As salaamu alaykum Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
Can you please give us more insight on the reason on how come Imam Ali (as) was born
inside the Ka’bah?
How come, how come?
[Shaykh laughs] I think I can’t say, that's Allah (AJ) has to tell us why that was done.
But he represents the heart of Prophet ﷺ, go back to find out what the holy Ka’bah
represents.
It represents the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and that Imam Ali’s (as) light and reality
is born from within the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and is a symbol of the futuwwa
which is the chivalry and noble youth.
Noble youth because the innocence of youth, that when the young come towards Islam with
good character and ma’soom (innocent) - that they're perfected, they haven't done things
that adults have done, he represents that reality.
In the youthful purification and perfection Allah (AJ) brought the first youth of Islam
is Imam Ali (as) and raised in the reality of Islam, raised in the reality of futuwwa
and chivalry in which to bring people back to their youthful innocence.
So that when a person becomes rijal (people of maturity) and can be 50, 60 years old Allah
(AJ) bring them back to be of a youthful innocence.
Don't let the hardship of this dunya (material world) taint you, but to go back to like a
childish sort of innocence in which they have good character, love and a chivalry in which
to be very noble characteristics.
And that's the way of Imam Ali’s (as) training to train people into that reality.
So he represents immense, immense realities.
And on the Isra wal Mi’raj (Night Journey and Ascension) that coming up one of the realities
is that Prophet ﷺ reached within the heights of the heavens and heard a roaring of a lion
and he was so mesmerized and taken back by the extreme power of the roaring of that lion,
and that's why we say ‘Asadullah al Ghalib’ (the Victorious Lion of Allah (AJ)) because
the reality is something that Allah (AJ) has dressed upon.
As he ﷺ approached that roaring lion he asked Sayyidina Jibreel (as) that, ‘Tell
me from this reality’ he [Sayyidina Jibreel (as) said ‘This is the reality of your cousin
- Imam Ali (as), every time he roars the angels are coming into existence from his roar.’
So again immense lights and blessings upon that reality and that Allah (AJ) gave all
His favors to the nation of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
The Holy Companions (as), Ahlul Bayt (Holy Family of Prophet ﷺ) these are ancient lights
in which Allah (AJ) wanted to give all these treasures as a treasure to Sayyidina Muhammad
ﷺ.
‘I've saved the best of these souls created from your light I made them all from your
nation so that you are the beatific and fragrant nation of My kingdom’ inshaAllah.
Their names don't come first their realities came first, so Allah (AJ) saved the best for
the last.
Out of all the creation that He made from the light of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, that
when you make something the base of the building is one thing but once you build, build, build
you're building all of that for what you're about to put on to the top floor and the crown
of the building.
So the crown of this creation is Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, everything into the Muhammadan
kingdom is the best of what Allah (AJ) has created, the best of saints, the best of companions,
the best of family - the best of Ahlul Bayt because Allah’s (AJ) love for the reality
of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ He saved the best for last, inshaAllah.
As salaamu alaykum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh Sayyidi
Walaykum as salaam warahmatullahi wa barakatuh Sayyidi what is the reality of the Du’a
(supplication) of the Saint of Rajab?
Can we read the du’a in other months other than Rajab?
Sure, any du’a can be read all the time, it's in Du’a e Mathur that we read every
day.
So alhamdulillah that's a powerful du’a, its words in Naqshbandiya are very important,
that to admit to ourself our zulumat (oppression), our bad character and come through the door
of humility.
The Rajab awrad (daily practices) and the etiquette that to be recited through Rajab
read the English or read your language in which you understand and contemplate.
And it's not like any other people, you know I don't think anybody in masjid's talk like
this that ‘I’m nothing and if there's two doors I’m coming through the door of
disbelief.’
Admit to Allah (AJ), don't come and think, ‘I’m a big believer, I’m a great believer,
I’m the most amazing believer’ but say that ‘Ya Rabbi that don't need to punish
me, I’m… if there's two doors I’m coming through disbelief.’
