Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim¶s Daily Suhbah

7th February 2010, Sunday

The Prophet took 23 years to digest the Qur¶an

A¶uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu¶alaikum wrh wbkt

* Man is distinguished from animals, by his faculty of

understanding. Man has the capacity to advance in understanding, to
delve deeper and deeper into the mysterious spiritual realms
approaching the Divine, a gift that no animal possesses. Yet when Man
lives in this world without understanding his mission, destination and
purpose, he is at the level of animals, for they too are creatures
without understanding.

* It is this Divine gift of understanding, that makes humans the

highest of creation, so strive to understand more and more, for the
Prophet (saw) said, ³Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.´
Seeking knowledge is the door to the treasures of understanding, and
understanding is the door to spiritual elevation and honour, without
which, we simply stagnate at the level of animals.

* So we must be in a constant state of seeking knowledge and

understanding, there is no limit to how much a Man may understand.
Each new level that you climb to is a new horizon with endless
honours, stations, enlightenment and power. And this is only achieved
by those who seek and strive for knowledge. The Prophet (saw) himself
was taught to pray, ³Oh Allah, bestow upon me, knowledge!´ The greater
your knowledge about Allah, the greater your honour!

* Unfortunately, today, despite studying, many Muslims are devoid

of understanding. Why? They seek knowledge, but they belittle the
Prophet (saw), rejecting that he is the Door to understanding, the
Door to Allah. They say that the Prophet (saw) merely brought the
knowledge, and now that he is dead, he is no longer a part of the
equation. After all, the Qur¶an is already with us, they say, why
would we need to keep honouring the Prophet (saw)? These are the
followers of shaitan, they are sorely mistaken if they think they can
understand the Qur¶an, without Rasulullah (saw).

* If the Prophet (saw) had no importance in the teaching of

religion, Allah could have brought the Qur¶an down at a Holy Site, and
said to Mankind, ³This book contains the final message for Mankind!
Read it and understand it!´ and that would have been sufficient for
Man to read, to practice and to save himself. But Allah sent the final
message via the Final Messenger (saw), so we must acknowledge the role
that Rasulullah (saw) plays. A person may read the Qur¶an, but the
understanding contained within it can only be understood, via
Rasulullah (saw).

* The Prophet (saw) was taught the Qur¶an by Allah, and the
Prophet (saw) then taught the Qur¶an to the Ummah. How is it that some
Muslims have the gall to discard the Prophet (saw), and to belittle
his position as the One who was taught by the Most Gracious?

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(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur¶an. (Surah Ar-
Rahman 55:1-2)

* Without Rasulullah (saw), we will understand nothing!

* For a period of 23 years, Allah taught Rasulullah (saw) the

knowledge of the Qur¶an. Rasulullah (saw) was given, in stages, the
understanding of the Holy Qur¶an. Why did it take 23 years for the
best of creation to learn the Qur¶an? After all, Allah has the power
to bestow that knowledge and understanding in an instant! Maulana
asks, why do we eat a few small meals daily, why not eat a hundred
tonnes of food at one go? It is because we need time to digest small
amounts of food at a time, so as to yield energy. Similarly, we need
time to digest small amounts of knowledge at a time, in order to yield
understanding! The Prophet (saw) himself, under the tutelage of Allah
Almighty, took 23 years to gradually digest the entire Qur¶an, to
yield a comprehensive understanding of the Qur¶an. How can any of us
hope to reach even a minute understanding, without patience and
guidance? It is only a foolhardy one who tries to rush through this
journey, without a guide!

* Do not try to digest a hundred tonnes of food at one go ± it is

impossible. Be patient, follow a heavenly guide, and as you seek
knowledge, understanding will grow within you, and Allah will bless
you with heavenly lights in your soul, and each time you advance in
understanding, more light will be given to you. Each time you reach a
new horizon, a new one emerges! Maulana says that you can see these
lights on the faces of those endowed with deep understanding. Do not
seek a long life simply to eat and drink, for that is for animals.
Seek a long life so as to advance in understanding, for each level
that you climb, Allah will open a new ocean of light and honour for
you. It is sad that people of this generation are merely dreamers,
they do not take their religion seriously, they think they can
understand Islam without a guide.

* Allah says in a Hadees Qudsi, ³I was a Hidden/Secret Treasure.´

Who understood that secret? Allah says in the Qur¶an,

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And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a
Khalifa on the earth (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:30)

* Maulana says that Allah mentioned Khalifa in a singular term in

this Ayat, so the Chosen Representative referred to here, is
Rasulullah (saw), the Beloved of Allah, who was the only One whom
Allah taught the Qur¶an to, and who was the only One given a glimpse
into the Hidden Treasure. Allah is Ahadun Ahad, he is One and Unique,
and there is only one Chosen Khalifa, never a second one.

* Iblis thought that he was able to be that Chosen Khalifa, yet

his understanding compared to Rasulullah¶s (saw), is like that of a
pinhead compared to an ocean! The recipient of the title of Khalifa
had been chosen and bestowed by Allah before the creation was even
created, it was not a station that could be achieved by effort ± it
was a Divine decree, that will stand eternally! But Iblis did not
understand this ± he was devoid of understanding.

* So do not be like shaitan in rejecting Rasulullah (saw). Stop

spreading this deviant belief, that one can understand the Qur¶an by
one¶s self, without following Rasulullah (saw), and without a Divinely
sent guide. So many doctors of Islam with PhDs, study Islam from non-
Islamic Universities, from ordinary lecturers, and after writing a
thick thesis on Islam, they believe that they have reached the
pinnacle of knowledge. In reality, they, like iblis, are devoid of any
knowledge or understanding. How pitiful.

* The ocean of Islam is deep, to dive in without allegiance to the

Prophet (saw), without following a guide who has taken this journey
before, is fatal. You will sink into that ocean and you may never rise
again. So never say that you can go it alone, no, say humbly, ³Robbi
zidni ilma.´ ± ³Oh My Lord, grant me increase in knowledge!´

Fatihah.Y