The Power and Glory of "Laa ilaaha illa-Llah"
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
7 December 2010 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
Private Residence /Suhbah after Maghrib
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) has guided us to be Muslim. Ni`matahu wa nastaghfirahu wa nastadeeh wa nashadoo anna laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa nashadoo anna Muhammad (s) `abdoohoo wa rasooluh. `Ama ba`d, ayyuhal ahibbah, `alayna an-nashkur Allah `ala khalaqana min ummat an-Nabi. We have to thank Allah for making us from the ummah of the Prophet (s). Allahumma salli `ala....Whatever we say, still we cannot give back the right of Allah (swt) on us. No matter how much we worship, pray, or fast, even if we are worshipping Allah from morning to night and from the time of Adam (a) to the last day of dunya, we cannot fulfill Allah's right on us!
Don't think, "I am doing this or that." You are not doing anything except showing that you are thanking Allah, that He created you and made you from ummat an-Nabee (s). Whatever your worship, it is only to thank Him. Don't think more. No one here is an `alim (scholar). In this dunya, there is no `alim that knows everything, because what we know is a drop of an ocean. `Ilm (knowledge) is coming from the name "al-`Alim," (a Divine Name). laa yumkin ahaatta `ilmillah, wa law ahaata bi `ilm ad-dunyawiyya wa 'sh-Shara`iyyah, "If you were an `alim of all the sciences and of all Shari`ah law, you will never be able to encompass the knowledge that comes from the Beautiful Names and Attributes." All this `ilm is not even an atom from that knowledge!
When you say "al-`Alim," it is a siffah of Allah and "Allah" is a Name of the Essence, adh-Dhaat al-Buht. No one can know the Essence, no one can reach the level to know all the Beautiful Names and Attributes and describe the Name of the Essence, "Allah."
Allah (swt) said:
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem, Qul Huw Allahu Ahad.
Say (O Muhammad), "He is 'Allah', The One Who Is Completely Unknown." (al-Ikhlaas, 112:1)
He is described by the Beautiful Names and Attributes. "Al-`Alim" describes one aspect of Allah (swt), Who is directing us when He says:
Allahu noorus-samawati wal-`ard.
Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. (al-Noor, 24:35)
What is the meaning here of "noor"? Allah is the Light of everything that has been created in Heavens and Earth. Noor is not what you think. It is not the same as the light you see outside. That is not the noor that is being described in Allahu noorus-samawati wal-ard. According to one interpretation, the noor described in this ayah refers to, "He is the power behind everything alive or not alive," that He gave a secret to every Creation He created. No one knows that secret coming from that noor, not even that person himself, or Heavens and Earth, or Paradise, or all these galaxies. No one is able to understand the power behind that Creation.
For this reason, the Prophet (s) said:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ
Qul innamaa 'anaa basharun mithlukum.
Say (O Muhammad), "I am only a man like you." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:110)
But he is not a "man" like us. If you say so, then try going to Mi`raaj and see what happens! You cannot even go to the Himalayas without getting dizzy and falling down, so how can you go to qaba qawsayni aw adna? In front of the Prophet (s), we don't exist!
W`alamoo 'ana feekum rasoolullah.
And know that Allah's Messenger is in you. (al-Hujrat, 49:7)
We exist within the Prophet (s), but outside of him we do not exist! (Mawlana stands) As-salaatu was-salam `alayka yaa Rasoolullah (s)! (Mawlana sits) Knowledge never ends. Just now Shaykh `Abdul Qadir was reciting the Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُقُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
Yaa ayyuha 'l-mudaththir, qum fa andhir wa rabbuka fa-kabbir.
O you, wrapped up (in the mantle)! Arise and warn, and your Sustainer's greatness glorify! (Surat al-Muddaththir, 74:1-3)
Why was he covering himself? What happened to make him cover himself immediately after entering his house? He was shaking. Why? From seeing Sayyidina Jibreel (a), who came with the Revelation. Allah (swt) said:
Iqra! Bismi Rabbikalladhee khalaq. Khalaqal insaana min `alaq. Iqraa, wa Rabbuk al-akram.
