Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Noble Qur'an, in the 21^st Sura, al – Ambiya, Verse 107: 

O' Prophet I have not sent you but as a Mercy to all the Worlds.

Woh har Aalam kih rehmat heh, kissi Aalam meh rehjateh

Yeh unki meherbani heh, keh yeh Aalam pasand aaya

Woh har Aalam kih rehmat heh, Woh har Aalam meh rehte heh

Ba faize rehmatulil aalamien, rehmat hi rehmat heh

Karam sab par heh, kohi hoh kahi hoh

Tum ayse rehmatulil aalamien hoh

Sharieke aysho ishrat sab heh, lekin

Musibat kaatne waale tumi hoh

Na takto taaj, na seemo gohar ki baat karo

Joh khayr chaho, toh kayrulbashar ki baat karoh

Hajar keh roop meh, yacood koh hajar na kahoh

Bashar keh bes meh latal bashar ki baat karoh

Joh khayr chaho, toh kayrulbashar ki baat karoh

Agar khamosh rahu meh toh tuhi nsab kuch heh

Joh kuch kaha to tera husn hoh gaya mehdud

This blessed night, this sacred House Of Allah and the pure remembrance of the Pure Messenger, whose blessings and mercy envelops every day and night. The topic that I have chosen for today is based on the renowned and well-known verse of the Noble Qur'an, the 21^st Sura, al – Ambiya, Verse 107:  where Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says:

O' Prophet I have not sent you but as a Mercy to all the Worlds.

 To simplify the meaning further and to present its commentary, Allah says:

O' Prophet I have only sent you as a Mercy to all the Worlds.

 Two things should be pondered upon:

1. One is that aspect that we call Risaalat (to send) and

2. The other is Rehmat (mercy)
   

I cannot guarantee that I would be able to completely expound both aspects in this short allocated time but I will present some explanation.

The word sent' is not a word that you are not familiar with. However today we have to ponder on the Arabic word irsaal (sending) and when can a thing or being be sent? To send it is necessary that there is a dispatcher and a recipient. Also there has to be an entity that is being sent. So to send one needs :

1. A Sender (mursil)

2. A recipient (mursal ilaihim) and

3. An entity (mursal)

These three conditions have to be fulfilled. Also the sender has to own the entity being sent to be the official sender. To draw an analogy:

If I see an envelope in your pocket containing a letter you wrote. You purchased it   and it contains your writing and signature. If I take it out of your pocket and post it, it wont be said that I sent it. The owner will be called the sender.

So it becomes necessary to possess what you send.

So in this verse that we are analyzing we have to determine the sender; what is being sent and where it is being sent. We have to determine whether the sender owned the sent entity. The answer to all this is in the verse. The sender is Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) who sent His Beloved Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) to the aalameen.  The word aalameen is short but to understand its implication is complex. There is the world of the Five Human Senses ('alam an-nasut), the World of Imagination ('alam al-khayal), the World Of Dominion, Power Will And Knowledge ('alam al-malakuut) to name a few. Then there is this world, the next world, and paradise; hell etc. a reference to all the worlds combined is aalameen.

[Translators note: We live on Earth, which is the third of nine planets from our sun. These nine planets, their moons and the sun constitute our solar system. The moon is 240 000 miles (386 000km) from earth. The earth is 93 million miles from the sun. The furthest planet Pluto is some 3,6 billion miles from the sun. Although these distances seem vast, they are really insignificant in relation to the size of our universe. Our sun is 333 000 times the mass of our earth and can contain 1,2 million earths. Yet the sun is but an average sized star in our galaxy, which is called the Milky Way. The sun is one star out of some 200 billion stars found in our galaxy. Some stars are so large that they can accommodate millions and millions of earths within them. Our galaxy, the Milky Way is but one galaxy out of some 100 billion galaxies in the known universe. Therefore there are actually billions of billions of billions of stars in the universe- indeed there are more stars in the universe than the number of grains of sand on all the ocean shores on earth. We can now appreciate that the earth is a miniscule insignificant dot in the universe. The universe is ever expanding growing 300 000 km every second in all directions.]

If you want to understand aalameen more simply then Allah who sent The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) introduces Himself in the Qur'an as :
 

   The Sustainer and Cherisher of the Aalameen

And in our verse of discussion He has called His Beloved

Mercy of the Aalameen

Here Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is giving us a sign that that wherever is Allah's Lordship (Rabboobiat), there is also His Beloved's Mercy (Rahmat). It can never be that Rabboobiat and  Rahmat are separated from each other. It is simple to understand. Ponder on these light bulbs that are emitting light. One is the radiance of the light and the other is the colour of the glass over the light. All light being fueled from the powerhouse has a uniform brilliance but depending on the glass cover it shines through it assumes the colour of the glass cover. The brilliance of the light (nur) assumes the colour of the glass cover. The nur is in effect telling the glass cover that wherever I (nur), reach there also will reach your colour. It can never be that the nur precedes the colour or vice versa. Let me tell you something of Allah's grace (lutf). If you sit under the red, yellow or green light you will take on its colour. The brilliance of the radiance of nur is luminous, so why does it radiate in different colours? The radiance has brilliance and brightness but no specific colour for it assumes the colour of the glass cover that it shines through. So under the nur cover of the Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi or the other Sufi Spiritual Orders one sitting in the brilliance of the luminosity emanating from the Green Dome in Madinah will take on the colour of the order.

