VII. 2.
On his tongue, the slave should urge the two shahadats (witnessings) saying:— I declare no god but God; I declare Muhammad, His slave and prophet.
For the verifying of his own heart, he should witness to this confession.
The confession of shahadat is special; because, in respect to his own nafs, every confession is shahadat; the shahadat is not confession.
As every confessor is taken as to the confessed, so the confessor (of faith) is taken as to his own faith and questioned to the limits of the shar' as to his service.
The shahadat of confession is not the place of suspicion. Although confession is of the crowd of (mere) words, yet it is a most honoured column of deeds.
Because the meaning of: —
(a) 'amal (deed) is the use of the limbs upon the orders of the shari'at.
(b) ikrar (confession) is the use of the tongue in the creed of faith whereto most men are subjected.
The tongue is the interpreter and the witness of the heart, whose mystery it relateth; and to whose faith, it witnesseth.
The other limbs are interpreters and witnesses of the heart, whose mystery they relate; of whose hal they give evidence.
This shahadat, they perform by the tongue of deed (not by the tongue of the mouth).
Thus the tongue hath inwardly a word, outwardly a deed; all the columns have inwardly a word and outwardly a deed.
The limb that men use in the requisites of the shar', it, with the tongue of hal, witnesseth to the existence of faith in their heart.
Ikrar and 'amal, each, is a witness to the existence of faith, not a part thereof. Faith is verification by the heart; confession, by the tongue; action by the limbs.
This signifieth —
Not that the essence of faith is confession, or deed; for faith alone is the verification of the heart. Confession and deed both are the marks, though it is possible that the witnessing of these two may be false:
as, in the case of hypocrites, in whom are strong confession and deed, while faith languid is.
But, because the base of rules is on outward things, the order in respect to the faith of one (for whom witnessing is made) is dependent upon the shahadat of these two witnesses; and to it opposition declineth.
After the witnessing (shahadat) of witnesses the order in respect to one (against whom, witnessing is made) is incumbent upon the kazi, although the witnessing be suspicious.
Once Bilal cast down in battle one of the infidels who presented the shahadat.
To it, Bilal paid no consideration; and separated his head from his body.
When he related this to Muhammad, he was reproved. He replied: —
O prophet! his confession was from fear, not. from faith.
Muhammad said: —
How splitedest thou his heart? How knowest thou that in his heart was no faith?
IX. 3.
Zuhd signifieth
(a) the heart's turning away from the pleasure of the world's goods; and shunning its desires.
(b) the third stage of tauba (penitence) and of wara' (piety).
The holy traveller on the path to God at first forbiddeth his own nafs with the elephant-goad of sincere penitence from falling into difficulties as to sins; to it, maketh straight the power of delights; and maketh, with the polisher of piety, his heart pure of the rust of greed, so that therein may appear the verity of this, and of the next, world.
Therein, he seeth this world ugly and transitory, and therefrom turneth; the next world, beautiful, and thereto inclineth.
The abandoning and the being alone is: —
(a) for “the last ones,” not the necessity of the truth of zuhd.
(b) for “the first ones,” of the requisites of zuhd.
In praise of zuhd, for the distinguishing of pretenders from the sincere, most of the words of shaikhs comprehend the necessity for abandoning property and delights.
There are three zuhds: — i. the zuhd of the common in the first rank.
ii. the zuhd of the special in the second rank is zuhd in zuhd. It signifieth —
Change of delight from the acquisition of zuhd which is the prop— of delight; of the will of the slave; and of his nafs being filled with delights of the next world. By the fana (effacement) of his own desire in the will of God, this sense cometh true.
iii. the zuhd of the special of the special ones in the third rank, which is zuhd with God.
It is peculiar to the prophets and to other holy men; and is in the world after the fana of his own will by God's will.
Zuhd is the result of hikmat and of the birth of knowledge.
In the application of zuhd, pleasure in the world is the result of ignorance, and the birth of the heart's blindness as in the hadis.
For the shunning of the fleeting world and for delight in the lasting world,— the zahid hath laid on a sure foundation (God's will) the foundation of his own work.
Thus, have Lukman and Shibli said; and so is it in the Hadis.
Benefit by hakikat is not the denial of the stage of zuhd, of its excellence, and of exaltation of the rules of effort; but — through the humbling of zuhd in the glance of zahids, — the purpose of hakikat is the repelling of pride.
IX. 4.
At the stage of fakr (which meaneth taking possession of no chattels) the holy traveller of the path of hakikat arriveth not, till he hath passed through the stage of zuhd (austerity).
For one who hath desire for the world although he hath no property, the name of fakr is illusory.
Fakr hath a name, a custom and a truth.
Its name is taking possession of no chattels despite desire; its custom is taking possession of no chattels, despite zuhd; its truth is the impossibility of taking chattels.
Since the man of hakikat seeth by its means all things in the sway of the master of lands (God), he regardeth not lawful the consigning of property to others.
The fakr — (a) of men of hakikat is a natural quality which,— despite having, or not having, chattels—
becometh not changed. If, in their power, be the whole world, free from taking it they regard themselves.
(b) of spectators who have found only an impression of the truth of fakr; in whose hearts its meaning hath not become enjewelled — is an accidental quality. By the accession of chattels they become changed, and of them regard themselves possessed.
For the sake of being numbered for excellence of fakr, and for desire of the good of the next world, they shun wealth more than the man of wealth shunneth fakr.
On the excellence of fakr over wealth, and of wealth over fakr, the man of meaning hath urged speech.
