The Importance of Love for Muslim Scholars and Spiritual Teachers

Halil Necatioğlu

As believers and Muslim servants, we love first Almighty Allah, who is unique, boundless, beyond compare, unequaled, greatest of all, eternal, the most merciful, the most generous, the creator of the universe, and the sustainer of all creatures. Our existence and life are gifts from Him, the Munificent. All we have is from Him and belongs to Him. Endless praises are to Him, countless gratitude for His blessings. Allahumma lakal-hamdu kama yanbaghi li-jalali wajhika wa adheemi sultanika.

We love next our prophet Muhammad the Chosen, the special servant of Allah, the beloved, gentle and glorious messenger of Allah, the most honorable of the pious, the leader of prophets, intercessor for the ummah on the Day of Judgement. He is the unique owner of Maqam-e Mahmood, he is the sultan of the worlds and the master of universe. May peace and blessings of Allah be on him, his family, his friends, his followers, his beloved ones, his brethren, his successors, and his true inheritors: the supreme spiritual teachers and perfect guides, the sufi masters who are with God spiritually, the scholars who attain the perfection of truth, those who have the true knowledge of Allah and love and loyalty for Allah. May our Lord keep us on their path in this world and in their company in paradise. May Allah honor us with His beauty and peace in the hereafter.

Love for the Prophet is a prerequisite for a Muslim to become a true believer. A person cannot be a true believer unless to him the Prophet is dearer than himself, his children, his parents, his loved ones and friends, and the rest of the mankind. The Prophet of Allah comes first, than the other loved ones. The degree of love for the Prophet must be at such a level that a person could wholeheartedly say "May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, o Prophet of Allah!"

A Muslim must also love the true spirituals teachers, friends of Allah, lovers of the Prophet, true saints, the scholars which act upon their knowledge, and those who have attained the true knowledge of Allah and who are with Allah spiritually. His love for them should be as strong as his love for the Prophet of Allah, because these scholars and teachers are the true inheritors of the Prophet, the spiritual masters of Muslims, the trustworthy trustees of this Ummah, the owners of the succession, and the righteous authorities in the society. They are responsible for the enlightenment of the servants of Allah and guidance of the Ummah of the Prophet. In fact, they are the "ulul-amr," the rulers, masters and leaders. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has ordered that they be obeyed. Muslims must listen to them, unite with them and follow the path that they point. This is the way to salvation both in this world and in the hereafter, because they explain the Qur'an and the Shariah, teach the truth and the good, invite people to the straight path and encourage them to do righteous deeds. They try to adorn people with good manners; they exalt and spread Islam. They stretch a helping hand to people and help them attain the pleasure of Allah.

Unfortunately, people are unaware of the importance of the scholars and the spiritual teachers, and they fall inadequate in paying the necessary respect, love and loyalty for them. Many people are fooled by the Satan, one's self, people of this world, people of whims and worldly ambitions, and people of wealth and positions, yet in the end they regret their lifes and suffer great losses and disappointment.

We must know well that the first and the most important duty for an intelligent person is to find himself a perfect spiritual teacher, a true educator and a real inheritor of the Prophet just as he would search for a cure all over the world when he would fall ill. The perfection of the belief, the truth of Islam, the strength of the belief, and the cure of the heart and the mind are more important than the healthiness and the comfort of the temporary body.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give the opportunity to the Ummah of Muhammad to see the truth as truth and follow it and to see the falsehood as falsehood and avoid it. Amen. May Allah give all of us happiness in this world and in the hereafter. Amen, with our respect for His Beautiful Names and the Rank of His Beloved and the Chosen Prophet.

I state all of the above imagining our dear and beloved late master, the pole of those who attained the true knowledge of Allah, the chief of those who have joined with Allah spiritually, the guide of the knowledgeable, the guide of the devotees, the educator of the seekers, the crown of our heads, our leader, our guide, the light of our eyes, the joy of our hearts, our sultan, the soul of our beloved and the beloved of our souls, ash-Shaikh, al-Hafiz, as-Sayyid Muhammed Zahid Kotku ibni Ibrahim al-Burusevi, his brilliant face, his personality, his spiritual position and state. As you know, he departed this world on November 13, 1980. Since then, every year we have organized various memorial meetings, conferences, and symposiums to show our loyalty, love and gratitude, for the blessings and mercy of Allah shower where the pious devotees are mentioned. This year, too, we have organized various meetings during the week of November 7-13. We invite our dear brethren, the friends and the followers of our late teacher and all believers to attend these conferences and memorial meetings. Love and peace be with you.