Muhammad bin Yahya al-Husayni al-Ninowy الشيخ د. محمد النينوي

A blessed New Hijri Year to all of y'all and to our whole universe. May this year be filled with love, peace, mercy, and non-violence for all.

A Sufi Reflection:
To speak of Ibn 'Arabi’s wisdom is not merely to interpret poetry; it is to stand at the dazzling threshold where the finite human heart recognizes its own infinite incapacity. When the Shaykh al-Akbar declares:

"My creed is Love;
Wherever its caravan turns along the way,
That is my belief,
My faith."

He is not abandoning the Sacred Law, nor is he preaching a vague, unmoored sentimentalism. Rather, he is unveiling the very substance from which the Sacred Law itself was woven. He is telling us that the Qibla of the heart (the heart's direction of prayer) is not a fixed point on a map; it is the Eternal, Living, All-Loving (Al-Wadud) Beloved, which manifests its effects wherever a sincere/selfless heart turns in longing. For the lover, the caravan of Divine Love does not wander aimlessly; it moves with the celestial gravity of God’s creation. Every stop along its journey is a sacred theophany, because the All-Loving (Al-Wadud) is not one of God’s names and attributes; Al-Rahman (the Loving Merciful) is the very center of all His names and attributes.

The Qur’anic Reason for Creation: Mercy as the Primordial Wisdom
This ecstatic vision of Ibn Arabi finds its deepest anchor in the Qur’anic revelation regarding the very reason for existence. God says in the Holy Qur’an, which means:

"Except those upon whom your Lord has bestowed His Mercy, but that is why He created them." (Surah Hud 11:119)

Contemplate this profound meaning in these verses. The commentators often pause here, for it declares that Loving Mercy (Rahma) is not an afteraction or a contingent response to human sin. It is the Eternal wisdom, the very raison d'être of creation itself. Before the heavens were unfurled, before Adam (as) was fashioned from clay, before the Pen wrote the first letter of destiny, there was the Eternal Love/Mercy, and from its infinite waves, all worlds live.

We are not created out of divine need, nor out of anger, nor out of a judicial necessity. We are created out of Love/Mercy and for Love/Mercy. It is the ground of our being, the destination of our return, and the garment we are meant to wear. To be human is to be a vessel of this Rahma (Love/Mercy); to fail to realize this is to fail at the very purpose of existence.

The Prophetic Inbreath: Mercy Made Flesh
This Qur’anic truth is then crystallized in the living person of Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ, whom Allah Ta'ala addresses with the most breathtaking of declarations:

"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a Love/Mercy to the worlds." (Surah al-Anbiya 21:107)

The Prophet ﷺ is not merely a messenger who brings love/mercy; he is love/Mercy incarnate. The word ‘Alameen (worlds) encompasses all realms: human, jinn, angelic, and even "inanimate" creation. His love/mercy was not restricted to the believing community; it extended to his "enemies", to the trees that wept for him, to the animals he tended, and to the very stones that greeted him ﷺ. His unconditional compassion ﷺ was a cosmological event. Wherever the caravan of his prophetic love turned, towards the orphan, the widow, the outcast, the tyrant, or the starry sky, it was an embodiment of divine faith. His existence is proof that Love/Mercy is not a passive quality; it is an active, redemptive force that re-weaves the broken threads of creation.

The Prophetic Tradition: The Absence of Love/Mercy is the Absence of Faith
And then, to complete this golden chain of divine wisdom, the Prophet ﷺ uttered a tradition that seals the argument:

"A person devoid of love/mercy may be a person devoid of faith."

Here, the Prophet ﷺ elevates love/mercy from a noble virtue to the very litmus test of belief. Faith (Iman) is not a static set of doctrines stored in the mind; it is a dynamic reality that must flow through the limbs and the heart. If your faith does not make you compassionate, if it makes you harsh, judgmental, arrogant, or indifferent, then that faith is hollow, a shell without a kernel, a lamp without light.

Ibn Arabi’s statement is the perfect echo of this prophetic teaching. His caravan of Love turns wherever mercy is needed; towards the hungry, the confused, the heretic, the saint, the believer, the doubter. He does not ask the caravan, "What is your religion?" before offering his heart. He asks only, "Does your path lead to Love/Mercy?" Because wherever true selfless Love leads, it leads to God, who is Al-Wadud (The Loving) and Ar-Rahman (The Infinitely Loving Merciful).

