Be Polite with People

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.

Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says leading a person to guidance is better than this world. It is more precious for the person. And to honor the guests is from the principles of Prophets and Awliyā’. People who walk in their steps must follow them. And our ṭarīqah, the Naqshbandī ṭarīqah conforms to these principles the most. Of course, may Allāh ﷻ be pleased with other ṭarīqahs as well. People learn all these beautiful manners in ṭarīqahs. They learn adab, good manners, and everything good in ṭarīqahs. It may seem like they learn outside of ṭarīqah. But as the ego overcomes them there, eventually they break out. No benefit comes to them, and it doesn't last.

As we said, ṭarīqah is the place of adab. It is the source of adab. And as we said, we must keep adab. People who say they are in ṭarīqah must keep this before all, especially people who are in dergah. People who join ṭarīqah from outside as well, as soon as they enter from the door of the dergah, they must pay more attention to such matters. It is very important, because people who come to this door come by fighting against not a hundred, not a thousand, but a hundred thousand shayṭans. Because shayṭāns strive to prevent them from benefitting from this thing and from joining this way.

They come to this door with difficulty. And then stupid people from the dergah who say they are in ṭarīqah do something or face them unpleasantly. People who don't know the adab of ṭarīqah and adab of Islām are sent by Allāh ﷻ to join this way. And when they see such a bad treatment, or when they see something unpleasant when they come here they run away. What happens here? You miss so much virtue then. And you may carry the punishment for it. Therefore, serving in a dergah, being in a dergah, being in ṭarīqah is not an easy thing. As much as it is not easy, as much as it is precious. It is virtuous. It is good.

We hear about many people. We even witnessed it yesterday. There was an incident where someone standing next to us was pulled by his hand that he nearly fell. That happened in front of us. Allāh ﷻ knows what is happening behind our backs. We get upset with such things. This is wrong. Those in ṭarīqah must not do so. If someone goes somewhere by mistake, you can warn him nicely by saying, “It is not here. It is there.” Also, there’s no need to interfere in things that don't concern you. The man was standing next to us with adab. Whoever it is: a foreigner or so.

We must pay attention to this. We accept 100,000 wrongs to be done to us, rather than us doing someone wrong. This is important. We must be careful about this. It is necessary to do goodness and to meet those who come nicely. It suits us. It suits the people in ṭarīqah and it is necessary for them. But if you are going to interfere with everyone, go and work somewhere else. Work somewhere they need you to tell everyone to do this and that. These people came with their hearts. They came by their hearts. Allāh ﷻ opened their hearts, and they came here. If you oppose them and make them run away, as we said, you will both be deprived from thawāb and there will be a sin for you.

Perhaps, someone has come with repentance. When they see this, they may think “Is this Islām? Is this ṭarīqah?” The shayṭān is already making huge things out of tiny things everywhere. He is striving in different ways to lead people away. And you are helping him in that. This is something mashāyikh don't like. Mawlānā Shaykh Nāẓim’s Tasarruf (free disposal) is still present. He is calling and bringing people from so many places. What are you doing in return for what he does? You are pushing people away. You are treating people badly. That is wrong. What must be done is to honor them.

Everyone has his place. Every guest has a place to sit. You must show it. “You should come here. Come this time, or that hour. He will be here at this time, and you may talk to him. This time is not good.” Some people don't know, of course. Our principle is that we don't accept people late at night. And it is possible to say this nicely. You must not say this by shouting and getting angry. You may say, “If you come at this time, there is ṣuḥbah. And you may see him at this time.” It is not difficult to talk with goodness. Goodness brings goodness. And badness brings you distress. May Allāh ﷻ protect us from the evil of our egos.

As we said, you must tell everything you know. You must tell what is required from you. And you must not interfere in what is unnecessary to you. They say, “Li-külli makâmin makâl; wa li-külli ormanın çakal”, “For every context a saying, and for every forest a jackal.” This is the last thing for you. There is a saying for every sitting. And there is a jackal for every forest. May Allāh ﷻ not make us from the jackals.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 05 February 2024/ 25 Rajab 1445 Lefke, Cyprus