Sheikh Nazim

        REALITY OF REALIZATION

 and

  THE EXPERIENCE

THE JOURNEY TO THE DIVINE PRESENCE

?Oh you company of Jinn and Men,

if you have the power to penetrate (all) the

regions of the heavens and earth, then

penetrate (them)! You will never penetrate

them except with (Our) permission.?

"Which then of the favours of your Lord

will you deny"

Sura Ar Rahman: 55:33-34

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal) said ?Laisal kaburukal ma?imah? ? : ?Nothing is more valuable than direct experience?.

A person having direct experience is convinced without doubt of the reality. His outlook is that of certainty. Many mureeds of Moulana Sheik Nazim (Qad) have attained this state of certainty and some of their experiences are given below.

Many of Moulana Sheik Nazim?s mureeds have experienced the seeing of lights of different shapes and colours. It is quite common among these mureeds to see pin points of different coloured lights at various times of the day and night. These lights appear in flashes and disappear. Some also see waves of gold or silver light appearing in front of them. These lights can be compared to a heavy mist and they always move about in waves. Even in utter darkness these mureds are able to see all around them.

                                                  Sheikh Nazim

Some have also experienced seeing a big golden or silvery light close to their foreheads or at the positions where their hearts are. Some mureeds also see big flashes of light appearing in blotches in front of them. Some also have experienced seeing lights in the form of streaks and lightning. Others have perceived lights in the shape of the moon and stars.

Lights of various colours and hues particularly, red, purple, light blue, green, gold, silver and white have been seen by these mureeds. Light like that of the shining sun at noon with all its intensity and brightness have been witnessed. In short so many types of lights have been seen by these mureeds that it would be difficult to enumerate all of them here.

A common experience of many mureeds is the sudden inhalation of a whiff of incense or attar (perfume). The type of perfume in almost all cases is one that is not being worn by the mureed and is easily recognized due to its unexpected presence.

During the repetition of Dhikr some mureeds have experienced a sweet taste on their tongues which lingers sometimes from between a day to three or four days on end. Mureeds have been given various types of liquids such as water and milk etc to drink by Prophets, particularly Holy Prophet (Sal) and Seyyidina Khidr (Alai) during the recital of Salawath (Durood) and Dhikr. These liquids represent secret knowledge                                             

                                                    Sheikh Nazim

Some mureeds have also experienced the sense of touch when they have been totally devoid of other company. This experience is common to mureeds who are nodding off to sleep while reciting Quran or while praying or while in Dhikr. Such an experience usually has the effect of awakening the mureed and helping him to concentrate.

Many mureeds have had the experience of seeing Mowlana Sheikh Nazim and also other members of the Golden Chain of Spiritual Transmission of the Naqshabandi Tariqat appearing before them. Some have had the experience of seeing a host of the Saints (awliya) appearing before them.

A selection of mureeds see Mowlana Sheikh Nazim in flashes at various times of the day or night. Some see the entire form of the Sheikh, while some see just the bust or only his face. Certain of these mureeds see Mowlana Sheikh Nazim in front of them all the time and Mowlana is always with them. Wherever they may be or wherever they may go Mowlana Sheikh Nazim is always present with them. Some of them have also been granted the gift of being able to communicate with Mowlana. Any question that they put to their Sheik is immediately answered by him. Whatever they want to know Sheik gives them the answer. Vast amounts of hidden knowledge have been communicated to his mureeds by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim in this manner.

Questions by these mureeds regarding day to day life, or questions relating to religion and Marifatullah (hidden knowledge) and also many other subjects have been answered by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim. When this type of communication has been granted to a mureed, he no longer needs to resort to books in order to further his knowledge. Anything that he desires to know is told to him by his Sheik.

                                                   Sheikh Nazim

There are some mureeds who have been given the gift by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim of being able to see the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal) appearing before them. To some of them the Holy Prophet (Sal) appears to them in flashes. Some are in the presence of the Holy Prophet (Sal) at all times ? 24 hours a day. They are able to communicate with the Holy Prophet (Sal). They are able to put questions to Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal) and they are answered by him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal) teaches, instructs and guides them.

Many mureeds have also the gift of being able to interpret dreams. This they do either by asking for the interpretation of these dreams from Mowlana Sheikh Nazim or from the Holy Prophet (Sal). Sometimes they do this by means of interpreting these dreams according to the knowledge that has been given to them. When a person relates a dream to these mureeds, they are even able to actually see the dream visually unfolding before the very eyes of their hearts. In some instances, these mureeds have been able to remind the one who related his dream of certain portions of his dream that had been forgotten by him and therefore omitted in the narration of it and subsequently the dreamer is able to recollect quite clearly what he had forgotten.

The existence of Seyyidina Mahdi (Alai) in these times is doubly confirmed by some mureeds of Mowlana Sheik Nazim who have been given the gift of seeing Seyyidina Mahdi (Alai). He is so powerful that it is not possible for people to look at his eyes. Mowlana Sheikh Nazim has however, granted some of his mureeds the power to look directly into the eyes of Seyyidina Mahdi (Alai) and also to communicate with him.

Certain of the mureeds of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim experience that Mowlana appears within them. When this happens, they are no longer conscious of themselves as themselves. They loose their identity and are conscious of themselves as their Sheikh. They see through Mowlana?s eyes when they look, they hear through Mowlana?s ears when they speak. They no longer see or feel themselves as they no longer exist, only Mowlana exists. When a mureed in this state makes any movement, this movement is seen by the mureed to be a reflection of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim. This state is temporary for some mureeds while for others it is established and permanent. In this state the mureed is known to be going through the process of ?Fana fi Sheik?

