Which Day Is Our Last? Every Minute Be Grateful And Say, ‘Allah’
Khwaja Aziz ‘Ali ar-Ramitani (KS): At the beginning to remember him, one must apply a great deal of effort
BismillaharRahmanirRahim
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Why do we say the Naksibendi Tarikat is the highest Sufi Order and elevated above others? In the Qur’an el-Kerim, Allah (SWT) commands humankind always to remember Him often. So everything in society, one way or another, relates to that. And those who forget Him are declaring themselves and their existence. To remember is to make zikr. (33:41)
There are different ways to make zikr. Some remember their Lord standing, some sitting, and others lying down. The Mevlevi Tarikat whirl to remember their Lord, imitating Hz. Abu Bakr Siddik (RA). Which gracefully suggests that all of Creation are also circling, making tawaf, and worshiping their Creator. The zikr we are doing at the Osmanli Dergah, with the permission of Sheykh Lokman Efendi, is both loud and silent. The Naksibendi Tarikat prioritizes saying, ‘la ilaha ill-Allah,’ just as everything from the smallest atom to enormous galaxies is taking power from that zikr. We try to put everything else out and be with our Lord. As if this entire world were on fire, burning right in front of us, there's nothing we can do about it except to be with our Rabb.
Sheykh Lokman Efendi often says, “Allah (SWT) is always asking us, ‘Alastu birrabbikum?’ Am I not your Lord?” Our Sheykh warns that our response should always be, “‘Qalu Bala,’ yes You are.” We should say ‘ya Rabbi, thank You,’ even sipping water. Saying ‘BismillaharRahmanirRahim’ standing, sitting, or lying down, saying, ‘Thank You ya, Rabbi,’ and constantly thinking of our Lord. The Naksibendi Tarikat focuses on disciplined adherence to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (AS) and the Sahab-i-Kiram (RA) because everything the Messenger of Allah did was in remembrance of his Lord and praising Him.
Khwaja Aziz ‘Ali ar-Ramitani (KS) was an evliya, a Saint, and one of the Khwajagan Masters. He was born around 585 (AH) in Ramitan, a village just a few miles from Bukhara, in what today is called Uzbekistan. He was a weaver by trade, and after studying religious science, he became renowned for his knowledge of Divine Law and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet (AS). Then upon the veiling of his master, Khwaja Mahmood Faghnawi (KS), he bestowed Sheykh ar-Ramitani Hz authority making him the fourteenth Grand Sheykh of the Naksibendi Sufi Order.
Khwaja Aziz' Ali (KS), in response to a question about loud zikr, said, “O my brother, Muslim scholars throughout the centuries, from the time of the generation following the Companions up until today, have permitted the loud zikr in the last moments of life. At this time, those near the dying encourage them to repeat the testimony of faith. The Prophet (AS) said, ‘Make your dying ones say, “There is no god but God.’” In the science of tasawwuf, the sheykhs have emphasized that each moment may be your last. This leads to the conclusion that you may say, ‘la ilaha ill-Allah in a loud voice at every moment of your life.” But when asked which zikr is preferable, Khwaja Aziz (KS) replied, “For the beginner, it should be by the tongue, and for the adept, it is best that it be by the heart.” (Rashahat)
There’s a reason why the Naksibendi Tarikat is the highest Sufi order.
Sheykh Lokman Efendi says that tarikat concentrates on the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (AS) and that zikr, remembering our Lord, as taught by our Prophet, in different ways, distinguish one from another. And the Osmanli Naksibendi Tarikat is the most distinguished.
So insha’Allah, we intend each day, whether standing, sitting, or lying down, to be with Allah (SWT), just being with Him, as He is always with us. May He raise the station of our sheykhs? May we remember Him as he remembers us. El-Fatiha. Amin. Selam aleykum.