Hud 23: Verily, those who believe and who commit salih deeds and who submit to their Lord sincerely, they are the dwellers of paradise. They will remain there eternally.

Surah Hud, verse 23 is what we are reading. We are going a bit quickly here. Yes. Here, anyway, more or less, the meanings are on the mark. As for those who believe and do good deeds and humble themselves wholeheartedly before their Lord, they are the people of Paradise. They will abide there forever.

We said earlier that the human nafs has seven states. According to the state of the nafs one has acted with, there are seven Hells.

For people obedient to Allah Almighty too, according to the feelings of the nafs they acted with, there are seven Paradises. There are seven Paradises according to the seven states of the nafs.

The eighth Paradise is Maqam Mahmud. It is a Paradise given to the Prophet (peace be upon him). We — people, as far as our Lord has made known to us, people cannot even imagine it, He says. In that case, about a Paradise I cannot even imagine, I do not want to talk.

Earlier on, I was young. Of course, when a person does not have this much knowledge, he gets carried away by certain feelings. In Medina al-Munawwara, at the Rawda Mutahhara, it has been made anyway. Very beautiful. (?) 15–20 years ago, 30 years ago. Since that place is so beautiful, the world torn apart like carded cotton, Hell, the Hereafter realm too, the most beautiful, he says; putting on its garments, when he said (?) — that fellow I called small wants to look at you while in the world; now I will give you to him, like a rag, he says; He will roll it up and throw it into Hell, the world. Like an old rag, He will (?) throw it.

The Rawda Mutahhara pleases us greatly because of our faith; and since the blessed grave of the Prophet is there: ‘O my Lord, in the Hereafter too, may this place be put as it is into Maqam Mahmud.’ A beautiful place. If only it were not lost.

Now people, people unaware of the verses, do not know most of inspiration. People — most people do not know inspiration. Most people. I reflected like this, and Allah Almighty said to my heart: this place you have seen in this world, which you see as this exquisite place, cannot even be a shadow like the (?) of the Hereafter, He said, a shadow. ‘We would not even deem it, all this beauty of it, worthy of that place,’ He said. Worthy. Then the value of Maqam Mahmud rose once more. Since we cannot even imagine it, since with that beauty it does not suit that place, since this beautiful- looking station of the world, or the Rawda Mutahhara, does not suit this Maqam Mahmud, since we cannot even imagine what kind of creation is really there, it cannot even be a shadow there, He said, a shadow.

Lifting it up into Hell. Because the existence of the world will remain in the world, and that too into Hell. Yes. So as for those who believe and do good deeds and humble themselves wholeheartedly before their Lord, they are the people of Paradise. They will abide there forever. There are also seven Paradises. According to people's states, in proportion to their own faith, the worship they performed toward Allah Almighty, and the reform of their nafs, they rise in degree — for by (?) of the nafs a person rises in degree. For example, there is the nafs ammara. What is the nafs ammara? He has uttered the testimony of faith.

No prayer, no fasting, no zakat, no hajj.

There are people adorned with all kinds of drink, gambling, adultery, vice, (?) traits. He does not compromise on Islam either. He does not leave Islam. In his talk: ‘Brother, I help this one, I help that one, you look at my heart, my heart,’ he says. His heart. With his talk he himself prepares his own place in Paradise. He himself. These are sinful people.

In proportion to their sins, Allah Almighty, with His attribute of justice, will put these too into Hell. But it does not mean every Muslim who enters Hell will necessarily burn. There too, there are (?) according to certain degrees. For example, just as in the world there is room confinement, isn't there? I mean, there are nice prisons, there are places of deprivation, like that. After a period of deprivation, they will serve their sentences and come out. The state after that is the nafs lawwama. For example, Allah Almighty will give him a Paradise. To the one who serves his sentence and comes out.

There is the nafs lawwama. With the nafs lawwama he is at his prayer, his supplication, his fasting, his zakat, his hajj, but he has not been able to reform his nafs. So the sins he committed with the attributes he earned are either equal, or a little more; to him too, in return for the nafs lawwama, a Paradise is given by Allah Almighty. There is the nafs mulhima. The gate of miracles. People who enter through this gate of miracles have struggled with the nafs. In return for certain traits of Allah Almighty, that is, the gifts He has given them, these attain the mercy of our Lord. For example, they become (?).

