Catch Akhirah

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.

Madad Ya Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari. Madad.

May Allah ﷻ make our assembly of goodness. The holy month of Muharram has come again. Muharram comes first among the holy months of the year. It is the last month of Ash’huru l-Hurum, the last of the four sacred months. But it is the beginning of our Hijri year. These are blessed days. Their virtues and secrets are great in the sight of Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. There is goodness and Barakah for the Ummah.

This world has its lifetime like everyone has. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, “We created the sun and the moon so that you know your calculations, years and months.” Their wisdom is for people. The wisdom of time is necessary. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla has given a lifetime for everyone. Everyone’s life passes by days, nights, months and years. No one will remain in this world. The Everlasting is Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla.

Masha’Allah there are millions of our ancestors living… lying next to us. They had lived and now are going to the real life. There are millions of people lying in these holy graves as neighbors to Sayyidina Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. All of them lived and had been children. They were young and then got old. Some of them got old and some passed away before getting old. All of them are in the presence of Allah ﷻ now.

We are travellers in the same way. We are passengers in this world. We were once performing the Seferi prayer (Qasr Prayer during Travel). One of our brothers performed Seferi prayer with us, whereas he had to pray four Rakat. We said, “You are not a traveller.” He said, “No, I am a traveller too. We are not staying in this world, we are travellers in it. We are on a journey. Therefore, I did it like this.” That is the truth from one perspective. This world doesn’t stop. Even if you stop, it

doesn’t. Don’t try to catch this world. Who wants to catch this world will be cheated. If you want to catch, catch the Akhirah. This world can’t be caught. You can catch Akhirah in this world.

How can we catch Akhirah? By being the Ummah of our Holy Prophet ﷺ, by loving and following him ﷺ, by doing what he ﷺ did as much as we can. Our life will pass well, and our Akhirah will be even better then. This is what’s important. People don’t know this. Therefore, they are running after other things. They are running in pursuit of Dunya. They are not running in pursuit of Akhirah. You can also win the Akhirah. Who wins the Akhirah together with Dunya is much better. But who wins Dunya and forgets about Akhirah doesn’t win anything. He will have nothing when he leaves this world. What will remain is probably a beautiful grave. If you are rich and give millions, they can make you a beautiful grave. But that is not a profit but a burden on you.

Pay attention to perform the five prayers for your Akhirah. Don’t miss their times. If you missed them, make them up. You lose a lot when you miss a prayer and make it up as Qada’. But at least, you will be saved from its responsibility in Akhirah. And if you don’t do that, you will have worked for this world then. Your worldly work is useless, and your Akhirah won’t be good.

Great people, great Awliya’ always ordered praying. They used to always tell people who came and left to pray. Especially, our Shaykh Mawlana Shaykh Nazim used to ask people who came, “Do you pray?” “No, I don’t.” “If you don’t, start by praying two Rakat at least, if you don’t know. Start praying,” he used to say. Many people usually said, “I am Allah’s ﷻ servant. But I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I know neither Fatihah, nor Ikhlas, nor other Ayat. I know nothing. How can I do it?” “Just as we do it. Make Takbir, stand behind us and repeat after us. When you are alone, make Takbir, and as you don’t know anything, do it with BismiLlah until you learn.” He used to say, “You will get used to it slowly." When they said, “I find it difficult,” Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said, “You wash your face and hands anyway. If you wash your feet as well, you will have made ablution.” He told to make sure to pray two Rakat any time of the day. Oftentimes, people start bargaining if they will do it or not, whereas they could go to useless places and tire themselves all day. But when it came to praying, they didn’t do it.

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim has a beautiful saying. “Whoever doesn’t pray, his Dua is not accepted. Even if Awliya’ makes Dua for you, even that is not accepted”, said Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, our Father. Even if a seven-headed Awliya’, such a strong Awliya’ makes Dua for someone who doesn’t pray, it is not accepted.

Therefore, we always ask those who come for Dua about their prayers. They say, “Our work is not going well. Our work is bad. We can’t get better.” Do you pray? “No.” Pray two Rakat so that your work and everything goes well and you have benefit. The biggest benefit is in those two Rakat. It is more beneficial than the Dua you get. Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla has wished you goodness and sent you to Hojjah or Shaykh to get Dua. With that means, many people have started praying. They got the biggest gift, the most precious gift they’ve ever received in their lives by starting to pray, by joining the way of Allah ﷻ.

