thirteenth rule of love | shams of tabriz

The whole universe is contained within a single human being - you.

Everything that you see around, including the things you might not be fond of & even the people you despise or abhor, is present within you in varying degrees.

Therefore, do not look for shaytan outside yourself either. The devil is not an extraordinary force that attacks from without. It is an ordinary vice within.

If you get to know yourself fully, facing with honesty & hardness both your dark & bright sides, you will arrive at a supreme form of consciousness. When a person knows himself or herself, he or she knows God.

~ Shams of Tabriz ~

:: Download & Read the Forty Rules of Love

From the Novel by Elif Shafak,

borrowing the teachings of Shams of Tabriz

Yoga View of the Self

The Sacred Heritage of Humanity

For those places on the planet that are considered to be of outstanding value to humanity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO declares them as World Hertiage Sites and seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of them. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world’s heritage. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.

Similarly I feel that the collective spiritual knowledge of humanity, from many ancient and wise civilizations, that which descended and was realized at various turn of millenniums in the past must also be considered and honored as Sacred Heritage of Humanity. By the vehicle of science and technology we are increasingly finding ourselves as approaching towards a new unity of knowledge, bonding, sharing and knowing each other, which is a manifestation of "Thy Will be done" of God's diverse creation with the purpose "that various nations shall know each other."

Just like World Heritage Sites, all the spiritual path of humanity must be considered as heritage of common mankind. We no longer live in the age of sectarianism, communalism or nationalism but have become citizen of global village and this must not be limited only to trade and commerce or tourism but that which is far more deeply human, our spiritual traditions. The sacred teachings of Lao Tsu, Gautama Buddha, Krishna, Chaitannya, that of Moses, the countless Hebrew sages, Jesus, Muhammad and his holy companions, Shams Tabrizi, Rumi, Hafiz, Tagore, Kabir, St. John of the Cross, Saint Theresa of Avilla, Guru Nanak and so many other great souls and the inspirations that descended upon the countless illuminated hearts  - they can no longer be viewed as belonging to only this group of people or that sect but truly they are now universal message to a common humanity. The spiritual realization of all these great souls are potentially the spiritual realization of every member of humanity, as it were in the past, so it is of today and so will it be in the future.

The science of Yoga, the Yogic path of union and its knowledge of realization is one of such profoundly significant common sacred heritage of humanity which came into fruition in India, the Motherland of spirituality, over a period of many hundreds and thousands of years through the realization of innumerable sages, saints and God-realized gnostics of ancient Indus valleys.

The seed of knowledge that this particular path carries should reach every corner of the earth and transmitted and received from its authentic teachers by those who's heart is attracted to it. The basic of this sacred knowledge should be part of reading in class rooms. The highest knowledge of yoga concerning the identity of the self and the pathway of realization of the essence of the self still remains one of the most distilled and pure form of sacred knowledge. The knowledge encapsulated in yogic path, if could be shared across the world, regardless whether its east or west, regardless whether the knower is hindu or non-hindu, regardless whether its a Western man or Asian or Australasian - it will surely expand the mind and heart of individual in their appreciation of spiritual truth.

Its unfortunate that these days the postures of yoga often mistakenly thought of everything that yoga offers. The various posture and physical aspect of yoga is only a sub-domain of this knowledge. Yoga is not just postures, but is the very pathway through which the knowledge of union and unity of individual self, the identity of the individual self with the Cosmic and Supreme Self is transmitted. It is the (equivalent) haqiqa (inner reality) component of ancient Indian spirituality.

As various Eastern spirituality came to be know in the west, there have been many western teachers, many of whom remains to be hidden who have received this knowledge from authentic line of Yogic Masters. Like it is said in Sufi Path, “Those who know, does not show; those who show, does not know” – there are many true masters who practice this authentic body of knowledge and work sincerely with those who come to them and some of them now reside in the west.

One of such teacher is Chris Butler (born in 1948) whose initiatory Yogic name is Siddhaswarupananda. Guru Siddhaswarupananda is highly respected yoga guru (teacher) coming in a long line of authentic spiritual masters in the ancient Vedic tradition known as Vaishnavism. He is the founder of the Science of Identity Foundation and has expertly taught students all over the world in the science of yoga. As a long-time proponent of nonsectarianism, Siddhaswarupananda has worked in union with other Vaishnava acharyas (teachers/gurus), including Puri Maharaj, Paramadvaiti Maharaj, Tripurari Maharaj, Tirtha Maharaj, etc., to establish the World Vaishnava Association, an umbrella organization composed of more than 30 different Vaishnava missions around the world.

Vaishnavas recognize that despite the various ways and methods that different acharyas teach, the apex of perfect yoga, and the ultimate goal of the human form of life, is the achievement of pure spiritual love (bhakti). Yoga can be simply compared to a ladder. The lowest rung is yoga asanas and the highest rung - the culmination and definition of yoga - is perfect spiritual love.

The following teachings are collected from Guru Siddhaswarupananda's talks:

All Art Works in this post are by contemporary visionary Artist Alex Grey

The Yoga View of Self

The yoga view of the self is about you - your essence. But what is your essence? Is it matter - a mere collection of material atoms and molecules? Or is it something else?

“Who am I?” Maybe you’ve never even asked yourself this question. You might think you already know who you are. Unfortunately, however, it’s likely that you don’t know who you are at all. And if you don’t know your real identity, you’re in trouble. You’ll spend your life in a kind of dream state - you’ll falsely identify yourself as something or someone you aren’t. Then, on the basis of this false identification you’ll determine the goals of your life and the purpose of your existence. You use these goals to gauge whether you are making “progress” in life, whether you are a “success”. And you are aided and abetted in this delusion by a complex network of relationships with other dreamers. Of course, at death (and sometimes before), the whole thing turns into a nightmare.

So knowing who you are is a very practical necessity. The question “Who am I?” is not a philosophical football meant to be kicked around coffeehouses by pseudo-intellectuals. It’s a real life question. Nothing is more important and more relevant than to know who you are.

Are you your body?

You are your body, right? You are chemical in essence ... right? At least, that’s what one of America’s most influential scientists claims:

“I am a collection of water, calcium and organic molecules called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label.” (Carl Sagan, Cosmos [New York: Random House, 1980], p. 127.)

Like Sagan, most people believe that they are their body. So if you ask them who they are, they think and respond in terms of bodily labels.

“I’m Susan. I’m blond, 29 years old, a mother.”
“I’m Henry. I’m a white American male and proud of it!”
“I’m John. I’m a lawyer. I’m 40 years old and getting older every day.”
“I’m Alice. I’m a female student. I’m fat and I’m a Methodist.”

Name, race, age, sex, religion, nationality, occupation, height, weight, and so on - all these are bodily labels. Therefore, if you consider your body to be yourself, you automatically identify yourself with such labels. If your body is fat and ugly, you think, “Woe is me! I am fat and ugly.” If your body is 60 years old and female, you think, “I am a 60-year-old female.” If your body is black and beautiful, you think, “I am black and beautiful.”

But is the body really the self? Are you really your body?

The Body Is Yours - But It Is Not You

The body is yours - but it is not you. The body is a garment that you are wearing, a machine that you are using, a vehicle that you are driving. The body is your possession.

Just as a person does not identify himself as being the shirt he is wearing, he also should not identify himself with the body that he is wearing.

A famous football player in the United States who recently retired was discussing the particular event that made him decide to quit playing. He had been running with the football toward the goal, with two tacklers chasing him. As his legs started giving out, he thought, “Come on, you old legs - don’t give out on me now!” This is like a race car driver who talks to his car: “Keep on going, Betsy - don’t let me down now!” In other words, you use your body as a type of vehicle; but like all vehicles, it is bound to break down sooner or later.

