In the Holy Quran, Allah (swt) tells us:
“And persist in the company of those who call upon their Lord morning and evening seeking his Countenance and do not turn your eyes away from them desiring the attractions of the life of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made to neglect Our dhikr, who follows his own whims and desires and whose affairs (deeds) have gone beyond bounds.” (18:28)
Pictures from the Prayer Vigil event at the University of Maryland are up!
(Enjoy)
To view the entire album, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8845561@N07/sets/72157619382474073/
Biz Osmanliyiz!
Pek Sanliyiz!
Juma Khutba delivered by Sheykh Abdul Kerim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi
Friday 27 Jumad al-Awwal, 1430
May 22, 2009
Osmanli Naksibendi Hakkani Dergahi, Siddiki Center, New York.
Auzu billahi min-ash sheytanir rajim
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Medet Ya Seyyidi Sultanul Awliya, Medet.
Alhamdulillah, astaghfirullah. Astaghfirullah wa shukr Allah. The duty of a believer is to hear and to obey. That’s the duty of the servant, believer. To hear who? To hear Allah. To hear the orders that Allah is giving to us and to live according to those orders. How are we hearing Allah? Allah is speaking to His Prophet (sws). His Prophet (sws) is teaching the Sahaba-e Kiram. The Sahaba-e Kiram is teaching the people who are coming after, step by step coming down. That’s why Allah subhana wa ta’ala is saying, `Obey Allah, obey His Prophet (sws) and obey your rightly guided leaders.’
`Eh, what will happen if we don’t obey?’
You obey, definitely. You still obey. But you are not obeying Allah and His Prophet (sws) or the righteous people. You are obeying Sheytan, you are obeying your ego who is partner with Sheytan. Never coming out from trouble then. Always going to be in trouble, in Dunya and Akhirat. Later don’t say, `Why this happened to me? What I did wrong?’ This is another sickness of the 21st Century people.
`What I did wrong? Why is this happening to me?’
Ask yourself, question yourself, calculate yourself, put the accounting right in front of you to see, are you living for Allah or you are living for your ego. If you are living for Allah then you must be busy with Allah and His Prophet (sws). If you are not living for Allah then everything else is going to come. You are going to be busy with everything else except Allah’s order and His Prophet’s (sws) order.
And Allah subhana wa ta’ala is saying to us, `If you are a believer, if you believe and you will be a thankful servant, why Allah has to punish you?’ That’s the Ayat. Allah is questioning us, saying to us, `If you are a believer, if you believe in Allah, and you will be a thankful servant to Allah, why you think that Allah has to punish you?’ Hmm. Are you comfortable with that? When you hear that Ayat are you comfortable to say, `Alhamdulillah, I have no problem with You Ya Rabbi. Shukr Ya Rabbi.’ Are you sincerely saying that? If you are not saying it then you must be on the other side. Rush quickly to turn to this side. Move fast. Leave everything to turn to this side. Otherwise, when the rope is cut you are going to stand on the wrong side. And when you are staying on the wrong side then you are going to stay with the wrong ones. You are not going to be with Ahl-e Haqq. You can call yourself now `Hakkani’ but you are not going to be Hakkani then. You are not defending the truth in reality in your own self.
So, days are passing, weeks are passing, years are passing. No matter what happens, the world and everything in it is running to their end. And Allah subhana wa ta’ala created man in Ahsani Taqweem, the most perfect one, the most perfect creature and He is saying to us that He has created everything for the service of man. And He has created man for His service. Check yourself. Look at it. Look at yourself what you are busy with. You will understand then if you are in the service of Allah or you are in the service of Sheytan. If you are not in the service of Allah then you are in the service of Sheytan.
BismillahirRahmanirRahim. Auzu billahi min-ash sheytanir rajim. BismillahirRahmanirRahim. You must say, you must live according to this. You must ask shelter to run away from Sheytan to Rahman. You must ask help from Allah and Allah subhana wa ta’ala is saying to us, `You are asking help? Definitely My help is reaching to you.’ But asking help through the tongue and your heart is busy with something else, that is not asking help. That is hypocrisy. So you will be counted from the hypocrites and the hypocrites are in the worst situation. Hypocrites are lower than the unbelievers on the Judgment Day.
