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Fifteen Questions You Should Ask Your Religious Teacher
GOOD BOOKS GOOD PRODUCTIONS
Copyright © 2004 Mawlana Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani, All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information retrieval or transmission system, without the permission in writing from the author or publisher, except as provided below. Single photocopies may be reproduced for personal and educational use only, not for resale. Copies must be provided free of all charges.
First Edition, Ramadan 1425/October 2004 Published and Distributed by
Good Books
1 Diagorou Street Submit answers from your religious teacher to the same fifteen questions and compare them with answers from other religious teachers from around the world. Cover Design: Umar Compiled By: James Mathis McConnell
In the Name of Allah,
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
CONTENTS
Distribution, Publishing, Copyright Notices To Whom Are the Gates of Heaven Open? How Can We Improve Our Spiritual Understanding? Why Did God Reveal His Divine Laws? How Can We Prepare Ourselves in this World for Heaven? Has God Left Man Alone to Uphold the Duties of the Prophets? Why Does God Allow Evil Things to Happen? Do You Think That Religion and Science Can Exist Together? Why Does Mankind Act Inhumanly Towards One Another? Are Animals and Humans on the Same Level? Why is God Revealing Religion to Mankind? What is the Best Way to Draw Closer to God?
INTRODUCTIONThere is a very old and famous saying that many religions, spiritual paths, tribes and cultures claim as their own, stating, “When you are ready, your teacher will come.” Who owns the statement is of little concern; what it really means is of paramount importance. Most of you will not comprehend this statement simply by being told what it means. You must come to understand it through the process of life, which will lead you to a place where you may accept it or reject it for yourself. This process normally entails much heartache and confusion, and many hours of contemplation, before you realize you know nothing, you control nothing, and you are capable of nothing. Then you are ready. Until such time, your ego will never permit you to benefit from a real teacher. Real teachers do exist, but telling you that is of no real account, and you should never accept it or believe it until you find certainty in it for yourself. It is important to continue to search and ask questions until you do find a real teacher, and are certain of that teacher. Too much is at stake not to, and that is what this book and associated website are all about — helping people to find a real teacher, and exposing the frauds along the way. So many people today will claim that they have found a real teacher only to find out later, when their level of understanding has increased, that it was one more in a long line of frauds who are only taking their knowledge from books and their own minds. This has never been divine knowledge, and never will be divine knowledge. Fifteen Questions You Should Ask Your Religious Teacher is a good place to start your journey. The questions presented in this book to this particular religious teacher, Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani, were all asked without any time permitted for preparation or contemplation. We asked the questions before a small public gathering and he answered them immediately and in one sitting. It is important to note that the interviewer and compiler of this book, at the time he presented these questions to Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani, were in search of a teacher for himself. He was determined to continue to ask these very same questions of as many religious teachers as necessary, from whatever faith groups, until satisfied that he had truly found a real teacher whom he could trust.
INVITATIONWhat real prophet or saint would refuse to answer questions that would help people better understand what God expects and to cause us to differentiate further between true teachings and false teachings, true teachers and false teachers? Jesus, son of Mary, came, in part, to challenge the Pharisees and to remind them what the term Pharisee meant, namely “Seeketh God” in the language of Canaan. The term Pharisee was, therefore, used to deride good men, for Canaanites were idolaters. The later Pharisees, however, were men concerned with political power and influence over the masses rather than delivering the true teachings of God. When God sent Jesus, son of Mary, with authorized teachings, they rejected them in order to protect their positions of power and prestige. In short, no person calling himself or herself a religious scholar or teacher would ever refuse to answer questions whose purpose in asking them is to cast light on the confusion created by false teachers. Only the Pharisees amongst us would refuse such an invitation. We invite all readers of this book to present these very same questions to their own religious teachers, leaders and scholars and submit their responses. All properly submitted responses and biographical information will be posted on-line at www.SufiFilms.com/fifteen and made available for public consideration. Authorized religious teachers should not require preparation time or research to answer these questions. Those who do are historians, not authorized religious teachers. Nonetheless, there are no restrictions on how to ask the questions, because it would be impossible to enforce those restrictions. Secondly, we are confident that regardless of the manner in which the questions are answered, the authorized answers will be apparent to us all. Persons who are offering similar responses and who may be only taking what others have already said and presenting it as their own answers will be well advised to consider that a new round of blind questions may be offered in the future, which they will be asked to respond to without the benefit of seeing other scholars’ responses.