So wherever is the Light Of Allah's Lordship (nuraaniat e Ruboobiat) there you will find the colour of the Chosen Ones Mercy (rehmate Mustafa). Ponder! Therefore Allah used the term aalameen for His Lordship and the Beloved Prophet Muhammad’s mercy. So if the Noble Qur'an has not specified a restriction (khususiat) regarding the Light Of Allah's Lordship (nuraaniat e Ruboobiat) and the Chosen Ones Mercy (rehmate Mustafa) then we should not employ our minds to change what the Noble Qur'an has made general (aam) into specific (khaas) or to confine the unrestricted. We have no right to do this.

So the sender is Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). The sent is His Beloved Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). The recipient is the aalameen. So Allah is the Sender (mursil). The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is the sent ( mursal) entity. The aalameen is the recipient (mursal ilaihim). So understand the position and status of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions)! If you attribute to him, the Senders (mursal), Lordship (Ruboobiat) by joining him with Allah, the Sender (mursil) then you have faltered. Then you should also be careful not to think of him (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as one of us for we are the recipients (mursal ilaihim). Don’t shift his position or status above or below.  The stairway or means of access is always in between.

Mil nahi sakta Khuda un ka wasila chor kar

Ghair mumkin heh keh charieh chat pe zina chor kar

One cannot attain Allah’s proximity, leaving the Beloved Prophet as the ‘means’

It is impossible to climb onto the roof, leaving the stairs

The stairs is the means of access, it is not the roof, neither is it the ground. The stairs has a connection to both the roof and the ground, as long as it is kept in its correct position. The previous nations faltered on two counts. Firstly, some saw the miracles and perfection of their Prophet and thought he was God. Secondly, some saw the apparent human qualities and actions; and mistakenly thought he was like them. Both went to the extremes and put themselves out of the faith. Read and study the life of the Beloved Prophet (seerah). Ponder on his consumption of food and water, his sitting and standing; his walking and travels; his waking and sleeping. See his blessed teeth being knocked out at The Battle of Uhud and his being injured and bleeding at Taif, but I request that if you focus on his walking on the ground then also focus on his heavenly journey. If you focus on his blessed teeth being knocked out then also keep in mind that on the night of the Journey Through The Heavens (mi'raj) his chest was opened out but a drop of blood did not come out. If you saw him carrying some ones parcels then think it was he who split the moon. If you see him performing basic tasks then remember on his command trees recited the Testification Of Faith (Kalimah). What I mean to say is, focus on both his similarity and excellence. If he had not been seen sustaining himself, then who would have elucidated the method of consumption for us?  If he had not been seen sleeping and waking, then who would have taught us the method? If we don’t remember the blessed teeth being martyred at Uhud, then from where will we get the fervour of cutting or throats and being martyred to uphold truth? So look at both his similarity and excellence. For on one hand when you see his sleeping and waking, sitting and standing, eating and drinking, bleeding and injuries then you will never call him God, whilst on the other hand when you see him undertaking a heavenly journey; splitting the moon; bringing back the sun; passing the Heavenly Lote Tree (sidra); animals prostrating to him; trees and stones reciting the Kalimah on his command then you will not think that he is like you and I. Therefore, I say focus on both similarity and excellence, so that you don’t call him God or think him to be like you.

The fact is that our Beloved Messenger kept the continuous fast (saume wisaal) for eight days without consuming food or drinking, yet there was no effect on his physical strength or physique. This taught us that he is not dependant on food and drink, for he only ate and drank to teach us how too. He bore problems to teach us the spirit of patience and sacrifice. He is not dependant on food and drink but the food and drink is longing for him. The various varieties of food and drink were in fact saying, 'O Beloved Prophet! If you consume us then we will become permissible (halaal), but if you reject us we will become forbidden (haraam). Never fall into the error that I reject the human status (bashariat) of the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). We will have to accept bashariat for the word human being (bashar) appears in the Noble Qur'an. I go to the extent of saying that he who rejects the human status (bashariat) he is an unbeliever (kaafir). You see accepting is something different from proclaiming. Everything that is accepted is not necessarily vocalized. Some truths are not vocalised. If you don't believe you are a criminal and if you vocalize this belief then you are also a criminal. Let me offer an explanation:

Is Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) the Lord of the universe? Yes he is the Owner and Lord of every atom in the universe. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Noble Qur'an, in the, famous Verse Of The Throne (ayatul kursi), the 2^nd Sura, al – Baqarah, Verse 255:

His are all things in the heavens and on earth.

Is there anything in the universe that he is not the Master, Lord and Owner of? But I tell you, since it is law that the 'emulation of disbelief is not disbelief' (nakhle kufr, kufr na bashad). Therefore I am emulating to expound what I am saying. If some naive, uneducated person says that God is the master of our toilet (sandaz) then he becomes an unbeliever (kaafir). Although what he is saying is true, for the toilet is part of the universe but it should not be vocalized. O ignorant person! You could have addressed Allah as Master Of The Day Of Judgment, Master Of Muhammad or Master Of The Heaven And Earth. Why did you have to connect His Mastery to the filthy creation? It is due to this that you earned unbelief (kufr). Some things are true but should not be vocalized. Is Allah not the Creator of the heavens and earth? Yes, He is! So again keeping in mind ‘emulation of disbelief is not disbelief' and again I am emulating to expound if somebody says that God is the creator of the pig. Then he becomes a kaafir. Again, I repeat some truths are not vocalized. Why did he have to connect The Creator to the filthy creation? He could have said Creator of Muhammad, Creator of Jibraeel and Mikaeel or Creator of the Universe, which would have respectfully included everything.  To further elucidate my point in the Noble Qur'an, Allah speaks of the creation of man, and says man was created from an impure drop. Although this is true, it is improper and unethical to address any man as, 'O creation from an impure drop!' What is being said is true but it is unethical. The argument that it is said in the Noble Qur'an falls flat for one should exercise caution and not surpass the bounds of respect. If any child calls his maternal uncle (mamoo) and says, 'O My fathers brother-in-law! Come here.' Is this respectful?

