Last Day of Ramadan 2005 with Shaykh Adnan

It was the last tarawih for this 2005 Ramadan and deep down I know I have not been doing much. Shaykh Adnan Kabbani, a big figure among the earliest murids of Shaykh Nazim and Grandshaykh Abdullah Ad-Dagestani, had been in Malaysia for sometime now. And not once I went to his tarawih in Damansara.

Nietsche, I think a German philosopher, said many things, but one I remember most is his saying, “reason is a whore”.

I don’t know what he meant by it but I take it as to give reasons for something is basically useless (not that I think the whoring profession is useless, but that for later). And there are many reasons I could give for missing the golden time to be in the same company as Shaykh Adnan; and they will just remain as baseless excuses.

But last night, much thankful to our Lord Almighty, I joined the folks for tarawih with Shaykh Adnan in Penang (it’s the wife turn for Eid this year). After tarawih and short zikir, Shaykh Adnan gave a memorable ‘sohbet’. From my damaged recollections:

He said 500 years after the trumpet blown, all children of Adam will congregate on the Judgment day and will feel the burden of their sins and the incoming waves of Jahanam. Not able to stand the situation anymore, 124,000 prophets go to Sayyidina Adam to ask our Lord Almighty to open the court. To cut the story short, Sayyidina Adam a.s is afraid to do it and so are the other Prophets (Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, & Isa a.s) except for our beloved Messenger pbuh. It is one of the honors of our Prophet to ask our Lord to open the court.

Continuing what I’ve written earlier (about two weeks ago), I can’t seem to recall much. I think it’s more about what are we doing to prepare for that day.

Now I’m reminded about something that Gurdjieff wrote about two monks – one young and the other old. While the young monk could always give a fiery speech, it is what the old monk said always sink to people’s heart.

Though I can’t fully remember what Shaykh Adnan said, the thought and feeling of what he described is still inside and sometimes, it pushes us to the good side; for now at least.

It is precious indeed to be among their company; regardless whether the sweet scent comes from Central Asia, North Africa or Yemen.