Wednesday, June 4
Tuesday, May 27
Understanding Love
Oh people, seek real love, a love that cannot go astray. That love is the love of God and the love of his creatures for the sake of his love for them. That love emanation may bind a receptive hearts. There is a common saying: “the friend of a friend is a friend”, so love people if you love God, for you must know that He loves them. It is not always easy to love people, even good people, so what about the Korahs of this world?
Love pertaining to the ego is not love, as all the ego knows is to love itself, and what is commonly called love is but mutual understanding to support each other’s egoism. Don’t trust your ego, nor is anyone else’s, for the ego disloyal by nature. When the spirit gains ascendancy the ego may be harnessed and put to good use, as the Holy Prophet said:
“Your ego is your mount”, but left to its whims it will take you many miles from your path in search of herbage.
This discourse is an Ocean, its summary is: what is of the world beware of, and pay attention to the dose. When crossing that ocean embark on a sturdy ship with well – maintained lifeboats and life-preservers, and if you swim in it keep your head above water!
Sunday, March 30
Principles of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order
Conscious Breathing ("Hosh dar dam")
Hosh means "mind." Dar means "in." Dam means "breath." It means, according to Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani (q), that
"the wise seeker must safeguard his breath from heedlessness, coming in and going out, thereby keeping his heart always in the Divine Presence; and he must revive his breath with worship and servitude and dispatch this worship to His Lord full of life, for every breath which is inhaled and exhaled with Presence is alive and connected with the Divine Presence. Every breath inhaled and exhaled with heedlessness is dead, disconnected from the Divine Presence."
Ubaidullah al-Ahrar (q) said, "The most important mission for the seeker in this Order is to safeguard his breath, and he who cannot safeguard his breath, it would be said of him, 'he lost himself.'"
Shah Naqshband (q) said, "This Order is built on breath. So it is a must for everyone to safeguard his breath in the time of his inhalation and exhalation and further, to safeguard his breath in the interval between the inhalation and exhalation."
Shaikh Abul Janab Najmuddin al-Kubra said in his book, Fawatih al-Jamal, "Dhikr is flowing in the body of every single living creatures by the necessity of their breath -- even without will -- as a sign of obedience, which is part of their creation. Through their breathing, the sound of the letter "Ha" of the Divine Name Allah is made with every exhalation and inhalation and it is a sign of the Unseen Essence serving to emphasize the Uniqueness of God. Therefore it is necessary to be present with that breathing, in order to realize the Essence of the Creator."
The name 'Allah' which encompasses the ninety-nine Names and Attributes consists of four letters, Alif, Lam, Lam and the same Hah (ALLAH). The people of Sufism say that the absolute unseen Essence of Allah Exalted and Almighty is expressed by the last letter vowelized by the Alif, "Ha." It represents the Absolutely Unseen "He-ness" of the Exalted God (Ghayb al-Huwiyya al-Mutlaqa lillah 'azza wa jall). The first Lam is for the sake of identification (tacrif) and the second Lam is for the sake of emphasis (mubalagha).
Safeguarding your breath from heedlessness will lead you to complete Presence, and complete Presence will lead you to complete Vision, and complete Vision will lead you to complete Manifestation of Allah's Ninety-Nine Names and Attributes. Allah leads you to the Manifestation of His Ninety-Nine Names and Attributes and all His other Attributes, because it is said, "Allah's Attributes are as numerous as the breaths of human beings."
It must be known by everyone that securing the breath from heedlessness is difficult for seekers. Therefore they must safeguard it by seeking forgiveness (istighfar) because seeking forgiveness will purify it and sanctify it and prepare the seeker for the Real Manifestation of Allah everywhere.
Watch Your Step ("Nazar bar qadam")
It means that the seeker while walking must keep his eyes on his feet. Wherever he is about to place his feet, his eyes must be there. He is not allowed to send cast his glance here or there, to look right or left or in front of him, because unnecessary sights will veil the heart. Most veils on the heart are created by the pictures which are transmitted from your eyes to your mind during your daily living. These may disturb your heart with turbulence because of the different kinds of desire which have been imprinted on your mind. These images are like veils on the heart. They block the Light of the Divine Presence. This is why Sufi saints don't allow their followers, who have purified their hearts through constant Dhikr, to look at other than their feet. Their hearts are like mirrors, reflecting and receiving every image easily. This might distract them and bring impurities to their hearts. So the seeker is ordered to lower his gaze in order not to be assailed by the arrows of devils.