                 .

                                                   Sheikh Nazim

Some mureeds also experience the state of ?Fana fi Rasool? which is the next stage towards the Divine Presence. In this stage the Holy Prophet (Sal) is experienced within the mureed. As in the earlier case the mureeds lose their identity and are conscious of themselves as Mowlana Sheikh Nazim who is lost in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal). They can no longer identify themselves as themselves. They now identify themselves while in this state as being mirrored by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal). They now see, hear and experience sensation through the Holy Prophet (Sal).

The ability to look into and witness events that have occurred in the past has also been given by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim to some of his mureeds. All that these mureeds have to do is to think of this particular event and they are shown it as it actually happened. For example, if a mureed with this gift wished to see a certain incident related in the Quran, for instance the incident described in Sura Yoosuf where the ladies of the court of the King while paring fruits were so rapt in the beauty of Yoosuf (Alai) that they did not realize that they had cut their fingers, or the creation of Adam (Alai) or incidents in the life of any Prophet or Saint. These incidents are portrayed to them as they actually took place.

For instance, if these mureeds were to read the life story of our Prophet (Sal) they would see the incidents unfold before them as if they were happening at that time. The same is true if they were to read the life story of a Saint. This is not only restricted to reading. The same would occur if another person is relating a story as well, where the story would unfold in front of the mureeds who actually witness the events talked about. In short, all that these mureeds wish to see of the past are depicted to them. This state is being experienced by some of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim?s mureeds and they are also given access to witness whatever is presently occurring anywhere in the world. They have been given the gift of all that they wish to see.

                                                 Sheikh Nazim

A few mureeds have been given the gift of being able to look through the eyes of everyone. These mureeds, simply ask Mowlana Sheikh Nazim for this ability and are then able to look through another?s eyes and see whatever they are seeing. Sights which have arrested one in the past and is imprinted in his memory may be recalled by him at a particular instant which a mureed with this ability of looking through anyone?s eyes may see in all it?s glory. For instance, if a person has been to the Himalayas and seen a particular mountain range, all that the mureed with this ability has to do is to ask Mowlana Shaikh Nazim to let him look through this person?s eyes and he would see what that person had seen. This phenomenon is not only limited to this, but also to dreams and spiritual visions. If a mureed with this ability desires to look through the eyes of another mureed with spiritual vision, he is shown this spiritual vision ? which may be the vision of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal) or Mowlana Sheikh Nazim or some other Prophet or Saint.

Sometimes, mureeds have been transported to other countries and places. For example they may be transported in a moment to London where Mowlana Sheikh Nazim would be delivering a lecture. Some are known to have visited Mecca, Medina, London and Baghdad in moments by the power and the grace of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim. Of course there are also certain mureeds who have had the opportunity of being transported beyond the limits of this world, beyond the limits of this Galaxy even, and to the very edges of the far Galaxies. They have been taken to the Paradises and have experienced the delights therein. They have even seen the hells too. They have also visited other worlds and met with their occupants.

A common phenomenon at this point is the experience of ecstasy in love oceans for Mowlana Sheik Nazim, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sal) and ultimately towards the Divine Presence. This feeling of ecstasy can never be accurately expressed as there is no other sensation that can be compared to it. It can only be pointed out that it is even greater than the greatest feeling of love that two ardent lovers may have for each other. An example of this sensation may be realized from the story of Yoosuf (Alai) where Lady Zulaiha after pining away for the love of Yoosuf (Alai) finally has this, her greatest desire granted by Allah Almighty. Having wed Yoosuf (Alai) however, on the night of their marriage even this great love for him was forgotten in the ecstasy that she felt for Allah Almighty.

There are also mureeds who have even developed to the state where they have been given the gift of being able to witness everything in creation performing Dhikr constantly. They witness everything that they look at shimmering in constant Dhikr. Some even hear this Dhikr.

Some of the mureeds of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim have been given knowledge of the secrets of nature. For, instance the secrets of plants etc, have been granted to these mureeds.

A degree of Unity have been experienced by certain mureeds where they have expanded to the extent that they see the Universe at a glance. They are able to see right across the Universe and also able to focus on any place that they desire. They see the entire Universe as one in all its vastness. They have beheld that the entirety is made of one substance. At some point some mureeds reach the state where they no longer can differentiate between themselves and the Universe in its entirety. At this point they see themselves as the entire Universe with a single soul ? their soul.

                                                 Sheikh Nazim

Mowlana Sheikh Nazim says that the purpose of religion is to know Allah. He quotes the Hadith Qudsi ?I was a Hidden Treasure and loved to be known?. Therefore the purpose of any religion is to find this Hidden Treasure and to discover its secrets. It is towards this end that Mowlana Sheikh Nazim is training his mureeds. He guides them to the Divine Presence and seats them on the Divine Throne of Allah Almighty to take command of the entire Universe.

Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran ?I give sovereignty to whom I want?. Mowlana Sheik Nazim is therefore guiding every seeker who comes to him to achieve this goal. All the phenomena experienced by mureeds discussed above only represent a tiny drop in the ocean of knowledge that Mowlana Sheikh Nazim intends to impart to his mureeds. Mowlana Sheikh Nazim puts it very simply when he says ?Come to me and I shall give you everything?. Is there anything that falls short of everything?

                                                                           The End