And just as any other garment, tool, machine, or vehicle is subject to wear and tear, sometimes malfunctioning and sometimes breaking down completely, so your body undergoes such changes during its existence. Yet despite the loss, dysfunction, or transformation of different body parts, you, the self, remain a constant factor throughout. You, the self, use the body. The body is not you - rather, it is yours.

Scientific Evidence That You Are Not the Body

Let me ask you a few simple questions: Do you exist at this moment? Did you exist five years ago? Are you your body? Most people would answer “yes” to all three questions. But if you identify your body as yourself, and simultaneously accept that you exist now and also existed five years ago, then you have a problem: The body you had five years ago does not exist today. There is a dynamic turnover of atoms and molecules that make up your body. There isn’t a single particle of matter - not one atom - present in your body today that was present five years ago. The body you have today is not the same body you had five years ago. It’s not that the body you had still exists but has now changed somewhat. No. The body you had is gone. That collection of atoms appearing as flesh, bone, blood, hair, and so on no longer exists. Yet you still exist.

Studies at the Oak Ridge Atomic Research Center have revealed that about 98 percent of all the atoms in a human body are replaced every year. You get a new suit of skin every month and a new liver every six weeks. The lining of your stomach lasts only five days before it’s replaced. Even your bones are not the solid, stable, concrete-like things you might have thought them to be: They are undergoing constant change. The bones you have today are different from the bones you had a year ago. Experts in this area of research have concluded that there is a complete, 100 percent turnover of atoms in the body at least every five years. In other words, not one single atom present in your body today was there five years ago.

If you were the molecules and atoms of which your body used to be composed, you would now be a personality divided into the many new bodies that those atoms and molecules have become part of. And, of course, the molecules and atoms that make up your present body are not “new”; they too are used. Your body is made of recycled material. The matter you now call “yourself” was once part of many different collections of atoms and molecules that went by different names. This way of looking at the situation reveals the absurdity of Sagan’s conclusion. If the body is the self - if you are a collection of molecules and atoms - then when those particles disperse, that’s the end of that particular “collection.” That collection of atoms and molecules that went by a particular, distinct, collective label (your name) no longer exists. If you are the body, then when the body is gone, you should also be gone. But this doesn’t happen.

So when you look at a picture of “yourself” taken only seven years ago, you are looking at a body that no longer exists. Every single molecule that was present in the body shown in the photography is now gone. Yet you still exist. You are not gone. Now, since the body you had seven years ago no longer exists, yet you still exist, you must logically conclude that (1) you were not the body you had on seven years ago, and (2) you are not the body you have on today.

The material body has sometimes been compared to clothing worn by the self. At one point you had a baby body; then you took off the baby body and put on a child body; later on, you wore an adolescent body; and after that, you put on a young adult body. In all cases it was you, the same self, who was wearing those different bodies.

You, the self, are the constant, unchanging principle in the sea of physical, material changes. You know that you existed seven years ago; you were there. You also know you exist right now. The same you, or self, who existed then also exists now. And this same self will exist when the present body is gone.

Full but still empty

If you identify your body as yourself, you will try to satisfy yourself by trying to satisfy your body. You’ll think, “I am the body and I want to be happy, I want to be satisfied.” Thus, you’ll try to satisfy the belly, the tongue, the genitals, the ears, the eyes, the nose, and so on, believing that this will bring you the inner satisfaction and happiness you crave.

But sense gratification does not satisfy. This is further evidence that you are not the body. No matter how much sense pleasure you have, you are still never satisfied within.

Techniques to Help You Realize that You are Not the Body

Yogis have a meditation technique that helps them to realize that they are not the body. They say to themselves, “I am aware that I am doing such-and-such.” By doing this they experience a type of detachment from their body and its activities. While a yogi is eating, for example, he’ll say to himself, “I am aware that I am eating … I am aware that I am tasting something sweet.” He doesn’t dive into the taste - rather, he is a little apart from it. Through this technique, he gradually becomes detached from all the body’s activities, sensations, feelings, and so on. He is aware that things are happening, but he’s untouched by them. He’s free from the movement of the waves of sensations, thoughts, and so on that pass over him. He’s the calm center of the storm that rages all around him.

Such a yogi and a hedonist are exact opposites in consciousness. The yogi stands apart from the body and the hedonist dives into it - trying to savor every pleasant sensual tingle. And by diving into the sensual gratification, he is diving into the material senses - that is, he is becoming more deeply immersed in false bodily identification.

Are You the Brain?

Many people believe that a person is the brain or some part of the brain. You may be one of them. Paul Weiss writes this about the rapid change of the molecular particles that make up the brain cells.

“Recent studies on the turnover of the molecular population within a given nerve [brain] cell have indicated that ... their macromolecular contingent is renewed about ten thousand times in a lifetime.” [In other words, the matter making up each brain cell is completely renewed every three days.] ~ Paul Weiss, “The Living System: Determinism Stratified,” in Arthur Koestler and J.R. Smythies, eds., Beyond Reductionism (London: Hutchinson, 1969), p. 13.

This means that your brain - that mass of matter which is contained in your skull today - is not the same brain that was in your skull last week. The brain is used by the self; the brain is not the self. Of course, the brain is a very special part of the body - you, the self, use it to direct and control the rest of the body machine. It also serves to carry and process information coming from the different parts of the body and the external environment to you. But you are not your brain. You are the user of your brain.

Are you your brain?

The attempt to control the mind also illustrates that the mind is not the self. Sometimes you want your mind to concentrate on a particular topic—like what you are reading right now, for example. But the mind may keep wandering off, causing you to try to drag it back. Or sometimes your mind is filled with thoughts and feelings that you don’t want but just can’t get rid of, no matter how hard you try. So you are the person who is trying to control the mind; you are not the mind itself.

“We get ample proof of not being our thoughts when we try to control and to direct them … If the mind is rebellious and undisciplined it means that the “I” is not the mind.” ~ Robert Assagioli, Psychosynthesis: A Manual of Principles and Techniques (New York: Hobbs, Dorman & Company, 1965), p. 117

If the mind is undisciplined, who is trying to discipline it? If the mind is to be controlled, who is to control it? Who is trying to control the mind? It is the self (the atma).

Your mind is your possession, just as your gross physical body is your possession. Your mind is yours—it is not you. The mind is a subtle material body. As with the gross physical body, the mind is like clothing that covers the self. The difference is that the gross physical body is like the outer garments and the mind is like the undergarments. So you, the atma, are neither the physical body nor the mind; you are actually encased in both the gross and subtle material bodies.

Techniques to Help You Realize You are Not the Mind

Watching your dreams

Tonight, as you are lying in bed almost ready to fall asleep, watch your body fall asleep. Mentally say to yourself, “I am aware that my body is falling asleep.” As you fall deeper and deeper into sleep, there is a good chance that you will begin dreaming. In this state you will be half-awake, half-asleep. Watch these dreams. Mentally say to yourself as the dream begins, “I am aware that I am dreaming.” By persisting in this practice, you will eventually be aware that you are dreaming, even in deep sleep. But this ability is only a side benefit; the real point is to experience yourself as the viewer of the stream of mindstuff.

Silent witness meditation

Relax, and sit or lie in a quiet place. Don’t attempt to control the thinking process by trying to think certain thoughts and not think others. Instead, let your mind think about whatever it may. Now watch your mind and become aware of how you are actually aloof from the thinking process. Say to yourself, “I am the silent witness. I make no effort to think, but thoughts come automatically. I am watching thoughts flow through my mind, but I am aloof from them. I am the silent witness to my mind’s activities.” In this way, you’ll be able to experience that you are separate from the mind.

You can also watch the passing emotions, feelings, desires, fears, and so on as they rise to the surface of the mind and then pass away. The stream of mindstuff thus flows along, and you are the viewer of it. Just as a person sits by an ever-moving stream, so you, the self, sit by the stream of mindstuff. Just as a stream may be very clear or very polluted, so the stream of mindstuff may be very clear or very polluted. In either case, you are the witness of that stream—not the stream itself.

