Nuh's son

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani | Tuesday, Feb 14, 2006 | Oakland, CA US


A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytaan ir-rajeem

Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem

Nawaytu Arbain…

Ati` Allah wa ati` ar-Rasula wa uli 'l-amri minkum



Alhamdulillah, that all of us are students and mureeds of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. There is no one higher or lower in the eyes of the shaykh, everyone is equal. Everyone is equal in the love Shaykh has for us, but they may not be equal in knowledge. The shaykh opens to some and not to others. It depends on how much you listened and learned, or whether you have been chosen to represent the shaykh in certain areas.

Look at Sahaaba. The Prophet did not differentiate in the way he treated all of the Sahaaba, but he gave some different knowledge and ranks than what he gave others. He made some senior to others but his love was the same for all. What he gave Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) he didn’t give Sayyidina `Umar (r) and what he gave Sayyidina `Ali (r) he didn’t give to Sayyidina `Uthman (r). He gave each one according to his capacity but all are Sahaaba.

So awliya are always looking at their exemplar, the Prophet, and that is how they behave with everyone. They love everyone the same but in certain seniority you might say, they give one to say something that they don’t give the others. What he gave me he didn’t give you and what he gave you he didn’t give me.

Although there are many things we have in common and share together, still there are things you know that I don’t and things I know that you don’t know. We don’t know the wisdom of everything because Allah is Huwa al-Mudabbir. He is the one that plans everything. From His attribute al-`Alim or al-`Aleem, the absolute knower, everything has been planned. Through that knowledge that describes His essence, the attribute of knowledge knows everything. Through that attribute, when Allah's iraada, His will, manifests, the attribute of knowledge puts forward the plan. Whatever has to appear is already there, it has already appeared in the heavenly time zone which is timeless. In the heavenly zone, the heavenly description appears and there is its image, a reflection of its reality that has appeared from Allah’s beautiful attribute al-`Aleem – the Knower. Allah wants us to know through that reflection what happened there in that heavenly zone. That is why Allah, His plan has to be executed, nothing else. Once Allah’s plan is manifest in the heavenly zone, we cannot change it. What we see is merely a reflection of what has already transpired.

Allah said to the angels “Make sajda to Adam!” Allah said He created angels and they have no sin. Paradise cannot accept sin, nor can it accept something wrong. So when Paradise cannot accept something wrong, angels should not be able to commit sins there. So when Allah said, make sajda, their duty was what? To make sajda. However, Iblees did not. Allah cursed him because through His beautiful name al-Aleem, that plan has been there that Iblees will not make sajda, and Allah would curse him for it. If Iblees would have made sajda, he would not be cursed, and Adam would not have been sent to earth.

Allah with his ilm al-mutlaq, “absolute knowledge”, ordered Iblees to do sajda, but His Will is that Iblees will not do sajda, in order for Allah to curse him.

If Allah wanted He could have taken the soul of Iblees, like he takes the soul of a human being or a jinn, and Iblees would die. Allah could have done that but he left that soul there.

Allah ordered Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam to make the ship on a mountain in the jungle where there was no ocean nearby. People were coming to him and saying "are you crazy, why are you doing a ship here?" But he didn’t listen because he knew he was executing Allah’s plan. If he put his iraada, his will, he knew that would change everything. That is why submission is always recommended to believers and that is why awliya always submit to Allah’s will. They don’t put their will over Allah’s Will.

There is a general will and a partial will. Allah gave that partial will to check how much we rebel. With that small will that is like an atom compared to the general will, still we are rebellious.

So what happened to Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam? There was a slight possibility that if Allah told him to build a ship in the jungle, then water might come there and make a flood. Although it is a rare possibility for water to come up to a mountain that is so high, Allah made that to happen. It would be a greater tsunami than the one we saw last year. Allah wants people to know, that tsunami and this is secret from the heart of Sayyidina al-Mahdi, from Mawlana. The tsunami was to give us a taste of the tsunami in the time of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam. The tsunami of 2004 is like an ant compared to an elephant when you compare its strength with the one that happened in time of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam. That tsunami in which a half million people died, is to show us what it is like and that if people are not going to be straightforward, a bigger one is coming. It will be a huge flood like the one that came in the time of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam and will show everyone that it is not difficult for Allah to send a big tsunami, which takes everyone except the believers.

Mawlana is explaining that this recent tsunami was a living description of the flood of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam, which we never gave any importance to it, making it only like a story. Awliya every moment are seeing that flood coming from Allah’s revenge on people who are deviating and going astray; on people who are harming others; on people who are giving suffering and pain to others; and, on people who are breaking the peace on earth, killing innocents. Allah showed us something that depicts a situation we never could have pictured in our mind. If you don’t live and experience a problem, you never worry about it or feel it. Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam felt it. Those who died in 2004 felt it, but no one else felt it except those people.

