mercy oc e a ns Sheikh Nazim Mercy Oceans (book two) Book Two teachings of Mevlana sheikh F abdullah ed-dagistani d en-naqshbandi P Mercy Oceans Book Two Winter Lectures 1400 H. (1980 A. D.) The Teachings of Mevlana Sheikh Abdullah Ad-Daghistani An-Naqshbandi May Allah Sanctify His Blessed Soul As expounded upon by our Master Mevlana Sheikh Nazim Adil Al-Haqqani An-Naqshband spohr The Cyprus Library Centre for the Registration of Books and Serials documents the following digital edition ISBN 978-9963-40-000-3 First Edition 1980 © 1980 by Sheikh Nazim Adil al-Óaqqânî al-Qubrûsî e-book ISBN 978-9963-40-000-3 Reprint 2007 by Spohr Publishers Limited, Larnaca, Cyprus [www.spohr-publishers.com]. table of contents Introduction ....................................................................... 9 Signs of real faith .............................................................. 11 You shall be tried ............................................................. 12 Importance of enduring troubles ........................................ 13 Look not to the faults of others / How to become free of bad character ............................... 14 Belief in the unseen ........................................................... 16 The need for a guide .......................................................... 18 Every action as if it were your last ...................................... 20 Remembering death / The way of high aspiration ................. 21 Fighting your own personal Satan ....................................... 23 ‘Aqil wa tawakkil – Trust in God but tie your camel first ....... 2 The need for training / Avoid argument .............................. 27 Address the good side of people .......................................... 29 Importance of leaving forbidden and disliked actions ............. 30 Our teaching comes from prophets / Respect for food ............ 32 Importance of washing the body ......................................... 33 Why Sayyidinâ ‘Alî was riding a mule ................................. 34 One must be humble ......................................................... 3 Protect and respect / The ways of the prophet ..................... 36 About looking .................................................................. 38 Remove the teeth of your dragon ........................................ 40 The most acceptable worship ............................................. 42 Allah protects those who pray ............................................ 43 Who is stubborn can’t enter paradise / Women in Islam .......... 4 Faith that moves mountains ............................................... 47 Respect for food: The prophet and the dried barley bread ...... 48 On learning and practicing what one has learned ................... 0 Don’t be a prisoner of enjoyment ........................................ 2  Two kinds of action / Story of Sayyidinâ Ibrahim and the flocks ........................ 3 Sultans are very few ..........................................................  Parable of the squash vine and the cypress tree ..................... 6 Are you mad? ................................................................... 8 Signs of a murshid ............................................................. 9 Thinking / Real life .......................................................... 60 All actions for the divine face / Reality, not philosophy in Islam ..................................... 64 Following a perfect example ............................................... 66 Why we prefer Islam .......................................................... 68 The safety of Shâm ............................................................ 69 Qur’ân: Fountain of knowledge ........................................... 70 Be listener ........................................................................ 72 Surrender to one’s Sheikh ................................................... 73 Facing trials gratefully / Abû Bakr, ‘Alî, and the thousand monks .......................... 74 Curing spiritual disease / Khalwa – seclusion ....................... 76 Our homeland is heavens ................................................... 79 Importance of final outcome ............................................... 81 Day of promises / Reward according to intention ................. 82 «I am a dustbin, don’t worry» ............................................. 84 Don’t boast ...................................................................... 8 Muhiy-id-dîn and the angel ................................................ 86 Wearing turbans ............................................................... 87 Defeat as reminder ............................................................ 88 Allah creates causes ........................................................... 89 Don’t say: impossible ....................................................... 90 Who carries Qur’ân? .......................................................... 91 Everyone will be with his beloved friend .............................. 92 No creation in vain ........................................................... 94 Bahlûl’s conversation with the private toilet of the Sultan ...... 9 What is belief? .................................................................. 96 Bahlûl and the paradise palace ............................................ 98 Ladies must obey husbands .............................................. 100 Who to follow? ................................................................ 101 The way of azeemat / Allah’s beauty oceans ....................... 101 6 The mureed who tested their love for each other .................. 103 How divine attributes differ from ours ................................ 10 Attributes of lovers – Layla and Majnûn ............................ 