Be Like Rivers

It is from secret knowledge that our Grandshaykh says that Allah Almighty wrote His Name and His Unity (La ilahaillAllah) firstly, and no one can know the time it was written. At the same time it was written, 'Muhammadin Rasulullah.' As Muhammad (peace be upon him) was Prophet, he was also his Lord's servant. This is very important - that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was worshipping his Lord at the same time that he was Rasulullah. No one, except his Lord, knows when he began worshipping his Lord. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the servant of Allah Almighty from the beginning. No one knows that beginning. It is in eternal existence.

"We are saying," continued Shaykh Nazim, "to whom was Allah in eternal existence? Who was in the Divine Presence that Allah was speaking to, who was He addressing? He was Muhammad (peace upon him). Muhammad (peace be upon him) was His servant and His Prophet in eternal existence. Other prophets were under the flag of Muhammad (peace be upon him), worshipping their Lord, also."

Maulana continued, "When a prophet comes, he makes wrong things correct. He doesn't destroy good things also. Such a person is a devil, not a prophet. You may look in histroy; everytime people were becoming like animals, Allah Almighty sent them a prophet to keep them on the right way, and to keep their honor - to correct people's wrong actions. All prophets came just for that purpose. If anyone says that after Muhammad (peace be upon Him) there is a prophet, we must look at what he did. Nothing! If they are saying Bahaii is a prophet, we must ask what he did. Did he correct wrong things in people, or did he make them more wrong? If a man claims prophethood after Muhammad (peace be upon him), he must show us what good thing he did for mankind. Bahaii? Show us what he did. The followers of Muhammad (peace be upon him) number millions and millions, and many people are correcting their wrongs when they follow him. But who corrects his ways from Bahaii? They are drinking, they are eating dirty things, they are doing dirty actions. They are not preventing zina, adultery! How will it be a correction for people to follow that way!

We understand that prophets and religions are sent to give us a control on our nafs, to give people a power for controlling themselves. This is the meaning of religions, and the purpose of just to complete good character, and to save people from bad character. And, no one can reach good character until he control himself, his ego.'

"This is because egos' characters are all the worst characters. If a man cannot control himself, his character is the worst; he will be worse than wild animals."

"Shaykh Nazim," said a murid, "in America , a man may say, 'I can do whatever I like as long as I'm not harming anyone else, and I am still a good man."

"If he is a good man," answered the Shaykh, "he cannot harm himself, either. How may a man who destroys his house with his own hands be a good man? He who burns his house, his family, is he good?"

"People say this," the murid insisted.

Maulana replied, "He may go to the jungle to make himself free! Understand? In jungle, freedom; no one says, 'No.'"

"But that's the kind of questions they ask!" the brother said.

"He may ask question," said Maulana, "we shall give answer; 'O, guy! You may be in jungle, free! Not here, O, guy! You may go to jungle, where animals are free like you!' (Everyone is laughing).

"We have a method from our Granshaykh. You must not argue with a man, if you know that you are on the right way, if you know that rightness is with you. If that person doesn't accept, don't tire yourself in arguing with him or trying to teach them. Don't argue with hard-headed people. Leave them! You must be like rivers; when a hard rock is in the way, you must go around it. You must not stop with hard-headed people. Change your way to a soft one. In the time of our Prophet (peace be upon him), he left hard-headed people, and so many sahabas came and accepted him. 'Argument,' says our Granshaykh, 'extinguishes the light of faith.' Therefore, it is prohibited.

"This is a very important point! Because, nowadays, men are proud of their knowledge, of their thinking. No one is humble enough to listen to another. Everyone says, 'I know!' Therefore, you may find so many arguments everywhere. Quickly leave that argument; no baraka, no blessing from that meeting. There is no 'innaya,' no Divine help. Therefore, you must leave it. Understand? The example of the river is very good for us. It is an important lesson for us, because arguing is wasting your time, wasting your energy, and wasting your faith, also!"

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DC Ranch is a nationally acclaimed private golf and residential community in Scottsdale. DC Ranch has been developed with a deep respect for the integrity of the land and a commitment to the preservation of open desert space on a spectacular piece of land at the base of the McDowell Mountains which provides panoramic views of Scottsdale and Phoenix below. Four distinctive village neighborhoods, centered around neighborhood parks, offer a variety of attached villas, single-family homes, luxury apartments and condominiums. Shared by all the residents are remarkable amenities offered at 2 community centers. Some of the features include lighted tennis and basketball courts, Olympic-size pool, children's wading pool, children's adventure playground, exercise and fitness room, poolside and garden patios, meeting rooms for clubs, celebrations and events, a community-wide intranet, and a full calendar of events and activities. Walking trails will eventually extend to over 33 miles.

