“And Allah invites to the abode of peace and guides whom He pleases onto the right path.” (Yunus 10: 25). Any invitation requires some conditions, and any benefaction requires some difficulties. Our Lord explains what such difficulties are:

“The day on which property will not avail, nor sons Except him who comes to Allah with a heart free (from evil)” (Shuara 88-89).

A free heart is one where the attributes of Allah have been reflected. Allah is content when He sees that His attributes are in the heart of His servant.

In order that we are to deserve the invitation of Allah Almighty to Paradise and endless blessings we must refrain from worldly concerns and direct our hearts only to Him. This is what we need to do, as Allah wants us to have a free heart and a soul that are ready to receive divine attributes.

There is a parable in the Masnawi of Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi:

A close friend of Prophet Joseph came from a far land to stay with him as a guest. They had been very close friends since their childhood. Prophet Joseph chatted with him for a long time before he said in a humorous way:

“So, tell us what you have brought for us from your land?”

His friend felt ashamed, as he had nothing as present to his host, and was perplexed, before he replied in earnest:

“I looked at many things in this transient world, thinking what I could get for you. Yet I liked none of them. How could I deem a scrap of gold as an appropriate gift for a goldfield, or how could I deem a drop of water as appropriate for the sea? I can see no seed equal to your beauty in the warehouses of Egypt. Any present for you must be as beautiful as you. Therefore, I took a spotless and shiny mirror from my free heart.

“O Joseph, you are as bright as the Sun! I took such a mirror from my heart; in it you will see your beauty and you will admire yourself when you look in it. I brought this present for you so that you could see your beautiful face in this mirror and notice the attributes of your Lord, remembering me as well.”

The guest took a mirror out from under his arm and gave it to Prophet Joseph.

Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi says:

“What is the mirror of existence? The mirror of existence is non-existence. (You know that when you are not in the middle only the Creator remains). O, the lover of Allah! If you are not a fool, take nonexistence to the presence of your Lord.”

The clouds in the sky, the water in the sea do not have their own color. The thing that gives color to them is the Sun in the sky. The issue here is to pass into oneness from multitude, and to color oneself with the color of Allah.

So, you would do well to shed of your lower self, to make yourself go into nothingness. You will see divine attributes reflected into your heart if you can do that.

If you want to make Allah your friend you must know that you cannot go to your friend without a present. Going to friends without present is like going to a mill with no wheat.

Allah Almighty will ask His servants on the Day of Judgment:

“What have you got for me?”

And He will continue:

“You came back to Me alone, with nothing, as We first created you. Tell me now what have you got for the Day of Judgment? Did you not know of the Hereafter where you will face Allah? Did you not take seriously the news in the Qur’an about the Day of Judgment?”

O perfect human! O, the one who was created in the best form! How dare you come before Allah with nothing?

O human! Make yourself ready to face Allah. Try to sleep less, eat less, and drink less.

Human beings must realize their impotency before Allah’s grandeur and omnipotence. It is our Lord who has created everything. So, He is superior to everything. Any present we take Him already exists in His peerless treasure. Our Lord is the Absolute Beauty. He is the source of all things beautiful. So, the most precious thing is a sound heart in which the divine attributes are reflected. The best present that we can take to Allah Almighty is a unimpeded heart. In this regard a poet said:

“O, Mullah! Do not think they ask for gold or silver from you,

They ask you for a free heart on the Day of Judgment.”

So, how can one become so heedless as to enslave this valuable entity, our heart, for the sake of false and transitory loves? Can there be a greater disaster than polluting the heart, which is the only means to reaching the content of Allah with worldly desires?

A free heart is like a bell glass where the light of faith sparkles. And with this light of faith in their heart a believer is able to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, between what is allowed and not allowed in the religion. One of the companions of the Prophet, who was a good example of this character, said:

“One day, I came to the Prophet. And he said to me:

- Did you come to ask me what goodness is?

- Yes, Messenger of Allah, I replied. And he continued to say:

- Consult your heart. Goodness is something that your heart confirms you to do. Wrongdoing or sin is something that your heart does not confirm you to do, even though others issue many fatwas affirming your actions (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, IV, 227-228).

The Prophet advised this distinguished companion to learn what was good what was bad by asking his heart. Thus, the Prophet asserted that a heart free from evil can distinguish between good and bad, because a free heart is the unerring compass for the truth. A free heart can only become ill if it is exposed to heedlessness, ambitious desires, and sins. The Prophet says in this regard:

“When a believer commits a sin he gets a black point in the heart. If he repents for that sin immediately, his heart is polished and becomes clear as it had been. If he does not repent and continues to commit that sin, the number of black points goes up until they cover the whole heart. This is the condition that Allah talks about in the Qur’an when He says: ‘Nay! Rather, what they used to do has become like rust upon their hearts’” (Mutaffifin 83: 14). (Dhirmizi, Tafsir, 83; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 29; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, II, 297).

