Ba’iah: Islam’s Covenanted Initiation

مَا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا

4: 147 “What can Allah gain by punishing you, if ye show gratitude and ye believe? Nay, Allah is Ever All-Appreciative, All Knowing”

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوۡقَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ‌ۚ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِۦ‌ۖ وَمَنۡ أَوۡفَىٰ بِمَا عَـٰهَدَ عَلَيۡهُ ٱللَّهَ فَسَيُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمً۬ا

48:10 “Lo! those who swear allegiance unto thee (Muhammad), swear allegiance only unto Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands. So whosoever breaketh his oath, breaketh it only to his soul’s hurt; while whosoever keepeth his covenant with Allah, on him will He bestow immense reward.”

“Narrated Muhammad [al-Mahdi] b. Hasan [al-Askari] the Concealed Imam of the Age: narrated to me al-Hasan [al-Askari] b. ‘Ali [al-Hadi] who narrated from his father [‘Ali al-Hadi]: who narrated from his grandfather [Muhammad al-Taqi] who narrated from the father of his grandfather [‘Ali al-Rida]: narrated to me ‘Ali b. Musa al-Rida who heard from his father Musa al-Kadhim who heard from his father Ja’far al-Sadiq b. Muhammad, who heard from his father Muhammad al-Baqir b. ‘Ali, who heard from his father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn Zayn al-‘Abidin al-Sajjad, who heard from his father al-Husayn the Master of the Martyrs, who heard from his father ‘Ali b. Abi Talib the Master of the Awliya, who said, “I was informed by the Master of the Prophets Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah peace and salutations be upon him, who said: “I was informed by Gabriel the Chief of the Angels, who said, “Allah Most High, Master of Masters, announced: “I Am I Am, I Am Allah, there is no god other than I Am, whoever accepts My Oneness enters My fortress, and whoever enters My fortress is saved from My punishment.” In another version of the same narration, the words are, “La ilaha illallah hisni fa man dakhala hisni amina min adhabi” meaning, La ilaha illallah is My fortress whoever enters My fortress shall be safe from My punishment.” – Hadith Silsilat adh-Dhahab: al-Nawadir fi Ahadith Sayyid al-Awwal wal-Akhir Muhaddith Shah Wali Allah ad-Dahlawi, p. 209

لما وفى ابوالحسن الرضا علیه السلام نیسابور واراد أن یخرج منها الى المأمون، اجتمع علیه اصحاب الحدیث فقالوا له: «یا ابن رسول الله ترحل عنا ولا تحدّثنا بحدیث فنستفیده منک؟» وکان قد قعد فى العماریة فاطلع رأسه وقال: «سمعت ابى موسى بن جعفر یقول سمعت ابى جعفربن محمد یقول سمعت ابى محمدبن على یقول سمعت ابى على بن الحسین یقول سمعت ابى الحسین بن على بن ابى طالب یقول سمعت ابى امیرالمؤمنین على بن ابى طالب یقول سمعت رسول الله صلى الله علیه وآله وسلم یقول سمعت جبرئیل یقول سمعت الله جل جلاله یقول
لااله الاالله حصنى فمن دخل حصنى امن من عذابى

“When Abu al-Hasan al-Rida arrived at Neyshabour and decided to leave the city to join Ma’mun, the hadith scholars gathered around him and said: “O son of Allah’s Apostleﷺ, are you leaving us without pronouncing a beneficial hadith for us?” He (‘Ali al-Rida) while sitting in palanquin let his out head and said: “I heard from my father Musa b. Ja’far who said he heard from his father Ja’far b. Muhammad who said he heard from his father Muhammad b. ‘Ali who said he heard from his father ‘Ali b. al-Husayn who said he heard from his father al-Husayn b.’ Ali who said he heard from his father, the commander of the faithful, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib who said he heard from Allah’s Apostle, peace be upon him and his household, who said he heard from Gabriel who said he heard that Allah Most Majestic said: “La ilaha illallah is My fortress whoever enters My fortress shall be safe from My punishment.” – Hadith Silsilat adh-Dhahab

“La ilaha illallah hisni fa man dakhala hisni amina min adhabi” – Hadith Silsilat adh-Dhahab Narrated by Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi, March 10th, 2013, SaltanatTV

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَارِزًا يَوْمًا لِلنَّاسِ، فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ مَا الإِيمَانُ قَالَ ‏”‏ الإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَبِلِقَائِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ مَا الإِسْلاَمُ قَالَ ‏”‏ الإِسْلاَمُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكَ بِهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةَ، وَتُؤَدِّيَ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ مَا الإِحْسَانُ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ ‏”‏‏.‏

