Ali 'Imran 68: Among mankind, the ones who are closest to Abraham are the ones who followed him during his time, this Prophet (Muhammad, peace be upon Him) and the ones who believe him. Allah is the true Friend of the mu’min.

We are already starting on the question from before.

The closest of people to Abraham are those who followed him in his time. In his time, it says, those who followed him. And this Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and those who believe in him. The closest ones. What does it say? Those who followed him, and this Prophet. The one pointed to as this Prophet is Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those who believe in him. Allah is the friend of the believers.

Look, pay attention. It does not say He is the friend of Islam. It does not say He is the friend of Islam. He is the friend of the believers.

Holy Qurans (?). (?) next to me. Surah Al Imran, the sixty-eighth, sixty- eighth verse: Vallâhü veliyyü'l-mü'minîn, veliyyül, its wali. He is the wali of the believers, it says. Here, as in He is the friend: the wali. The wali of the believers. So why the wali of the believer, and not the wali of Islam? We said: the believer, having passed through the nafs-i emmare, the nafs-i levvame, the nafs-i mülhime, has risen to the nafs-i mutmainne and become aware of the divine manifestations. People for whom there is no turning back from this. People with no turning back. That is, they do not fall again.

They do not go into disbelief. They do not step outside Allah's command. Those whose hearts leap when doing evil. That is why they do not approach evil. When I say doing evil, I mean those who want to attempt it. And cannot do it. Because, you see, there is the nafs in man. In this situation, these are those who fear Allah and fully carry out His commands. The believers. Islam, though, is those who turn now this way, now that way. Those who, if their disbelief is great, enter Hell. Those who in Hell, sir, serve their punishment as long as it lasts and, when the light of faith reaches perfection, enter Paradise again.

Well, if He were his friend, if Allah were his wali, He would not put him in that prison. How beautiful Allah's word is. The wali of the believers. Yes, I mean the meanings are very beautiful.

The closest to Abraham (peace be upon him) are those who followed Abraham in his time.

Who followed Abraham? Lot (peace be upon him).

his relative. They set out and left together.

Lot became a prophet to a people.

To a (?) people.

And finally Allah Almighty destroyed his people. And He brought Lot out from among his people. So who are the closest? Those who follow Abraham (peace be upon him) and his religion. That is, those who know Allah as the only one, as One.

Who make no distinction between Allah's prophets, who believe in the books sent down from Allah. Otherwise, people boasting of someone, or claiming him in order to profit from his fame, does that person no good. One person's closeness to another is for Allah. It is the closeness of those who do what Allah says and walk the way He shows. These, even if they are far from that person, even if centuries have passed over them — those who follow the same trace, who with the same faith in that one Allah believe, are like people who, at the same time and the same hour, talk with one another. Even if centuries have passed over them.

Like what? His Holiness Abdulqadir Gilani, Ahmad ar-Rifa'i, Ahmad al-Badawi, Ibrahim ad-Dasuqi, Hacı Bayram Veli, Mevlana. It is like our talking at the same time, at the same hours.

Because they are alive. Do not call them dead, it says. They are present in gatherings. On the same way, on the same verses, the same people these persons guide. And because these are always on the same way — which way? the straight path, sırat-ı müstakim — because they are on an upright way, to those staying on that way, to those on that way, those who show the way, who point, are as if talking at the same time, at the same hour. That is, the words are the same. Pay attention. My words, other people's — whether Abdulqadir Gilani, or Ahmad ar-Rifa'i, or Mevlana — the words are the same. It is like a beam of light coming out within the same beam of light.

You cannot find a difference. Yes, so those within this faith are the ones close to Abraham. And also to this Prophet and those who believe in him — who is this Prophet? Because the verse is the last one Allah Almighty sent. Moses, Jesus, David and so on — you cannot say this on that day. Because He gathered the four books, the three books into the fourth book, and as the Seal of the Prophets because He gathered these verses He sent in the Quran, it now points to this Prophet. Who is this? The Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Yes. And with the Holy Quran He gave him, gathering all religions from the Quran into the Quran — inne'd-dîne inda'llâhi'l-İslâm, the religion with Me is Islam. Whoever seeks a religion other than this, that religion will never benefit him — with these verses of His, Allah Almighty, who calls people to guidance with the religion of Islam, through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), by honoring believing people with Islam, has made these people, by their being the nation of Abraham, close to Abraham.

