بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ

 ‘IBÂDAH - 2

يَا اَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ٭ اَلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُم اْلاَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَاَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَاَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ فَلاَ تَجْعَلُوا لِلّٰهِ اَنْدَادًا وَ اَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ1

Introduction

Know that it is ‘ibâdah that makes the aqâid firm in man and makes it a manner and habit; if ibâdah, which consists of obeying the commands of Allah and abstaining from His prohibitions, does not do tarbiyyah and strengthen the matters and acts of the conscience and mind, the effect and influence of the aqâid will be weak. The present state of the Islamic world testifies to this.

Know, too, that ‘ibâdah is the cause of happiness in this world and the âkhirah, the cause of establishing order in life in this world and the âkhirah and the cause of attainment and perfection for both individuals and mankind. It is an exalted and esteemed relation between Al-Khâliq and ‘abd. There are several reasons for ‘ibâdah being the cause of happiness in this world, which is the tillage of the âkhirah:

Firstly: Man has been created with a subtle, strange disposition that distinguishes him from all other living beings and makes him an exception to them. This distinguished disposition of his has caused an inclination to choose, an inclination for the most beautiful things and beauty and an inclination in fitrah to have a livelihood and to live a life befitting humanity. Because of these inclinations, man must acquire his needs, such as food, clothing, and accommodation, and beautify and arrange them through many crafts and arts that he is incapable of doing on his own. He needs, therefore, to socialise with his fellow men and cooperate with them so that they can assist each other and exchange the fruits of their labour, but in order to secure mankind's progress by means of juz’ al-ikhtiyârî, As-Sâni’, Who is Hakîm, did not place fitrî limits on quwwa ash-shahawiyyah, quwwa al-ghadhabiyah and quwwa al-aqliyyah as He did for the limited powers (quwwa) of animals; therefore, dissipation and transgressions have arisen. Due to the mystery of no limit being placed on those powers (quwwa), the dissipation and transgressions of those powers made the community needy of Justice in order to exchange the fruits of their labour.2 But because the minds of individuals in society are incapable of comprehending Justice, mankind needs a universal mind to find Justice from which all can benefit. And that mind is the universal law, and that law is the Sharî’ah. Then, in order to preserve the effectiveness of the Sharî’ah and its enforcement, someone who establishes those laws, delivers them, and is the protector and authority of those laws is necessary, and that can only be a Prophet (Nabi) ‘Alayhissalâm.

Then, in order to preserve his rule exteriorly and interiorly over the minds and natures, a Prophet (Nabi) needs to be distinguished and superior in material and ma’nawî aspects, disposition, morals, features and fitrah. He is also in need of proof of the strength of the relation between him and Al-Mâlik al-Mulk, Who is the owner of ‘âlam, and such proof is the miracles. Then, in order to establish obedience to the commands and to secure abstinence from the prohibitions, he is in need of preserving in minds the idea of the grandeur of As-Sâni’ and the Owner of the dominion and sovereignty, and it is only possible through the manifestation of ‘aqâid.3 Then, in order to preserve this idea and make aqâid firm in minds, there must be a constant repeating reminder and renewing act, and that repeating reminder is nothing but ‘ibâdah.

Secondly: The purpose of ‘ibâdah is to turn thoughts towards As-Sâni’, Who is Hakîm; it is to turn thoughts towards establishing obedience and submission, and this obedience leads to reaching the perfect order in the universe and binding with it. The purpose of following this order is to acknowledge the mystery of hikmah4. And the strength of art in the universe testifies to this mystery of hikmah.