DISTRIBUTION, PUBLISHING, COPYRIGHT NOTICESInformation regarding the publishing of supplementary paperback and e-books for other religious teachers may be obtained online at www.SufiFilms.com/fifteen. Certain restrictions may apply. Refer to the publisher’s page for contact details. Permission is hereby granted to make single
photocopies of this publication for the sole purpose of private use
or free distribution. Photocopies or any other form of replication
may not be reproduced for the purpose of resale.
QUESTION ONEWHY DID GOD CREATE MANKIND?Why did God create mankind, is that your question? First, we are saying, “In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” The question you are asking, you must ask God because He is the Creator. If you cannot reach Him, you must ask someone who has reached Him. Only those reaching their Lord may provide you with a truthful answer. Fabricated answers coming from a person’s inner self or unruly ego are not acceptable answers. These answers are only products of their own thinking emerging from their mind’s fanciful ideas. We are not interested in these kinds of answers. Everyone may say something according to his or her own mentality and opinions but we should never accept this line of reasoning. We are seeking something else. There are so many opinions to choose from, all amounting to nothing more than mere conjecture. We are asking for something way beyond what people presume to be true through their own thinking. You must first try to ascertain what the Creator is saying, but if you cannot reach the Creator yourself, you must necessarily ask those enlightened people who have successfully reached their Lord’s divine presence. They are capable of asking Him — they may take answer. QUESTION TWOTO WHOM ARE THE GATES OF HEAVEN OPEN?We understand what you are doing now because now I am in connection with heavenly headquarters. This is not my own thinking or thought process answering you. No. If you have understood the answer to the first question, then you may understand the answer to this question, but I understand now that you are not asking for yourself but for other people who do not understand. We are saying, the doors, gates or entrance for the seven heavens is going to be open for those who have reached their Lord, not for others. Ok? (Prior to this interview, we had never discussed the purpose or intention for asking these questions.) QUESTION THREEHOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING?I am not saying you do not understand, but you are asking this third question also for the benefit of others, who are accustomed to use their own fanciful thinking and conventional thought processes. You will find the answer for this question in the answers already given to the first two questions. People who are asking to reach heavenly positions must look towards those people who have reached to heaven. They know the ways and they have keys for opening. QUESTION FOURDOES GOD EXIST?As evidenced by our own creation, God must exist. Once upon a time, a traveler was walking through the desert. After a while, he reached a nice shaded place to take a rest. While sitting under a tree, he noticed several piles of fresh camel droppings and he said to himself, “Oh, a caravan must have recently passed through here.” Now consider if someone might ask him, “How did you know this?” Of course, the traveler’s only response could be thus: “Because I am looking and seeing for myself — you see there are clear signs from the camels that were left behind.” If a person can understand from the piles of camel droppings that camels exist, how simple-minded a person must be if unable to understand that beyond this vast creation, with all of its countless evidences, there is something creating it? When dealing with such ignorant people, do not tire yourself, leave them — leave them to their own foolish thinking and ridiculous ideas. In the realm of beneficial understanding, these people are on the level of retarded people — you know that condition that some children are born with, Down’s Syndrome, causing them to be mentally impaired. People claiming such foolish things are similar to these people when it comes to real understanding. They lack the capacity to understand. Do not make yourself become tired with such people. No, leave them. We are only addressing those people who have the capacity to understand. We are not speaking to empty headed people. Their heads are like footballs; inside is only air. Anything else? QUESTION FIVEWHY DID GOD REVEAL HIS DIVINE LAWS?To find our way, and enable us to reach to heaven. It is that simple. QUESTION SIXHOW CAN WE PREPARE OURSELVES IN THIS WORLD FOR HEAVEN?As the holy books say, you may prepare. Step by step you may prepare yourself. As with a small child, its father or mother takes the child’s hand and teaches them one step at a time. In the same way, prophets teach how we may reach to the heavens. Then if you have learned the first step well, you may put your foot forward, take a second step, third step and so on without any hindrance for you to reach up higher and higher. Your body will soon become a much stronger and more capable spiritual being. When your spiritual being has taken enough power, it can literally carry your heavy body off the ground, like a jet plane, getting enough power and taking its heavy body up to space. Yes! Anyone who has never witnessed a jet plane flying might say, “Impossible! This is a large hunk of metal with five hundred or more people inside; and you are claiming this plane is going to lift off and fly like a bird?” They would accuse you of being a complete idiot. “How can metal float? How can it fly?” The plane is sitting on the runway, quietly sitting and hearing what the skeptics are saying. It is listening and smiling; and if it could speak, it would be telling everyone to get in and experience for themselves how it gets up, and inviting people to get in or watch from outside. Then the captain enters, presses one button and slowly, slowly the turbines turn and the skeptics are still saying, “What