1 Why Do We Recite the Maulids?

Introduction Maulid is an Arabic word meaning the celebration of a birthday, especially that of a prophet or saint. In this discourse, M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) is referring to two celebrations: one for the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Sal.) during the month of Rab-ul-Awwal, and one for Qutb Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir al-Jln (Ral.) during the month of Rab-uth-Thn. Because Qutb Muhyiddn (Ral.) was born during Ramadn, the month of fasting, the celebration of his life is commemorated around the anniversary of his death. The maulids last for eleven or twelve days, beginning after the late afternoon prayers ( 'asr) and lasting for about three hours. During that time numerous prayers of remembrance (dhikr), traditional stories (ahdth), and verses of praise (salawt) are recited. In the following discourse, M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) explains the purpose and benefit of observing these maulids - to honor the wise ones who are our helpers and to praise Allah for sending them to guide us.

Note to the Reader:

The following traditional supplications will be found periodically throughout the text: (Sal.) following any name used in reference to Prophet Muhammad, stands for Sallallhu 'alaihi wa sallam - Blessings and peace be upon him. (Ral.) following the name of a companion of the Prophet, a saint, or khalf, stands for Radiyallhu 'anhu/'anh - May Allah be pleased with him/her. (A.S.) following the names of angels and prophets, stands for 'Alaihis-salm - Peace be upon him.

Bismillahirahmaniraheem.

As-salmu 'alaikum. May the peace of God be with all of you. May His benevolence and His blessings be with you all. My very precious children, jeweled lights of my eyes who are born with me, my children who are mingled with the love of my heart and my eyes, it is said that last month was designated as the month of our precious Prophet Muhammad (Sal.), the Chosen Messenger, the Mustafr-Rasl, and this month has been designated as the month of Qutb Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir al-Jln (Ral.).1 It has been this way since some time after 'Umar ibnul-Khattb (Ral.), when the ancient Arab astrologers, the nujumis, divided the year into twelve months and established the nujum calendar. This method has been passed down from generation to generation over the last 1,400 years.

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2 It is now 1,402 years since the Prophet Muhammad, Mustafr-Rasl (Sal.) appeared. It is said by the Arab astro-logers that he passed away at the age of sixty-three, however, Allah praises Muhammad (Sal.) saying, "O Muhammad, I would not have created anything but for you." According to this statement, the Rasl (Sal.) was brought into existence before creation began. Allah formed the Rasl (Sal.) within Himself as His Grace, His rahmat. Then, through the Rasul (Sal.), He formed and created all lives; He placed the mm with the sukn in their embryos. Allah created the mm and then stood as the alif that supported the mm.2 Allah is the only one who can support and sustain this. Everything is contained within that sukn, the eighteen thousand universes and all the creations that appear within those universes. Allah alone is the alif, the straight line, which supports this sukn, this extraordinary treasure (daulat). If there is no alif, there is no sukn; if there is no sukn there is no alif. Each one is connected to the other. That is the mm which is present in all embryos as the sperm. It is present the moment the embryo takes form. This is Muhammad (Sal.), the sukn connected to the alif. It is clearly evident that Allhu ta'l Nyan, the Lord, God Almighty, brought creations into existence through the mm and sukn; we can actually see the sperm or mm, join with the sukn at the time of conception. Medical science has even conducted experiments in this matter with the use of microscopes and has discovered that the sperm is shaped like a mm. Allhu ta'l caused His power (qudrat), the light known as Muhammad (Sal.), to appear in this manner. He created everything out of His power and the mm. This light known as Muhammad (Sal.) is the treasure that is connected to both the beginning of creation and the hereafter (al-awwal and al-khirah). Allhu ta'l had this light known as the grace (rahmat) as a most precious treasure that did not belong to anyone. Then He asked all the mountains, the oceans, the lands, and the trees, "Who can accept this most precious light? Can you take this on?" The power of this treasure caused the mountains, the earth, the oceans, and the trees to tremble. They cried, "O Allah, when You merely mention its name, all of us tremble! We cannot bear the weight of this treasure. We cannot bear it. It is impossible. We cannot accept this treasure. We tremble even at the mention of its name, and we are incapable of bearing it." Later Allah summoned the angels, the resplendent beings, the qutbs, and the heavenly beings. "This is My treasure, a most precious treasure. Look at this and tell Me who will accept this light, this treasure of grace (rahmat)?" Even though they were resplendent beings, when they looked upon this treasure, their own brilliance was swallowed and hidden by its light. Their brilliance was obscured and they spoke to Allah, saying, "O Allah, this light has swallowed all the light that came from us. We cannot sustain this light which is the light of Your power (qudrat). We cannot accept it." Then, the Earth spoke up, "Y Allh, I will accept it."

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"O Earth," Allah replied, "This is My treasure of perfect purity. It grew within Me, and it is very precious. If I give it to you, it will be a valuable treasure to everyone. It will benefit everyone and bestow grace upon them. O Earth, it will give you whatever you need. You can derive great benefit from it, but you have to return this treasure to Me. You have to place this most precious treasure in My hand." This treasure is known as Muhammad (Sal.). It was made resplendent and complete and was then impressed upon the forehead of Adam (A.S.). This is the light that has been impressed on our foreheads, and it is connected to the time of creation, this world, and the hereafter (al-awwal, ad-duny', and al-khirah). This treasure is not the son of Aminah and 'Abdullah, the son who was born in Mecca and buried in Medina. According to its secret meaning, when it dies, all of everything will die, because all lives contain the mm. The sukn and its support are present in all lives. The light of Allah and Muhammad (Sal.) is present in all lives; if this treasure did not exist, all of everything would die. However, for those who think it is dead, it is dead. For those who think it is not dead, it is not dead. It depends upon the inner heart of each person. It is alive to those who say it is alive; it is dead to those who say it is dead; it is a sheikh to those who say it is a sheikh; it is a guru to those who say it is a guru; it is a messenger (rasl) to those who say it is a rasl; it is the Nr (resplendent light) to those who say it is the Nr; it is Muhammad (Sal.) to those who say it is Muhammad (Sal.), and it is the light of the heart, or Ahmad, to those who say it is the heart. It is An'am Muhammad (the Muhammad that supplies nourishment) to those who consider it to be An'am Muhammad. It is the Hayt Muhammad (the Muhammad that gives life) to those who consider him to be Hayt Muhammad. It is Awwal Muhammad (the Muhammad who is responsible for creation) to those who consider it to be that. And to those who think of it as Athi Muhammad (the Manifested), or Anthi Muhammad (the Unmanifested), it is that.3 This treasure will benefit each person according to what they consider it to be. It will be Nr Muhammad (the Plenitude, the Light that emerged from Allah) to those who consider it to be Nr Muhammad. It will be seen as the sukn supported by Allah to those who consider it to be Allh Muhammad. There are reasons why we must understand these inner meanings. It is not sufficient for us to simply know the words of the Qur'an; we cannot benefit sufficiently from merely reciting the Qur'an. There is a specific intention with which the Qur'an should be recited, a certain manner in which it should be read and understood. This is why the Rasl (Sal.) told his followers, "Go even unto China to learn true knowledge, to learn 'ilm." He told them this despite the fact that they already had the Qur'an, because the only way to understand the wealth of the Qur'an is through the slaves of Allah who know its explanations. Only if the Qur'an is understood in this manner can we understand the Rasl (Sal.). And if the Rasl (Sal.) is understood, we can understand Allah. If we understand Allah and the Rasl (Sal.),