So I don’t say that you should not accept the Beloved Prophet is human (bashar). However unbelievers (kufaar) had used the word bashar. It is a word used both by believers (mu’min) and kufaar. We should speak about our Beloved Prophet with such terms that only the mu’min would utter it not the kaafir. Use terms like Best Of Human-Beings (khairul bashar) and essence of man (ruhe insaaniat). There is no shortage of terms in the dictionary of praise so why do you use derogatory terminology.  So understand the reality of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions)! If you assign divinity to him or reduce him to an ordinary human status then, in both instances you have faltered. What is the Testification of faith (Kalimah)?

Ashadu al laillaha illallah, wahdahu, la sharikallahu

Wa ashadu ana Muhammadan abduhu wa rasulu

I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah, who is One and has no partner

And I bear witness that Muhammad is his Servant and Messenger

Here both servant and messenger (abduhu wa rasulu) is a portion of our Kalimah. So as long as we refer to the Beloved Prophet as slave and servant (abduhu), we will never commit blasphemy by calling him Son of God and as long as we address him as is the Messenger of Allah (Rasul) we will never commit blasphemy by thinking he is like us. Don't shift his position or status above or below. The Sender is different from the sent and the recipient is different.

Did Allah make the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) his own before sending him?

The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated:

The first thing which Allah created was my light,
[and every other creation was created from my light.]"

Nothing existed except the Light Of The Beloved Prophet (nure Mustafa). One cannot even put a time frame to the solitary existence of the nure Mustafa for time had not come into existence. However I found a narrative wherein The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) asked Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace) as to how old Jibraeel was. Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace) replied that he could gauge from this that there is a star that appears once every 70,000 years and he had seen that star 72,000 times. The Beloved Prophet  (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) replied, ' O Jibraeel I am that star that you saw, it was my nur.' So this incident gives us an indication as to how long Allah kept the nure Mustafa in His presence. What must have been the effect of this proximity and what the Beloved Prophet must have brought when he was sent? Remember if someone gets close to a being that has the strength to affect whatever is near it and the one near has the strength to receive the effect, then some effect had to take place. E.g. when a piece of iron is put into the fire, Fire has the power to give and iron has the power to take. The piece of iron after being encompassed by the fire, acquires the attributes of the fire and is red hot and able to burn. Ask the piece of iron where it acquired heat and the ability to burn? It answers I was in the company of an existence which was hot and I was close to that existence. That which was in me, got annihilated and that which was in that existence I assimilated. This is called 'the effect of company' or (suhbat ka asr).

Let me elucidate with another example. How is chameli oil made? The seed of the sesame (til) is put into the chameli flower and it is left in the dew. After a few days the seed is removed and crushed. Sesame oil does not come out of it but chameli oil. The time spent in the chameli flower changed the qualities of the sesame seed. So if someone stays in the company of the powerful, he himself becomes powerful. E.g. place two wires in front of you and connect one to the electricity and leave one unconnected. Apparently, both look the same. The eye of scrutiny will assume since the form looks alike both are equal. However if one would interact with both one would get to know that one of them is more powerful.

So the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was created first but sent into this mundane realm last. The question could arise that if he was to be sent last what was the need for being created first? If the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had been sent first then what was the need for other prophets? Remember, all the prophets proclaimed the Oneness Of Allah but only the nure Mustafa is a witness to the Unity of God. Others have based their testimony on the basis of knowledge (ilm), certainty (yaqeen), audition (sama'at) but none on witnessing (ru'yat). Hadrat Musa, the Converser with Allah (kaleemullah) wanted to see Allah but you know what was the result. I don't want to go into that but remember the declaration of a witness is the soundest declaration. The declaration of a witness based on seeing has greater merit than the declaration based on hearsay.