Thirdly: Man resembles a tree, on the top of which are joined electric cables; the tips of all the laws of creation’s order are attached to his head; the fitrah laws are extended to him; and the rays of Ilahî laws and principles in the universe are reflected and centred on him. So, man with such an essence has to complete those laws and principles in himself, adhere to them, and cling to them in order to facilitate the general current, the universe’s order, lest his feet slip, he falls, and the wheels moving on the different orders, levels and stages of ‘âlam throw him from their backs. And, this can be achieved only through ‘ibâdah, which consists of obeying the commands of Allah and abstaining from His prohibitions.5  

Fourthly: By means of obeying commands and abstaining from prohibitions, numerous connections are formed between a person and the many levels of society, and the individual becomes like a species. Indeed, there are many commands — especially those connected with shaâ’er and the general good — that resemble threads on which morals, qualities, ranks, laws and arrangements, and many public and personal rights within them are set. If there were no thread of obeying commands and abstaining from prohibitions, all those rights and duties would be torn and scattered to the wind.

Fifthly: A Muslim man has firm relations with all other Muslims, and there are strong bonds between them. Because of the ‘aqâid of îmân and Islamic traits, these relations cause a firm brotherhood and true love. However, it is ‘ibâdah that makes aqâid visible and effective in man and makes aqâid his firm manner and habit.

As for the aspect of personal attainment and perfection:

Know that despite having a small, impotent and weak body and being one of the animals, man bears within him an exalted rûh and perfect dispositions. There are unrestricted inclinations in him. He has infinite hopes and desires, unrestrained ideas and unlimited powers (quwwas), and a fitrah so strange that it is as if he is an index of all the species and all ‘âlams. As for ‘ibâdah, it expands his rûh and raises his value; it causes his dispositions to unfold and develop, and it causes him to rise to a degree worthy of eternal happiness. Thus, ‘ibâdah is the only means of rectifying and purifying his inclinations, realising his hopes and making them fruitful, arranging his ideas and setting them in order and also bridling and limiting his powers (quwwas). ‘Ibâdah also removes the dirt and rust of nature from his external and internal members. When those members become transparent through the nûr of ‘ibâdah, they will be windows opening to the ‘âlam they belong to. Furthermore, when performed with both conscience, mind, heart and body, ‘ibâdah raises man to the dignity of which he is worthy and to his determined perfection. It is a subtle, elevated relation and a noble, precious connection between the ‘abd and Ma’bûd. This relation consists of infinite ranks of human perfection.

As for the ikhlas in ‘ibâdah:

It is performing it only because it is commanded. Although each command comprises numerous hikmahs and each of these hikmahs can be a reason for obeying that command, ikhlas necessitates that the real and effective cause (‘illah) be the command to perform it. The ‘ibâdah is null and void if the hikmah becomes the reason to perform it, but it is permissible (jâiz) if those hikmahs and benefits remain as the reason for being preferred.

Signs of Miraculousness-290-294

 

One time, it came to my heart, why can wondrous individuals like Muhyiddîn Bin 'Arabî not reach the Sahabah? Then, while saying سُبْحَانَ رَبِّىَ اْلاَعْلٰى during the salâh, the meaning of the phrase was unfolded to me. Not in its complete meaning, but part of its haqiqah appeared. I said in my heart: "If only Allah granted me success in one salâh as He granted it with this phrase, it would be better than a year's ‘ibâdah." After the salâh, I understood that that thought and state were a guidance indicating that the Sahabah’s degree in ‘ibâdah could not be reached.

Addendum to The Twenty-Seventh Word

 

We hear from many lazy people and those who abandon the salâh; they say: “What does Janâb-i Haqq need of our ‘ibâdah that He severely and insistently rebukes those who abandon ‘ibâdah and threatens them with a terrifying punishment like Jahannam in the Qur'an? How is it suitable with the equitable, just and mustaqîm expression of the Qur'an that it displays the extreme severity towards an insignificant minor fault?”

The Answer: Yes, Janâb-i -Haqq is not in need of your ‘ibâdah, nor in need of anything. But you are in need of ‘ibâdah; you are sick in a ma’nawî manner. As for the ‘ibâdah, we have proved in many risales, they are panaceas for your ma’nawî wounds. If a patient says to the compassionate doctor: “What need do you have for insisting on me this way?” in return for his insistence about the patient’s sickness and taking medicines that are beneficial for him, you would understand how senseless it is.