As the Prophet (s) said in the Last Days, there will be too many earthquakes on earth. Look what happened in the subcontinent, millions and million are now suffering without shelter from that earthquake. We brought that example to show the difference between the obedience of Sayyidina Nuh (s) and Iblees who disobeyed.

Allah ordered Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam to build the ship and to put in the ship all those who believe. And what happened?

وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ وَنَادَى نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلاَ تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَى جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاء يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلاَ تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ قَالَ سَآوِي إِلَى جَبَلٍ يَعْصِمُنِي مِنَ الْمَاء قَالَ لاَ عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّهِ إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ وَحَالَ بَيْنَهُمَا الْمَوْجُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُغْرَقِينَ

Wa hiya tajree bihim fee mawjin ka’l-jibaali wa naada noohunu ’bnahu wa kaana fee ma`zilin ya bunayya ta`al arqub ma`na wa takun m`a al-kafireen.

Qaala sa-aawee ila jabalin ya`simunee mina ’l-maa. Qaala la `asima laka al-yawma min amrilllah illa man rahim. wa haala baynahuma’l-mawju fa-kaana mina’l-mughraqeen.

Waqeela ya ardu ibla`ee maa’ake wa yaa samau aqli`ee wa gheeda’l-maa’u wa qudiya ’l-amru wa ’stawat `ala al-joodiyyi wa qeela bu`dan li 'l-qawmi 'dh-dhaalimeen.

So the Ark floated with them on the waves (towering) like mountains, and Noah called out to his son, who had separated himself (from the rest): "O my son! embark with us, and be not with the unbelievers!"

The son replied: "I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water." Noah said: "This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy! "And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood. Then the word went forth: "O earth! swallow up thy water, and O sky! Withhold (thy rain)!" and the water abated, and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi, and the word went forth: "Away with those who do wrong!" Hud, 11:42-44



Nuh said to his son when he saw the flood coming, “come and get aboard the ship with us”, but one of children refused. He said, “No, I am going to go on a very high mountain to protect me from the water.” Nuh told him “there is no one protected from Allah’s order except those on whom He bestows mercy” Wa haala baynahum al-mawja. At that moment, he was up on the highest point of the mountain but the tsunami waves reached and swallowed him, so he was one of those who drowned.

What happened to the water? Similar to what happened recently in 2004. Gheeth al-mai. The earth came with a huge flood and suddenly it sucked all the whole water back into the ocean. Everything became normal. Those huge waves of the tsunami were coming back and forth but after some time, I don’t know how many hours or days, the earth swallowed the water back completely, and everything appeared normal as before.

Look at the Surah Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam and read their translation. Gheeth al-mai is “swallow the water”. That is giving us an example, be careful, that is going to come. They gave a taste of it, like a spoonful. Like a spoonful of sugar, or better we say like salt. But in the Last Days, the tsunami is not going to be just a spoonful. What they showed us was a very small jarrah, portion, but the real dose has not come yet. The real dose that is coming will be more than the flood of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam.

So the son of Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam, the son of a prophet disobeyed. What happened to him? He drowned. Why Iblees did not drown? Or why Allah did not take Iblees’ soul and finish him? Why Iblees stayed in Paradise if it cannot accept a sinner? In Paradise, on the Day of Judgment, we will ask Allah to have mercy us and to keep us under his mercy and to send us to Paradise with the shafa`a of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Our belief is not 100% but 10 to the infinity percent that the Prophet (s) is going to take us with his shafa`a and his mercy to Paradise. We know we could never get there with our `amal, our deeds, because we are all sinners. If it was based on our deeds, we would end up like Sayyidina Nuh’s Alayhissalam son.

وَنَادَى نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابُنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ فَلاَ تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلاَّ تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Wa naadaa noohun rabbahu faqaala rabbi inna ibnee min ahlee wa inna wa`daka al-haqqu wa anta ahkamu ’l-haakimeen. Qaala ya noohu innahu laysa min ahlika innahu AAamalun ghayru saalihin falaa tasalni ma laysa laka bihi `ilmun innee a`idhuka an takoona mina ’l-jaahileen. Qaala rabbi innee a`oodhu bika an asalaka maa laysa lee bihi `ilmun wa illa taghfir lee wa tarhamnee akun mina ’l-khaasireen.

And Noah called upon his Lord, and said: "O my Lord! surely my son is of my family! and Thy promise is true, and Thou art the justest of Judges!"

He said: "O Noah! He is not of thy family: For his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant!"

Noah said: "O my Lord! I do seek refuge with Thee, lest I ask Thee for that of which I have no knowledge. And unless thou forgive me and have Mercy on me, I should indeed be lost!" Hud, 11:45-47.