Lowering the gaze is also a sign of humility; proud and arrogant people never look at their feet. It is also an indication that one is following the footsteps of the Prophet (s), who when he walked never used to look right or left, but used to look only at his feet, moving steadfastly towards his destination. It is also the sign of a high state when the seeker looks nowhere except towards his Lord. Like one who intends to reach a destination quickly, so too the seeker of Allah's Divine Presence is moving quickly, not looking to his right or his left, not looking at the desires of this world, but looking only for the Divine Presence.
Imam ar-Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi (q) said in the 295th letter of his Maktubat:
"The gaze precedes the step and the step follows the gaze. The Ascension to the high state is first by the Vision, followed by the Step. When the Step reaches the level of the Ascension of the Gaze, then the Gaze will be lifted up to another state, to which the Step follows in its turn. Then the Gaze will be lifted even higher and the Step will follow in its turn. And so on until the Gaze reaches a state of Perfection to which it will pull the Step. We say, 'When the Step follows the Gaze, the murid has reached the state of Readiness in approaching the Footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him. So the Footsteps of the Prophet (s) are considered the Origin of all steps.'"
Shah Naqshband (q) said, "If we look at the mistakes of our friends, we will be left friendless, because no one is perfect."
Journey Homeward ("safar dar watan")
It means to travel to one's homeland. It means that the seeker travels from the world of creation to the world of the Creator. It is related that the Prophet (s) said, "I am going to my Lord from one state to a better state and from one station to a higher station." It is said that the seeker must travel from the Desire for the forbidden to the Desire for the Divine Presence.
The Naqshbandi Sufi Order divides that travel into two categories. The first is external journeying and the second is internal journeying. External travel is to travel from one land to another searching for a perfect guide to take and direct you to your destination. This enables you to move to the second category, the internal journey. Seekers, once they have found a perfect guide, are forbidden to go on another external journey. In the external journey there are many difficulties which beginners cannot endure without falling into forbidden actions, because they are weak in their worship.
The second category is internal journeying. Internal journeying requires the seeker to leave his low manners and move to high manners, to throw out of his heart all worldly desires. He will be lifted from a state of uncleanness to a state of purity. At that time he will no longer be in need of more internal journeying. He will have purified his heart, making it pure like water, transparent like crystal, polished like a mirror, showing the realities of all matters essential for his daily life, without any need for external action on his part. In his heart will appear everything that is needed for his life and for the life of those around him.
Solitude in the Crowd ("khalwat dar anjuman")
"Khalwat" means seclusion. It means to be outwardly with people while remaining inwardly with God. There are also two categories of seclusion. The first is external seclusion and the second is internal seclusion.
External seclusion requires the seeker to seclude himself in a private place that is empty of people. Staying there by himself, he concentrates and meditates on Dhikrullah, the remembrance of God, in order to reach a state in which the Heavenly Realm becomes manifest. When you chain the external senses, your internal senses will be free to reach the Heavenly Realm. This will bring you to the second category: the internal seclusion.
The internal seclusion means seclusion among people. Therein the heart of the seeker must be present with his Lord and absent from the Creations while remaining physically present among them. It is said, "The seeker will be so deeply involved in the silent Dhikr in his heart that, even if he enters a crowd of people, he will not hear their voices. The state of Dhikr overcomes him. The manifestation of the Divine Presence is pulling him and making him unaware of all but his Lord. This is the highest state of seclusion, and is considered the true seclusion, as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: "Men whom neither business nor profit distract from the recollection of God" [24:37]. This is the way of the Naqshbandi Order.
The primary seclusion of the shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Order is the internal seclusion. They are with their Lord and simultaneously they are with the people. As the Prophet said, "I have two sides: one faces my Creator and one faces creation." Shah Naqshband emphasized the goodness of gatherings when he said: Tariqatuna as-suhbat wa-l-khairu fil-jam`iyyat ("Our Way is Companionship, and Goodness is in the Gathering").
