In the name of Allah, the most merciful and the most compassionate,
Praises be to Allah who created the universe and adorned it with his servants. May prayers and peace be with the greatest person, chosen friend of Allah, our guide and beloved prophet Muhammed Mustafa. May prayers and peace be with faithful people, Muslims who die for Islam, our beloved prophet’s companions and Ahl-i Bayt who transferred His sunnah to all times.
As you know, it is Islam which is the last and valid religion in Allah’s opinion. Islam had been completed in twentythree years, in a long period. Thirteen years were in Maqqa and ten years were in Medina. It is a religion that has reached perfection with all its beauties. Almighty Allah orders this truth in the 33 rd verse of sura-i Tevbe like that:
It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).
In this twentythree-year-prophethood and revelation period, both the last Prophet Muhammed ( sallallahu aleyhi wa salam ) and his select companions (r.anhum) ,who formed a very tight chain around him, had to bear to many troubles, torments and difficulties. The pressures, despisings, mocks, tortures and boycotts of their friends, relatives and tribes could never daunt them. They had to migrate from their homeland. But, they never witdrawed their action. They showed resolution in their belief. Those believers constitued the nucleus of the first Islamic community which spreaded out the world.
While our Prophet was educating Muslims in the direction of revelation in that difficult period, he was going on inviting people to the Religion of Truth. After a thirteen-year- torturous period in Maqqa, he was left no choice but he migrated to Madina. Muslims in Madina, who were called as ‘Ansar’ later, invited our beloved Prophet to their city in order to make it a safe center for Islam. Thus, the city ‘Madina’ took its place in the history of Islam as a city that took Islam under its wing and embraced the Messenger and Lover of Allah. It was such a beautiful and meaningful loyalty for this city that the holy grave of our beloved Prophet was there. It was like a reward for Madina.
The second period of Islam that started in Madina had continued for ten years up to the death of Hadrat Muhammad. During this period of time, The Islamic Religion started to widen and Muslims became a model community and an important centre of strength with their belief, moral and system of justice. That was an unbearable event for the vicious and unbeliever groups whose benefits were damaged. They certainly had to prevent it. So, they declared war for Hadrat Muhammad, who was the greatest person people had ever seen, and for His blessed community. Three wars happened; Badr, Uhud and Khandaq and also a lot of battles which were done with a few people. The result appeared like that: The Islamic Religion was never prevented. It would stay as being saved up to the doomsday. It would stand with all its greatness. That was a certain victory and its gift was the conquest of Maqqa. Thus, the ways were opened, so that the Arabic peninsula and all the people in the world could be acquainted with Islam. Governments and administration centers of that time were invited to the new religion by envoys. The guiding action was progressing rapidly. People were coming in groups and entering this new Islamic Religion by asking Allah for forgiveness. Twenty three years had passed since the first revelation. Now that, judgments of all religions of the past were abolished and the Religion of Truth of Allah reached perfection with all its beauty.
While our beloved Prophet ( sallallahu aleikhi wasalam ) was leaving from His community, He requested in the Farewell Khutba that he left people the holy book Qur’an and His Sunnah as a trust, and people should embrace them very tightly after his death. That was such a seperation that Muslims would always suffer from the lack of the Prophet and they would never fill His place. The lofty Prophet had performed His duty properly and the time of seperation from His community had come. That was an upsetting seperation. That was such an event that upset Muslims deeply. But, there was a truth of religion. This Religion came for being performed and reached to people. So, the struggle had to go on.
The companions knew it as a duty to spread Islam out the world in the direction of their education. This excitement and effort appeared as the conquest of Iran and the decrease in the strength of Byzantine. The conquests lead to strengthening of the Islamic government and increasing of national treasury. After the first revelation came, Muslims had a very big and strong government in a short period of time like half-age. It means power, ability and wealth. On the other hand, those brought a trouble like being worldly. Since people, who entered Islam later, brought the negativities of their old religion and culture, the degenerations started to be seen in the Islamic community. This situation first started to be seen in some directors and it became widespread slowly.
Love of power, the attractiveness of the world, bad moral because of dissipation brought instigation and people entered in a completely different period thirty three years later from our Prophet?s death. Muslims transferred into a turbid period from the true Islamic government and lofty caliphate. This turbid period was sultanate that desires and fervours ruled it together with Islam. In this period in which inexpert people took possession of government and managers got their desires, the situation went to far that Hadrat Husayin was killed in a tragic way.
