ISLAMIC PUBLISHING

Muhammad Bahauddin Shah-i Naqshiband (May Allah sanctify his secret) was a great friend of Allah, who inherited the light of guidance from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), through luminous hearts in a golden chain. His connection to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is not only spiritual but also genealogical, since he was also a descendent coming from the pure lineage of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Dear readers!
As you know, we have begun to present to you our writings about the friends of Allah published in Altinoluk, in which we tried to annotate and explain their wise words, in a series comprising a separate booklet for each friend of Allah. This humble work, in which we compiled our writings about Shah-i Naqshiband, is a continuation of that series.
Moreover, in this booklet we deemed it necessary to include issues such as the nature of Sufism, the principles of the Khwajagan path, and the need for friends of Allah and Sufi masters. We have excerpted the sections on these issues from our previous work entitled the Golden Chain.

The Mathnawi is a poetic embodiment of Rumi s inner world reflected in couplets and is a book of rich blessing filled with great gifts of fortune. Through the mercy of Allah, Rumi penetrated to the very depth of the human soul and thus was able to witness its unveiled inner workings. Through the sheer radiance of that vision, the text penetrates the secrets of creation that unfolded before his inner eye.

Musa Effendi, may Allah sanctify his secret, states: «Many are content with performing their prescribed daily prayer and fasting, supposing themselves to have fulfilled their religious obligations, while this is not enough. Showing mercy towards the creation of Allah Almighty alongside obedience to His commandments is required, and this can only be achieved through self-sacrifice and sincere service. The matters to which every sound-minded Muslim must pay heed after observing the compulsory and shunning the prohibited is their service to and their being of benefit to Islam, their society and all creation, as these are complementary to the religiously mandatory and components of the elevated Sunna of Allah’s Messenger...» In this book Sheikh Osman Nuri Topbaş effendi has detailed with small sentences 101 essentials points of sincere and effective services in the path of worshipping Allah.

A result of a some diligent work, rather than presenting the life of Prophet Muhammad blessings and peace be upon him, the book instead brings to the fore his exemplary character; and searching for an answer to the question of how a perfect Muslim ought to be, seeks to present the characteristics of an ideal Muslim. In the words of the Quran, he is the uswat ul-hasanah, the quintessential example. His sublime morals reflect onto the beauty of his spirit and appearance. His deeds of worship, manners, propriety, courage and compassion all mirror his characteristic of being the quintessential example; so too his social relations and his conduct towards orphans, the elderly, women and the underprivileged. Offering the magnificent character of Prophet Muhammad blessings and peace be upon him- in a bouquet, the exceptional work by Osman Nuri Topbaş is set to tie afresh our bond to the Prophet blessings and peace be upon him.

He Ney (flute) that is mentioned is Rûmî s stories in fact represents the perfect man (Insan-i Kâmil). The stages a reed goes through from the reed bed to becoming a ney portrays the maturation of a human being, a representation of the steps of purifying the nafs (lower self) and refining the heart. In the same way that the ney is severed from the reed bed and this separation causes it to lament in pain, the perfect man, who has come from the realm of souls and enters a body made out of clay, known as the cage made of flesh, yearns for the original realm. Through this yearning a human being goes through ascetic discipline (riyâda), meditation (murâqaba), reflection (tafakkur), Divine love and tribulations until he reaches maturity and finds perfection.

The most important things that give one s life a meaning are taqwâ (piety) and sincerity. Taqwâ is to curb one s fleshly desires and to strengthen the spiritual potential through prayers to God and doing good deeds for humanity. Hence taqwâ is required in every field of life, in our belief, worship, in our dealings with others, even in our every breath.

Islam: Spirit and Form, which throws light on the basic principles of Islam from the spiritual perspective, is a reference book in all regards. The book talks about the three important steps that take a human being to the presence of the Divine. Islam, the first of these steps, is to surrender. The second is submission, the state of mind that finds its true meaning once crowned with faith or iman.

The greatest fruit of the blessing of faith is to look at creation with the eyes of the Creator and to approach all creatures with love. This elevates the life of a human being to higher levels and causes him or her to enter a world of forgiveness, mercy and love. One can then spread love and mercy to all creation. Mercy is a fire that is never extinguished in the heart of a Muslim. In this world, it is the distinguishing essence of being human which leads us through the heart to union with our Lord…. A believer is always on the first line of every struggle which bestows peace to the hearts of others.

Such a mercy he was that his compassion and beneficence surrounded all humanity, even all creation. Such a mercy he was that he was granted to all souls and minds as a fountain of life, love and wisdom, knowledge, and learning adorned with endless blessing. Such a mercy he was that the Quran, a guide to the true path, was endowed through him. Such a mercy he was that he became unique among messengers in that he was the dearest to Allah and was granted with the spiritual night journey to heavens. Such a mercy he was that without him, all worlds would turn to a desolate desert. Such a mercy he was that the origin of creation emerged with his glorious being. All previous messengers came to know his glorious and blessed being. Such a mercy he was that all beauties bear reflections from him. No flower blossoms without having a piece from his light. None would exist without him.

Islam is a divine cast that shapes a person’s faith and practice but it also moulds his morals and social interactions.
A Muslim who therefor allows Islam to enter in his heart and soul and so in his life has values principles and direction. The thought of embracing the cold and callous commercial ways of capitalism does not even cross his mind. Capitalism urges him to recognize no other standard than his own self-interests.
What marks Islam out is the line it draws between Halal (legitimate) and Haram (prohibited).
This book based on a conversation between Altınoluk revue and the Cheikh Osman Nuri Topbaş, aims to warn against the most common mistakes made in today’s commercial life and advise a right way out.

Our every breath consists of an exhalation and an inhalation, each succeeding the other without pause. This process occurs naturally and most often without any consciousness on our part. Every breath is essential to our continuation; with each one our life is prolonged. Yet one day this will stop; at that time, at the moment of our final breath, what will be the state of our hearts? In this elegantly written book, Ustadh Osman Nuri Topbas provides us with an important reminder of the necessity of preparing for death. Every living creature will die, even the most dogmatic sceptic will concede this. Yet not every creature will have spent its life in preparation for the final moment, for the last breath.

Altruism is the greatest sign of real love. Depending on level of his love, the lover regards the sacrifice for the sake of his beloved as pleasure and inevitable duty. For this reason, it is required for a believing heart to encompass and mercifully embrace all of the creation out of respect for the Creator. A serious campaign of infāq and service is needed in the contemporary world in which brotherhood sentiments have weakened, peace and tranquility in the society have been lost, and hate and enmity have intensified. In addition to these ills of contemporary society, the ever present social and economic crises and the submission of individuals to the material world hinder financial sacrifices, one of the most neglected aspects of our faith. In this regard, the first subjects to address are our duties through zakāt, infāq, and social institutions of mercy such as waqfs or endowments.