Read! In the Name of your Lord and Cherisher, Who created Man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. Read, and your Lord is Most Bountiful. (96:1-3)
So was he shaking from fear, from the majesty of Sayyidina Jibreel (a) that appeared to Prophet (s)? When you see someone traveling, out of the goodness of your heart you may reach into your pocket and give that person how ever much money you have. Will this person tremble? No, they will be happy. If you give them gold or diamonds, will they tremble? No, they will be happy. Likewise, if you give them knowledge of Creation, they will be happy with the knowledge and will tremble with the honor Allah has bestowed on them. "Ahl ad-Duthoor," are the rich. "O Muhammad (s), whom I made ghani (from the Name, "al-Ghani")! I gave you that ghina, the wealth of knowledge, that you wrapped yourself with."
Allah (swt) gave him to read, "Iqraa." Don't say the Prophet (s) didn't know how to read. Then why did Jibreel (a) say to him "iqraa"? "O you who has been wrapped in that knowledge, qum fa andhir, stand up and warn the people," warn them not to be frightened but not to be away from His love. Wa rabbuka fa-kabbir, "And magnify your Lord." You don't say that out of fear but out of happiness, that your Lord has honored you. Kabbir here means glorify Him for the honor He gave to you. Knowledge is from the Name, "al-`Alim."
O Muslims! We are coming and going around the world, giving talks. Many are benefiting and listening, and some are not. For some, it has become like a habit, it goes in one ear and out the other. It has become mere socialization, nothing more. Where is the knowledge? That knowledge that we speak about is the knowledge of awliyaullah. How many times, for example, do you get stung by bees when you are extracting honey? Likewise, if you want knowledge from awliyaullah, you have to get stung. Don't say, "The shaykh shouted at me;" that is the sting, be happy with it. If you want a flower, you have to also get the thorns. Not everything is free, yaa Shaykh `Abdul Qadir, as in dunya issues. If you know someone, they give you business, or if you know something, you do business. Here you get stung. And now there is a new laser pistol called a taser. Not everything is simple. Fill your heart with what Allah (swt) likes. What does Allah like from you? Ma huwa ash-shay alladhee yoohibbuh, ahabba shayyun ila-Allah, "To say 'laa ilaaha illa-Llah' is to make Allah happy."
Prophet (s) said:
Man qaala laa ilaaha illa-Llah dakhal al-Jannah.
Whoever says,'laa ilaaha illa-Llah' (and this implies "Muhammadun Rasoolullah") enters Paradise.
Afdhal adh-dhikri laa ilaaha illa-Llah.
The best of dhikr is 'laa ilaaha illa-Llah.'
Allah (swt) says in Holy Qur'an:
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ
Fa`lam annahu la ilaha illa-Llah w'astaghfir li-dhanbik wa li 'l-mumineena wa 'l-muminaati w 'Allahu ya`lamu muqallibukum wa mathwaakum.
Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah. and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes. (47:19)
This is from the Holy Qur'an. And the hadith, afdal adh-dhikr laa ilaaha illa-Llah,is the tafseer of that verse. Allah said in Holy Qur'an that laa ilaaha illa-Llah is the best of dhikr. To make dhikr or not, it is your choice. He said however, that the best of dhikr is laa ilaaha illa-Llah. But for the Prophet (s), He didn't give you a choice. He said:
Innallah wa malaaikatahu yusalloona `ala 'n-nabee, yaa ayyuhalladheena aamanoo salloo `alayhi wa sallimoo tasleema.
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect. (al-Ahzab, 33:56)
He gave an order to make salawaat (praising) on the Prophet (s). laa ilaaha illa-Llah is the best dhikr, but tawheed without saying "Muhammadun Rasoolullah" is not accepted. So to praise the Prophet (s) is an order, and laa ilaaha illa-Llah is a targheeb, desirable. But there is a big difference between what is encouraged and what is ordered. For the Prophet (s), Allah ordered you to say sallAllahu `alayhi was-sallam, but for Himself, Allah encouraged us to say laa ilaaha illa-Llah. The dhikr of laa ilaaha illa-Llah fills this dunya, what then do you think about salawaat on Prophet (s)? It will fill from here all the way to qaaba qawsayni aw adna!
Man qala laa ilaaha illa-Llah. laa ilaaha illa-Llah dakhal al-jannah wa laa ilaaha illa-Llah targheeban, dakhal al-jannah. Man qara salaat `ala an-nabee ayn yadkhul? Yadkhul il al-jannah aw yadkhul ila qaaba qawsayni aw adnaa. "When you love the Prophet (s), you remember him constantly. That is the code to open for us the door to Allah's Divine Presence."