You may not be content to watch the stream of mindstuff flow freely, but instead may try to control it, redirect it, or stop it completely. But the very fact that you can try to redirect or control your mind, combined with the fact that it is so difficult to succeed in the endeavor, further shows that you, the self, are not the mind or stream of mindstuff.

Controlling the mind

Gaze intently at some nearby image in your immediate environment. Now close your eyes and look at the picture of that image in your mind. Try to hold the image in your mind and look at it for quite some time. If it begins to move around, try to steady it; if it begins to fade away, bring it back. This exercise should make it quite clear how hard it is to control the mind - to keep something in your mind that you want to keep in your mind.

If you can think thoughts you do not want to think, this further illustrates that you are different from your mind. Sometimes after a painful love affair, a man will tell his friends, “I just can't stop thinking about her. I just can't get her out of my mind.” Similarly, your mind may sometimes be filled with desires so disgusting that you would be embarrassed to have anyone suspect you were thinking them. When such thoughts and emotions go through your mind, you do not like it. You may feel, “Why is my mind filled with such thoughts? I don't want to think like this.” However, trying to push such thoughts out of the mind usually doesn't work.

If the mind is to be controlled, who is to control it? Who is trying to control the mind? It is the self. You, the self, try to control your mind. The mind is your possession. It is not you.

Your Body Will Die … But You Will Always Exist

If you erroneously identify yourself with your body, you will conclude that your existence will end with the destruction of your body. But if you know that you are the eternal self within the body, you know that your existence will not end when your body dies.

Your body has a beginning and an end; your body is subject to birth and death; but you, the spark of life within the body, are eternal. You have no beginning, nor will you have an end. The material body will cease existing, but you will never cease existing.

The Body Has No Value Without the Presence of the Atma

Without the presence of this atma, without life, you see a body for what it really is: just a hunk of blood, guts, flesh, bones, teeth, stool, mucus, hair, urine, bile, and so on - a bag of chemicals.

It is the presence of the life particle  - the Person - that makes the physical body valuable. If this Atma (SOUL) is not present in the body, then the body has no real value. As soon as the Mysterious Person, the Atma, leaves the body, the body becomes worthless. The closer you are to this understanding, the closer you are to wisdom and sanity. The material body is valuable only when the infinitely valuable Being is present within the body.


All the materials shared here are from excerpts of talks given by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, may God bless his work. This and many more can be explored at The Science of Identity Foundation (Science of Yoga) website. Also visit: Science of Identity Foundation

Just because You are my God

Oh, my God!
I want to love You
Not that I might gain eternal heaven
Nor escape eternal hell
But, Lord, to love You just because
You are my God.

Grant me to give to You
And not to count the cost,
To fight for You
And not to mind the wounds,
To labour and to ask for no reward except the knowledge
that I serve my God.


- Attributed to Saint Igantius Loyola, may God be pleased with him

Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556), was the founder of the Society of Jesus. He began his life as a solider, a long and very painful convalescence from a wound led to a spiritual transformation in which he turned his martial spirit and capacity to suffering to the service of God.

Man is what he is, or he is nothing

In his book, "Logic and Transcendence" (London: Perennial Books, 1984, translated by P. Townsted), Swiss Philosopher and Sufi Master Frithjof Schuon states, "Man is what he is, or he is nothing."

The statement has Zen Koan like paradoxical characteristics and at the same time carries within great seed for contemplation. If one to probe deeply into the remarkable statement, in which Man doesn't refer to a single gender, but human being in general, it calls to remember and focus on the true nature of human being and applies for every individual.

For those to whom the matter of faith is only adhering to certain belief system inherited from ancestors, taking up name of a religion which they found their parents without any attempts on their part as to what faith really signifies - to conform to certain rituals because others in the family and society also does so as a matter of norm - to them faith remains superficial. In truth this is not faith at all. It could be termed as label, tag, naming system, inheriting titles in which a name of a religion is claimed but never realized.

"Man is what he is" from the spiritual point of view signifies those aspects of him or her which he is, and only that what he or she is, define one's embodiment. The rest are mere claims and namesake. We will not be asked what we knew, but we are held responsible for our action, how did we act. No matter what amount of knowledge an individual may boast over accumulating, in the Ocean of truth, all such knowledge is less than a drop of water.

If someone is never characterized by the same kind of grace, blessing, attitude, humility, compassionate and loving like Christ, what business that person has in calling himself or herself a Christian. Man is what he is, or he is nothing. If someone fails to embody the principal of Rahma (Compassion) even after beginning his prayer numerous times in days and years by saying Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim - what business he has to claim the servant of ar-Rahman? If saying so many times over "Alhamdulillah", 'all praise is for Allah' - he fails to attain the station of Praise - then his progress in the path of seeking has not yield fruit.

Our faith, our ten thousand claims over what we believe come to naught if those very substance is not lived, if those principals are not found in our activities, attitude and engagement. Then the subject matter of religion, faith, prayers, supplications turn into either mere illusions, falsehood or entirely hypocritical.

Thus truly Man is what he is, or he is nothing.

Duties of the Heart | Bahya Ibn Paquda

What is meant by wholehearted devotion to God alone? It means that in every act, public and private, the aim and purpose should be purely work for God’s sake, to please Him only, without winning the approval of other people. How achieve wholehearted devotion to God alone? In ten ways. If these are firmly set in your heart and you clearly make them the basis of your actions, then your devotion to God will be complete. Then you will turn to no one else, set your hope on nothing else, and mold your will to none other than God’s.

First is wholehearted acceptance that only God fills the universe;

Second, that God is the source of all reality and is endlessly good;

Third, that your goal is to work for God;

Fourth, that you should rely on God alone and not physical beings;

Fifth, that you get no ultimate gain or loss from physical beings, but only from the Creator;

Sixth, that you should maintain evenness of mind regardless of whether people praise you or blame you;

Seventh, that you should not make a show of spiritual activities to impress other people;

Eighth, that you should not be caught up in personal gain when you are working for eternal life;

Ninth, that you should hold God in reverence and be humble before Him;

Tenth, that you should use your mind to master your senses and use them with care and discrimination.

Transmitted by Bahya ibn Paquda, a Jewish Mystic from Muslim Spain in the eleventh century, this passage is enduring proof of the beauty and power that can result when great cultures meet in the heart of a man or woman of God. Though written by a Jewish moral philosopher, “Duties of the Heart” was modeled on similar works of Muslim mystics and was meant to counterbalance the emphasis on ritual and ethical observances in the Jewish community. The original was written in Arabic and translated into Hebrew by Judah ibn Tibbon in 1161. The above translation is by Rabbi Harvey Spivak.

Supplication of the 15th Night of Sha'ban

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

Indeed, it is the Divine Majesty who resurrect the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register, the book of life. - The Quran 36:12

The full moon of this present lunar month is the 15th night of Sha'ban. Check you local moon phase here to be sure about when is this blessed night passing over you. In India the full moon night is celebrated as Gurupoornima, the full moon dedicated to the Guru or Master. Following is a supplication for the night of 15th Sha'ban. Apart from additional prayer and night vigil, it is recommended to recite Surah Ya-Sin, the 36th Chapter of the Quran.

