Who Can Say, "I Am Here"
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
6 May 2010 Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Ati`ullaha wa ati`u 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
It is astonishing. We were saying yesterday, who can raise his head and say, "I am here;" who can say that? If you can say that then stay here. Can you stay here? You are going to die. It means you have no existence. You cannot say that that time that has been given to you is existence, because it will pass; everything will go. What happens? Yesterday served the best juice, lemonade. It was the first time I saw something nice inside the lemonade. Yes, it is the juice of lemon with water and sugar but they put inside the water the small stuff that comes before the fruit comes. They put the small barley inside, and you saw how nice it is. The taste is the same but when you use the part that comes before the fruit, it makes a different style of lemonade. But what will happen at the end when you drink it? Not finished, it is inside but then at the end it goes to the toilet.
When they said, "Sayyidina `Isa (a) is Allah (swt)," astaghfirullah, haasha, Allah (swt) said, kaanaa yaakulaani' t`aam. "They used to eat food,” which means they go to the toilet. How can anyone go to the toilet and say, “I am here.” Don't you feel ashamed of yourself to say, “I am here.” Don't you feel ashamed to say, “I am this and I am that,” giving yourself titles, labels, and names? Who gives titles and names to himself is muda`ee, is claiming and a claim does not mean anything.
The only one who did not claim (Mawlana stands) is what Allah gave to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), the Seal of Messengers an why? Because you cannot enter Paradise without la ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah. (Mawlana sits.) No one, from Adam (a) until the Day of Judgment, can enter Paradise without accepting Sayyidina Muhammad `alayhi afdalu 's-salaatu wa 's-salaam. Because on that day everyone will accept. They will see the truth, but it will be too late. It's Allah's mercy but it's too late according to what we learnt from Islam; it's too late for those who accept at that moment. Why did you not accept in dunya? So when the name or the honor comes from heavens, that is what is keeping you in existence. But when Allah says, kaanaa yaakulaani' t`aam, oh you want to say about them "God?” OK, they were eating food, and what happened? Does God go to the restroom? Astaghfirullahi 'l-`Aliyyu 'l-`Azheem.
You cannot say, "I am here." Anyone who can raise his head and say, "I am here" is a tyrant and he is questioning Allah's (swt) revelation to His Prophet (s). Because no one will stay, laa yastaqdimoona sa`atan wa laa yastaakhiroon, "Their life will not increase or decrease.” So it means that existence is fixed, for everyone it is different but it is going to happen to everyone, and they are going to leave dunya. So then everyone leaves dunya and is going to akhirah. So it means this dunya is a temporary cycle, like a tunnel; as soon as you exit, it is death. You are exiting. In that tunnel there are too many exits, like you go on a highway, for every village there is an exit. This is a tunnel from the Day of Promises when Allah created Adam (a) until the Day of Judgment. It is a tunnel, but with different mahkhaarij, exits. Everyone, when he sees his exit coming, he feels himself moving towards it. He cannot go straight anymore. It is blocked for him. For others no, it is not blocked. Do you see these Hollywood movies? Sometimes they come with ideas from Sufi things. It is all logic. They go up to a glass and push and they will be on another side, a different dimension, a different realm. Some try to go, but they cannot go. They come to that glass and they cannot go (through). Because for them it is finished, “You go, your exit is here, exit here.” For the others, it is continued.
So if you are not staying here, can you claim for yourself existence? No. Then why are you stubborn and arrogant? Look at yourself, don't look at others. Allah sent Sayyidina Muhammad (s),(Mawlana stands.) mubasshiraan wa nadhirah, "A bearer of glad tidings and warner."
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا)
Yaa ayyuha an-nabiyyu inna arsalnaaka shaahidan wa mubashshiran wa nadheera.
O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a witness, a wearer of glad tidings, and warner. (Al-Ahzab 33:45)
"We have sent you," and this is the only one, shahidan on what; he said shahidan first, witnessing what?
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا
wa maa arsalnaaka illa kaafatan li 'n-naas basheeran wa nadheera.
We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin). (34:28)
,"He came to all." He did not say, “kaaf'atan” to “ummatik.” Kaafatan li 'n-naas, "Came to all humans.” And He said, inna arsalnaaka, "We sent you," shaahidan wa mubashshiran wa nadheera. Shaahidan, as a witness, mubasshiran, to give good tidings, wa nadheera, and a warner. But first what came? Shahidan. What does it mean? Witnessing what? See the greatness of Holy Qur'an, it doesn't need to say everything; you have to understand it.
Wa`laamoo ana feekum Rasoolullah.