As for the severe threats and terrifying punishments of the Qur'an concerning the abandonment of ‘ibâdah: Just as a sultân, in order to protect the rights of his subjects, severely punishes an ordinary man in accordance with his error harming the rights of his subjects. So too, the man, who abandons ‘ibâdah and salâh, significantly violates the rights of beings, who are the subjects of the Azalî and Eternal Sultân, and perpetrates a ma’nawî dhulm. For the perfections of beings manifest on their faces turned toward As-Sâni’ through tasbîh and ‘ibâdah. The one who abandons ‘ibâdah does not and cannot see the ‘ibâdah of beings; he denies it as well. And since he diminishes beings, each of which is a letter of As-Samad, a mirror to Rabbânî Names and has an exalted rank in the point of ‘ibâdah and tasbîh, from their elevated ranks, and considers them to be in an unimportant, lifeless, wretched situation without a duty, he insults them, denies and violates their perfections.

Yes, everyone sees the universe through his mirror. Janâb-i Haqq has created man in the form of a measure and balance for the universe. And for each person, He has given a particular ‘âlam from this ‘âlam. He shows the colour of that ‘âlam according to that person’s belief in his heart. For example, just as an extremely despaired man weeping in mourning sees beings in the form of weeping and despair and an extremely joyful, cheerful man beaming through his perfect joy and joyful tidings sees the universe as joyful and beaming. In the same way, a man, who earnestly performs ‘ibâdah and tasbîh in a manner of tafakkur, discovers and sees the truly existent certain ‘ibâdah and tasbîh of beings to a degree. A man, who abandons ‘ibâdah through ghaflah or denial, imagines beings in an erroneous and contrary form completely opposed to the haqiqah of their perfections and transgresses their rights in a ma’nawî manner.

Also, such a person, who abandons salâh — since he does not own himself — perpetrates a dhulm to his own nafs, which is an ‘abd of his owner (Mâlik). His owner (Mâlik) terrifyingly threatens in order to take the rights of His ‘abd from his nafs al-ammarah. Also, since he abandons ‘ibâdah, which is the result of his creation and the purpose of his fitrah, it becomes a transgression against the hikmah of Allah and the will of Ar-Rabb. Therefore, he is punished.

In Short: The one, who abandons ‘ibâdah, both perpetrates a dhulm to his own nafs — as for his nafs, it is an ‘abd of Janâb-i Haqq and is owned as absolute property by Him — and also it is a transgression and dhulm to the rights of the perfections of the universe. Yes, just as kufr is an insult to beings, so is the abandonment of ‘ibâdah a denial of the perfections of the universe. And since it is a transgression against the hikmah of Allah, it deserves terrifying threats and severe punishment.

Thus, to express this deservedness and the aforementioned haqiqah, by miraculously choosing such a severe style, the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition conforms to ‘the conformity of requirement of the situation’ which is a truth of balâghât completely.

 The Twenty-Third Flash/Conclusion/The First Question

 

“O nafs! ‘ubûdiyyah is not the introduction to additional rewards, but the result of previous ni’mahs. Yes, we have received our wage, and are accordingly charged with service and ‘ubûdiyyah. Because, O nafs!, since Al-Khâliq Zuljalâl, Who clothed you in existence which is pure khayr, has given you a stomach and appetite, through His Name of Razzâq, He has placed before you all foods on a table of ni’mahs. Then, since He has given you a life decked out with senses, life too requires rizq like a stomach; all your senses like eyes and ears are like hands before which He has placed a table of ni’mahs as broad as the face of the earth. Then, because He has given you humanity, which requires many ma’nawî rizqs and ni’mahs, He has laid out before that stomach of humanity, in so far as the hand of the mind can reach, an extensive table of ni’mahs as broad as al-‘âlam al-mulk and al-‘âlam al-malakût. Then, since He has given you Islam and îmân, which require infinite ni’mahs and are nourished through countless fruits of rahmah and are supreme humanity, He has opened up before you a table of ni’mahs, pleasure, and happiness which includes the sphere of contingency together with the sphere of His Asma al-Husna and sacred attributes. Then, through giving you love, which is a nûr of îmân, He has bestowed on you an endless table of ni’mahs, happiness, and pleasure. That is to say, with regard to your corporeality you are an insignificant, weak, impotent, lowly, restricted, limited particular, but through His favour, you have as though risen from being an insignificant particular to being a universal, luminous whole. For by giving you life, He has raised you from particularity to a sort of universality; and by giving you humanity, to true universality; and by bestowing Islam on you, to an exalted, luminous universality; and by giving you ma’rifat and love of Him, He has elevated you to an all-encompassing nûr.