“One day while the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting in the company of some people, (the Angel) Gabriel came and asked, “What is faith?” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) replied, ‘Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection.” Then he further asked, “What is Islam?” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) replied, “To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.” Then he further asked, “What is Ihsan (perfection)?” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) replied, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.” – Hadith of Iman, Islam, Ihsan

“One of the great saints has said: “The disciple sees himself in his own mirror, but he does not see himself in the mirror of his Shaikh.” In Samarqand, I heard the venerable Khwaja ‘Ubaidu ‘llah say: “Since you have not been able to see Allah while I am still alive, what will you do after I have died?”” –Rashahat ‘Ayn al-Hayat

“The whole world is just an image (soorah), it’s existence or non-existence is one.” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“Bayazid al-Bistami (may Allah grant him mercy) said, “I obliged myself to keep respect for all people, and never expected anyone to respect me…No one realizes that if you give respect to others, they will respect you also. If you respect them, they will respect you without your asking. This is an order of Allah Almighty!” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“…you have no right to be angry with another person. You must turn your anger to your own egos! You must think, “If I am all right, then all things will be all right with me. If I am not all right, then people will not be all right with me. So, we will be angry and fighting with our egos only…why are you not angry with yourself, your nafs? If you are seeing wrong things and getting angry, you should look first to yourself, to your ego! Punish it for your wrongdoings! For bad speaking, for looking at haram; why are you not punishing yourself?…no bad speaking, no bad looking, no anger; that is difficult…if you are like Sayyidina ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), then you, too, may be angry. If your character is not like that, you must keep it to yourself!” – Mercy Oceans, p.73-75, Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“Our GrandShaykh says, “In your opinions you must come to Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him). It means also that you must come to a representative of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him), so that you can take the right answer from them. In every time there are, there must be in this world, some persons who are representing Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him). You must ask them; they will judge.” – Mercy Oceans, p.60, Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“If your heart and your conscience are satisfied with a person, there is no need to look for another. He is your guide. But you must choose someone; to deny this is kufr (ingratitude). It is denying Quran.” – Mercy Oceans, p.62, Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“Just as we follow an Imam (leader) in prayer, so also must we follow in our lives…When people don’t have a leader, or won’t follow the one they have, quarreling and fighting result” – Mercy Oceans, p.62, Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi

“Sahib uz-Zaman Imam al-Mahdi alaihi salam…And for every century, some people, they have been granted that authority to meet him, alaihi salam, alaihi salam…”–“Sayyidina Al Mahdi (as) and Sayyidina Al Hussain (as)”, 23:49-24:04, Feb 16th, 2011, Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi, SaltanatTV

“May Allah forgives us, and protect all our brothers, sisters and believers, mu’min people, to reach and to be with Saheb uz-Zaman, Imam ul-Asr, we hope. He is brining Sirr ush-Shariah. GrandShaykh was asking [Hadrat Mahdi], I was there, Oh Saheb uz-Zaman, which Madhab you are following? I am hearing, he (Hadrat Mahdi) said, “O Shaykh Abdullah, I am not in need to follow any Madhab, we are like Prophets…and whole Shia, Sunni, Salafi, Wahhabi, all of them must follow me.” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi, March 25th, 2011, SaltanatTV

“But it will appear; the magnificence of Islam will appear. Who will manifest the magnificence of Islam is Shah-e Mardan, Sayyidina ‘Ali and (he) who is from his grandsons, Sahibu-l Zaman Mahdi (alaihi salam). He will be like the wind. Which plane, which cannon, what can stand against it? … Be aware of the magnificence of Islam. Know, acknowledge our Sayyidina ‘Ali who is the Shah-e Mardan and who are dressed with this magnificence. Keep his way and don’t fear.” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi, March 2013, SaltanatTV

“Instead of becoming an animal for this world, why don’t you come and surrender to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib?” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi, April 24th 2013, SaltanatTV

“We also say we are the slaves of Shah-e Mardan (‘Ali b. Abi Talib). He is our Sultan” – Mawlana GrandShaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi, March 16th, 2013. SaltanatTV

Star of Ishmael

End of an Era: Passing of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi – Direct Lineal Descendant of Sayyid ‘Abd al-Wahhab Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani

“Amongst his sons, Hadrat Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahhab was the eldest; he was a great scholar. He was given charge of the Madrasa of his father in 543 A.H…” – AlGillani.com

The following is the line of biological descent of Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi from his paternal side: Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Ahmed b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Hasan b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Abi Salih Abdullah b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Abdul Rahman al-Qadiri b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Hasan b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Hamid b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Abdul Wahhab b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhiuddin b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Vicaruddin b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Musa b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Tahir b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Husayn b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Ahmed b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Yahya b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Zahid b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Salih b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Hasan b. al-Sayyid Majiduddin b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Muhammad Aoun b. Shaykh al-Sayyid Abdul Wahhab b. Sultan ul-Awliya al-Sayyid al-Sharif Abi Muhammad Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Hasani al-Husayni al-Jilani radhiAllahu ‘anhu.

