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I would like to set
aside the topic of “SunnatAllah” for a little while and discuss
another very important topic in order to understand these subjects
better.
There was a man who only knew how to
drive tractor on his field as he used to do it all his life long. He
was all happy about his life. What's more, every now and then, he
would even get excited and he would have his tractor do acrobatic
moves while he was driving on his field.
One day, however, his son, who was an
expert in the field of electro-mechanics, came from Germany with a
new type of vehicle. The man was left dumbfounded when he saw the
vehicle. It was driven using electronic buttons; it could go on land
and water, and it could even lift off the ground a few meters and
jump over obstacles in proper circumstances.
“Easy” said the man
inside his head. “It is just another vehicle like a tractor. I can
drive it too”.
His son warned him:
–Dad, this new vehicle can only be used
with the new manual written based on how the vehicle was designed
and how it works.
The man did not like
this warning.
–I’ve been driving a
tractor for fifty years! I know how to drive a vehicle better than
you do. Give me that damn thing and see how I drive it.
I won’t write the rest.
You guess what happened next!
For a very long time, I’ve been talking
about the universal system and order of life referred to as “SunnatAllah”.
I’ve been trying to explain that every
thing has been created according to a system and order;
everything happens based on a cause-effect relationship whether we
know this relationship or not.
There is neither a magic
wand in the universe, nor a God living on a star, using a magic
wand!
Life is constantly being
renewed.
This renewal will
continue to happen in every field forever.
If it were not for the reality, the
coming of the Renewer (mujaddid) every century would not be
mentioned, but that’s not our topic.
Our topic is who can
take advantage of the new explanations and how!
Let me give an example from myself if
you allow me…
On Septemer 13, 1963, I
started performing the obligations of the religion of Islam and
practicing zhikr and other prayers as pointed out in the hadithes
with a viewpoint of imitating others.
All my workings on this
subject since then always involved questioning. What? Why? How?…
First, I started by reading the Koran interpretation entitled
“Religion of Truth” by Hamdi Yazir of Elmali; next, I continued
with Sahihi Bukhari, and next I read the other books on
hadithes. At the beginning of the year 1964, I have met with Syed
Othman Effendi of Madinah and I have learned many forms of spiritual
practices which are duas, zhikrs and etc. and I have always
practiced them since.
Then, I studied Sufi (tasawwuf)
masterpieces.
On this subject, I studied every Sufi
master from Abdulkadir Geylani to Muhyiddin Arabi,
from Ahmed Rufai to Abdulkarin Jili, and I benefited
from their thoughts, ideas and viewpoints. I tried out many of their
practices on myself as much as I could. Then, in 1965 after I
returned from Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), I wrote the first Book of
Prayers, based on my knowledge at that time.
Military service got in the way…
In 1967, I published my
book called “The Revelations” which reflected my understanding and
viewpoint at that time.
In the following period of time, I
spend most of my days fasting and continuously practicing zhikr. In
some years, I practiced self-control (asceticism – riyazat)
and solitude for periods of 80-120 days; I performed 4-5 day long
joint fasts (not eating or drinking anything at all). I carried out
every practice I read, heard and learned.
During this time, the significance of
Allah’s name “Mureed”, which is the name of the attribute of
“Will”, was opened to me to comprehend.
I realized that the root
of people’s weaknesses was due to the attribute of “Will” not being
manifest through the brain as intense as needed, and that this lack
of intensity could be remedied by heavily reciting the word
“Mureed” in the mind. The act of repeatedly reciting words in
the mind first changes the brain’s biochemistry and then affects its
bioelectricity. In the end, this practice has an effect on the soul
according to my findings. The late Gazalî also mentioned the
importance of the name “Mureed” in his books.
Some people said that
this name is not part of the Beautiful Names of Allah (asmaul
husna) and started a rumor that I invented this name in order to
gather followers around myself, which are also referred as “mureed”.
I greeted these unknowing people with a smile and continued on my
way because these people were so unenlightened that they did not
know “Mureed” is the name of Allah’s attribute of “Will”
which is one of Allah’s seven attributes of Self (zat).
Throughout my life, I tried everything
I learned on myself first and then recommended it to people close to
me if they wanted to try it for themselves.
Based on my years of first hand
experience, I saw that repeatedly reciting the names “Mureed”,
“Quddus” and “Fattah” as Zhikr produced very important developments
in the brain. I published the formulas I came up with regards to
this subject in my book of prayers (Dua and Zhikr) under the
“Special Personal Zhikr” section. People who continue reciting these
and some other Names of Allah, in time, experienced an
improvement in their understanding, and were able to easily
comprehend many secrets which they were not aware of until then. Of
course, the person needs to be mentally healthy and his capacity and
aptitude towards these subject matters by birth must be permitting
as well. This phenomenon was the result of the workings of a
mechanism in the brain.