Fakr—
(a) is with “the first and the middle ones,” more excellent than wealth.
(b) is with “the end ones” equal to wealth. Because wealth cannot deny them the sense of fakr and its truth, as 'Abdu-l-lah bin Jallad hath said. Although to him fakr and wealth are one, the quality of gift leaveth not in him the impression of the form of wealth, as Nuri hath said.
Who is independent of God, how may he grasp aught? Save in God, the quality of the fakir is naught.
There are several crowds of fukara: —
(a) Those who regard as no property the world and its chattels. If it be in their power, they give it away; for it, in this and in the next world, they have no desire.
(b) Those who regard not their own deeds and devotion, although from them they issue— them their own property they know not; and in return for it expect no reward.
(c) Those who with these two qualities regard not as their own their own hal and makam.
All, they regard the favour of God.
(d) Those who regard not as their own their own zat and existence, nor even their own self.
Their,— zat is none, nor quality, nor hal, nor makam, nor deed. No trace have they in the two worlds.
Need is the quality of the needy one, and in his nature standeth. Here is neither confirmed nature nor quality. This is the meaning of fakr, which some of the Sufis have not.
The possessor of this fakr in both worlds, none recogniseth save God, because the Lord of the world is jealous. So concealed from the glance of strangers keepeth He His special ones that, concealed from their own sight, they are.
This fakr is the stage of the Sufis and of “ the last ones,”— not of holy travellers.
Because after passing the stages, in every stage (for the joined one), the pace is (according to his state) sometimes beyond the foot of the traveller.
Like tauba (penitence), which is the first stage of the stages of holy travellers, it is his foot-place which (after traversing all the stages and the makams) becometh attained.
VI. 8.
The tales of the prophet in respect of tajarrud and of ta.ahhul are contradictory.
The source of this opposition is the contrariety of states and of lusts of some who are captive to exceeding passion.
Marriage is necessary:—
(a) for those, from whom are expected,- weakness of piety, poorness of patience (as to abandoning desire); the falling into contrarieties (of state) ; and the committing of adultery.
(b) for those whose nafs hath turned away from following desires; hath obtained rest from excess of desire; hath, from contention with the heart, become torn up, and to the heart's suggestion become obedient.
Tajarrud1 and tafarrud are excellent: —
for those who are in the flower of desire; whose nafs, in the seat of desire, is vain; and who are in the midst of travelling.
To a darvish, they said: — Why desirest thou not a wife?
He said:—
A wife is fit for man; the stage of man, I have not reached. Wherefore should I desire a wife?
Thus to another they spake. He replied: —
Of the divorcing of nafs, my need is greater than of marriage. When I divorce nafs, it will be lawful to desire a wife.
To Basharharis, they said
Of thee, men say so and so.
He said: —
What say they?
They said:—
They say that thou hast abandoned the sunnat of marriage. He said: —
Tell them that since I am engaged in enjoined observances, in the sunnat I engage not.
For the travellers of hakikat, it is known that, at the beginning of journeying, there is no help: —
of severing attachments, of avoiding delay, of holding to resolution; and of shunning the license of nature.
Marriage is the cause: —
of binding the heart to the chattels of livelihood, of descending from the height of resolution to the abyss of license: and of inclining towards the world, after austerity and faithfulness of desire (for God).
Freedom from wives and offspring aideth: —
to tranquillity of heart, to purity of time, to the delight of ease, to freedom for devotion, and to loftiness.
As long as in respect to celibacy, and to strife against nafs,2 he hath power, it is necessary for the celibate traveller to esteem as booty — license of time, tranquillity of heart, so that he become not dull through solicitude for the wife.
Submission to the heart's orders becometh easy to hira who beareth the celibate life:—
till nafs becometh worthy of kindness; its vein of contention torn up, and to it stubbornness, forbidden.
Then to him God giveth a pure wife who shall be his aider in faith and in the chattels of livelihood in a way that shall be the tranquillity of the heart, and his preservation from the calamities of nafs.
Shaikh 'Abdu-l-Kadir-i-Jilani said: —
A long while I had thought of marriage but, to it for fear of time's distress I advanced not; between impulsion and repulsion, I hesitated; at last when I had displayed perfect patience, —God gave me four concordant wives, each of whom voluntarily bestowed on me her property.
In the preferring of marriage to celibacy, the firm 'ulama have the 'ilm-i-sa'at (the knowledge of expansion), whereby they know: —
(a) when, in respect of the observance of limits of “ rights,” they may satisfy nafs; (b) when, in respect of taking “ delight,” they may give it the power of expansion.
HukQk (“rights3”) signify:—
The requisites of nafs, whereby are preserved the prop of the body and the preservation of life, and without which permanency of nafs is hindered.
Huzuz (“ delights ”) signify Whatever (of desire) is in excess (of rights).
The firm 'ulama and the great ones of Sufism know that nafs is unworthy of kindness, or of the gift of delights so long as—
it resteth not from stirring, striving in wickedness, stubbornness; and is not reproved against contentions with the heart.
When under the sway of orders, nafs becometh quiet and the veins of its attachment to the heart are torn out, there appear integrity and concordance between it and the heart, and it becometh worthy of delights and of kindness.
Then the “delights” of nafs become its “ rights;” its pain becometh its remedy.
The “ delights ” of a nafs like this become its “rights;” because the taking of delights becometh not the cause of stubbornness. By every delight, is its rank (in propinquity and devotion) greater.