Therefore, the purpose of your life, O traveler, is not merely to perform rituals, but to become a place where Love/Mercy dwells and overspills. Let your heart be a meadow where the gazelles of Muhammadan tenderness graze. Let your soul be a cloister where worshippers find silence. Let your hands be the Ka’ba around which the orphans of the world can circle in safety.

The caravan of Love is always on the move, and it is heading towards God. As the Qur’an says, "To Him is the final return", and that return is nothing but the ecstatic homecoming of a universe that was always, from its very first breath, held in the warm, unbreakable embrace of His Love/Mercy (Rahma).

So let your faith be the caravan, and let your heart be its resting place. For wherever true selfless Love is (such as a hopeful terminal patient), God is. And wherever God is, there is the only true religion: absolute surrender to the All-Loving All-Merciful.

A Sufi reflection..
In for the past couple of days with the best company in the whole living world: where you learn ilm and adab.
Despite the complex Ḥadīthī and ‘Uṣūlī issues discussed over multiple days and tens of hours, the words of Sidi Bu Madyan (within brackets) and their addition by al-Shaykh al-Akbar Muḥyuddīn Ibn ‘Arabī kept ringing in my ears.
So I will share them with you, translate them, and add a small commentary.

( ورَاقِبِ الشيخَ فِي أحوالِهِ فعَسى *** يرى عَليكَ مِن استِحْسَانِهِ أثرَا )
وأسْألهُ دَعوَتهُ تحْظَ بدَعوَتهِ *** تنَلْ بذَلكَ مَا ترجُوا ببَركَتهِ
وحسِّنْ الظنَّ واعْرفْ حَقَّ حرمَتهِ *** ( وقدِّمِ الجِّدَّ وانهَضْ عندَ خِدْمَتِهِ
عَسَاهُ يَرضَى وَحَاذِرْ أن تكنْ ضَجِرا ) *** واحْفظْ وصِيتهُ زِدْ مِن رِعَايَتِهِ
ولبِّهِ إنْ دَعَا فوراً لِسَاعَتهِ *** وغضَّ صَوتكَ بالنجْوى لِطاعَتِهِ
( ففِي رضاهُ رِضَا الباري وطَاعَتِهِ *** يَرضَى عليكَ فكنْ مِن تركِهَا حَذِرَا ).
1. Keep watch over the Shaykh in all his states; perhaps he may behold in you a trace that pleases his heart.
Reflection:
The seeker does not observe the Shaykh to criticize or scrutinize him, but to learn from him (Correct the Niyyah: al-Khadir and Musa (as)). One glance or pleasure poured upon you from a friend of God can awaken what years of study cannot in meanings (reality), not memorization (ritual). The purpose is not imitation of outward mannerisms, but absorption of inward virtues: humility, patience, mercy, truthfulness, and reverence before Allah (humbling the arrogant self). True religiosity is not measured by how much one speaks about God, but by how much one's character reflects the light of remembrance of and presence with Him. If the Shaykh finds sincerity, courtesy, and selflessness in the disciple, then genuine plea to Allah, Dua, true pleasure, and gaze may become a means of tremendous opening.
Sayyidi Ibn 'Ata' said: Some of the sages have said:
(Among the severest forms of deprivation is to sit in the company of the friends of Allah and yet not be granted acceptance. Such deprivation comes only from one's own lack of proper adab; for there is no miserliness on their part, nor any deficiency in what they possess.
This is the meaning of my saying in the Aphorisms:
"The real matter is not merely the existence of seeking; rather, the real matter is that seeking becomes beautiful adab."
It is related that one of the sultans visited the shrine of Abu Yazid al-Bistami (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked:
"Is there anyone here who actually met Abu Yazid?"
An elderly man who was present was pointed out to him.
The sultan asked, "Did you hear anything from his words?"
The old man replied, "Yes. I heard him say: 'Whoever sees me, the Fire will not burn him.'"
The sultan was astonished by this statement and said, "How could Abu Yazid say such a thing when Abu Jahl himself saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, yet he is among the people of the Fire?"
The old man replied:
"Abu Jahl never truly saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He only saw the orphan of Abu Talib. Had he truly seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Fire would not have touched him."
The sultan understood his meaning and was deeply impressed by the answer.
That is, Abu Jahl did not behold him with reverence, honor, and faith that he was the Messenger of Allah. Had he seen him in that light, such a vision would have transformed him. Instead, he looked upon him with contempt, seeing only the orphan of Abu Talib. Thus, that sight brought him no benefit.
Likewise, my brother, you may sit in the company of the Pole of the Age, the greatest Wali of your time, and yet derive no benefit from that meeting if you lack adab. Indeed, the harm of such a meeting may become greater for you than its benefit.
Therefore, conduct yourself with utmost courtesy/decency in the presence of teachers. Strive to walk the most excellent paths. Hold firmly to what you have learned, with earnestness and determination. Rise to serve him, and be sincere in that service.
For it is through sincerity, selflessness, service, and adab that the seekers of Allah attained distinction among those who attained distinction).