It is said that the believer who can mingle with people and carry their difficulties is better than the believer who keeps away from people. On that delicate point Imam Rabbani said,
"It must be known that the seeker at the beginning might use the external seclusion to isolate himself from people, worshipping and concentrating on Allah, Almighty and Exalted, until he reaches a higher state. At that time he will be advised by his shaikh, in the words of Sayyid al-Kharraz, 'Perfection is not in exhibitions of miraculous powers, but perfection is to sit among people, sell and buy, marry and have children; and yet never leave the presence of Allah even for one moment.'"
Essential Remembrance ("yad kard")
The meaning of 'Yad' is Dhikr. The meaning of 'kard' is the essence of Dhikr. The seeker must make Dhikr by negation and affirmation on his tongue until he reaches the state of the contemplation of his heart (muraqaba). That state will be achieved by reciting every day the negation (LA ILAHA) and affirmation (ILLALLAH) on the tongue, between 5,000 and 10,000 times, removing from his heart the elements that tarnish and rust it. This dhikr polishes the heart and takes the seeker into the state of Manifestation. He must keep that daily dhikr, either by heart or by tongue, repeating ALLAH, the name of God's Essence which encompasses all other names and Attributes, or by negation and affirmation through the saying of LA ILAHA ILLALLAH.
This daily dhikr will bring the seeker into the perfect presence of the One Who is glorified.
The Dhikr by negation and affirmation, in the manner of the Naqshbandi Sufi Masters, demands that the seeker close his eyes, close his mouth, clench his teeth, glue his tongue to the roof of his mouth, and hold his breath. He must recite the dhikr through the heart, by negation and affirmation, beginning with the word LA ("No"). He lifts this "No" from under his navel up to his brain. Upon reaching his brain the word "No" brings out the word ILAHA ("god"), moves from the brain to the left shoulder, and hits the heart with ILLALLAH ("except The God"). When that word hits the heart its energy and heat spreads to all the parts of the body. The seeker who has denied all that exists in this world with the words LA ILAHA, affirms with the words ILLALLAH that all that exists has been annihilated in the Divine Presence.
The seeker repeats this with every breath, inhaling and exhaling, always making it come to the heart, according to the number of times prescribed to him by his shaikh. The seeker will eventually reach the state where in one breath he can repeat LA ILAHA ILLALLAH twenty-three times. A perfect shaikh can repeat LA ILAHA ILLALLAH an infinite number of times in every breath. The meaning of this practice is that the only goal is ALLAH and that there is no other goal for us. To look at the Divine Presence as the Only Existence after all this throws back into the heart of the murid the love of the Prophet (s) and at that time he says, MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH ("Mu ammad is the Prophet of God") which is the heart of the Divine Presence.
Returning ("baz gasht")
This is a state in which the seeker, who makes Dhikr by negation and affirmation, comes to understand the Holy Prophet's (s) phrase, ilahi anta maqsudi wa ridaka matlubi ("O my God, You are my Goal and Your Good Pleasure is my Aim.") The recitation of this phrase will increase in the seeker the awareness of the Oneness of God, until he reaches the state in which the existence of all creation vanishes from his eyes. All that he sees, wherever he looks, is the Absolute One. The Naqshbandi murids recite this sort of dhikr in order to extract from their hearts the secret of Oneness, and to open themselves to the Reality of the Unique Divine Presence. The beginner has no right to leave this dhikr if he doesn't find its power appearing in his heart. He must keep on reciting it in imitation of his Shaykh, because the Prophet (s) has said, "Whoever imitates a group of people will belong to them." And whoever imitates his teacher will some day find this secret opened to his heart.
The meaning of the phrase "baz gasht" is the return to Allah Exalted and Almighty by showing complete surrender and submission to His Will, and complete humbleness in giving Him all due praise. That is the reason the Holy Prophet mentioned in his invocation, ma dhakarnaka haqqa dhikrika ya Madhkur ("We did not Remember You as You Deserve to be Remembered, O Allah"). The seeker cannot come to the presence of Allah in his dhikr, and cannot manifest the Secrets and Attributes of Allah in his dhikr, if he does not make dhikr with Allah's Support and with Allah's Remembrance of him. As Bayazid said: "When I reached Him I saw that His remembering of me preceded my remembrance of Him." The seeker cannot make dhikr by himself. He must recognise that Allah is the one making Dhikr through him.