When by taking delight, nafs gaineth delight,— there reacheth to the heart a great delight (the cause of increase of its rest).
Even so by his neighbour's joy, becometh glad the kind neighbour. When the heart putteth on the rest-robe, it clotheth nafs with the ease-garment.
When the increase of the hal of each (the heart and nafs) is the cause of increase of hal of the other, then the delight of marriage for a nafs like this is excellent,
Sufyan bin 'Ainiya saith: —
(Better) than the whole world, is the increase (in number) of the woman (wives).
For the Amiru-l-Muminin (the wisest, most pious, most austere of the companions), had four wives and seventeen mistresses.
Such is the state of “the end ones”; thereto the idea of the state of “the man of the beginning,” or of the “middle,” reacheth not.
Many are the pretenders and the deceived ones, who, by doubt of this stage, become proud; lay down in the plain of license their own nafs free from incumbrance; and travel in the desert of destruction.
The rule of the celibate traveller is—
So long as to this stage he arriveth not, in the heart, he advanceth no excess as to marriage, and no thought thereof, until, in the heart, the imaginary power showeth no sway. When a thought of it appeareth, he denieth it by penitence to God and by seeking His aid.
If it (nafs) be not repelled, he persevereth awhile in fasting. If it gather strength, thereto he maketh no haste without the preferring of earnest prayer and of much knowledge.
Weeping and groaning, he returneth to God; with submission and weeping, placeth his head in the dust; and uttereth this prayer:—
O God! this thought tormenteth me to commit this sin. Thy forgiveness for it, I ask; before Thee, I repent; me, forgive and my repentance accept. Verily Thou art the Merciful, and great Accepter of repentance.
If it depart not, he goeth to the shaikhs (living and dead) and to the brothers, and seeketh aid; and desireth them to refer these matters to God.
If after this, his heart is established, the brothers rely (according to excellent opinion) on God's will; and to them it becometh evident that they should aid him.
The rule of ta'ahhul is — In choosing the wife, regard her faith, not the world.
As far as is lawful (ma'ruf) he should live with her; should observe her “rights,” therein showing no negligence; and for the preservation of the shar' should order her —as Ibn 'Abbas saith.
In marriage, he should preserve himself from three calamities:—
i. Inordinate lying with the spouse, which is the calamity of nafs. Therefrom
(a) decline in deeds and in readings (of the Kuran), wherefrom defects in hal necessarily come.
appear three injuries:—
(b) the inflaming the fires of praised nature, and the wolves of dead nafs. For, when with a nafs, nafs hath commerce, each (nafs), by kinship becometh the aider of the other. In each (nafs), a delight occurreth and the fire of nature kindleth.
(c) the superiority of nafs after being subdued. For through its own obedience and will, nafs never lowereth its head to the heart's devotion.
When, by the aid of divine attraction the heart gathereth power; and beneath its sway, nafs seeth itself like a powerless amir-in the hand of a powerful amir then, from itself, nafs effaceth the greed of wishing to be followed and by necessity and compulsion becometh submissive to the heart. The kindness, which in this state it gaineth from the heart, nafs seeth is the result of the heart's kindness and of its own submission and of its being subdued, — not the result of the heart's (vain) desiring to be followed.
When in passion, nafs exceedeth moderation, and from the heart hath no reproof, it thinketh that this negligence is through the heart's weakness and its own power; and in the heart's wishing to follow and in its own power (of being followed) reneweth vain desire.
2. Solicitude as to daily victuals, which is the calamity of the heart —
This is the result of doubt; doubt is the calamity of yakin (certainty) ; yakin is the light of vision; vision is the eye of the heart.
The sign of the light of yakin in the slave's heart and its not being veiled by the darkness of doubt is this— that, on God's surety and His pledge, the slave relieth; as to the acquisition of daily victuals (apportioned from the beginning of life to known death) wherein appeareth neither excess nor defect,— is void of doubt; and knoweth that the heart's sway (in solicitude for daily food) is the weakness of yakin; and the want of reliance on God's pledge.
Reliance on any one by one's own deliberation is the result of want of reliance on God's power.
3. Attachment of the heart to the beauty of the spouse, which is the calamity of the soul.
It is for him the prohibitor of sincerity of divine love; and, as regards the violence of shauk (desire) for God, and the torment of zauk (delight), and the delight of love,— maketh him dull.
To the extent that he becometh attached to the net of beauty, verily changeable, effaceable, and hadis (accidental),— he becometh deprived of viewing the beauty (of God), whole' eternal, permanent, and lasting.
The repelling of these (and other) calamities becometh attainable if, at the time of lying with the spouse, two glances are his: —
1. one glance outwardly, in the way of desire, and of being engaged with the spouse.
2. the other glance inwardly at God, from Him seeking aid for the repelling of calamity and in Him being engaged.
A crowd of deceived ones keep glancing at the visible (outward) beauty of the friend; and say:—
In this spectacle-place, behold we the beauty of God! This claim is the essence of falsehood, and of slander.
When from the lawful glance, resulteth the folly of the soul (ruh) and its opposition to the payment of the established portion of love to God— behold from the unlawful glance what (greater) calamities spring.
The source of error of this crowd is when, in that (unlawful) glance, they rest from passion's assault, they think that the source of this is delight, not passion.
This idea is false; for if it had not been the residue of nafs, the pleasure of the glance in a form (which is the stirrer of passion) would not have been special.
When in them this desire hath become slight, from its slightness, they gain not that passion.
