Ta-Ha 76: The Paradises of Eden, beneath which rivers flow. They will remain there eternally. And this is the reward for the ones who purify.

Surah Ta-Ha, verse 76: In which they will abide forever – the Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing beneath; this is the reward for those who purify themselves, it says. That is the reward for those who purify themselves.

Those who, believing in Allah and the hereafter, are adorned with taqwa; those who, carrying out Allah's commands, avoid their sins; those who are in repentance; those who ask Allah for pardon and forgiveness; those cleansed of their sins in this way – these will enter the paradises with rivers flowing beneath. Allah loves those who repent much. Yes. Why? Allah loves those who repent much. What is the reason? Allah Almighty was a hidden treasure. That is, a great Knower, subsisting by His own Being. A great Knower, the Creator. He willed that His Being be known. And through the being from His spirit, He made man His counterpart.

So He created man close to His Being. Because He gave a part of His spirit. Therefore, so that they would not be a being equal to Allah, He limited their minds. The attribute of Creator remained with Allah. People, on the other hand, were created in need of Allah. Rather, the worlds. The worlds too, with all within them, in need of Allah were created. And since people were created deficient in mind, with their deficient minds they may make mistakes thinking they did right. Following their nafs, well, they commit mistakes or do evil. So that, knowing their helplessness, they take refuge in their Lord – knowing there is no god at all but Allah, that they have no other door to go to but Allah – and turn to Allah in their helplessness, Allah Almighty made their minds short; and when they, with repentance and seeking forgiveness, say: to You I have turned, forgive me, Allah Almighty, in His sublimity and greatness, forgives His servants.

Yes. So what does it say? A person who knows his Lord as Creator and his nafs as helpless has known his Lord. That is, those who, believing in Allah and the hereafter, are adorned with taqwa; who, carrying out Allah's commands, avoid sins; those in repentance; those who ask Allah for pardon and forgiveness; those cleansed of their sins in this way – these will enter the paradises with rivers flowing beneath. Allah loves those who repent much. His Lord's – one who knows his Lord as Creator and his nafs as helpless has known his Lord. Allah Almighty, addressing David, says: O David, how do you know Me?

O Lord of the worlds, the self as helpless and Your Being as Creator – so I know You, he says. Now you have known Me, He says. Now you have known Me. Yes.

One who knows his Lord as Creator and his nafs as helpless, in helplessness, has known his Lord. And one who knows his Lord has been cleansed of sins. And those cleansed of their sins attain Allah's mercy and the paradises Allah promised with rivers flowing beneath. Allah does not go back on His promise. For who is as faithful to his promise as Allah? In His verse, how faithful He is to His promise and that everything He says is the truth, He declares to us. Through His verses. Allah is not stingy. Why is He not stingy? Because He is the Creator. He creates whatever He wills. Again, Allah is not stingy.

For He did not create His creatures to oppress them. Allah Almighty takes delight in their eating and drinking. He is pleased by their eating and drinking; He delights in it. That is why Allah gives. Look at the world. Underground riches. The riches in the seas, in the oceans. The riches on land. The riches of the birds flying in the air are laid at people's service. Yes, Allah is not stingy. He has no need of His creatures. So these created things are for people. And if He promises the created, the people, Allah's promise is true. When people obey Allah and, for the sins they committed with their human traits, take refuge in Allah and ask Allah Almighty for pardon and forgiveness, Allah Almighty treats such people with His mercy.

He forgives them their sins. For those who repent and ask Allah Almighty for pardon, Allah Almighty cleanses. And those cleansed attain Allah's reward. And Allah Almighty's reward is His paradises, the best and most lasting. And so the Prophet (peace be upon him) says:

Even if your sins had reached the clouds in the sky, when you make a fervent repentance from the heart, repentance – your sins We turn into good deeds, says the hadith. So we too say – we call out to people: O people! Take heed; before the Owner of the worlds know your helplessness. Bow your necks. To fulfil the duty of servanthood, first say the testimony of faith. Then give up pride, arrogance, glory, fame, egotism, worldly desire. These are not good things. With your helplessness, bow your necks before your Lord's existence.

Prepare yourselves while you are in this world. Just as when going somewhere you pack your suitcase and, for the place you're going, until you get there and back, or if you will settle there, you prepare your money, you fill your pocket, well, with good means; so as not to suffer want where you're going you make your preparation – the real preparation is for the hereafter; this person who will go to his original homeland does not prepare his provisions for the hereafter but in the world eats up his capital entirely – tomorrow in the divine presence with hands empty, purse empty, a blackened brow, palms empty, well, if he comes before our Lord, will he there have any word left to say?

Yes. Take good heed. Take good heed. This world is transient. Do not be deceived. Don't reach out for an oleander flower blooming in a swamp and sink yourselves there.

