SURAH AL-‘IKHLAS
The previous two- three weeks we begun discussing on the attributes and the names of Allah Almighty in order to be acquainted with the Creator, to acquaint Him to whom we ought to manifest deity and ibadah, albeit with a remark that knowledge about God does not necessarily make us more devotional. On the contrary what makes us more devotional is deity on Allah Almighty, the more ibadah we conduct, the more on prostration before Allah Almighty we are found, the closer we grow hither Allah Almighty. Even in the Qur’an, it is the vocabulary and the jargon of the Qur’an when it refers to individuals who are close to Allah Almighty under no occasion does it encompass those who have an immense knowledge on religion, instead it refers to people who greatly show deity on Allah Almighty. For instance in the Surah Al-Fath in the 29th verse, in the final verse of the Surah Allah Almighty says that persons who are close with Allah Almighty, companions of Allah Almighty, are seen in continues never ceasing Ruku (standing position while praying) and Sajdah (prostration to God in direction of Kaaba) and that Ruku and Sajdah have left spiritual traces in their physiognomy. Primarily Ruku and Sajdah are two elementary fashions which have never been altered in the performance of ibadah on Allah Almighty. From the first man, Adam (PBUH) hither the final Prophet (PBUH) and from there hither The Judgment Day, there are two rukne, two rules of ibadah and worship of Allah Almighty which have never been altered and these are Ruku and Sajdah. As a result, the essential matter is to experience the closeness with Allah Almighty through ibadah, however iman, faith is one process which indubitably requires from us to also acquaint and know Him, the one to whom we believe.
We said that the essential acquaintance is of significant importance to us as adherents especially as people who live in the XX-XXI century, and do you know why? Since primarily we encompass the elements outside, in the outer dimension, we have even began to show diplomatic terms with ourselves. There is one saying among us which says: “the one who is a liar firstly believes in his own lie and only then he lies to others”. In the recent periods man has developed one perception of lying to himself on a number of matters which even include lies on their essence, or matters regarding the being, to this reason it ought to be clear to us that motioning closer to Allah Almighty is one process which indubitably passes through a number of stadiums and platforms of knowledge and this is inevitable if we seek to acquaint Allah Almighty.
The initial one from them was for us to feel the presence of Allah Almighty in our innerness, this is the most important, all the other arguments speaking on Allah Almighty are secondary, have this in mind. Inasmuch each time you will receive some satisfaction from something outer, as you will have a great number of such occasions in your affairs, in your life, regardless of what your profession will be, exactly there you will be able to see Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty in the Qur’an says: “And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.” (Surah Al-‘A’raf, verse: 179); it says so since the reason for the creation of man is for the person to seek its essence. If man does not succeed to acquaint his essence then his eyes shall not see what they ought to see, his ears shall not hear what he ought to hear, his heart shall not comprehend what he ought to comprehend and while they cannot recognize the essence, all the rest of the matters which we encounter from this world are merely matters which do not show him the path hither his essence. In one other verse of the Surah Haj Allah Almighty says: “So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.” (Surah Al-Haj, verse: 46). In contemporary psychology this matter has been issued as a paradigm or judgment. Oftentimes when people hold prejudices against particular matters they do not see things as they truly are in reality, or for instance one particular element important for the lives of people such as religion, is perceived through various prejudices on this world and these can be ideological prejudices, others can be educational prejudices, even complexity prejudices, position wise prejudices, family relations prejudices, all of the mentioned ones have a pair of glasses through which they strive to see one matter which is of high importance for the existence of man. Moreover the Qur’an says that one scholar is isolated like the hedgehog, he trespasses into a protective mode and cannot be pervaded. Inasmuch the Qur’an cannot be permeated before prejudice; religion and God cannot be seen in such occasions, it cannot be opened to those who approach it with prejudices. For instance now in the West there is a great number of Orientalists who study Islam but are not Muslims; we have people who are not engrossed in the study of Islam as the formal group, but are Muslims, since the Qur’an is opened only when a person approaches it without prejudice. What it actually means here without prejudice? It means that when one person willingly and in sincerity seeks the truth, not to say that the Qur’an is truth since he cannot claim this at the beginning, but if he approaches it with presumptions that yes I do seek to know the truth, then have in mind that the Qur’an is opened to each person and rejoices with that being. Hence aiming without any prejudice is highly important especially for us as people living in this period of the existence of man when the materialistic, consumption and spending have become basis to our existence; it has never been this claim before with man; consumption and the material / the physical have become the foundation of existence. It is very hard for one to experience religion as it ought to be upon this period, you might have noticed how the XIX and XX century, when consulting on religion, speak on momentary fascinating fashions. For instance we turn on a program