It had nothing to do with the person’s
belief or lack of belief in it!
This was the result of the workings of
a system or mechanism given as Allah’s gift to the human brain.
Many atheist people I know performed
these exercises “WITHOUT TRUST”, only to try them out, and they
obtained the same results!
Therefore, I wrote a
book called “Dua and Zhikr” based on some of my knowledge resulting
from my experiences and presented it to the people who wish to
benefit from it.
New things always come
about as a result of new practices.
Old practices do not
create new things!
My new practice was only the recitation
of these three names in the brain as I mentioned earlier. What came
about was in the direction of the meanings of these three names.
Aside from this, my recommendation of
the salaat tasbeeh was based on a hadith, in which
RasulAllah recommended it to his uncle as a night prayer. There
are many hadithes about fasting. There are many
hadithes about not being without ablution. Knowledgeable
people have always communicated the necessity of performing salaat
knowing what it really means rather than simply imitating others.
Joint fasts, which I personally performed and recommended to a
few close friends, are not for the general public. Fasting during
Ramadan is what people are obliged to do. Besides this, fasting on
Mondays, Thursdays or days of full moon is recommended. That’s all…
Ismail Hakki Bursevi, who is one of the people who performed
joint fasts of 7-11-40 days, mentioned his experiences in his books,
however, these are very rare people. I do not believe it is
appropriate for me to imitate them.
I wrote about the
essential (fard) practices (ibadat) of Islam
explaining what they are and why we need them in my book titled “The
Fundamental Principles of Islam”. Those of you who would like to
learn the wisdom in these practices could read this book.
I tried to have a sincere talk with you
here and explain to you that
nothing new can be reached without new practices. Without doubt,
there is a new implementation behind each new revelation. In my
opinion, it is never possible to attain something new by repeating
the old ways.
In addition, it is my belief that
reading and talking about Sufism (tasawwuf) without a
systematic and organized effort as well as a progression in
spiritual practices is nothing more than a hobby. It will remain at
the level of a philosophy.
Reading about the philosophy of Sufism
or writing about the philosophy of Sufism is not the same as being a
Sufi master.
By repeating yesterday, no one can go
beyond yesterday.
When Hadrat Ali,
the shah of sainthood, says, “Educate your kids for tomorrow
when they will live, not for the days you currently live in”…
If we insist on reading and commenting
on the holy BOOK, which will in fact maintain its qualities of
freshness and originality until the Judgment Day and will continue
to communicate the facts to people of the coming centuries, with the
viewpoint of the people of the past and by repeating them, we have
no hope…
I wrote about these because… I am in my
sixties... I have two more years till the age when RasulAllah left
this world. I do not know how much longer I will remain alive with
my mental health and intelligence.
I am neither a sheikh, nor a mentor (murshid)
or a leader to be followed; or a person with any other titles or
labels… or someone who expects anything from anyone… The reason why
I talk about myself is to make you realize the fact that those
advancements in comprehension will not be given to you without
showing any effort on your part. I wrote these because of this.
I am simply a thinker
and I only write my thoughts to share with the people who wish to
take them.
Those who benefit from
these thoughts continue to read our work. The ones who cannot fit
these thoughts into their knowledge database will ignore these
writings and continue living their lives as they chose.
We obtained some new
viewpoints in our own capacity by applying the new implementations
(keeping the regular recitation of the three names I mentioned
earlier) that Allah made easy for us.
Therefore, we say there is definitely a
new approach and practice behind all new advancements and
realizations. This not only holds true for today but also for
tomorrow.
Even if you have the
capacity and ability, you can only go beyond ordinary results by
applying ordinary methods.
It is my belief that we must definitely
execute new approaches and implementations systematically and
regularly until results are reached in order to understand,
decipher and realize the new sides and fine points of ALLAH’s system
and order, which is referred to as RELIGION, which have so far been
remained unknown to us.
You cannot create a well
and reach the water by digging the soil randomly in the backyard.
The people, who get bored and lose
interest easily, might spend a few days carrying out practices and
then think they are not getting anywhere and give up saying “There
is no water in this backyard”, but this will be their loss.
I am unable to express
my thanks enough to my Rabbi who made it easy for me, allowed me to
receive the blessings and made me realize my servitude and
nothing-ness.
Rumors about people are
none of my business. Intelligent people would stop wasting away
their lives by gossiping about me, and start making best of their
times with practices that will benefit them in the future.
From here on, when the
time Allah decreed to come around, Hu will take me away from my
village and have me continue my servitude at a new dimension.
We will say “We are leaving this
city, HAIL to the ones who remain behind!” like Yunus Emre…
Whatever You granted, whatever You let
come out of this poor one, I shared with all Your servants at the
capacity you allowed without expecting anything in return.
They are your servants! Command and judgment belongs to You, the
Rabb of all universes.
AHMED HULUSI
June 17, 2005
NC, USA
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