is going to happen?” “Perhaps this giant hunk of metal can move like a car, but still we are never going to believe that it will leave the ground.” After taxi-ing, it finally moves onto the runway, the captain applies full power, and vrrrrrrrrr, off they go. The skeptics all say, “Oh yes, now we believe it can fly.” Yes. For everyone there are limits for understanding according to their individual capabilities and knowledge. One person’s limit is not the same as another’s. Our limits of understanding and knowledge all vary. You must not force a person to believe this or that — leave them with their own beliefs. Once upon a time, Prophet Moses went to Mt. Sinai. Along his way, he met a person that was the best saddle maker in the land. Knowing that Moses was going to meet his Lord, he politely requested that Moses convey his highest greetings and praises to God. He said, “Never am I going to be able to reach God in the way that you do, so please tell Him for me that, if I were to meet Him, I would happily offer to make Him the very best saddle for His horse.” Moses became very angry and replied, “Don’t speak of such things. God is not a man riding on a horse. Don’t say anything like this.” Moses proceeded to Mt. Sinai for his blessed meeting with his Lord. After he had greeted Him, God said, “O Moses, why are you so angry with my servant? I accept him. He is offering Me his highest praises and the most precious thing that he could offer — he is My servant and he graciously would like to make Me the best saddle he can, ***as if he thinks I am a god riding on a horse. I accept this. Why then are you so angry with him? Leave him.” Subhan Allah (Glory be to God) Almighty. Look at the tolerance God shows for His servants. Let me relay to you another short story. At the time of the last Prophet, our Master Muhammad, may God’s peace and blessing be upon him, a person made an oath, which he then broke. As a reprisal for having broken his oath, he was obliged to set free one captive. Conditional on him was that this captive be a maiden and a believer in God. Thus, the Prophet asked her, “Do you believe in God?” “Yes I believe,” responded the maiden. When asked where God is, she pointed up. The Prophet witnessing this concluded that she was a believer in God. The companions of the Prophet objected saying, “No, O Messenger of God, she is pointing up as if indicating that God is occupying a space. How can she be deemed a believer if saying God takes up space?” The Prophet replied, “What she means to indicate is the highness of God and not that God is a being with dimensions. The understanding levels of people vary and the knowledge that we possess through our different levels of understanding are going to be in different limits.” Allah Almighty is showing us through many examples that we need to realize there is always someone who is above us in knowledge and understanding. We must not place limits on our thinking and confine our understanding to the level we have obtained. Leave open the possibility that someone else possesses a higher understanding about matters than we do. There is always someone higher than we are. If not understanding something, do not discount what others may be saying or doing on a different level. Moreover, deal with everyone on his or her own levels of understanding. Allah balances our understanding according to our knowledge and everyone understands and knows on his or her own level. Our levels are never the same. QUESTION SEVENHAS GOD LEFT MAN ALONE TO UPHOLD THE DUTIES OF THE PROPHETS?In our present times, people have reached the top point of being proud. They place no importance on heavenly knowledge. They claim that their earthly knowledge is enough for them. They prefer to guide themselves, while not accepting a guide from heavens. Therefore, God Almighty has chosen to leave them with their own thought processes and their limited understanding. If they humble themselves and sincerely ask about heavenly knowledge, the Lord of heavens will open for them another type of understanding. A much stronger kind of understanding that addresses both their physical and their spiritual being — heavenly knowledge. Unfortunately, people are not able to accept this type of knowledge today. In universities around the world, discussions about God are effectively prohibited. The name of God, the name of our Creator, is rarely mentioned in textbooks. Universities are only teaching and promoting positive knowledge — mostly, the type of knowledge that can be observed. They may take an ant, put it under a microscope and then record that this ant has six legs. We believe only what we see. If you move outside of these limitations, they are saying no. As we are able to record, we accept. Anything more, they disregard. Everything is constrained within the limits of positive knowledge today and it is the biggest mistake for men living in the second millennium. No one is coming to ask about old knowledge that prophets delivered to us. The main points of all knowledge reached derive from these sources. Mankind never possessed any knowledge before heavenly books and knowledge were revealed. No. Heavenly books give the original points of knowledge and may be used for understanding. When they stand up on their own two feet, people proudly say they are not in need of these books. They are people with no minds, who have lost all good sense. I say to all of them that they are square-headed people. I say to all of those professors, to all people who are teaching positive knowledge in universities everywhere, they are only square-headed people. Some squares may be one centimeter square, some two, some five, some ten, some one meter square, one kilometer square, it does not matter. The entire bunch of them is within the limits of square heads. They must break that limited square head if they ever hope to reach unlimited knowledge. Nevertheless, they are happy to be professors of one-centimeter square knowledge. One drop, they say, is more than enough for us, through a short life. QUESTION EIGHTWHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL THINGS TO HAPPEN?Allow? God never allows evil things to happen. God Almighty provides humanity with a very special something that He has never bestowed upon any other creatures. He did not give it to heavenly creatures nor did He give it to the countless number of other creatures here on earth. Allah Almighty has only granted man heavenly positions and an inherent capacity for both intellect and willpower, reserved only for humanity. The angels possess a mind, but they have no willpower. Every creature on earth, while blessed with an ability, has no willpower. This special gift, granted only to humanity, is an endless honor. Now what about those honored persons gifted with an intellectual capacity and willpower, who have now consciously chosen to do bad things, evil things, things that break the divine law, not just common laws or man’s own laws? Should not any person of sound mind, who is clearly abusing his rights and responsibilities by breaking laws designed to protect all people, be accused, tried in a just court of law, and punished for the wrongful actions he has committed? Therefore, an honored human blessed with intellect and willpower that chooses to throw away his responsibilities and rather opt to spread corruption and oppression, should he not be held accountable? Should not God Almighty punish him? “I gave you the means to differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil, why are you not using this capacity granted to you?” will be the likely question God may ask. “I said to you that this is a dangerous poison, so why then are you using it? What did your mind say? This is poison! What did your willpower say to you? Do not drink it! So why are you drinking?” Therefore, punishment comes according to our level of responsibility and properly performed responsibilities give us a big honor, big honor and high honor. This is the reason. No. Allah never leaves people to do evil or to follow devils. However, if you are using your mind and willpower in a bad way, you should be punished by divine court. Yes. QUESTION NINEWHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?You must ask someone who knows. They must ask . . . There is a verse in holy books, particularly in the Holy Qur’an: Fas’al bihi khabiran. “So ask the one who knows about it.” Qur’an 25:59. If you are planning a journey to England, what is the best way to proceed? Of course, you must ask someone, who has made the journey to England and knows the way. Someone else might want to go on pilgrimage to one of the holy cities of Mecca or Medina. They must first ask themselves, “What is the best way to reach Mecca or Medina?” You must ask the person who really knows. If you do not know, Allah tells us to ask those that truly know. If an answer comes from someone who reads maps and books and has never actually traveled to the place you are going to, he will be only using his intellectual capacity, not real experience and real knowledge. All of these people offer their opinion, an idea, and an answer to your question — so many answers come from them. However, if someone gives you an answer beyond his own mind production or intellectual reasoning — an answer coming from true spiritual understanding born of real experience — you may trust this answer. You must seek and find answers from those people who have attained spiritual power — their souls are always in contact with heavens. Someone qualified as a real spiritual guide and a real teacher. You must ask one of them. How can you ask about diamonds from a grocer, someone who understands only about fruit and vegetables and nothing about diamonds? You want to ask for information about diamonds, so you say, “Please give me some diamonds.” He can only say, “No. I am selling potatoes, tomatoes, melons, and all kinds of fruit. I do not sell or understand anything about diamonds and other jewels. I am not an expert in precious stones. You must ask this question from a jeweler; they know what you are asking for and what you want. Let us send you to that qualified one.” Likewise, if a person knows nothing about spirituality, how can he say anything about heavens? This is not his area. Scientists and university professors alike are all attempting to comment today on matters of spirituality and heavenly knowledge. This is one of the biggest problems today. These topics are not within their scope of understanding; it is not their field of expertise! Their field is narrow and includes only what they are able to see in front of their eyes. What they are able to see and to perform experiments on is all that they know. These are their narrow limits of understanding. They may be anxious to offer an answer, but it is not for them to answer questions about matters concerning spiritual events, spirituality, heavens, and heavenly books. They have nothing they can offer on the subject, just mere conjecture. In fact, it is forbidden to speak on the subject if one does not truly know. Nonetheless, they are everywhere asking to say something about what they presume to be true, what they think they know. They are foolish people. They do not understand, and they are saying something about what they do not know anything about. No, it is not for us. Their limits are contained within the four walls of positive knowledge. Two times two equals four. Two plus two equals four. Now I am asking, why does three multiplied by three equal nine? Why does two times three equal six and is not going to be equivalent to nine? (Three cubed or two multiplied by three) Do you understand? Ah yes, two multiplied by two equals four. Two plus two is also four. Then, three multiplied by three equals nine. Conversely, three plus three equals six. Why is that the way it is? Now changing these rules — One multiplied by one is one. One plus one is two. Two multiplied by two is four. Two plus two is four. Another way and then continuing up with different rules and ideas; I am asking you why? You can perhaps understand this. However, beyond this, who is putting these rules in place? You do not know where these