The Conquest of Istanbul

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.

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

(Qur’ān 61:13). ‘Naşrun Mina Allāhi Wa Fatĥun Qarībun Wa Bash-shiri lMu'uminīn’, ‘victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.’ Sadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

This is the good tidings of victory written on the holy flag of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. Shukr to Allah ﷻ, today is the day of conquest of Istanbul according to Gregorian calendar. It has been 571 years. The municipality has written it everywhere. We didn’t know exactly how much it was. Luckily, they have counted it and put it out.

For 571 years, Istanbul has been the capital under the flag of Islam, it has been the main city of Islam. This blessed city is the city that our Holy Prophet ﷺ had given good tidings about its conquest. It is a holy place. It is counted as the center of the world. It is the head of the Islamic world. Shaytan and his soldiers try various things in order to take it out of Islam. However, with the permission of Allah ﷻ, the holy trusts are here, and the holy Shahids are here.

They may strive as much as they want, shaytan is weak. He is weak in front of Allah ﷻ. With the permission of Allah ﷻ, this city will become the capital of Islam again in the time of Mahdi ‘alayhi s-salam. Therefore, things that are apparent now are not important. What’s important is the spiritual power. That is what’s important. The apparent things will be cleaned and gone. Nothing will remain from them. Everything has its time. There is a time for everything.

Shukr to Allah ﷻ, the city has been through a lot. Yet, it is still the main fortress of Islam, Shukr to Allah ﷻ. It deserves the praise of our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. Therefore, no matter how many useless things there are in it, that is not important.

What’s important is the spiritual side, as we said. The world had changed with the conquest of Istanbul. Everything in this world had changed. Oppression was gone. And light came instead of oppression. Shukr to Allah ﷻ, this light will be everlasting insha’Allah.

May Allah ﷻ be pleased with those who conquered it, with Shahids, Awliya’, Ulama, with all those who had served Islam. May Allah ﷻ be pleased with all of them. And may paradise be their abode. May Allah ﷻ be pleased with Shahids and Sayyidina Abu Ayyub alAnsari, Sahabahs and Awliya’ who had come here since the time of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. May their Himmah (support) be present upon us. May their Himmah be perpetual upon us insha’Allah. We cannot do what they did. But our intention is to serve for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ. May Allah ﷻ accept it insha’Allah.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 29 May 2024/ 21 Dhul Qa’dah 1445 Fajr Prayer, Akbaba Dergah