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!"