E.g. People come to a Mawlana saying the new moon has been sighted heralding the start of a new Islamic Month. The Mawlana asks as to whether the informant saw the moon himself. He replies that he heard of the moons birth. The Mawlana asks him to call the person who informed him. Each person called forward claims he hears from another. Eventually one appears who says he witnessed the new moon. As soon as two eye witnesses are found the announcement is made. Listeners had to call their chain of narrators but witnesses needed no verification or to call any other. If after the witnesses are found somebody comes in and says he too had heard then, he will be told, 'Since we found the witness we don’t need any one who heard.' Thus the declaration of the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is the soundest declaration and no need is there for any other prophet. The Possessors Of Faith, the Inmates Of Paradise will see The One Allah (al-Waahid). What will be seen and felt cannot be explained nor understood. They will see al-Waahid but will not see His Oneness (wahdaniyah). Unity cannot be witnessed but our Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) saw both. E.g. the last species of creation is man, for Hadrat Adam was created after everything else in the universe had been created. So if the last of creation is asked as to what Allah created first, or the serial order of creation? His answer will be based on knowledge (ilm) and deduction not on witnessing (mushahidah) for he did not exist to witness. E.g. If somebody asks me who came into this gathering first, then I can analogically deduce that the organizers come first so the sound people must have arrived first or the Imam. So my answer will be based on knowledge (ilm) and deduction not on witnessing (mushahidah). On the other hand if I had arrived first, then I would have witnessed everyone’s arrival and I would base my answer on witnessing (mushahidah). So Hadrat Adam (may Allah bless him with peace) was created after everything else had been created but our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was created when nothing else was. So when we ask the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as to what existed he will answer there was The One Allah (al-Waahid) with His Oneness (wahdaniyah). I sometimes think that in His Majesty, Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) could have created the heavens, moon and sun and thereafter he could have created the Nur e Mustafa. But this doubt could have arisen that perhaps the Nur e Mustafa is created from the heavens, moon or sun or some other creation that preceded its creation in the universe. Therefore making the nure Mustafa precede all creation can leave no doubt that the Nur e Mustafa was a result of the Light Of Allah, the only existence. Thus no creation of clay or fire has the right to claim the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is like him, for when clay and fire did not exist, the Nur e Mustafa existed.

 Why The Beloved Prophet Was Sent Last

Let me explain the philosophy as to why the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was sent last. Take a mango seed and plant it into the ground.  A tree grows and leaves grow. As soon as the flowers that precede the fruit are seen the planter is delighted for the reason for planting is nearly accomplished.  The fruit are attained last. The flowers herald the coming of the fruit. When the mango ripens on the tree and is eaten I find the seed within it. I am surprised for I had planted this seed in the ground. The seed answers: [Noble Qur'an, 57^th Sura, al-Hadeed, Verse 3]

I am the first and last

I ask the trunk, branches, leaves and flowers as to where did the seed come from?  None seems to know. It is the first and last.  The difference is that it was one seed in the beginning, but in the end it is found in every fruit. It means that in the beginning when it was alone it took on the Beauty Of Oneness (kamale wahdat) and in the end it takes on Beauty Of Growth (jamaale kasrat).

Dil keh aaine me heh tasweere yaar

Jab zara gardan jukhali dekhli

In the mirror of my heart reflects my beloved

When I lower my neck a little I see my beloved

At this stage an answer is received for a very crucial question. When we say that the entire universe was created from the nure Mustafa, then the question arises that, 'if everything was created from nure Mustafa, then everything should be light (nur)? How is it that some creation is made of clay (khaki) and some of fire (aatishi)? Some are mountains, stones etc.?' This question does arise. How is it that, paradise, hell, stones, soil, fire, water etc. are all made of light (nur)? How do we get different matter from one essence? Let us receive the answer from our trees. The solitary tree, leaves, branches, flowers, foliage, fragrance, nectar, fruit etc. all owe their existence to a seed. Each part that was created from a seed has its own qualities and characteristics. So from one essence how did we get a variety of qualities and characteristics? The answer is through the power (qudrat) of Allah. Similarly everything in creation in essence is made from the nure Mustafa but has developed its own unique qualities and characteristics through the power (qudrat) of Allah. The seed is the essence of the tree but each part receives according to its capacity. The trunk receives mass, leaves get green, flowers get colour and the fruit get sweet nectar. The seed feeds the root; the root feeds the trunk; the trunk feeds the branches and the branches feed the leaves that are attached. Here we learn that even the seed does not give direct nourishment, it gives through means. Here also the attached leaves receive nourishment whilst the detached leaves die. Dry leaves are stepped on or burnt. Therefore the spiritually detached Muslims should not complain on being trampled and eventually burnt. Leaves do not detach on their own, they are infected. Infection deforms, hardens and dries the leaf and it is detached when the wind blows. Thus gardeners take great care of their leaves by using insecticides to prevent infection. To kill pests much money is spent just to ensure that the plant grows healthy. So this heart (qalb)[1]is like a leaf, that if it is not firmly attached to a Holy Court (darbaar), which is a conduit to receive spiritual nourishment, then it also flutters, breaks looses and blows in the wind of misbelief. The disease coming from whispering (waswasa) worms infect the heart. Therefore our Ulama have created a strong disinfectant, to sprinkle on the heart and remove doubting whispers. This disinfectant is the zikr of, ‘Assist me, O Supreme Helper!’ (Ya Ghaus, al Madad), Assist me Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz! (Ya Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz, al-Madad') and Help me, O Messenger of Allah! ( agisni Ya Rasulullah).' If these are invoked daily then no infection can set in. Don’t ever let, your heart attachment to the Green Dome in Madinah become shaky or detached.  The detachment from the Green Dome in Madinah has severe consequences. Tell me, where do you apply water to keep your tree alive and leaves green? At the roots! So the focus to keep the tree alive is the root. The root is necessary to keep the tree alive. The only trees that you find without root attachment is the plastic fake trees sold in shops. These fake leaves and branches are washed and kept clean to give it a pretentious life. There is no life in these green leaves and no fragrance in these flowers. From a distance the colour and beauty will attract one. Little innocent, immature children are fooled by these and are attracted by the colour and false beautification. The apparent beauty and glitter attract the immature. Those who know reality know that these flowers have no fragrance and these seemingly green leaves have no life. The so-called fruit displayed cannot be consumed and have no sweet taste. Only those real trees attached to their root acquire fragrance and sweet taste. So the seed is the first and the last. Whether the leaves see the seed or not, they will have to accept that whatever they receive is due to the effusion or emanation  (fayz) of the seed. If any leaf denies existence of he seed on the grounds that it has not seen the seed, then the fruit will reply that, 'you should have developed a longing like us then the seed would appear in your chest.' Everyone does not get the seed in their chest.