rules come from. A rule must be set in its place by something. We are not making up these rules; we are only opening up on them. We are only discovering some of these rules in nature, we are not formulating these rules; we are only opening up on them and showing people this is a rule that something or someone has placed into existence, and nature must be obedient to that rule. Do you understand? INTERVIEWER: Shukran, Thank you. The original question – I think Sheikh Nazim answered very well by warning us to be careful from whom we ask these kinds of questions, but I am just concerned that maybe the question was not answered directly. MAWLANA SHEIKH NAZIM: What was the question? INTERVIEWER: What happens when we die? MAWLANA SHEIKH NAZIM: Ah, ha, ha, yes, it is not for those professors; the answer belongs to the spiritual people. Those that have a spiritual power, they know it, because they know beyond our physical knowledge. They may see beyond our physical capacity, which sees only with our eyes; they may hear what our physical hearing does not reach. They may know what our physical knowledge does not reach because mind production is limited; spiritual powers or heavenly powers that belong to our spiritual being are unlimited. You may move in unlimited areas. A SENIOR STUDENT OF SHEIKH NAZIM’S: When we are dying, can you say anything about dying? MAWLANA SHEIKH NAZIM: Dying means . . . First, we should understand that we are living only by the command of our Creator. Our Creator says that when our physical being is completed through the wombs of our mothers, His command comes: “Be alive.” Only then are we beginning to move inside. A command makes the fetus become alive and that command or order is not something you can examine or analyze with your physical limitations. No. It is a holy command: “Be,” then it must be. So now, you are asking what will happen after death. Yes? It is only as we have been informed through heavenly knowledge. That is our answer. No one can give a commentary on it from the mind production people. It is not possible. If Dr. So-and-So is asking to do some commentary on this subject matter, it is like painting or drawing a picture about the beginning of the life on this earth. What kind of animals and other life forms have inhabited the earth? They would paint many different kinds of pictures and all of them would be from their imagination. It is not authorized or true knowledge; it is simply from their colorful imaginations. Even if with firm conviction they are claiming this and that, it is nothing more than colorful imagination — a theory. Theory means it is not an established knowledge. It is only pushing around ideas, moving their imagination from one place to another place. One of their theories comes to them today, they throw it away tomorrow and then revive it again the next day. Therefore, it is not for them to express their imaginative, self-aggrandizing ideas and opinions on this subject or that. No. It is not their field. Their field is limited to the realm of positive knowledge. QUESTION TENDO YOU THINK THAT RELIGION AND SCIENCE CAN EXIST TOGETHER?That is what we spoke about just now. On the one side, we have mind production, which is the area of scientific knowledge. On the other side, we have a heavenly order, which is religion. Religious knowledge must be the type of knowledge that is able to reach everywhere — comprehensive knowledge. Heavenly knowledge is comprehensive. However, scientific knowledge, even though many people accept it as a kind of comprehensive knowledge about mankind, the earth, etc., it is only one little drop in an endless ocean of knowledge. Therefore, heavenly knowledge is like an endless ocean. What scientific, positive knowledge people are attempting to learn today, they may say they have learned, but tomorrow they come with new ideas and thinking, and render it useless. Their mind is just occupied with useless thinking. Their minds are like a used automobile, wearing out, because they are just using their minds for something useless and imaginative. When a useful knowledge presents itself to them, they are so occupied with nonsensical thinking, under the false title of practical knowledge, that they do not have the time or energy to see it. Their minds are so occupied with the pursuit of useless knowledge, like a worn-out, used car. Therefore, scientific knowledge is tiny and useless when compared to endless heavenly knowledge. Take, for example, a scientist who is trying to speak on a topic of study or research from the available knowledge in his mind. He may speak for perhaps one hour, two hours, three hours, maybe four hours. He must necessarily stop because his knowledge is within limitations. Like this jug of water next to me, what is contained in it you may use, but when it is finished, there is nothing more that can be taken from it. However, if it is a tap connected to a main spring and it is always open, you may sit here from morning until evening and drink. It is the same with heavenly knowledge; you can speak, not repeating the same ideas even once, without any notes or reference material. No. Speaking about heavenly subject matters is so easy for me, because I am only a pipe, with the knowledge running through my heart, through my mouth endlessly. It is knowledge from heaven. I don’t know of any professor or scientist, if they are going to speak or address an audience, that can do so without preparing himself days, weeks, or even months in advance. Perhaps for one lecture, they might prepare themselves for a year or more. What they are trying to formulate in one year, we may speak on it in the same day. That is the difference between scientists and spiritually authorized people. Let us take another example. Scientists’ minds are like tape recorders, which are operating on limited battery power. Once the battery has been drained, it is finished — no more power. However, if the tape recorder, with an endless tape, is directly connected to a central power station, it will never stop. Spiritual people have an endless source of power — tireless. The same questions you are asking me, if they are going to be asked of someone else, they are going to request time to research and prepare their answers to your questions. Effectively pulling information from one elephant dung pile and another elephant pile and reaching what product? Some people, observing what bees do, say, “Hmmm, we see bees coming and landing on one flower and then getting up and coming to another and still another, then returning to their hive. One observer says, “I must try this, too. Where these bees are going and taking I must also go and take.” Then he goes and takes a small bit from one flower after another and fills his test tube. After collecting pollen, “just like the bees, I shall sit awhile and see what will happen to my lovely honey.” So, he sits for one entire day and observes. “Oh, perhaps I must be patient for three days.” Three days pass and he is still observing. “Oh, perhaps I must wait one week to get my honey.” And then, maybe he says, “Obviously, the results will not come so quickly. We will wait one month.” After one month passes it is time to try the honey. Then he takes a spoon and tastes a bit . . . “What is this awful stuff?” Other people mock him and say, “What happened to your lovely honey? Eat some more!” “It is so bad. I was simply trying to take from where the bees go around and take, and then this awful tasting stuff results. I fear that if I eat any more, I may die so I shall throw it away.” Ah, you see, you are not a bee. Bees know how to take honey from flowers; people do not. It is not something people can master. Therefore, not everyone can reach and take something from heavens. No. You may take from earth, but from heavens, you are limited. Everyone may learn some things but not everyone is able to learn from heavens. Heaven gives you honey and others just give you nothing but poison. Therefore, beware of cheats; beware of those who wish to cheat you. Do not trust those people with their fanciful words and ideas, speaking in such complexities with their high English, German and French languages. Do not believe that it is going to provide you with any real honey. No. QUESTION ELEVENWHY DO PEOPLE GET SICK?People must eventually die. If they do not become ill and die today, then maybe they will tomorrow. If they do not die this month, then perhaps they will next month. Their health is declining and death is coming to them. Sickness and the possibility of dying acts as a wake-up call for people. It provides people with a shock to help them return to their real nature. When the heart, our spiritual energy center, drains and becomes lazy because of our wrong way of living, sickness shocks us back into compliance with a holistic way of living, which is the only road to real health and true happiness. Our spiritual energy renews itself for a time. Every sickness is associated with our spiritual energy moving towards the zero level. The Lord of Heavens sends sickness on people, and quickly with such a sickness, a fear of dying causes us to consider things we otherwise try to ignore. “What happens to us when we die?” we say. “Perhaps life is going to end for me now.” With the process of death, our spiritual energy increases. If death is imminent, our spirituality reaches a point preparing us for death, exiting this temporal dimension. Sometimes illness comes to wake people up, sometimes to take people away to a cemetery. These are the two primary reasons. QUESTION TWELVEWHY DOES MANKIND ACT INHUMANLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER?People are either going to be under the command of their egos or their souls. When people are under the command of their soul, they will never harm anyone because their soul represents a divine angelic nature. Angels never harm anything or anyone. However, if a person is under the command of his lower self, the ego, he will be very dangerous to others. An uncontrolled ego is much worse than wild, violent animals. Therefore, if people permit themselves to be under the command of their unruly egos, they are going to be very dangerous and prone to harming people. If they approach you from the front, they will attempt to bite you. If you are approaching them from behind, their hind legs kick you like a wild donkey. When you see a person biting or kicking someone, no doubt you may conclude this is a tyrant, a person lower than a violent animal. That is the reason for man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man. QUESTION THIRTEENARE ANIMALS AND HUMANS ON THE SAME LEVEL?Everything in creation has been created for the benefit of mankind. Animals, plants and insects have all been created to be under the command of mankind, to help them and to provide for their specialized benefits. That is the wisdom for their creation. Imagine the world without any creatures. Such a silent existence — like a desert. Animals provide benefit to people as well as giving them a shining aura around themselves. It is natural for people to want to surround themselves with animals and nature. It gives them comfort and ease. God Almighty created some with an obvious benefit, while some of them have less obvious wisdoms as to why God placed them on earth. Nonetheless, there is a specific wisdom behind each. You may find the wisdom behind all of creation contained in revealed heavenly books and knowledge. It is not possible to find anything in creation that does not have a corresponding wisdom behind it. A short tale should help illustrate this point. Once upon a time, a person, after seeing several cockroaches scurrying away from a bathroom, was wondering to himself, “What purpose does this insect have? Why did the Creator, create this disgusting, ugly, dirty thing?” he asked. The Creator, who observes all things mentioned in the hearts and minds of people, decided to leave that person for a short while. After some time had passed and the question of why God created cockroaches was almost forgotten, God caused that person to incur an injury on his leg that resulted in a persistent, open sore — a sore so persistent