He said, "This is my son, he is from my blood; he is from my family." Allah said, "No he is not from your family. The one who is from your family is the one with good amal. I am taking him and if you ask me again, then I warn you that you will also be among the ignorant.” Allah was frightening Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam and Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam replied, “Ya Rabbee, forgive me.”

That is what happened to the son of a prophet. Iblees, an angel disobeyed Allah, but He left him in Paradise. For human beings on Judgment Day, only those who under the shafa`a, intercession of Prophet, will be in Paradise. If someone did not come under prophet’s mercy and shafa`a, then he will repent and be asked of what he has done, then he can go to Paradise, because Paradise does not accept sinner.

He was not thrown from Paradise to earth because Allah’s will is that he go and tempt Adam Alayhissalam. Allah wanted Adam Alayhissalam and his wife to go to earth. That is His iraada; it is His Will they fall to earth and build this generation for the entire human race to come.

So Allah gave Iblees permission to whisper to Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam and Sayyida Hawwa to eat from the tree. Adam listened to his whispering and ate from the forbidden tree, but what can he say to Allah for his disobedience?

You have to have adab, manners, and say “Oh, Allah all my good actions are from you and the bad ones are from me. Ya Rabbee, it is my fault, forgive me.” Allah forgave Adam because he repented. Iblees did not; he said to Allah, “You made me do it.” Allah then ordered Iblees to earth and he asked, “Ok, but give me life to the end of time.” He is speaking to his lord, sending messages and receiving answers through angels. Iblees, the one who is cursed in the Holy Qur’an, is speaking to Allah and getting a response. He believes in Allah, but Allah’s Will is to bring the human race to earth and introduce his beloved Prophet to humanity. If the human race were to have stayed in Paradise, there would be no reason for Allah to send His Prophet to humanity, because they would all be worshipping like angels. Allah wanted to demonstrate the excellent character of Prophet Muhammad (s) and the importance of his role as master of creation in all these universes. That could not be seen in Paradise. Allah wants everyone to know it is because of Prophet Muhammad (s), you enter Paradise. Not that you enter Paradise because of Paradise.

Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam knew that secret so he said, “Ya Rabbee, for the sake of Muhammad (s) forgive me.” Allah wondered how he knew of Muhammad (s) and Adam said, “Anywhere in Paradises you look, you see the name of Muhammad. Even on your throne, his name is written.” Allah wanted everyone on earth to know the importance of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) that because of him, He created creation and because of him, He is going to send us to our last station and status because of the intercession of the Prophet (s).

He wants to present the Beloved One to be like a shining diamond that has no resemblance on earth or in Paradise--not anywhere. Allah wants to present Sayyidina Muhammad (s) to human, jinn, angels—and to all other creation that we don’t know about—that is why He sent them all to earth to continue the life and to know about Prophet Muhammad (s).

He told all of creation, “If Prophet Muhammad comes in your lifetime, you must follow him.”

That taste of love for Prophet Muhammad is not in us. That is the problem. If we were to taste it, we would feel his presence, his light, his holy smell, and his appearances. We would feel him watching us and how near he is to us, but nowadays only awliya are inheriting that from Sahaaba. We are not. If Sayyidina Nuh Alayhissalam cared so much for his son, can you imagine how much the Prophet cares for his Ummah? Allah wanted us to know that La ilaha ill-Allah Muhammadun Rasulullah, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.” The secret of that tawheed, Oneness, did not open yet and its reality will not open until Judgment Day. Its meaning will open now in the Last Days, when Mahdi Alayhissalam comes and Sayyidina `Isa Alayhissalam comes, so people can taste of it, but its reality will only come in Paradise. Now it is only a phrase that comes on the tongues of people but Allah said, “The best of words is La ilaha ill-Allah Muhammadun Rasulullah.”

May He keep these meetings always and keep the love of Prophet in our hearts, love of Mawlana shaykh in our hearts, of Grandshaykh Abdullah ad-Daghestani in our hearts and love of each other in our hearts.

Bi hurmatil Fatiha.



The one who knows all the prophets is Sayyidina Muhammad (s).



That Sayyidina `Isa Alayhissalam is His Word, alqaaha ila Maryam, He gave to Maryam. And then for Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam he said, two, wa nafakhtu feehi min ruhee, I blow into him from my ruh. Ruh no one can explain what is that. His ruh is light? It is the light that Allah has thrown into him, “I blow into him from My soul”; we cannot say ruh is soul here, but [its meaning is] His light, His order, His word. There is another that says amruhum, for Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam, that Allah has sent his amr to Sayyidina Adam Alayhissalam. That is where uli 'l-amr, the authority, the energy, that is correct; that is that energy