Many people don’t know anything, as we said. They were not taught. Neither their parents taught them, nor did they learn themselves. With this means, Allah ﷻ created a reason to ask for Dua. With that Dua, both their Dunya and Akhirah became prosperous. As we said, life is empty otherwise. It has nothing. Many people are ignorant. Even though they are educated and graduated from universities, they are ignorant and unaware of anything. They say they know everything happening in the world. But they know nothing about why they were created and why Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla sent them to this world. When something happens, they say, “Forget about it! How many times will we come to this world? Let’s try our luck and enjoy ourselves.” They don’t even enjoy what they do. They will carry its punishment in this life and in Akhirah as well. May Allah ﷻ give guidance to people. May Allah ﷻ give mind to people so that they think.

Today is Sunday. Another Sunday will be here in the blink of an eye. Another Sunday more, and then another year. Another year has come already. What did I do for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ this year? Shukr to Allah ﷻ, we are in Tariqah for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ. We love Allah ﷻ. We love our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam; whom we love the most. We love our Holy Prophet ﷺ more than our souls. We love Muslims. We make Hajj, give Zakah and Fitrah and everything from what Allah ﷻ gives us. You must say, “Shukr to Allah ﷻ this year passed like this.” When you make Shukr, next year will be the same. And the year after that will be the same. It will go on the same on the way of Allah ﷻ for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ.

We didn’t carry stones on our shoulders and heads. We lived normally like everyone else. We didn’t lack anything but have more, Shukr to Allah ﷻ. We must make Shukr that He ﷻ gave us this beautiful favor, the biggest favor. A year is over, it is not over for nothing. Has life passed? It has. As long as there is the pleasure of Allah ﷻ, you cannot stop it. You should make evaluation of this year for your benefit. How did I do this year? Shukr to Allah ﷻ. We spent this year with Iman and

Islam, with Mashayikh and Hojjas, with Dhikr and various goodness we could do. Did we do that? We did, Shukr to Allah ﷻ. Make Shukr to Allah ﷻ and make Du’a so that Allah ﷻ gives the same to your children. This is what life is.

Some people do foolish things saying that is life. That is not life. Four-legged animals do that too. Everyone can do the same. But people who have reached this favor are in the minority. No matter how many Muslims there are everywhere, people who are on the way of Allah ﷻ for the pleasure of Allah ﷻ and who know Allah ﷻ are not many. They are the minority. But Allah ﷻ will give Barakah for their Barakah. He ﷻ will give favors to people.

Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla is the most generous of the generous. Allah ‘Azza waJalla is also the most patient of the patient. “Why is He ﷻ patient?”, says our Holy Prophet ﷺ. He ﷻ is giving Rizq to those who don’t believe in Allah ﷻ as well. He ﷻ is giving them food and water, work and housing. He ﷻ is giving everything. Also to the people who don’t know Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla and make Shirk to Allah ﷻ. Therefore, Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla is the most patient. No one has that much patience. No matter how much you [tolerate] those who do badness to you, it doesn’t come from you to do goodness to them. Shukr to Allah ﷻ, He ﷻ gave you these favors. You being on this way is the great favor, as we said.

These holy ones came from this way. They lived with scholars, Hojjas, Shaykhs and Sultans. All of them lived and passed to Akhirah on the way of Allah ﷻ. Clever people must see this. They must believe in this and make Shukr. Shukr to Allah ﷻ, may this year pass like this and next year as well. May we be on the way of Allah ﷻ insha’Allah.

We are living in a difficult time. It is the time of the most Fitnah. Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says, the Fitnah of the end of times is like darkness of nights. It is the time of darkness. But for Mu’mins, it is a profitable time. Allah ﷻ will give its rewards in several fold compared to other times, as we are living in the end of times. That is the beautiful favor of Allah ﷻ. Our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says about the Ummah of the end of times, “They are my beloved ones.” Therefore, we must make Shukr for that as well. We are the beloved ones of our Holy Prophet ﷺ on this way. “You are my companions,” he ﷺ said to the Sahabah, “My beloved ones are those in the end of times. As they love me without seeing me, I love them.”

We are living in the end of times now. Insha’Allah the future belongs to Islam. This darkness will be gone in the future, and there will be light insha’Allah. Insha’Allah we hope the appearance of Mahdi ‘alayhi s-salam is near. May we all reach those beautiful days insha’Allah.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 28 July 2024/ 22 Muharram 1446 Eyup Sultan Dergah, Istanbul