"What good is it if you take your soul at hand, and present it [to God]? What use is it to take spice to India? How will this add any value, or price, or cultivation to what is there? Since there is such a Royal Court, He is now without need (bi-niyaz), so take your needfulness (niyaz) there. Since the one without need likes needfulness. Using that needfulness, you can suddenly leap out of the midst of all these creatures. Something from the Ancient One [God] will be joined to you, and that is love ('ishq). The trap of love has been set, and you are wrapped up in it, since "they love him" (yuhibbunahu) is the impression of "He loves them" (yuhibbuhum) " - Conversations of Shams Tabrizi

The Divine Voice says, "Come to Me with that which I Have not."
"What is it?" the theologians, the scholars ask and wander in confusion:
"What is it that God doesn't have!"
The lovers will tell you the secret:
"Go to the King of kings and present the poverty of your heart, go with your needfulness,
and take from the One Who's generous giving does not diminish an atom from His Kingdom.
So take your need to the Royal Court and become a beggar of His Generous Love
for He is the Sole Responder, al Mujib!, the Most Generous, al Karim!"
- Come to Me with that Which I Have not

SUPPLICATION ON THE NIGHT OF 15th SHA'BAN

O Allah! You shower favours on everyone
And no one can do any favour to You.
O The Possessor of Majesty and Honour,
O The Distributor of bounty and rewards,
There is no one worthy of worship, worthy of adoration except You.

You help the fallen, and provide refuge to the refugees
And give peace to those who are in distress.

O Allah! If in the Mother of All Books that is with You
You have written me down as someone who is
Doubtful of achieving salvation, or deprived,
Or rejected or without enough sustenance,
Then, O Allah, with Your Grace
Remove all of these misfortunes from me
and in the Mother of All Books that is with You,
establish me as someone who is blessed,
with abundant provision and charitable good deeds.

Indeed, what You said in The Book You sent
Through the tongue of Your Blessed Prophet is true
That Allah changes and establishes what He wants
And with Him is the Mother of All Books.

O My Lord! For the sake of Your Divine Manifestation
On this fifteenth night of the blessed month of Sha'ban
In which You issue all Wise and Irrevocable Decrees
Remove from us all calamities and hardships,
those that we know about as well as those that we don't,
while You know everything.
Truly, You are the Most Powerful, Most Generous.

And may Allah the Exalted shower blessings and peace on
His Holiness Muhammad, and on his family and his companions
And all praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.


DU'A NISF SHA'BAN

Allahumma Yaa Dhal Manni walaa yumannu 'Alayh
YaaDhal Jalaali wa'l Ikraam
Yaa Dhat-Tawli wa'l In'aam
Laa Ilaaha illa anta
Zahru'llaajeen wa jaaru'l mustajeereen wa amaanu'l khaaifeen

Allahumma in kunta katabtanee 'Indaka fee Ummil Kitabi
Shaqiyyan aw mahruman aw matrudan aw muqattaran 'alayya fi'rrizqi
Fa'mhuAllahumma biFadlika
Shaqaawatee wa hirmaanee wa tardee wa'qtitaara rizqee
Wa-athbitnee 'Indaka fee Ummil Kitabi
Sa'eedan marzuqan muwaffaqan li'lkhayraati Fa Innaka Qulta wa Qawluka'l Haqq
Fee Kitabika'l munzal 'alaa lisaani Nabiyyika'l Mursal
Yamhullahu maa Yashaa'u wa yuthbit
Wa 'Indahu Ummul Kitab

Ilaahi Bittajalli'l A'zam
Fee laylatin-nisfi min shahri Sha'ban al-Mukarram
Allatee yufraqu feehaa kullu amrin hakeemin wa yubram
An takshifa 'annaa mina'l ballaai wa'l balwaai
Maa na'lamu wa maa laa na'lam
Wa anta bihi a'lam
Innaka anta'l A'azzu'l Akram

Wa Sallallahu Ta'ala 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in
Wa 'alaa aalihi wa as'haabihi wa sallam
Wa'l Hamdu Lillahi Rabbi'l 'Aalameen

Credit: via Deen Islam

Sha'ban is the 8th Month in the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadhan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by the Holy Prophet through his oral instructions and his practice.

The blessed companion Anas reports that the Holy Prophet was asked,"Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadhan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sh`baan in honour of Ramadhan."

The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid reports that he asked the Holy Prophet: "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sh`baan so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." The Holy Prophet replied : "That (Sha`baan) is a month between Rajab and Ranadhan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe. So, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."

* Read: You may read a copy of Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee's Khutbah on Nifsu-Sha'ban, with recommended nawafil prayer of this night and Dua by clicking on the book cover below (courtesy of Green Mountain School):

* Discourse from Sufi Guides on the blessedness of this night: You may listen to talks by Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee (click) as well as Shaykh Abdur Rasheed (click) on the significance of the night of 15th Sha'ban or Shab-e-Barat (Laylatul-Baraah).

 More on this blessed Night:
* Blessings of the Month of Sha'ban and and Remembrance on the Night of Deliverance
* The Month of Sha'ban
* Laylatul Baraah (Shab-e-Barat) | The Blessed Night of Deliverance
* Special Night of Turning Inward | Shab e Baraat 
* Dua Nifs Shaban
* Seeking Allah’s Gaze, Ramadhan/Shab'an -One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze
* From Kanz an-Najah was-Surur (The Treasures of Success and Happiness) regarding the greatness of Sha‘bān and some of the recommended things to do during this month

Being a Person of Paradise | from the Teachings of Shams Tabrizi

Shams Tabrizi was a revolutionary Sufi Master, the Spiritual Teacher of Mevlana Rumi. The following teachings are featured in his Malaqat (Conversations). Mevlana Shams was a spiritual heir of the Divine Messenger and remains to be a Sultan of those who have attained.

Let thine Eye be Single

Shams reminds of the sacred hadith where the Divine Voice speaks: “La ilaha illallah (there is no god but God) is My Fortress. Whoever takes refuge in My fortress becomes secure.”

Shams says, “Whoever goes into this fortress of oneness – God did not say, “whoever only says the name of the fortress.” To say the name is easy; you may say, “I have entered the fortress,” or “I went to Damascus.” But if it were just a matter of the tongue, in an instant you could ascend from earth to the heavens or to the Empyrean and the Divine Throne. The Prophet Muhammad said, “The faithful who says “La ilaha illallah” with purity and from the heart, enters Paradise.” Now you sit and say, “He is One.” But who are you? You are more than six thousand! Become One! Otherwise, is His Oneness your concern?

Remember here the same teaching of Jesus Christ where he transmits, “Let thine eye be single ... Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’; anything (duality) beyond this (unity) comes from the evil one.”

Shams continues his teaching, “You are a hundred thousand particles and each particle of yours is being carried off by some desire; within each particle of yours, you are carrying an illusion. The one who demonstrates purity of intention and sincerity of action goes to Paradise.”

The best of human beings is the one who most benefits others. But how can one who doesn’t know what good is, do something good? How can those who don’t know what a “year” is and who haven’t understood what “life” is wish each other long lives? A single silver coin given into the hand of a man of God is better than a thousand gold coints that come into the hand of a man who is fond of his nafs (desire, selfhood, the appetizing selfish self).

Be a Person of Heart

Spiritual Portrait of Mevlana Shams

One should not be a person of bodily instincts, but a person of heart. Seek the heart, not instincts! Where is the place of the heart? The heart is hidden. He is a companion of God, but out of jealousy, they call him “a man of heart.” The moment the bright light of the Truth reflects upon the heart, the heart becomes joyful. Then in a moment, that light disappears, but many times it happens like this so that the heart might become a heart. It burns, and many times the heart gets broken, until it melts and only God remains.

[God] indicated this to the Prophet David. David asked God, “Where will I look for you?” [God answered], “My heavens and my earth cannot encompass me, only the heart of My faithful servant can encompass Me.” He also said, “I am with those whose hearts have been broken on My way.” When you say, “a person of heart,” say “those whose hearts have been broken,” because brokenness of heart is necessary. When you reach the Truth, you will see the divine light of His Exaltedness from within the divine light of the Truth Itself, because “No one knows them but I.”

Person of Paradise

Shams teaches us: “Let me tell you about the qualities of the people of Paradise. Let me also tell you the sign of the people of Hell. Since the day God created this universe like an arrow shot from a bow, every day, every moment, He has been opening and closing doors. This takes place at such a limitless speed that one’s mind stops.