This situation set hardworking people into action. It was needed to prevent Islam from being damaged in those instigations and struggle with the new perverted thoughts and innovations in the religion. It had already been given importance for protecting Qur’an and hadith since the revelation came first. But it was seen a new different advance in all Islamic science together with this new period. Thus, the science of logic was systematized. It occurred as a science in itself. Those who were called as Ahl-i hadith tried to gather the hadiths of our beloved prophet ( sallallahu aleikhi wasalam ), determine them according to their deeds and decide for the authentic ones. While great collected works and hadiths books were being constituted, science of hadith was born as a science in itself. The other Islamic sciences improved rapidly, too. Sciences like commentary on the Qur’an, fiqh, Arabic grammar, rhetoric, siret etc. were systematized. Comprehensive works were done in every field and great works were produced. In the field of fiqh big faqeehs were grown like Imam-i Azam Abu Hanife, Imam-i Shafi, Imam-i Maliq, Imam-i Ahmed bin Hanbel, Imam-i Cafer-i Sadiq (r.anhum). They brought solutions to the problems that Muslims faced by means of Islamic resources. The masters of religious knowledge exhibited all their efforts for the genuine Islamic life being lived.
There was a different group apart from those we said that they gave effort in the other fields. Moreover they were dealing with the fields that we mentioned before. But their main efforts were to ameliorate people’s nafs, make them perform Islam truly and reach Allah with a safe and pure heart. Besides the outer dimension of Islamic knowledge, they were also interested in the spiritual, moral, comprehensive, and psychological dimension of it. Those people were moral hodjas and educators of spirit who guided people. Those people being called as Ahl-i tasawwuf and Ahl-i irphan were expert in the subjects of being worshipped Allah with love, gaining the moral of the Prophet and being saved from love of dunya (the world) and calamities of nafs and devil. This group who lived like the companions of the Prophet attracted people’s attention. People opened their wings for the divine light and clarity of those lofty people. Those people also took the duty of Islam’s widening upon themselves in that new and difficult period. In fact, they were appropriate for this duty with their spiritual maturity and perfect qualities.
Their effect spread out in all sections of the society. Everybody who wanted to be saved from troubles of being worldly and reach the real servitude started to come to their dargah. Peace of heart, spiritual maturity and marifat (knowing Allah) were finding them wherever they were.
Imam-i Azam Abu Hanife an-Numan who was the founder of Hanafi Madhap and one of the biggest faqeeh imams indicated the importance and indispensability of tasawwuf and its followers by saying ‘ If I had not spent two years with Imam-i Cafer-i Sadiq, I would have been utterly exhausted.’ In the same subject, Imam Shafi said that: ‘Be both scholar and mutasawwif. If you were only a scholar, but not an ahl-i tasawwuf, your heart would be very harsh. If you were an ahl-i tasawwuf but not a scholar, then you would lose your way. In that condition, how could you guide people?’
So, this big scholar and faqeeh person had declared the importance of this lofty group and beauties of their religious knowledge, moral, wisdom, yaqin and love. He ordered that having only religious knowledge was not sufficient. In fact, there are still millions of followers of both Imam-i Azam and Imam-i Shafi. About the same issue, Arif-i Billah Sheikh Izzeddin Haznavi (k.) said: ‘Tariqa is the servant of Shari’a and performing the Shari’a in the best way. Tasawwuf is having moral of Islam and salaf-i salihin. If a tariqa is in its experts’ power, it will be a source of perfection and maturity that join people together and make them reach Allah.’
Risalat (prophethood) – Wilayat
The Islamic Religion had started with Hadrat Adam (a.) and reached its last and perfect condition with the last Prophet Hadrat Muhammad ( sallallahu aleikhi wasalam ). Every prophet was an envoy conveying the orders of almighty Allah to his community, an inviter inviting his ummah to Allah and a big educator educating people’s soul. At the same time he was a servant that worshipped Allah and turned towards Him. All prophets were perfect people that have the responsibility and burden of risalat besides the conscience of wilayat and servitude. The last prophet Hadrat Muhammad ( sallallahu aleikhi wasalam ) was also in the same condition. He was a vast expance of grace conveying the revelation to the people, and he was the most blessed fruit of nubuwwah tree. He was also a guide, a guardian and a big leader who turned towards Allah, reached at the top of servitude and enlightened his risalat (prophethood) with the unique wilayat sun. Risalat had come to an end with his death. But wilayat and servitude will continue up to the doomsday. There will be always holy people in the universe up to the doomsday who worship Allah truly, turn towards Him and not put unwariness to their hearts.
‘ All who obey Allah and the apostle are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! What a beautiful fellowship!’ In this verse, almighty Allah (c.c) speaks to people and informs that if they show an intimate obedience, they will be in the company of those four groups to whom he gave different blessings. If it is paid attention to the row in the verse, the sincere (lovers of Truth) comes after the Prophets. It shows that their position comes after the prophet’s positions. Then, the witnesses (who testify) and the Righteous (who do good) come respectively. All of them have different degrees of servitude and wilayat which is appropriate for their positions.