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4 then we can understand the one who exists within as the sukn and the mm. And only then we can understand our own self. The treasure that existed as the Final Prophet, (Sal.) the son of Aminah and 'Abdullah, as the First Prophet, in the beginning of creation (awwal), as the Rasl or Prophet in the hereafter (khirah), and as the Rasl in the period before creation (anthi) - this treasure was revealed as Muhammad (Sal.). It was this Muhammad (Sal.) that was initially concealed as a mystery within Allah, for a specific reason. Finally, Allah issued forth this mysterious thing from within Him, as a light that then entered and filled Aminah's womb. This form did not come from semen, neither did it contain earth, fire, water, air, or ether. It was created from light. When this Muhammad (Sal.) was given birth to by Aminah, there was no sign of blood, placenta, or any of the normal signs of birth. It was not like the usual birth of a child. Aminah, was alone, with no one to assist in the delivery. When the child dawned from within the womb, when this light emerged, the heavenly beings and houris came in the form of white doves and stroked the stomach of Aminah. She lost consciousness and knew nothing of what happened. Then the sound of Allah came, "When Muhammad emerges, hold him so that he does not touch the earth." According to that command, the form (srat) of Muhammad (Sal.) emerged robed in white silk. This light emerged dressed in a long white silk robe saying, "Allhu Akbar! Allah is the Great One! L ilha ill-Allh! There is nothing other than God; only God is! You are the Great One. You are the One who exists forever." It worshipped in this manner. The houris supported him and the angels surrounded him and all the while Aminah was unconscious, unaware of anything. Then the sound of Allah came again, "Bring My Muhammad to heaven." He instructed the heavenly beings to lock up the seven hells and decorate the eight heavens. He told them to take Muhammad (Sal.) around the eight heavens, bathe him in the water of heaven, and adorn him in pure silk. All the celestial beings, houris, angels, archangels, and resplendent beings came, kissed him on the forehead, and bowed down to him. In this state, Muhammad (Sal.) was taken around the eight heavens so that he could survey them. The umbrella of Allah's grace (rahmat) was given to him, and then he was returned to Aminah once again. Aminah opened her eyes as the child was placed in her arms and exclaimed, "My son." It was then that the name Muhammad (Sal.) was given to him. The one who emerged in this way is Muhammad (Sal.). No one has seen his body, his form, his excreta, or his shadow. Did he have any semen? No, he did not. He had no shadow, his feet never touched the ground, and he had no feces or urine. There were no such signs. Some people will see him as a symbol, others will not be able to do so. Some will see him as Muhammad (Sal.), the son of Aminah, others will see him only as light. This is how it will be.

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5 Some people will not know him and others will be able to know him. This is the nature of that which exists as Muhammad (Sal.). Human beings have designated and set aside a particular day for Muhammad (Sal.). However, there is no particular day for Muhammad (Sal.). Every day is his day. Nor is there a particular month for Muhammad (Sal.). Every month is his month. There is no particular week for Muhammad (Sal.). Every week is his week. Every breath is his breath. Every year is his year. As explained in the Qur'an, when the sukn and the alif join together, that is Muhammad (Sal.). When that ceases to be, Muhammad (Sal.) will no longer be. There may come a time when the Qur'an will not be here; that may be on the Day of Reckoning (Qiymah), when destruction comes. Until that time, Muhammad (Sal.) will be here. If there is life in your inner heart (qalb), Muhammad (Sal.) will be the life of that life. If there is breath in your body, it will be the breath of Muhammad (Sal.). If there is sound in your body, it will have originated from the sound of Muhammad (Sal.). If this does not occur, then you will be dead according to your limit. Muhammad (Sal.) came and showed us perfectly pure wisdom, perfectly pure light, and perfectly pure ways of being. It is for this reason that we pay our respects to him. This is our way of demonstrating our respect. We do not place a statue or idol of Muhammad (Sal.) before us and worship it. Ignorant people say that we are comparing Muhammad (Sal.) to Allah, that we are equating him to God. They say that we are worshipping a tomb and so on. In government buildings, we see statues of famous people who had been leaders of the country or who had helped the country in some way. Statues of these people are erected and every year they are decorated and a cele-bration is held in their honor. In their own country they make these people important, even though they may be sinners or may have destroyed other countries. Even though one group curses such a person, another group worships him saying, "He is a great man. He helped our country." Like this, many statues have been erected by man. A child honors his dead father whom he loved by reciting verses and prayers in remembrance of him. He pays respect to his father in this manner. Kings are often praised and honored in a similar way. When people honor other people in these ways, should we not honor one who, as Allah's Messenger, showed us the right path, taught us to have good conduct, strengthened our faith (mn), taught us the peace and equanimity of perfect purity, told us to trust all lives as our own life, and protected all lives as his own? Should we not pay our respects to such a great being, such a Prophet, such a Messenger of Allah who showed us the good path? Is it forbidden (harm) for us to honor him? Does this mean that we are comparing him to Allah or placing him as an equal to Allah? When statues of men are being constructed and honored, is it wrong to honor the one who brought us the wealth (daulat) that set us on the right path, the one who helped us in so many ways? Are we making a comparison when we pay our respects to the one who has