Know that the Prophet is in you. (49:7)
In English they translate it as, “Among you,” but it can be, “Among you,” it can be, “Between you,” or it can be, “In you.” Why should I go with, “Among you?” Is there anymore? “Among you,” “between you,” and “in you,” is there anything more in English that you can use to say a different meaning? If “among you” means where ever you go, he is among the group, and he is seeing you. If “between you” means he is among a group and seeing you. If he is “in you” it means he is in yourself seeing you. Do you think that is too much for Prophet (s)? the The devil can be everywhere; don't we say the devil is everywhere just as Allah is everywhere, of course! But if the devil can be everywhere, can't the Prophet be everywhere? Is the devil better than the Prophet (s)?
So what does shahidan mean then? Witnessing. Witnessing means he is with everyone witnessing what they are doing. That is the lowest meaning of shaahidan because in the Day of Judgment he is going to appear in the presence of Allah (swt) to witness every person's `amal. So what does that mean? He cannot witness something that he did not see, he saw and he is witnessing. Can we then say Prophet has existence? Yes. We have existence in Prophet's existence! But we don't have existence if we are outside Prophet's existence!
That is why for awliyaaullah la ilaaha illa-Llah is the realm of the Creator. It belongs to the Creator. Muhammadun Rasoolullah is the Creation that Allah created. That universe is represented and wrapped in Muhammadun Rasoolullah. It is a huge entity. It is within the dimensions that Prophet (s) has been given by Allah (swt). That is why we are blessed because we are following the Prophet (s). We are in that presence where Allah raised Prophet and we are raised. If not, we are down. And as we said before, all prophets from Adam (a) until and including Sayyidina `Isa (a) and the ummah of Prophet, all are in need of Prophet to witness on them. Is it not? It is a verse in Holy Qur'an, inna arsalnaaka shahidan wa mubashshiran wa nadheera. Sahib is not here.
So then Prophet (s) is going to witness, and his ummah is going to witness on prophets that came before that they delivered the message. Who is that ummah that can witness on all those who came before? Who is that nation? It is the nation of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), because all the way before, (Mawlana stands) allahuma salli wa sallim wa baarik `alaa sayyidina, yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah, yaa rahmaatan li 'l-`alameen, (Mawlana sits) they need the last ones to witness on them, and these are ummat un-Nabee (s). That is why we believe in Sayyidina `Isa and we believe in all prophets before that delivered the message. Who is going to be witness that Prophet (s) delivered the message? Which one, because he came as the last, who? There must be one that will witness that he delivered the message. Inna arsalnaaka shaahidan wa mubashshiran wa nadheera.
وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا
Wa da`ee`an ila'Llahi bi idhnihi wa siraajan muneera.
And as a summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light (33:46)
"The One Who sent you is the One Who is approving you; He is your witness." That is why He gave him shafa`ah, approving his witnessing on everyone before.
Allah (swt) gave existence to Prophet (s) that He accepted Prophet (s) as witnessing on all prophets from Adam (a) until the Day of Judgment. That is why he said in the hadith, but there is a scholar who might say it is not a strong hadith:
كنت نبيًا وآدم بين الروح والجسد
kuntu nabiyaan wa Adamu bayna roohi wa 'l-jasad.
"I was a Prophet when Adam between soul and body."
OK it is strong. It means, "I was a prophet when Adam was between the soul and the body." The body is mud or clay and water is the life. The other ones (Mawlana laughs) say it is a weak hadith, but no you have to look at the meaning. The meaning of every hadith changes because it depends on whom the Prophet said it to, and in the presence of whom. It might be he said the same hadith in different ways, different words, but with the same meaning to two different Sahaaba (r) in different times. So you cannot say this is correct, and this is wrong, both of them are correct.
In any case, He said He gave him a witnessing from a time before Adam (a), and he was witnessing on the creation of Adam! Kuntu nabiyaan wa Adam bayna roohi wa 'l-jasad, "I was a Prophet and Adam was still in creation.” It means he observed that, and then coming all the way to the end as the Seal of Messengers wrapping everything, so he is witnessing on everyone. If Allah (swt) doesn't want the Prophet to be existing, He would not give him the power of witnessing. He is not existing in Allah (swt) as they make hulul, that he is one with Allah (swt), no! Allah (swt) is the Creator. How can you accept that, to be with Allah (swt)? We cannot be with Allah.