Well, who are those siddiquns (the sincere- lovers of Truth) being separated from the others and whose positions come after the positions of Prophets? What are their features separating them from the others? These are the questions that need to be replied in order to understand our subject.
Hadrat Ali (k.v), who is the door of religious knowledge and one of the roots of wilayat tree, had divided worship into three parts.
These are; a) Worship of slaves b) Worship of merchants c) Worship of free ones.
Worship of slaves: Those worship Allah for fear of hell. Those start to worship since they are afraid of hell and rumors about it and they go on servitude in this manner. They embrace obligatory acts since they are afraid of punishment of almighty Allah. People were created with different features from one another. A matter that impels one for action may not be effective for the other. So, there are verses in the holy Qur’an both frightening people with punishment and hell and encouraging them with heaven and its blessings. Those, who are in the first group, obey almighty Allah because of His greatness. As a matter of fact, slaves also obey their owners since they are afraid of their greatness and harms.
Worship of merchants is more different. The people who are in this group have a wish to reach almighty Allah, His heaven and the blessings in it. May be they were affected from the verses mentioning beautiful places, magnificent blessings and houris. Thus, they start to worship in order to reach them. Their conditions continue in this way. The beauties of heaven become an effect encouraging and setting them into action. This leads to being with taqwa (fear of Allah). Most people are in this manner. It is both religiously permissible and accepted by almighty Allah.
Apart from those two groups, there is another group that their understanding and intention of worship don’t resemble the other two groups. These people turn towards Allah because He is the only one, who deserves worship, and He wants His servants to worship Himself. They worship Allah because of their love to Him. As you see, these are Muslims about whom Hadrat Ali mentions as free ones. This is their understanding of worship.
Those people that constitute a small and select group among people are the real servants. They turn towards almighty Allah with a different intention and in a very intimate way from heart and soul. In order to understand their difference, this example will be illuminating:
Let’s assume that almighty Allah informs that He will put His servants in His heaven even they don’t perform their servitudes. After all, if they want, they can serve Him but the result won’t change and everybody will enter heaven. It means people are free. They don’t need to fear from hell. They also don’t need to bear difficulties for entering heaven and reaching its blessings. They have an opportunity to live however they like and enter heaven. If it is thought fairly, it will be seen that in such a condition there will be no one who worships Allah apart from those worshipping like free ones. Most of people will go away from servitude, because entering heaven has become definite and they don’t need to fear from the torments of hell. The free ones worship almighty Allah as He is Allah. His love and affection are their foods and expectations. There is nothing in their eyes except Him. His love surrounds all their lives. Religious knowledge has become their nourishment. These are friends of Allah called as siddiqun and awliyaullah in the holy book Qur’an. They are select people who burn with the love of Allah and their endeavors are very exalted. This is only one of the perfect features they have.
Sheikh Izzeddin Al- Haznavi (k.s) was saying in one of his talks that : If there weren’t any lofty people called saints, nudgaba, nuqaba, abdal and aqtab, the world would be ruined, the life would be stop and disasters would come one by one, because people were created for worship. Those, who perform real worship, are the saints. The other people live with abundance. When gold is protected, its pot is protected at the same time. One looks after a field for yield and hides a handle for its axe. Be close with the saints. Then, you will see the grace of Allah. You will observe the rays of divine light in the ahadiyat sun. Almighty Allah says: ‘For Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.’
Haznavi Guides
The founder of Haznavi Dargah is Sheikh Ahmad Al- Haznavi who is a big and virtuous scholar and arif-i billah. His father Murat hodja is from Bahine village in Mardin ( a city in the Southeast Anatolian Region of Turkey). Murat hodja is a wise and muttaqi person, he comes from a noble and clear family. Sheikh Ahmad was born in 1886 in Hazna village belonging to Kamışlı town in Syria where his father is an imam now. He is called with the name of Haznavi because of the place he was born. His first hodja, besides his father, is Muderris Molla Huseyin Kucuk who is one of the select scholars of Silvan town in Diyarbakir. He studied, got an education and took his certificate from his teacher according to the method of that time. The Sheikh Ahmad was interested in tasawwuf and participated in Sheikh Abdulqadir?s talks who was from the town of Hizan and a caliph of Abdurrahman-i Tagi. Upon the death of his hodja Sheikh Abdulqadir before the First World War, he started to continue talks of Sheikh Muhammad Diyaeddin Nurshini who was the son and caliph of big saint Abdurrahman Tagi.