Hasan al-Basri gives the following advice in this regard:

The heart will get rusty because of one of the following six acts:

1- Committing a sin with the hope of repenting one day.

2- Learning, but not acting accordingly.

3- Not being sincere in actions and behaviors.

4- Not being thankful for the blessings of Allah after availing oneself of them.

5- Not being content with the share that Allah has allocated among His creatures.

6- Not taking warning after burying a dead body.

The heart is affected by the conditions with which it comes into contact with. If the conditions reflect a good atmosphere, it receives a glorious light. If the conditions reflect a bad atmosphere, it darkens.

It is narrated that the black stone laid in the corner of the holy Qabah descended from Paradise to Earth. At first it was not black, but it later became black as it was touched by people who dark hearts, due to their sins.[1] It is also said that the other half of the black stone facing inside the Qabah is still white, while the outer part which is touched by people, is black.[2]

So, we should take a lesson from this; if the sins of men are so efficacious that they can turn a white stone into a dark one then they can easily turn the heart dark; it is more easily affected. Thus, we should be more careful about keeping the heart free of bad effects.

When the heart is covered with the spots of sin it becomes blind and heedless. As with spots on a mirror making the view unclear, the spots of sin make the eye of the heart blind, and it is unable to tell right from wrong, good from bad. And with time, the light of faith that gives life to the heart dies away. So one who has such a heart becomes like a dead body in the grave. A poem says concerning this:

“It is faith which is the greatest capital of man!

It is the rusty heart that is the greatest burden on man!”

A spiritually dead heart loses its ability to tell good from bad. It is only then that one commits great sins without having a sense that one has committed them. The words of Omar ibn Abd al-Aziz raise this point:

“The violation of forbidden acts is like touching fire. It is only those who have a dead heart that can touch it. If they were alive, they would feel the pain.”

Human beings cannot manage to be heedless in spiritual and moral matters any more than they can in worldly and transitory ones. The worst type of heedlessness is not to feel sorrow for one’s bad or sinful acts. Wahb ibn Munabbih articulates this point very efficiently:

“Humans are so strange! They cry for those who are dead in body, but not for those who are dead in spirit or heart. Whereas, the real death is the death of heart, not that of the body!”

Thus, the saints of Allah have always been concerned with advising people to be vigilant about otherworldly and spiritual losses, not this-worldly and material ones.

Such advice from the saints of Allah is sayings that are able to clean the rust from our hearts that has come with time. Such spiritual power of the saints cannot be received by those whose hearts have been sealed with the wrath of Allah. Such hearts cannot be touched by the prophets either. They cannot receive the reality, as their hearts have been darkened by the sins they have committed.

Abu Turab al-Nakshabi says:

“There are three signs of a heart that has been darkened:

1- Such a heart no longer minds committing sins.

2- Such a heart no longer takes pleasure in praying.

3- Such a heart no longer takes any advice seriously.

We are supposed to embrace the divine books, the prophets, and the advice of the saints of Allah that have been provided to us, so that our spiritual condition can be exposed.

Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi says:

“The one who stays committed to this world, and has no relation with the pious and faithful men of Allah, and thereby follows his lower self is believed to be dead, even though physically alive.”

According to the narrative by Abu Umamah the Prophet said:

“Loqman (pbuh) advised his son: Stay in the circles of those who have knowledge and wisdom! Follow the advices of those who have wisdom! Allah almighty enlivens the dead heart with the rain of wisdom as He enlivens the dead soil with rain” (Haithami, I, 25).

Allah tells us what to do to cure an ailing heart and to keep it spiritually sound:

“Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah’s remembrance are the hearts set at rest” (Rad 13: 28). The heart which is the king of our bodily existence can only be set at rest when it reaches a light that distinguishes between the right and the wrong and only then can it keep the other organs under control. It is only then that it can reach the due status where it is Allah’s true servant.

Spiritual teachers who are conscious of the importance of remembrance of Allah preach that our souls should be occupied with remembrance of Allah. Yahya ibn Muaz says:

“Renew your souls with remembrance of Allah, because our souls can easily be induced to wrong.”

One must leave worldly interests behind and practice remembrance of Allah in order to gain the Love of Allah; this is the shortcut to reach Him. Only then can the heart become a mirror where the mysteries of truth are reflected.

Fudail ibn Iyad says:

- Allah calls when He manifests Himself at night:

“Where are those who proclaim their love of Me in the daytime? Do not all lovers want to stay alone with their love? Now I keep an eye on those who remember Me. I will enlighten their eyes in my Paradise.”

It is narrated that Allah Almighty revealed to Prophet David as follows:

“O David! One who does not remember Me at midnight is a false lover of Me!”

It is essential for us to avail ourselves of the grace of the night in order to be a sincere and faithful servant of Allah.