Attentiveness ("nigah dasht")
"Nigah" means sight. It means that the seeker must watch his heart and safeguard it by preventing bad thoughts from entering. Bad inclinations keep the heart from joining with the Divine. It is acknowledged in the Naqshbandiyya that for a seeker to safeguard his heart from bad inclinations for fifteen minutes is a great achievement. For this he would be considered a real Sufi. Sufism is the power to safeguard the heart from bad thoughts and protect it from low inclinations. Whoever accomplishes these two goals will know his heart, and whoever knows his heart will know his Lord. The Holy Prophet (s) has said, "Whoever knows himself knows His Lord."
One Sufi shaikh said, "Because I safeguarded my heart for ten nights, my heart has safeguarded me for twenty years."
Abu Bakr al-Qattani said, "I was the guard at the door of my heart for 40 years, and I never opened it for anyone except Allah, Almighty and Exalted, until my heart did not know anyone except Allah Almighty and Exalted."
Abul Hassan al-Kharqani said, "It has been 40 years that Allah has been looking at my heart and has seen no one except Himself. And there is no room in my heart for other than Allah."
Recollection ("yada dasht")
It means that the reciter of Dhikr safeguards his heart with negation and affirmation in every breath without leaving the Presence of Allah Almighty and Exalted. It requires the seeker to keep his heart in Allah's Divine Presence continuously. This allows him to realize and manifest the Light of the Unique Essence (anwar adh-dhat al-Ahadiyya) of God. He then casts away three of the four different forms of thoughts: the egoistic thoughts, the evil thoughts, and the angelic thoughts, keeping and affirming solely the fourth form of thought, the haqqani or truthful thoughts. This will lead the seeker to the highest state of perfection by discarding all his imaginings and embracing only the Reality which is the Oneness of Allah, 'Azza wa Jall.
`Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani had four khalifs. The first was Shaikh Ahmad as-Siddiq, originally from Bukhara. The second was Kabir al-Awliya ("the Greatest of Saints"), Shaikh `Arif Awliya al-Kabir (q). Originally from Bukhara, he was a great scholar in both external and internal Sciences. The third khalif was Shaikh Sulaiman al-Kirmani (q). The fourth khalif was `Arif ar-Riwakri (q). It is to this fourth khalif that Abdul Khaliq (q) passed the Secret of the Golden Chain before he died on the 12th of Rabi`ul-Awwal 575 H.
Sunday, February 10
What is Love?
-Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
What Do I Know of Love? By Rumi
Rumi
He says, “what do you know of Love.”
It’s insanity, It’s Pain.
How it cuts through your soul.
How it burns.
What do I know of Love?
Explosions,
in my heart,
Then, silence.
Tears.
I have seen a glimpse of love,
And have witnessed it’s insanity.
Why do I cry? Oh God, Why…?
He speaks of your Love.
But the love of your creation alone,
has driven me,
to madness.
What do I know, of your Love?
There it goes,
Taxiing down the runway.
And here, I stand,
with my pieces all around me.
My drunken heart,
my numb senses.
What are these at my feet?
Shattered glass?
I must try to put them back together,
From where should I start?
Where should I start?
The lonely bench,
in the morning fog.
The weeping flowers.
My wailing heart.
Why do they all cry?
Why?
Do they also know,
of love?
Thursday, January 31
Hope you enjoy this. Please don't mind the translated english, I am just cut and pasting it for all of you. - Sufi
Shaykh Nazim Suhba from January 07, 2008
What you are coming for? You are here for..
It is an association. We are trying to follow the ways of the Seal of Prophets – peace be upon him. We are trying to follow the ways of followers of the sahaba, the companions of Rasulullah - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam. We are trying to follow good steps of awliya. Where they are putting their steps it is safe, safe step. If not, you should be in a dangerous position.