Sheikh Muhammad Diyaeddin (k.s) called as Sheikh Hadrat was at the same time the hodja of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. Ustad Badiuzzaman stated in his book ‘Tarihce-i Hayat’ that Sheikh hadrat and his murshid (guide) Abdurrahmani Tagi hadrat were his ustad. Moreover, in the same book he recommended people who want to see someone like angels to go Sheikh Muhammad Diyaeddin?s dargah and get acquainted with his followers.
After Sheikh Ahmad had entered that lofty dargah, he went to Nurshin from Hazna on foot and sometimes on a mount and completed his spiritual education there during fifteen years. He told an event happened to him in the first times of his studentship:
?It was fifteen or twenty days later when we had gone to Nurshin. I was in Sheikh hadrat’s house. As you know, our meal was corn soup and corn bread. One day a well-known man in that area visited Sheikh hadrat. He invited the Sheikh and his students to a meal. The Sheikh hadrat accepted his invitation. I thought that in any case I would go to that invitation and eat delicious meals. So, I became happy. My nafs was very happy because of this situation. I immediately put my shoes in water, so that they would get wet and I would put on them easily. When Sheikh hadrat completed his travelling preparations, I also got ready like the other students. Sheikh hadrat went outside, he turned his face to me and said ‘Lets go. All mullah will come with me. Only mullah Ahmed will stay at home.’ I didn’t go and stayed. Then I understood why he had said so. I turned to my nafs and said: ‘All faults were yours. You felt a desire for eating delicious meals. You desired delicious meals greedily. So, Sheikh hadrat didn?t take you that invitation. O! My nafs! You need to be very patient in this door for becoming well-behaved and you need to leave your desires. If you do those, you will reach the acceptance of Allah and His lovers.’
In that long studentship period being spent fifteen years, Sheikh Ahmad benefited very much from Muhammad Diyauddin hadrat. He improved very much in the way of knowledge and comprehension. He got high degrees in tasawwuf route. His ustad gave him authorization and caliphate in order to teach knowledge and educate people according to the methods of Naqshibendi hadrat. Thereupon, he turned to Hazna and started to guide people. After a short time, he settled in Tal Maruph town which constituted the centre of main dargah. In that times his son and caliph Sheikh Izzeddin (k.s) was telling: ‘I started to education in Haznavi Madrasah in the small age. The Madrasah was composed of skillful and muttaqi scholars, hardworking and moral students.’
The complete darkness, wounds, scarcity and trouble of the First World War was going on. Our homeland was occupied by French. They were arranging attacks against the religion and faith. Big Sheikh, My father Sheikh Ahmed Al- Haznavi was being dispatched from one village to another. Anyway he wasn’t daunted.
He was going on teaching students sometimes in deserts sometimes in tent, accepting guests, and interested with people’s guidance continuously. In spite of those difficult conditions, people were also directed toward him. My father had a volition that didn’t know fear and tiredness, and wasn’t broken even in difficult conditions. He was a well-known leader of Islam and a brave, dignified, spiritually strong and great scholar. Our Madrasah was a soil building. Its walls were full of holes and splits. There were harmful animals like scorpions and mice. Our rugs were made of woven straw. Our book rests were pillows filled with straw. In spite of those, we were studying and working hard by taking no account of the time of day in order to learn knowledge and be appropriate for our father. Although our life wasn’t different from our sayings, Sheikh Ahmed was coming to door of Madrasah and saying:
O! Students! Study knowledge in order to make your faith and moral be appropriate for Islam, save from the darkness of ignorance, serve people, become suitable for caliphate position, know permitted and forbidden things by religion and gain will of Allah. The result of studying knowledge for gaining people’s esteem, getting position and material, becoming famous and having fame is penitence and disappointment.
Our beloved prophet (s.a.v) orders that , if a person studies the knowledge, which causes him to gain will of Allah, for benefits of the world, he won’t be able to feel the smell of heaven (Abu Davud R.S 400)
In spite of those difficult conditions, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Haznevi was going on studying continuously. Pressures and exiles didn’t daunt him. Ignorance was conspicuous everywhere. Moreover, sometimes he was trying for hours to teach qalima-i shadat to a shepherd and achieve it to be said correctly. One day he was trying to teach sura-i fatiha and Attahiyyat to a shepherd. Whatever he did, the shepherd couldn?t memorize those prayers. At the end, sheikh Ahmad (k.s) started to give names to the sheep which the shepherd knew well and easily distinguished them from one another. He said ‘This is ‘Attahiyatu’, the other is ‘lilllahi’ and that is ‘Vassalavatu’. Thus the shepherd was able to memorize the prayers. After a short time, when the shepherd went to visit Tal Maruph, Sheikh hadrat made him read ‘Attahiyatu’ in the mosque. He saw that the shepherd was reading the prayer but the word ‘Vattayibat’ was missing. He asked him the reason and learned that the sheep called ‘Vattayibat’ had died.
