The untold pleasures of fasting people

The untold pleasures of fasting people
Friday, August 13th, 1999

MAwlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani q
Schleiden, Germany 1999







Destur ya Sayyidi! Meded, ya Sultanu-l Awliya! Audhu bi-llahi mina shaitani rajim, Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, la haula wa la quwatta illa bi-llahi-l ‘Aliyu-l ‘Azim.

I am trying not to live for myself, but I like to live only for Him, Allah Almighty. And that is the highest target to be asked for servants: not to be servant of ‘myself’, but to be servant for Allah Almighty. That is the highest level of humanity. But it is so difficult by practising, and therefore I am asking forgiveness from Allah Almighty that a lot of times alot of energy I am spending for myself and it must be spent for the sake of Allah Almighty.

Now it is holy month and we can be able to make this holy month wholly for Allah Almighty, because the whole day we are fasting. Even we are going, coming, doing so many things, but really we are occupied by fasting whole day for Allah Almighty. And we are opening our fasting, making break-fast, according to His order: He ordered
to fast and to keep fasting, and then, when the time is over, to open your fasting. And then we are coming with a full pleasure! When we are breaking our fasting, we are being filled with a pleasure that only fasting people may feel, no any other person can taste that sweet pleasure through himself! Those who are eating 24 hours,
not fasting, they never reach that sweet feeling, that sweet taste. Allah Almighty is promising as the Prophet sws is saying: “(There are) two kinds of pleasure for a fasting people. One of them is at the time when they are preparing themselves to break their fasting; they have been granted such a feeling through their feelings, such a tasteful sweetness, an enjoyment that kings, queens, richest ones never reach to.

And the second pleasure Allah Almighty is keeping for the Last Day, for Judgment Day. If He was going to open that pleasure through this life, no one could carry it- he may pass away. Finished- he can’t be able to do anything from this life, he should run until reaching to his Lord! Therefore, because Dunya can’t carry that pleasure, Allah is keeping it for the Judgement Day, when His servants are meeting their Lord. That time it will be a secret unknown pleasure and a reward that Allah Almighty is never granting for any other kind of worshipping. It is only for fasting people, as through this life no one is tasting that kind of pleasure at the time of breaking the fast(except those who are fasting). In Akhirat, on the Last Day, on Judgment Day, when the servants are reaching to divinely Presence of their Lord Almighty Allah, that time He should grant them to taste that kind of pleasure and they should reach to a level that no one can be able to say anything on it, not even Prophets. Now you can’t see it, not even Prophets, no one has tasted it yet-, until Allah Almighty is making them to taste.

O believers, keep fasting! It is the highest honour for servants. Try to be a good servant, keep His divinely Orders! O servants, keep your Lords divinely service! Allah Almighty likes fasting servants, because these servants are going or trying to be like their Lords conditions. He is not eating and drinking- there is nothing from mankinds characteristics with Allah Almighty! Allah Almighty, the Lord of Heavens- it is impossible for Him to have characteristics from His servants. How- Sultan going to have characteristics of servants? How? What is that foolishness! You are accepting that a servant may have characteristics of Allah Almighty or Sultan?

The whole Christian world is on such nonsense point. More than this- they are crucifying their Lord. And they are living now in the 21st century; 2ooo years they never changed!

If a Sultan grants to His servant something, it may be acceptable. But if a Sultan is making His servant to be in a condition that it should be a blame for the Sultan himself, it is not a good note for Sultan. And, more than servant, what do you think, if a Sultan is making His own son to be in such a way, to be down, under devils! This never going to happen! And yet they are asking people to believe that a person, who- according to their believes- was crucified, may save mankind! Up today they are insisting- but even their egos are not accepting this! Not only their souls, but their egos fed up, and they are ashaming to come in front of crowded people and to say: “O people, that person that you are seeing here on the cross, a dead person, is going to save you here and Hereafter.” And they have no evidence to make people to accept that idea. Leave that…

We are coming to speak on the point why Allah Almighty likes fasting people? Fasting people by fasting they like to make themselves closer to their Lord. Without eating and drinking and touching to ladies or ladies touching men…women also touching men… It is a very powerful desire from our soul, asking to reach to Allah Almightys Malakut, divinely Presence.

Only through the way of fasting, does the servant find a way for his soul or her soul, to reach to the divinely Presence, because eating and drinking going to be thick veils, and anytime that you are fasting that veils are going to be thinner, thinner, and thinner.

According to our traditional knowledge when Musa a.s. was addressing Allah Almighty on Tur Sinai, there were 7o.ooo veils (between them). When the Ummah of Muhammad sws is fasting and reaching the time of breaking their fast, these veils are taken away, only one (remains)! So close (they are to the divine Presence)! And that veil, it is not going to be opened on earth. This world can’t carry!