So Allah created the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as the first of creation; loved him extremely, kept him by at His Holy Presence and then sent him to creation. This is what is messengership (risaalat). Messengers (Rasul) are also angels, Gabriel is the Messenger of Angels (rasulul malaika). But in messengership (risaalat) there is a difference. One is to be a Messenger of Authority (ba ikhtiyaar rasul) and the other is to be a Messenger of No Authority (be ikhtiyaar rasul). To explain: The king sends a provincial governor a messenger with an order to deliver to his subjects. The messenger is a deliverer of the message; only to deliver and return. The governor has to implement the order, reward the obedient and punish the offender. So the governor is the authoritative (ikhtiyaar) representative of the king, whilst the messenger has no authority (be ikhtiyaar), being simply commissioned to deliver a message. It is not even necessary for the deliverer of the message to even understand the message. So similarly Hadrat Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace) is a Messenger (rasul) and the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is also a Messenger (rasul), but the difference is that Hadrat Jibraeel has only to deliver the message to the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions), not to get it to the community and expound it. In this message Allah sent such letters that  only the recepient, His beloved Beloved Prophet will understand. These are called Allegorical or Symbolic letters (hurufe mukat'ta'at).   Therefore in the Commentary of the Noble Qur'an, called 'Ruhul Bayaan', it is explained in detail that when Hadrat Jibraeel came to the Beloved Prophet he said, 'kaaf, haa, yaa  ain, saad’ and the Beloved Prophet replied 'I understood (alimto)', as each letter was conveyed. Hadrat Jibraeel replies, ‘I didn’t understand.’ So, we establish that delivering a message is different from implementing and teaching. This is a secret understood only by him who receives the message. E.g. I left home and came here via Bombay (Mumbai). When I left I told Muneer Ashrafi that, "I will send you a telegram and when I it contains, 'first', then you should understand, it means this and when I say, 'second', then you should understand, it means that and so on.” When the occasion arose that I had to send the telegram, I asked Haji Ibrahim Sahib to send a telegram to Muneer Ashrafi and write in it 'second'. He went to the telegram office, confused as to what this message means. At the office he dispatched the telegram, via the official in charge, who was just as confused as to the meaning of the message. When it reached Muneer Ashrafi and he read its content, he exclaimed, 'I understood'. So there are such secret communications that are previously explained and sent later. So Hadrat Jibraeel is a rasul but his authority is limited, he has no authority over the community (Ummah). Therefore we read in the Testification Of Faith (Kalimah), 'laillaha illallah, Muhammadur Rasulullah.' To this day no one has read laillaha illallah, Jibraeel Rasulullah. From this we learn that we testify to the Messengership of a Messenger of Authority (ba ikhtiyaar rasul). The orders of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) are binding upon us, not the orders of Hadrat Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace). Let me narrate to you The Hadith Of Jibraeel (Hadith e Jibraeel) so that you understand.

This hadith is in the Collection of Bukhari. It is also called The Mother of Hadith (ummul Hadith) among other names assigned to it.

Hadrat Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) reports that Hadrat Jibraeel comes to the Holy Court of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as a seeker of knowledge. The Hadith starts of 'ta la alaina rajulun' i.e. 'A man came in our midst'. It means that Hadrat Jibraeel came to us in the form of a man. It goes on to describe his immaculate attire and resplendent features. Hadrat Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) says they didn’t recognize who it was and there was no sign of travel on his person. As soon as Hadrat Jibraeel, in the form of this stranger arrived, he began questioning the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) regarding Islam, Faith (iman), Day of Judgment (Qiyaamah) and its signs etc. Coming to what I want to expound. After the numerous questions, the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) answered them and he left. Then the Beloved Prophet asked the companions if they recognized the visitor. He (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) answered himself, that it was Hadrat Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace). 'That was Jibraeel! He came to teach you your religion' [Haza Jibraeel! A’takum li yu alimakum dinakum]. So the point to note is, if Hadrat Jibraeel came to teach the Community of Muhammad (Ummat) the din   he should have addressed the companions. He addressed the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) who conveyed it to the ummah, for if Hadrat Jibraeel communicated the message directly. It would not have been obligatory (waajib) on the ummah to obey. Another point to note is that Hadrat Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) reports 'ta la alaina rajulun' i.e. 'A man came in our midst'. Even though the hadith was reported after it became known that the man was actually the angel, Hadrat Jibraeel. He did not report ta la alaina Jibraeel i.e. 'Jibraeel came in our midst'. Think and understand! When Hadrat Jibraeel came in the form of a man, he was referred to as man in the hadith. It is a perfectly sound report for whoever comes in the form of a man will be called a man.

Once before also Hadrat Jibraeel had come to Hadrat Mariam in the form of a man and he spoke to her as reported in the Noble Qur'an in the 19^th Sura, Maryam in Verse 17:

…he appeared before her as a man in all respects.