2. Seek his supplication, for through his prayer, you may be granted what you hope for through the blessing Allah has placed upon him.
Reflection:
The friends of Allah (al-‘Ulamā’ al-Rabbāniyyūn and al-Ṣāliḥīn) possess no independent power; all belongs to Allah alone. Yet Allah Ta'ala has made some hearts/places/times vessels of mercy, blessings, and acceptance. To seek the prayer of the righteous is to confess one's neediness before God and one's poverty to learn and be refined by the "imperfect" people of God. The truly soulful person is not proud enough to think he has no need of the prayers of others, regardless of their worth in his perception. Humility brings grace, while self-admiration veils the heart.

3. Beautify your opinion of him, and realize the rights of companionship.
Reflection:
A pure heart seeks excuses for others before it seeks faults. knowing full well that nobody other than the Prophets (as) is immune to mistakes and errors. Good opinion (ḥusn al-ẓann) is among the noblest fruits and manifestations of faith (Deen). Many seekers lose the blessings of companionship because they become occupied with criticism (of others) rather than positive self-transformation. The point is never blind devotion to an imperfect human being; rather, it is learning reverence, respect, Ḥayā’ (decency), humility, patience, gratitude, and proper conduct. Whoever cannot honor those who guide him often struggles to honor the Giver of guidance Himself.

4. Give precedence to earnest striving, and rise promptly whenever his service is required.
Reflection:
Service is among the greatest schools of purification and refinement. The ego loves to be served but resists serving others, especially when seeing their imperfections up close. Through service, selfishness is worn away, and sincerity is refined. The (Awliya) saints did not become (Awliya) saints through claims, titles, looks, and affiliations but through countless acts of hidden service, patience, self-discipline, and sacrifice. The servant who hastens to serve creation for the sake of the Creator discovers that humility is a door to His nearness.

5. Perhaps he will be pleased with you; and beware of becoming weary or bored.
Reflection:
The path to Allah Ta'ala is not crossed by bursts of enthusiasm or emotions but by patience, persistence, and perseverance. Steadfastness. Weariness often comes when service no longer feeds the ego. The sincere seeker serves whether praised or ignored, noticed or forgotten (Allah does not forget). Good character is revealed precisely when one is tired, inconvenienced, bruised, or tested. Perseverance in courtesy is among the signs of soulful maturity.

6. Preserve his counsel and increase your care for it.
Reflection:
Advice only benefits the one who guards it. Many say "wise" sayings, some collect and memorize them, but few practice and embody them. Every sincere counsel from a Rabbani teacher is a trust. The measure of soulful growth is not how many teachings one hears, but how many one lives. True knowledge descends from the tongue to the heart and from the heart to the limbs.

7. And answer him whenever he calls, without delay, at the very moment of his summons.
Reflection:
The deeper meaning is not merely answering the teacher's call, but training the soul to answer every call to obedience, regardless of the source. Wafā’ (according to Al-Shāfi‘ī, to the one you learned a single word from) is a trait of the free and noble. Lack of Wafā’ is Iblīsī Nafsī. The heart that delays repentance, humility, refinement, worship, service, and goodness becomes accustomed to postponement. The lovers of Allah Ta'ala hasten toward what pleases Him. Promptness in responding is often a sign of sincerity and an awakened soul, while delay frequently conceals the heart's hesitation, arrogance, and veils.

8. Lower your voice when speaking with him, in active listening and reverence.
Reflection:
Reverence is not weakness; it is recognition of blessing. Lowering one's voice symbolizes lowering one's ego. The loudest voice always is not necessarily the strongest heart. Soulful refinement appears in gentleness, restraint, mercy, forgiveness, and courtesy. One who learns adab with the righteous is being prepared for deeper adab with Allah Ta'ala, for no Adab = no Naseeb. Adab does NOT mean conformity, but no Adab reveals the lack of true Muhammadan character, irrespective of the looks and claims. It is the quickest litmus test for the wanna-be's impatience ego and selfishness.

