Finding That Divine Tap

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) on the 22^nd April 2010. 

Shaykh Nazhim (q.s.) made du’a that we be Bestowed knowledge that would help us ascend from one level to the next.  We must perform what is our right – our right is to be obedient servants of Allah (s.w.t.).  Each person must know where he stands.  If he does not, he may lose his direction on this journey.  Every person who understands what his responsibilities are has acquired honour.  Those who do not know their responsibilities have no Divine value.  They are like animals since animals have no responsibilities. 

Shaykh Nazhim (q.s.) said that he is merely a tap through which Divine Advice flows.  Such wisdom reaches these taps in waves.  Just as no home can have a flow of water without pipes and taps, no human can receive a flow of Divine Teachings if he is not linked to a heavenly tap.  No one on earth has control over these Divine pipes and taps.  Teachers who are not true taps of guidance, often show bad behaviour, causing people to run away from Islam.  Such teachers, who show a gruff and rough exterior, who treat their students harshly and rudely, and who preach a violent and extremist brand of Islam, have the Divine Light Removed from their faces.  Their behaviour causes people to leave Islam, instead of falling in love with it.  So many extremist preachers have caused people to hate Islam, and to say, “If this is Islam, then I do not accept it.” 

Such preachers have to ask themselves where they are headed in life and what they think their mission is.  Rasulullah (s.a.w.) was aware that his ummah would split into many sects.  He had said, “The Jews were split into seventy-one sects; and the Christians were split into or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects.”  People of the ummah would leave his sunnah and the Way of his swahabah and their followers.  Now, they have even declared the way of the swahabah wrong.  This has already occurred.  The followers of these small sects are unable to see that a small group can never dictate the ideology of the majority.  People today tremble before the miniscule matters of dunya but they do not fear the Almighty in daring to declare the majority of Muslims astray and justifying their small sects as the true followers of the Prophet (s.a.w.). 

They obstinately cling to their wayward creed as if their hearts have been locked in such an ideology.  Many Muslims’ hearts have been locked – they reject the Islam brought by the Prophet (s.a.w.) and his companions; they accept only their own ideology.  So many followers hold their leaders’ teachings in higher esteem than Rasulullah (s.a.w.).  Many fanatics are so quick to label all new developments in Islam as bid’ah.  Do these fanatics consider it practical to insist that we still ride camels today?  In which direction are they taking their followers?  What is the purpose in seeking and teaching knowledge?  Does the Lord of Heavens Lead His servants to dunya or to akhirah?  The only aim of all that was brought by Rasulullah (s.a.w.) is to lead the ummah to akhirah.  Every teacher must ask if he is doing the same thing. 

In the past, Allah (s.w.t.) Sent His prophets to guide humans to akhirah.  Today there are still those who bring such Divine Guidance and all true guides must show their followers the Way to their Lord.  Today, people are striving for dunya, day and night; we are no longer striving to please Allah (s.w.t.).  Yet the Prophet (s.a.w.) directed us towards Allah (s.w.t.), not dunya.  We need these guides, these shuyukh.  May Allah (s.w.t.) Grant that we find them.