Be Thankful and Hardworking

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. , “Wa-idhā an‘amnā ‘alá l-insāni a‘raḍa wa-na’ā bi-jānibihī wa-idhā massahu sh-sharu kāna yaūsan”, “And when We bestow favor upon the disbeliever, he turns away and distances himself; and when evil touches him, he is ever despairing.” (17:83). Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘aẓīm. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is saying when mankind has goodness, they become ungrateful. They stay away from people who did goodness to them and don't come near them. They don’t thank them. And when they are harmed, they become helpless and hopeless. The reason of their hopelessness is because of their ungratefulness, as that help doesn't last. When they are ungrateful, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla knows everything. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla sees everything. Therefore, unless they repent for that thing, they will be punished. Their punishment will come both here and hereafter. But people who are not with Allāh ﷻ in this world are always in a hopeless state. At the slightest event, they lose all their hope, and their dreams are gone. They start thinking badly, because these people haven't done goodness.

This applies to all of us. As much as you strive to do good for your ego, don't expect any gratitude from it. Therefore, you must always keep it busy on the way of Allāh ﷻ, on the way of livelihood, by studying or worshipping. There must always be engagement in something. Free people are under the command of shayṭān and their ego. There is nothing to do for them. So their time is immediately filled.

The whole world is in a similar situation. They would say they had a lot of time in old times. Nowadays, even if there is free time, people are enslaved by these tools and machines; they deal with things that are not clear. They are not on the way of Allāh ﷻ. Those are the things disliked by Allāh ﷻ. And we are filling

our time with that. We must fill our time with the dhikr of Allāh ﷻ, by contemplating and worshipping Allāh ﷻ. Even if you didn’t worship, you must make shukr for the things Allāh ﷻ gave you and thank Allāh ﷻ. Whatever Allāh ﷻ has given, it is our duty to make shukr and praise Him ﷻ.

Therefore, when the ego is free, it brings harm. You must not leave it free. You must always keep it busy by doing goodness and by teaching goodness. You must go to work and deal with work. We are working now. They say it is worldly then. No, it is not worldly. If you do it for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ, Allāh ﷻ will reward you for it. It will be as if you perform worship. Because you spend your time for livelihood and for earning ḥalal rizq. It has benefit from all aspects. It has both physical and spiritual benefit which is more important.

Therefore, being free and lazy, indolence and laziness are from the attributes of shayṭān. Not the attribute of shayṭān, but rather the attribute of those who follow shayṭān. He advises them not to work as others will benefit from it. "Why are you working? Why are you tiring yourself? Rest. Go for a vacation. Go here and there. Make sure to entertain yourself. That is your profit." They say, "How many times do we come to this world?" If you came once, you'll come for the second time. They can't comprehend that, or they don't accept it. But that is true. When that happens, those who wasted their time will regret it. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

As we said, laziness is not the attribute of the Prophets, ṣaḥābah or awliyā. Not at all. They were not ever lazy. Prophets always used to strive to show guidance to their people without rest. They worshipped, met with people and helped people. Therefore, may Allāh ﷻ give us from their attributes in shā’a Llāh. May laziness be lifted from us. May indolence be lifted from us, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 04 July 2024/ 28 Dhul Hijjah 1445 Lefke, Cyprus