Of course his efforts that spent years didn?t turn out to be nothing. He educated many scholars and virtuous people. Both he and his students went to different places for guidance and they educated people.
But, there were three people among his students and caliphs that they were quite different from the others with their knowledge, taqwa and closeness to Allah. These are his sons; sheikh Masum (k.s), sheikh Aladdin (k.s) and sheikh Izzeddin (k.s). So, he said that: ‘All my three sons are perfectly matured people. After me, they will take my place one by one.’ As you know, in tasawwuf literature the term of ‘perfectly matured’ is used for people who reach Allah, find a new life in His love, have lofty features and divine secrets and guide people in a perfect way. So, thank to these qualities they are different from the other caliphs of sheikh Ahmad (k.s) and the main part of tariqa has continuously come up to now by means of them. In spite of his lofty qualities and manners filled with perfections and praises, Sheikh Ahmad (k.s) was usually in a tearful and fearful manner. He always used to complain about his troubles to his relatives and lovers and said that he worried whether those manners and people?s kindness were tricks of his nafs and devil. He always used to see himself imperfect and faulty.
He had a great patience against torments coming from people. It was worth everything for him that people learnt something about Islam, listened to a talk strengthening their faith and entered this lofty path in order to improve themselves. He didn?t mind roughness and torments he saw. Moreover, people who visited him were treading on his seat and hurting him with their throng. But, he didn’t mind those and he was warning his relatives who got angry for those people not to do like that. He made most of people’s heart warm towards Islam, faith and this lofty amelioration path by means of his lofty moral. He conduced people to protect their faith. He conduced to grow great and faithful scholars.
After sheikh Ahmad’s death in 1950, sheikh Masum(k.s) sit in the guidance position. Sheikh Masum also was a perfect guide who had a scholarly maturity and love of Allah like his father. One of the most important features which distinguished him from the others was his having a passion for service. Sheikh Masum was such a person that he didn’t fear from anyone and he was never tired of working and serving. Even, you could see him sometimes working in field, sometimes herding sheep, sometimes teaching students in madrasah and sometimes guiding people. He was gathering lords of the tribes in that region and warning them not to behave unjustly towards peasants, but be equitable and merciful for them. He was very meticulous in the subject of Amr-bil-Maruf (Enjoying Good) and Nahi anil-Munker. His character resembled Hadrat omar. (r.a).
Sheikh Masum (k.s) was solving vendettas among tribes, reconciling people and trying to place lofty moral values. He was sending scholars to different places and improving the public of those places by means of those scholars. There were such places that before sheikh Masum (k.s) didn’t guide people in those places, they even had not known worship, ritual ablution, Halal and haram. They were living in a hostile manner against each other. Especially, there was a village in Mardin that its public both went away from worship because of their ignorance and fell into such negligence that they made mosque a born. They were cooking meat and eating in the mosque. The mosque became so dirty that no one could enter in it. Its windows and walls became pitch-black the grounds were in an awful position because of animal feces and bones. Then, they repented with the blessing of this lofty man. They entered this lofty tariqa. They started to perform Islam with its good manners in the best way. The mosque was reordered and restored in a better way than the old one. Dreadful screens left from hearts. That was a rebirth for them. It was as if they were saved from dead soil by shaking themselves and waked up from a deep sleep spent years.
In sheikh Masum’s (k.s) time this tariqa grew up and started to be known among people. However in sheikh Alaaddin’s time it grew more. Then, in sheikh Izzeddin’s time, it started to be known more and be in demand. Sheikh Izzeddin (k.s) declared to the world haznavi path, their manners, and adherence of guides to Islam, by means of this guidances whether in Turkey or European countries or Arabic countries. He became a clear witness to this with his life.
Sheikh Aladdin was a perfect guide and a saint being the third of Haznavi guides. He was very knowledgeable and compliant. He was burning with the love of the Messenger of Allah. His face beauty was reminding the Messenger of Allah. His distinguished quality was his love of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v).
One who saw him was remembering the Messenger of Allah and one who attended his talk was feeling unequalled breeze of Asr-i Saadat. He got free of all alive scholars with the Love of the prophet Muhammad (s.a.v) and had a rightful fame. He never made any concession in the religion. He was always merciful against Muslims and honorable against Non-Muslims. He sat in guidance position in 1958.