Shaykh Ahmad Zayni Dahlan from `Ali at-Tirmidhi relates:
Qala ya'tteee al-`abd yawm al-qiyama wa lay yajid laa ilaaha illa-Llah fil-meezan. "On the Day of Judgment, they will call you to judge you and put all your `amal on one side, and you will look and say,'It is missing "laa ilaaha illa-Llah.'" That means you are in danger. Anta fee khayr. laa ilaaha illa-Llah la tajid al-`abdu fee khatar li-annaka fee maqaam at-tawheed. "But on the Day of Judgment, you don't find 'laa ilaaha illa-Llah,' you find everything you did, but not that. Then the Scale is not balanced and you are in danger."
Fa yaqul al-`abd ya rabb la ajiduha fil-meezan, "O my Lord! I am not finding laa ilaaha illa-Llah in the Scale, what happened? I didn't find it there." And a voice comes to him, Yaa `abdee! `ala ta`lam anna al-meezan la tas`uhaa. "O My servant! Don't you know that the Balance cannot contain laa ilaaha illa-Llah? There is no way for any Scale that I created to contain laa ilaaha illa-Llah." It is beyond Creation; neither Heavens nor Earth can contain laa ilaaha illa-Llah, it is above all that Allah created.
The evidence is the word of the Prophet (s):
SubhanAllah wa bi hamdihi fills up what is between Heavens and Earth!
Everything is filled for You. What is between Heavens and Earth? The entire universe, including all of the 80 billion stars Allah created, and everything makes dhikr. When you say, "Subhaanallah wa bi hamdihi," that is all written for you. And Allah said:
Lain shakartum, la-azeedannakum.
If you are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you. (al-Ibrahim, 14:7)
"If you thank Me, I will give you more. That is written for you." O Muslims! I don't like to come and sit here and say, "I am connecting." No, we have to give evidence, not to throw words that people can or cannot understand. Otherwise it becomes shootahaat, a trance-like state, and the one who is saying it doesn't even understand it. They are mentally sick, and now there are too many people like that.They sit like gurus (Mawlana closes his eyes), saying, "Ooohhh Allah! Allah! I am being possessed, being taken over by awliya!” (laughter) Haven't you seen them? There are many like that. What is the benefit? Show humbleness, because this is the level. Why do you have to go to the second story? People are not happy, they cannot keep their head up like that, as if they are being hung, and their neck will be finished. (laughter) No! Say, "I am like you." Prophet (s) said, "I am a human being like you, yooha elayh." It is a different issue but he said that to show us humbleness.
Prophet (s) said:
"Whoever says laa ilaaha illa-Llah when he goes to sleep, his soul will be under the Throne in sajdah."
Say laa ilaaha illa-Llah, with `ishq bil muhabbat (extreme love), not as if you are bored! Proclaim it: laa ilaaha illa-Llah! Allah will be happy. Whoever is saying "There is no Creator except Allah," He will be happy. This is the message of all messages. Hadhihi risalat al-Muhammadiya, an taqool laa ilaaha illa-Llah.
And whoever says it at zawaal, the highest point of the sun at dhuhr time, the power of Shaytan in him will drop. Keep saying laa ilaaha illa-Llah until noon. He is reminding us. Say it when you sleep and continue until noon, don’t stop. It is better than saying, "This one said this or that," or "I will go play soccer, golf, go swimming, send text messages, or play video games." You can see them all day and all night. laa ilaaha illa-Llah is better, it takes you to Paradise, video games take you to Shaytan.
Wa man qalaha `inda ru'yatil hilal ameena min asqamil aqsaam. "And whoever says 'laa ilaaha illa-Llah' upon seeing the first moon of the month will not experience physical illness in that month." Wa man qaalahaa `inda dukhoolee madinatin aamina min fitaniha. "And when you enter a city and say 'laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,' you will be safe in that city; no gangster or anyone else will harm you, Allah will protect you." Wa man qaalaha abee jam`eehee fikrihee wa arsalaha lizhalimin aw li jairin qata`athu. "If someone says it with focus and meditates, this is meditation." And some people say there is no meditation in Islam!
Prophet (s) said:
تفكر ساعة خير من عبادة سبعين سنة
tafakkaru sa`atin khayrun min ` ibaadati saba`eena sannah.
To contemplate for one hour is better for you than 70 years of worship.
This means focus your thoughts completely. And when someone focuses with laa ilaaha illa-Llah and sends it with a laser beam to a tyrant, and Allah will cut down that ruler for that person; that tyrant will never torture or abuse that person in that city. Wa man qaalaha bi qasrit tuttalo`ee ilal `ulwiyat kashafa lahyu `an ghaybee ma qasada. "And if someone says it with the intention to see a higher level of knowledge, Allah (swt) will open it for him." This is a small summary of "Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, " and we will leave the rest for next time.