Whomever you see who has a beautiful temperament and a beautiful face, if his/her words are straight forward, if he/she is open-hearted, and if he prays for good things for everyone, a joy of heart comes from the speech of such a person. He/she makes you forget the anxieties and tightness of this universe; your inside opens in such a way that even if he/she swears at you, you laugh. Maybe, when he speaks of unity . . . you weep, but [in that moment] you feel a hundred thousand joys and laughter within yourself.

Such a person is a being of Paradise.

There is also a kind of person who drinks blood; there is a coldness on his face and in his words that only bring you anxiety. His words repell you, rather than being warming like the speech of the joyful human being. Well, such a person is a devil, a person of Hell.

Now, whoever has realized such a secret behaves accordingly ...”


- Credit: Shared from Being a Person of Paradise: Reflections on the Teachings of Shams of Tabriz by Camille Adams Helminski


Related: 
* Meeting of Rumi and Shams
* Rumi's Whirling
* Visit to Rumi's Tomb in Konya, Turkey
* More posts featuring Rumi

Secret Love-Connection | Meditative Quranic Verses

 
Qul: in kuntum tuhibboona Allaha fattabiAAoonee yuhbibkumu Allahu wa yaghfir lakum zunoobakum,

waLlahu Ghafoorun Raheem.

Qul: ateeAAoo Allaha war Rasoola

fa-in tawallaw fa-inna Allaha la yuhibbu al kafireen.


O My Beloved Muhammad, convey this secret love-connection: "If you really love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your every imperfection."

Do you not know that Allah is the Ever Forgiving, Merciful Lover?

Instruct them: "(As for the proof of your Love) Obey Allah and the Messenger."

But if they turn away - then let it be known, Divine Love is not for those who cover-up and deny (the reality of love).

- The Quran 3:31-32, a non-linear meditative interpretation

Salaat: Becoming like Ahmad, the one who praises

We bear witness that verily God is One and there is no divinity except the Sole Divinity, the King, the Protector, the Incomparable, the Omnipotent and Muhammad is Divine Informer in the brotherhood of Messengers such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, David and Jesus

1.
The Name Ahmad and Muhammad

Ahmad is the celestial name of the praised one, his holiness Muhammad Mustafa, may Allah bless him with a blessing worthy of him and may our understanding be increased towards his exalted station (maqam al-mahmuda).

The meaning of the name "Muhammad" is that person who is most worthy of being praised in the entire creation of Allah, the praised one. The name Ahmad means, the most praising of the Creator. According to esoteric scholars, the name of the Prophet Muhammad was first Ahmad. Then being appointed the office of Prophethood, the creation started to praise him and he became Muhammad. The name Ahmad (also written as Ahmed) is from the Arabic triconsonantal root of H-M-D meaning highly praised, implying “one who constantly praise / glorify Allah.” In the Song of Solomon of the Bible the same root word Hebrew phrase is used in verse 5:16, “Muhammadim”, all together lovely, or the praised one.

The name Ahmad has its origin also in a prophecy from Jesus Christ, mentioned once in Quran in Surah 61: the Ranks: And (this happened too,) when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! Behold, I am a Messenger of God to you, (sent) to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give the glad tiding of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.” But when he (whose coming Jesus has foretold) came to them with all evidence of the truth, they said, “This is (nothing but) obvious magic.”

Many believe that this prophecy can be traced in the original Greek copy of the Bible where Christ’s mother tongue, Aramaic was transmitted in Koine Greek. The trace of this celestial name of the next Divine Messenger to come, the successor of Jesus is “Paraclytos” which is believed to be derived from the earlier Greek translations Periclytos. Periclytos means Ahmed, the praising one and Paraclytos means comforter, teacher, counselor etc which later got misinterpreted and mistranslated. But the earlier disciples knew this news about the next messenger to come, majority of earlier Arab Christians also receive this knowledge from Desert Father and eagerly anticipated for his coming and when Muhammad was bestowed his office of Messengership, they recognized him well and embraced his teachings.

“I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, and sing praises unto Thy Name. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.”
- Psalms of David

2.
Salaat: The Technology of Divine Connection for Humanity

The celestial prayer form which Prophet Muhammad brought down as a Divine gift from heaven for humanity is called Salaat for the intention that with this unified prayer of the heart, connection with the Divine be established for those who does not limit themselves to this temporal world, its forms and its pre-occupations but aspire for the Kingdom to come when this reality transforms into the Greater Reality.

Salaat in its unified and standard form is transmitted, taught and practiced by Prophet Muhammad for the community of believers across humanity so that all can come together to stand before their Lord in unity. Every single Muslim across the world, whether its Indonesia or Australia, whether in South Africa or Morcco, whether in Southern Spain or in North America - every muslim stands before the Lord in unity, rank upon rank to face the Lord of all Kingdoms (Rabbial Alamin) in the same manner. It is through this unified prayer form, no Muslim is ever a stranger in a mosque, regardless of whether this mosque is situated. The language is universal, the form is universal for the entire brotherhood and sisterhood. When a husband and wife is married, they can stand before God on the prayer carpet instantly and in harmony can say the prayer from their heart - because of the uniformity and unity of salaat. Thus unity is established in the family, in community, in society and ultimately in the world across communities.

"It is in the process of being worshipped that God communicates His presence to men." 
- C.S. Lewis

3.
Supra Temporal Reality of the Prophets and Divine Informers

Nobi mor Nur-e-Khuda
Tar tore shokol poyda
Adam er kolobete tari Nurer roshoni.

My Beloved Divine Messenger is a Light from God
For him the entire manifestation manifested
Inside the heart of Adam, behold! its the same effulgence!
- from a traditional folk song praising the Prophet

The spirit that was bound within the form of attributes went to the Divine Essence by means of the light of (Muhammad) the Chosen. The moment it started going, it cried out in joy, "Blessings (be) on the joyful spirit of (Muhammad) the Chosen!" - Rumi 

According to the sacred teachings of Islam, different Messengers of God hold different spiritual station with the Divine. For example, Abraham was Khalilullah, friend of God. Moses was Kalimullah, God spoke with him, Jesus was Ruhullah, Spirit and Breath of God, also Kalamullah, Word of God. And finally Muhammad was HabibAllah, Beloved of God. Such was the exalted station of Prophet Muhammad, he is known as the Father in Spirit (al-ab ar-ruhi) of Humanity, while Adam is the Father in Clay (al-ab at-tini) of Humanity .

The following verses from Surat al-Ahzab suggests in effect that it is in his supra-temporal reality that the Prophet is called upon:

And when We sealed with the prophets their alliance, with you, with Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus the Son of Mary, We sealed with them a solemn alliance. - The Quran 33:7

The enumeration of prophets limits itself here to the main phrase of the prophetic cycle in which the Prophet holds the first place, that of Adam. This is interpreted here as an allusion to his antecedence and to his paternity on the plane of Spirit, which coincides with the posterity of his function as Seal. Sacred tradition confirms this interpretation.

We have sent unto you (in you) a messenger from among you, who recites unto you Our verses, purifies you (yuzakkikum), and teaches you the Scripture and Wisdom, and teaches you that which you knew not. - The Quran 2:151

That which man does not know and which he cannot come to know by himself alone is direct knowledge, revealed to the prophets and inspired to the saints.

 
4.
The Prophetic Presence in all Believers

And know that the Messenger of God is among you, in you (fee kum).
- The Quran 49:7

The Prophet is intimately present in every believer. On the macrocosmic perspective the role of the Divine Informer / Divine Messenger is to give glad tidings which is also the meaning of Gospel (good news), a role performed by Christ. Similarly for the reality that is within every single human being, on the micro scale the function of Informing or the responsibility to carry the Message is within us as well. In that sense, from microcosmic perspective, the Message is within us and hence the Messenger of God is within as well which is transmitted in the inner meanings of the Quranic verse:  WaAAlamoo anna feekum rasoola Allah: "Know that the Messenger of God is among you."

