waJalla will destroy what he did in a minute, in a moment. Nothing will remain of what he did, and those who are with him will be destroyed too.

The whole world is with shayṭān now. People feel hopeless. They think about what is happening and how to be saved. People who have faith should know that Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is strong, and nothing is difficult for Him ﷻ. All things, especially those things that shayṭān does, carry no real importance. Even if the whole world is together with shayṭān, it has no value at all. Those who are on the way of our Holy Prophet ﷺ will be saved. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ is the biggest enemy of shayṭān.

Today we are on the twelfth of the blessed Rabī‘u l-Awwal, the arrival our Holy Prophet ﷺ to this world. Around one thousand, five hundred years have passed since the birth of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. People are divided into two groups. One group are those who are together with shayṭān. The other are people on the right way, who are with our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. How can this be? Those who walk on the way of our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, who are on the straight path, are with our Holy Prophet ﷺ. Those who went astray have joined another way. They have joined the perverse way. They have joined the way of shayṭān. They don't get any benefit.

One day, our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was asked by the companions which way to take to paradise. He ﷺ called to them and, drawing in the sand, showed them. He ﷺ drew a straight line with many other lines going around it. Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, “Those who go on this way, are on my ﷺ way. This way will take them to safety. No way apart from it will lead to safety. They will put themselves in danger and go astray.” And that way is the way.

Ṭarīqah means the way of Ahlu s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah. Those who walk on that way are certainly on the right way. They reach their goals. Why does that happen? Because their biggest love and affection [is towards] - Who do they imitate? They imitate our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. They are walking on his ﷺ way. They don't go out of his ﷺ way. As for the rest - Since the time of our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam until now, many people have gone astray. And many people who were Muslim left the way. Those who are not Muslim have never been the way in the first place.

But those who are Muslim should certainly follow someone, in order to follow this way and to advance on this way. They should certainly be connected to our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam in order to be in safety. If they are not connected, they will become disconnected. Those who go astray will reach a cliff, or come to a dead end. They will stop there, unable to go on. The straight way is the way of our Holy Prophet ﷺ, the way of Ahlu s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah, the way of the four madhhabs, the way of ṭarīqah. Those who are outside these are in danger. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

On this holy day, shukr to Allāh ﷻ, on the day of our Holy Prophet ﷺ, may Allāh ﷻ make it good for all of us. May He ﷻ give light on this way. May our light increase. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ has light. With his ﷺ light, we will be enlightened, with the permission of Allāh ﷻ.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani

8 October 2022/ 12 Rabih Al awwal 1444 Lefke, Cyprus