A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah by Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) on the 17 th October 2010.   Despite our weakness, our sole intention in life must be to destroy bathil , falsehood.   We must plant that intention in our hearts that we are going to dedicate our lives to uphold truth and justice, and to destroy the evil teachings and the destructive lifestyle brought by Shaythan .   We must not feel rested, until there exists none on Earth who are walking on falsehood; we must have the intention to oppose the evil teachings of Shaythan , even if there be just one man left on Earth representing and propagating it.   We must know our life’s mission and fulfill it.   If any of us say that we are scholar, then well and good, but what is the aim of being a scholar?   If any of us say that we are muhaddits who has memorised thousands of ahadits of Rasulullah ( s.a.w. ), again, that is very adm...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) on the 09 th April 2010.   Many so-called scholars in Islam reject taswawwuf and thariqa’ .  Some not only reject it, they even label it as bid’ah , an innovation.  We have to open our eyes and take a good look at the world around ourselves today.  We have become restless creatures.  We seek solace and peace but cannot find it in the world of technology and entertainment.  Our souls are thirsty for spirituality.  There is an intense craving in many hearts today for a journey of love.  The world of materialistic pursuit is not one that will ever bring happiness to our hearts.  One is never contented or satisfied.  It is a world of mutual boasting and petty rivalry; it is meaningless and empty, and souls can never find rest.  The world of materialism leads to Jahannam ; it is Cursed by Allah ( s.w...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is taken from the swuhbah by Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ), from the 02 nd March 2023.   We live in a world of possibilities, a world where everything occurs for an asbab , a reason.  That is a characteristic of this worldly life, not the characteristics of the Divine realm.  In life, what Allah ( s.w.t. ) places before us, choices.  We have to make the right choice in order to benefit.  It is like a huge table filled with all kinds of food, and we are free to pick and choose what we want to eat.  On one side of the table, there is Divine food, food for the soul, every single nourishment needed by our spiritual selves; nothing is missing.  The prophets and saints beckon us to this side of the table.  However, many reject the invitation because the journey to that side of the table is arduous.  There are many qualifications to be met before we can get the food.  I...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “Our Grand Shaykh said, ‘Allah ( s.w.t. ) Sent our Prophet ( s.a.w. ) to complete good character, to change bad characters into good.   He taught, during his life, how a man can change his bad character into good.   This is the main goal of prophethood.’   Once, I asked my Grand Shaykh , ‘O, my Master!   Is there any complaining from a man with good character?’   ‘Never!’ he replied to me.   ‘You, will not find a man with good character complaining.’   There are so many complaints from man, you cannot count them.   Yet, you will never find a man with good character complaining.   A person of good character is like a healthy body.   If you touch a healthy body, there is no complaint.   But if a man has sores on his skin, then, ‘Ouch!’   So, likewise, people of good character are healthy in their spiritual lives.   But people o...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said all creatures are in a state of constant dzikr , for dzikr is the greatest recitation.   The Wahhabi ‘ulama speak out against the recitation of dzikr , especially against the loud congregational dzikr .   Why do they forbid what Allah ( s.w.t. ) has enjoined?   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says, in the Qur’an:   سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة فَٱذۡكُرُونِىٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡڪُرُواْ لِى وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ (١٥٢)   Then do you remember Me; I will Remember you.   Be grateful to Me and reject not faith. (Surah al-Baqarah:152)   In a hadits qudsi , as recorded in Swahih al-Bukhari and Swahih Muslim , Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says, “I am to my servant as he expects of Me, I am with him when he remembers Me.   If he remembers Me in his heart, I Remember him to Myself, and if he remembers me in an assembly, I Mention him in an assembly better than his …”   On what basis do these...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “After Allah ( s.w.t. ) Created the Lawh al-Mahfuzh , the Preserved Tablet, Allah ( s.w.t. ) Created the Pen.   The Pen stood up obediently before his Lord, and asked, ‘O my Lord, what am I going to write on the Preserved Tablet?’   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Decreed, ‘Write ‘ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim .’’   That was the first Command of Allah ( s.w.t. ) for the Pen.   Imagine how great the words, ‘ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim ’ are.   The Pen wrote those Words for 700 years, but not the years as measured by our worldly standards, but by Divine measurements.   In the Qur’an, it has been Mentioned that one heavenly day is equivalent to 1,000 years in this world, and another verse stated that one day in the heavens is 50,000 years in this world.   Only Allah ( s.w.t. ) and His Rasul ( s.a.w. ) Know how many years the Pen wrote those Words.   A servant of Allah ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, that among the Children of Israel, at the time of the exodus from Egypt, Korah was the richest man.   Korah carried a large part of that wealth into the Sinai with him, and with that wealth a great deal of influence over the Children of Israel.   Unfortunately for Korah, he used his influence to stir up rebellion and discontent with the leadership of Moses ( a.s. ).   In order to discredit Moses ( a.s. ) once and for all, Korah bribed a dishonourable woman to claim that Moses ( a.s. ) had committed adultery with her, and that the child in her womb was his.   As he was of course innocent, Moses ( a.s. ) was livid with rage, as he could only deny the accusation but could do nothing to prove it false.   How could he lead the Children of Israel when they would hold doubts in their hearts regarding his morals and veracity?   So Moses ( a.s. ) turned to his Lord...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “Shaykh ‘Aziz Mahmud Hudayi was the shaykh of Sulthan Ahmad Bakhti, who built the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.   When we enter it, we have the feeling we are entering Paradise.   The Sulthan himself helped put the stones and soil on the foundation, like a labourer.   Every sulthan must have a shaykh , because if a sultanate is not supported by spiritual power, it cannot exist and it will fall.   During his reign, a heavy illness befell the people of the time.   They fell ill in the morning and were dead by the evening.   People were prayed on and buried all day long.   A great fear spread over the land.   