So get rid of the hypocrisy from yourself, from your heart. If you are saying, `I don’t have anything’, check yourself again. Check one more time and look, that Ayat that we have just read, it gives satisfaction as soon as you hear? As soon as you hear that Allah subhana wa ta’ala is saying, `If you are a believer, you are a servant. And the servant is a thankful one. The servant who is believing in Me and he is being thankful to Me, why would that one have to be worrying? He shouldn’t be worrying in Dunya and Akhirat.’ Whatever happens in Dunya he shouldn’t be worrying. The worry must pass away because you know that you are not in control. Allah is. `If Allah likes me here now, I am here. Tomorrow He moves me from here to there, I will be there.’ Submission. You are submitting yourself to Allah and His Prophet (sws), and your rightly guided righteous ones. If you are not doing that then you have submitted yourself to your ego. You may say, `I have submitted to a Sheykh’ and you are doing other than what the Sheykh is saying to you, you submit yourself to your ego. And you will stay with your ego.
As we said, danger is everywhere. The signs that the Holy Prophet (sws) said, the signs of the last days are everywhere. The signs of danger is everywhere. But the 21st Century people are heedless and headless. With so much education, so ignorant. Never the world has seen such a thing like this before. We must wake up before the last call. We must take our side. Side with Haqq, not with Batil. You cannot be having Haqq and Batil in the same heart. Impossible. You cannot be working in the morning time for the CIA and in the evening time for KGB. You cannot be working for Allah and Sheytan together. Impossible. You must get rid of it. And advice to you, get rid of the Sheytan. Get rid of it. Control your ego. Step on it. Don’t think that you are the only creature that has been created. Billions came before us, billions are living now, and who knows how many billions more coming. You are just one from that. Sit and understand that, `Yes, I have no value except as much faith I have to Allah and His Prophet (sws). And as much faith I have, that much I must run, that much I must run to keep my faith higher and stronger.’
If we do that then we will become the winner. These words are for you and for me.
Wa min Allahu tawfiq
Bihurmatil Habib
Bihurmatil Fatiha.
No-one can eat the provision of the other. No-one can die without finishing his provision. Your children come with their own provision, they do not come and start taking yours. This is a big misunderstanding. Allah the Almighty tells His servants not to worry about their provision. He tells us that He is providing for us daily. “I am not asking you to give me tomorrow’s prayer today, but you want to have tomorrow’s provision today! Or the provision of a week, a month, a year or a lifetime!” Why don’t you ask cats and dogs how they survive? Do they have a trade, a garden or fields? Are they hunting? Do they do any work? Do they have shops, or businesses? Nothing, they have nothing! You are not surprised that they survive? So why do you ask me? If anyone starts doubting their provision, it means that they are doubting Allah’s capacity of providing for everyone.
There are 100 people here. All of them have been sent by Him. He has organized for their provision to be here. Everyone takes their own share. Muhammad (S) used to say that a meal which has been prepared for 2 people is enough for 4 people. A meal for 4 will be enough for 8. If you prepare for 10 you will have enough for 20. Allah gives more barakat the more people come. A host must never be ashamed thinking that he cannot give enough to his guests. It is true that he cannot, but Allah can reach out to all his servants.
Pure Hearts
Sheikh Nazim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi
Sohbet given by Sheykh Abdul Kerim el-Hakkani el-Kibrisi
Tuesday 2 Shawwal, 1427 / October 24, 2006
Osmanli Naks-i’bendi Hakkani Dergah, Siddiki Center, New York.
Medet Ya Seyyidi Ya Sultanul Awliya, Medet.
An incident happened. It just fits to you and to me to understand the
story of a man who was still in the way of Allah and who was keeping
the orders one hundred percent. Only one thing he did.
LAST DAYS OF THE CALIPHATE
In the time of Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan (Jannat Mekat), during the last
days when there was confusion everywhere and Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan
is almost alone. He doesn’t have too many helpers around. So many helpers
became betrayers and he cannot trust them. And among some of them whom
he was trusting there was one general in the army, high level general.
Mehmet Aqif Ersoy is saying, he is giving the story how it happened.
He said that after the Sultan passed from this world, Khilafat was
removed and curse started coming down on mankind. When the Khilafat is
removed then curse is coming anyway. You don’t need to hear it for
yourself. Non-stop curse is coming down to mankind saying, “You are
the ones who removed the Khalifah.” And curse is coming down. From
that time until now. That’s why we are not accepting their system,
their democracy-hypocrisy system. Anyone who is accepting that, it’s
showing that they don’t want the Khalifah, they don’t want that
ruling. That’s why they are praising democracy. The Khilafat, that’s
what Allah wants.