His eulogies written upon Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v) were very famous. They still have been read. Shaikh Izzeddin (k.s) told an event like that about him:
(I was sitting near my father sheikh Ahmad (k.s). My brother sheikh Alaaddin came in. He immediately turned toward our father and guide Shaikh Ahmad hadrat and asked him for praying him in order to be exactly dependent on all sunnahs of our prophet Muhammad (s.a.v). Sheikh hadrat replied ‘Even your father can’t do this, how can you do?’ Then our father advised him the most important points about Sunnah. This event was an open evidence of sheikh Alaaddin’s perfect faith and his great love of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.v)
One day sheikh Alaaddin (k.s) was in mosque in Tal-Maruph. Someone approached him and said that he wanted to ask a question. Shaikh gave a positive reply. Then the person asked ‘Is sheikh Abdulqadir-I Gaylani (k.s) great or sheikh Naqshibendi?’
Sheikh Alaaddin Hadrats didn’t explain which is big but he said:
Every saint has a different position and a duty according to their position. When people hope for help from Abdulqadir-I Gaylani (k.s), he will immediately be there with his soul. On the other hand, a genuine Naqshibendi guide is like a magnet that magnetizes pieces of metal toward itself. He gets a person to reach Allah.
After Shaikh Alaaddin died in 1969, Shaikh Izzeddin took his place. That was the will of Shaikh Ahmad (k.s). Shaikh Izzeddin always used to pray Allah;
Our beloved prophet guided people during 23 years. I also want to stay in this guidance position as much as him.
Indeed he completed his twenty-three-year-old life which was filled with faith, ikhlas, taqwa and benefits in 1992 when he died.
Shaikh Izzeddin (k.s) used to see the Shari’a as a measure in all his works and attitudes. He refused everything that was in appropriate to the views of Muslim scholars and Ahl-I Sunnah. He never made a concession in his religion, even at the cost of his life, properties or children. He always adhered to the holy book Qur?an and Sunnah in his bad or good times.
He was chosen to the membership of high Shari’a fatwa in 1950s. Before he went there, he determined the foods that he ate there and took his own food with him. He never ate food which he didn’t know how it was made and had not got any abundance. He didn’t accept the feeding given for him by ministry. He paid his necessities on his own and he returned the money reserved for him to the ministry. After he started to work, in a short time he was distinguished from the other scholars with his knowledge, wise and views and he came to a high level in the committee of fatwa. One day, he was sent to the fatwa maqam for having approved a decision related to the vehicles being necessary for Religious Affairs and their fuel which had to be paid by national treasury. Shaikh Izzeddin hadrat didn’t sign this decision and waited to see what the other fatwa members would do. Everybody had signed and his sign left lastly. When they came to him, he didn’t sign that fatwa and he said ‘Are you sure that you won’t use these vehicles bought for service in your relatives’ or your own works? You will use them for your own benefits and then you will pay the fuel money from the subsidy. I can’t approve this event.? He invited the members of committee lean on transfer but not wise, on hearsay but not comment, on fiqh but not opinion. For this reason, he invited them to obey the rules of the holy book Qur’an, Sunnah and ulama (Muslim scholars). Then, he resigned from his duty.
When he turned to Tal-Maruph, sheikh Alaadin, who was at the guidance maqam (position) in that time, appreciated him for his inconcessive attitudes.
He came to Kuwait for guidance in 1970s. Noon pray had been performed. Although it was announced to the crowd that there would be a talk, everybody was taking his shoes and leaving the mosque; because in the past, everybody who preached in the seat of mosque didn?t do anything except asking for money from the crowd. Shaikh Izzeddin hadrat (k.s) took microphone and declared loudly that he wasn’t interested in politics and he didn’t accept money from anyone. Then people turned back for listening to his talk. Shaikh preached that:
‘If a Murshid (guide) is interested in people’s properties and their position (maqam), his level will decrease, and his value will lessen. He will become demoralized and thus, the effects of his words will lessen as he leaves from spiritual universe. The Murshid (guide) must perform his sayings much more than everybody, so that he becomes more mature, effective and knowledgeable. Our beloved prophet (s.a.v) says:
‘If a person performs what he knows, then almighty Allah teaches him what he doesn’t know.’ I’m not dealing with politics, because I know that conveying the religion of almighty Allah to people, performing slavery duties, and spreading the manners of my sheikh (k.s) are more superior than everything. I don’t gather properties. Even people give them to me, I don’t accept, because Almighty Allah made me far from rich people. So, I’m challenging everybody in everywhere. If there is anyone who gave me money, let him appear. I’m thanking Allah for this reason.’