This is a world - dunya. Sometimes we are looking and seeing some preparations of armies. They're for their defense putting mines in the ground - they can't be seen or known: terrible. If you step on it, boom! Blown away! No joking from mines. It doesn't know who is stepping on it, whether a general, footsoldier, or an emperor. Therefore armies are using an expert - who knows.
Now, prophets are the first level people for knowing it is danger for mankind to be killed. Holy order from heavens is saying, "Oh My Beloved ones, look and try to protect my servants on earth, because their most dangerous enemy Shaytan is putting in such varied places so many mines, traps, or bringing hundreds of thousands of tricks to carry people to that mine."
First order from the Lord of Heavens from all Prophets and Messengers – peace be upon them – is: beware to protect my servants so they don't fall into the trap of Shaytan. Shaytan is freely going from East to West, West to East, North to South, South to North. He is not in need of carrying a passport; no need to use a visa. He is saying, "I'm free. Sometimes I am making myself clear for some of my best friends, but mostly I am camouflaging myself through people and they are thinking that I am their first-class advisor." Shaytan is free to go anywhere, even the Ka'ba, even in Prophet's Holy Masjid, and in 'Arafat as well. Everywhere free.
Like newspaper people (showing their press ID): "Today I have very important work with some VIPs. They'll be coming here and I'll be looking after them to make them even drunker. They are going to be drunk and then I will come and make a speech."
(The shaykh is mimicking a VIP giving a speech:)
"Yes, oh my servants. I was thinking that I could make a good speech for you, but I am looking not prepared and I am not remembering anything, bring me another champagne, and I may speak to those donkeys."
Everywhere Shaytan is going making an inspection. The chief inspection on mankind. For whoever is believing in heavenly knowledge and news, the inspector is Shaytan looking everywhere. Anywhere there is such a thing about heavenly knowledge or positions, he is saying, "Take that away."
Therefore, Allah Almighty is saying "Asta'idh billah". You must flee from Shaytan, you must ask protection. You must ask protection. If not, he will carry you away also. That person is looking for a station, but doesn't know where he is going. He goes but arrives at a different place than he was planning.
"Shaytan: Ya Rabbi, we are running to You from that one. Don't leave is in front of that dangerous enemy. We are weak ones."
Therefore we are saying, "A'udhu billah min ash-Shaytanir-rajim.' What was the title of our association? That all prophets are calling people to be servants of their Lord, and that is the main point for which man was created. Man must now for what he is in existence, for what reason they've been created. Then millions and millions of people are believing this, but they're not giving enough time or energy for heavenly service. People are making heavenly service, but most people are not appreciating anything for heavenly service. Never appreciating. Then so many people are accepting that they have been ordered to perform heavenly service, but they are not giving enough care for that service. They have made their main goal to reach dunya as much as possible. They are doing some heavenly service, but it's not their main target - heavenly service is our most important target. We have been created for heavenly service. Any doubt?
"Wa ma khalaqtu insi wa jinni illa li-'abudun." "I never created mankind or jinn for any purpose other than my service: 'ubudiyya - to be My divine servants. So many people are making this heavenly service, but what was the main purpose for Sahaba when they were coming into the holy circle of the Most Holy One - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam. What was their aim always running and listening? They knew that they'd been created for heavenly service, but they were every time coming, running to the Prophet - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam. Why? They were asking for more and more urging power for them for heavenly service. They were wanting to learn and know what is is the best worshipping to their Lord. They were saying, "How can we do our heavenly service in the best ways- to the best ones, that is important." Yes, you can pray five times, but five times that is not the main target. Because out of five times you are working, working. You are giving your full energy for five times. We are saying, "Enough, enough. We have so many things to do. We may pray quickly but run away." He may or not be looking at what he's saying. Our Lord is saying, "My servant is running to another service, not giving full care to my heavenly service that I was dressing them for to be an honour for them in dunya and akhira. Look, oh Angels, at my servants. Mostly they are not looking to heavenly service. Who are they considering? The servants are giving a very short time saying, "We are not in need of more than that."
Like salafi people, they are not taking care to make sunna or zawaid like what Prophet - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam - was doing. Only obligatory service, then they run away - go and work. When you are leaving this world that is for Allah, where are you going? Who is the foreman for manking on their service?
