[Speech by Shaykh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi on the Ulama Majlis in Chirkey in Russia]
Dear brothers in faith! Praise be to Allah, who granted us these ulama, all these talented young men! We simply are not good enough at shukru, i.e. being thankful to Allah. And it is almost impossible to express the gratitude for everything we have heard from our ulama. They say, if there is an advice-seeker, there is always an advice-giver. Allah gave us these people who can teach us something useful. May He grant us the ability to learn it!
We see both good and evil around us. Good and evil, malicious talk and wars have existed since the Creation Day. They have already happened in the past. It is not just about our times. But there are quite a few things that we can change.
Once the Prophet’s companions asked the Prophet (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam): “Can a society ever be punished, if there are good people?” And he answered: “If a society is deep in sin, then it is punished. No matter if there are some good people, everyone will suffer a misfortune.”
Just think about what our ulama said after the disasters that happen. Did anyone have any idea that something like this would happen? Could anyone foresee it? This is the world we are living in today. Still there are a bunch of things we have not seen and heard. Everyone must try to take care of himself. You cannot listen to and follow everybody nowadays.
Someone has also discussed Tariqa here. You see, this is not something I made up; it is described in the Islamic literature. Tariqa is just like cream that is skimmed off milk by smart people. In short, Shariah is not complete and effective without Tariqa. So the books say and we discuss it quite often. An apt person is quick to understand. And if someone is not, they should at least try. A body cannot live without a soul, can it? And Tariqa is the soul of Shariah.
I will give you an example to explain the things we have mentioned. There is a water storage reservoir very close to our village. And the whole village gets water from this reservoir. People whose taps and pipes are in working condition will not have problems with water supply. And if someone’s tap is broken then who is to blame – the owner who did not repair his tap in proper time or the water supplier? The same way information about Tariqa is given to everyone. But who gets it, and who does not – is up to them.
Murids are like fingers for an Ustaz. They are equal for him, he treats them equally. And that is true for me, either. I treat Murids equally. I train them all the same way. If one of them becomes a good person one day, and another one does not, then the reason is not that they were trained in different ways.
If you do not clean your irrigation canal, then your plants will not be watered. So are the Lataifs[1] – if you do not purify the centers that let Allah’s knowledge in, then how is this knowledge going to reach us? For example, we know what is essential for electricity supply. You need electric poles, conductors that will lead the electricity to houses. But if a lamp in the house is out of order or the contact is faulty, then who is to blame? The electrician or the house owner? So it is in Tariqa. Everything is up to a person.
Not everyone who enters Tariqa becomes a real Murid. There are many who can be called negligent Murids. People look at them and ask, “Is this what Tariqa is about? Can these be Murids?” Benefit from your teacher and do not pay attention to immoral people. You will never join them in their graves and you are not responsible for their deeds.
Different people visit me – people who have different thoughts. Do not think that all of them are Murids. They are not. But it would be so wonderful if they all were. Everyone sins and makes mistakes. But if someone does not follow Adab on purpose and has no i’tiqad (confidence), then why does he visit me? Because I see the intentions they come with. Some come to increase their profits and to solve worldly problems with the help of Barakah. At first they enter Tariqa path and then start telling stories about their family and business problems and ask what should they do. When people come to solve these kinds of problems, they do not get Tariqa’s Barakah. If you enter Tariqa, your intentions must be pure. It is Allah, who gives grace and solves the problems. When you come with a pure intention, then Barakah comes after. When you come for the sake of worldly matters, you do not benefit at all. Everyone should know this.
You see, when a relative falls ill, we start worrying about him and take him to the best hospital. When someone dies, the whole family gathers together and the whole village comes to visit, offers condolences and pays homage to the deceased. But no one is as much worried about the spiritual diseases of his nearest and dearest, while this is truly worth more attention. There are people who drink, rob, steal, but we see that their relatives do not urge them to stop. They pay no attention at all. The way leading to Hellfire is the worst one. If a person does not prevent his relative from going this way, then how can anyone call him a Muslim?
Think about all the things the Almighty granted you. We are allowed to eat meat, while animals are living creatures, just like us. The Almighty granted us this world. He created the world and all its benefits for us, humans. How dare people become like animals, ungrateful to the Creator, while we have so many ways to thank Him! It was different in the past, but those times are gone, praise be to Allah. There were no Majlises and alims 15 years ago (in Russia). But there are a lot of them nowadays.
Islam is the way of Allah. Islam will win, even if the whole world fights against it, insha Allah. Islam will never lose, but there will be more discord. A happy person will never take part in a fitna (discord). A lot of Hadiths say that the closer the Judgment Day (akhirzaman), the more fitnas there will be. One discord will be followed by another. These are the times we are living at. Discord is around us and there is nothing else left for us to do but to take care of ourselves. May Allah help everybody! I will pray for you and you pray for me. I wish you peace and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings!
[Chirkey is a rural locality in Buynaksky District of the Republic of Dagestan, Russia.]