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6 helped us and when we give praise to the One who created such a helper? When we praise the One who gave us this treasure and pay respect to this treasure for having helped us, are we saying that they are equal? Are we making something equal to Allah? Should we not do what we are doing? Is it wrong to do so? We must reflect on this. Some people who do not think deeply about these issues say that honoring Muhammad (Sal.) is making him equal to God and to the truth. There is one group of people who deny the existence of God, another group that will not speak about God, another group that does not understand the truth, and yet another that continually creates new groups. Only such groups, who want to perpetuate their own glory, say such things. On this day (ascribed to the birth of Muhammad (Sal.)), we should praise the immeasurable one of grace, the incomparable one of love, the divine Messenger known as Muhammad Mustafar-Rasl (Sal.) who brought the true faith (dn) and the Qur'an. We should praise this exalted treasure that has the beauty and bliss which will calm human beings and make them peaceful. What is this month that has been set aside for Muhammad (Sal.)? It is a month in which we honor Muhammad (Sal.) and give praise to Allah. We thank Muhammad (Sal.) and praise Allah. This is why we ob-serve the maulid, like we did today. This is not wrong. We are not making a comparison, even though some people may claim that this is what is we are doing. But you, children who are true believers (mu'min), if you have absolute faith (mn), then it is your right and privilege to honor resplendent beings, the qutbs, the friends of God (auliy') and the prophets who came to help us and show us the right path. And it is your right and privilege to give praise to Allah, the One who sent them. It is our duty to do this. This is what we have to do. We should think about this. Many changes are taking place in the world today. Because of false proclamations, situations are developing in which people are ready to destroy the favorites of God and the prophets. These people want to destroy the name of the Rasl (Sal.), the name of Allah, the names of truth, and the names of those who have trust and faith. They have decided to convert men into satan. They want to convert those with true faith (mn), change them into something else, take them off the straight path, and lead them astray. However, children, you who are true believers (mu'min) must try to behave as true believers. Look at how we take care of the teeth that God has given us. When there is a problem, we either extract them, treat them, or safeguard them in some way, do we not? In the same way, should we not protect the treasure that exists as the Rasl (Sal.), as the faith ( mn), wisdom, light, and strength within us? We should safeguard this treasure that is so helpful to us, should we not? We should honor it, should we not? We must think about this. We should understand that the treasure that was with Allah in the beginningless beginning, in the time of creation, and in the hereafter (anthi, al-awwal, and al-khirah). We should understand that this treasure alone is Muhammad (Sal.), and it dwells within Allah at all

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7 times. It lives in our soul and wisdom. In the place of truth, this treasure and God reside together. My children, there is another treasure that existed as the Qutb (Ral.)4 as God's mystery in the time of creation,(al-awwal). Finally, fifty-one generations after Muhammad (Sal.), after fifty-one signs, the Qutb (Ral.) was sent as the son of Fatimah (Ral.). He was sent as a form, as a symbol. The name given to this Qutb was Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir (Ral.). The mysterious Qutb (Ral.) was given a name, made into the form of man (insn) and shown as a symbol or representation to mankind, just as Muhammad (Sal.) was sent down in form as a symbol. When the Qutb (Ral.) was born to Fatimah (Ral.), he, too, was clothed in white silk and the ?nest linen. In the womb, he displayed several miracles and signs. While still in the womb, he settled several conflicts that even kings could not deal with. This treasure spoke when he was only a four-month-old fetus; he settled legal disputes and even had a thief imprisoned. After he emerged from the womb, he continued to speak about justice and right conduct. This is the Qutbiyyat 5 that came bearing the name of Qutb. He came as a representation, a light known as Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir al-Jiln (Ral.). Just as Allah sent His Messenger (Sal.), the Rasul, as a symbol, He also sent His Qutbiyyat in a form. This form, like Muhammad (Sal.), also emerged from the womb without any signs of blood. That light was Qutb Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir al-Jln (Ral.), and this is the month designated for him. He performed several miracles and displayed great wisdom. He emerged from the womb during the month of Ramadn and fasted in his very first month of life, refusing to nurse. In doing so, he showed others the way to perform this obligatory duty. The purpose of fasting is to understand hunger, disease, and old age and to realize the hunger of other lives. The Qutb (Ral.) gave us the means to do this. The Qutbiyyat came as a resplendent light and showed us the five duties (furd) - faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage. Countless miracles were performed; wonder after wonder was seen. This light started to speak on the very day it was born. One day when he was two months old, he was crawling around outside, and he saw the sun rising. "Can you catch it for me?" he asked his nurse. She said she could not, so he flew upward into the sky. The sun contracted all its rays and its heat, drawing them within itself. It encircled the baby, held him, and then brought him back to the cradle. Meanwhile, the nurse had told his mother what had happened, and the mother was running around crying because she could not find her child. "O God," she pleaded, "I did not have a child for sixty years and now You have given me this child. I asked You for a child and You gave me one. Now I have lost it." As she was running about in great distress, the baby lay in the cradle, smiling. The Qutbiyyat (Ral.) was in such a state that the sun and the moon would come, bow down, and worship him. They would contract their rays and speak to him. Such was the state of the Qutbiyyat (Ral.) when he was only two months old.