When that (unlawful) glance is repeated; and in it, the imagination gaineth sway — possibly it becometh gross and outwardly its effect appeareth.
Hence, for the quieting of love's assault, physicians order conjunction even with one, other than the beloved.
Who, in this way, claimeth the truth of hal,— him, they should hear naught of, and regard as a mere pretender.
IX. 9.
Tawakkul signifieth: —
Trusting one's affairs to the Absolute Agent (God) ; confiding in the suretyship of the surety of daily victuals.
After rija (hope), is this stage; because the matter (of trusting and of confiding) is that one's who first shall understand His mercy.
Tawakkul is —
the result of the truth of faith, by good deliberation and by fate.
This is faith in the rank of yakin (certainty), the possessor whereof knoweth that all affairs are predestined and distributed by fate (takdir), perfect of will, just of distribution, wherein, as to increase or decrease, is no change.
Its sign is —
that, to the grasp of fate (takdir), he entrusteth the rein of deliberation; and from his own power is up-plucked.
Even as have said: — Zu-n-Nun. Sariy. Junid. Hamadun-i-Kassar. Sahl 'Abdu-l-lah.
Every stage hath a beginning and a prosperity suitable to its face; and an end and a calamity suitable to the back of the head — except the stage of tawakkul, which is all beginning or prosperity, and which never terminateth in end and calamity, which signifieth: —
the tawakkul-i-'inayati (the tawakkul of favour) trust to the beauty of the will of the Ancient One (God) ; not the tawakkul-i-kifayat (the tawakkul of sufficiency) which is an enterer that never returneth from tawakkul-i-'inayati.
The true mutawakkil (truster) —
is that one, in whose sight is no existence save the existence of the Causer-of-causes. His tawakkul becometh not changed by the existence, or by the non-existence, of causes.
This is the tawakkul of that one who shall have reached the stage of tauhid (the unity of God). Till he reacheth this stage the mutawakkil, in amending his own makam, is in need of abandoning causes; because, in his tawakkul, the belief of the existence of causes is blameable.
Therefore, in repelling causes, he ever striveth.
In the amending of this makam by abandoning causes, the state of Ibrahim Khawwas is well known.
In one place, he never sojourned more than forty days; and used to take great precaution to conceal his state from the people, so that their knowledge as to his tawakkul should not become a cause of the causes of his daily victuals. Generally, in deserts and solitudes, alone, void of food and of information,— he travelled.
That crowd, in whose tawakkul the existence of causes is blameable, — the existence of causes is the veil of their state, so that on them falleth not the glance of strangers; and beneath the towered dome of causes, they are concealed from the glance of others.
The people think that they are possessed of causes; with the Causer-of-causes they are, in khilwat of union, engaged in being benefited with the delight of holding talk at night, and with the zauk of appearances and of presences (divine).
As to the force of the hal of the mutawakkil, the master of the shari'at (Muhammad) hath decided.
In tawakkul, who is possessor of yakin (certainty) and of tamkin, his head shivereth and trembleth not at any disaster.
An assembly asked Junid: —
If, in search of daily victuals, we make no effort, how will it be?
He said: —
If ye know that the Provider of daily victuals hath forgotten you, strive in search of victuals.
They said: —
Then, will we sit in the house; and practise tawakkul.
He said: —
By your own tawakkul, tempt not God; for, save disappointment, naught will ye have.
They said: —
What thought shall we take?
He said: —
Abandon thought.
Thus it is in the gospel.
The passage is: —
what virtue (force, art) shall we practise.
IX. 10.
Riza signifieth:—
the lifting up (and removing) of the abhorrence of kaza and kadr (fate and destiny) ; and the sweetening of the bitterness of their orders.
After traversing the stages of tawakkul (trusting to God), is the stage of riza.
For despite the yakin (certainty) of the past division (by fate) and the confidence in the Distributor, it followeth not that abhorrence should not exist, nor that the bitterness of orders should appear sweet.
Thus hath it appeared in some of the recorded prayers of Muhammad.
With this difference, because he besought “the first certainty,” whereby it becometh known that to none arriveth save what in eternity without beginning they (fate and destiny) have decreed.
To it (the first certainty), prayer, for riza was added, so that it became known that over kismat (destiny) riza is not appointed by kismat.
The makam of riza is the end of the makam of holy travellers. The being joined to its exalted dignity and to its inaccessible pinnacle is not the power of every hastened one. In this makam, to whomsoever they gave a footing, him, in haste, they conveyed to Paradise.
For, in riza and in yakin, they have established ruh (the soul) and joy, the requisites of men of Paradise.
At this, the naming of the guardian of Paradise with (the name of) Rizvan hinteth. From yakin (certainty), is born riza;
So long as, by the light of yakin, the heart is not diffused and dissolved, by it in the heart, appeareth not the containing of events, of calamities, and of joy.
As have said: —
Zu-n-Nun,
Ravim,
Haris-i-Muhasibi.
The repelling of abhorrence (which is the source of the makam of riza) is the result of the repelling of one's own will.
Ibn 'Ata observeth will, in whole; and in abandoning will in part, regardeth its excellence.
The source of riza is yakin and the spreading of the breast is its necessary; the source of abhorrence is doubt, and the narrowing of the breast is its necessary.
Once in Junid's society, Shibli uttered Lahaula * * * (there is no power nor virtue, but in God).
Junid said:—
This is from the heart's narrowness, which is from the abandoning of riza.
Shibli said: —
Truly, thou spakest.