and have there a man speaking against the theory of evolution of Darwin and he brings his own arguments and at that moment this pleases us. To several of you here I have told the case with one of my kin who after returning from one surgery said to me: “Hoja efendi, today I have understood that there is God. He has organized all the things in such a beautiful fashion within the organism of man, so precise as it cannot be imagined” and the whole religion was this, right, yes alright this is one moment of fascination. In reality the protestant dimension on religion is precisely as this in the world, hence people experience religion through the momentary fractionations. This is not religion, have this in mind. Do you know what religion truly is? When the moment of fascination continues with deity on Allah Almighty. If one person in one moment has claimed “yes truly I did see that there is God” or for instance if one person has a problem and prays to God and then overcomes that problem and he then says “yes really now I see that there is God”, yet anew religion is not founded on this element, religion is based on the continuity of this element. When one shall show deity on Allah Almighty, one shall be involved with religion and shall hence systemize his/ her life subject to those decrees, and only then we can truly say we have come to experience religion. Inasmuch one can observe how the contemporary world has focused on a rather sophistic way on the stand of spirituality in general, not only on religion but moreover on spirituality as well. What do sophistic mean? It strives to justify with arguments, not taking under account if it is right or not. Sophists are known in the history of philosophic thought as persons who (they are initial lawyers) have strived, albeit not being right, to win the dialogue, the discussion and polemics among the group of people. Religion especially Islam is not supportive of this. When Islam speaks on religion it refers to the dimension of the ear, the scope of hearing. I am not sure if you have ever thought (most of you here know) that the revelation has not descended on a written form, none of the religions have descended on a written form. All the sacred revelations are not dedicated exclusively to the eyes. The Revelation in the Cave of Hira descended to the Prophet (PBUH) through the ear, to Musa (PBUH) in another fashion. This reflects that the matter of listening, the matter of silence, the matter of devotion is one fundamental element of religion and the good adherents are those adherents who speak little but commit to a lot of ibadah, they show devotion and deity to a great extent on Allah Almighty, I mean in our everyday life we surely do notice these identities. Henceforth when we discussed about the argument of God we encountered this element.
The second attribute with which we acquaint God is the attribute Kidem, the first one was Vujjud – God exists and we spoke on one significant argument on the existence of God. And this argument was? The voice of God which is within us and which is the weight of all things which we do. Kidem, means God is without any beginning, God is eternal. There is one element which oftentimes perplexes the logic and reason of man, the system of causality. The contemporary philosophy greatly highlights on this principle of causation, everything which appears as a consequence of something has its reason, this is causality and mainly this is how moreover the universe is perceived as well; we do not see whether the reasons are there or if there are reasons but consequences do not appear. One of the contemporary philosophers who has dedicated work on this element is David Hume, one Western philosopher, who has confronted one element which is known to us all. Fire burns right, it does? It is a law that fire burns or perhaps it is a tradition that fire burns? Hume has discussed this element and he has come to conclude that fire does not have for its law to burn, if only once it has not burned Abraham (PBUH) when he was thrown into fire then this shows that, if for once fire had not burned, then fire in the state of burning cannot be taken for a law, but it is rather a tradition of fire, which means that there is a possibility for it not to burn.
You know that I am not greatly fond of the scientific arguments in regards to religion, but I will transmit one occasion. For instance the high temperatures used in lasers for conducting various surgeries (for instance used in eye surgery) are thousands degrees higher than the normal fire, but instead of burning they heal. Inasmuch the intervention of God in the universe is never ceasing. The ones who cannot comprehend this, the ones who do not see God present in the universe become subject to coincidences. Believing in coincidences is the greatest stupidity, inasmuch the person who even slightly uses logic cannot believe in coincidences. The materialistic philosophy of the XIX-XX century transforms life into an entire coincidence, precisely to this we undergo suffering in our problems which arise throughout our life, for we believe that everything takes place by chance and do not seek the reason where we should reveal it. Since if we let man dwell in the frame of coincidence then this individual has only the physical dimension, coincidence is front our physical domain. If we accept that it is the will of God that which has taken place then this relates to the contact with the spirit. I will encounter one occasion of one of our greatest scholars who is an imam in one jurisdiction institute which we follow, Imam Abu Hanifah. They had told Abu Hanifah that there is a group of atheists n Bagdad who do not believe in God and are asking to discuss with him, to go into polemic about the existence of God. Abu Hanifah one day decided to go to them, and everybody had known that Abu Hanifah is very precise on time, but this time he was delayed on purpose. When he arrived the group said: “we have known you for a man of knowledge, who is precise, why