Foreman No.1 is Shaytan. East and West they are running and saying what is the order of the boss. "Look to see that you don't give too much time for their prayers. You must grant to them very short time for their heavenly service." They are making taslim and then taking their shoes and running away.
For whom are they running? For whose service are they running? Have I created them for My Heavenly Service, or have I created them to follow their dangerous enemy and dunya? You know, O our Lord, You know best. You created them for their Heavenly Service, but mostly they are not giving anytime for that service, or they are giving a very short time. They are taking their shoes and quickly running off. For what? For Shaytan's way. They are workers of shaytanic service. How is this dunya going to have people that are happy.
Therefore, I am happy with who is coming here. Al-Hamdulillah! You are sitting and not thinking about any other service. You are sitting, and no one is thinking about their job. No. And your main target, which is the title of the association that our grandshaykh is granting us, may Allah bless him. Say to our brothers, sisters, sons, grandsons, grand-daughters that we are doing this association to learn how we can do our service for our Lord in the best way. We are translating, and you are knowing but you cannot speak on that. Your target, how we can do our Heavenly Service in the best way. That must be through your heart always: how can I give my best service to the Lord of heavens? Therefore, we are saying, "welcome to you," as Prophets were welcoming people who were coming in such a way. Some people are coming, taking something, and running away. They were not on the same rank of Heavenly Service as other people sitting in front of the Prophet - sallaLlahu alayhi wa sallam - who were asking much more knowledge to practice their Heavenly Service in the best way. Therefore, here is a handful of people who are asking to do their best service for the Lord of Heavens. Capital for those people, but for others dangerous days are coming.
Dangerous days are coming, and I am asking forgiveness from Allah Almighty, and I am asking us to keep us on enlightened ways - not to leave us to full in dark ways. Darkness is the worst for looking at by people. May Allah forgive us. This assocation may be more than enough for the whole world to be as a sun shining on their hearts. May Allah forgive me and give much more power and authority through Muharram to take away the ways of heedlessness. That people may run from dunya to akhira. Al-Fatiha for the honour of the most honoured one in your Divinely Presence.
Saturday, January 26
Friday, January 25
An Invitation to the Divine Presence
This article from Shaikh Nazim illustrates the true nature of islam, and how peaceful it is. People of Adam are all Allah (God)'s creations and Allah recognizes their good deeds better than anyone.
This article is republished from sheiknazim2.com/aninvitation.html and talks about the connection between Shaikh and his Student. There are arabic words used that are new to me as well, but the essence of the article can still be achieved.
Please contact your Shaikh for more clarification.
Shaikh Nazim
It means nothing to Allah that you were known in this life as a Muslim, Christian, Jew or Buddhist, but he will be concerned with whether you deserved the title of Haqqani. Those who have been Haqqani in this life are transformed; their very essence adopts Divine attributes so that they become “Rabbani” or beings who pertain to the Lord intimately. It is about these people that Allah Almighty says in a Holy Hadith:
Oh My servant, be obedient to Me and I will make you Rabbani, Then you (also) will say to a thing “be” and so will it be. When one reaches the level of Rabbani, God dresses him in His Own attributes and makes him His deputy. Then he grants you willpower that is not your own, but His. But the way to attain the Station of Rabbani leads through the Station of Haqqani, and whoever intends sincerely to be Haqqani will receive guidance from Him.
What is the nature of the station of Rabbani? for those in that station the ocean may be as a puddle, and even the whole world may be a crumb in their hands. Abdul Wahhab ash-Shaarani, a great Sufi of Egypt, said that some men of God see the world as a candle and some see it as an atom. A man of God will first be shown the nature of the universe and all of its creatures, then he will learn about the Lord Almighty. Therefore, on his Night Journey the Holy Prophet was shown the whole universe and only thereafter was invited to leave it and enter the realm of absolute Truth. He left everything, including his self, and entered the Divine Presence, but only after he had been shown everything about the world did he enter Unity Oceans.