So we have to be very careful of how we learn our religion. This is what is important, not to speak about maq`adis sidqin or qaaba qawsayni aw adnaa, because what are you going to understand? You are in First Grade, so what will you do at university? Leave the university and come back to First Grade. This is what people like; ask them, this is what they understand. This is our level. If Mawlana authorizes it, we can go to the higher level, but you cannot put diamonds in the hands of people who cannot understand. Give them candy. Now I think everyone is going to say, "Laa ilaaha illa-Llah " day and night! Inshaa-Allah we will talk more tomorrow about this issue.
Also, don’t interfere with awliyaullah, that is a warning to everyone. If you don’t understand them, leave them alone. If they say something and you try to say something else, then you will be in a problem. You have to be careful. That is another situation we have to be careful in and I will mention what this big Naqshbandi shaykh is saying, Yaa ayyuhal-walad, he is calling everyone "walad," meaning "little boy." Look at how much he is lowering himself. He says, "I am teaching you. I am not seeing myself from the circle of manhood," meaning awliya, "but I am trying to go lower so we all benefit. Although I am not believing myself to be from among alwiya, you have to know I have put my feet in the circle of awliya. I am in that circle, but I am telling my ego I am not." It means if you have to use it, then use it, but be careful, especially from Qutb al-Mutasarrif. Mawlana said, "If that shaykh is angry, I am not responding, so be careful." There are five qutubs under Sultan al-Awliya: Nujaba, Budala, Nuqaba, Awtad, Akhyar. Under Qutb al-Mutasarrif there is a huge group called ikhyaar, "the best of people."They are of the best rank or category.
So the feet of awliya are in that circle of awliyaullah. If they want to move mountains they can, but what for? Your heart, your ego is the biggest mountain. It is impossible to put it down!
Wa ma `ubarri`u nafsi.
Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame). (12:53)
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاها
fa-alhamahaa fujoorahaa wa taqwaahaa.And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right. (ash-Shams, 91:8)
This means that He inspired the self with what is good and what is bad. Thus, you are under the order of the ego, the self. Awliyaullah want to take that out, and it is the biggest mountain to demolish in the hearts of their students. I am in that circle, Qutb al-Mutasarrif, and not one, but both feet are there. But we do not like to say it because Prophet (s) said:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ
Qul innamaa anaa basharun mithlukum.
Say (O Muhammad), "I am only a man like you." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:110)
If Prophet (s) with his greatness that Allah gave to him, is saying, "I am a human being like you," then what is the description if that wali? He is in qaba qawsayni aw adna in every moment, not only at the moment when the ayah (verse) came down. As much as he moves forward, there is qaba qawsayni aw adna, it never ends!
Therefore, the wali has power, but they don’t use it. He said, "I am his servant, I serve them food at their tables." What is their food? Not what you are eating. "I am the minister in their cabinet, at their doors. They authorize me, permit me to taqseem, distribute crumbs of their mawaaid, spiritual food. "And they are ordering me to give the crumbs that fall down to those who are in need. If you want it, you take it."
We are all in need of these crumbs, but the shaykh has the cabinet to which he has given full authority for distribution. He is not going to give you as they give in the government. How many ministers are there in the government? Everyone has a position. Also, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) has ministers under Qutb al-Mutasarrif. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) has five qutbs. Three of them are known and two of them will be known in the time of Mahdi (a). And the rest are the ones who have `ijazah; it is not a complete ijazah; as we said yesterday, it is to lead dhikr,but not the ijazah to distribute the crumbs from the shaykh's table, his spiritual feast.
That is enough for tonight. There are three issues you have to be very careful about, to make sure you are not falling into problems with Mawlana Shaykh. You have to avoid three issues that we will discuss next time. So if you like to come and double your , please come. They are very important to listen.
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
Inshaa-Allah, this is a happy and good year for you, as Mawlana said yesterday. He likes to see everyone with a black turban because inshaa-Allah, inshaa-Allah, inshaa-Allah, he said this year is Hajj al-Akbar. Imam Mahdi (a) will not come except in Hajj al-Akbar. The next Hajj al-Akbar will be in seven years, but the world is boiling. So stay in your home and keep your turban. There are many ahadeeth about the turban, so keep the turban, even a small one like our Egyptian friend here. The color black means "majestic." May Allah forgive us and bless us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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