“YOU CANNOT GIVE WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE”

From the Teachings of As-Sayyed Nurjan Mirahmadi

The wisdom and the beauty in the words of our guides can only give us benefit and nurture us in our journey.  A journey that is full of obstacles but help is there at all times.  That help is through the support of our guides.  These guides are divinely supported which is beyond our comprehension but we are shown signs at each step.  The cool breezes of their support are constantly reaching us through our journey in this world.

Their simple but yet heavy words in the scale of understanding provide us that support.  As recently hearing our beloved teacher As-Sayyed Nurjan Mirahamidi giving a talk on spirituality saying “You cannot give what you do not have”.  If we meditate on this a little we can find so much meaning in these words.  It begins to explain the importance of self struggle and the heaviness our hearts feel when seeing the difficulties that have enveloped this world.  We do not have to look far; the internet or the TV can show us the chaos all around us.  How near or far.  Our inclination is to do something to be of help but often we find ourselves helpless.  Our guides are teaching us that in this time of difficulty go deeper within your heart.  That journey is not from the outside but from within.  We have to go deep to find that spark that is waiting to light up our reality.  The fire inside our heart has been hidden with the darkness of this world.  It cannot be brought out but through self struggle, meditation, and worship.  We are in need of this light within us to balance us, benefit our families, and benefit our communities.  It is this light which we do not yet have and cannot give to others to benefit.

As Allah mentioned in the holy Quran, Surah Naml (27:7).  Prophet. Moses saw the burning bush in the distance and he wanted to bring that fire back to help warm his family.  Prophet Moses was seeing that light within his heart.  He knew of the benefit it would provide to others.  He went toward that light and found his lord speaking to him.  We are seekers and blind.  We cannot see that spark within us.  It requires polishing our selves to reach that goal.  At the end of it all, we are in darkness and no matter what we are in need of light to even reach our spark.  Who can give us that light?  Someone who has polished themselves and have that fire within their heart.  They can light the way for our journey.  They have something to give.  The possessors of divine light.  How important it is for us to attach ourselves to them so they can begin to polish us with their light. 

How do we attach ourselves to them? As we have all experienced the hot days of summer and we look forward to a trip to the beach.  Especially the children enjoy it very much.  The only way to escape the heat of the sun is to jump in the ocean so the water can cool you off.  We are children in this way and our guides knowledges are oceans that we can escape to find shelter from the difficulties.  We have to submerge in their oceans.  Their oceans have entry ways and those entry ways are their advices and talks.  They speak for the benefit of humanity and not for anything else.  They speak to dress us with their light to lift away the veils of darkness in our hearts.  All we have to do is to give an ear. 

Every process has steps that one has to follow to reach the end goal.  As mentioned in the famous hadith Qudsi by Prophet Muhammad (saws), Allah says:   A servant reaches me through voluntary worship until I will be the ears that he hears with…

Allah grants that servant hearing, not any hearing but divinely hearing.  Something no one else hears.  So the first step is listening.  We have to listen to their advices and talks.  This is how we begin to attach ourselves to them.  They are giving us that knowledge which they have.  We do not have it and are in need of listening to them.

How do we receive the light from our guides? As we are all familiar with our telephone systems of today and use it daily.  Most of us have cell phones and enjoy this benefit very much.  In order of any of these to work you have to be connected.  Connected to a network that will allow you to communicate with each other.  That can be achieved through wires or wireless.  Meditation provides you that platform to connect to your guide.  We see with our smart phones today, many of the applications and updates can be simply downloaded wirelessly.  When we make ourselves available and sit in a quite place to meditate daily.  Our guides will send their support and light so we can slowly begin to take away the darkness inside of us.  It is a long journey but consistency in our efforts will attract the light of our guides. 

We are all seeking light so we can be of benefit and of service to humanity.  We have to begin that journey within us.  We have to bring that light in us to give to others.