The scholars decided to get together and to go to the shaykh and ask him to make a prayer asking Allah ( s.w.t. ) to Remove this punishment from His people.   The shaykh opened his door, and told them to come in.   ‘O our master, you know w...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, in a swuhbah , Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was a famous shaykh .   One of his students was Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ).   He was not an Arab.   He was a Persian from Bukhara.   Shaykh Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) was illiterate.   Once Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) saw Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) praying maghrib .   When Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) heard that he was unable to say “ al-Hamdu ”, but pronounced it “ Elhemdu ”, he thought his recitation was not correct and did not pray behind him; he prayed alone.   That night, Allah ( s.w.t. ) Said to Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ), “Apart from that prayer which you did not pray behind Habib al-’Ajami, I Accept all your prayers.”   Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was still looking at the words, not at the heart of the imam .   Allah ( s.w.t. ) does not l...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, on the 01 st March 1980, that Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Fa’iz ad-Daghistani ( q.s. ) taught us the power of real faith.   The power of real faith is such a power that would enable a man to be stranded alone on a desert island for forty days with a very beautiful girl without any indecent thought entering his heart in relation to that girl.   The power of real faith would bar him from even considering a forbidden act with her.   The presence or absence of purity of heart will become evident in such a trial.   One may ask if such purity is within the capacity of a person, purity that would prevent the normal animal urges from even entering the mind of a man alone with an attractive woman for such a long period of time.   The answer to this question is, of course, yes: what if that girl was your daughter or sister, would it not then be natural for even any normal man to ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “The swahabah had asked Rasulullah ( s.a.w. ), what they should do if the Muslims became divided into two groups.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) replied, in a swahih hadits , ‘Follow the larger group.’   Today, there are one billion Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah , as compared to less than 100 million Wahhabi.   Why have they turned against this hadits , and not follow the guidance of the larger group?   Allah ( s.w.t. ) Says in the Qur’an:   سُوۡرَةُ التّوبَة يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (١١٩)   O you who believe!   Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed). (Surah at-Tawbah:119)   Can the Wahhabi show one of their leaders to be swadiqin ?   If so, what is the proof?   They claim that such swadiqin no longer exist.   If so, why did Allah ( s.w.t. ) Instruct Muslim...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) said, “Do not judge a man for who he was yesterday.   Judge him for who he is today.   For indeed, yesterday’s enemy may very well become today’s Beloved, and today’s Beloved may very well become tomorrow’s enemy.   Therefore, never love nor hate except for the sake of Allah ( s.w.t. ).   Only then will you be among those who are always free from experiencing the true essence of sorrow and sadness.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, “Once, I asked my Grand Shaykh , ‘O, my Master!   Are there any complaints from a man with good character?’   ‘Never!’ he replied to me.   ‘You will not find a man with good character complaining!’   So many complaints from people, you cannot count them.   Yet, you never find a man with good character complaining.   People of good character are like a healthy body.   If you touch a healthy body, there is no complaints.   But if a man has sores on his skin, then, ‘Ouch!’   So, likewise, people of good character are healthy in their spiritual lives.   But people of bad character, there are like a man wounded; wounds everywhere, you cannot touch any side of him, any part of his body.   Therefore, it is the measure of a man’s good character, or bad; how much complaining he does.   As much as his complaints are, you may know ho...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) gave the following swuhbah , on the 01 st January 1997.   Is it possible for an ant to understand a bee?   Is it possible for a cat to understand a dog?   If a cat is not a dog, he cannot know the real position of a dog.   A dog will understand a dog, a cat will understand a cat.   Everyone understands their own level.   An ant cannot understand a man.   All it knows, is that if it lands under the foot of a man, it will be finished.   It knows we are a great creature which moves, but it cannot give any description.   Only a man can know about another man.   A man cannot even know about a woman, just like a woman cannot know everything about a man, because they are different beings.   So how could it be possible for mankind to understand the Creator?   Only another creator could do that.   But there cannot be two creators; it is impos...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, that trials come afresh every day, and a seeker of the Path must be ready.   The purpose of trials is to turn affected faith into real faith.   They are an opportunity for every one to improve his station.   One still under the rule of his ego will be tested by that which his ego dislikes, through everything, from family, friends, work, and neighbours.   The way of development is the way of patience.   There is no quick development.   One must be agreeable to all happenings to and around himself.   The sign of development is to endure peoples’ troubling of us.   It is not important to fly in the sky or to walk on the sea or to be seen in several places at once or to dream good dreams.   It is more important, in our way, to be patient, resisting every wave of evil like a mountain in a storm, not being pushed back.   That is development. ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said that once, Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was sitting at the Tigris River in Baghdad, waiting for the ferry to come so as to cross over to the other side.   His student, Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ) came along.   He said, “My master, what are you waiting here for?”   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) said, “I am waiting for the ferry boat, to cross to the other side.”   “You are the shaykh .   Why are you sitting here waiting for that raft?   Come and say ‘ Bismillah ’ and walk”.   Then Shaykh Habib ( q.s. ) recited, “ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim ,” and walked on the Tigris to the other side.   It was then that Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) cried, “This ‘ajami is crossing the Tigris and I am sitting here!”   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) knew the power of Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim , but his student had certa...