did you come late? The formal said: “do not ask. I went through of a lot until I arrived. I had to pass by the Tigris River in order to come on the other side. He said: “I got out from one side of the Tigris River, I stopped and I didn’t have a boat to pass onto the other side. Then suddenly a few wooden branches came and a few nails, also one hammer and the hammer began to nail the wooden planks, then from whole this, one small boat was made and I passed onto the other side”. The group said to him: “do you take us for crazy? How can this boat be made by itself?” the formal said: “if one small boat to pass river Tigris is not made by itself, then how can this cosmic boat be made by itself? If this cannot be a coincidence for me to pass one river from 5 m to 10 m, then how can this entire thing which exists to have been created by coincidence?” this dimension of God, there is one scholar, who discusses this in one very fascinating fashion and I recommend for you to read it. Faqir has translated this work; among us in the Sufi religious tradition the term “I” is not used, even in our Classic Albanian literature the term Faqir is used which means the poor which is not and does not have. I have translated this book by Abul A’la Maududi, the work is known as: “Towards understanding Islam” you have this in Albanian as well, you can find it in the library, I don’t have one left with me if I had one I would have given it to you, and here the author discusses the dimension of the teleological argument. He calls it the teleological argument since it is used both among Christians and the Greek philosophy. It refers to the argument of harmony and gathering which exists in the universe. This harmony and festivity which exists in the universe cannot simply be a coincidence. “there is a possibility” for only one wooden plank to be a coincidence, but the entire boat to be made cannot simply be a coincidence; perhaps one wooden plank has been thrown as a material and this can become a coincidence yet however this wooden plank, this hammer and these nails to come and make one entire boat cannot be referred to as merely a coincidence. Inasmuch man also in his most beautiful form, the universe with the form which it has, cannot simply be a coincidence. In order for this not to be a coincidence it needs a Creator. The ones who motion more profoundly on this matter, not only from the religious domain but in general from philosophers, for instance you have a great number of philosophers like Spinoza, Leibniz, Descartes who have made analyses on this issue and in the end all of them altogether have concluded that in essence, in the initial chain of existence, there is one superpower. Read for instance the book “Discourse of the method” from Descartes and “Monadology” from Leibniz, all of these lead to the existence of Allah Almighty. For instance in our recent period these philosophical books are in trend, perhaps one of you might have read the following book as this trend began since 5-6 years ago with the book “Sophie’s world”. You have this novel also in Albanian, English, Macedonian and Turkish by Jostein Gaarden, one Swedish philosopher, which through the life of a girl who lives in two dimensions, speaks on the history of philosophy and it is rather a good read, a very beautiful book, especially those of you who are younger it is good to have this read, however the first to begin this genre have been the Muslims. Moreover there is one work (I mean to point something else) which has been written in the XIII century by one of our philosophers Ibn Tufayl. Ibn Tufayl / Abubacer Aben Tofail is how he is known by the Westerns, he has been Latinized just as Ibn Rushd is known as Averroes, or Ibn Sina is known as Avicenna, he has a work: “Hajj Ibn Yaqdhan / “Alive, son of Awake” this is how the work is called, in Bosnian it has been translated since 20 years ago when I have been a student in Bosnia, the work is known as ”Zivi sin budnoga”. It speaks about a boy who has lost his parents and had remained alone in one island and there he had been taken care by a Gazelle and when his animal had died, the boy had began to see what she (the animal) was actually missing, everything was in order with her expect that now she doesn’t move, she is cold she is not warm anymore. This is how he began, from a medical biological analysis to nature, from nature to the universe and then into astronomy and in the end he arrives at the existence of God. One similar occasion which takes place in one novel which we all here have read is “Robinson Cruz” by Daniel Defoe, expect that the most important element which is going to God, in the work of Defoe is lacking; it does not exist.
Inasmuch I tell you that if you wish to realistically comprehend the universe, indubitably we ought to understand the Kidem attribute of God, that He was and nothing else there was (keep this in mind) He was and nothing else there was. Once one Sufi, they ask our Sufi scholar: In the beginning there was God and there was nothing else, but how it is now? He briefly replied: “Al an Kama Kane” Even now it is as it has always been. Even now true genuine existence only God has. Oftentimes people are delirious and believe that they are very significant. Our existence without God is futile; even if we live for 1000 years, if in our essential existence God does not exist then our existence is ineffectual, regardless of how much we will live on this world, with death our job here is finished and nobody recalls themselves of us. We all have people in our families who have passed away, and for how long do we remember them? One week and after one week everyone continues with their life and this is where it ends. The only connection we have with them is the spiritual dimension which we contain. To this reason in the Qur’an it has been said: “He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.” (Surah Al-Hadid, verse: 3). Allah Almighty is the ultimate genuine existence who has existed and who then after had created us.