that, no matter what kind of modern medical treatment he administered, there was no effect on the sore whatsoever. So many kinds of treatment attempted, but the sore did not heal. After a while, the man came across a wise man that had been given heavenly knowledge and was a practitioner of traditional, natural medicine, and not a university trained person holding only a medical degree. The natural medicine doctor asked the man, “Do you know what the medicine is for this sore on your leg?” The man said, “No, I do not.” The natural medicine doctor replied, “You must take a cockroach, kill it, and then place it in an open flame until it becomes dry and crispy. Then you must grind it into ashes and put those cockroach ashes on your open sore. The sore will quickly begin to heal.” The man did as the natural medicine doctor instructed, and in a very short while, the sore was showing obvious signs of closing and healing. Here is another example of how all of God’s creation has a purpose and wisdom behind it. There is a black insect, similar to the cockroach, but black in color and not flying but crawling on the ground — a black beetle. A person was asking himself: “Why was this black bug created?” Soon after, the person developed a kind of illness causing him to become yellow. Both the eyes and body were turning yellow — doctors were administering one medicine and treatment after another, but with no benefit. One day, a natural medicine doctor came to visit the town where this sick person lived. Quickly the person went to him and asked, “Is there a medicine to cure my condition? Do you have anything that will help me?” The doctor nodded. Anxiously the person asked, “Well, what is it?” The natural medicine doctor then said, “Do you have beetles in your village, black ones? You must kill some and make it into a paste. Take one small spoon in the morning and one small spoon in the evening. You are eating and after a while . . .” The person quickly interjected and said, “I must try this.” He quickly went to retrieve the beetles and made the paste. The person complained about the taste of the paste, but the natural medicine doctor insisted that there was no other cure for this illness, so the person continued to take the medicine. He went and caught many beetles, made the paste and ate it every morning and evening. After three days, there was a marked improvement in the person’s condition. They were so happy that finally they had found a cure for his terrible illness. “I ask for forgiveness, O my Lord,” said the sick person. “Never again will I ever question why you, Almighty, have created something. Just now, I am beginning to understand and am learning good manners. Forgive me, my Lord. I am never going to question the wisdom of Your creation again.” So, we must understand that everything that is created has some special purpose. QUESTION FOURTEENWHY IS GOD REVEALING RELIGION TO MANKIND?As people progress in understanding, they ask and need to know more. The more they ask, the more He gives. What we are able to perceive within the limitations of our minds may help us to have a greater perspective for today, but it is not satisfactory for what we need for tomorrow. Therefore, Allah Almighty opens to His servant’s new hives to produce new honey. Old honeycombs eventually become finished, only the wax remains, and new hives of heavenly knowledge, like pure sweet honey, are opening to people. As people’s understanding progresses, they require new levels of knowledge according to their capabilities. The answer provided to people in the last century cannot be the same answer as today. Today we are in the third millennium, so the answer is coming in this way. It is also important who is asking the question. If someone else comes and asks the same question, I must give an answer according to his level of understanding. It cannot be otherwise. If we speak above their understanding level, they cannot reach you. If we speak below their level, they may pay you no attention and thus gain no benefit from what we are saying. Therefore, every time people increase their level of understanding, expanding the limitations of their minds, we must give corresponding answers according to their specific situation and time. We must understand that heavenly knowledge, which is something imparted unto us, is a thing that grows up to reach up to the heavens. Nothing else on earth, even a moment in time, if it were to grow exponentially, could ever reach the moon, let alone the heavens. Heavens are always going to be above everything else. We cannot be over the heavens. Heavenly knowledge is unlike the limited knowledge we posses within our physical minds and will always be over it. As much as we may try to conceive and contrive things within our physically limiting minds, we will be unable to reach to heavenly knowledge. QUESTION FIFTEENWHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD?It is your soul’s LOVE. Your heart is like a container. If you use that container, filling it with water, you cannot put milk in that same container. If it is full of milk, you may not put oil in it. If it is filled with oil, you cannot put in it tea. The container can only be filled with one of these. One of the bad characteristics of our physical material body is that we have an inherent love for this life and everything on earth. Mostly people are only interested in the things provided to them in this physical world. People have fully engrossed themselves in living this life to its fullest. Their love of this life has completely filled their hearts and there is no room left for the love of God. Even though they are saying, “God is Love,” they are liars. God is not love, and love is not God. However, there is a love for God that can make you approach to His divine presence. If you start cleaning your heart from the temporal love of this life, permanent love of God will enter your heart. That permanent love will increase your spiritual power and enable you to reach to Divine Presence. If you are able to do this, you will find true and lasting benefit.
