The River Must Eventually Reach the Ocean

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is adapted from the teachings of Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) on 18^th April, 2010. 

We are urged us to read the Qur’an, as each ayat of the Qur’an is an ocean of knowledge, and whenever we read it, we are granted some understanding by Allah (s.w.t.).  Each time we complete the recital of the entire Qur’an, we would have reduced the number of veils that lie between ourselves and our reality, haqiqat, for the Qur’an contains knowledge that brings about this change in us.  The kitab in the Divine Presence is the Qur’an.  It contains knowledge of the past, from pre-eternity, and knowledge of the future, right until eternity.  It is the Word of Allah (s.w.t.), Lord of Creation. 

What is the meaning of Rabb?  It means the Lord, He Who Administers everything.  It is a Divine Name of Allah (s.w.t.) which humans can relate to at our level of understanding.  Is there a Greater Name of Allah (s.w.t.)?  Yes, but we are not given knowledge of it, for it is beyond the level of human understanding.  Every prophet was given knowledge of some Hidden and Holy Names of Allah (s.w.t.). 

We must never assume that all the secrets of the heavens will be made known to us.  Why are there seven heavens, and not seventy, seven hundred or seven thousand?  Such knowledge has not been Revealed to us as yet.  Such limitations help to put us in our place.  We know that there is much to learn so instead of claiming to be scholars, we are pleased to say that we are students, learners, seekers of knowledge, seeking more knowledge. 

How much will mankind ask for?  Allah (s.w.t.) Bestowed mankind a very special Gift which only He Knows what it really is and what it is meant for – the ego.  The ego is unique; no matter how much it is given, it always wants more.  The ego of common people, can never be satisfied.  If we give it one palace, it wants another.  If we give it one country, it wants another.  If we give it one continent, it wants another.  And if we give it the whole earth, it wants another. 

Even though we have been Given the Grant of khalifah, we all begin our journey at the lowest level, and at that level, our egos still say they want more and more.  If mankind cannot put a rein on their ride, their ego, we ask and ask endlessly, and Allah (s.w.t.) Bestows upon us what we asks, as long as what we ask is not beyond the borders of the permissible, the Shari’ah of Allah (s.w.t.).  Allah (s.w.t.) Gives mankind slowly, and in stages, from His Endless Dominions, as a Grant from a Sulthan to His Deputy. 

When mankind is given the reins to his ride, he becomes aware of his limits.  He will no longer ask endlessly.  What are those reins?  Death.  Only death can put a halt to this endless desire.  Death controls and contains our egos.  So those who have reined in their egos, do not ask for all of Allah’s (s.w.t.) Dominions.  Instead, they seek to be with the Lord of Dominions. 

As Allah’s (s.w.t.) khalifah, mankind has been Bestowed the highest level of all Creation, and he should be asking for something of very great honour, not for something of little or no value.  Mankind must ask to be with the Lord of Dominions, the Creator, and not with the dominions, Creation itself.  We are His Chosen servants.  The rest of creation, even angels, are servants to us.  So why do we ask to be with Creation when we were Created for Him?  Allah (s.w.t.) has no need for the worship of His servants.  It is we who are in need of worshipping Him and of being with Him. 

We must come to such a level where the Divine Dominion becomes Manifest, when the heart finally feels satisfaction, when we say, “Enough, enough, enough!”  And at that point, we stop requesting more and more from Allah (s.w.t.).  We have finally reached a point of contentment and satisfaction.  Like a river that has spent its entire course running so fast to reach the ocean, when it finally enters the ocean, its running comes to a halt.  It flows calmly; it is at peace when it is absorbed into the ocean.  It says, “Enough, enough ...” 

What is the haqiqat, reality, of mankind?  Mankind’s real being yearns to reach Allah’s (s.w.t.) Dominions and to be annihilated into the Oceans of Unity.  There, he will find satisfaction in being with his Lord and it is at that point that he will say, “I have found what I was seeking.  I need nothing else.  It is enough.  It is enough.”  Before arriving that point, our life is in turmoil.  We experience the ups and downs of existence, the alternating pain and pleasure but when we finally arrive and drown in the Ocean of Unit, we have attained tranquility.  We must try to understand this and teach it to others so that they can understand themselves.   Once begin to understand, the secret of halal and haram will become apparent.  Halal is all that leads us to that Ocean of Dominions, and haram is all that prevents us from arriving. 

So we must strive to stop being slaves to our egos instead of being Allah’s (s.w.t.) servants. As His khalifah, it is shameful that we have left the service of the Sulthan, and instead chose to be of service to our donkey.  Many are fully occupied with the whims and fancies of their donkey whilst the Sulthan Watches, awaiting our return to obedience.  Today, we have all become our donkey’s servants.  We have all left our Sulthan’s service.  How is there pleasure and enlightenment for us like that?  We must leave our donkey and submit to Allah (s.w.t.).  The Lord’s Dominions are filled with those servants who have reached the Oceans.  They lived their worldly lives in their Lord’s Divine service.  They devoted their entire lives to the service of the Sulthan. 

If we truly wish to be in safety and enlightenment in dunya and in the hereafter, we must obey the teachings of the Qur’an and it will unveil the Way to arrive at the Divine Oceans.  Some claim that they do not understand these lessons.  That is not true.  Their egos pretend not to understand but their real beings do.  Only the ego would reject such a lesson for this lesson teaches one to reject the ego.  So we must leave the ego and come to our real being, to Allah (s.w.t.).