He entered Unity Oceans but he was ordered back to the world to invite all Nations to follow him to the Divine Presence. Those who heed his call to ascend to the seven heavens are two separate groups. The first group consists of those who may potentially attain the Station of Gabriel. When Gabriel was leading the Holy Prophet in his ascension, he stopped at a certain point, for fear of being annihilated in the Divine. That Station represents the highest attainment possible through the mind. The second group contains those who are prepared to sacrifice everything, even themselves, to attain absolute “Unity Oceans”. Their station is absolute Unity, Ahadiya, while the station of those who fail to throw off the yoke of mind, form and relativity is the station of Gabriel, the station of the awareness of Unity, Wahadiyya. The station of Wahadiyya is in Unity
Oceans, but it is a “sub-station”. It is, however, the uttermost limit for all but the fewest of seekers.
The way to the station of Ahadiyya, of absolute Unity, is one of total inner renunciation of all hopes of being something. Some of our brothers have asked me to open up to them the doors of Divine attraction, Jadhbah. It is a kind of a power, but it is not my job to dispense power, but to take it away, that you might be empty handed and thus candidates for the station of Absolute Unity.
If an unprepared person were to receive spiritual power, he would only wreak destruction upon himself and others. A little boy may admire the large horses the police ride, but if he we were to mount him on such a horse, do you think that he would be able to control it,? Sometimes a father may put his small son on his lap while he drives down a quiet street, and let him steer, but do you think that the father is really letting him drive?
Only those who have subdued their egos may be given any power. A rocket is not launched until all of its systems have been checked many times over, and the flight of each soul to its heavenly destination is much more important than launching a rocket, so don’t imagine that Grandsheikhs empower their murids (students) easily.
Once, Ubaydullah al-Ahrari called one of his murids and said: “Oh Abdullah, go climb that mountain and wait there for me, I am coming after you.” The murid climbed the mountain and began to wait. The morning passed, then the afternoon. The sun set and still there was no sign of the Sheikh. The next day the dervish waited patiently, but still the Sheikh did not come. But his orders were clear, so he waited, a week, a month, a year, five years, and seven years. He survived on that mountain as a beast would survive. In the summer he fed himself with berries and in the winter from the bark of trees. When he prayed the birds would alight on his shoulders and at night when he chanted his Dhikr the animals would gather around him in a circle.
There he waited for seven years without any news from his Grandsheikh. But the Grandsheikh had original1y received the order to send that murid to the mountain from the Holy Prophet, and he was awaiting the order to go up, after him. When the order arrived the Sheikh went up to the murid’s perch in the blink of an eye and said to him.
“Oh my son, why have you been waiting here so long? I told you that I was coming, so when I didn’t come, why didn’t you come and see what had happened to me? I could have died or been hurt; I could have been lost on the mountain, so why didn’t you search for me?" The murid answered: "Oh my Master, I was ordered to wait for you, not to look for you. You ordered me to wait here until you came, and, as the saying goes, whatever a noble person promises, that he will fulfil, so what about you, Oh most noble of mankind”! Is it possible for you to promise something and then fail to fulfil it? I would have waited here for you even until the Last Day. A dog will wait for you if you tell him to, so how shall I be less loyal and obedient? Besides, it was not too difficult for me to wait here, at least you came before I died, when you could have left me until that time too. I relied on your word, not on my mind’s judgement, as I know that you are caring for me.”
The murid had understood that his Sheikh was not really scolding him for staying there but that he was testing him by repeating the same arguments and objections that his ego had brought forward when the Sheikh had not appeared when expected. That murid attained the same level of reliance upon his Sheikh and through his Sheikh on the Prophet and ultimately on his Lord, that Abraham attained in reliance on his Lord. When Abraham was thrown in the fire by Nimrod, the Angel Gabriel came and asked him: “Are you in need of help?” I am in need of my Lord’s help, not yours,” replied Abraham. Then Gabriel said: “Then ask your Lord for help.” “There is no need for me to ask, for He sees me, looks after me and knows well, where I am and of what I am in need.’”
That murid was on exactly the same level of trust to his Sheikh. He knew that his Grandsheikh, was not a blind person, and that, therefore, he must be aware of his condition. This is why he answered his Sheikh’s queries by saying “Oh my Sheikh, I have no doubt that you are keeping me within the scope of your spiritual vision, so why should I apply my mind and will when I have given the reins of my will to you trusting that you will guide me to my Lord’s pleasure. I am in your hands like a dead body in the hands of those who wash it before burial.”