Abhorrence is of two kinds: —
(a) Abhorrence of the heart, which is the opposite to riza.
(b) Abhorrence of nafs, which is the opposite to the hal and the makam of riza. Possibly in some heart, ariseth this doubt: —
When its preface and source are hal how can the opposite to the hal of riza be collected with its makam?
The reply is: Only a gift is hal, that, through exceeding fineness and penetrating power, pervadeth all parts of existence; and thereby no suspicion of the desires of nature remaineth. But makam is mixed with kasb (acquisition) ; therefore is possible the suspicion of the temperament of the wish of nature.
Even as riza is the result of yakin, which is the heart's special quality, so special to the heart, is the quality of riza.
In it, abhorrence of nafs is not blameable, save when the heart is the possessor of yakin like unto a wide sea, sometimes calm, sometimes rough. When, from the source of divine favour, the winds of circumstances resolve to blow, the heart's sea cometh into tumult; and therefrom, the excess (foam) of a wave plungeth upon the shore of nafs; and, in the flowing of nature, goeth flowing. By its means the effects of riza and of rest appear in nafs; and become qualified with the heart's quality.
When these winds take rest, the heart's sea ceaseth from boisterousness; to its own boundary, the bounty of 'ilm-i-yakin and of rest turneth its face; and perturbation and abhorrence of nafs return.
In that hal of ignorance (the nature of nafs), 'ilm-i-yakin becometh non-existent nafs putteth on by loan the garment of the heart's feelings, and to (nafs), the heart speaketh.
The riza of nafs is the effect of riza of the heart, which is the effect of the riza of God.
When the glance of the divine Rizvan taketh attachment to the heart, in it appeareth riza. Then the mark of union of the divine Rizvan with the slave's heart is the union of the slave's parts with Him. Thus speaketh Sahl 'Abdu-l-lah.
Since the slave's riza is the divine Rizvan's need,— union with the divine Rizvan appeareth not in the place void of riza. Thus speaketh Rabi'a to Sufyan Sari.
The makam of riza is the makam of those joined to God,— not the stage of holy travellers, as Bashar Hafi in reply to Fazil hath said.
Besides that place where one cometh into the place of riza of God, — is what makam?
There, where is the glance of riza all sins appear good.
More pleasant than that where an abhorrent object reacheth none is what hal?
Thus speak: — The Amiru-l-Muminin and Yahya Mu'az.
Necessary for the makam of riza is the hal of love, because when all deeds fall into the place of riza, where the Beloved is Agent, all deeds of the Beloved are beloved.
Neither in this, nor in the next, world separate from the slave, riza and muhab-bat (love) ; contrary to fear and hope, which in the next world separate from him.
x. i.
On muhabbat, is the foundation of all lofty hals, even as on tauba (penitence) is the base of all noble makams.
Since muhabbat is essentially gift all hals that are founded thereon, they call mawahib (gifts).
Muhabbat is the heart's inclination to considering attentively beauty; and is of two kinds: —
i. muhabbat-i-'amm. ii. muhabbat-i-khass.
In the following table, the qualities of muhabbat are given: —
Muhabbat-i-'amm is: —
(a) the heart's inclination to considering attentively the beauty of qualities;
(b) a moon that from viewing the beauteous qualities appeareth;
(c) a light that giveth decoration to existence;
(d) a token that saith— “Imitate what is pure; bid farewell to what is not pellucid”;
(e) the best wine, sealed, tempered (by age);
(f) a wine (by reason of its temperament, possessed of desires) the porter of purity and of impurity; of fineness and of grossness; of lightness and of heaviness.
Muhabbat-i-khass is: —
(a) the soul's inclination to viewing the beauty of zat;
(b) a sun that, from the horizon of zat, ascendeth;
(c) a fire that purifieth existence;
(d) a token that saith— “Live not and consume not”;
(e) the absolutely pure fountain;
(f) a wine (by reason of its being purified from defects) all purity in purity; fineness in fineness, lightness in lightness.
The fineness and the lightness of this wine affecteth the heaviness and the lightness of the cup; changeth its grossness to fineness, its heaviness to lightness, like the soul that giveth to the eye fineness and lightness.
In the cup of their souls, the lovers of zat drink this wine; and, on hearts and nafs, pour the dregs.
It giveth the lightness: — (a) of agitation to souls (ruh). (b) of shauk to hearts. (c) of devotion to nafs.
The relish of this wine affecteth all parts of existence. It giveth
(a) to the soul, the delight of beholding. (b) to hearts, the delight of remembering. (c) to nafs, the delight of deeds.
“to such a degree that, in nafs, the delight of devotion prevaileth overall natural delights.
From its exceeding pureness and fineness, the essence of the cup becometh in the colour of this wine so effaced that discrimination remaineth not and the form of unity appeareth.
Love effaceth all existence; on the condition that it be established in the hal it giveth its own colour; and, like lightnings and flashings, becometh not quickly extinguished.
Junid saith: —
Love signifieth the entering into the qualities of the beloved in exchange for the qualities of the lover.
Muhabbat is verily a link of the links of concord that bindeth the lover to the beloved; is an attraction of the attractions of the beloved, that dravveth to himself the lover, and (to the degree that him to himself it draweth) effaceth something of his existence, — so that, first, from him it seizeth all his qualities; and then snatcheth, into the grasp of Kudrat (God), his zat.
In exchange, the attraction of love giveth him a zat that is worthy of the description of its own qualities; and after that, his qualities (the enterer of that zat), become changed.