O nafs! You have received this wage, and you are charged with the pleasurable, bountiful, easy, and light service of ‘ubûdiyyah. But you are lazy in this too. If you perform it half-heartedly, it is as though the former wages are insufficient for you, you are wanting greater things in a domineering manner. Also, you are complaining: "Why was my du’â not accepted?" But your right is not complaining, it is supplication. Through His pure fadl and munificence, Janâb-i Haqq bestows Jannah and eternal happiness. So seek refuge in His rahmah and munificence constantly. Trust in Him and heed this decree:

            6 قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذٰ لِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

If you say: "How can I respond to these countless, universal ni’mahs with my limited and partial shukr?"

The Answer: With a universal intention and boundless belief... For example, a man enters a sultân's presence with a gift worth five kurush, and he sees that other gifts worth millions have arrived from acceptable people, and have been lined up there. It occurs to his heart: "My present is nothing. What shall I do?" Then he says suddenly: "O my Sayyid! I offer you all these valuable gifts in my name. For you are worthy of them. If I had the power, I would have given you gifts equal to them." Thus, the sultân, who has need of nothing and accepts his subjects' gifts as a sign of their loyalty and respect, accepts that unfortunate man's universal intention and wish, and the worthiness of his elevated belief as though it was the greatest gift. In exactly the same way, while performing the salâh an impotent ‘abd declares: "Attahîyyatu Lillâhi” That is, "I offer You on my own account all the gifts of ‘ubûdiyyah all creatures offer you through their lives. If I had been able, I would have offered You as many tahiyyas as them, for You are worthy of them and worthy of more besides." Such an intention and belief comprise extensive universal shukr.”7 ” The Words ( 369 )

 

 

A warning arising from a despairing memory that bears good news.

It has come to my mind in recent times that: “Whatever they encounter, those who enter social life will mostly be exposed to sins. Sins surround a person easily from all directions. How can a single person’s ‘ibâdah and taqwâ be enough to stand against this many sins?” And I despairingly began to ponder.

I started thinking about the state of Risale-i Nur students in social life and began reflecting on the strong signs of the Qur’an and the good news by Imam ‘Ali and Ghawth al-A'dham regarding the salvation of Risale-i Nur students and that they will be from the people of bliss. I said in my heart: “By using only their individual tongue, how can each respond to the sins coming from a thousand aspects; how can they be victorious and find salvation?” and was left bewildered. In response to my bewilderment, it was warned that:

Through the law of ‘partnership in deeds of the âkhirah’ and the mystery of sincere and pure cooperation, which are the fundamental principles among true and loyal students of the Risale-i Nur — with every sincere and true student offering not with a single tongue, but rather through the ‘ibâdah and istighfâr with the tongues to the number of their brothers —each will respond with thousands of tongues against the onslaught of sins attacking them from a thousand aspects. In the same way, the certain malâikah perform dhikr with forty-thousand tongues; a sincere and true student who practices taqwâ, performs ‘ibâdah through the tongues of their forty thousand brothers and becomes deserving of salvation, and will, InshâAllah, be among the people of bliss. They can acquire that exalted and universal ‘ubûdiyyah, according to their degree of loyalty, service, taqwâ and abstaining from kabâir, within the circle of the Risale-i Nur. Certainly, in order not to lose this great benefit, they must work on taqwâ, ikhlas and loyalty.

The Kastamonu Addendum (108)

 

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

رَبِّ اَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ ٭ وَاَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ اَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