Most of them.

Because their nafs enjoys it here, they stay there.

To him too, of course, Allah Almighty will give a higher Paradise. They do not look at this; if he masters his nafs further, if he busies himself with the remembrance of our Lord, if he treats people with justice, he becomes aware of the divine manifestations, so that he has a nafs that has found peace. Such a person is called a believer. For this believer there is no turning back any more. To him too a higher Paradise is given. So what does this mean, a higher Paradise? Let's say in one Paradise He gives you 10 dönüm, 20 dönüm, let's say 50 dönüm of land. For Allah Almighty describes the Paradises like this.

‘Hasten to Paradises as wide as the space between heaven and earth,’ He says. This is what is to be given to one person. ‘Hasten to Paradises as wide as the space between heaven and earth,’ He says. In that case, to the person who continues, let's say He gives a large apartment building.

To the one at the third degree, next to that, next to the apartment building, He gives gardens. He gives beautiful lands.

To the believer at the fourth degree, let's say, next to that He gives a palace. Next to an apartment building He gives a palace. He gives vineyards and gardens.

Let's say a person who has risen to the nafs radiya, a person who has entered ilm al-yaqin, joins the ranks of the righteous. The righteous. To him He gives even finer mansions. Palaces, mansions, buildings. I mean, rivers flowing beneath them, streams, that is, ghilman, houris, very high degrees that the human mind can hardly imagine. If he rises further to the mardiyya, ayn al-yaqin, inside these buildings pools, I mean, buildings furnished separately as well. You know, with degrees each higher than the other, just as here with wealth: if someone has one building, by his standards he is rich.

Another has two buildings and a car. Another has a palace, a villa, and a yacht too. Exactly like this. Or else he has an income. Like these possessions, in the high Paradise too, Allah Almighty such people, people who reform their nafs, will admit into Paradises by degrees. Yes. Allah Almighty does not say to us: work and give to Me. He does not say: earn and give to Me too. What does He say here? ‘Allah’ — know Me. Fine, we say: Allah. We uttered the testimony of faith. Eşhedü en la ilahe illallah ve eşhedü enne Muhammeden abdühü ve resulühü. We said it. We said it, but it is not finished. Why is it not finished? Well, if there is fame, renown, pride, arrogance, ego, haughtiness in you, deep inside, will it fit with the humanity you practise?

What will we do? We will break our pride, we will break our arrogance, we will break our ego. Not craving for the world. So as to earn our living in the world and not need anyone, for our sustenance, so as not to be in need of the ignoble, we will work in the best way. In return for Allah Almighty creating us capable, we will build up our world. From that too we will receive a separate reward. And while building up the world, not sinking into the swamp of the world, according to the verse in which He says: ‘I have servants such that neither buying and selling nor trade keeps them from My remembrance’, we will remember our Lord.

In our buying, selling and trade we will observe people's rights. We will not deceive them. In all the work we do, between people and ourselves, taking Allah as witness in our conscience, in bargaining with people or selling our goods, in our dealings, as if our Lord were before us watching us, we will conduct our business. In that case, if a person acts this way, then he has reformed his nafs in the best way, (?), and to such a servant Allah Almighty says to His servant: ‘Labbayk’. Labbayk. You say it, I will give. ‘I become the seeing eye of such a servant of Mine, his holding hand, his walking tongue — I mean his speaking tongue, his walking foot,’ He says.

Of such a servant.

What does He become? His seeing eye, speaking tongue, holding hand, walking foot. That is, this person has now put his trust in his Lord. Apart from human nature, error hardly ever appears from him.

That is why such people on earth are like red sulphur. These are the heirs of the prophets, the scholars.

So as for those who believe and do good deeds and humble themselves wholeheartedly before their Lord — wholeheartedly — they are the people of Paradise. They will abide there forever, He says.

Yes. The people of faith, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, who follow the prophet Allah sent and from his sharia do not depart, who surrender wholeheartedly to Allah, these too are the people of Paradise. Such people are those who use their reason and, thinking of their end, act accordingly. These people enjoin good on people and forbid evil.

They extend helping hands to the poor, the destitute and the orphan. Continuing their worship, they give zakat wholeheartedly. They strive to spread Allah's justice on earth. In this state they win Allah's good pleasure and attain His eternal Paradise. Yes.