Even in the Arabic language, kun ma`a Allahi wa laa tubaalee, "Be with Allah and don't worry," means be with Allah and remember in every moment of your life and don't worry, not be with Him or in Him as they say. That is why Muhammadan Rasoolullah is completely indicating the Creation. Muhammadun Rasoolullah means the reality of servanthood, Maqam al-`Uboodiyya or Maqam al-`Abdiyya. Maqam al-`Uboodiyya, the real servanthood is in Muhammadun Rasoolullah (Mawlana stands.), and the reality of servanthood is to be a servant and to submit. (Mawlana sits.) And it is a unique level for Prophet, `Abdiyya, like Waahid, Ahad. Waahid is Maqaam al-Wahdaaniyya, the maqaam that indicates everything around you indicates to you that there is one Creator. Maqaam al-Ahadiyya is different, it is the uniqueness of that One. In it there are lots of different beautiful Names and Attributes that we learnt from Holy Qur'an. In Maqaam al-Ahadiyya there is a secret of different Names and Attributes that you never thought about. That is why when Sayyidina Bilal (r) was being tortured he was saying, "Ahad, Ahad," because that is Maqam al-Mu`shahadah, the level of seeing. So Prophet was witnessing everything. The one witnessing is the one who can stand and be given that shafa`ah. That is why Prophet has been given the intercession, shafa`ah.
But what about the hadith in Adab al-Mufrad li 'l-Bukhari, ma`aa `azzawajal yawmul qiyaamah,`atee indaa nabee shafa`ah yajul fee yasjud un-nabi sajdah, wa y`atee ila qalbihi mina 'l-ad`eea allatee lam taftahu qabal? That is in Adab al-Mufrad by al-Bukhari. Prophet (s) goes into sajdah in the presence of Allah on the Day of Judgment and asks Allah, “Yaa Rabbee, my nation, my nation, ummatee.” And he says, "Allah puts in my heart du`as that He didn't open before," that, until today is a big wonder. It is a big wonderland, if you want to say, or a wonder of Heaven. Du`as that were never opened before, what happened, how has it never been opened before, Shaykh? We know the du`as of Prophet (s) in all major ahadith and all major books that people made. Du`as, du`as, du`as, you can see nearly all, different ways but with the same meaning in Arabic. But here there is something different. He is making du`a that Allah did not open before. It means it might not be the words that we know, the letters may be the same, but the words we don't know.
Like Qaaf, Haa, Yaa, `Ayn, Saad; it's a word, but in Arabic you cannot pronounce it as a word, you pronounce it as letters. But it has a meaning as a word and it has a meaning as letters. Are these du`as going to be of that type? It means a new word, not new, because Allah's words are old, words that are new that have never been used in the Arabic language that we know today. They are specially for Prophet (s). Haa, Meem, `Ayn, Seen, Qaaf, we say it in letters because we cannot read it in a word; Haa, Meem, `Ayn, Seen, Qaaf, you don't say, “hm`ain,” how to read it? It does not read as a word. The letters have to be different in order that it can be read. So is it from such kind of du`as? And he says du`as that have never been opened before, and he is in sajdah asking, asking, asking, and Allah leaves him for some time and then He says, “Raise your head, sal tu`taa, sal tu`taa, raise your head, ask, and you will be given.”
So these du`as are a key to open with, and for everyone to go to Paradise, there is a code, everyone has a code, use your code and enter. Allah gives him one third, to make it short, then another third with another time sajdah and then again one third with another sajdah, until one is left, Allah leaves one. He gives everyone to Prophet except this one. That might be the worst one and I don't think we will be the worst one. Because Grandshaykh one time said that Prophet (s), and this is only for Sufi people who can understand it, not something that is against religion, but awliyaaullah can understand things. He said, "Look at the greatness of Prophet, `alayhi afdalas 's-sallatu was-salaam." (Mawlana stands and sits.) So people might not understand it well, so they will have objections. So, He keeps one, who is that one?
Grandshaykh, may Allah bless his soul, said that when Prophet (s) is in that state, yaa tajarrad an nafseehee. What is that in English? "Devoids himself completely of his nafs." It means, “Yaa Rabee, for me I don't want anything, whatever You rewarded me with give to my ummah. It means, “Yaa Rabbee let my ummah enter Paradise and for me I don't mind wherever You send me.” Yatajarrad `an kulli maqaamaatihi mutlaqan, he will devoid himself of all his ranks, absolutely give up all of it, and stand up with this full belief that Allah may take him that way or this way, and he is accepting.
Because that one, at the end of Sahih al-Bukhari hadith, to that one at the end Allah will say, “I sent all to Paradise for the love of Prophet, and I am the One that gave the Prophet that mercy. My Mercy is more than the Prophet's mercy, you go to Paradise!” He sends him to `aalaa Maqam al-Firdaus, the highest in Paradise. So the real existence always is not for us, we are leaving. The one who has been given the choice if he wants to leave or stay is the one that can say, “I have an existence.” Who has been given the choice? Prophet (s). When Jibreel (a) came to him and said, “Yaa Rasoolullah! Allah sends you salaam and asks if you want to stay or you want to go, it's up to you, He gives that choice to you." He said, “No, I will go to the better company.” If he said, "I will stay," he would have stayed until the end.
May Allah (swt) forgive us, and may He bless this meeting and all meetings.
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah. And give Mawlana long life inshaa-Allah.
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