Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani

My deepest gratitude goes to my shaykh, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani ق; the fortieth in the Naqshbandi Golden Chain. My special thanks go to my wife, Naziha Muhammad Nazim Adil, and to all the women who have lent a patient hand in the endeavor of establishing the basis of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Tariqah in America and around the globe.

Women are honored to carry in themselves the greatest secret—that of human life.

Jalaluddin Rumi ق wrote:

The Prophet , to whose speech the whole world was enslaved,
used to say, ”Speak to me, O Aisha!”
The Prophet said that women dominate men of intellect
and Possessors of hearts,
but ignorant men dominate women,
for they are shackled by the ferocity of animals.
They have no kindness, gentleness, or love,
since animality dominates their nature.
Love and kindness are human attributes,
anger and sensuality belong to the animals.
She is not your “sweetheart”—she is the radiance of God!

What better example of a woman is there than the daughter of the Prophet , Fatima al-Zahra ? When she saw that her father was constantly saying, “O my Community,” she wanted to do something herself for the benefit of this Community. When God ordered the Prophet to find a husband for his daughter, the Prophet called all the Companions without discrimination and said to them, “God has ordered me to say that whoever recites the Quran from beginning to end tonight may marry my daughter Fatima, if she consents.”

That night, all the Companions tried to recite the Quran from beginning to end. All stayed at the mosque trying to finish except Ali ibn Abi Talib , who went home and slept. Everyone, including the blessed Prophet , assembled in the mosque when Bilal recited the call for the dawn prayer. After performing the dawn prayer, Prophet Muhammad asked, “Who finished the Quran last night so that I can marry him to my daughter Fatima?” No one was able to answer, because it is very difficult to finish the thirty parts of the Quran in only seven or eight hours.

Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “O Messenger of God, I finished reciting the Quran last night.”
The other Companions looked at him and said, “How is it that you finished the Quran? You slept all night.”
He said, “No, I completed Quran from beginning to end.”
The Prophet said to Ali , “Who is your witness?”
Ali said, “God is my witness and you, O Prophet , are my witness that I completed it. O Messenger of God, I recited the following: ‘There is no god but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God’ three times; ‘I seek the forgiveness of God’ seventy times; the Opening Chapter once; the Chapter of Sincerity three times; the Chapter of the Dawn once; then the Chapter of Humanity once; ‘There is no god but God’ ten times; and, ten times ‘Peace and the blessings of God be upon Muhammad and his family.’”
The Prophet said, “As God bears witness, I also bear witness that Ali has completed the Quran. If you recite what he recited, it is equivalent to having completed the Quran.”
The Prophet asked Fatima , “O Fatima, do you accept Ali as your husband?”
She said, “On one condition.”
All the Companions looked at Ali , at Fatima , and at the Prophet . The Prophet’s face changed as he wondered why Fatima said this? What could the condition be? The angel Gabriel (as) came and told him, “O Prophet, do not make a quick decision concerning her. God is telling you to ask her what her condition is.”
The Prophet said, “O Fatima, what is your condition?”
She said, “The condition does not concern Ali, but it is related to me. If that condition is fulfilled, I will accept. If not, I will never accept to marry Ali.”
Again, the angel Gabriel (as) came to the Prophet saying, “God is ordering you to ask her what her condition is.” Now look at what God had put into her heart and consider the benefit and station of women in spirituality.
The Prophet said, “O Fatima, what is your condition?”
She said, “I hear you continuously, day and night, praying for your Community. You say, ‘O my Lord! Give me permission to lead my Community to you! Forgive them! Purify them! Take away their sins and difficulties and burdens!’ I hear you, and know how much you suffer for your Community. I know from what you have said that when you pass away, you will still be saying, ‘My Community!’ before your Lord, in your grave, and on the Judgment Day. My father, I see you suffering so much for your Community. Since that love of your Community is also in my heart, I want your Community as my dowry. If you accept, I will marry Ali.”

She asked for all of the Prophet’s Community, everyone without discrimination. What was the Prophet going to say? It was not in his hand to give such a dowry. He waited for Gabriel (as), but Gabriel did not come quickly. He kept him waiting for some time, then came and said, “God sends you His greetings and accepts Fatima’s request. He gives her what she asked for as her dowry to marry Ali.” The Prophet immediately stood up and performed two rak`ats of prostrations of thankfulness to his Lord.

Fatima was only concerned for the salvation of the Community of the Prophet . No one is going to be outside of her dowry because if God removes one person from the dowry, it will be as if her marriage to Ali had been invalid. Therefore, she is going to take the entire Community under her wing and they shall enter with her into Paradise. This is from the power of one Muslim woman. She will take everyone with her into Paradise.

What about other such women in Islam? What will their power be? What about saints? What about prophets? God has created human beings pure. He keeps them pure with such power as that of the Prophet , Abu Bakr , Umar , Uthman , Ali , and especially our grandmother, Fatima al-Zahrah , as well as our Grandshaykh, our Shaykh, and the masters of the Naqshbandi Order and other orders. May God guide us and all seekers in the Way of Divine Love and the Divine Presence.