One of pieces of the advice that Abu Bakr (pbuh) gave Omar (pbuh) is as follows:

“O Omar! Do not ever forget that there are some duties that Allah wants us to do at night. Such duties are not due in the daytime. There are also some duties to be done in the daytime. And such duties are not due at night.”

When Bishri Khafi, who was known for his nightlong worship, was asked why he did not stop for a long while, he replied:

“The Prophet, whose sins were forgiven by Allah, used to worship all night; so much so that his feet bled. So, how can I sleep without having any guarantee that even a single sin of mine has been forgiven?”

The sultan of souls, Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi said:

“O the lover of Allah! Be among those who sleep less at night and among those who ask for forgiveness at twilight!

Make a move, even one as little as a fetus in the womb, so that you are granted with glorious senses. If you move out of this constricted world of distress, which is like the womb, you will enter a spacious world.

There are countless beauties in the dark night. The water of life which became a friend to darkness is hidden in the night.

Never look at me with your spiritual impotence; the night is the night for you, but it is dusk for me.

The one who can see the truth of the night does not like sleeping; they escapes from sleep. Many enlightened souls and countless lives liven up at night; they do not sleep, but worship and invoke Allah.

The night is the bride-veil for the darling of the unseen.

How can the day be equal to the night? The night is a dark cauldron in your view because you did not taste the sweet of the night. And you did not understand the truth of the night…”

Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi puts into words the love and passion he experienced at night in his book al-Diwan al-Kabir:

“O the cupbearer! Fill the bowl with divine love!

Do not talk about bread to the drunkard!

Offer the divine wine of love to the souls which yearn for it,

What else does the one who swims at sea want?

Fill the bowl full with that divine wine, and offer it!

Please, let the night not turn into day!

Let my sleep overcome me not.

Those who sleep cannot realize what the night is![3]

Nights, particularly twilight, is a special time to come closer to Allah. We must make use of such times. If one cannot make use of such times to come closer to Allah, it means that we have an insensitive heart because of our sins.

Hasan al-Basri says:

“The reason why one does not wake up to worship at night is that one has committed a sin. So, question your lower self every evening. Repent to your Lord so that you will be able to wake up for worship at midnight. Nighttime worship becomes a burden on the one who is overcome by their sins in the daytime.”

In order to be able to make use of the spiritual taste of the night, one must be wary of committing sins during the day and transport the grace of the twilight throughout the day. Someone asked Ibrahim Ethem to suggest what they should do to wake up for worship at midnight. Ibrahim Ethem answered him, saying:

“If you do not rebel against Allah in the daytime, He will help you to stand in His presence at nighttime. It is a great privilege to be in His presence at nighttime. Sinful people cannot have that privilege!”

Of course, worship should be carried out in vigilance. Ibn Abbas says in this regard:

“Two units of prayers done in vigilance are more valuable than spending the whole night in prayer with a heedless heart.”

Abu al-Darda says:

“Contemplation for just an hour is more valuable than 40 days of supererogatory prayer.”

So, it is clear that prayers are only valuable or acceptable when they are done in awe and vigilance. It was this character that made the companions of the Prophet and those immediately after them special; they had a sensitive heart. Abdullah ibn Masud used to say in this regard:

“You pray more than the companions of Allah, but they were not concerned about this world as you are, and they were more enthusiastic about the Hereafter.”

Hasan al-Basri also says:

“There used to be a man from the salaf (the predecessors). He used to read the Qur’an and worship all night. And the people around him used to know what he did at night because he used to have an exhausted and pale face. Tthere were also others who worshipped and read the Qur’an at night. Yet they used to seemed to have been asleep all night. There was no sign of exhaustion or paleness in their face.”

So, this is the character that makes the beloved servants of Allah. They are privileged before their Lord because they have a sensitive heart. Prayers are only acceptable before Allah if they are done in sincerity.

So, may I take this opportunity to ask you to commemorate Sami Efendi by reciting the chapter of Fatiha and Ikhlas from the Qur'an; he has always showed us the right path and has always been a good follower of the order of the Qur'an : “Continue then in the right way as you are commanded…” (Hud 11: 112).

May Allah grant us the opportunity to follow the Prophet and the saints of Allah, the heirs of the Prophet, and thereby attain blessings from Allah!

Amen!

[1] Dhirmizi, Hajj, 49/877.

[2] See Said Bektaş, Fadlu’l-Haceri’l-Esved ve Makami İbrahim, p. 36-38, Beirut, 1420; Muhammed Ilyas Abdülganiy, Tarihu Mekkete’l-Mükerrameti Kadimen ve Hadisen, p. 43, el-Medinetu’l-Munevvere, 2001.

[3] Al-Diwan al-Kabir, translated by Emin Işık (Emeritus Professor, Marmara University, Faculty of Theology)