Whose nation are you of? I am of the nation of Abraham. Whose community are you? We are the community of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we will say. When we (?) the questioning, what are we to say? Whose nation are you of? Of Abraham. Why? Not of Adam, but of Abraham. Yes. Abraham (peace be upon him) gained the intimate friendship and closeness of Allah Almighty. Even as a child he did not believe in idols. So did Adam believe? Adam was created directly, and by Allah, by his Lord, he was honored with his Lord, and indeed he erred in Paradise. He came to the world. There is an error.

But in Abraham there is no error at all. Yes. In this situation, because Abraham never erred, Allah Almighty accepts us from the nation of Abraham. Into Islam. The community of Muhammad — with the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him), He ended prophethood, and for the continuation of His religion until the Day of Judgment, with the Holy Quran He held a light before people. And the glory of the Prophet — uniting the three books with the fourth, since the Holy Quran will hold sway until the Day of Judgment, to keep his religion above the other religions, above all who came, He sent him last as the Seal of the Prophets.

From this too we feel honored to be the community of Muhammad. We feel honored. I say it again. We feel honored to be the community of Muhammad. The reason: even Jesus says, I see a community.

In disbelief and rebellion, when it repents it attains great rewards. O Allah, whose community is this? The community of Muhammad, He says. Whatever he says — when it says the community of Muhammad: O Allah, make me too part of his community, he says. The prayer of the prophet. So in this respect events appear. Events, and in that first heaven still (?). Yes. In this situation, in this situation,

Let me tell you an event that happened to me too. With my late dear mother we went to the Hijaz. There, with a heartfelt word, I said: Allah, create a cause so that I may stay here.

We made our last Hajj by car; on the way back, a truck hits a man. The man comes at my car from the side. I'm just setting off. I had picked up a Turkish pilgrim. He hits (?). He falls to the ground. The man runs away. Turns out there (?) one is supposed to flee. I didn't know. So I didn't flee. Out of humanity we'll help. It fell on me. I stayed in prison there for three months. Three months. (?). Though I hadn't done it, it was pinned on me. You wished it so, and I left you here without guilt, they say, (?) (?). And Allah Almighty brings about such beautiful coincidences — He creates events that are no coincidence.

This pilgrim who died turns out to be my fellow townsman, from Samsun, from the district of Çarşamba. He says to his children: I am going on Hajj, something will happen to me there. If I die there, if something happens to me, do not press charges against anyone — so he willed to his children. Look at the event: whom He brings you together with, how He accepts the prayer, and how He leaves you there. And how He shows you there many of your Lord's wisdoms. Yes, these are events. Man does not understand what befalls him.

Allah is the friend of the believers, their wali. He created people so that He would be known, He made them His addressees. Allah Almighty has, among people, servants who are, to Allah, the Glorious and Most Holy, so so devoted and obedient, that they do not leave the way Allah has shown. They do not follow Satan and their nafs. Apart from human nature, they do not knowingly commit sins. They love Allah more than their lives and all created beings, and they fear Allah more than anyone. They do not fall behind in their worship. They invite people to guidance. So it is the believers who have these qualities.

These are the friends of Allah. In a verse: Who is sweeter of speech than one who tells of Allah? He says. Those who, with their scholars, have attained the quality of believer — by telling people of Allah, by giving sermons and advice — Allah Almighty, the believers, those included in this group, with this verse of His holds up as an example. What does it say? We are the friends of the believers, their wali. If they set out somewhere heading for a fight, if they had moved, the end at the place they went He turns into good, it says. Without that fight, without that quarrel, the talks there are turned into good.

Yes, there are many words to be said here. Because they will not speak from their nafs, when they go to that man to tell him something, the person stops the whims of his nafs, his Lord's light moves within him at that moment, and, ruled by his Lord's verses, turning his words around, he says words that will win his heart and guide him, and the end is turned into good.

This is a quality given to Allah's wali servants. We are describing these here. Yes.