10 Make do with less ............................................................... 106 Advice on health and marital relations ............................... 109 «The god you worship is beneath my feet» .......................... 110 Humbleness / Who carries a snake will be bitten ................ 112 That which begins as dirty water and ends a decayed body can be proud? .......................... 113 Oh my donkey! ............................................................... 116 Don’t be angry ................................................................ 117 Ravages of envy .............................................................. 118 To resist temptation ....................................................... 119 Intercession ..................................................................... 121 On thankfulness .............................................................. 122 The man who never got angry ........................................... 123 Power of good words / Madhhabs in Islam .......................... 124 Murshid tricks nafs / Don’t see sinners as animals ............... 126 Sit at the back of the assembly .......................................... 128 Affirming weakness ......................................................... 129 Don’t break hearts / Assume the best ................................ 129 Your first responsibility is yourself .................................... 131 Allah’s endless mercy oceans ............................................. 131 Endless troubles .............................................................. 132 Islam is dynamic not passive / About sleeping and eating ..... 133 About non-Muslim ancestors ............................................ 136 Western ‘sufi’ groups around in circles ............................... 137 For new Muslims: be a real Muslim ................................... 138 A smile is charity ............................................................ 139 Respecting mankind ........................................................ 140 Meetings ........................................................................ 141 Importance of marriage .................................................... 141 More on meetings ............................................................ 143 Being fully present .......................................................... 144 Bayazid’s 24,000 expansions ............................................. 14 What to expect in the grave ............................................. 147 The story of the gravedigger ............................................. 148 7 Naqshbandia Tariqat setting limits for ego’s desires ............ 10 Travelling, the way of all prophets .................................... 12 Covering badness ............................................................ 14 For those denying tariqats ................................................ 17 Who is an unbeliever? ...................................................... 17 Speaking the holy name of Allah ....................................... 18 Always ask for more knowledge / The soul’s capacity is endless ........................................ 19 Keeping the eyes, the tongue, the limbs .............................. 160 Following like a shadow and the story of the barrel of wine ... 163 A method in our way / Pride and manners at metting .......... 16 The wisdom behind Satan / Nothing created without benefit ....................................... 168 Dhikr – remembering God ................................................. 171 The value of this world ...................................................... 172 On visiting graves ........................................................... 174 A lesson from a meeting in the spiritual world / What gives a man dishonour? ......................................... 17 Controlling anger and passion ............................................. 178 The advice of satan and people of advanced thinking ............ 180 Presence in worship / Muhammad, the Last Prophet ............ 183 Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him ........................................ 184 Avoiding fitna / Grandsheikh’s tales / Improving day by day .................................................... 186 Turning the other cheek / A story of Mevlana Khâlid .......... 189 Belief in the hereafter ......................................................... 194 The position of the Naqshbandi order ................................. 196 Allah looks to our hearts and actions ................................... 202 Be pleased serving for Allah’s sake ...................................... 20 Laziness ........................................................................ 207 Marriage ........................................................................ 209 Glossary of Arabic terms ............................................... 213 IntroductIon We are going to speak from our Grandsheikh’s lectu- res, as he was a representative of the Holy Prophet in our time. Every Wali, saint, must be a representative of his Prophet in his own time. They are masters for teaching people the Ways of Allah Almighty. Each one of mankind is going towards his Lord, but each has a private and different destination. Everyone must know his destination. The Awliyâ’, saints, have lights in their hearts; they are not blind. For most people, their heart’s eyes are veiled. But Awliyâ’ have taken off the veils and, like Prophets, may look to the future. With their light, they may help people to their destinations, as Allah Almighty says to His Prophet, Muhammad, in the Holy Qur’ân: «Say: This is my way, that I am inviting you unto your Lord, Allah Almighty, with exact vision and perfect guidance which I am on as are they who completely follow me.» (Surat Yusuf, Verse 108) 9