Yunus 64: There are glad tidings for them in the worldly life and in the hereafter. There is no change in Allah’s words. This is the great salvation itself.

We left off at Surah Yunus, verse 64.

"For them are glad tidings in the life of this world and in the hereafter too," says Allah Almighty. In the life of this world and in the hereafter too, there are glad tidings for them. Who are these?

Who are those who receive these glad tidings? Those honored with the religion of Islam, who have risen to the nafs al-mutmainna, who have come to know the manifestations of Allah Almighty, and perhaps from there have gone further, to the nafs al-radiya, through the door of ilm al-yaqin having entered: scholars, righteous servants, believing servants — for them are glad tidings in this world's life and in the hereafter, glad tidings are for them, says Allah Almighty. Now, gentlemen, our children who listen to me, and our ladies too, I want all of you to use your reason. Use your reason.

What we learned earlier with feelings of the nafs — since the words I will tell you go against the superstitions people have learned, since it runs against their own knowledge, people may get into some dead ends. But if they use their reason, then according to the verse they will very nicely find their way out of it. Because Allah Almighty has given man the blessing of reason.

Yes. Now what does Allah Almighty say here? In the life of this world and in the hereafter too, there are glad tidings for them. Who did we say they are? Believers, people who have come to know the manifestations, and also, to the nafs al-radiya, through the door of ilm al-yaqin, the scholars who have entered. Scholars. What is Allah Almighty's glad tiding to them in the life of this world? There are glad tidings in the life of this world, He says. Glad tidings. Then let us hear it from one who received those glad tidings. From one who received them. What are these glad tidings? One: coming to know the manifestations.

For them there is no turning back again. "O soul at rest, pleased with your Lord and your Lord pleased with you, enter among My servants, enter My Paradise" — the people to whom He says this. Two: for those who have entered past the nafs al-radiya and reached the state of ilm al-yaqin, Allah Almighty showing these people some realms in the hereafter, the realms beyond death, showing them the verses as much as the person can bear, and raising that person — this too is a separate glad tiding. Third: when he goes further, for people who reach the state of those of whom He says "the scholars and the angels bear witness to the existence of Allah" — is this not a glad tiding?

If this is not a glad tiding, what is it? Why do they deny those who have come to know these things? The verse is explicit. There is a verse.

Ah, a person who claims this for himself — if, by the verses, he is not worthy of the words he speaks, he gives himself away anyway. He gives himself away anyway. Let me remind you of a saying of Mevlana Rumi. "Tell me a word," he says, "and I will tell you where you stand." How beautiful.

Fourth: when he goes further still, these people — "When We created these realms, We did not take Satan and his companions as helpers," He says. Yes. In this case, there are people who look upon these events.

These have glad tidings while still in this world. Fifth: the person who has seen the covenant of Alastu bi Rabbikum, knowing that he covenanted with Allah Almighty and knowing how he gave his pledge — is this not a great glad tiding? For instance, what did I say a moment ago? I said I would tell you this from one who has seen it. At the covenant of Alastu bi Rabbikum, when people made their covenant with Allah Almighty, we said: from us too, we saw the covenant. "Come," He says, "go in this age." And I say, let me come in this age. Come and go in this age like a common person. Come in this age so that your rank may be high.

In this age you will slip. Before I slip — if I slip, protect me with Your mercy. And take my life before I slip, I said. Is this not a glad tiding? Is it not the glad tiding of being given the glad tidings of Paradise? According to the verse "Who is truer to his word than Allah?" So is the man who says these things making them up from his own head? "For them are glad tidings in the life of this world and in the hereafter," He says. If the glad tiding in this world's life is not this, what is it? Is it the money He gives you? Is it the children and family He gives you?

Yes. One must understand the verses well. One must not brush them off with something like that.

"There is never any change in the words of Allah," He says. "(?)," says Allah Almighty. So there are glad tidings in this world, and glad tidings in the hereafter. The glad tiding in the hereafter is salvation. And the one in this world: through your knowing the covenant of that salvation, what He puts into your hand — a lineage. What lineage? The seal of the covenant.

Yes.

Hodja, come on, let's see a seal.

"Their eyes are blind to the truth, their ears are stopped up to the truth, and their hearts are sealed," He says. If their hearts are sealed against the truth, our hearts, in line with Allah's verse, as an obedient, sincere servant of Allah, are sealed. The verse that corresponds to that verse. If we went further, your minds could not grasp what I would say. So this much is enough. In the light of these verses. Yes.

"That is the great salvation itself," He says. How beautifully He puts it. (?) We explain all the verses.

Here we address people according to their minds, according to the general public. To you we have already told what is. But what did we tell the general public? Let's look at that too. What is the general one?

Roughly close to this, but of course not this clear. Believing people, because they act seeking the pleasure of Allah, are guided on the right path of Allah — such people. Here we speak in a language people can understand. Very well. They are also called awliya. One meaning of wali is "one who knows." The wali who knows is exactly this. Knows what? Knows the Truth. Knows the Truth by seeing it. There is knowing without seeing. And there is knowing by seeing. These are those who know by seeing. He becomes a believer, you see — he comes to know the manifestations.