Junid said “In the exchange.” He said not: — “In the lover.”
For as long as the lover existeth, — not fit to be described with the qualities of the beloved is his zat.
This hal is the produce of muhabbat and its end. Though its cause appeareth not, its marks are many. To the truth of his muhabbat: — every hair on the lover's limbs is a witness; every motion of it, a mark; every resting of it, a sign.
Save by the eye of muhabbat, one cannot behold this. For the sake of distinguishing the sincere ones from the pretenders, we sum up the ten marks of the lover of God: —
I. In the lover's heart is no love, either for this, or for the next, world, as God revealed to Isa.
Possibly, in a heart divine love together with compassion (for the people) may be collected; and to some that compassion may show (as) love.
Its mark that it is compassion is this, that, if they leave free to choice the possessor of these two qualities (divine love and compassion), — he abandoneth the people's side.
2. He should not incline to any beauty that they may present to him; nor turn his glance from the beauty of the Beloved (God).
Once a man met a beautiful woman, and to her revealed his love. For trying him she said:—
Beside me, is one who is more beautiful of face than I and more perfect in beauty. She is my sister.
Back, he looked. Against him, with rebuke, the woman extended her tongue: — O boaster! when I beheld thee afar, I thought thou wast a wise man; when thou earnest near, I thought thou wast a lover. Now, thou art neither a wise man nor a lover.
3. Means of union with the Beloved, he should hold dear; and be submissive. For that love and devotion are the essence of the love and the devotion of the Beloved.
4. If of the number of hinderers of union with the Beloved, should be his son, of him he should be full of caution.
5. Filled and inflamed with love, he should be at the mention of the Beloved; and of it never be wearied. Every time that mention occurreth, greater should be his joy and exaltation.
The mention of the Beloved, he should hold dear to such a degree that, if, in the midst thereof, he hear his own reproach, therefrom he should gain delight.
6. In respect of orders and of prohibitions, he should preserve devotion to the Beloved; and never oppose His order.
Thus, have said: — Rabi'a. Sahl 'Abdu-l-lah. Ravim.
7. In whatever he chooseth, his glance, in desire of the Beloved's consent, should be, — not in desire of another purpose. Thus, have said: — Abu Bakr-i-Kattani. Shibli.
8. Much, he should regard a little regard of the Beloved; his own devotion (to the Beloved) little. Thus saith God's word and the revelation that He sent to 'Uzair.
9. In the ray of the light-splendours of beholding the Beloved, the vision of lovers becometh dulled and dimmed; wherefrom spring jealousy, passion, and sweat.
If he be in the makam of tamkin; and have the power of devouring (suffering) hal; and if astonishment exceed not the soul's boundary, and prevent not the heart from arranging words and deeds, — his soul in beholding is the more astonished as his heart in appearing before another is the more sensible.
If he have not the power of such tamkin; and, in the power of this hal, the thread of discrimination becometh snatched from his hand, he crieth out: — “In me, increase astonishment at Thee.”
10. The beholding of the Beloved and union with Him should not diminish his shauk.
In his nature, should be evoked a new shauk, astonishment, and desire — every moment in beholding; and in every breath in union with the Beloved.
As the degree of propinquity to the Beloved becometh greater, to the degree of sublimity falleth his glance; and his shauk, agitation, and desire for union increase.
Even so endless is the Beloved's beauty; and the lover's desire, endless.
Of many marks of love, these are a few; impossible in a book is love's limitation; according to the abundance of marks in love's praise is contrariety of words. According to another description and mark, each one, according to his hal, describeth love.
x. 2.
Shauk signifieth: —
The assault of the claim of delight on account of the Beloved in the lover's heart. Its existence is the requisite of love's truth.
Abu 'Usman Hairi saith:-—
Shauk is the fruit of muhabbat (love) ; who loveth God, with Him desireth union.
According to love's division, shauk is of two kinds: —
(a) the shauk of lovers of qualities the understanding through the Beloved's grace, mercy and kindness.
(b) the shauk of the lovers of zat through union with, and propinquity to, the Beloved.
This shauk from exceeding honour is like red sulphur rare of existence. Because generally people are seekers of God's mercy, not of God Himself.
Said a man of heart (a Sufi) : — Thou seest a thousand — 'Abdu-r-Rahman, the slave of the Most Merciful; 'Abdu-r-Rahim, the slave of the Merciful; 'Abdu-l-Karim, the slave of the Generous One — but scarcely one 'Abdu-l-lah, the slave of God.
The seekers of (God's) mercy are many; few, the seekers of God. To the seekers of God, paradise is the sight of Him even if by Fate they be in hell: hell, separation from Him, even if they be in paradise. Thus saith Bayizid.
The hal of shauk is an excellence such that, to their purpose it conveyeth the messengers of the ka'ba of desire; joined to perpetuality of love, is their perpetuality; ever as long as love remaineth is shauk necessary.
Some of the Sufis have denied shauk in the stage of being present with, and of beholding, the Beloved.
This denial would have been at the time when shauk was special in desire of beholding (the Beloved), which is not necessary; because, beyond the beholding of the Beloved, to special men are other desires, (desirous whereof they are) such as — union, propinquity, and increase of their perpetuality.
Not every one who gained a sight of the Beloved, with the Beloved attained the fortune of union: not every one who became a joiner, gained the stage of propinquity: not every one who became near attained the limit of the degrees of propinquity: not every one who gained that degree, lasting thereon remained.
