An-Nisa 172: Neither the Messiah nor the angels who are close to Allah disdain from being Allah’s servants. Soon they will be gathered in the presence of Allah those who stay away in arrogance, from being a good Allah’s servant.

Surah An-Nisa, verse 172. Neither the Messiah nor the angels near to Allah hold back from being servants of Allah. All those who hold back from serving Him and are arrogant, Allah will soon gather into His presence, it says. Those who are arrogant towards Allah Almighty. What was the aim of worship anyway? What is meant by worship: for a person to know the helplessness of his nafs and, towards our Lord who created him, who created the worlds, the One and only, to fulfil the duty of servanthood. That is the duty of worship. One who worships yet cannot reform his nafs — such a person is among those to whom this hadith of the Prophet applies.

If the worship you perform does not take you away from evil, it is a burden for you, he says. A burden. You get no zeal from it, from that worship, nor do you find peace, nor can you reform your nafs. If you (?), if you go with your nafs, then this nafs — for a person's own personal interests or the passion to be on top, or the pride and ego, grandeur, fame and renown in a person — this nafs adorned with such qualities, when it does not give way, those acts of worship bring people no benefit. Now, what does Allah Almighty say? Neither the Messiah nor the angels near to Allah. For the prophets always worship Allah.

They always call to Allah. And the angels, because they are without gender, because they have no nafs either, worship Allah Almighty according to the purpose of their creation. So, neither the Messiah nor the angels near to Allah hold back from being servants of Allah. They continue serving Him. That is, according to the purpose for which they were created, they remember Allah Almighty. The prophets too, since they gave Allah a covenant in that way — in what way? Since they gave a covenant to convey Allah's command to Allah's servants, since they were given characters that way, they too, from serving Allah, do not hold back.

But as for those who are proud and arrogant towards Allah, Allah Almighty, it says, will soon gather them into His presence. Well, won't the Muslims, those who worship Allah, go into His presence too? They will go too. Here it says He will gather them into His presence. For them there is punishment. They will undergo their punishment, it says. They will see. Let's read it once more, look. What does it say? Neither the Messiah nor the angels near to Allah hold back from being servants of Allah. Fine, they serve Him. This is where it starts. All those who hold back from serving Him and are arrogant, Allah will soon gather into His presence. Is it you who does this? Won't you come into My presence? He says.

Then I will settle your account, He says. Once My mercy is lifted from you, you will be left forsaken and alone there, He says. Allah forbid. Yes.

Neither the Messiah, that is, Jesus, nor the angels who are near to Allah. The angels of the muqarrabin. Yes. As Allah's servants they hold back. As Allah's servants, neither the Messiah nor the angels. In worship, as Allah's servants they hold back. That is, they do not hold back. Yes. Let's complete the sentence. That is, Jesus nor the angels who are near to Allah hold back as Allah's servants. That is, they fall behind in obedience and worship to Him. All created beings are Allah's servants. All created beings. Everything, living or lifeless, has been created.

All beings, the created, are Allah's servants. Yes.

By worshipping Allah, the prophets, that there is no god but Allah and that they themselves are servants of Allah created by Allah, to people explain and prove. What do they say? We too are human beings like you, created by Allah. Yes. As ones charged by our Lord, to make Allah's commands known to you, we have been charged by our Lord, they say. To them they make known the command of our Lord who created us. But, lo and behold, the human nafs says: who are you? Of all people, did prophethood have to fall to you? Wouldn't it have been better if it were someone from one of these two cities? they say.

That is, it means Mecca and Medina. The rich men of Mecca and Medina. Shouldn't it have been given to two men from these two cities? it says. Shouldn't it have been given to one of the two men? it says. To whom was it given? To Abu Talib's orphan. It was given to him. Look at the pride, look at the arrogance. Look at the nafs and its desires. These are the ones who look down on the prophets like this. Those who defy Allah's commands. Those who sidestep the truth though they are told the truth, to whom it is not pleasing to their nafs, those whose interests it goes against, do not want to hear the word of truth.

Yes.