THE OLD MAN IN SULTAN AHMED MOSQUE
So Mehmet Aqif Ersoy is saying, “Every morning I go to Sultan Ahmet
Mesjid, mosque, Jamii. I go early in the morning and next to the
Mihrab I see an old man. His hair and his beard is complete white,
snow-white. He is continuously crying. Anytime I am going I finding
that man crying. From the outside I am seeing that he is the first one
in the mesjid. But he is continuously sitting, making tesbih and
crying. One day I came near him and I said to him, “Oh holy one, why
are you crying so much? Are you cutting yourself from the mercy of
Allah? Is that why you are crying? The mercy of Allah is coming.” He
(also) said, “Oh, you are looking at outside and what they did (by
removing the Khilafat.). What a foolish thing they did. That’s why you
are crying.”
He (the old man) said to him, “Don’t make me speak. My heart will
stop.” He said, “Please Speak. Say.” He said, “I will tell you.” He
said, “I was a high general in Sultan Abdul Hamid’s (Jannat Mekan)
time. My parents passed away. In the area of Izmir we had so much land
and farm. So I sent my resignation letter to the Sultan asking for him
to acquit me from the army. And Sultan right away send me the message
back saying, “No, we cannot afford to send you away anywhere now.
There is a big problem waiting for us and I need a couple of people
like you. So I will not approve what you are asking.” He said, “I was
sad. But we had so much work to do. One day I needed to go to Istanbul
and I said to myself, `Now that I am here, let me go to visit the
Sultan.’” He said, “Because I had a big authority, I could just go and
visit him.” The Sultan’s door at that time was open early in the
morning for everybody. Not even the Mayor open the door today for
people. The door of the Ottoman Sultan was open. People were coming
and complaining, asking and saying. This was in the worst time.
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SULTAN
So he said, “I came to the Sultan. He was sitting on his table. He
looked at me and he put his head down. He was not looking at me
anymore.” He said, `Your Majesty, I sent you a letter’, and instantly
he said to me very strongly, `I sent you the answer back.’ He said,
`Yes, that’s why I am here now to ask you because this is the excuse I
have.’ The Sultan was shaking his head. He was not looking at me and I
asked to be released again. So he just raised his head, looked at me
so strongly and said, `So what can I do?’ He said to me, `What can I
do? You are asking so much? Go away.’ He released him. Finished. The
Sultan just waved his hand like that. In our tradition, if someone
speaks to you and says, “Okay, go”, it means, “I am not happy with you
anymore”, and they move the back of their hand to you. When they say,
“Go with blessings”, it’s like this, with the palm of the hand towards
you. But when it’s with the back of the hand, in proper manner it
means, “Get lost.” He said, “That action just finished me. But what
can I do? I cannot take that back anymore too, and I came.”
HOLY PROPHET (SWS) INSPECTING THE OTTOMAN ARMY
“Very short time later, so many incidents happened that I understood
why Sultan didn’t want me to be released.” He said, “But one night I
saw a dream. In the dream I saw the Ottoman Army. They were all in
straight lines. All generals were in front of the army and Sultan
Abdul Hamid Khan came and he was saluting them. And the Prophet (sws)
was standing in front of him and he (the Sultan) was saying, “Ya
Rasulullah, the army of Islam is ready. As you like. Give order. We do
as you like.” He (the old man) said, “Everyone was seeing the Prophet
(sws) except me. When I was looking from far I was seeing the Prophet
(sws) like a moon, shining. But I couldn’t see the Prophets (sws). But
the Sultan and all the army were seeing the Prophet (sws).”
“And Prophet (sws) looked at the army from the beginning and he came
to the end and the battalion, the group at the end was supposed to be
under my authority. But I wasn’t there. So all the soldiers were very
sloppy. They were not in order. The Prophet (sws) looked at the Sultan
very strongly and said to the Sultan, `Ya Sultan! Where is the general
of that group of people?” And the Sultan put his head down saying, “Ya
Rasulullah, that one wanted early retirement. I didn’t want to send
him to early retirement but he asked several times. So I couldn’t say
`no’ to him anymore. So I sent him to retirement. I sent him away.”
The Prophet (sws) looked at him and said, “Ya Sultan! The one that you
send away, we are also sending away from our association.”
He said, “After that day, I never slept at night. I am crying non-stop
but I am not seeing any dreams. After that day I left everything. I
left all the belongings to the people. Allah is sending my sustenance
but I lost. I didn’t see the Prophet (sws) and after that I have never
seen any good dreams anymore.”
ALLAH IS NEVER SECOND
This is not a joke. This is real. Real-real, if you understand what
that means you will cry a lot then. If you don’t understand then you
are a donkey. What can we do? The way you live, that’s how you will
die. The way you will die, that’s how you will be raised. This is
hadis-e sharif. If you keep Allah priority then Allah keeps you
priority. If you keep Allah second class then you just finished
yourself. Allah is never second. If the whole world says, “We keep
Allah second”, Allah is not second. Allah is first. It is a blessing
for man just to understand (the favor of) Allah’s granting permission
to man to praise Allah. As Sheykh Mevlana is saying, “Live for Allah.