The shauk of these desires, according to the exaltation of its degrees, is much more difficult than the shauk of beholding, as some of the great ones of tarikat have said.
In the Hadls of Da,ud are words, the meaning whereof is the strengthener of our spirit. Because in hal when the glance is on the Beloved, shauk becometh (as is evident to those present and beholding) momently greater.
Then, in connection with what shall have been gained, love is not desirous of beholding, or of being near to, the Beloved; and is desirous in connection with what shall not have been gained.
The shauk of beholding is (in existence) the essence of certainty; its acquisition is in this world difficult.
In some places, shauk is the cause of death's delay; and in some (where the desired is an order from the Beloved, whose acquisition is as life) it becometh not its cause, but the negation thereof.
In this case, life may be beloved.
The cause of death's delay is not necessary, for shauk is the hakku-l-yakin and the makam of acquisition.
Possibly the cause of that shauk is the beholding of one whose acquisition is in this world difficult.
The word lika (beholding) signifieth: — Mushahida (manifestation), wusul (acquisition).
In this place, the second meaning is appropriate.
X. 7.
When the holy traveller of the path of hakikat passeth beyond the makam of muhabbat-i-'amm (common love), and reacheth to the beginning of muhabbat-i-khass (special love), — he entereth the crowd of the companions of heart and of the Lords of hal; and upon his heart, descendeth the hal of kabz and of bast.
Ever between these two states, pursuant and expectant the Turner of hearts (God) keepeth his heart, so that out from it He graspeth sensual delights; and it, with His own light, expandeth.
Sometimes in the tight grasp of kabz, God twisteth his heart so that therefrom becometh expressed the refuse of the existence of delight (hazz) ; and the effect thereof is shown in tears.
Sometimes in the broad plain of bast, God lowereth His rein so that he (the traveller) may establish the marks of devotion and of sincerity. Thus have said Wasiti and Nuri.
Kabz signifieth: —
The extracting of delight (hazz) from the heart, for the sake of holding and capturing its state of joy (surur).
Bast signifieth: —
The flashing of the heart with the splendour of the light of the state of joy.
The cause: —
(a) of kabz is the revelation of the qualities of nafs and the veiling of the splendour of joy's state. The result is the contraction of the heart.
(b) of bast is the up-lifting of the veil of nafs from before the heart. The result is the expansion of the heart.
Of the qualities of nafs (whereof many are the veil of bast) one is tughyan (exceeding iniquity).
In the state of the descending of joy, the heart listeneth to nafs; becometh admonished of its state; through joy cometh into exaltation; and through its motion, becometh raised a great darkness like to a cloud, layer on layer, wherefrom springeth kabz.
To repel this calamity, the heart shouid at the time of the descending of joy, before listening to nafs, take shelter in God; with truth and penitence, repent, so that He may lower between it and nafs the veil of purity, and preserve it from attachment to nafs and to tughyan.
Sometimes to "the first ones," appear in nafs resemblances to: —
Kabz (contraction) grief,
bast (expansion) joy.
On experiencing either grief or joy, they think that they experience either kabz or bast; and thus, fall into error.
The end of kabz is bast; the end of bast is fana; in fana, kabz and bast are impossible
Since kabz and bast are of the crowd of ahvval: (a) in them, “the first ones ” share not.
(b) from them, “ the last ones ” having issued from the sway of occupations, have turned.
(c) them, “ the middle ones ” have as their hal. In the place of kabz and of bast: —
(a) “ the first ones” have khauf (fear of God), and rija (hope in God).
(b) “the last ones ” have fana (effacement) and baka (permanency).
Partners between “the first ones ” and “the middle ones” are: —
(a) fear and hope according to faith. (b) grief and joy according to nature.
“The last ones” by putting off the garment of existence have neither kabz nor bast, neither fear nor hope, neither grief nor joy — except when to the heart's stage shall have reached their nafs; and to it (nafs) become revealed the qualities of the heart; and grief and joy become changed to kabz and bast, and thereby kabz and bast become left in their nafs and are never removed.
X. 8.
Fana4 signifieth: — the end of travelling to God. Baka signifieth: — the beginning of travelling in God.
Travelling to God (fana) endeth when, with the foot of sincerity, the holy traveller travelleth the desert of existence.
Travelling in God (baka) becometh verified when, after absolute fana, they give to the slave an existence purified from the pollution of impurities, so that, in the world of description (the material world), he advanceth in divine qualities.
In the description of fana and baka, the contrarieties of the words of shaikhs agree with the contrarieties of hal of the holy traveller. According to his understanding and the amending of his hal, the shaikhs have answered each murid; absolute fana and baka, they have less explained.
Some have said: —
Fana signifieth: —
(a) the fana of contrarieties.
(b) the decline of worldly delights. (c) the decline of delights of this and of the next world. (d) the decline of blameable qualities. (e) the concealment of things.
Baka signifieth: — the baka of concordances; the permanency of pleasure in the next world; the permanency of delight in God; the permanency of laudable qualities; the presence of God.
The sense is a requisite: — of the makam of penitence of Nasuh; of the makam of zuhd (austerity); of sincerity of natural love; of purifying and of the glorifying of nafs; of intoxication of hal.
Fana is of two kinds; — outward and inward. (a) Outward fana.
This is the fana of deeds and is the glory of divine deeds. The possessor of this fana becometh so immersed in divine deeds that, neither on the part of himself nor on the part of others, seeth he deed, or desire, or will— save the deed, the desire and the will of God.