9. For in his pleasure is the pleasure of the Almighty, and in obedience to him (in good) is obedience to Him; so seek his pleasure, and beware of abandonment.
Reflection:
The pleasure of the teacher is sought only insofar as it accords with the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala. No human being is obeyed in disobedience to the Creator. Yet when the teacher commands truthfulness, prayer, humility, repentance, service, mercy, goodness, and remembrance, complying with such guidance is a form of obedience to Allah Ta'ala. The real secret of this line is not attachment to a person, but attachment to the lights in the divine instructions and Muhammadan virtues that the righteous embody or communicate. The true teacher does not call people to himself; he calls them to Allah Ta'ala. His greatest miracle is not extraordinary feats, but beautiful character. And the surest sign of a genuine seeker is not "spiritual" experiences, but increased selflessness, sincerity, mercy, patience, humility, gratitude, and love of Allah Ta'ala and His creation, and unconditional compassion to all, especially the Ummah of Sayyidi RasūlAllah-sallallahu Ta'ala alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam.

Closing Reflection on the above of BuMadyan and Ibn Arabi:
In the Sufi tradition, the lesson is that blessings flow not merely from companionship, but from the manner in which one enters that companionship. A heart full of criticism, entitlement, and self-regard may sit beside the greatest saints (Wali) and remain unchanged, while a heart filled with humility may receive in a single glance what others fail to receive in years. The true fruit of soulful company is therefore not admiration of the Shaykh, but the cultivation of beautiful character, sincere servitude to Allah, and a heart made receptive and positively reactive to divine grace.
These lines are, in reality, a lesson in adab. The outward subject is the Shaykh, but the inward subject is the purification of the heart and refinement of the Nafs. The seeker learns humility through service, gratitude through companionship, sincerity through obedience (in good), and reverence through courtesy. In the end, the goal is never the teacher himself; the goal is Allah Ta'ala. The ACCOMPLISHED Tazkiyah teacher is a mirror, and the purpose of the mirror is not to make one admire the mirror, but to help one see the blemishes of one's own Nafs and heart and polish them until the heart reflects the lights of the Divine Presence you are seeking. True Sufism is therefore not robes, claims, Sidi/Milad/figures cult culture and other supremacist cultures rising in the name of Sufism, certain looks (Imamahs, staffs, shawls, etc.), affiliation with a certain Middle East country (other than Makkah and Madina), spiritual claimed stories; it is beautiful character, inward and outward (ḥusn al-khuluq), complete sincerity (ikhlāṣ), tangibly measured selflessness, and constant awareness of Allah Ta'ala in every state, and this is the difficult task and true achievement.

In the Garden State this weekend. All welcome

📱 Busy online, but disconnected spiritually?

🤔 How do we protect our iman in an age of endless scrolling, distractions, and digital overload?

✨ Join us for a powerful reminder:

📖 “Maintaining Spirituality: Distractions in a Digital Age”

🎙️ Guest Speaker: Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Bin Yahya Al-Ninowy

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
🕣 8:30 PM
📍 Al Falah Center, Bridgewater, NJ

🤍 A conversation every Muslim needs today.

https://muslimviews.co.za/shaykh-muhammad-al-ninowy-leads-landmark-madina-institute-graduation/

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowy leads landmark Madina Institute graduation - Muslim Views Madina Institute South Africa celebrated a historic graduation, including its first Master of Arts in Islamic Studies graduates.

Eid Mubarak to all

"Sacrifice" is a thing of the past. Nobody wants to sacrifice anymore, or so I've been told!!

We're tired. Burdened. Broke. Burned out.

So here's the truth:
Eid isn't asking for your everything.
It's asking for your something.

Ibrahim (alayhi assalam) wasn't tested by losing what he had, but by holding on to what he loved most, and giving it back to God anyway.

But you are not Ibrahim (as), so your test is not his.
You don't have to give up your career, your wealth, or your health, let alone your dreams or your sanity.
But maybe, just for today, give up:

the grudge you've been nursing

the five minutes of scrolling to make du'a instead

the AI worldview to a more family, friends, and human closeness

the pride that keeps you from reaching out

Small sacrifice. Big surrender.

Don't forget to pray for peace and non-violence for all. Our world desperately needs peace, mercy, and love. Pray for it.

Eid Mubarak. Start where you are.