And indeed, the meaning of wali is "one who knows." (?) Allah Almighty places His light in the hearts of such people. Such people see by this light.

That is also true.

"We place Our light in the hearts of those We love."

"That light," He says, (?). "Neither the shadow of the east nor of the west falls upon it," He says. In the verse Allahu nuru's-samawati, in its continuation, they see by the light of Allah.

Indeed, benefiting from that light, that light's manifesting to that light, appearing in the heart. Manifestation. Such people see by this light. If we open this up a bit more, we have said: as He says in Surah An-Nur, verse 35: We place Our light in the hearts of those We love. They see by His light. Neither the shadow of the east nor of the west falls on this. What does it mean — what does the shadow of the east or the west falling mean? The sunrise in the east — He makes this correspond to outward knowledge. The sun rises. Outward knowledge.

And in the west the sun sets. And this one to falsehood. The falsehoods that entered the religion. Those ruled by superstitions. "These people, in whose hearts We place Our light, We Ourselves," He says, "since We enlighten them, since We show them the realms beyond death" — the words of outward knowledge, he says, spoken according to its own reason, even if in the first sense they are right, he says, compared to the man of light, since they are very low, they are wrong. Neither the shadow of the outward nor the shadow of superstition falls upon it, He says. O my Allah. Yes.

These are Allah's verses. The people He raises. Doesn't the Prophet say? "Every day I would repent seventy times for my shortcoming." What is this shortcoming? He came as a mercy to the worlds. Every day he would receive seventy meanings of a verse. He would see the shortfall of a previous one compared to the next one. And compared to the next one he would see a shortfall, the shortfall of the previous one. So outward knowledge too, according to human reason, although within the noble ruling Allah has shown it is a bright path, compared to inner knowledge it has a shortfall. Because that inner knowledge is above the outward.

Yes, but some people, out of the whims of their nafs, saying "we've licked (?) for so many years, where does inner knowledge come from?", try to trip up the knowledge.

The knowledge they cannot deny, they deny in this way. Knowledge is of two kinds, he says. Knowledge is of two kinds. The first is outward knowledge, he says. And what is the second? Supposedly the science of hadith.

Well, why can't you say: Allah Himself, to the people He raises — what He gives; why can't you say that? What is the science of hadith?

The Prophet says in his hadiths: if a person (?) a hadith to me, and in the light of those verses it does not correspond to a verse, it is not from me. Well, if hadith is Allah's verses, if it is the counterpart of the verses, if hadith, the counterpart of the verses, also guides us, and if this person, with Allah's knowledge, as being on our Lord's side, has (?) it — why can't you accept this, and try to brush it off as "the science of hadith"? Does this fit in your mind? If you think with your own mind, can you not realize that you are making a mistake? Instead of saying "science of hadith," why not say "knowledge of the Quran"? If you cannot know the knowledge of the Quran, you cannot know hadith. So where does the science of hadith come from?

It comes from the Quran. Whom are you trying to fool? If the knowledge of the Quran you cannot know, you cannot know hadith. And the knowledge of the Quran Allah Himself raises in a person; this one is unlettered (ummi), like Uways al-Qarani; it is the door of the people who will come through that door until the Day of Judgment. Did you think that Allah Almighty would leave these realms unattended, did you think He would leave these realms without an owner? "In these realms I have licked (?), I have licked ink." Not "I have my (?)" — did you think He'd leave you unattended, to fill the brains of people ruled by superstitions in that way?

Allah will complete His light until the Day of Judgment. Since no prophet will come again, to spite you He will raise such inner scholars. And the superstitions that have been brought into His religion He will, through these people, have removed. Allah will also keep His religion going until the Day of Judgment. Or will He leave His religion subject to your whims? Those running after fame and (?), after (?), after worldly goods. The verse is explicit, the verses, yes. So people who are Muslims but not yet believers. Sleepwalkers unaware of themselves. Sleepwalkers. They know nothing at all of religion. Nothing of the verses.

Of the verses. He has said the word of testimony. But has his heart affirmed it? There is this too. If his heart had affirmed it, he would fear Allah and would not speak lies and falsehoods. Yes.

Believing people, because they act seeking Allah's pleasure, on Allah's right path are people who have been guided. They are also called awliya. And indeed, the meaning of wali is "one who knows." By "one who knows" is meant: Allah Almighty places His light in the hearts of such people. Such people see by this light.

There is a hadith: "Beware the insight of the believer; he sees Allah by light," it says. Yes.

We have learned this. If we open it a bit more, as He says in Surah An-Nur, verse 35: We place Our light in the hearts of those We love. To them — they see by that light. Neither the shadow of the east nor of the west falls on this. We will open this verse when its turn comes. Such people, by reforming the nafs, take what is other than Allah, that is, the evils, out of their hearts and throw them away.