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It is said in the oral traditions (ahdth) that if the foot of the Qutb (Ral.) does not touch a person, he will not attain wisdom or grace-awakened wisdom (gnnam)." Wise people have spoken about this in their songs. They say, "If the foot of the Qutb (Ral.) does not touch a person in the beginning of creations (al-awwal), he will not attain eternal happiness and grace-awakened wisdom." The Qutb (Ral.) is known as the sheikh to wisdom, graceawakened wisdom, and truth. The foot of the Qutbiyyat (Ral.) must either touch a person in the beginning of creation or a person must take the light of absolute faith (mn) and with it touch the feet of the Qutbiyyat (Ral.) in this world. Only when this is done can one attain wisdom, true knowledge ('ilm), grace-awakened wisdom, and divine qualities. This is one explanation. There is a day designated by the world to honor such a Qutbiyyat (Ral.). However, the Qutbiyyat (Ral.) is present every day in everyone. According to the manner and location in which each person has placed the Qutbiyyat within himself, that treasure will dawn there and reveal its strength and benefits. For those who have not done that, this month will at least make them aware of the Qutbiyyat; this month will at least signify to them that they have a Qutbiyyat within them, which is the strength of their wisdom and the guide to their determined faith (mn). Therefore, if we hold a maulid, or a feast, to honor the Qutb (Ral.), are we setting up a comparison? Because the Qutb (Ral.) is a sheikh to wisdom and a guide to our life, our wisdom, and our body, we honor him and give praise to the One who brought him down to us. This is what the maulid is about. We praise God directly, and we also praise Him by honoring the great ones, the prophets, and the wise ones that He sent down to us as guides. We give praise to God and we honor the ones who are our examples and guides. Is this wrong? No, it is not. We do this in a state of true faith. People in the world say different things; they deceive one another in many ways and do many things that are wrong. They say, "Do not worship Allah, the Rasl (Sal.), the Qutb (Ral.), and the friends of God (auliy'). Tear them down, kill them, and throw them out!" In the present time, certain groups are burning books written in the past, Qur'ans from the olden days, the ancient traditions (ahdth), and the writings of other great men. They burn them, saying, "These are all incorrect. If you know of any such books or people, throw them out!" There are large groups of people with such ideas. However, children, you who have wisdom and absolute faith (mn) should praise Allah with absolute faith and honor the great ones. Even Allah's Rasl (Sal.) did this. He paid respect to those who had wisdom, to those who were older than him, to those who had attained divine knowledge ('ilm), and wisdom, and to those who knew the oral traditions (ahdth). We should remember this in the present state of the world. We need wisdom to be able to pay our respects, to attain the strength of wisdom, and to realize Allah. We need wisdom to strengthen our faith (mn). It is only through the wisdom of the Qutb (Ral.) that we can understand good and bad, right and wrong. As long as we do not have that wisdom, as long

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9 as we cannot distinguish good and bad, we are like animals. A dog cannot distinguish between truth and trash, between good food and bad food. It does not have analytic wisdom, and therefore, it will eat filth, as well as plain rice and specially prepared rice dishes. That is its way. It does not distinguish between good and bad, permissible and impermissible, good actions and bad actions, good food and bad food. Only if we understand the power of wisdom and the divine qualities can we understand what is good and bad in our lives. Then we can know right and wrong, permissible and impermissible, truth and falsehood, heaven and hell. It is to understand these things that we study wisdom, follow those who have wisdom, honor such people, and give praise to Allah. This is why we do these things. Therefore, my children, we do these things for a purpose. Let us try to do this while we still have life. Each child must think about this, strengthen your faith (mn), understand these reasons, and search for the wisdom to understand what is right and what is wrong. At the appropriate times, we should honor the wise ones who have come - the Qutbiyyat (Ral.), the Raslullh (Sal.), and the prophets. Until the time when we commune directly with them and unite as one, we should at least honor them in this way and give praise to Allah. When we finally reside together in the same place, this will not be necessary. Why is this so? Because, at that time, we will be face to face with one another and nothing else is necessary. But, until then, we must pay our respects to the wise ones and give praise to Allah. Establish this in your inner hearts and have certitude. Strengthen your hearts with certitude, despite what others may say. Do not go astray. Let us go to wise people, learn wisdom, and strive to understand what is good and what is bad. Amn, may this intention be fulfilled. May Allah help us. 1. Qutb Muhyiddn 'Abdul-Qdir al-Jln (Ral.) was a renowned saint who was born in Gln, Persia about 1077 A.D. and reportedly died about 1166 A.D. (470-561 A.H.). As a youth he was exceptional in truthfulness, patience, insight, and asceticism. After travelling to Baghdad and mastering the study of the Qur'an religious laws, and the traditions of the Prophet (Sal.), he withdrew into meditation for eleven years, after which in a vision God gave him the name Muhyiddn (reviver of pure faith). His simple, clear, and subtle discourses on wisdom, conduct and purity, and the compassionate care with which he humbly welcomed all who sought him, combined with the many miracles and visions experienced by those who sought his aid, led to his being called Ghauthul-A'zam (the supreme saintly helper) and QutbulAqtb (Qutb of all Qutbs). 2. The alif is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. The sukn is a diacritical mark, and the mm is the Arabic letter for the consonant 'm'.

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10 3. These are some of the eleven causal names bestowed upon Muhammad (Sal.) by Allah before the Prophet was manifested. For further explanations see the book 'Asm'ul Husn: The 99 Beautiful Names of God, by M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. 4. Divine analytic wisdom, the wisdom which explains; that which measures the length and breadth of the seven oceans of the nafs, or base desires; that which awakens all the truths which have been destroyed and buried in the ocean of maya; that which awakens true mn (absolute faith, certitude, and determination); that which explains to the hayt, to life, the state of purity as it existed in awwal, the beginning of creation; the grace of the dht, the essence of God, which awakens the hayt of purity and transforms it into the divine vibration. Qutb is also a name which has been given to Allah. He can be addressed as Y Qutb or Y Qudds, the Holy One. Qudds is His wilyat, His power or miracle, while Qutb is His action. Wilyat is the power of that action. Lit.: Axis, axle, pole, pivot. Also, a title used for the great holy men of Islam. 5. Qutbiyyat: The wisdom of the Qutb; the sixth level of consciousness; divine analytic wisdom; the wisdom which explains the truth of God. The Affection of Allah for His Beloved One of the names of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is "Amr Allah" i.e. "The Word of Allah" or in the languages of the Europeans "Logos" Jesus is quoted in the Gospel of Barnabas, page 89-91 as saying :"Adam (upon being created), having sprung upon his feet, saw in the air a writing that shone like sun, which said : 'There is only one God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God'. Whereupon Adam opened his mouth and said : 'I thank Thee, O Lord my God, that Thou hast designed to create me ; but tell me I pray Thee what meaneth the message of these words : "Muhammad is the Messenger of God". Have there been other men before me?" Then said God : "Be thou welcome, O My servant Adam. I tell thee that thou art the first man whom I have created. And he whom thou hast seen (mentioned) is thy son, who shall come into the world many years hence, and shall be My messenger, for whom I have created all things; Whose soul was set in a celestial splendour sixty thousand (astronomical) years before I made anything". Not only Jesus and all other earlier Prophets but also all Muslims believe that the "Logos" ("The word of God") was the first thing that created. They call him by name of "Nur-eMuhammadi" or the "Light of Muhammad". As soon as this "Light of Truth" was created, he adored his Creator. This is further confirmed in the following Divine passage :-