We were saying before that fasting people should reach endless pleasure on the Day of Resurrection, on Judgment Day, (because) that veil that time it is going to open. Then their souls, like a drop from clouds coming down into the ocean, are finding themselves in that Unity Ocean of Allah Almightys, endless Beauty Oceans, and endless pleasure (should be for them). You can’t be able to give any explanation, you can’t bring any opening on that position! If such a person were on earth- this earth was going to burn…

Therefore- try to keep Rabita, the connection, between you and your Lord- you should be happy! Live for Him only, not for your ego, and through this holy month you may do this as much as possible. Day and night you may occupy your ego only for His divinely Service. Therefore it is a most important month and the mu’mins, the believers, are crying when Ramadan is leaving. It is only counted days…

…Your spirituality is taught by Grandsheikh and in our meeting there is always spirituality. This you don’t find in any other mosque in all of Europe…This is a divine grant and I feel at peace here and for you there is also pleasure. May Allah never take this pleasure out of your hearts…Allah Allah, Allah Allah, Allah Allah,
Aziz Allah…He is only Sultan and for the sake of His beloved one He is feeding us from His spiritual feast. Grandsheikh is there…

The order from our Grandsheikh came to speak these words to you. He said: `It is a pity not to give to them, they are like little baby birds, waiting for nourishment from their mummy with open mouths’…and so we heard some words that we have not heard before…

Fatiha!

Posted in Shaykh Hisham Kabbani | No Comments »
The Last Ten Days of Ramadan
Friday, January 8th, 1999

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Fenton Haqqani Retreat Center, Fenton, Michigan

January 8, 1999




The first 10 days of Ramadan are mercy…you have to prepare yourself to receive the mercy, the rahma–the rahma is there. Allah sends it–you only have to receive it. If you take it and put it in your heart your heart will be glowing and shining. Then in the second 10 days is maghfira, forgiveness. And when Allah gives something, it is given. Allah is not like us – hasha! When He says the last ten days is atqun min al-nar, freedom from hellfire, it means just that: freedom from hellfire. Allah ’s mercy is vast, wa wasiat rahmati kulla shay – and My Mercy encompasses all things. So these last 10 days are `atqun min al-nar. And everyone is running after freedom from the hellfire.

Don’t leave that opportunity hanging between heaven and earth—take it. You are hammering [with your tongues]. In these days don’t speak too much. Keep your tongue saying Allah, Allah, Allah and making salawat on the Prophet (s). Don’t waste your time talking nonsense. Talk less. Busy yourself with more recalling God, dhikrullah, and busy yourself keeping the presence of Allah in your heart.

How do awliya, Friends of Allah, reach the state of sainthood, wilaya? It is very simple yet very difficult. Allah is not expecting much from you because Allah knows we are weak. He is not asking us to fly from east to west in one second through a rocket we cannot because we are weak. But Allah wants from us to move from east to west. We know we cannot reach the west by means of our movement, it is insignificant, like an ant’s. An ant can never reach from east to west–it will die first. You also can never reach but your duty is to move, then Allah (swt) with His mercy will carry you. He will cast His mercy on you to put you onto the other side, with your little exertion, while not asking reward for your deeds.

That is important in tariqa. When you do something you are not bargaining with Allah. “I am doing this so You give me a reward.” No, you are doing it for Allah - alaa lillahi ad-din al-khalis – No doubt to Allah belongs the sincere religion. The only thing accepted is.complete servanthood (ubudiyya), nothing else. The Prophet (s) never asked anything for himself, only for the ummah. For himself he was submitting to Allah (swt). Whatever you do, do it without arrogance and without pride. Slowly, slowly Allah will take you from here to there. That is why we have to be very careful in these last 10 days. Those who are going to sit (in itikaf) Allah (swt) will lift them up send them blessings, mercy, and atqun min al-nar- freedom from hellfire. And those who are busy (with work) can also keep their hearts open to receive that blessing.

And we come back to the question: how did awliya reach that state? Again, it is simple and it is difficult. It is simple because they are walking. It is difficult because they know they cannot reach from east to west. Nonetheless they move slowly, slowly and it becomes simple because Allah (swt) picks them up and takes them and puts them there on the other side. They surrender to Allah’s order–which is the Prophet’s order. The order of the prophet and the order of Allah is one ati’ Allah wa ati’ ar-rasul. “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.” Man `ata ar-rasul faqad `ata-Allah – “Whoever obeys the Prophet (s) is in obedience to Allah”

Ash-shhadu an la ilaha illa Allah is one part of the shahada. Some scholars say there is no need to say wa ash-shhadu anna muhammadun rasulullah–it is enough to say ash-shhadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa anna muhammadun rasulullah because it is one shahada.

So the way is one–there are not two ways. It means you must keep your heart busy with dhikrullah, in Allah’s presence at the same time that you are busy working. In sha Allah Allah (swt) will show us the way. Make niyya for itikaf. As for those working for Islam it is also considered itikaf. But don’t talk too much. Don’t complain. Let it go in these ten days and do purely for Allah. And don’t ask creatures for anything .

Posted in Shaykh Hisham Kabbani | No Comments »