The biggest worship

Dear Readers,

As one of the most important spiritualists, Ibrahim Hakki hazrats from Erzurum states love, affection and passion for Allah have solution for every problem. Because the love for Allah is the "light of the faith". The more this light is, the stronger the belief becomes. As belief progresses, a person is freed from his passions and addictions caused by the wishes and desires. One begins breaking the chains of "ego" which is the biggest captivity. He begins to surpass beyond his "egocentric" personality by getting away from egoism gradually. He realizes the other values rather than himself. While he doesn't care anything except himself by considering his will and desires, he explores new realities by breaking the imaginative fiction world of his ego. He realizes what his ego has done to him gradually. This means knowing his nafs (ego) and Allah gradually. This is the beginning of salvation from unawareness. It is called "yakaza" state in Tasawwuf.

"Yakaza" state is a transition where one escapes from "meaning blindness" and realize "meaning realities" (Al Haqq ). The relation between a person in "yakaza" state with meaning realities is alike the relation between semiconscious person and real world.

# The status of a person who deifies his own whim

Be careful when a person, whose heart is blind, captured by his ego, says he believes in Allah (swt). Because his real god is the passion of his nafs. Allah (swt) orders:

"Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him?"  (Furqan, 43) 

"Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire? Allah has, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who, then, will guide him after Allah (has withdrawn Guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?" (Jathiya, 23)
 

If those people are forced to choose between their passions and works appropriate to Allah's will, they always prefer to be subject to their own desires. However, as his love for Allah (swt) increases and his belief becomes mature, he prefers Allah's will. Dear Readers, never look down on someone who says I believe in Allah (swt) regarding his state. As Allah's mercy is wide enough to cover everyone having a piece of belief in his or her hearts. It is ordered in the verse from the Qur'an that:

"The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah,' For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Hujurat, 14)

It is seen that even the belief doesn't cover the heart totally, anyone who obeys Allah (swt) and Rasulullah (pbuh) are gifted with unlimited mercy of Allah. Therefore, never try to evaluate someone's belief by considering his sins. Allah (swt) has the judgment. Try to be close to Allah (swt) and work for your own salvation by having Allah's sake. Help yourself first to help others salvation.

# The way to escape from unawareness: Remembering Allah

Dear Readers, the biggest disaster that a person can experience is being unaware of Allah (swt), his creator. Then a person doesn't realize that Allah (swt) decides on everything about his life, as life and death, world and Hereafter, richness and poverty, good and bad, wellness and illness, but thinks that some weak and unable things have some power and strength. He can understand the reasons but he cannot understand the reason of reasons. However, even a leaf cannot move without Allah's will.

The most significant way to be saved from this unawareness is reading Qur'an, the words of Allah and mention Allah as much as possible. It is ordered in the Hadiths that:

"Qur'an and dhikr strengthens the faith in heart just as the water grows the grass" (Ramuz al-Ahadis) 

"For everything there is a polish and the polish for the heart is the dhikr of Allah" [Bayhaki] 

"The difference between someone who remembers His Lord and someone who does not is like the difference between the living and the dead." (Bukhari) 

# The biggest worship is mentioning Allah

Dear Readers, I stated in my previous article that spending time with something and remembering it often creates spiritual connections that we are not aware of by forming "spiritual closeness". I also stated that this spiritual closeness is transformed into "spiritual passion" in time if the remembering is repeated continuously. It is a characteristic of human nature. It is completely natural. Remember how lovers, game addicts, fans of Metallica and sport fans become addicted.

Love and passion for Allah is a source of mercy and goodness that controls all harmful passions of the nafs. We must transform the love and belief of Allah (swt) in our heart to a passion, to get rid of or at least control all other passions and commitments of our nafs. It can be accomplished by obeying orders of Allah (swt) and remembering Him as much as possible. Therefore, it was very important for Allah and His messenger Rasulullah (saw), that people read Qur'an and remember Allah (dhikr). "Dhikr" is given a great importance. Even Allah (swt) mentioned Qur'an and Salah as dhikr. As M. Esat Cosan hazrats stated, dhikr is mentioned 200 times in Qur'an and it is ordered that Allah (swt) must be remembered often. These are the evidences to show how important remembering Allah is. Remembering Allah is so important that, it is ordered in Ankabut, 45 that:

"Remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt." (Ankabut, 45) 

 Rasulullah ordered in one of his Hadith that: 

"The one who engages in dhikr has the highest rank of all before Allah than the spending of gold and silver in the service of Allah or taking part in jihad and  becomes red with their blood, truly those who do dhikr are better than him in rank. Remembrance of Allah (swt) is superior to giving gold and silver in charity. This is dhikr. Then remember Allah more." (Ibn-i Hibban)  

Rasulullah ordered that dhikr has a higher rank than being a martyr for Allah (swt).

In my opinion, now you can understand why ahl-i tasawwuf  (Sufis) put significant emphasis on dhikr.

# The easiest but the most fructuous worship

Dhikr is such worship that it doesn't have "time" or "place" limitations. It has no certain conditions. It is done through the heart by remembrance. It is the easiest worship. It can be done at night, during the day, at bed, in the bus, in the sea while you are walking or doing sports. It can be done in every place and every occasion. But the best is to do dhikr by sitting towards the Qibla in a cleaned state with wudu. As dhikr is acquiring a spiritual skill; it is based on remembering Allah by heart.  Repetition will not be helpful without remembering by heart. However, one mustn't give up repeating it as it is not helpful. Even once Allah is remembered by heart when you say Allah for 100 times, this remembrance by heart is a great gain. How some announce at commercials on radio and television take place in our hearts by repetition, the voiced dhikr places in our hearts when it is repeated continuously. Dhikr is easy and beneficent protecting people from Allah's gadap. Rasulullah ordered that:

"Who cannot pray at night or spend his good in charity must remember Allah more." [Bazzar]

"Remember Allah always so that you may be saved." (Tirmizi, Ibnu Mace)

As I stated in my previous article, the highest level of remembering Allah is saying "Lailahe illallah" as much as possible. It is ordered in the hadiths that:

"The best dhikr is Lailaha illallah." [Tirmizi]

Allah, which is the real name of Him or other beautiful names of Him can be remembered to dhikr. What is important here is to remember Allah (swt) in every occasion and fill our hearts by His love and belief. It is ordered in the verse from the Qur'an that:

"When ye have performed the prayers, celebrate Allah's praises, standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides."  (Nisaa, 103)

The heart must remember Allah every moment. A person mustn't be unaware of his Creator whom he will reach for sure. Rasulullah ordered that someone who doesn't remember Allah when sitting, laying or walking will regret this in the Hereafter. Don't regret by forgetting Allah and get lost in the beauties of the world.

Be entrusted to Allah.