40th Master of the Golden Naqshbandi Chain
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTHow shall an infant describe a noble king and his weighty responsibilities? How shall a fetus describe that which is outside of its immediate enclosed environment? If able to peer outside, how could it understand or even begin to describe its mother’s love and her role in its own development. Imagine also that over the course of the child’s life the visible love from the mother is but a mere drop in an ocean of love that is concealed and yet known. Then too, how shall a foolish student, having traveled only a short distance along the endless spiritual path and blessed to follow one so high and noble, describe what he can hardly understand and what he has never seen nor experienced? This student, dare he even pretend to be a student, is more likened to a baby, so helpless, always soiling himself and in need of cleaning. How might it be possible to describe the mother’s role to the child and the infant’s need of the mother, through the eyes of the infant who has never had a mother before? We must, therefore, confess that while describing Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani, we know almost nothing of who he really is and what responsibilities and functions he performs at the behest of his own teacher and under the guise of the Noblest of all Mankind, our beloved Master Muhammad (saw) for the sake of Almighty God. Each living thing that absorbs a raindrop’s worth of water metabolizes it in its own way. Each living thing expounds and glorifies its Lord in its own unique way. How, then, may the moss reflect on how the rose absorbs and metabolizes the same water and nutrients, then produces such varied shapes, colors, aromas and sizes? Even if we considered ourselves to be on a level of a real saint of God, could we ever really know another’s own unique secrets and gifts? It is far too difficult to answer the question, who Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani is or what gifts he possesses or to begin to speak about the tools he has been afforded to accomplish those things which have been written for him to accomplish. The best we can do is to invite the infant to enjoy suckling the milk from its mother; revel in the unique sound of the heartbeat of her nurturing embrace, bask in the love that is given by permission — an order of the Most Merciful —, and experience and grow from the care and support she provides. For what does it matter to a child if, upon being born, its mother is only described and not experienced — never presenting the one to the other? How would the description of its mother ever suffice the baby’s need for a real mother? To begin to know Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani is to meet him and connect your heart to his heart. Then a glimpse of what is possible may come, followed by endless glimpses of things not yet known until you begin to realize he has been there all along. It is a fact that, when you are ready, your teacher will come. We thank God Almighty for having guided us to such a noble one. Our words, actions and thoughts are not sufficient to give thanks for our mother’s milk let alone the depths of spiritual enlightenment and nutrition God has provided us through His true ones, the real saints, the poles of creation, the proof of generosity. Forgive us, Lord, for being so deficient in conveying that which cannot be conveyed in mere words and letters. Help us to achieve a better understanding of who Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani is and make us better students in our service unto You, Almighty Lord. Endless praise and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, companions and all the Sheikhs of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain of Saints. Al-Fatiha.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONSNatural Medicine, Sheikh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, Zero Publications, London England.
Mercy Oceans Series, Five Volumes, Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani, Medina Trust, PO Box 939, London, SE 22/England.
Divine Power Oceans, Words of Truth Inviting to Reality, Sheikh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, Warda Publications, Krollchesgasse 3, 53940 Hellenthal, Germany. +49 2482 1023, abdal-hafidh@warda.info
Lore of Light, Stories From the Lives of the Prophets, Haja Amina Hatun, Volumes I, II, III, Translated by Ridhia Shukrullah
Servanthood and What It Is,
Sheikh Nazim
al-Haqqani, Damascus, Syria,
ibrahim.cham@excite.com
Haqqani Openings,
Volume I, The Truth in the Guidance of Creation and the Pole of
Creation, Sultan of the al-Awliya, May Allah Sanctify His Secret,
Volume II, The Golden Chain of the Most Distinguished Naqshbandi
Order Written by Sheikh Adnan Kabbani (Arabic Only)
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