On the outer level the verses was revealed to teach certain decorum of conduct (adab), and at the same time on the inner level this opens up antoher vista of the Prophetic Presence within.

The Second Testimony of Faith, "Muhammad Rasul Allah" according to its quintessential interpretation of Frithjof Schuon, considers the Principle only in relation to three hypostatic aspects, namely: the manifested Principle (Muhammad), the manifesting Principle (Rasul), and the Principle in itself (Allah).

The entire accent is placed on the intermediate element, Rasul, "Messenger"; it is this element, the Logos, which links the manifested Principle to the Principle itself. The Logos is the "Spirit" Ruh of which it has been said that it is neither created nor uncreated or again that it is manifested in relation to the Principle and non-manifested or principal in relation to Manifestation.

The word Rasul, "Messenger", indicates a "descent" of God towards the world; it also implies an "ascent" of man toward God. In that case of Muhammadan phenomenon, the descent is that of the Quranic Revelation (laylat al-qadr), and the ascent is that of Prophet during the "Night Journey" (layla al-mi'raj); in the human microcosm, the descent is inspiration and the ascent is aspiration; the descent is divine grace whereas the ascent is human effort, the content of which is the "remembrance of God" (dhikru 'Llah), whence the name Dhikru 'Llah give to the Prophet.

Jacob's Ladder is an image of the Logos, with the angels descending and ascending. God appearing on the top of the ladder and Jacob remaining below.

The three words, dhakir, dhikr, madhkur - a classic ternary in Sufism - correspond exactly to the ternary Muhammad, Rasul, Allah: Muhammad is the invoker, Rasul is the invocation, Allah the invoked. In the invocation, the invoker and invoked meet, just as Muhammad and Allah meet in Rasul or in the Risala, the Message.

Thus just as Muhammad, the Messenger represent the one who invoke and Message is what is invoked or what connects us with the Divine, the same role is taken up in the salaat or heart connection prayer when one participates in it.

5.
Becoming like Ahmad in the Prayer

The exoteric (zahir) of salaat (prayer) consist in adoring God with postures with body, in directing the body towards the qibla of the body, which is the Ka’bah, the Temple of the Most High God, situated in Mecca. To understand the esoteric prayer means adoring God with the thinking soul and turning towards the quest for the gnosis of positive religion, towards the qibla of the spirit which is the Temple of God, that Temple in which the divine gnosis is enclosed. – Nasiri-Khusraw

The way and rule and manners of love is quite different than any other worldly way, rule and manners. Inner knowledge of the Path of Love tells us that we become like the one we love. Whether we do it consciously or unconsciously, the proof of love is the beloved partake into the fragrance of the lover so much so, that he or she become the goal of love. 

Even in the sacred tradition of Islam, God declares, "When I love my devotee, I become his hand, his feet, his eyes."

Whether its a Sufi Path or any other ancient Path of the Heart, the devotional aspect has the goal of loving the bearer of Message with all its heart and soul. This is the case of the disciples of Christ, this is the case of the close companions of Buddha, this is the case of the devotee of Krishna. The follower must totally and completely fall in love with the being of the Master, so much so that the being of the Master take precedence over their own selves. And that is the whole alchemy of Love.

The Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves. - The Quran

This closeness is from the love, mahabba and ishq of the being who leads one to the Supreme Beloved. And the Sufi instruction is to love those who are loved by Allah. Here those who are loved by Allah after the Prophet and Messenger is their spiritual heirs, the saints and friends of God, the sincere ones. 

Now loving the Habib Allah, the Beloved of Allah means to aspire to become like the one who is loved by Allah. And Salaat is one of the principle technology by which one become like the lover of God, since every single major lover of God's devotion is encapsulated in the movement and stillness of the salaat including that of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa.

Below is a brief of the postures of the Salaat, which successively takes up the shape of the name of Ahmad, on the literal level, through Salaat, the devotee embodies the shape of the name. And from name the sincere ones reach the named.

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God.”
- I Thessalonians 5.16-18

6.
Entering the Salaat to become like Ahmad

The Islamic ritual prayer has the embodiment of the word Ahmad in Arabic.

In the beginning the servant stands facing the unified direction (qibla) and this is shape of Alef, the first letter of Arabic. Alef is the symbol of unity. Then the servant recites, “Indeed I turn my face towards the One Who is the Creator of the Heaven and Earth and indeed I am not among those who associate.” The demand of Beloved is that in the heart there remains no otherness except the Beloved. When lover sits facing the Beloved, the adab (etiquette) is to turn one’s face and whole attention to the Beloved. Hence the beginning of the connection (salaat) is turning the Face completely towards the Beloved by moving away from every otherness (ghayrullah). This is the stage when the devotee must know that his or her face faces the Lord. And the Lord’s glance is upon the devotee’s face.

The Lord declares, “My servant’s standing in the salaat is just like thousands of trees in the Kingdom which I have created to remain standing, absorbed in prayer from their creation till the last days. All the reward that they will get, I am bestowing now all of them to my servant who is now standing in that posture. O my angels, be My witness and there is no exception of God’s command.”

Then after making intention of the prayer, when the servant recites from the Opening Chapter, “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the entire Kingdom”… then God calls out in ecstasy, “Listen to my servant’s praise! He is giving praise to me and he is acknowledging my Lordship and Creative Agency, how can I not be present to him?”

Then when the servant lowers his head and moves to bowing (ruku) in the salaat, then his posture becomes like the Arabic letter “Ha”. Then the Lord promises, “In my Kingdom all the animals from their day of creation till the last days are engaged in the remembrance and worship of their Creator. From cattle, horse, goat, cow, cat, dog, fox, elephants, lion, tiger – all these four legged animals are in perpetual bowing posture and in that they worship their Maker in their unique fashion and inspiration. The spirit of the animals will not be accountable on the Day of Judgment. I am the Creator of them all and let me announce that I am bestowing all the blessings of these creations in this very servant who is now remains in his bowing.

In bowing the servant after lowing his head says, “Glory be to my Great Lord” and hearing this pleased Lord replies, “he who glorifies me, I am the true owner of all glory, how can I not approach my servant.” Then while going back to standing posture the servant says, “My Lord hears every praise” – the Lord says, “O my angels, becoming witness that in order to listen My praise I am becoming present to My servant and hearing his speech.” And then in standing posture the servant says, “O My Lord, all praise is for you” for there is no other goal but He. The Lord replies, “Indeed he is mine, and I Am his, for I am his only Lord – possessor of all glory and true inheritor of all praise.”

After this comes the station of prostration. This time the servant places his forehead - the seat of his rational mind, limited logic, his vain pride, his seat of vanity that issues from his sense of self – all these he places on the ground on the unseen lotus feet of his Lord.

Now the servant utters on his lips in this position, “Glory is for the Lord, the Most High” In his heart when the servant ask fervently the Lord forgives everything and dissolves every shortcoming on part of his servant who negate his ego and affirm the Highness of His Lord and glorifies Him.

In prostration the servant’s body takes the shape of the Arabic letter “Meem” and this is the posture when the heart is above the head, which symbolizes the preference of love and devotion over ego and rational mind.

In prostration through creative imagination the servant reaches the place of Baitul Mamur, the Highest House of Worship in the Kingdom where thousands upon thousands angels are in ceaseless adoration of the Lord and they worship in placing themselves in prostration before the Lord. Now while the servant on earth reflect that form of the heaven, the please Lord says, “Let me bestow all the blessing of my angels to this servant of mine.”

Towards the end while in the sitting posture, the servant recites the greeting what was exchanged between the Lord and his Habib (beloved).

During his holy ascension, when the Prophet was invited into the Supreme Presence, out of ecstasy his first utterance was, “AT-TAHI-YATU LIL-LAHI WAS-SALAWATU WAT-TAY-YIBATU” – All prayers and worship through words, action and sanctity I am presenting to the Court of Allah, they are for Allah only.