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11 "He (Allah) hath no partner. This I (the first to be created in the entire universe) am commanded, and I am the first (in the entire creation) of those, who have surrendered themselves in ISLAM" (i.e. to the will of Allah)" (Quran VI : 164). People asked Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to explain the phrase "I am the first" in this passage, as Adam and other Prophets up to Jesus were born on earth before him, and all these prophets were "Muslims" i.e. surrendered to the will of ALlah, so how could Muhammad claim to be the first of those who surrendered? It was then that the Holy Prophet Muhammad explained that Allah had created him as "Nur-e-Muhammadi" out of Himself many thousands of astronomical years before Allah decided to create the Universe. The creation of "Nur-e-Muhammadi" was just as if you take up a bucket of water from the vast oceans, and find no difference whatsoever in the quantity of water in the Oceans, or with candle, you light another and the former does not lose any of its light, whilst the next candle is kindled. Hence all of Allah's works are miraculous events well beyond the ken of human knowledge and comprehension. Now let us consider intelligently, what would happen if one were to pour the water lifted in a bucket from the vast ocean on the seashore? We will see that the water from the bucket will try to flow back into the ocean mass from which it has been separated. Thus also was the case figuratively with Nur-e-Muhammadi! It prostrated itself before its Creator in an effort to reach Him from Whom it emanated. This was the first bowing before Allah. It pleased the Lord so very much, that it is said, He enjoyed this adoration for 3202,009,900,000 years. After this long period He was satisfied with this and He thought for developing a creation out of this Nur-e-Muhammadi. Thus started the creation of the Universe. In appreciation Allah called this Holy Spirit, His "Mahboob" i.e. "beloved". The affection of Allah for His "Mahboob" or beloved finds repeated expression in the "Secret" Code Letters to be found at the commencement of many of the "Surahs" (Chapters) of the Holy Quran. These letters "Alif", "Lam" "Mim" may be interpreted :Alif as the first letter of "Ahad" or God the One and Alone. Lam as the first letter of "La" i.e. there was nothing else. Mim of the design created by the bowing of the Logos before his Lord, which when added to the centre of "Ahad" or "God the One and Alone" gives the name "Ah-M-ad" the original name of the Holy Prophet. Accordingly the "Holy Spirit, the Light of Muhammad or Logos became the first of those who prostrated themselves before the Creator. These Code letters cover the Secrets and the happiness that exist between Allah and His beloved. The name "Ahmad" represents "The illustrious one who praises the Lord". From it has come the word "Hamd" which means "praise". When Allah called him, His Mahbood or beloved, he became "The praised one" or "Muhammad" from the origin of the word "Hamd".

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12 The Creation of the Universe to honour Allah's Beloved Allah could very well have created the Universe by ordering : "Be!" (Quran III : 59) but to honour His beloved "Nur-e-Muhammadi" or Logos, He decided to create the entire Universe through this medium and bless everything thus created for the sake of His beloved. Accordingly Allah started devising out of Nur-e-Muhammadi each and every one of the Angels, the countless Galaxies throughout the Universe and all that is therein. Thus he honoured His beloved. Nothing that was created by Allah was out of anything else ! Each and every thing that has been created up till now and those that will be created in the future will all emanate from this Holy Spirit, which has thus become the "Light and Guidance" for the entire Universe. Since all created beings and objects have come out of the same medium, there is a common rule applicable to each one of them in as much as they all have a beginning, a space of time for existence and an end, even though the time period and the course of each is different and individuals. Since all creation has come out of one single source, it is but natural that all creations can reach their goal only through this source i.e. Holy Logos - "Nur-e-Muhammadi", when they receive their blessings from him and are comforted by him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW, the owner of "Nur-e-Muhammadi" therefore is the most sublime and exalted of all that exists and has been created! Consequently, he is supreme in regard to dignity and rank amongst all creations. He is the chief of all archangels and superior to all creation. He is the "Nur" or "Light" which guides the entire creation to the "All Truth" or Allah. Therefore Allah has given him the title of "Rahmat-ul-lil-Aalameen" i.e. a Blessing or Comforter for the entire Universe (Quran XXI : 107 ). No other prophets save except Holy prophet Muhammad has ever claimed since the commencement of creation that he is the Holy Spirit through which everything has been created. It was on this basis that Muhammad has confirmed "I was a prophet, whilst Adam was between water and clay". No such claim has been made by anyone else since the creation of Adam. This was also confirmed by Jesus to his followers in the following passages from pages 225-227 of "The Gospel of Barnabas" :"Then", said the Priest, "how shall the Messiah be called and what sign shall reveal his coming?" Jesus answered : "The name of the Messiah is Admirable, for God Himself gave him the name when He had created his soul, and placed it in Celestial splendour. God said : Wait

Muhammad, for thy sake I will create Paradise, the world, and a great multitude of creatures, whereof I make thee a present, insomuch that who shall bless thee, shall be blessed, and whoso shall curse thee, shall be accursed. When I shall send thee unto the world, I shall send thee as My Messenger of salvation, (i.e as the Promised Comforter) and thy word shall be true, insomuch that heaven and earth shall fail, but thy faith shall never fail". "Muhammad is his Blessed name".

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13 "Then the crowd lifted up their voices saying : O God, send us Thy Messenger. O

Muhammad, come quickly for the salvation of the world".