Those who hold back from serving Allah and are arrogant — although their reason shows them what is right, although they know that Islam is the true religion, deifying their nafs and following it, growing arrogant out of pride and arrogance, for worldly interests holding dialogue with the enemies of Allah, finding strength with them, and, thinking they are worshipping, associating partners with Allah to satisfy their nafs — such people Allah will soon gather into His presence.

Is there any servanthood at all in what I have described? And most people are in this state. Look, let's read it once more. Let's go through them one by one.

Those who hold back from serving Allah and are arrogant. That is, those who satisfy the desires of their nafs over other people. Those who look down on those who worship. Those who equip themselves with the things Allah created, boast of those things and forget Allah. Yes. Although their reason shows them what is right, although they know that the religion of Islam is the true religion, although. Because he knows. How does this man deny knowingly? If they had not known the truth, had they not been in a position to grasp what is right, had they not possessed such reason, Allah Almighty would have been ascribed deficient attributes.

Allah has given every person such reason that, right and wrong, he is in a position to tell apart; He has given such reason. Well, Hodja, what about those who have no reason? Those without reason belong to Allah's mercy. No questions are asked of them. They have no reason; they cannot do it, they cannot know. They are in Allah's mercy. Yes, but we must know that normal people, every person, has reason capable of knowing right from wrong. So, if Allah Almighty is free of deficient attributes, then with the reason He has given, a person is able to tell right from wrong. Yes.

Deifying his nafs and following it: he knows what is right, but it does not suit his interests. He cannot break his pride and arrogance and turn to Allah. He deifies his own nafs, and whatever that nafs tells him, he makes it the crown on his head. With Satan's insinuation he thinks himself right, and what his reason shows him to be right, he judges by his own nafs, thinks himself right, and carries on his way. So, because reason and the nafs clash with religion, their hearts are restless and scattered. They cannot find peace.

Yes.

Growing arrogant out of pride and arrogance, holding dialogue with the enemies of Allah for worldly interests. What did we say? Those who, strengthened by the materials Allah created, lean their backs on them, who take the materials Allah created and forget Allah — and these are pitiful people. Why pitiful? That material too Allah created, and himself too Allah created; he forgot that He created those materials for him as occasions of reward and sin; with them, during a passing lifetime, whiling away his time, the reason of a person who forgets the Lord who created him — can it be called reason?

Yes.

So, those who hold dialogue with the enemies of Allah, who find strength with them, and, thinking they are worshipping, according to their own reason — you know, they worship idols, they associate partners with Allah, they go to churches, they say Allah is three, deifying their own ideologies, don't they act outside Allah's commands? Yes. These are people who satisfy their nafs thinking it is worship; such people, it says, Allah will soon gather into His presence.

Yes.

Those who hold back from serving Allah and are arrogant forget death too. They never want to mention death. It does not suit them. As if they will drive a stake in this world, as if they were everlasting. (?) Nothing in this world is everlasting.

It will all be 'küm fiyekün', it will scatter.

But, through the deception of Satan and the nafs, a nafs that does not want to be reminded of death, bowing to every kind of intrigue of the world — these people act on a path that Allah does not want. Yet death is very near to a person. Right inside his nose. Yes. Death is very near. But the nafs and Satan make life look very long to a person. Now, how is death near? If I give you an example from myself — things that actually happened. You too can give examples from yourselves. The elderly, of course. Those who have reached a normal age. When young — let's say at 15-18, at 20-22, at 24 — how long 60-70 seemed to us.

And 70, we can't even remember that anyway. 55-60, 65 were long ages. In our time everyone went at 50-55. Hardly anyone saw 60. When I was a child, 15 or 16 years old, if someone was 55, they would say, well, his time has come. Once someone was 60, they called him old already. 65, mashallah, he lived well, they would say. Well, now I am seventy-three. Seventy-three years old. I don't know how the time has passed. Truly, my (?) is very near. The past has gone by like a moment, but the future is like mountains. The future seems as if it were very long. This is exactly the point where a person is deceived.

Yes.

Death is very near. But the nafs and Satan make life look very long to a person, and a person, without bringing death to mind, is carried away by the rosy, passing pleasure of this transient world. This world looks rosy to a person. As if it will never end. Now let me tell you, (?), the feeling of this world, let me tell you. I speak from my own experience. but it differs from person to person, of course; I have a character — I always want to reach the end of a matter, and I go to the end, always to the end of the matter; that's the character, my character is like that, that's how it was placed. Once I start a job, its difficulty does not deter me; I will go to the end of the job, I will finish it.

