45th LETTER

This letter, written to Naqîb Shaikh Ferîd 'rahmatullâhi 'aleyh', again, thanks him, informs that man is needy, explains the holy month of Ramadân, fast and namâz.

May Allâhu ta'âlâ not separate you from the way of your grandfathers, who are so valuable!

May He keep you away from the deeds with regretful results! Âmîn. Those who love Allâhu ta'âlâ are together with Allâhu ta'âlâ. For it was stated, "One is together with the person whom one loves." Man's essence is his soul. The soul's combining with the body prevents it from being together with Allâhu ta'âlâ. When it leaves the body and gets rid of this dark place, it becomes together with and close to Allâhu ta'âlâ. For this reason it was stated, "Death is a bridge which makes two lovers meet each other." The good news in the fifth âyat of Ankabût sûra, "To him who wants to meet Allâhu ta'âlâ, that time will certainly come," is a consolation for His lovers. But, those poor people who are not honoured with the presence, with the suhbat of the superiors are in a desolate position. On the other hand, benefiting from the souls of the superiors depends on conditions. Not everybody can fulfil these conditions. Thanks be to Allâhu ta'âlâ, who is the owner of all blessings, that the Ahl-i bayt of the Master of the dîn and the world 'sall-Allâhu 'alaihi wa sallam' still come to rescue these forlorn faqîrs from these horrible events and the savage attacks we have been undergoing. Therefore, the way of the great is protected from being deranged. Their fayd is protected against being cut off. Yes, this blessed way remained secret in this country and its travellers decreased in number, so that there is almost none of them left. It being a way opened by the Ahl-i bayt, its repair, its purgation should be done most suitably by the Ahl-i bayt, too. Others should not be needed. As it is necessary for these faqîrs to thank the Ahl-i bayt, so it is necessary for the Ahl-i bayt to thank Allâhu ta'âlâ for this fortune. It is necessary for men to focus their hearts and souls so as to love Allâhu ta'âlâ and not to be attached to anything other than He; yet it is necessary as well to unite outwardly and to help each other mutually. This unity and cooperation is primarily necessary. For, of all creatures, man is the most needy.

The reason why man is the most needy is because man has everything. Therefore, man needs all the things that are needed by everything. Man becomes attached to the things that he needs. Then, men's attachments are more than the attachments of others. Each attachment drives man away from Allâhu ta'âlâ. For this reason, the creature that is farthest away from Allâhu ta'âlâ and the most deprived, is man.

On the other hand, the reason why man is superior to any other creature is, again, because he has everything. Because he has gathered everything in himself, man's mirror is perfect.

All the things that are seen in the mirrors of other creatures are seen at the same place together only in his mirror. It is for this reason that man has become the best of creatures. Again, it is for this reason that the most deprived and the worst of creatures is man. On account of this, such a Prophet as Hadrat Muhammad 'sall-Allâhu 'alaihi wa sallam' is a man; likewise, such an accursed person as Abû Jahl is a man.

The great blessing that Allâhu ta'âlâ has made a means for gathering these faqîrs together is, no doubt, you. The heart's turning towards Allâhu ta'âlâ is also owing to you. Certainly, according to the glad tidings, "The son is like his father," you are our hope.

The valuable letter, which you were so kind to write, honoured us in the blessed month of Ramadân. Therefore, I have remembered to write a few lines of the virtues of this great month:

The blessed month of Ramadân is very honourable. The thawâbs that are given for the supererogatory namâz, dhikr, alms and all other such worships done in this month are like those that are given for the fard ones done in other months. One fard done in this month is like seventy fards done in other months. If a person gives (the supper called) Iftâr to a fasting person in this month, his sins will be forgiven. He will be emancipated from Hell. In addition, he will be given as many thawâbs as those which the fasting person receives. The thawâbs of that fasting person will not decrease. In this month, also those bosses who facilitate the work of those under their commands and who make it easy for them to worship will be forgiven. They will be emancipated from Hell. In the holy month of Ramadân, Rasûlullah 'sall-Allâhu 'alaihi wa sallam' used to emancipate the slaves and would give whatever was asked from him. Those who can do good deeds in this month will be blessed with doing such deeds all the year round. If a person disrespects this month and commits sins in this month, he will spend all the year sinning. We should deem this month an opportunity. We should perform as many acts of worship as we can. We should do the deeds which Allâhu ta'âlâ likes. We should deem this month an opportunity for earning the next world. The Qur'ân descended in the month of Ramadân. The night of Qadr is in this month. In holy Ramadân it is a sunnat to have the iftâr early and to have the sahûr late. (Sahûr is the meal which is eaten towards dawn before beginning the fast). Rasûlullah 'sall-Allâhu 'alaihi wa sallam' was careful about performing these two sunnats.

Maybe hurrying for the iftâr and being late for the sahûr shows man's incapacity and that he needs to eat and drink and, consequently, everything. And this is the meaning of worshipping. It is a sunnat to have the iftâr with a date. It is an important sunnat to recite the prayer, "Zahabazzama' wabtallat-il urûq wa thabat-al-ajr inshâallah-u ta'âlâ" after the iftâr, to perform the namâz of tarâwih and to read a khatm, (that is, to read the entire Qur'ân al-kerîm).

In this month, thousands of those Muslims who are to go to Hell are forgiven and emancipated every night. In this month the gates of Paradise are opened. The gates of Hell are closed. The satans are chained. The doors of Compassion are opened. May Allâhu ta'âlâ bless us all with the lot of worshipping Him in a manner worthy of His greatness and with being on the right way which He likes! Âmîn.

[Those who fast at places where it is difficult to fast and who do not break their fast as a result of believing the lies of the enemies of dîn will be given more thawâbs. The holy month of Ramadân is the chastity of the Islamic dîn. He who does not fast in this month is not respectful to this month. He who has not respected this month has torn Islam's honesty veil. Even a person who does not perform namâz should fast and avoid the harâms. Such people's fasting is accepted and is a symptom of their îmân.]