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The Reality of Muhammad (saw)

"Our Grandhsyakh says, "The honor of a man is according to his Divine knowledge. As much as he has this Divine knowledge, he has high degrees and high ranks. Understand? Therefore, all prophets and saints have ranks, according to their Divine knowledge. Also, according to their Divine Knowledge, they approach the Divine Presence."

Shaykh Nazim continued, "All prophets' and saints' ranks are given from our Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). All knowledge, Divine knowledge, also comes from Muhammad (peace be upon him).

"He has been given the knowledge of past times and future times. You asked about the prophets before Muhammad (peace be upon him) - do they know him? Yes, because Quran says that before prophets were sent to mankind from the spiritual world, they knew the last of prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty said to them, 'He is the last, and the greatest prophet. If he comes during your time, then you are not prophets, you will be his followers! Do you accept this?' And they said, 'Yes!'

"Therefore, all prophets know our Prophet (peace be upon him). They believe in him, and order their nations to believe in him also, in order that they may complete their faith as prophets. They have ordered their nations to believe in all prophets, past and future."

"And they got their knowledge from him also?" asked a murid.

"Yes," answered the Shaykh. "He is the first prophet. He is the first creature that Allah Almighty created, the first one that He spoke to, and Divine knowledge is, therefore, coming to all prophets from the way of Muhammad (peace be upon him)."

"In other words," said a murid, "Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a mediator between Allah and the other prophets?"

The Shaykh answered, "Yes."

Another said, "There are many places in the Bible that speak of Muhammad (peace be upon him)."

"Yes," replied Maulana, "the station of Muhammad is nearest to his Lord. No one, not even Gabriel can approach as Muhammad (peace be upon him) approached his Lord. Therefore, Gabriel took from Muhammad (peace be upon him), and gave to all the other prophets."

"When Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born," asked a brother, "did he know that he would be a prophet?"

"When he was born," replied the Shaykh, "he signed, with his hand, 'La illaha illAllah Muhammadurrasululla h.' At that moment, he was in sajdah! How could he not know?"

"He knew it, consciously, throughout his life," asked another. "As opposed to subconciously? The stories we've read say that he didn't know until Quran started coming."

Maulana gestured toward a child, who was playing in the mosque. "That boy," he said, "knows that he is male, but the reality of that has not appeared to him yet. He knows that he is a boy, not a girl, but until he is fifteen years old, he will not know what the personality of a man is. In this way, the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew himself, but the apearance of his reality didn't come to him exactly until he was forty years old."

Someone repeated, "He knew he would be a prophet, but he didn't know what it would be like?"

"Yes," replied the Shaykh, "Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, 'I was prophet when Adam (peace be upon him) was yet a piece of clay!'

"These things belong to belief. You cannot force people to believe in anything. They are free; they may believe or not. We believe according to verses and hadiths, yes! All prophets' and saints' knowledge, beside our Prophet's knowledge, is as one drop to an ocean. All Grandshaykhs say this. All prophets say this. If any one objects to this point they may ask any prophet or any saint, if they say it is not true, we may change this. They may ask their prophets, they may ask their saint; they will get an answer. I am asking, and getting my answer.

"Allah gave to Muhammad (peace be upon him) an ocean. And Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave to all prophets and saints from that ocean! How much have they been given? If taken all together, it is like one drop beside Muhammad's oceans!"

"Does Muhammad (peace be upon him) have completed knowledge of Allah?" someone aksed.

"Muhammad's knoweldge is like an ocean for prophets and awliya," replied the Shaykh. "But, beside Allah's knoweldge ocean, the ocean of Muhammad (peace upon him) is only a drop, a very small drop! Because Muhammad's ocean is limited, and Allah's ocean is unlimited.

Our Grandshaykh said often, 'If you put a needle in an ocean, that needle is the knowledge of Muhammad (peace ve upon him). When you take that needle out of the water, there will be a tiny drop of water at the tip. That tiny drop is like an ocean in front of all prophets and Awliya!'

