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Part 7 Tareeqah Muhammadiyah

Itikaaf 2014
Friday 25th July 2014 (27th Ramadhan)
Discourse after Zuhr by Shaykh Ahmad Dabbagh

Sayidina Jabir bin Abdullah (radhiAllahuanhu) says "I saw Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe
wasallam) and visited him and it was last Friday of Ramadhan and as he saw me he said to
me "O Jabir this is the last friday of Ramadhan and it's leaving us. Say farewell to it." How?
This is the prophetic dua, our people say it in their own way. That is something they made
up. We always try to firstly go to Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) if we don't find
anything then we go to sahabah, but if we find in Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam)
then that is what he was sent for, following him. All qutubs and gauth and all (auliya and)
scholars are meant to follow him. If you don't it is like leaving a diamond for a stone.

He said "O Allah don't make this the last fast of mine but if in your knowledge it is the last
one" (their are two possibilities. Either you are going to die in between or live on) (following
Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) is a win win situation) "then shower and envelope
me in your mercy whenever I die" (because Allah's mercy is not limited to Ramadhan.)
"don't make me deprived of the blessings." If any one says this he has succeeded. He will
reach two goodness. One or the other. Either he will reach the month of Ramadhan or he
will reach the forgiveness of Allah's and the rahma of Allah.

When you come to Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) you get benefit of both worlds.
A wali said "in our life times we have many times seen a person in dunya seeking name and
fame. He didn't get it here so he ends up losing both. But we have always seen a person
seeking arkhirah, he achieves both." It's like if you run after the tree you also get it's shade.
But if you go after shade you may not get the tree.

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) speaks with the wahi of Allah especially regarding
matters of deen then mentioning the benefit. Allah is saying "I have placed this benefit in
this box."

Actual thing is rahma of Allah. If you read this dua you can gain.

Main discourse

We are hundred people with 5 toilets. We use for need only. But if you live in there how will
people do itikaaf.

Some people mix things they only go there for short time and then run away from it.

Hadith "a believer is in the mosque like a fish in the sea and a munafiq (hypocrite) (they are
not purified) is like when a bird is in a cage" if you want to get out from good places of
worship. They won't even spend ten minutes. If a fish does not like to spend time in water
there is something wrong with the fish. If a bird seems to like the cage there is something
wrong with the bird.


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When a believer attends dunya, he feels constricted. A munafiq out of the company of
saliheen he feels like fish in water. Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) indicated the
inner state. Don't turn things upside down. Treat the nafs like toilet, fulfil your needs. Give
attention to the heart.

You only serve your need, that should be the treatment to the nafs. If you don't feel the
correct way then you need tazkiyah. A person that likes to eat poisonous food and soaps,
this means that there's something wrong with the person.

Don't go in toilet and bring the need of toilet with you, your carrying your shampoo and
toilet paper with you. Because the need it has served.

We've covered the 1st stage doors and windows 2nd stage walls 3rd stage rooms.

4th stage, you need in the house is electricity when your inner self becomes enlightened.
This is when ones entire body mind and heart illuminates. He likes to be humble. All can see
the beauty the furniture which exist within the house of closeness."

If there is no electricity there is no light, it is complete darkness. Even in ancient times and
didn't have electricity they still used some kind of illumination. Some sahabi went to Syria
and first time they brought some lamps and lanterns and they hung those in the mosque of
the Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). Imagine for so many years there was no
physical light in the mosque of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). How many Zawiyah
and madrasahs are empty. Many scholars like maula Idrees came from the Qaraween
mosque (Morocco).

Sahabah had no idea of is this makrooh, they were told and they followed. How can you be
his heir when you don't look like him. True scholars resemble Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe
wasallam).

You've seen the model of madinah, it's made from date palm trees and wood and they ruled
the world from here. Hajjaj bin Yusuf killed 100s of people. If Muslims were travelling
towards India. In return the rajas of India captured that ship and imprisoned them. One
woman sent a letter to him; he sent an entire army to save them. Even though he punished
Muslims, he said that was between him and Muslims but he didn't want to let disbelievers
do this. The first and second armies did not succeed but the bird did and the nephew was
the person who saved them and brought Islam to India.

Tazkiyah is so precious it deserves to be taught in the heavens. People of Jannah will regret
the time they didn't spend in presence of Allah.

Old zawiyahs and building that are not being used but people but have all equipment what
use are they? Better than them are army hospitals in the field because doctors have the
speciality.

Hadith "close to day of judgement people will decorate mosques but the spirit of Islam is
lost and no tazkiyah" people are importing 10000 with of mihrabs in 10 years but in 10

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years 1000s people's have died.

If building was important, kaba was the best building "my servant leave Makkah if people
are not doing tazkiyah. "

Hadith - "more honoured than the kaba is the honour of a Muslim"

Tazkiyah has to be done. Many people live in Makkah they themselves know they cannot be
purified (just for being there). Some people believe the imams aqeedah is incorrect so they
don't pray behind them, this shows people living there didn't purify themselves (just
because of living there).

Like sitting in the bathroom and no water or soap. You can sit in kaba but it will not purify
you.

If Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) wanted to make a big building and monument, he
could have. But he didn't, he used the money for jihad. Only after years when it became
completely occupied then he extended. Whatever he was doing he did according to the
command of Allah. Many have just made this a business, it's their shops and source of
earning.

Some people are buying and selling mosques based on how much Friday collection they
make. They say "come and praise me too" they ask for praise from pious people who give a
speech, this is self worshipping.

If you have a product which does not work, no matter how big a factory you make if the
product and technology is the same, it's not going to become better because of factory size.
Some best madrasahs stared under a tree. Imagine 1400 years before how much vast area
available, but Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) didn't make bigger.

Look at the kaabah, Allah gave the limits to Hazrat Ibrahim alayhissalam. It is smaller than
many mosques.

Zawiyah in Urdu/Persian language is khanqah dust houses and there they produced aulia
like Sayidina Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahimahullah). In Arabic "Zawiyah" means a corner. The
word is telling you corner is enough if you want to do work. The idea the principles were the
same, it makes the community better so everyone benefits. Your car gets washed but you
also come to the mosque to be washed from sins because they're not being provided that
service.

Imagine if car wash person gives you a lecture on car wash but doesn't wash the car and
says "now go". That is one of the reasons why Muslims are deteriorating.

Hadith "If Muslim ummah deteriorate then it will again be restored as I did with my
sahabah. "

When whole country will become your eyes and feet and hand, same corruption will come

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there. The big cities are like your organs and the capital is your heart.

4th stage

"This is when ones entire body mind and heart illuminates in the love of Allah and the most
beloved. His house of closeness will be illuminated in love and humility. This is what your
entire body radiates."

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) said to Harith "how have you entered morning?"
"I have attained the reality of Iman."
"For every reality there are some signs. What are your signs?"
"My nafs has cooled down from the desires of dunya. My heart finds no interest in dunya. It
doesn't drive me. It's as though I am seeing the Arsh (throne) of Allah in front of me. It is as
though I see people of Jannah. It is fresh. It is as though I am seeing. It is as though I am
seeing the people of hell and they are being punished and screaming. Rasoolullah (sallallahu
alayhe wasallam) said "you have said it correctly. That is the reality of Iman. Stick with it.
You have attained marifat, you are a believer who has been enlightened by Allah." This is
spiritual enlightenment, it's not the sun and moon. But it is that the thoughts of arkhirah
stay fresh in your mind and there is a detachment with dunya. It is as though we can have a
glimpse in the heart of sahabah who were the greatest walis.

"The other thing you need in the house is the power source. Everything will stop working. It
represents hope and fear in Allah. One hope for His mercy and forgiveness of one's
shortcomings and fears that he is not doing enough to keep his house illuminated in love of
Allah and his beloved."

Sayidina Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahimahullah) "Iman is a bird. One wing is hope and the other is
fear." It's the same thing as what Sayidina Abdul Azeez Dabbaagh (rahimahullah) said about
"don't judge yourself".

If there's no power source nothing in the house will work. This keeps you moving, it gives
you the power. (With hope a person feels) "Yes I'll do it I'll correct myself.

And fear stops you from sin. If you know a snake is coming the fear makes you stop going in
that direction.

With hope you know Allah can forgive anything, even if you are in a bad state it brings you
in a good state. And fear gives you power to stop the nafs from pride.

"With the right reaction you continue to get charge and with reliance on Allah"

The roof represents the 4 objectives in the path. "It is the objective in teaching the highest
point in the house of closeness. It shall cover and protect. Wrong objectives will bring the
rain of darkness.

Objective 1 to give preference to Allah and His command


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You say I am with Allah, I can't be with you. No matter who it is. Sayidina Abdul Qadir Jilani
(rahimahullah) "all goodness is locked in two things. Preference to Allah and (compassion of
creation)"

Mother is commanding you and Allah is commanding, even if you are in Salah attend the call
of your mother. Allah commands is to choose Allah.

Sayidina Abdul Qadir Jilani (rahimahullah) said "If you found Allah you found everything, if
you lost Allah you lost everything in spite of having everything."

2nd objective
To give preference to the Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) and his love and sunnah

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) mentioned the test "none of you can become a
believer until you love me more than your parents your children your wealth and all
mankind" most people don't look at it from a test dimension. If your parents say opposite to
Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) or children want something haram or wife or other
people and everything. When they command something else and you know the prophetic
teaching is something else this is the test.

3rd objective is compassion on creation

Though wealth property and honour people and jinn from punishment on the day of
judgement. Meaning having worldly mercy on them and mercy of dawa.

If you can't achieve but you have the test two, it means the first two are flawed aswell.

Hadith "a person who does zulm (oppression) on people does not get my shifa (intercession
on the day of judgement) "

(A student said to his teacher) "I am thinking of marrying but I don't know what type of
woman I will get. (Shaykh said) "Well if she is of good character you will both enjoy, and if
she has bad character she will make you good character. She will instil good qualities of
forbearance in you"

Creation is very useful tool for tarbiyah (spiritual training for purification). Some jinn are
useful too, because of them people are reciting azkaar 2 hours instead of 1 and Sunnat
azkaar.

4th objective
Presence of Allah, doing all these things whilst remembering that Allah is with me, watching
me and listening to me.