In him was life; and the life was the light (Nur-e-Muhammadi) of men. "And the light (Nur) shineth in darkness ; and the darkness Comprehended it not" (St.John 1 : 1-5) "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth (i.e the Promise Prophet Ahmad or Logos), is come, he will guide you unto all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ; but whatsoever he shall hear, (from Allah), that shall he speak (i.e. Quran) : and he will show you things to come" (St. John 16 : 13) It is obvious that the "Holy Light of Truth" himself must be fairer than all beauties that have been created out of him. Grace and blessings all the time should flow from his lips. The burden of the management of Allah's kingdom, the entire creation, should be upon his shoulders. Therefore he should be the most mighty, full of glory and majesty amongst all creations. What he really is will thus be known to only One, and that is to his Creator-Allah. If men say he is this or that, it is not of much value because people may be influenced, but if Allah says so in the various Holy Books then there is no scope for contradictions. Disbelievers in the Divine messages would naturally expose themselves for punishment from the Lord as warned by Jesus in the Gospel or Barnabas. The Holy Bible has described him as follows :"My heart is inditing a good matter : I speak of the things which (are to come about) I have made touching (i.e. relating to) the king ( of all created things) : and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer". "Thou (i.e this king) art fairer (more wonderful than (any of)) the children of men (because Muhammad had no shadow, which no other person will experience, because he is the Holy Spirit from which each and everything has been created) : grace (of God) is poured into thy lips (i.e. the Quran) : Therefore God has blessed the (the Promised Prophet Muhammad) forever". "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Ahmad Muhammad (now forged into 'Gird thy sword upon thy thigh with thy glory and thy majesty'- by Christians)" (Psalms 45 : 1-3) "For unto us (i.e. for our salvation) a child is (to be ) born, unto us (i.e. for our salvation) a child is (to be) given : and the Government (of the entire Universe) shall be upon his shoulder (also interpreted as 'The seal of Prophethood' shall be upon his shoulder) and his name shall be called Ahmad Muhammad (now forged into 'Wonderful, Counsellor'-by Christians)..The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9 : 6)

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14 The Farewell Pilgrimage In the 11th year of the Hijrah Prophet Muhammad (saw) went to Mecca as a pilgrim for the last time. It was during this pilgrimage of farewell that two important revelations were made. The Surah "Succour" (Quran CX) was revealed announcing his approaching departure from earthly life followed by the last revelation of the Quran (V : 3) From the hillock known as "Jabl-Rahmat" on the plains of Arafat, Muhammad preached to an enormous throng of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. He reminded them of all the duties AL-Islam enjoined upon them, and that they would one day have to meet their Lord, Who would judge each one of them according to his work. At the end of the discourse, he asked : "Have I not conveyed the Message?" And from that great multitude, who a few months or years before had all been conscienceless idolaters, the shout went up : "By Allah! Yes". The prophet said : "O Allah! Be Thou Witness". Those who understood the significance of these revelations and the farewell speech approached the Prophet for some small mementoes. The Prophet asked Ibne Umaiya Gazzai (a barber) to shave off his hair, which he asked Anas (RA) to distribute (to the multitude). Each of these pieces of hair has the following miraculous qualities which do not exist with any other human hair :i) That these pieces of holy hair throw no shadow (because the body of the Prophet being made out of the pure spirit i.e. "Nur-e-Muhammadi", did not throw any shadow) ii) That these pieces of cut hair would keep on growing larger each year (This denotes that Nur-e-Muhammadi has been blessed with eternal life after his creation by Allah) iii) A cloud will appear on top of the hair if the hair is taken under a clear blue sky, when the sun is up just as a piece of cloud used to give shade over the Prophet during his life on earth as foretold by Jesus in The Gospel of Barnabas, page 167. iv) Every few years a new branch of hair would come out with the same miraculous qualities as the original piece. Shah Waliullah Dehlevi has confirmed that his father, Shah Abdul Rahim one day saw the Prophet giving him two pieces of his hair in a dream. In the morning he found these two pieces of hair upon his pillow. These two pieces had all the above miraculous qualities. Whenever "Darro Sharif" (i.e. Salutation to the Holy Prophet) is recited, the two pieces would disentangle themselves miraculously and stand upright. When the recitation was over they would again get entangled miraculously. One day three disbelievers came to their house. There was not a speck of cloud in the clear blue sky of Delhi. They challenged Shah Abdul Rahim to bring these pieces of "Holy Hair" out into the bright sunshine. Immediately a speck of cloud miraculously appeared over the Holy Hair. This experiment was carried out thrice, at intervals so as to remove any chances of coincidence. All the three pagans became Muslims. On the occasion of the Prophet's birthday, these Holy Hair are exhibited. On one such occasion an unclean person was amongst those who came to see the Holy HAir. The lock of the safe in which it was kept would not open. Then Shah Abdul Rahim announced that somebody unclean was present over there. Thereupon begged of the congregation that whosoever was unclean should kindly go away. Thereupon one man got up and went away.

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15 Instantly the lock opened without any effort. Today thousands of pieces of the Holy Hair are held in various places and all of them have the same miraculous qualities. Prophet's Departure Soon after Prophet Muhammad's return to Medina, he fell ill. He was attacked by a bilious fever, and believing that it would prove fatal, he was desirous of being surrounded by those whom he most dearly loved. The tidings of his illness caused dismay throughout Arabia and anguish to the folk of Medina, Mecca and Taif, the home towns. AT early dawns on the last day of his earthly life, he came out form his room beside the mosque at Medina and joined the public prayer, which Abu Bakar had been leading since his illness. There was great relief amongst the people, because they thought he had recovered. He chose as his dying place the house of his favourite wife, Ayesha. His agony was long and painful, and, during the paroxysms, he often said : "It is the Jewish poison that is killing me ; I feel every vein in my heart cracking" . On the last time of his attendance, and on the conclusion of the prayers, he edified all present by the humility and sincerity of his penitence, in thus addressing the : -

'Men and brethren, if I have caused any one you to be unjustly scourged, I here submit my own shoulders to the lash of retaliation. Have I aspersed the good name of any Muslims? Let him proclaim my faults before this congregation : Has any one been despoiled of his goods? the little that I have shall discharge the debit!" One present claiming an old debt of three drachmas, the Prophet immediately caused him to be paid, saying, "I would rather blush in this world than in that which is to come!" His daughter Fatema came frequently to sit by his dying bed : "Daughter", said he to her, "Wherefore weepest thou? art thou not satisfied with being, both on earth and in heaven, the chiefest amongst women?" He then gave liberty to his slaves. To his other relatives, who, bathed in tears, surrounded his couch, he said, 'I shall now instruct you what you are to do after my decease. Having washed my corpse, wrapped it in the shroud, and laid it in the coffin, you will rest it on the edge of the grave, which must be dug beneath the spot where I now am; these duties fulfilled, you will then depart.' After a