Then there appeared a flock of wild doves as an escort for a. very large green bird, a bird which appears to murids who have successfully completed their seclusion. That is a sign that the murid is ready to be escorted to the presence of the Holy Prophet and the Grandsheikhs of his assembly. The Holy Prophet ordered Ubaydullah: “Now I have witnessed that your murid is absolutely in control of his ego. you may give him his powers.
The powers received at this point are six
1) Haqiqat ul-Jadhbah (The Secret of Attraction)
2) Haqiqat ul-Fayd (The Secret of Emanation or Outpouring)
3) Haqiqat ut-Tawassul (The Secret of Connection)
4) Haqiqat ut-Tawajjuh (The Secret of Alignment)
5) Haqiqat ul-Irshad (The Secret of Guidance)
6) Haqiqat ut-Tayy (The Secret of Folding Space)
Until the Holy Prophet appears to the Grandsheikh and takes upon himself responsibility for the murid, no powers are given. But at that time the floodgates are thrown open.
In our way we must never claim to know anything or to be anything, because dissolution in Unity Oceans requires the abandonment of all pretentiousness. Most people, on the contrary spend their life energy on futile attempts to grasp something in their hands.
However, when they open their hands to see what they have, they realize that they never caught it, or even if they did, it flies away as soon as they open their hands. Even seekers of truth sometimes attempt a “catch” by trying to reach a spiritual station for the sake of their egos. In this case seekers have not completely renounced self-aggrandizement, but in accordance with their level they may attain good in this life and the next, but not that ultimate station of Ahadiyya. Only he who abandons the covetousness of this life and the next will be given pleasure that no one can imagine.
A murid becomes eligible for these powers Then he becomes free of his ego’s tyranny. When they are granted he is a free man, forever free of the limitations of time and space.
Time and space are the illusions which now bind us. When we are free they are at our command.
The Power of Attraction is the power which enabled the saintly advisor of King Solomon to bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem, from Yemen in the time it takes for an eye to blink, or less (Holy Qur’an, Chapter 34). This is the power that enables one to draw anything to himself. Inanimate objects are the easiest, people the most difficult.
The Power of Emanation or Outpouring is the power to be the means for .the transfer of the experience of the Divine Presence to the murid. It is all embracing light that overflows the brim of the vessel. The Holy Prophet is the vessel in which these Divine favours are poured and, as they are without end, they flow from his heart to the hearts of Saints and from theirs to those of murids.
The Power of Connection is the power to connect at all times to this chain of transmission of Divine power and favours. For Saints it is the intimate knowledge of the Prophet’s realities and those of the chain of Sheikhs leading to him. For those who are yet aspiring to that station it is the daily invocation of the names of those Grandsheikhs leading up to the Holy Prophet. In our time, the time when the advent of Imam al-Mahdi is anticipated, many more people will have access to this power than ever before.
The Power of Alignment enables the Sheikh to turn his heart towards the hearts of his murids at any given time, and to turn their hearts towards their destinations. If he can’t do this then it is meaningless to say that he is a Sheikh. The first step is in his turning the heart of the murid towards his own, after this it will be possible to turn it onwards.
The Power of Guidance is the power to lead one on his way to his destination once he has been turned toward the direction through the Power of Alignment. For example, if you arrive at Heathrow Airport it is not enough, you must be lead or given directions to arrive at your specific destination in London. Therefore, being turned in the direction is only the first step, the door of the maze; you must be helped on through it.
The Power of Folding Space is the power to travel at will anywhere in the Universe without actually traveling the distance, but rather by “rolling it up” like a parchment. Such a thing is unattainable except for those, who have subdued the physical body absolutely.
Presently our souls are encased in our physical bodies. The secret of this power is that, by bringing the physical body under control it becomes encased in the spiritual body, and the movement of the spiritual body is not cumbersome like that of this body. What is the speed of a donkey compared to the speed of Light? The speed of light is like a donkey compared to the speed of the spiritual body.
Please don't mind the references that were translated from Arabic/Turkish to English.