What better than Allah (AJ) say, ‘Oh I’m so happy with you, you came through that door,
but no I really think you're a good believer.’
Let it be for Allah (AJ) to judge us.
So their teaching for us is - you judge yourself that you're nothing but let Allah (AJ) determine
who's something and who's nothing, so that we don't have pride and arrogance.
So their teaching of their prayers are even immensely different than other people's prayers,
that ‘We're nothing, we're nothing.’
And then if I’m asking I’m not asking, anything from me Ya Rabbi I’m giving my
answer to be from You, that you answer on my behalf, I’m nothing I’m just like a
less than an atom.’
The zurriya is like a little ant, that ‘I’m not putting myself as anything.’
So all of those beatific praisings are a symbol of how the king of saints - king of awliya
(saints) how they talked to Allah (AJ) as in an ocean of nothingness.
So by praying and reading these du’as as they read them we're asking to be dressed
by the same character and its realities.
Any time you copy the saints and the awliya, the Sultanul Awliyas (Kings of Saints) then
we're being dressed by their rewards because their nazar (gaze) is on us because we're
repeating what they left for us as an inheritance, inshallah.
As salaamu alaykum Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
If anything has one eye in it does it always mean Dajjal (man of deceit) or can it be a
coincidence?
Or if the character's eye is injured does it matter?
No I wouldn't say everything, some things are accidental, somebody may get hurt you
say, ‘Oh this look this is Dajjal’ and then beat him up and no it's not like that
[Shaykh laughs].
No everything there’s a wisdom, there's no answer for everything.
So everything has a hikmah and a wisdom and to look at things with an understanding.
That no, that's not, that's not what it is inshaAllah.
As salaamu alaykum Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
How do we shed off the selfishness in us?
By doing selfless acts.
So when people are selfish and only think of themself then do selfless acts in which
you do things where you don't have a reward for yourself and you live a life trying to
be selfless.
That's why the tariqah (spiritual path) is based on khidmat (service).
We don't think that our entry into paradise is that we prayed, that we fasted, that we
gave zakah (charity) and that we prayed, we did hajj (pilgrimage) - that's not my entry
into paradise that was my entry into good character.
If I did it right I would have a very humble character, good character, sort of compassionate
for other people and then I would have a sincerity.
If I have sincerity then I would ask myself and ask my Lord that, ‘Ya Rabbi I want to
live a life of service.’
I read that the companions all they did was serve Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ with their lives.
With their lives, there was no life insurance, they put their lives at stake two times a
day in their battles at times.
So it means that was a life of khidmat, they didn't get that title of ‘Sahabi’ (Holy
Companions of Prophet ﷺ) because they made salah (daily prayer).
Right?
So the only noble title that they achieved and why that title can't be achieved by anyone,
otherwise there are awliya only who maybe came and prayed more why didn't they achieve
that title higher than that and you would…
Prophet ﷺ would have described - well everybody based on how their ‘amal (action) is.
But their nobility and the rank that can't be achieved by anyone is because of their
companionship in the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and that they lived and died
for that reality.
As a result Allah (AJ) locked that - nobody, not a saint, not an anything in creation can
achieve that proximity because they served with their physical presence the Muhammadan
kingdom and Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
So that's, that's immense.
So that's a khidmat, if it was anything else then Allah (AJ) would say, ‘Oh if you pray
a lot you can be at a higher rank.’
No it's not your praying and your zakah, nobody can do these things.
All those ‘amals were for us to have good character, if we had good character then we
would live a life of service inshaAllah and that service is what opens Allah’s (AJ)
rahmah and mercy upon us and blessings inshaAllah.
As salaamu alaykum ya Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
I have a question about keeping yourself hidden.
Are we, as we are students on the path and we are still weak and not strong should we
hide our practices from others?
Yes, that's why all our practices are different than what people understand.
They come from the masjid and they see how we pray and they say, ‘Oh you people pray
very fast.’
Because you go there and they do everything to be seen by people.
Right?
So you go somewhere and the wudu (ablution) station everybody like they took a hamam,
all wet, all their clothes wet, each one wetter than the other person, each one gargling deeper
in their throat to clear out their nostrils, their brain cavities, everything to show that
they're clean people.
