Al-Anfal 34: While they turn them (the mu’min - believers) away from Masjid Al-Haram and while they are not the trustees of it, why would Allah not punish them? The trustees of it are no one other than those who abstain. But most of them do not know this.

can ask about what they don't understand.

Surah Al-Anfal, verse 34. They, though they are not the guardians of the Masjid al-Haram, turn the believers away from it, so why should Allah not punish them, it says. That is, when it says "its guardians": of that place though they are not the ones responsible, though they are not the ones responsible for it, they turn the believers away from there, so why should Allah not punish them? Its guardians are none but the God-fearing. But most of them do not know. Yes, their guardians. That is, the custodians of that House of Allah. Its true keepers, so to speak.

Those who believe in Allah and stand up for their Lord's house. The God-fearing. They are its guardians.

That gives cause. Yes. Osman, my son. What does it say? They, though not the guardians of the Masjid al-Haram, turn the believers away from there, so why should Allah not punish them? Its guardians are none but the God-fearing, but most of them do not know this.

In this verse Allah Almighty declares that those who wrongfully oppress, those who, though they have no right, lay claim to what is not theirs as if it were their right, and those hostile to Allah will be met with punishment. Now let's read the sentence once more. And let's open up what that sentence means. In this verse Allah Almighty declares that those who wrongfully oppress, those who, though they have no right, lay claim to what is not theirs as if it were their right, and those hostile to Allah will be met with punishment. That is, the polytheists of Mecca laid claim to the House of Allah, filled it with idols, set up idols as partners to Allah.

Yet the House of Allah is Allah's house; they have no right to claim that house. No right. But they made it look as if it were their right, and in the (?) treaty, when the Prophet came to Mecca the Honored, they did not let them in, and as if they were its owners they turned those believers away; in the face of this, how beautifully Allah Almighty sends down His verse.

We've probably opened it up below anyway: the polytheists, to the House of Allah in Mecca the Honored, laying claim though they had no right, said: we are the guardians of this place, that is, its owners. By not letting the Muslim believers into the House of Allah, they wanted to keep them from circling the House of Allah and from the worship they would perform. In this case it is made known that they will suffer the punishment of Allah. "Why," it says, would Allah not punish them? Those who have no right, and His house that stands on earth as a representation of His own house, out of rebellion against Allah, filling it with idols by associating partners with Allah, and preventing the believers in the House of Allah from circling Allah's house, not letting them in there: (?) this will increase their punishment.

They made the Prophet (peace be upon him) emigrate from Mecca the Honored; they forced him. Keeping the Muslims from their worship, they began to torture them. They did not consent to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In this way they prevented the believers' worship. Whereas the true guardians of that place are the God-fearing believers. Yes. The House of Allah is, as a representation on earth, the house of Allah Almighty. Of course, when the God-fearing are with Allah, Allah's house will also belong to these God-fearing ones, but most people do not know this. It says "if only people knew", doesn't it; it says "but most of them do not know this", doesn't it. Yes.

Of course, when the God-fearing are with Allah, Allah's house will also belong to these God-fearing ones. But most people do not know this. In the material world Allah Almighty has no need of a house, that is, a home. Because Allah does not fit into those houses.

As a representation: Adam, in the highest Paradise, was circling the house, in worship; when Adam came to the world, he prays to Allah Almighty. "Just as I circled that pillar of light in the highest Paradise," he says, "if You sent it to the world too, so that around it," he says, "I could continue my worship." Allah Almighty sends the pillar of light. Until Seth (peace be upon him), that pillar of light stays in its place. In the time of Seth (peace be upon him), they look at the place of that pillar of light, and one morning there is a black stone. Seth (peace be upon him) knew its measurements; he builds a representative house.

And that stone is the Black Stone. He places it in one corner, the corner where it is now. Yes.

So in the material world Allah Almighty has no need of a house, that is, a home. As we stated above, the house in Mecca the Honored is a representation, so that Allah Almighty may be worshipped. Of course, the heirs of this house are the God-fearing people whom Allah loves. The devotion of these God-fearing people to the House of Allah is in truth not to this house but to Allah. To Allah, of course. Otherwise, the four walls there, something, what about them would one give one's heart to?

One comes there because it is a representation. By worshipping there, one circles Allah, Allah. One circles Allah.

Now they say that looking at the House of Allah is also worship, they say. That's right. Looking at the House of Allah is also an act of worship. "Hodja, you said so just now, didn't you: a house made of wood or stone, a person looks at it and it's worship; where is the worship in that?" The worship: because Allah sent His house to earth as a representation, it lies in your showing reverence toward Allah. That's one. Second, while I was looking at that house, I was absorbed in the house.

I was sitting in the muezzins' section. Below the muezzins' section. Not the Ottoman muezzins' one. Their own (?) muezzins', below the muezzins' section. Opposite the Black Stone, I was sitting there. I was looking. I was absorbed in the House of Allah. At that moment, all around above that House of Allah, I was beholding the beauty of Allah Almighty.

How? Not a single one, (?). Continuously. There, in that air, around the house, Allah Almighty's gaze upon people, on all four sides.

As soon as I saw it, I startled and came to myself. So looking at the house truly is worship. Worship. The manifestation of His essence. But not one person, not one being. Many beings. (?) Here the meaning of many verses comes out.

"We sent Our spirit," it says. "We sent Our messenger," it says. Not Gabriel. His essence, His essence. If from a (?) of His He created billions of people, from His whole spirit He sends many messengers. There are many manifestations. That's why these matters go beyond outward knowledge.

People don't really need these either. What is needed is love of Allah, living the religion of Islam, dying one day in this world, being resurrected in the hereafter, and being called to account before our Lord at the Great Judgment; that is what we need. These we will know. Yes. If you seek the other sides, it depends on the worship you will do and on your nafs, your mastery over it. Those who did military service know. There's the regular officer. And there's the staff officer. Regular officers are promoted in three years, in six years. Staff officers are promoted in a shorter time than them.

When a regular officer is a major, his peer the staff officer becomes a colonel. That is, he passes lieutenant colonel and rises to colonel. A regular officer rises up to colonel; he can't go beyond that. But that staff officer becomes a general. Yes, likewise in our religion, if through worship you master your nafs, you too, on that path, will behold the inner realms in depth, the inner realms.

So in the great realm He has no need of a house, that is, a home. As we stated above, the house in Mecca the Honored is a representation, so that Allah Almighty may be worshipped. Of course, the heirs of this house are the God-fearing people whom Allah loves. The devotion of these God-fearing people to the House of Allah is in truth not to this house but to Allah. Those things we saw, we don't tell here. With sentences, part by part, we tie it together in a veiled way like this. The devotion of these God-fearing people to the House of Allah is in truth not to this House but to Allah. Allah Almighty says: whoever comes to My House and circles it has visited Me in person and been in My presence.

Here you go, this is the verse.

One has been in His presence, and you see it with the clarity of unveiling.

Accordingly, circling the house is circling Allah. This house of Allah becomes the possession of the God-fearing who come into His presence. That is, the outward one too, which has come into Allah Almighty's presence, becomes the possession of the God-fearing. Temporary. In this respect, Allah says the owners of the house are the God-fearing, so we say. Allah loves them anyway.