The Religion

Bismi’llah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

In this time, if you want to walk in the way, the way of the Prophet, you must be a real believer (Muslim).  What I mean by this word is one who gives everything to be a slave for his God.  This is the doorway to the stations.  In the religion of Islam, anyone who wants to be a Muslim must first say, “Ash-hadu an La ilaha illa’llah was ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasullullah.  There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God.”

This means, I believe there is no god, only one God.  He is Allah. And I also believe that the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, was sent by God and he, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, carries all the religions from Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and from all the prophets.  There are twenty-five main prophets.

Muhammad carries the message.  If anyone wants to be a Muslim, then he must believe in all the prophets.  All of the prophets believe and say, “There is no god but He, and He is Allah.”  Muhammad also carries the religion, and this religion says to the people that they must walk in the way to know the truth.  If you search for the truth and you find this knowledge, God says that you must speak about this message to anyone who wants to know,  Every prophet has a special group of people that followed him, but the message of Muhammad is for all the people, in all the world.  God sent Muhammad to all the people of the world.

al-Islam

1. Ash-shahada (the testimony of faith):  When anyone wants to be a Muslim, he must say, “I believe that one God exists and there is no other.  He has no son, nor wife, nor father because He is not born.  There is only He in this world.”  You must believe that Muhammad was the sincere servant and apostle sent by God, and he carries the message from all the prophets before him.  This is the first order of al al-Islam.

2. As-salat (the ritual prayer): Each time you pray, you are speaking with your God.  When you pray, you pray from yourself to yourself.  Allah does not need your praying, but He loves to hear your voice.  Each prayer cleans your heart so that you may be closer to Him.  This is necessary for the student to know how to walk in the way.  So God sends the order for the student to pray five times a day.   This is special for the student who believes in the message of all the prophets and wants to know God.  This prayer is called the salat and has deep inside meaning.

3. Az-zakat (charity): The third order sent by God is az-zakat.  This is the giving of charity to help the poor and the needy.  Two and a half percent of one’s yearly income should be given to help the poor, the orphanages or hospitals, or the family of one who is in prison.  Give to anyone who is in need or is sick because their asking is only of God.   First give to a brother or sister who is in need within the family.  When you give to a brother or sister, you are giving to yourself.  (For more information about zakat go to Ramadan page)

4. As-sawm (fasting): The fourth order sent by God is as-sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan.  From the adhan (call to prayer) at al-fajr (the dawn prayer) until sunset, you cannot eat or drink.   The body is like a machine and it needs this time to rest.  This is the month of God, and for the family of God there is special praying.  Do not lose a minute during this time because each day is like a month in walking to know God.  This is the month of the soul.  Remember the name of God throughout the day and read from the Holy Qur’an and pray at night. The holiest time to pray is during the night until sunrise.  This month, the body needs to rest and you cannot make love with your wife or husband during the day.  This is the month of the poor.  It is a special month to help those who are hungry and do not have enough for their families.  When you feel hungry, you feel what the poor feel and you are moved to give help to any of your brothers and sisters who are needy.

5. Al-hajj (pilgrimage): The last order sent by God, and the highest order, is the hajj.  If your body is physically fit and you have the means, it is necessary to go during the time of pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina to visit the Ka’ba and the tomb of Muhammad and all the other holy places. There you wear simple clothes made of white cloth.  At this time you return to your origin, like a child born with a white soul..  When you reach the Ka’ba you pray and remember the name all the time.  This is a special place, the place of the love.  It is necessary to know the true meaning of al-hajj before making this holy pilgrimage in order to feel the meaning of the high love when you stand on the holy mountain of ‘Arafat, where Abraham and Muhammad stood and spoke with God, and also to see the light that comes from the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.  He is the guide of the love and when you look with the eye of your heart you can see everything from this light.  When anyone from the family makes this holy journey, he knows the true meaning and sees the light coming from everywhere, and this light has no beginning and no end.  This is from the meaning of al-hajj.

(please read the book, “The Deeper Meaning Behind the Pillars of Islam” to get a much deeper understand and transmission of the importance of these practices.)

al-Iman

God has given these five orders to anyone who wants to follow the way of Islam.  This is the first station (al-islam) in the way for the self in the outside religion.  When you understand the inside meaning of every order, then you come to the second station in the way, al-iman (belief).

In this station our belief deepens.  You believe in all the prophets and in the message that every prophet carried until Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.  God gave the Prophet Muhammad another message, the message of the inside and of the outside.  This is a deep message and few can understand the inside meaning of God.

God says, I sent the Prophet Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, to give My message to everyone to believe that there is no god but Me.  But know that I am inside everything.  It is not enough to know Me on the outside, you must know Me on the inside.  You can see My reflection in everyone, and hear My voice in every sound.  Everything is from Me and I have given you My qualities, so that you may know Me.  I have sent you holy books to hear My words and to know Me. All the holy books are in the last book, the Holy Qur’an.  All the messages from all the prophets, from Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets are in the Holy Qur’an. I have given you everything to know Me.  Why do you wait?  Leave everything and come to Me.  My message is the message of love.  Know Me in every face and do not make a difference between anyone because I am in every face.  I have sent all the prophets to give you My message.   Know that there is no difference between any of the prophets; they are all My reflection and carry My message of love. Believe in everyone I have sent you because they are all My picture.  All these messages are in the last message sent to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibra’il).  The work of all the angels is to pray for you and to help you to know Me.  Know that the angels are your servants and are also reflections of Me.  I want everyone to wake up, to wake from their sleep and to come to live in My garden.  When you do this you will come to live in the station of al-iman and to know My heart.

“If you believe in Me today, you will be in the garden, the garden of love and peace and happiness.  Do not refuse any order I have sent to you because I know the meaning behind everything. Trust Me and believe in Me and I will help you to change from station to station.  Give of yourself and you will see Me beside you.”

This is the second station, al-iman – the station of the heart.  Continue and do not stop, and He will take you to the third station, divine insight (al-ihsan).

al-Ihsan

When you give everything to God, leaving behind all the sciences, you hear only the voice of God and come to the realization that there is nothing in this world but God.  Everything falls away but Allah.  You begin to live in a high station, the station of the soul, al-ihsan.  You see God in everything and pray only to love God.  You stand facing God at each prayer, a humble slave at the will of his Master. You are like the wool flowing easily between the hands of your God, having no will of your own.   You do not love the love for love’s sake. You want only to see the face of your Master.  In this station you become silent with an understanding of what God is because you live with the soul of God.  As you continue, you walk to a fourth station, the illuminated knowing (al-itqan).

al-Itqan

In this station you are totally absorbed in God.  You live with the secret of the soul of God.  You move with the order of God and speak with the voice of God.  You listen and watch for everything as a message from your Master.   You remember the name throughout the day and in the night.  In every breath, you sigh, Allah.  Your heart and soul are cleaned of everything but God.  Again and again, you have given everything to God and your soul has returned to the soul of God.  You feel the secret love inside your heart and live in a different garden . This is the garden of the high courtesy.  You know who you are and why God made you.  You are more polite with everyone because you see God in everything.  You have lost your body and you live with the soul of God.  You speak with the language of the soul.  This is from the station of al-itqan.

These are the stations of the way.  They are given by God to help you walk through every station to reach a high station, to be with Him.  This is enough now, I can’t explain any more.