In reply the Beloved greets the beloved with the greetings of peace saying, "AS-SALAMU `ALAIKA AY-YUHAN-NABIY-YU WARAHMATUL-LAHI WABARAKATUH" Peace be on you, O Prophet and Mercy of Allah and His blessings. 

Then the Prophet being the intercessor and mercy to all the kingdoms replied, "AS-SALAMU `ALAINA WA`ALA `IBADIL-LAHIS-SALIHIN " Peace be on us and on those who are righteous servants of Allah. And then he bear witness saying, "ASH-HADU AL-LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU." I bear witness to the truth that there is no divine reality except Allah.

And the Essence Itself testifies, "WA-ASH-HADU AN-NA MUHAMMADAN `ABDUHU WARASULUH" I bear witness that Muhammad is devotee and messenger.

This is a reenact of the original conversation of the Messenger and Allah.

In that sitting posture the Lord says, in My creation all that which calls Me, remembers Me and worship Me while sitting such as the mountain, the river, field, those animals such as snake, frog, crocodile all that worship me while sitting. Let me bestow the blessing of all these elements and animals into my servant who is now worshiping me while sitting.

In this posture the servant takes the shape of the arabic letter “Daal”.

Finally through the whole cycle of salaat, the servant takes the form of Ahmad (Ahmad in arabic) which is the celestial name of Muhammad. Ahmad means one who is praised, for indeed Lord praise such a servant who in every form of his physical body adore the Lord.

Towards the final end of the prayer the Mu’min turns right and send the greetings and blessing of peace saying “As Salamu ‘Alikum wa Rahmatullah” : Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. Again he turns left and send the greetings and blessings of peace saying, “Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.”

He says, O all creation of my Lord, now I have come out from the Great Peace, from the Presence of the Great Peace and I am sending you peace.

O friends who aspire to become the friend of the Real friend, understand the spiritual significance of the salaat which embodies the very reflection of divine praise, Ahmad and the entire creation’s worship and adoration is encapsulated in that very cycle of salaat, so take heed and learn and perform and crush your ego and fall on the ground and place your heart high, for indeed the heart is the sacred lotus seat of your Lord. May we for once at least taste the true salaat and make it our own ascension and receive the glad tidings of Janntul Ferdous, The Beautiful Garden, the choicest of reward from the Lord. Indeed according to the transmission of our master, Salaat is the key to Paradise, the blissful Presence where every lover will behold the Most Holy Countenance as clear as the full moon.

My Lord has declared, “I have formed my servant in the form (surat) of Salaat. His whole body is filled with divine blessings with the inclusion of all creational forms.” Thus it is said if the entire world is sold 70 times over, even then its price cannot match the two cycles of salaat of a faithful believer (mu’min). Our Prophet has declared, for the servant, salaat is the way to attain miraaj with God, “as-salatu mi’rajul mumineen”. Through Salaat lets become like Ahmad and like Ahmad have our own ascension to the Supreme Presence, by the Presence, with the Presence and in that very Presence. Wa Allahu Hazirun! Allah is the Ever Present!

AHMAD in Arabic Letters

Nobi mor Poroshmoni, Nobi mor Shonar khoni.
Nobi naam jope jejon sheito dojahaner dhoni.

My beloved Prophet is the alchemy stone,

My beloved Prophet is the mystical treasure.

He is the real rich in the two worlds, who remembers his sanctified name.

- Traditional folk song of Bengal in praise of the Prophet -

Reference:
* Veder Kheyale Khujinu Jahae (Bengali) by Shah Mahbub Ibne Jamal Chishti
* Salaah Book
* The positions of prayer
* Sitting in the Salaat

Salaat: Technology of the Heart and Soul

1.

Salaah or Salaat or the Islamic mode of Prayer is a gift received from the Holy Ascension of the Prophet.  The word comes from the meaning Connection and in the Final Testament again and again it is commanded to establish Salaat, that is to say, to establish the primordial connection of the human soul to the Supreme Soul, the Source with which the soul must connect to maintain its spiritual milk that nourishes and sustains.

It is a technology of the heart and soul in which transformation of human being while living in ordinary way of life, having family and being engaged and productive in the world does not restrict or limit the possibility of Godly realization. While in many previous sacred traditions of the past, a life devoted to God would mean divorcing the world completely, leaving behind family and society, which by every sign present to us in modern day tells us that such mode of life is no longer sustainable and even possible. A quick glance at the monastic tradition of other faith traditions is a testimony of this fact. Those faith traditions which embody purely monastic path and hold it as the ideal, such as Buddhist and certain Christian traditions are facing a serious crisis (less and less people are pursuing this path and leaving the monasteries in critical mass) and as days go by this crisis will only deepen since such divorcing the world exclusively is no longer attracting devotees to follow it as it were in the past. Also the duality that exists within paths where devotion to God would mean denying the rights of family, loved ones and also one’s own biological, emotional need of family, friends and society gives rise more conflicts in modern time. 

Jesus taught his disciples to be in the world as if one is passing by, be like a passerby or a traveler, not caught up with the world. Another teaching is "to be in the world, but above it." To be in the world is important because that is why human existence and human family is for and to be above the world is equally and more important (depending on soul's evolution). But there needs an appropriate technology to be in the world, perform all the myriads of duties and yet to remain free always. In Romans apostles of Christ taught as they learned from their Master, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." And it is through consistent and organic way of life in which prayer is embodied in an unified fashion is what continuously renews the mind and heart and transform them both within and without.

Islam being the finalized sacred code for complete guidance of life dissolves this duality of being a lay person,, being an ordinary person, being loved and loving to others, living a life of humble human being with all human limitations and existential necessity – and that of a life lived in complete awareness and awe of the Supreme Being and dedicating one’s life in everything one does to God, including the sacred duties and following holy commandments. The material and spiritual life is not in split in Islam, but brought into unity. While as we observe in western life style (and as with osmosis this has also perverse in eastern lifestyle) that the total pre-occupation with material impulse only means a deeply rooted poverty of spirituality for human being, a total cut off from the spiritual currents which nourish the spirit and soul of a human being, gives him a purpose in life, serenity, tranquility and a higher ideal to aspire to. And those who feel close to the call of the Divine equally find themselves caught in the material world and its ways roams like lost soul, unable to attend to the call of the Invisible voice of the Soul.

I AM calling to you from afar;
Calling to you since the very beginning of days.

Calling to you across millennia,
For aeons of time-
Calling-calling... since always...

It is part of your being, My voice,
But it comes to you faintly
and you only hear it sometimes;

"I don't hear", you say,
"what is it and where?"

But somewhere you hear,
and deep down you know.
For I AM that in you which has been always:
I AM that in you which will never end.

Even if you say, Who is calling?
Where will you run? Just tell Me.
Can you run away from yourself?

For I AM the Only One for you;
there is no other,

Your Promise, your Reward AM I alone
Your Punishment, your Longing
and your Goal ...

~ Anonymous ~

In Islam Salaat or daily prayer which are aligned to the natural rhythm of the cosmos in which man find himself in existence, is the greatest technology which enables and ennobles the dissolving of this duality of attending to the world while giving response to the sacred call of the spirit and soul. Salaat is the regular renewal of the connection with the Divine Presence from which in truth we are never disconnect but are veiled by thousands of veils in the world of appearances. Through the Salaat each time we move beyond veils so that the ultimate goal is to remain and subsist (baqa) in that perpetual sacred connection (salaah).

In the sacred tradition of Islam the Prophet said, "Whoever loveth to meet God, God loveth to meet that being" On this earth, Salaat is the response to that call of meeting the Lord while living in this very reality, for truly salaat is the holy ascension for the believer. Salaat, for the believers, is the Valentine with the Real Beloved.

2.