The third attribute is Beka (Baqa or Al-Baki) – He is eternal. Inasmuch He never dies, there was never a time and there shall never be a time when we will not be able to hope on the mercy from God, there was never a time and there will never be a time upon which we shall not be able to rely on Him, we shall never have the time and the occasion to commit to something wrong without His acquaintance; without He seeing us; henceforth He has the eternal dimensions upon all the elements of life.
The presence of God is not only in this place where we commit to ibadah, where we pray namaz or only in the mosque or in any other particular place, the presence of God is in each sphere of our lives both horizontally and vertically. Inasmuch as to the extent this is true from the timely spectra it is also valid from the surface dimension; professor Metin as both professor and imam must be equal and complete, there as a professor from the aspect of the character as well as a imam at the mosque. If we isolate God within the four walls of the mosque we have not achieved anything. Or for instance, Burhan must be the same person in university, as a student with a complete personality but moreover when he shall be here, to also have compact that complete character since he lives with the eternity of God, especially if he is a true adherent.
The fourth attribute is Vahdaniyet – God is one. In the Qur’an there is one verse which says: “Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah , they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah , Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.” (Surah Al-‘Anbya’, verse: 22); “Say, [O Muhammad], “If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the Owner of the Throne a way.” (Surah Al-‘Isra’, verse: 42). People living now are a little more at peace with this matter. When we say two gods, we think that the purpose is to take a sculpture of Buddha or of al- Lat or al-Uzza, to which people showed worship in the time of the Prophet (PBUH), the polytheists, and this is polytheism. Simply no, the greatest polytheism is the make yourself god since the greatest enmity of God is the ego. The greatest enmity of the family is the ego, the greatest enmity of children and the family relations is the ego. Individuals who are unable to reign over their ego, destroy everything around them, they even destroy their own faith. Inasmuch individuals who pray the 5 times daily namaz, yet simultaneously have idolized their ego, they can be characterized as polytheists; they are mushrik since in one verse of the Qur’an it has been said (many of you know Surah) “ Ere ejtel-ledhi jukedh-dhibu bid-din, fedhalikel-ledhi jed’ul jetim, ve la jehuddu ala ta’amil miskiin, fe vejlun lil musal-liin.” – “So woe to those who pray” – …”“…el-ledhiine hum an salatihim sahuun- [But] who are heedless of their prayer – el-ledhiine hum juraaune- “Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan And does not encourage the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who pray [But] who are heedless of their prayer – Those who make show [of their deeds] And withhold [simple] assistance.” (Surah Al-Ma’um, verse: 1-7), because they conducted namaz for showing off, for pride, fastidiousness, for things of this world. This namaz, is not namaz. In general in existence there is one principle, there is no individual, no person we ought to worship beside Allah Almighty. For instance do you know why in our religion we have namaz, dhikr, remembrance of Allah Almighty and fasting? In order for us to dwell in the being of God, in order for us to melt our self in the being of God. In our classical Muslim literature this is known as fenaafil –lah. Oftentimes I see some of my colleagues who have been well read speak on Nirvana. You must have also heard about Nirvana. Nirvana is one state of experience, one state of spiritual fervent among Buddhists, which refers to losing oneself and to dwell in Buddha; to become Buddha. This exists among us as fenaafil-lah meaning, dwell and melting in God, however with the Buddhists everything ends with this state (by this Nirvana); Nirvana is the highest estate of spiritual integrity. Among us this is not the case. The highest spiritual stage among us is known as bekaabil-lah to live together, coexist with God, after the dwell in His being, life with God continues. “I am such a good man, I have a good heard but I don’t pray”, this is not right; there is no such religion. I speak about an adherent, for those who do not believe we speak differently, but we are referring here to an adherent, I speak about us. Who is the most perfect, ideal man to us? The Prophet (PBUH)…one evening Hazrat Aysha saw the Prophet (PBUH) as he was praying namaz and his knees had swollen. She turned to him: “Rasulallah, you have all your mistakes forgiven, why do you make yourself struggle so much?” the Prophet (PBUH) responded: “Aysha, should I not be a servant who is going to be grateful to his God?” which means that he lived together will God. This dimension, upon which we discuss, several times I have told you and myself, does not mean we need to let go of this world. In the contrary it means that when one shall undertake to study, for instance mathematics this person ought to become the best. Do you know why? Since this person conducts work under the control of moral norms, for God sees him and this person does not lie, does not bribe and does his work complete. These are the elements which ought to make us the most successful people on the planet; people who shall serve the good of humanity and surely for the good of oneself. Religion and spirituality are needed for our own good.
Thank you.
