The Straight Way

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.

AlhamduliLlah we are meeting again after nearly one year. AlhamduliLlah Allah ﷻ made Naseeb (destined) that we came and met again. We come here for the sake of Allah ﷻ, for the love of Allah ﷻ. You are happy AlhamduliLlah, we are happy, Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla is happy. Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says that to put happiness in the heart of a Mu’min is the highest thing (deed) in the Divine Presence of Allah ﷻ.

AlhamduliLlah here, Masha’Allah, Allah ﷻ gave Mu’mins a special thing that they love other Mu’mins. Wherever they are they want to help them, to get knowledge from them or to be with them. For this, Allah ﷻ keeps them insha’Allah safe from Fitnah, from Fitan. Because there’s many Fitnah in the Islamic world, but AlhamduliLlah every time we come here, I hear something but the next time we never hear about this thing again. Because with good intention and clean hearts, Allah ﷻ makes Fitnah go away. This is Ni’mah from Allah ﷻ, a favor from Allah ﷻ to people whose intention is pure for Allah ﷻ. Anything that happens, Allah ﷻ protects them. Because many things – Since the time of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam until now, in the Islamic world, many things and many Fitnah has been coming, appearing. And Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla, of course, He ﷻ knows His ﷻ Wisdom. We don’t know anything about His ﷻ Wisdom. But everything happens by the order of Allah ﷻ and is good for the believer, for the Mu’min.

For this, Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was not accepting to write his ﷺ words and Hadith as he ﷺ is in this world. Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said they must write only Qur’an. He ﷺ prohibited the Sahabah to write Hadith. After Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, they began to write Hadith. But of course, these Munafiq (hypocrites) and Kafir people were putting different Hadiths and saying these are from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. But the ‘Ulama were choosing and throwing out. For this, after Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-

sallam they quickly began to write Hadith and to look for what the Sahabah heard from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. And many Hadiths more than a hundred thousand Hadiths were written. They looked for them and reserved them. After them of course, ‘Ulama came after Sahabah, tabi‘īn and tābi‘ī l-tābi‘īn. All of them were believers, pure Mu’mins, people beloved for Allah ﷻ. Sayyidina Ibn Masoud, Sayyidina Imam Mālik (Anas ibn Mālik), Sayyidina Abu Hanifah, Sayyidina Imam Shafi’i. All of them came to keep Islam in a book for they know that this book will be serving people for more than thousands of years. Because to be sure, they were making Istikharah. Many of them said we saw Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, and asked him ﷺ about the Hadith if it’s right or not right, and after that they wrote the Hadith. Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam foretold this, “After me ﷺ, it will be like this.” Because he ﷺ was saying what will be happening until Qiyamah. He ﷺ was saying, “They will say on my ﷺ behalf this is from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Be careful. Look at what you feel, you’ll know if it is from the Prophet ﷺ or from these people.” For this, you must be careful. Most of them are real Awliyau’Llah. The Imams of Madhhabs, the Imams of Aqeedah, all of them have a real connection from Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam to be Hidayah for the Ummah (nation) until Qiyamah.

Imam Shafi’i radiya Llahu anhu was born as you know in Gaza; may Allah ﷻ make them to be safe insha’Allah. He was (lived) with his mother. He studied Masha’Allah very hard. At seven years old, he was Hafiz Qur’an. When Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was going to Isra’, he ﷺ stopped when reaching Madinah and prayed 2 Rak’aat. Then in Baytu l-Maqdis and many places. One of them is in Gaza, he ﷺ prayed 2 Rak’aat. After that, he ﷺ went to Qudus and from there to Mi’raj. These people have a special gift to be Imam. Millions and billions of people follow Imam Shafi’i from his time until now. So they have a special thing. After seven years, when he began to read, he went to the desert to read and speak Arabic, very pure Arabic. He stayed there for two years. He was learning very well about the tongue of Arabs. The Arabic language is the most big (vast) in vocabulary and everything. It is a very important and blessed language. He learnt many things from them. It is important for people to learn everything, as much as they can. And he had this ability and chance to be with them to know about old stories also, old things, old customs. After this, he came back. And after that, they left to Baghdad. For that, he was also a brilliant student for ‘Ulama. He learnt by heart the book of Muwatta’, this is a book of Fiqh written by Imam Malik. In seven days, he learnt it by heart.

This was in the time of Khalifah Hārūn ar-Rashīd. There was the Byzantine Emperor who doesn’t fight with Muslims. They used to give them Jizyah/tax every year. For non-Muslims, when they want to make war, they offer them even to be in agreement to pay for Muslims every year a tax and it will be okay for them. No war between them (and pay tax), or there will be war, or accepting Islam; three conditions. Non-Muslims who live in a Muslim country pay this. And when they pay this, they have more rights than Muslims. Everything of theirs must be protected, and nobody touches them. They can do their worship as they like. For this, some people with bad intentions say, “Look, Muslims want money.” But what is really happening, in non-Muslim countries they take more than half of the salary as tax. But in the time of Islamic [ruling], they take a very few thing just to be protected. So for this, this Emperor of Byzantine - Of course many people also don’t know about history, many people don’t know what is Byzantine and what is that; I think that is wrong. This Emperor said, “I will send for you scholars from Christian monks and other, and they will debate with your ‘Ulama. If we win, we will not give this tax for you anymore. If you win, we will continue to pay.” He sent 400 from his monks, scholars and philosophers. He sent them 400 like an army. They thought they will finish the Aqeedah (creed) to Muslimin and they will win. The Khalifah and ‘Ulama came to the river called Dijlah (Tigris). In Baghdad there’s this river called Dijlah. They all went there and the Khalifah asked from Imam Shafi’i saying, “You go.” Imam Shafi’i had this Sajjadah (carpet) that he put on his shoulder. He put this Sajjadah on the water and walked on the river. He said, “Whoever wants to speak, come. We speak here.” When the people saw this, they all became Muslim.

These Imams, all of them are connected and their way is the way of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam a strong way, going until Qiyamah. Everything by the wisdom of Allah ﷻ was kept by Ahlu s-Sunnah wal Jama’ah and the four Madhhab. There was many Madhahib of course. But when there were no followers left, by the wisdom of Allah ﷻ, He ﷻ kept only four Madhhab to follow any of them which is suitable for the place of people, or attribute of people, or customs of people. Any of those they like, they can follow from these four.

As we said, they have not only Shari’ah. Shari’ah and Tariqah are the same. They have Tariqah and Shari’ah. Shaytan wants to separate it, to be more easy for him to destroy. If one soldier has two guns it’s better? Or with one gun it’s better? This is our weapon; this is our Iman’s weapon. To protect ourselves from shaytan, we need this weapon as much as we can. So when we left one, we became weaker. Whoever is saying that this is not from Islam, don’t listen to them. This is from the heart of Islam. From the Sahabah until now, all of this is together. All of them were full of love for Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. The love of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is the essence of Tariqah. Who can say that the Sahabah are out of the way of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam? Tariqul Mustaqeem, the Straight Way. Tariqah, Jalan (way in Malay) all mean we are in the same way, same Tareeq, same Istiqamah, holding this way of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. May Allah ﷻ keep us in this way to be Hidayah for more people insha’Allah.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 23 October 2023/ 08 Rabih Al-Akhir 1445 Zawiyah Brawijaya – Jakarta, Indonesia