pause, he continued : "The first person who will come to pray for me will be my faithful friend Gabriel, followed by Asraphael and Michael, and after them, the Angel of Death accompanied by his legions. Upon their departure you may enter, in groups, to pray for me and implore for me the peace of heaven. My family must not put on mourning, thus setting an example to be followed by all the faithful. My most earnest wish and desire are that no wailings or lamentation disturb my repose". Prophet Muhammad now became, for a few moments, unconscious, but having recovered, said, "I will dictate a book which shall prevent your ever backsliding into error". Omar, holding the Quran, immediately exclaimed, "The Book is written!" After this all quitted the room, his beloved Ayesha only expected. On the day of his decease he bathed his hands in water, crying out, "O God! fortify my soul against the terror of death!" Soon after he fainted. "The moment of his agony," says Ayesha, "was come. I was seated by his side, his head reclining on my lap. Suddenly opening his eyes, he raised them towards the roof of the house, and with a steadfast look, but faltering voice, uttered these last broken, although articulate words, "O God, pardon my sins : Ah, my companion Gabriel, I attend thee to the realms above," and then peacefully expired on a carpet spread on the floor.

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16 Prophet Muhammad died on the 12th day of Raby the first of the eleventh year of the Hijrah, answering to the 8th of June 632 AD, at the age of 63 (according to Lunar calendar or 62 according to solar years).

You have read the miraculous events during the birth of the Promised Prophet Muhammad. Other happenings can be found in religious books. On the occasion of the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, this last article on the Birth of the Prophet will tell you the events foretold by Prophet Jesus and visitation by Prophet Abraham.
The forerunner to Jesus of Nazareth, the son of the Virgin Mary, was the prophet John, son of Zechariah. He was beheaded by Jewish King Herod. The Prophet John's body was buried by his disciples. They tried to wash the blood-stained clothes but the blood-stains would be washed away. Because Jesus was one of the disciples of Prophet John, they went and reported the matter to Jesus. Jesus foretold that these blood-stains would not come off the clothes until the date of the birth of the father of the Promised Prophet. On this day the blood would become fresh and by itself flow off the clothes miraculously leaving them pure white! On the date of the birth of Abdullah, the father of Muhammad, the Jewish Elders in Syria saw the blood-stains become fresh and drip off miraculously from the prophet John's preserved blood-stained clothes until they became pure white. Thereupon some of the learned Jews came from Palestine and Syria to Mecca to enquire about the newborn child. When they saw the "logos" (Nur-e-Muhammadi) on the forehead of the child Abdulla, they recognised him and said this is "Nur-e-Muhammadi" of the Promised Prophet, who is not Abdulla. Hence they realised that Abdulla was going to be the father of the Promised Prophet as foretold by Jesus in relation to the blood-stained clothes of John, the son of Zachariah. The Jews, who were famous for murdering their prophets, decided to send an armed band of 90 persons from Syria to kill Abdulla. The incident took place when Abdulla had grown up into a young man, but before he got married. Thus they conspired to prevent the birth of the Promised Prophet Muhammad, so as to ensure that the prophethood, which had for so long been amongst the children of Isaac (i.e. the Jews) may not get transferred to the children of Ishmael i.e. their brethren tribe as foretold repeatedly in the Holy Bible. One day these Jewish assassins got their golden opportunity. Abdullah had gone out hunting alone in one of the surrounding areas. Wahb bin Abdul Manaf, his would be father-in-law was also hunting on that day. He saw from a distance that Abdulla was suddenly encircled on all sides by 90 armed men with drawn swords all proceedings to attack the defenseless Abdulla. His men and he rushed to the rescue. But before they could even take a few steps Abdulla from amongst the pile of 90 Jewish corpses to his brother Abdul Mutallib, the father of Abdulla. After relating the incident he proposed that his nephew ABdulla be married to his young daughter Amena. Accordingly they were married. The very night of their marriage, the

he saw that a number of horsemen came down from the sky. They slew all the 90 Israeli attackers. Abdulla was saved even before assistance could reach him . Wahb then took

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17 "Nur-e-Muhammadi" went from the forehead of Abdulla into the forehead of Amena. This was friday the 12th of the Lunar month of Jamadi-us-sani (akhir). Shortly after Abdulla left for Yathrib. He did not return because he died on the return journey. During her pregnancy, Amena informed the household members that she was often visited by angels and the previous prophets who announced that the child in her womb was Muhammad, the Promised Prophet, through whom the world would be blessed. They thought that perhaps some evil spirits might be appearing to Amena so just a few days before the birth, they chained her up, so that the hand-cuffs and the chains made of iron would act as charms to ward off evil spirits. That night she beheld an aged man come to her. He touched the iron of the handcuffs and chains and they broke and fell away from her neck and hands and she became free. She asked him who he was. The old man replied that he was "Ibrahim Khalil Ullah" i.e. Prophet Abraham, the friend of Allah. He said ALlah had ordered him to sacrifice Ishmael, who was then his one and only son. At that point of time he had no news of any more children or grand-children. Therefore he had taken Ishmael to sacrifice him on mount Monah in accordance with Allah's orders. Ishmael however was saved miraculously and a ram was killed instead. When this happened and his beloved Ishmael was saved, he had prayed to the Creator that this child be blessed with the Promised Prophet through whom the world be blessed and which Allah had accepted. The promise of Allah was now going to be fulfilled when the child of Amena's womb was born.

"And in thy seed (through this one and only child Ishmael) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice" Genesis 22 : 18
Abraham then said to Amena : "The child now in your womb whose name will be Muhammad is the only prophet from the descendants of my first son and heir Ishmael!" Abraham explained that the reason for the visit of angels and the earlier prophets were due to the fact that she was to be the mother of the Promised Prophet. Thus Amena became the third woman in the whole of creation to receive direct visits of Angels. The first was her ancestral grand-mother Princess Hagar of Egypt, the second wife of Abraham. The second was the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. (the story later continues with Amena had labour pains which already been told in first article.....) "Allahumma Salli 'alaa Muhammadiin wa aalihi biqadri Husnihii wa Jamalihii"

"O Allah bless Muhammad and His family by the measure of his goodness and beauty"
BEING A MOHAMMEDAN

Salaam my Friends... Peace be upon you my Dears... You know, we are Mohammedans... It may be asked, what does Mohammedan mean?.. Mohammed is a Servant of ALLAH. Likewise the rahmat (grace) of ALLAH be upon the entire creation,
being Servant of ALLAH is about being kind to all people without considering any discrimination or any disunion among them. It means trying the most in giving people