If I suffer great harm from it, then I turn back; otherwise, however hard it may be, I'll bring it to an end. So now, while I'm still a traveller in this world, there is the realm of the grave, there is also the realm of the reckoning, then there are Paradise and Hell; so I no longer look at this world, I look at the end, the end; that is, as soon as possible I'd like to go to the hereafter, give that account, and know my place at last, I say; that is, the end — I have this kind of feeling; and while heading to that end, so as not to be ashamed when giving account in the presence of that end, I make every effort I can in this world.

yes so don't look at the worship you are doing right now; always the end, the end. Think of the end. Think of the account you will give in the divine presence, and accordingly arrange your conduct in this world, and seek to attain your Lord's mercy.

What did we say? Death is very near. But the nafs and Satan make life look very long to a person. And a person, without bringing death to mind, is carried away by the rosy, passing pleasure of this transient world. In an instant his life passes, and he doesn't even notice. Like me. It went in an instant. If you ask, Hodja, how did you spend it: in my own way, (?) I perform my prayers properly. I keep my fast. I do my worship. If Allah wills, I will have mastered my nafs too. If Allah wills. And if Allah wills, I will attain our Lord's mercy too. We will always live on hope anyway, won't we. If one person were for Paradise, you would say, is it me?

And if that one person were for Hell, you would say, could it be me? Yes.

Allah, who creates time within time, created the time of this world, compared to the time of the hereafter, as a very fast, passing time. Very fast and passing. Such as? A thousand years here are like one day of the hereafter. Isn't this time within time? if one day there is a thousand years here, hasn't it become time within time? Allah Almighty, who creates time within this time, within this time creates yet another time. What? There is a kind of fly. A kind of fly. Within one hour it is born, grows, reproduces and dies. How long that one hour seems to it, Allah knows best. It lives too. It grows, develops, reproduces and dies.

How long does that one hour seem to it?

Yes. That too is time within time.

What do we say? Allah, who creates time within time, created the time of this world, compared to the time of the hereafter, as a very fast, passing time. As we always say, with such verses too a reminder is always of benefit. One day of the hereafter is like a thousand years of this world. Allah, who created it like this, when He says We will soon gather you into Our presence, means it as a day of the hereafter and points to a person's life in this world lasting only a few hours.

For this reason, if a person, deceived by this world, forgets the hereafter or rebels against Allah, turns his back on Him, then on that day of reckoning every soul, in the presence of the Judge of judges, will be gathered. What does Allah Almighty say? Eleysallahu bi ahkemi'l-hakimîn: as the Judge of judges, when He says that on that day the judgment is Mine alone, at that supreme court, all of our actual deeds, however many good deeds, small and great, we have done, all of them will be brought before us. Yes.

on that day of reckoning every soul, in the presence of the Judge of judges, gathered, all souls will give account of what they did, so that: O man, just as for your living in this world, for the property you will one day attain and the dominion, or your way of life, you work patiently, striving step by step towards the wealth you dream of, so, for your hereafter, with even greater effort, for the happiness of your eternal life, work and strive. This place is passing anyway. What you worked for will be left as inheritance. (?) you will also be asked to account for that inheritance.

But if you work for the hereafter as you work for this world, Allah Almighty will give you the return for what you worked for in this world in the hereafter, and will not ask you why you worked like this, and will honour you; what will He say? In this world, amid that hardship, when the world looked rosy to you, though the nafs and Satan tempted you, you did not give way to them and you remembered Me; today, He says, as I promised, the abode of bliss is yours, He says. How beautiful.

He asks nothing of you. Say 'Allah', He says. He wants you to carry out His command. Yes.

May Allah reform all of us. Our nafs.

Allah shows the way; if only we would reform ourselves.

And if a person guides his nafs, reforms it, and attains Allah's mercy, he will have earned the greatest reward. And among His servants who have found guidance and benefit from Allah's light he will have entered. And Allah Almighty joins them to His righteous servants. Yes.