See it and pass by. Make nothing in the world a craving of the nafs.

Have desires. Desire. But let this desire not be, like passionate love, a love shown for that material thing. Yes, people desire. Let me have this, let me have that. But if you trust in Allah, believe in His decree, take your precautions – take your precautions and leave the decree to our Lord, you will never be upset. What do you say? I wanted it, but it wasn't in my destiny. It wasn't in my lot. It wasn't decreed. You can't say it like that either. Perhaps in time Allah Almighty will give you these too. You cannot know. So

here patience also comes into play. (?) patience. And Allah Almighty says in many verses: to My servants recommend patience, He says. Patience. Yes. Never rebel. Do not rebel against Allah. Don't say: I asked, but my Lord didn't give. Allah is not stingy. In this way you would be accusing Allah of stinginess. For Allah is generous. Allah has no need of His creatures. For people's enjoyment, that is, for their living, Allah has brought and set down every kind of thing. So if He doesn't give it to you in this world, it is because it is outside your destiny, because it would push you either into kufr or onto other paths; that is why He does not give it to you.

But since Allah Almighty is not stingy, in the hereafter He puts it before you as a reward. And there you too will be amazed. I didn't ask for such a thing, O Allah, what is this? when you say this – didn't you ask Me for this and that while you were in the world? Yes. There, because it was outside your destiny and would lead you astray, We did not give it to you. Fine. And here He says: in return for your patience, this is your recompense, He says. Your reward. How beautiful. Now something like this comes to my mind. Something I lived through. I'll tell it.

At one time, in Mecca, we were involved in a traffic accident.

The accident was pinned on us. And after we had been in prison there for a certain time, about 3 months, we were released. And we came to our (?). At that time I was still on duty.

It became necessary for me to go on Hajj again. They wouldn't send me.

They said: they're not sending you. Why they're not sending you, we don't know. So we took our file under our arm. We went up to the general of the time, General Turan Güneş.

Of course I was young then. He was a general, of course. Come in, my son, he said. What do you want? I said: sir, I want to go on Hajj. But they won't send me. Why? Oh, he said. Are you Metin Saruhan? Yes. Well, my son, you were in prison there. Well, after serving that sentence, you got out and came back. Yes. You came back, but if we send you there again, what if they arrest you?

No, I said, sir. That can't happen. Why can't it? Here are my papers. He takes the papers and has a look. Oh, he says. Why do you have this? And I said: no. (?), sir, among his own papers. Leave this here, he said. Tear up its petitions at once. Fine, he said. Since this is how it is, he said, since it is like this, there is no obstacle to your going, he said. Well, the petitions were torn up again. New petitions were written. The commander of the time, Tahsin Şahinkaya, signed. The Chief of General Staff of the time, well, signed. In this way we went on Hajj again. Now, why is this similar?

What is forgiven – that is, forgiveness is not known. The person doesn't know what it is. That is, take General Turan Güneş as, you know, suppose the person in the world has repented. He doesn't know, of course; his repentance wasn't accepted. That is, suppose: I asked, and – Astaghfirullah. So, I repented, but it wasn't accepted. And with Turan Güneş – no offence in the comparison. Far from it. Take the commander. Well, what am I doing? I asked, but they didn't send this to me, didn't give it. That is, like when one says: we ask Allah but Allah didn't give us.

Exactly like that. So when I went to him, when I took the papers too, ah, so that's how it is? Yes. You can go. So we in the world – our papers go before Allah Almighty's presence. What will be of use to us in this world, or not; if I go there, whether they will arrest me or not – He knows this. So if they would arrest me, He does not send me. And I say: look, I asked, and He didn't send me. If they won't arrest me, He fulfils my wish, my desire. That falls within my destiny. So when I say He didn't send me – Allah's good intention toward me, the agony I would suffer in the world, Allah Almighty not giving it to me – if I rebel against Allah over this, well, perhaps it would grieve Allah. Tomorrow on the Day of Judgement: come here – had you got what you wanted, such and such things would have befallen you. I didn't give it to you, and you rebelled – if He says that, what would I say to Him?

What could I say to Him? For the truth is seen there. But: look, I didn't give you this, and you were patient. Well, had I given you this, such and such would have befallen you. So because you were patient, this is your reward today, He says to me. Yes. The same things happen to me in this world. The same events occur, that is. It goes round like this. So repent. Desire. When what you desire doesn't come your way, be patient. If it is not given to you in this world, surely my Lord knows something, has a decree. Surely, if it were good for me, Allah would surely have given it to me – saying so, and in every case with our Lord being content, in return for our submitting to Him we will attain our Lord's mercy.

Do not forget this. Yes.