In their place, with qualities that will be pleasing to Allah, they adorn their hearts. And Allah gives into their hearts, by inspiration, a knowledge to distinguish truth from falsehood. "Hodja, did you make him a prophet?" If you are so unable to grasp this verse, I mean this sentence, that you ask me like this, I'll call you a poor wretch. I'll call you a poor wretch. What are we saying? And Allah gives into their hearts, by inspiration, a knowledge to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Into the heart of the prophet, Allah sends revelation. He reveals. Revelation is when Allah Almighty, outside time and space, to the one within time and space, His prophet, into his heart, the verses of the Quran reveals. I'm giving an example. Allah Almighty has not sent that verse, but sends this one. What is it? Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin.

This verse, this revelation, is revealed. Inspiration — by inspiration, the meanings of Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin are explained to you by Allah Almighty. Pay attention to the verse. "To whom We give knowledge, We give wisdom." "Into the hearts of those We love, by inspiration, We teach what they did not know" — what they did not know, We teach it by inspiration. In this case, as I said a moment ago, he does not say, for example, what is Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin? This is a verse; it comes to the prophet. To you, inspiration will come from Allah: "Allah, besides whom there is no god, the absolute owner of these realms" — that is its meaning. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin.

So in another sense: Allah, the Lord of the worlds — to give life to every human, every creature He made, by giving them separate feelings each, He has undertaken to sustain each being He created until the end of its life, and is charged with their provision — you have such a Lord, He says. Your Lord. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin. Your Lord who gives you life. It opens up meaning by meaning like this. Meaning by meaning. Well, now what are we saying? When we say Allah gives into their hearts, by inspiration, a knowledge to distinguish truth and falsehood, is He giving them verses? He opens up the meanings of the verses.

Within their own mental capacity, when someone says "I've licked this much ink for you" and opens the verses of the Quran wrongly, these people, in whose hearts He has placed His light, how and how far wrong he speaks — as a money-changer tests gold for its carat — they know. By the speech that comes out of a person's mouth they know where he stands. Yes.

Moreover, by granting an opening of unveiling (kashf) — an opening of kashf — of the meanings in the verses of the Holy Quran, He shows them as much as He intends. What did we say? In the realm of the hereafter, beyond death, what will happen, He shows them. Like what? I entered Hell too, I saw it. I entered Paradise too, I saw it. How those people are left in the fire in Hell, how they come out and (?), in the verse it says, they come out like jet-black coal, their surface cracking like skin gone without water; how within some 5–6 seconds from beneath that cracked skin pure white human skin comes out again; how meanwhile he comes to and recovers, and that skin falls off like a snake changing its skin, and when he stands up (?), how this person is put into that fire again.

The verse says it; it shows the counterpart of the verse. Well, will you open this verse better because you know Arabic, or will I open it better? I know the way to my house, but I don't know its address. But I know the way. You have memorized some places in the address. Now, does the one who knows the address know the place better? Or does the one who grew up there know it better, even if he doesn't know the address?

Knowing Arabic, next to this, stays behind. It stops, I mean, it stops.

Yes.

What are we saying? Of the meanings in the verses of the Holy Quran, as much as He intends, He shows them. The writings on the counterparts of these verses are entirely writings that prove me. I mean, not taken from reason, from Ahmet or Mehmet. This is my listing of the verses lived as counterparts of the verses, having lived those realms. And whatever I say, I tell you a bit more plainly.

So for such people there are glad tidings. As I explained a moment ago, in the covenant-making. It is their attaining the mercy of their Lord. It is Allah Almighty informing them, as much as He intends, of the realm of the hereafter. And, by being believers, it is their never again living the low states of the nafs. They are people who, Allah pleased with them and they pleased with Allah, by Allah's mercy, Allah admits into His Paradise. And in the realm of the hereafter, on that Day of Reckoning, their accounts, compared to the others, will be seen earlier, and they will be settled in their places.

There is no change in Allah's word. That is impossible. "Who is truer to his word than Allah?" He says. Yes.

By the verse "Who is truer to his word than Allah?" — since Allah is free of deficient attributes, Allah's word is truth. Therefore those who attain this covenant of Allah, that is, those who receive the glad tidings, are those who reach the great salvation. And this is true salvation. Those who win the life of eternal bliss attain salvation. This salvation is one that brings no pain or grief, a lasting and eternal salvation, that is, freed from Hell; what Allah will give to people — let's not put it that way — apart from the people who earned it and deserve punishment, whom He will punish, the abode of eternal bliss He presents to these. Yes. Everything

that I say, note, we prove with verses. With verses. Whoever stands against what we say exposes his own shame, his ignorance. And if he does not show me a proof from a verse, I will beat him badly. I'll beat him with verses. With verses. If I am just talking, and he shows me a verse and shows me that I spoke wrongly by the indication of verses, I will go and kiss his hand. And I am a person stripped bare on the way of Allah. A person yearning for Allah, wanting to advance on Allah's way. And a person charged with inviting so many people to Allah. If you show me my shortcoming, I will kiss your hand.

But if, in your ignorance, you set out to tell people superstitions, I will beat you too with verses, with Allah's verses. The writings of Ahmet and Mehmet, with this one's and that one's ideas and ideologies — if you mortgage yourself, your own reason, to those persons' ideologies, and come and tell me those persons' superstitions, saying "in such-and-such a book it's written like this, in such-and-such a book it's written like this," I'll beat you over the head with this Book of Allah. With this Book of Allah. Yes.