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18 unconditionally. Being Mohammedan means refraining from blaming, condemning or scorning any person for matters which are not of their choices. It means Affection; it means Love; Grace and Mercy. Being Mohammedan is to be generous!.. We love whether Shia or Sunni. We love whether Kurd or Turk or Arab. We love all servants of ALLAH. We do our best to serve all servants of ALLAH. We are not bound by any sets of preconditioning that people invent for their personal benefits. You might be descending from a Kurdish family or from a Turkish one. You may have been raised in a Shia community or in a Sunni one. Some external factors may have preconditioned you to attach on various judgments. But, we do not mind them, at all. The only significant criteria for us is that you be a servant of ALLAH... Regardless of our places of birth, whether it is Turkey, Africa or America, each one of us is a servant of the same One, ALLAH. Being Mohammedan means recognizing all people regardless of their differences. It means to love people; it means to have tolerance. Because, a Mohammedan sees "ALLAH" in hearts, in the essence of people and in their consciousness... How could you explain then, if you do not perform your sajda (prostrate yourself) before ALLAH Whom you face?.. People perform sajda by standing in a circle around Kaba... If you remove the walls of Kaba from between, which is in the midst of people, you will see that sajda is fulfilled toward ALLAH Who is the Reality already within people... ALLAH is not a god standing up-somewhere. ALLAH IS present within all of our hearts, within our consciousness and within every atom of ours... Do you realize then, who is the One we ever dislike, we get annoyed, we disgrace or we do not tolerate and hate?.. My friends... Some people are aware, but some are not! None is capable of knowing everything. No one has the same opportunities of research and learning. Therefore, we should not accuse people who are not informed or misinformed on certain matters. We should not disgrace anyone! We should not look down on anyone... The creation of ALLAH is infinite. Each unit of creation has its different perspective and beauty. We should try to love them all despite their mistakes, errors and deficiencies... Sooner or later, everyone of us will pass away. Speaking on my part, I have already leaned the ladder of ages onto my fifties. I do not know if I will live three or five more years. We would be happy if there is someone who recites and sends a few "Kulhuwallah" (Sura Ikhlas) and an Alhamdu (Sura Fatiha) from behind and who says "May ALLAH be radhi (glad) of him!.." What a loss if we could not even attain that! Infinite number of wealthy people, sultans or statesmen have all passed away in spite of all their achievements, leaving every possession behind. If they were able to make themselves remembered in charity, this is simply their gain. If they are not remembered in benevolence, they are there at loss, also. People must not be accused of matters which are not results of their own decisions. This fact is common sense. Why do we still dare to charge people based on odd judgements that they are Turks or Kurds or Arabs or Gypsies orothers? How humane is this? We are beings of limitlessness, created within the Science of Allah. We take part for short temporal periods in this world. Maybe tomorrow in an unexpected moment we will depart from this world. What kind of a reasoning can we have if we have turned life into darkness, caused it to be unendurable and full of grief for each other, and if we destroyed each other in a world we stay for such temporal periods?.. If you want to understand Islam, look at Mewlana Jelaluddin, look at Yunus Emre, look at Hadji Baktash Wali! Look at Ahmed Yasewi! There are so many people of insight, spiritual understanding and mystery to pay attention to. They are

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19 representatives of Islam and they represent what being Mohammedan is... Those who watch out and criticize the physical position of your body during your prayers, who question your style of dressing or your shirts with short sleeves or your not wearing nightcap in a mosque and who accuse you of such reasons, are quite unaware of Islam. Consider and understand those great people who share the same insight, if you want to learn Islam and understand the thought system of Islam. When I say "I am Mohammedan," I mean, I am one of those who meet people with grace regardless of their belief, religious order or path they follow. Prophet Ibrahim is the ancestor of Mohammed Mustafa. Let me tell you a story about him to conclude my remarks... As might be known, Prophet Ibrahim is well-known for his generosity (kerem). He would not ever eat alone without someone sharing his meal. One evening after he prepared his dinner as usual, he noticed that there was nobody to eat with him. He was all alone and he prayed his lord, saying "Oh Rabbi! Please, send me a guest to share my meal as I haven't got anyone to join me in my meal.." And Prophet Ibrahim's prayer was accepted at the sight of Truth (by Janab Haqk). Before long, he heard someone calling from outside: "Is there someone inside?" Jumping out of his place, Ibrahim opened his door: "Welcome," he said upon seeing an old man outside. "Come in, please! Sit down for some food!" The old man stepped in and then they sat to eat together. Saying "Bismillah," (in the name of Allah) Prophet Ibrahim took a slice off bread. And the man too reached to the bread and cut off a piece. "Oh, no," said Prophet Ibrahim. "Don't you say 'Bismillah' before you begin eating! You should mention the name of Allah! Mention the name of Allah who gave all this food for us!.." The man, so old with a beard down to his belly, said "But, I do not know your lord. Who is he?" Prophet Ibrahim said, "This is unacceptable! How can I share my food with someone who does not recognize ALLAH, and denies Hu!" Those words broke the old man's heart. "OK then," he said. He stood up and walked out... After the old man had left, Prophet Ibrahim received a revelation (wahy) by ALLAH, right away: "Oh Ibrahim! (Don't you see) I have been allowing my servant live for more than a hundred years, though he only denied me so far. I have not driven him away from my door even once (I have not stopped providing him with food)... How could 'you,' only a servant of Me, send him back?" Ibrahim jumped out of his place all at once and rushed to the man, saying "O! Come! Even if you do not know Hu! Come back! I was warned by my Lord because of my attitude toward you. " The man asked "What happened that you changed your mind?" Ibrahim repeated what he had been informed, and begged the man "Please, for Allah's sake, come on, sat with me and share my meal." The old man said, "Is this what your Lord talked to you?" Ibrahim said, "Yes, my Lord said so." Then the old man said, "Your Lord is really a great and an exalted Lord. Then I believe in your Lord..." They then sat at the meal and ate together... We are descendants of Prophet Ibrahim. We are descendants of Mohammed Mustafa. We are Mohammedans. So, let us love people and welcome them warmly despite any naming they bear in the eyes of people...

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