"Therefore, we say that the Divine knowledge is an endless ocean. You cannot reach complete knowledge of Allah Almighty. Never! Shaykh Muhammad Salli asked me if the knowledge of prophets and saints stopped, or keeps on improving - it improves! It always improves! As much as our Prophet (peace be upon him) is improving, all prophets are also taking more and more."

"Where in the afterlife?"

"Yes."

"Where are the prophets now? In Barzakh?"

"In Barzakh."

"In Barzakh, do they receive more knowledge from Muhammad (peace be upon him)?"

"No, Muhammad (peace be upon him) also takes more, and gives more."

"Muhammad (peace be upon him) takes more knowledge too?"

"Yes, always."

"Still?"

"Still."

"And the other pprophets receive more knowledge, too?"

"Yes, also!"

"In Barzakh?"

"All of them!"

"Do you receive more knowledge?"

"Yes," replied Shaykh Nazim.

"Then acquiring knowledge is not finished in Barzakh?"

"No," said Maulana, "Allah's giving has no end. Allah is not like man, finished. If He is finished with His treasure, it means that He is like us. How could He be Allah, if He were like us? Everything with Him is endless. Knowledge is endless. He is giving, more and more. And we, here, do not know anything. When we go from this life, when we leave this body and enter in a new life, our spirits go into a knowledge ocean, following the Prophet (peace be upon him), to take more and more. No one leaves this life without taking knowledge. All of them are taking Divine knowledge after their death."

A murid asked, "But, then, why all the anxiousness? "

"To complete them," answered Shaykh Nazim. "To complete. Some people are going on donkeys, and some are riding in cars. Both of them are increasing their knowledge.

"Some people know," he went on, "and some people have been veiled; they cannot know to where they are approaching; where they are going. When veils are lifted, at the last moment when you are leaving this life, at that time you can know where you are!"

"How is it to be a shaykh?" asked a brother. "We don't know what a shaykh is, what your station is like. You are as you are, while we are as we are, and Grandshaykh is as he is..."

"For everyone, there is a station," said Maulana, "and, in that station, some are ready to fly up, some are getting ready, and some are not ready. For rockets there is a base, a platform upon which they sit until take-off. For each person also there is a base, a station, and his rocket is being put on it. Some poeple complete their work during their lives. Then, they are sent!"

"While still alive?"

"Yes," replied the Shaykh. "Those who 'die before they die."

"For them, it is increasing now?" someone asked.

Shaykh Nazim answered, "Yes, but so many people are sleeping. Their rockets are still on their bases; until the end of their life comes. Then they will be thrown by Driving force!"

"Maulana, did the Grandhsaykh, throughout his long life, get more knowledge, new knowledge, every day and every night?"

"That knowledge belongs to our spirits," said Maulana.

"Yes," the murid went on, "but did he get more knowledge every day and every night?"

"Every hour, every moment."

"More and more?"

"More and more," said that Shaykh, "but that knowledge, what is its benefit? It makes man approach the Divine Presence, and you cannot know which person is approaching.

"Our Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the Divine Presence day and night," continued the Shaykh, "but, he was sitting with his sahabas. Who could know that he was in the Divine Presence? Only a few sahabas; even one of his wives who was sleeping with him - but where was the Prophet (peace be upon him)? Was he with her, or was he with his Lord?"

Shaykh Nazim paused for a moment, and then went on, "Yes, it is an unknown thing. Perhaps you are in the Divine Presence, but there are no signs. He Almighty knows, and if He is giving some signs, you may know. This knowledge is yet for our bodies."

"That which we are getting now?" a brother asked.

"Yes," replied the Shaykh. "Now, we are learning letters. We have not yet reached the point where we can put those letters side by side for reading. No, this that we are doing now is as a practice which must be done first. Then, you will know. When your old ways will go away, a new world will appear to you; one you never saw before! You will approach the 'lay'ill ma'fuz (the 'preserved tablet' where all things are recorded.) Finished!

"Isn't there danger in that?" asked a murid. (Everyone laughed.) "Someone once told me that when you see all those beautiful things, you should be careful not to get caught up in them; that they'll catch you along the way, that you can get caught in the garden!"

"Who said that?" the Shaykh asked. A certain fellow was named. "Yes, yes!" the Shaykh smiled, and then continued, "It is only a description! It will be more different from this life, from this world. It will be very beautiful, very enjoyable for yor spirit; not like this dirty world. It is very clean, beautiful, joyful - exact happiness, no harm, no bad things, no death, no ugly things!"