Sheikh hadrat was very intelligent, clever and graceful. He was also at the top of good manners. He never sat by turning his back against the direction of Qiblah and the tomb of Sheikh Ahmad Al-haznavi. He used to show modesty excessively when he was in Madina. He used to worship and pray by shrinking at the back of a pole in Masjid-I Nebevi.
He used to contemplate for hours in the presence of our beloved prophet (s.a.v). He was crying so much that he could fall down because of tiredness. He got weak and his blessed face got very pale as a result of worshipping extremely and being meticulous in order to be well-mannered.
Sheikh hadrat had a great regard and respect to the holy book Qur?an. When there was a verse of Qur’an in a tableau hung on the wall, he never stretched his feet to its direction and never sat by turning his back to it. He used to read the holy book Qur’an by sitting on his knees towards the direction of Qiblah in a great humility. He said in one of his talk like that:
‘When you read the holy book Qur’an, read it slowly by considering the meaning. When you read the verses of mercy, ask almighty Allah for his benefaction and grace hopefully. When you come to the verses of torment, take refuge behind the grace of Allah and ask him for being saved from his torment. When you read the verses about the qualities of Muslims, ask for having these qualities and reaching the positions of Muslims and their blessings. In the verses related with the qualities of non-Muslims, take refuge Allah because of their hardness, unwariness, darkness and the end that they will meet. Dwell on the each of Asma-ul Husna. Think of their meaning and remain awhile just in that way. In all of names of almighty Allah, there is a different manifestation reflecting heart, a different meaning coming to the mind, a breeze making heart happy, a different love exhilarating the nafs and an irshad (guidance) directing people.’
One day a mufti said to sheikh hadrat (k.s) that tariqas divided people and they fell Muslims in disagreement. He was against the tariqas. Sheikh Izzeddin (k.s) said like that in response to the mufti:
‘If a murshid (guide) goes to somewhere, the other murshid (guidance) who was there before must be happy. He must be happy since the responsibility of inviting people to the religion, guiding and dealing with them was taken from him. He must say ‘Now I can worship Allah in peace.’ One who becomes unhappy since the new murshid is guiding people and conquering their heart is not a sheikh. He is a devil; because envy is the feature of devil. Devil didn’t prostrate himself to hadrat Adam because of his arrogance and envy. He was damned and he had the everlasting brigandage. Tariqa is the servant of the Shari’a and performing the Shari’a in the perfect way. Tasawwuf is to have moral of Islam and salaf-I salihin. If tariqa is under its expert’s care, it will unit people, reach them to Allah, be an interesting centre and a source of perfection and maturity.
Sheikh Izzeddin used to suffer very much because of the disasters happened to Muslims. One day, it was seen that he didn’t go out during three days. When people saw him, his eyes were like bloodshot as he cried so much. He was very sad and exhausted. He said that ‘On the occasion of such disasters happened to Muslims, blood must come from a Muslim’s urine because of pain.’ In the times that Muslims crouched down and the azan couldn’t be read, sheikh Izzeddin (k.s) used to start guidance by gathering his followers. He was never reluctant to sacrifice himself for people. After his death in July 31 st, 1992 Sheikh Muhammad (k.s) took his place upon his will being explained.
Sheikh Muhammad (k.s) was the most favorite student and the most perfect follower of Sheikh Izzeddin (k.s). Sheikh Izzeddin brought up him like a rose by saving him from badness and did his best for him in order to be beneficial for the human beings. So, Sheikh Muhammad had the most lofty values of moral, faith and knowledge. He was an unequalled and perfectly matured person.
Sheikh Izzeddin mentioned about Sheikh Muhammad with praise in many times before his death. He explained that Sheikh Muhammad had a perfect faith and he was a person filled with the love of Allah. He was also in a perfect manner for guiding people.
This condition isn’t limited only with sheikh Izzeddin hadrat. Even though Sheikh Muhammad was younger than Sheikh Ahmad, Sheikh Ahmad praised him 50 years ago and pointed out his abilities, superior valves and qualities. He said ‘This man will raise our fame’ and pointed out the importance of his position. Both sheikh Masum (k.s) and sheikh Alaaddin (k.s) were trembling for him very much. They tired to bring up their nephew in the best way who had lofty virtues like faith, ikhlas, love, service, self-sacrifice and high moral. They were so trembling for him that, in the event that he was hurt, while playing game, they were upset very much and accusing each other.(This was the manifestation of reality which would come true and which was felt by these mature people).