The best exemplar and the exemplar who is highly praised by none other but by Allah Himself, Glorious is He, is Prophet Muhammad and who is sent with the most beautiful patterns for human embodiment. Thus for the Sufis the archetypal exemplar is the Divine Messenger himself who is a mercy to mankind (rahmatallil ‘alamin). During his holy ascension to the Supreme Presence (miraj) the gift he was bestowed was the daily five times prayer of the heart, which is called Salaat in Arabic. No less than close to eighty times in the Final Testament it is reminded to establish salaat, which means to establish ceaseless prayer in the heart (which is to attain pure awareness of God in every state and in every situation through prayer) and also to establish it in the family, in the society and hence in the world, because the Kingdom belongs to God who is glorified forever. Salaat is the establishment of that very glorification.

3.

The very practice and movement of Islamic prayer which many calls Islamic Yoga has in it preserved all the prayer movement and all the form in which previous great illuminated messengers used to pray to the Supreme Being. The very form of Islamic prayer is an universal prayer form of humanity. From time immemorial human beings were inspired to stand, bow, put their head on the ground in complete awe and adoration of the Being Supreme. Also in the Hebrew tradition, all the Biblical Prophets used to pray in the same manner. In fact Orthodox and knowledgeable Jews still pray in the same way with a combination of standing, bowing and prostration. The Old Testament and New Testament both wherever they mention the ways in which the previous illuminated beings used to pray speaks of standing, bowing, falling down on their face (sujud, prostration) for this has been very form in which even invisible beings in the Kingdom of Power and Kingdom of Command adores God, the Most High. According to the Gospel and account of his close disciples, Jesus Christ (Isa Masih), son of Mary, when prayed, used to pray in the traditional Hebrew way with falling on the ground (prostration) as the ultimate posture of humility and surrender.

Times of the prescribed Five Canonical Prayers | redrawn from Sh. Nooruddeen Durkee's Shadhuliyya Orsions, volume 1

Do you not see how Allah has made the night to merge into the day 

and the day to merge into the night? 

And has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] 

for a specified term. 

Allah is aware of your every action. 

~ The Quran 31:29 ~

The previous messengers had the established habit / ways / command to pray in certain time in sync with the nature. According to the Talmud, prayer is a Biblical command: "'You shall serve God with your whole heart.' (Deuteronomy 11:13) What service is performed with the heart? This is prayer." The prayers are therefore referred to as Avodah sheba-Lev ("service that is in the heart"). For the Israelite, they were commanded to glorify and pray to God during three times in a day and night (morning light, afternoon and nightfall prayers). This practice is still observed by Orthodox Jews.

In Islam, which is the continous chain in the Abrahamic tradition, all the sacred times during the day and night in which people are commanded to pray their obligatory prayer, renewing their connection with that which is their Essence, is a continuation of the preserved times during which holy Messengers used to adore the Supreme because they were commanded and inspired to do so. Man is not disconnected from the nature, neither is he disconnected from the Divine. Thus as the earth moves with its rhythm, as the celestial bodies swims causing day and night, so also man is told to renew his or her connection with the Divine during the organic times of the day and night. This establishes the place of man in the cosmos. The prescribed times for prayer in Islam correspond to previous greatly illuminated messengers of God sent to humanity at different epoch.

For example, the morning prayer (Fajr) which is prayed before the sunrise was the prayer of Adam, the first and archetypal human being. Two cycle of fard (obligatory) prayer of the Fajr was given to him as a trust. Prophet Muhammad added two cycle of prayer before the obligatory.

The noon prayer (Juhr) was brought in by Abraham, which was only two cycle of fard. Our Prophet added two cycle of fard and the rest of the sunnah (practiced by him) in it.

The two cycle of afternoon prayer (Asr) was the prayer of Jacob. Prophet Muhammad added two cycle of fard as well as the sunnah before it.

The sundown prayer (Maghrib) was the prayer of David. Its sunnah and nafl (supererogatory) part added b Prophet Muhammad.

The night prayer (Isha) was the prayer of Jonah. Prophet Muhammad added additional cycles to it to increase awareness and devotion on part of the devotee.

In addition, the night vigil prayer (Tahajjut) was specifically an instruction to Prophet Muhammad and has been the hallmark prayer of many previous Messengers and saints of God.

4.

On Social level the practice of salaat was extra-ordinary in its earlier days as it still remains today. It is literally the only assembly where no difference remains between those who attend here.

Whether one is a head of the state, another is a very small employee, a slave or a master, an educated or an unlettered person, salaat in a mosque is a practical demonstration that all are equal in the eye of God. It remains to be the only living example where equality of humanity is not only given a lip service but lived and embodied in every time a prayer is done in a mosque. All the differences in outward appearance, role in the world, material achievement, worldly temporal power, all are leveled while people stand in salaat.

During the time of the Prophet, about 1400 years ago, even men and women prayed in the same room without any barrier between same. During the Hajj, the Pilgrimage when people go and visit the ancient house erected by Abraham, there is also no separation between men and women. Contrary to the popular misconception and stereotyping, Islam from its very beginning has practically dissolved the boundaries of not only monastic like devotion and lay people, it also dissolved the differences between devotion of men and women – and why it shouldn’t be? Cause in the eye of God, every single human being, both male and female are children of God, His cherished son and daughters and can any loving and caring mother, loving and caring father deny the love and affection of one and reject the other.

5.
There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant, an instrument of God (‘abd). – The Quran 19:93

And at Gethsemane Jesus Christ went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.

He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

and went away once more and prayed the third time, uttering the same prayer.

For any sincere spiritual seeker, when he or she seek out a true master in the Sufi Path, the first thing that is established after sound understanding of faith and reality that there is but One God and all Messengers, from Adam to Muhammad, all are sent by God (la ilaha illa Allah, maan Adam ila Muhammad Rasululla) , after this comes the Salaat, or heart prayer that renews connection with the Divine. All illuminated masters through their teaching, through their practice and example performed prayer to the Supreme Being. There is no exception. Even elect masters such as Jesus Christ, Muhammad they all exemplify to their disciples and followers that no matter what is one's station with God responding to that longing of the heart through prayer and that humility which is quintessential for the creation before the Supreme Creator. It is the right of the Lord that He be adored and glorified, in this earth, in this very existence, as it is in heaven, as in the hereafter.

Salaat if established in the heart as it deserves to be established, it alone is the sufficient technology to make on ordinary person into a saint and elect friend of God, awliya Allah such is its transforming power.

Salaat has many spiritual benefit all encapsulated in it, since its the culmination of prayer form of all previous Messengers, Elect Friends and beloveds of God. From the sacred tradition of Islam (Hadith) Hazrat Anas (ra) has transmitted, when the servant finish his ablution (islamic baptism) and with pure intention stands at prayer and say “Allahu Akbar”, at that instant that person become innocent as a new born child. When he says “I seek refuge in Allah..” then the blessings of worship in the quantity equivalent of the amount of his bodily hair is written to his book of records.

Then when he says the Opening verses, Surah al-Fatiha, then as if he has performed the umrah Hajj. And when he bows down before his Lord, it is as if he has received gold equivalent to his body’s weight. After he returns from his bowing position by saying, “My Lord listens to His praise” he receives the blessing of freeing a slave. And when he recites Tashahud while sitting towards the end of his prayer, then he receive blessings equivalent of thousand scholars and martyr. And finally when he sends greetings of peace on his right side and on his left side, all the eight doors of the paradise is made open for him. (Dakayekul Akbar)

One of the mystery of Salaat is that it embodies through its movement and postures the very name which is the focus of Divine Presence, Ahmad (the celestial name of the one who is the most praising and most praised) in it. God willing, more on this on the next post.

Further:

* Salaat and its components
* Symbology and meaning of Prostration (face on the ground as described in the Bible)
* Spiritual Meaning of Worship and Daily Salaat

* Symbolism of Prayer
* The Two Sajda
* The Sufi Prayer
* Spiritual Meaning of Prayer

* Why Muslims Pray everyday
* How do Muslims pray