Regarding adab

More questions: "Shaykh Nazim, how should I handle my children?"

"With children, you must deal with them like children."

"But I have no experience in that matter. I don't know..."

"With a big man, like a big man. With little boys, like little boys. With a learned man, like a learned man. With a common man, like himself. With each man on his level."

"How do I know when I'm on their level?"

"You must put yourself in their position. You must think, 'If I were that man, how would I act?' Even a judge, when he is going to judge a case, must put himself in the position of the defendant before he makes his decision, or he will be wrong. Understand?

"Allah Almighty is the Judge of Judges," The Shaykh continued. "On the Day of Resurrection, He will show everyone all his actions, from the course of his life, and will leave judgment to that servant, to judge for himself. 'What is your judgment for that person whose life passed as you see it now?' He will say. Then, that servant will judge for himself. It is the spirit, the essence of judgment. If a man can judge for himself, it is exact justice. Therefore, when you're judging for someone in your life, you must put yourself, in his position, in his conditions. Then, you will speak for him, for her, for children, for older man, for everyone. Clear?"

"Yes, The thing that I get anxious about is whether I'm being too hard, or not hard enough."

"For whom?" asked the Shaykh.

"For the children," replied the murid.

Shaykh Nazim said, "The best thing for them is to be between fear and hope. Sometimes you must make them fear you, and sometimes they must have hope from you. Not always hard, and not always soft. You must use this side and that side, understand? Prophets, and our Prophet (peace be upon him), have been ordered by their Lord to sometimes give good tidings, and to sometimes give warnings."

To this, the murid said, "I don't know, yet, how I would do such a thing."

Shaykh Nazim said, "When you are back home, your inspirations will guide you. Don't be worried about that point."

Another disciple said, "About the dhikr that we do; fifteen hundred 'Allah' at night, 'la illaha illAllah,' and the wird; is there anything else we should say?"

The Shaykh answered, "Enough. You may also say Salawat."

A murid asked Shaykh Nazim a question about his family difficulties, and the Shaykh responded, "You have been guided. Wherever you may be there is guidance directing you. Don't be worried."

"When we are eating meat, how can we know if it is Halal?" a murid asked.

"When I first met our Grandshaykh, " Shaykh Nazim replied," I was also very strict, very particular, about my food. But he told me, 'It is not good manners to be like that. When you are a guest, you must not ask, 'Is this food clean?' No! You must give your host the benefit of the doubt. When you know that the food is pork, don't eat it, but say instead, 'I am a vegetarian,' or something like this. You must have good manners toward everybody. If you are in doubt as to whether meat (assuming that it is not pork) is halal or not, you may say, three times, 'shahada,' and, seventy times, 'astaghfirullah. ' Then, as you eat, and you say, 'Bismillah,' Allah Almighty will make that food clean for you, in the time it takes for you to raise it from your plate and put it in your mouth!

"When you are buying meat and you think that it has come in contact with pork, or utensils that have been used to handle and prepare pork, you may wash it, and repeat the formula we just said. If you can obtain Halal (or Kosher) meat, of course it is best. But, when you are somebody's guest, don't ask! Even if it is known to you that they usually cook with lard, you must assume that, this time, for you, they cleaned their pots and pans and didn't use it. Only if you are certain that pork or pork products were used may you refrain from eating."

"Shaykh Nazim?" asked another brother. "My parents are very upset with my becoming Muslim. 'If you are looking for spiritual teachings,' they say, 'why can't you find them within your own religion?' My question is, are there teachers like you within other religions?"

"Once," said Maulana, "I was walking in the marketplace with our Grandshaykh, when a Christian priest came up to him and kissed Grandshaykh' s hand. Then, he gave salaams and went on his way quickly.

"Seeing my surprise, our Grandshaykh turned to me and said, "There are others like him, Nazim Effendi, who wait secretly for Mahdi (peace be upon him) to come. They are hidden. The Time is not yet come for them to be known!'

"Therefore, we are saying that for a teacher to give authentic spiritual teachings, he must know the reality of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

"Among the shaykhs and teachers, there are so many levels. They are like helicopters, jets, and rockets. Each flies at his level. It is not important for us to worry about so many levels. It is most important for us to conquer our nafs. That is the critical thing."

They Shaykh continued, "We must respect all men in their religion, for no one can know what is the relationship between a man and his Lord.

"Once a great Wali was traveling on his way when he came across a shepherd who was bowed down in prayer. The Wali looked at the man's clothing, in which he had been working all day, and became annoyed.