Live for Allah and die for Allah.” It is a blessing to you. And Allah
is asking then, “What does My servant want? Give it to him.” And when
you say, “Ya Rabbi, I want, I want”, He says, “Whatever you want. When
you are in My service I give you everything. You say that you love me,
I love you and I am yours too. I am in your service.” Allah is in our
service. What service do we give to Allah? What do we do, huh? Just
getting up and going up and down. Is that the service we give to
Allah? Does that fit to His Majesty?
He gives everything to us and we cannot give anything back. The only
thing is just to keep His orders, to try to keep His orders. Then you
are honoring yourself. Allah is granting you more honor all the time.
Anyone who leaves Allah, who runs away from Allah, they are losing
their honor in Dunya and they are losing their honor in Akhirat. This
much is enough for you and for me. No? Also for me, and for you, and
for `X’. Are you sleeping `X’? Or did he leave? Do you get it now?
Hmm. Anybody who takes it, takes it to themselves too. Anybody who is
saying, “This sohbet does not include me”, it’s okay. You don’t have
to say IT. Just keep it inside to yourself. Look what happens.
THE RETIRED GENERAL OF TURKEY
Priority is Allah. If you are not living for Allah then Allah is
saying to us, “If you are not opening your hand to ask from Me, what
is your value?” Understanding? He says, “What is your value?” Value of
a donkey or a horse, or an animal? No. He is saying, “No. Not even
that because that animal is valuable. You, those who are not keeping
Allah priority have no value in Dunya and Akhirat. You can give them
as much titles as you want. It’s only temporary.” They are saying,
“Retired. Take that name from the table, take out the uniform, go home
and wait to die.” Retired. That’s what it means. So all titles are gone.
Yesterday there was a General in Turkey, the General of the whole
army, the head master. The man had all power in his hand. Last month
he was the General. This month the uniform is out, everything is out
and he is just a normal person in the streets. Finished. All power is
gone. He cannot even go back to his office anymore, that office which
he was occupying. He could’ve turned the country upside down if he
wanted. He cannot (even) enter to that office (now). Finished. Titles
are gone and everything is gone.
Whatever he did for Allah in that station that’s what he won. If he
did something for Allah then he won. If he didn’t then he lost Dunya
and he lost Akhirat. This one at present now, the same thing will
happen to that one. This one at present in this country, the same
thing will happen to that one. To everywhere. Don’t look at how many
people are saying `mashallah’ and cheering. No. How many days? How
many years? Four years, five years or ten years? Eight years. Not more
than that. Later, go home. After having all that power they cannot sit
home too. Big problem then to them.
So be happy with what Allah has given to you. If you are happy with
Allah then Allah is happy with you. If you are not happy with Allah,
you are not going to bother Allah because you are not happy with
Allah. But if Allah is not happy with you then disaster is waiting.
Wa min Allahu taufiq
Bihurmatil Habib
Bihurmatil Fatiha.
His Imperial Majesty, Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful.
Shaykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi, a direct descendant of the Ottoman Sultans
Biz Osmanliyiz!
—
Taken From: http://hakkani.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/sultan-abdul-hamid-khan-and-the-general/
He said about Allah’s love for His servant, “If Allah loves His servant He will grant three attributes that are the proofs of His Love: generosity like the generosity of the ocean, and favor like the favor of the Sun in its giving of light, and modesty like the modesty of the Earth. The true lover never considers any affliction too great and never decreases his worship because of his pure faith.”
A man asked Bayazid (qs), “Show me a deed by which I will approach my Lord.” He said, “Love the friends of Allah in order that they will love you. Love his saints until they love you. Because Allah looks at the hearts of His saints and He will see your name engraved in the heart of His saints and He will forgive you.” For this reason, the Naqshbandi followers have been elevated by their love for their shaikhs. This love lifts them to a station of continuous pleasure and continuous presence in the heart of their beloved.
Shaykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi
A true friend of Allah.
A brilliant short film on the dynamic relationship between a father and his son.
“Faith before ethnic loyalty”
A related article on the matter: http://muslimvillage.com/story.php?id=705
Shaykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi Effendi – Sohbet – 30 Rabi Awwal 1430 – 3/27/09
Large/full screen versions can be viewed here: http://www.vimeo.com/3910130