“One day the Holy Prophet salutations and blessings be upon him, kissed the forehead of Imam al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali once, and that of Imam al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali twelve times. Sayyida Fatima al-Zahra, daughter of the Seal of Prophets, salutations be upon him, inquired of the reason for kissing her eldest son only once. The Messenger of Allah salutations be upon him responded, “In the forehead of my youngest grandson, I see twelve lights of the Twelve Imams, and so I kissed the Twelve Imams in this son, and in the forehead of my eldest grandson, I see only one light, which is the culmination (merging together) of the twelve lights of the Twelve Imams: He will flourish in Iraq and his name will be ‘Abd al-Qadir. I kissed the light of that illustrious child in the forehead of this Imam.” – Allama Arbali’s Al Mawaddatul Qurba

In every generation there are Hasanids (descendants of Imam al-Hasan b. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib) among the Awliya Allah from the biological line of Sayyid ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Jilani, the eldest son and successor of Ghawth al-Adham Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani – founder of Sufism – whose task is to guide people to the Holy Quran, the Sunnah and collect (spiritual) pledges of allegiance to the Mawla of all Muslims Amir al-Muminin Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib – the fourth Rightly Guided Caliph – as ordered by the Holy Prophet himself at the Ghadir Khum, accepted by Sunni and Shiite Muslims alike.

The venerable Mawlana GrandShaykh Nazim al-Qubrusi was one of those Awliya Allah and was unique in the Naqshbandi Golden Chain in that he was the first documented GrandShaykh of the Naqshbandi Order in history whose patrilineal ascent was to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani through the line of his eldest son and successor Sayyid ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Jilani.

This is why in general he was venerated by his followers as the Qutb ul-Ghawth and Sultan ul-Awliya of his era, and was also regarded as the last major GrandShaykh of the Naqshbandi Order, given he declared in 2010 that the Naqshbandi Order would end after him. 

Freedom was the Purpose of Islam’s Covenanted Initiation 

Except from Mercy Oceans’ Lovestream by Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Al-Qubrusi:

Shaykh Nazim: Only he who abandons the covetousness of this life and the next will be given pleasure that no one can imagine. A murid becomes eligible for these powers when he becomes free of his ego’s tyranny. When they are granted, he is a free man, forever free from the limitations of time and space. Time and space are illusions which now bind us. When we are free they are at our command.

The Power of Attraction

The Power of Attraction is the power which enabled the saintly advisor of King Soloman to bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem from Yemen in the same time it takes for an eye to blink, or less (Holy Quran, Chapter 34). This is the power that enables one to draw anything to himself. Inanimate objects are the easiest, people the most difficult.

The Power of Emanation

The Power of Emanation or Outpouring is the Power to be the means for the transfer of the experience of the Divine Presence to the murid. It is all embracing light that overflows from the brim of the vessel. The Holy Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) is the vessel in which these Divine favors are poured and, as they are without end, they flow from his heart, to the hearts of Saints and from theirs to those of murids.

The Power of Connection

The Power of Connection is the power to connect at all times to this chain of transmission of Divine power and favors. For Saints it is the intimate knowledge of the Prophet’s realities and those of the chain of Shaykhs leading to him. For those who are yet aspiring to that station, it is the daily invocation of the names of those Grandshayks leading up to the Holy Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam). In our time, the time when the advent of Imam al Mahdi is anticipated, many more people will have access to this power than ever before.

The Power of Alignment

The Power of Alignment enables the Shaykh to turn his heart towards the hearts of his murids at any given time, and to turn their hearts towards their destinations. If he can’t do this then it is meaningless to say that he is a Shaykh. The first step is in his turning the heart of the murid towards his own; after this it will be possible to turn it onwards.

The Power of Guidance

The Power of Guidance is the power to lead one on his way to his destination once he has been turned toward the direction through the Power of Alignment. For example, if you arrive at Heathrow Airport it is not enough, you must be lead or given directions to arrive at your specific destination in London. Therefore, being turned in the direction is only the first step, the door of the maze; you must be helped on through it.

The Power of ‘Folding-Space’

The Power of ‘Folding-Space’ (Tay al-Ardh) is the power to travel at will anywhere in the Universe without actually traveling the distance, but rather by “rolling it up” like a parchment. Such a thing is unattainable except for those who have subdued the physical body absolutely. Presently our souls are encased in our physical bodies. The secret of this power is that, by bringing the physical body under control it becomes encased in the spiritual body, and the movement of the spiritual body is not cumbersome like that of this body. What is the speed of a donkey compared to the speed of Light? The speed of light is like a donkey compared to the speed of the spiritual body.” [Mercy Oceans’ Lovestream: Shaykh Nazim Al-Qubrusi]