Shaykh Nazim, the one at the head of the community we visited in Cyprus, passed away on May 7th. We found out whilst in Bosnia on the 11th and it definitely knocked me. I just never actually believed it could happen, but it must happen to all of us.
He was the king of all saints to some, and to others simply a lovely old man. To me he was one like no other I have known. His rapture with the divine presence was always evident when he spoke. He never planned a speech, only spoke what would come to him, "I am like the moon. When the sun goes, the light of the moon goes. If the light of my Master leaves me, I am in darkness. I am nothing. Whoever sees me as this one or that one sees me through the Light of my Master." His humility made me feel ashamed of myself, how could I possibly see myself as something when he considered himself nothing, "We ask to be no one and nothing. For, as long as we are someone, we are not complete."
Despite him showing me the greatest things I have seen, I can not claim to be a devoted one. No, I am a weak one, very weak. But perhaps the greatest gift he gave me was hope. Knowing the prevailing confusion among the masses, he looked beneath the surface towards the essence of people and sought to remind us of who we are. Reminding us of our essential nobility and helping us to realise our dignity as human beings. "If you saw the true value of people, you would see everybody around you wearing golden crowns". Yes, for weak people like me he is a great source of strength. Before talking about Islamic rules let us remember who we are and the magnanimity of God. Surely, isn't the one who reminds us of God's magnanimity the one who saves us from ourselves?
So I say thank you. What can I give to one so gifted as Shaykh Nazim? One overflowing and generous. Thank you ya mawlana, may we continue with goodness.
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