Excerpts taken from Hazrat Shaykh Talha Qasmi Naqshbandi Damat Barkatuhum’s discourses
The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said, “The kind of imbalance that will be born (in my Ummah) will be like the ones witnessed by Bani Israel, and Bani Israel were split in two sects. One as Jews and the other as Christians.” Jews are astray and so are the Christians. Let’s find out what were the reasons for them to go astray? Why did the Jews and Christians go astray? These faults were such that Allah mentions in Surah Fatiha if you do not strive to save yourself from these faults and wish to be saved from both faults (because of which the two sects went astray) until then your Sajda will not be accepted. The disease of which Surah Fatiha advises to cure ourselves from, if we continue to keep them inside us then how will the prayers be accepted? The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said with regards to the Quran and its verses where there is a visible side to it there is also a hidden side. Come let’s find the visible and hidden sides of Surah Fatiha.
Allah’s Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said about Surah Fatiha “la Salata illa bi-fatihatil kitab“(Bukari & Muslim), I cannot dwell into the details, a simple translation for now is “without reciting Surah Fatiha the prayers are incomplete.” Remember this note, the leader’s (Imam) recitation is sufficient for the followers (in the prayers), this has also been said by Allah’s Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم). Just as there are twenty boogies attached to a train, each boogie is not driven individually, the engine driving is sufficient (to pull all the boogies attached) and if each boogie occupant starts driving the boogie individually then what would be the end result? The entire train (all its boogies) follows the engine. Does only the engine travel? Does the remaining part of the train (boogies attached) do not travel along? In the same manner, the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said without reciting Surah Fatiha prayers are not completed. It is not required that all of us recite (the surah) if the lmam recites it then it is as good as we recite it. It is sufficient and simple, so without reciting the words of Surah Fatiha the prayers are not completed, if we are behind an Imam then the Imam should recite, and if we are performing prayers alone then we should recite it. However what is that truth that has been explained in Surah Fatiha?
What are the diseases that have been taught to be safe from? If those diseases are nurtured in the heart then how will the prayers be accepted? Then not just the prayers all other good deeds will not be accepted. Allah has especially taught to be safe from these two diseases and has taught (us) to supplicate to be kept safe from these two diseases. These are those very two diseases that had emerged among the people of Bani Israel. One disease emerged among the Jews and other emerged among the Christians and are so grave that Allah mentions whoever has this diseases is incurable. Now their punishment is that they will always fail in the world and humiliated, where ever in the world they stay, they will always fail and will be humiliated. The Jews have been punished for their disease (in this world). The Christians will be cured of their disease when the time arrives. However they are infected with the disease and therefore cannot be considered healthy until such time they are not cured. However their disease is not incurable. How will they (Christians) be cured and who will become the means of curing them? After the arrival of Prophet Sayyidna Isa (عليه السلام) and before his death everyone who is infected by this disease will be cured. Everyone will get Iman (become a muslim) and this diseased will be cured by Prophet Isa (عليه السلام). Yes, the Jews will not be granted health, they cannot be cured now, on the contrary their germs that has grown multifold and affected the entire humanity will be removed to save humanity.
Two Ailments and their Remedy
What were those two diseases that exist even today and the scholars have to treat them? One disease is “Love without knowledge” and the other is “Knowledge without love”. However the treatment of the former disease (Love without Knowledge) is easy. Friendship is sought, heart is illuminated and Hidayah (Guidance and blessing) is received. The latter disease, knowledge without love, usually leads to a dead heart, treatment for this does not happen, this is a Jew mindset, and former is a Christian mindset, are these not prevalent amongst us? This is the spirit of Surah Fatiha. Until these two diseases are not treated, Allah does not want such prostrations. Performing lot of worship will not be accepted, before we perform Salah we have to treat ourselves, learn to love in the light of knowledge and acquire knowledge with the love for Allah.
The Jews had a lot of knowledge, they do even today. Furthermore, they are the drivers of the misunderstandings being propagated in the entire world in the name of knowledge and education. Yes, even today they are the drivers of the misunderstandings and this is no guess in any form. There are experts amongst them who are bestowed with unparalleled talents. However their hearts have fallen astray due to their wrong doings though they witnessed the miracles through of Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم).
The Jew Mindset
Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) has described the mindset of the Jews in the Quran. There has always been knowledge prowess amongst them. So much so that when the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم)’s prophet-hood was announced, the Jews taught the residents of Makkah to ask educated questions. Go and ask him (Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) who were the As’haab-e-Kahf? Go and ask him, “Where did Prophet Musa (عليه السلام) travel to?”. “Who did he go to meet?”. Go and ask him, “Who was the Zulqarnain of Allah?”. Who used to teach these questions? The Jews did. Allah has acknowledged their knowledge prowess in his last book (Quran) (Arabic Verse) . This is an acknowledgement from Allah of their knowledge prowess they certainly has immense knowledge. However even after being blessed with such depth of knowledge Allah has narrated their criminal mindset (Arabic verse). They used to kill the Prophets. Why? Because, the teachings of Prophets, only depth of knowledge is not sufficient, they have to strive to create the love for Allah in the hearts and this was not acceptable (to the Jews). If the love for Allah was created in the heart then they would be led by someone, have to agree to obey someone which is something this community was not ready to do. The people who spoke of adjoining love with knowledge the Jews used to kill these Prophets. And even today wherever the way to the path of Allah is being taught and whoever is striving in the path of Allah, Who is conspiring to finish them? They (Jews) are. Where are the conspiracies to finish Islamic schools being made? We believe our parliaments pass amendments. Our representatives travel to their country, the ministers of our country travel to Israel, our policemen travel there. The entire world knows where from does these propaganda arise against the descendants of the Prophets. Allahu Akbar! This is the miracle of the Quran, the Quran had mentioned the name of the Jews stating (Arabic verse), “You will have to listen to very heart wrenching propaganda”, from the people of the book (Jews and Christians) from the hypocrites. This is what is happening in our times. This is the miracle of the Quran, the people of the book and hypocrites and especially the Jews and the hypocrites have great compatibility in their mindsets. Both (Jews and Hypocrites) the communities are struck with inferiority complex and their judgments are due very shortly in the courts of Allah, InshaaAllah (we) will not need to wait long.
“We ask Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to keep us firm on the straight path that Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) has opened up for us, we pray to Allah that he saves us from all the ailments and protect us from all the physical and spiritual diseases, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of enemies”. Aameen