So when he appeared as man (bashar), he was called bashar. So did Hadrat Jibraeel's coming to earth as a man (bashar), in any way terminate his status as a being of light (nuraaniat)? Did his angelic, light actual existence cease? No! Even if he had to spend thousands of years as a man, adopting all the characteristics of a man, then also his actual status of nuraaniat cannot be changed. Satan came in the form of man on certain occasions. Once he came to Darul Nadwa when people had gathered to discuss how the spread Islam could be checked. He appeared here as an old man with a walking stick. He knocked on the door and entered. He knocked for he had taken the form of man and hence had to adopt the characteristics of men. I don’t want to take the incident further, for when he was asked where he came from he said, 'Najd'. He said, 'I am Shaykh e Najdi.'  Why he referred to himself as a Shaykh from Najd you must ask him, I have no time to discuss this.

Once Satan came to Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi (may Allah be well pleased with him) in the form of a man. Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi (may Allah be well pleased with him) had prayed tom Allah to show Satan to him. Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi asked Iblis as to why he did not prostrate to man on the command of Allah. Satan answered, 'O Junaid! The head that submits to God can never submit to other than God.' Here we learn that this proof for disrespectful behaviour is also a very old proof.'  Hadrat Junaid Baghdadi (may Allah be well pleased with him) answered, 'O Disrespectful one! The submission was not for 'other than God' (ghair e Khuda) but for the 'order of God' (hukme Khuda). You submitted (bangagi) but failed to understand the essence of submission (ruh e bandagi) ' Anyway, Satan came in the form of a man (bashar).

Thus we learn that if our Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) took the form of man for 63 years it did not alter his light (nur) status. So in messengership (risaalat) there is a difference. There is also difference between a Messenger of Authority (ba ikhtiyaar rasul) and a Messenger of No Authority (be ikhtiyaar rasul).

 To make belief sound and complete in Risaalat [aqidae risaalat] three conditions have to be believed in:

1.  That without a 'means', we have no way of obtaining anything from Allah. For if we obtain directly then why is there a need for a Messenger.

2.  Him whom we believe in as Messenger (Rasul) has the ability to obtain from Allah and also the ability to give to us.

3.  The Messenger knows the One that gives the message and those that are to receive the message. For without knowing Allah, how will he receive and without knowing whom to give to how will he deliver?

So these three pre-beliefs makes belief in risaalat perfect. Therefore in receiving he is Allah's Messenger and in giving he is our messenger. Since he is the Messenger till the Day Of Judgment, he knows the recipients of the message till the Day Of Judgment. Understand and think.

So lets move on to the implication of 'I sent you as a mercy to all the worlds.' What does Mercy (Rehmat) mean? To simplify it, Rehmat, means 'favour' (meherbani). 'O Beloved! I have sent you as a favour and mercy to all the worlds.' The Beloved Prophet has stated, 'I have come as a Rasul for all creation [ursilto illal khalqe kahfa]'. He (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) also said ‘I have been sent as a warner to the world [lil a'alamina naziera] and ‘Everything in the universe knows I am The Messenger of Allah except some men and jinn [ma min shaiyin illa yalamu wa anni Rasulullah illa maradatal jinna wal ins].' Think! Every atom and leaf knows he is the Messenger of Allah. So Allah made the Beloved Prophet a 'favour' (meherbani) for all he worlds. Lets ponder on this. What is the requisite to be a 'favour' (meherbani)? The Beloved Prophet has been sent as a favour and mercy to all the worlds, at all times; every second; in the day and at night; morning and evening; in this world, in the intermediate world (barzakh) and in the hereafter. So what is the requisite to be a 'favour' (meherbani)? E.g. If our Maulana Sayyad Hassan Sahib claims, referring to me, that I am a 'favour' (meherbani) to one of you for all time. Then it is necessary that I exist as long as you exist, for if I expire before you how will I be merciful and a favour. So functioning life [Hayaat] is a necessity. If I am alive and present then the one I am being merciful to and a favour to must be alive and present. Not only present but close. If I am in Pakistan how can I be a favour to somebody here? Thus he who is a favour and mercy must be close and present (haazir) and be able to perceive my difficulty (naazir). He should also know my difficulty and its cure. Presence, life, seeing, knowledge and ability to heal is necessary to be in a person being a favour and mercy (rehmat o meherbaan). Also the power (qudrat) and authority (ikthiyaar) to obtain whatever is necessary, from wherever it is obtained, to administer favour and mercy is necessary. This shawl of mine, Maulana has the power to take it but has no authority for it belongs to me. So power (qudrat) and authority (ikthiyaar) are two separate qualities. With power you can forcefully take, but without authority it is illegal. To have authority (ikthiyaar) it is a necessity to own that which you have authority over. Think! One more condition is necessary, i.e. to understand the language of the one you are a favour and mercy to. If all these conditions are fulfilled I can be a 'favour' (meherbani) to only one of you for all time. So here we are referring to the one who is a mercy and a favour to all the worlds.  So it cannot be that the universe is functioning and present and the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is not functioning and present. Thus he is alive; functioning; present in and with every atom; a possessor of all knowledge and authority; and knows every means of communication in the universe. So the verse is, 'O Beloved I have sent you as a meherbani for all the worlds, i.e. ‘O Beloved I have sent you as present (haazir), seeing (naazir), having total knowledge, with authority,' If you understand this one verse all the issues of contention will be resolved.