Tariqah doesn't teach that, tariqah teaches - quickly wash, don't make a big mess, don't
use too much water, don't talk, get out and do your prayers and your Salatul Wudu (Prayer
of Ablution).
So tariqah comes and teaches - pray so that not to be identified, not so fast like you're
a chicken but you know at a speed enough not to bother the weaker among you where you want
to show everybody your how long you can make your salah as if to impress people with your
prayers but then at home you're probably not even praying, and that's…
They try to teach to avoid hypocrisy, that whatever you want to do best to do it hard
with Allah (AJ).
You want to pray long and hard alhamdulillah do it when you're alone when you can't have
any fun of somebody observing you and then pray all night long for Allah (AJ) - it has
the most reward.
So anything you want to do, do it in sincerity for Allah (AJ) alone.
So that's the core of tariqah teachings, that don't need to show anyone anything of what
we do and sit in a corner of the masjid and keep making zikr (Divine remembrance) and
people say, ‘Oh my god what is this person is doing?’
We try not to draw attention to ourselves inshaAllah in anything we do.
As salaamu alaykum Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
Can we do our daily awrad while sitting in family so that they can also get benefit of
light and energy?
But that was the other question, that was the question of showing off to them.
So if people do that, that you may bring sort of animosity from other people.
That as soon as everyone's sitting to watch a TV or to talk and socialize, ‘Allah (AJ),
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah ﷺ.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah…’ and [people will say] ‘Oh look at this guy there's a
Mufti Saab is now making us look like this, he’s going to make us look bad.’
So you may open up a lot of animosity that, ‘Why you're doing your practices in front
of us and making us feel like we're deficient.’
And so again that with a hikmah (wisdom), if you're talking about little kids then sure
you take your kids on the couch and say, ‘Okay everybody we're going to do our awrad, Ashhadu
an la ilaha illallah…
’ no problem.
But if you're going to your relatives and in-laws and decide you're going to put your
feet up and now and start doing all your awrad [Shaykh laughs] you may have problems, or
they may not invite you again and you can do that intentionally [Shaykh laughs].
Yeah so they stopped inviting Zeeshan [audience member] everywhere [everyone laughs].
Yeah all those places you didn't want to go and he's like ‘I don't want to…
I go here they just talk dunya, dunya, dunya’ then grow your beard, grow your beard put
a turban on nobody will invite you tomorrow [Shaykh laughs] you don't have to worry about
all the discussions that you don't want to enter into because [people will say] ‘Oh
that bearded guy again don't invite him he's such a Debbie downer.’
As salaamu alaykum Sayyidi Walaykum as salaam warahmatullah
What can we do if we have lots of pictures of ourselves out in the world from the past
possessed by friends and family?
Pray that Allah (AJ) forgive you [Shaykh laughs].
Alhamdulillah for those who grew up in a time before all these cameras but it's such a difficult
era right now and all the kids who are growing up you know posting these ridiculous pictures
that you know they're going to regret you know in 10, 15, 20 years or going to work
or getting a job.
So it's just a time that we live in that has an extreme difficulty and all we can do is
make tawbah (repentance) that Allah (AJ) you know to hide whatever is inappropriate that
you have out there and that Allah (AJ) - Al-Sattar (the Veiler (of Sin)) begin to hide it and
dispose of it and make those things to go away inshaAllah.
But a difficult time and for the youth of today extremely difficult, how to tell them
that these things that you post you know you're going to be affected when you go to get work
because every job now looks at all the social profiles and they want to know what type of
person they're hiring and those can have a significant impact on what type of career
or job a person will get.
So we pray that Allah (AJ) sort of guide everybody and to cover what's inappropriate and wrong
and that Allah (AJ) Ghafoor ur Raheem (The All Forgiving, The Most Merciful), make lots
of istighfar (seeking forgiveness) inshaAllah and lots of salawats (praises upon Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ) on Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi
rabbil ‘aalameen.
Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.