The great virtuous scholar Sheikh Mustafa Buga, who had given lesson to Sheikh Muhammad when he was young, said that the years passed with him were the best times in his life. He expressed that he felt proud of this. Sheikh Mustafa Buga expressed the superior and unequalled qualities of Sheikh Muhammad in all his talks. He said many times that sheikh Muhammad passed him much more. This scholar who knew well Haznavi family, especially sheikh Izzeddin hadrat and Sheikh Muhammad hadrat, had an important place among the scholars in Islamic community with both his personality and his works. In one of his talks in the memoriam ceremony of sheikh Izzeddin (k.s) in Tal-Maruph, he called Sheikh Muhammad to get started works in order to find solutions to the problems of Muslims and gather the Muslim scholars. Thus, he confirmed clearly the superior qualities of sheikh Muhammad.
Sheikh Arabi Kabbani, the mufti of Lebanon, the scholars in Lebanon, the chairman of Religious Affairs of Syria, The Emirates of Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait and Arabia, scholars and writers coming from Sudan always mentioned about sheikh Muhammad and Haznavi Murshids as being big masters, respectful scholars and muttaqi leaders in the meetings they took part in Tal-Maruph. This situation is not limited with them. In spite of being against tasawwuf, the scholars in Kuwait and in the other places understood the value of Sheikh Muhammad, showed respect to him and his thoughts, appreciated his understanding of tasawwuf and his path, when they knew him.
Wahbi Zuhayli who had an important place in the branch of fiqh in Islamic world had come to Tal- Maruph as a guest. He didn’t like tasawwuf and ahl-I tariqa too much. But, after he had got acquainted with sheikh hadrat and had seen the greatness of his knowledge, his uniqueness in modesty and taqwa, his gentle and compassionate manners, superior moral virtues and his adherence to the sunnah, he understood how a good scholar he was. He was not an ordinary person and his was not an ordinary encounter. His heart softened and his thoughts changed.
The dargah of sheikh hadrat was upon knowledge. Every haznavi murshids (guides) are among the biggest scholars of their times. This path was transferred from one scholar to another. The sheikh (k.s) educated about two thousand students in the madrasah of religious knowledge in Tal-Maruph. He met all the needs of students like eating, drinking and sheltering from his own income. He opened all the doors for those who were poor but had love of learning Religious knowledge. He tired to make them beneficial for Islamic community. This situation was not limited with school years. He also married the poor graduates with his opportunities. His wishes from those students were teaching Islam wherever they went, performing the duty of Amr-I bil Maruph and Nahy-I anil Munqar, trying to perform all these good manners and make them widespread.
The sheikh concerned about people in every class of society in his trips having a goal of guidance (irshad) and he tired to strengthen religious conscious. In order to guide people he went to some places where official authorities and civilizations had never gone. Even the people leaving there were surprised because of this situation. When they knew this lofty person and listened to his talks, they devoted themselves to him so much that it couldn’t be expressed. When the sheikh offered them to send a scholar who taught them their religion, they accepted it instantly. Thus, they both entered to the path of Naqshi-Haznavi and got the peace of dunya (the world) and the hereafter.
After sheikh Muhammad had a painful accident in the holy land (Maqqa-Madinah) in Ramadan in 2005, due to his testament sheikh Muhammad Muta Al-Haznavi took his place as a caliph who is a scholar and Mutasawwif person and has high moral qualities and foresight. Thus, Sheikh Muhammad made him responsible for all works of tariqa and guidance, education and management of the followers, improvement of morals and manners of Muslims, spreading religious knowledge and being uniting.
Sheikh Muhammad Muta is a new gift that this unique and lofty family presented him to Islam. He is a person being filled with fountain of knowledge and wisdom, educated in Haznavi Madrasah and took lesson from a unique scholar and ahl-I irphan sheikh Muhammad Haznavi (k.s). Sheikh Muhammad Haznavi gave authorization only to him among his sons and wrapped turban around his head with his hands. Sheikh Muhammad Muta (k.s) has built a huge qulliyah in a wide piece of land which he bought with his own money in the region of Shadi-ul Haramain and he has continued to his services with a great fervor.
Sheikh Ahmad Haznavi who is famous for his nickname ‘Shah-i Hazna’ said in one of his talks: ‘Greatness will never leave from this door up to the doomsday.’
Almighty Allah doesn’t betray those who don’t betray Him and save His trust. As long as they live according to the principles of the holy book Qur’an and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (s.a.v), they won’t be left without the mercy of Allah. Allah won’t leave people in the lurch who exalt His religion, bear every difficulty in this regard, and fear nothing.
He will make them more superior than everyone and spread His right way and mercy to the world by means of them. He will gather the people from every region of the world and make them submit these people who bend forward almighty Allah with the whole submission. He will not remove the fame, moral and faces of those people, who don’t forget Him even for a moment, from people’s mind. He will make the people remember them every time. He will put abundance and blessing to this remembering and increase their maqams (positions) much more.