My friends! One more point!  'I made and then sent you'. What does this mean? That I made you when I sent you or you existed previously?' If I say, 'Mawlana Sayyad Hassan Sahib I made a bouquet and sent it to you'. It means the bouquet was prepared by me and then sent. This teaches that, ‘I made you My beloved and then sent you.' Some attributes are innate in man but manifest later.' So the manifesting of an attribute is different from the possession of an attribute. E.g. you appoint someone as the commander in chief of an army and pay him accordingly. You now instruct him that you have been appointed but will manifest your position at the time of war. To cite another example: Two wrestlers are competing and neither knows who will win. The one who wins will be called strong and brave. The question was did this strength and bravery only achieved now? No! It was there but it manifested now. If I abused you verbally and you patiently overlooked my abuse, did patience only take root then or was it in my personality? No! Patience was there it only manifested now. So some attributes are possessed by man, but manifest later. My Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was a prophet from before but manifested his prophethood at the age of forty. He is the Intercessor For Sinners (Shafee al-muznibi) but it will manifest on the Day of Judgment. He was the Seal Of Prophets but it manifested when he came as the last prophet. Each perfect of attribute (kamal) manifested itself at the appointed time, but people doubt. They are confused especially about the attribute of present and seeing (haazir and naazir). They are so confused that they also confuse others. The confused begin making statements like, ‘How can you attribute present and seeing (haazir and naazir) to the prophet for only Allah is 'haazir and naazir.' I ask them to produce one Qur’aanic statement saying that Allah is haazir and naazir. Using these Arabic terms of haazir and naazir. If you don’t find it in the Noble Qur'an then produce one hadith, where the Beloved Prophet says that Allah is haazir and naazir. If you don’t find it in the hadith then produce one statement from the companions (sahaabi) saying that Allah is haazir and naazir. If you don’t find it in the statement from the companions then produce one statement from the companions of the companions (ta'bieen) saying that Allah is haazir and naazir.  If you don’t find it in the statement from the companions of the companions (ta'bieen)  then produce one statement from the great Imams (a'imma) saying that Allah is haazir and naazir.  Is this a fair question? Produce proof. I even give you a loophole. Produce a weak hadith also. This requires time. Since so many texts have to be consulted. So I give you time till the Day of Judgment. I may not be present but the expounders of the beliefs of The People who follow the Prophet’s Sunnah and the Example of his Community (Ahl as- Sunna wa’l Jamaa’a) will be present. This is not a personal challenge but a collective challenge. Explain to me why Allah did not use the terms haazir and naazir in the Noble Qur'an, nor did the Beloved Prophet use it in the hadith; neither did the sahaaba. Let me explain to you that the first person to attribute the title haazir and naazir for Allah was branded unbeliver [kaafir] by the ulama of the time. What was the reason for not using the words haazir and naazir for Allah and why did the ulama brand the one who used it kaafir? The reason is that the word haazir is used for ‘Somebody present at a specific place’ [al mowjood fil makaan]. E.g. Me and you are haazir here. The word naazir is used for one who sees with physical eyes. Allah is free of place so how can He be called haazir and He is free of physical eyes. Then how can he be called naazir? So whoever refers to Allah as haazir and naazir keeping the dictionary and actual (haqiqi) meaning in mind is on the fringes of disbelief (kufr). Allama Shaami has taken a decision in Raddul Makhtaar . He says to address Allah as haazir and naazir is not disbelief (kufr).  [Ya Haazziro! Ya Naaziro! Laysa bi kufri.] When he was asked as to why it is not disbelief (kufr). He answered that ‘The intention was not to expound the dictionary meaning.'  So Ya Haazziro! Ya Naaziro! Means, O' Listener and Witness! 'O Knower and Aware! [Ya man A'lima! Ya man Ra'a]. So we have learned that the actual (haqiqi) meaning of haazir and naazir cannot be utilized for Allah. So if we use it in a figurative (majazi) then we are saved from disbelief (kufr).  So tell me who is haazir and naazir in the actual (haqiqi) sense? In the actual (haqiqi) sense he will be haazir who comes to a specific place (makaan) and he will be naazir who sees with his physical eye. So in the utility of meaning, analyzing that method of calling Allah haazir and naazir which is kufr, if we utilize it for the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) then how are we attributing partners to Allah (shirk)? So ‘O Beloved! I have sent you as a favour and mercy to all the worlds being alive; functioning; present in and with every atom; a possessor of all knowledge and authority; and knower of every means of communication and language in the universe.' Some people look for strange proof by trying to find an instance where the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) did not know. They find a hadith and try to run down the status of the Beloved Prophet. So they present this hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him) reports that, 'Whilst the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was going to put on his blessed leather socks or Moezer, and there was a big snake in one of them, a bird flew down and took the sock away. The snake fell out of the sock.' Casual book readers who don’t read in the light of love say that if he knew the unseen why did the bird have to rescue him. Of course it is hadith there is no doubt. I want to show you how they think. Ask them as Lovers reply, 'You acknowledge that the bird knew yet you deny the Prophet's knowledge.' We ask, 'Do you read the birds Kalimah or the Prophet's? The question is how did the bird know?’ Learn the answer from a lover of Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) Maulana Rumi (may Allah be well pleased with him). He says that from the Blessed head to the Heavens [arsh] there is a line of light. When the bird flew into this light, it had the ability to see into the sock. What vision must the possessor of this light possess? The bird saw an opportunity to serve its Rasul. ‘Everything in the universe knows I am The Messenger of Allah except some men and jinn [ma min shaiyin illa yalamu wa anni Rasulullah illa maradatal jinna wal ins]. The bird served its Rasul and left. My faith tells me that the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) knew what was in the sock. Common sense will tell us that the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) would have felt the weight in the socks. My love tells me that the snake complained that it was deprived of the opportunity to kiss the blessed feet of the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). Love had made the snake go, in the sock, how could the Beloved Prophet throw his lover? The bird found the opportunity to serve, the Beloved, so it served. My friends! They look for some point or narration to attempt to negate the belief system based on love.