"How can you pray like that?' he said to the shepherd. 'Your clothes are dirty, and you smell like your sheep! Don't you know that you must pray in clean clothes?'

"The shepherd remained quiet for a minute, and then looked up, startled. 'O, Shaykh, forgive me!' he said. 'I do not hear what you said. I was tending my sheep when my Lord ordered me into sajdah, and just now He was speaking to me. Is there something I may help you with?'

"When that Wali heard this, he became ashamed. 'O, my Lord, forgive me for judging Your servant!' he cried, and threw himself immediately into sajdah."

Illahi Anta maqsudi, wa ridhaKa mathlubi

You are my goal and Your Pleasure is my desire

The Consumer's sentiment

The Sentimen Konsumen index in December descended down to the point was lowest, was compared during the financial crisis 1998, resulting from the increase in the unemployment and the decline in the income. According to the survey of the Korean Central Bank of 22 thousand Korean households in 56 cities, the Sentimen Konsumen Index was December recorded 81, descended 3 points from November and the figure was that was lowered since 80 and quarterly the 4 in 1998. The index was supervised by the figure 100 significant that more consumers of the pessimist towards the economic situation dimasa front. Was based on results of this survey the household that had a high income also had the view that was more pessimistic towards future economics. The prospect of the recruitment opportunity was recorded 45 points or descended of 5 points, so as to give the opportunity that was smaller to get the work.

Handled the economic crisis

The government will increase the fund was equal foreign currency to overcome the liquidity crisis that was increasingly serious in the middle of the economic crisis at this time, as well as increased the ratio of the adequacy of capital in the Bank or the BUS by means of using the fund extra in the market. In the cabinet meeting, on Tuesday, the Department of Finance and the Strategy of Korea announced the policy direction of the national economy, as well as said that essence of this crisis of year finance was the problem of the liquidity.
To stabilise the financial market and currency dollar, the Department of Finance and the Strategy of Korea will increase the provisions of the fund was equal foreign currency that at this time 10 trillion to 20 trillion won. Moreover, the government will divide the budget of the country around 9 trillion won to be lent to banks, in accordance with the company's small and medium request.

Investors

Chairman of Indonesian Industrial Estates Association, Hendra Lesmana, has said that investors are holding on to their investment funds until the draft government regulation regarding industrial estates is completed.

He said he considered this regulation could increase the industry’s growth by up to 10 percent within two years after it has been launched.

“It is legal certainty for investors,” said Hendra in Jakarta, yesterday (30/12).

He mentioned that 20 companies from Japan, two from India, and 10 from Korea were ready to invest in Indonesia.

Increased the income

The number of foreign tourists to visit Central Java is targeted to increase by 2.5 percent in 2009.

There were 317,222 foreign tourists in 2008.

Head of the Marketing Division at the Tourism Department at the Central Java Province Budiyanto explained the target in 2009 was larger than the target in 2008, which was only 1.2 percent.

“As regards domestic tourist, Central Java targets to increase the number by five percent. There were 16.5 million domestic tourists in 2008,” said Budiyanto yesterday (30/12).

The Tourism Department will carry out several improvements to increase the tourist number.

More promotions about Central Java as a safe place will also be carried out.

“So tourist will not be worried about visiting Central Java,” said Budi.

Reduced the weight healthily

Although not yet having the certain answer what diet that was most exact to reduce the weight, but Dr. Johanes recommended the pattern of the diet that was carried out by National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) in AS. NWCR was the collection of the person's data (had 4000 people) that succeeded in reducing the weight more than 13 kg and continued to remain for more than 5 years.
Karateristik the pattern of eating him was low fat (24 percent asupan calorie), asupan the carbohydrate was high enough, low calorie (1300-1500 kcal/the day). Because we were not possible knew how many calorie that was contained in food, dr.Johanes suggested to reduce asupan smaller than the normal portion.
"To reduce 500 calorie every day was easy how come, for example if eating gado-gado, reduced the peanuts spice and his crackers, more chose steamed rice than fried rice, et cetera", suggested the doctor that that practised in RS. St.Boromeus, Bandung this.
It was explained by dr.Johanes, the member's majority that was registered in NWCR did breakfast routinely, monitored the weight personally periodically as well as carried out sport. With the pattern of eating low low fat calorie as this was proven could reduce the weight more than 13 kg and could be maintained more than 5 years.