Conquering Hearts

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.

Insha’Allah Allah ﷻ make this gathering blessed. We come here for Allah ﷻ. We are in the end of the Month of Mawlid of Nabi Muhammad salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. This month is blessed for the whole Muslim world, for the whole universe.

Mawlana Sheikh first came to this country for Mawlid. With Barakah of Mawlid, Mawlana was first coming because he respects who respect Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. He was very happy to come first to Brunei. They were making a big celebration for Mawlidu n-Nabi at that time, maybe 35 years ago. With Barakah of Mawlid, Allah ﷻ opened this area – this very big area which is an important area for the Muslim world – for the Tariqah Naqshbandiyya which is coming from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, for people to follow the right way. Many Murids were coming to London but normal people cannot come; it was very difficult to go to that area. So with the Barakah of Mawlid, Mawlana Sheikh was coming to this area and blessing people. Thousands, a hundred thousand, millions of people benefit from his visits.

This is the teaching of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam to go and visit people. And if you know good knowledge, to teach this knowledge to people is important. Allah Azza wa Jalla ordered Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam to teach people. Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam taught the Sahabah, and the Sahabah taught Tabi’in and Tabi al Tabi’in. Until now, this teaching is coming through these good people, blessed people.

We see this in the time of the Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. He ﷺ was sending the Sahabah to call people to Islam. The Sahabah love the Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam very much, they cannot leave him ﷺ. But for the order of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, they were going for this important mission for Islam.

Awliyau’Llah were following this teaching of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. And because they are coming [as chain] without cutting from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, the teaching of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam continues with Awliyau’Llah. They had Madrassah for teaching people Islam, Tariqah, Shari’ah, reality/Haqiqah and everything. Thousands, a hundred thousand people were with these Mashayikh.

All of those who defend Islam, defend this way. We see around the world, Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama’ah were these Tariqah Mashayikh, Tariqah people. SubhanAllah, when Allah ﷻ wants something:, “Kun fa’yakun”, “ “Be,” and it is.” (Qur’ān 36:82). You cannot ask why He ﷻ does [something]. There’s no problem, nothing is difficult for Allah ﷻ. From Central Asia, Allah ﷻ made these people defend Islam with knowledge and with courage also.

There was Sayyidina Ahmad Yasawi who is a big Awliya, big Alim. He is now in Turkistan, in Kazakhstan. He was a teacher for hundred thousands of Murids, Dervishes. He was teaching them and sending them to non-Muslim countries: east and west, south and north. They were very well trained and well taught. They were an example for people where they were going. People were happy with them and very welcoming with them, because they know the knowledge of Dunya and spiritual knowledge also. These people were conquering hearts before the armies came to conquer these areas. People were happy with them. They say, “If these people rule us, we will be very happy.” Many of his Murids also where from everywhere. Not only Turkistan, they were from Hadhramaut, Yemen, from Arabia, from Syria, from everywhere of the Muslim countries. Because they know he is a big Awliya, they were going to him. At that time, there was no difference between Muslims. Many of them I think arrived here also, to Indonesia. They were opening here also for Islam. After them, other Mashayikh were also going on the same way; like Sayyidina Ubaydullah Ahrar, Sayyidina Bahauddin Naqshbandi, Sayyidina Abdul Qadir al-Gilani. All these blessed ones have hundred thousands of Murids who defend Islam, real Islam.

Don’t think that in that time all Muslims were practicing and living in peace; no, not like this. Islam is the religion of mercy and doesn’t want to harm anybody. Only if they saw something happen, they interfere and do things. But many of these people who were in that time were following wrong religion and wrong belief. The shaytan is not lazy. He is active. Every time – he never stops fighting and attacking Muslims to make them go away from the right way to hell way. He cheats many people.

Even once in that time, the wrong way was nearly becoming more than the right way. In that time, many Ulama were making – because you cannot fight without knowledge, Allah Azza wa Jalla sent some Ulama, some Awliyau’Llah to defend His ﷻ way, the right way. And in that time, subhanAllah, Allah ﷻ sent Imam Ghazali. Of course before Imam Ghazali also – until the time of Imam Ghazali – they were also attacking many times; these Khariji, Mu’tazilah and others. So there were the Imams of Shari’ah: Sayyidina Abu Hanifah, Sayyidina AlShafi’i, Sayyidina Al-Maliki, Sayyidina Al-Hanbali. And the Imams of Aqidah: Imam Al-Maturidi, Imam al-Ashʿarī. All of these were fighting and had good answers to these people, but people forgot. After that, bad people were nearly wining, Imam Ghazali wrote his book and people came back to Islam, to real belief. After him also, this wrong belief was beginning [to spread] between [the time of] Imam Ghazali and Sayyidina Mujaddid Alf Sani, nearly 400 years or more. So this wrong belief was coming again and it nearly finished the way of Ahlu sSunnah. SubhanAllah our Imam Sayyid Ahmad al-Faruqi Mujaddid Alf Sani wrote and fought them with knowledge, and he finished them.

All of these Imams and Awliyau’Llah were fighting nonbelievers for the sake of Islam and for the love of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Allah ﷻ made them to be known as Awliyau’Llah as beloved ones for Allah ﷻ, for Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam and for good Mu’mins. These are our Imams and our Awliyau’Llah. We love them because they serve Allah ﷻ, serve Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam and serve us to be in this way. If they are not making that, we will maybe be like nonbelievers.

These people, all of the Tariqah people, Ummat Muhammad salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam and those who are Ahlu s-Sunnah wa l-Jama’ah respect them and love them. Who doesn’t love them? Shaytan. He doesn’t love them and his followers, the people who claim that they are real Muslims but in reality they are – I don’t know what they are because the biggest enemy for them are these blessed people that we mentioned: from the Sahabah of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam and from Imams of Shari’ah, Abu Hanifah, Imam Ghazali, Al-Shafi’i, AlHanbali, Al-Maliki and all of Awliyau’Llah. They don’t love them.

There is a secret with these people. What’s the secret with these good people we mentioned? There is one secret and it is because they are connecting with Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam through Tariqah. Without this, they cannot be in the right way. Shaytan quickly takes them out. But all of them are connecting with Tariqah to Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. You cannot find one Awliyau’Llah outside of Tariqah. You see Masha’Allah Indonesian people have love for Awliyau’Llah. When they go out to Turkey or Iraq or Syria or Egypt or anywhere, they visit Awliyau’Llah everywhere. You cannot see one of these Awliyau’Llah who is not following Shari’ah or Tariqah. All of them have a connection with Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam through Tariqah.

We are thanking Allah Azza wa Jalla for this favor, for His ﷻ Ni’mah: He ﷻ made us to love them. Because to love these people is of big benefit for everyone. This love will save you from Jahannam. Because these people are beloved ones for Allah ﷻ and with what they’ve done, they are in the highest Maqam in Jannah. Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is saying, “Every one will be with whom he loves.” If you love these people, you will be with them in Akhirah in Jannah.

Don’t love people who don’t love Allah ﷻ, don’t love Prophet ﷺ, don’t love Sahabah, Ahlu l-Bayt and Awliyau’Llah. Don’t love these people. Allah ﷻ save us from loving them. Because shaytan makes [and shows] these people as good ones. They are polishing, painting and putting everything and then he is putting them in front of you, and you say, “Oh, I love these people. They are nice people.” These are only cheating people. Allah ﷻ keep us safe insha’Allah, to be safe with good people.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 21 October 2022/ 25 Rabih al-Awwal 1444 Masjid Raya Pondok Indah – Jakarta, Indonesia