The incident of Hadrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) is repeatedly mentioned. Our ulama have repeatedly answered these allegations, but they continue to cite this incident. Hadrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) was slandered and they say, the Beloved Prophet  (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) did not know she was innocent. How do they know that he did not know? Did he proclaim his not knowing? His grief is a natural reaction of any innocent person slandered. I ask did not Allah know that Hadrat Aisha was innocent? Why did Allah delay the revelation of the Noble Qur'an? Allah delayed the revelation so that the false reciters of Kalimah may be exposed. The hypocrites and slanderers were exposed. Was not Hadrat Yusuf (may Allah bless him with peace) also falsely accused? Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) cleared his name through a suckling child. . Was not Hadrat Mariam (may Allah bless her with peace) also falsely accused? Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) cleared her name through the infant Hadrat Isa (may Allah bless him with peace).  Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) could have cleared Hadrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) by making every atom of the universe swear to her innocence. Allah chose that He himself would clear His beloveds, beloved wife. If the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had cleared her name the evidence would have been preserved in the books of hadith. With the length of time people would have classified the hadith as weak etc. So Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) Himself ensured that the defense of Hadrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) is preserved as a verse of the Noble Qur'an so that till the Day of Judgment none will be able to doubt its authenticity.

So my friends when we utilize the term present and seeing (haazir and naazir) for the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) then we mean that Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has endowed His Beloved with such power that the entire creation is in front of him like an open palm. He has the power to be present wherever he wants.  I am not saying that it is necessary that he is present here, he is the maalik, it is entirely up to him but wherever he is he is not unaware of us. It is within his power to manifest here with his Holy Personality. People doubt the ability of the Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) yet the entire earth has been made like a slate for the Angel Of Death, wherever he wishes he could go and remove a soul at the same time. The angel is one angel yet he removes souls from the four corners of the earth at the same time. The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated:

There is not a single living human being that is not visited by the Angel Of Death twice daily

Also the Angels Of The Grave are two, but they appear in every grave at the same time. These are Beings Of Light (nuri), so let me tell you of a Being Of Fire (aatishi). Satan is one being of whom The Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated:

Iblis and his group watch you from places you cannot see 

You leave your house with the intention of going to Mosque and Iblis immediately knows your intention. He can influence your thoughts and actions and divert you from going to pray. Does Allah endows a misguider with such powers, and keeps His guides less endowed? This is strange that I send you to challenge the enemy and give you less weapons that they have. Most surely Allah has made His Friends powerful enough to overcome His Enemies. If the misguider knows your innermost thoughts, how can the guide be unaware?

'O Beloved! I have sent you as a favour and mercy (rehmat) to all the worlds.' Let us look at another point. Allah said, 'I sent you as rehmat. He didn’t say raheem. The dye (rang) is different from the dyed (rangeen). If you get close to the dyed (rangeen) you will not get dyed, you need to get close to the dye (rang). Those that get close to the Beloved Prophet, the mercy (rehmat) become merciful (raheem). The raheem may lose his mercy (rehmat), but mercy (rehmat), doesn't separate from mercy (rehmat). The ignorant and ruthless Arabs, through your proximity, themselves became merciful. Mercy cannot separate from mercy. Generosity (karam) cannot separate from Generosity. So  'O Beloved! I have sent you as a favour and mercy (rehmat) to all the worlds’ there is no question of mercy being separated from you.

Karam sab par heh kohi hoh, kahi hoh

Tum ayse Rehmatulil aalamien hoh

Shareeke ayshoh ishrat sab heh lekin

musibat kaatne waale tumi hoh

Woh har Aalam kih rehmat heh, kissi Aalam meh rehjateh

Yeh unki meherbani heh, keh yeh Aalam pasand aaya

wa akro dawana ...

Irshad Soofi Siddiqui
Chishti Nizami Habibi
Khanqae Habibia Soofia
189 East Street
Pietermaritzburg
Kwazulu-Natal
Republic of South Africa

Tel. 0027 33 3422016
Fax 0027 33 3940847
website: http://www.sufi.co.za/

[1]   [1] qalb: The heart. The human heart is the place of constant change and fluctuation. It is the supra-rational organ of intuition where the Transcendent Realities enter into contact with man. The heart is the isthmus (al-barzakh) between this world and the next. The battlefield of the Greater Holy War (jihad al-Akbar) is the heart. This is where the downward-pulling lower-self (nafs) is confronted by the yearning spirit (ruh). The battle is fought between these two adversaries in order for one to take possession of the precious heart of man. Under the misguidance of the Misguider (shaytan) the nafs wants the heart to plummet to the depths of ignorance. However, the spirit, which is from Allah, exerts a powerful attrac­tion upon the heart, as it endeavours to guide it towards Knowledge of Allah. The greater the purification of the heart the more receptive it is to this irresistible attraction of the celestial spir­it. The heart is the sanctified centre of man because it is the "place", which contains Allah. Keeping watch over the heart is part of the spiritual struggle (mujahadah) of the Journey Of Return. Those well advanced on the path never allow any intruders to enter their sanctified hearts. The heart of the Perfect Man is the Divine Throne (al-arsh) around which circle the spiritual realities.