In himself, no will for any deed remaineth; he plungeth into no work; and, from the free manifestation of divine deeds without the pollution of deeds of other than God, gaineth delight.
Some holy travellers have remained in this makam, wherein they have neither eaten nor drunk, till God hath appointed over them one who (with eatables, potables, and other things) might support them.
(b) Inward fana.
This is the fana of qualities and of zat. The possessor of this hal in the revelation of the qualities of the Ancient One is immersed sometimes in the fana of his own qualities; and, sometimes, in the manifestation of the effects and of the grandeur of the Ancient One.
Immersed in the fana of the zat of the Ancient One, he is immersed in the fana of the zat of Wujud (the Absolute Existence, God) — until that time when, over him prevaileth the existence of God when his heart becometh cleansed of all temptations and thoughts.
God knoweth that, in connection with that one who shall not yet have passed the stage of fana, his baka is shirk (infidelity) ; and not shirk in connection with that one who, after fana, shall have reached baka.
In this makam, the being hidden from feeling (being unconscious) is not a requisite. To some, it may chance; to others, not. The cause of his not being hidden from feeling is his amplitude of prayer, and capaciousness of mind.
Therein is contained fana. The presence of his inward (the heart) is immersed in the abyss of fana: the presence of his outward (the body) is present in what goeth forth from words and deeds.
[A clause is missing or illegible in the source scan before the following fragment.]
…of fana to sobriety. He who is in the beginning of this hal, him, concealeth from feeling the intoxication (of fana).
Muslim bin Yasar was in prayer in the masjid of Bisra, when suddenly one of its columns fell. Of the circumstance, all the people of the bazar knew, yet he in the masjid felt it not.
The baka that is in support of outward fana is this:—
After fana of desire and of will, God maketh the slave, master of desire and of will, and in absolute sway of the rein (of guidance). Whatever he desireth, he doeth with the will and the desire of God. Even so the giver up of absolute will is in the degree of the degrees of fana; the giver up of will wholly in affairs (until he is allowed) and partly in them (until he first returneth in heart to God) is in the degree of the makam of fana.
The baka that is in support of inward fana is this: —
The gat and the qualities of fana become evoked from the bond of violence in the assembly-place of manifestation in the garb of remaining existence; and from before it, the veil wholly riseth (and departeth).
Becometh neither God the veil of creation; nor creation, the veil of God. To the possessor of fana, God is the veil of creation,— as to those who have not reached the stage of fana, creation is the veil of God.
After fana, the possessor of baka beholdeth each veil in its own makam, without one (the veil of the Creator) being the veil of the other (the created).
In him, are collected and included the possessor of fana and of baka. In fana, he is baki (lasting) ; in baka, fani (effacing).
Outward fana —
is the portion of the Lords of heart and of the Companions of hal.
Inward fana
is special to the noble ones, who may have become free from the intoxication of the sway of hal have issued from beneath the veil of the heart; and, from the society of the heart, have joined the society of the converter of hearts (God).
VII. 7.
Before the crepuscule, the seeker should have completed his ablution, and should be sitting before the kibla in expectation of the prayer of morn.
When he heareth the cry of prayer, he should answer the mu,a?zin, — whatever he saith, he should repeat except in: (a) hayyi 'ala-s-salat, rise to prayer. (b) hayyi 'ala-l-falah, rise to goodness.
When he should say: —
There is no power nor virtue but in God the great, the mighty 1
In every azan, he should observe this rule; in the morning azan, he should generally say:—
O God! this is the face of Thy day, the back of Thy night, and the sound of Thy prayer. O Merciful of the merciful! through Thy mercy, me forgive, and my parents, and all the faithful, male and female.
When the morning dawneth, he should utter the renewal of the shahsdat —
Welcome to the two kind recording angels! God bless ye! in my record, write that I declare--
[The following was originally a two-column table of the articles of faith affirmed in this declaration, with a repeated "is true" column that was lost in OCR digitization along with a few stray fragments; it is presented below as a single list in its evident sense.]
that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His prophet; that paradise is true, the fire (of hell) is true, sirat (the bridge) is true, the question (in the grave) is true, the balance is true, the account is true, the punishment is true, the book (of record) is true, and the intercession (of Muhammad) is true.
I declare that, in the hour given, God will cause (the dead) to rise from the grave.
God! to Thee, I entrust this declaration for the day of my need. O God! for its sake,— stop my sin; forgive my sin; make heavy my balance; make me deserving of safety; and forgive me my faults through Thy mercy, O Merciful of the merciful!
Then he should perform two rak'ats of the prayer of the sunnat5 of the crepuscule —
with Suratu-l-Kafirun, chapter 109, and Ikhlas, chapter 112. Several times he should repeat: — the Kalima-i-tasbih, the istighfar. and should say: —
1 ask pardon of God for my sin; to God, be glory by the praise of my God.
For the masjid-prayer, he should resolve to go to the masjid. On going out from his house, he should say:—
O God! by the true ingress, make me enter; by the true egress, make me pass out.
On the way to the masjid, he should utter this prayer: —
By the incliners to Thee, by the beggars towards Thee, by this my going and coming out to Thee,— I pray to Thee, O God! With evil and hypocrisy, 1 have not issued. To avoid Thy curse and to meet Thy blessing, have I come out. To save me from hell-fire and to forgive me my sin, — I pray to Thee, for none save Thou forgivest sins.
On going into the masjid and planting his foot on the prayer-mat, he should advance his right foot and say:—
In the name of God, to God be praise! peace and blessing on the prophet of God! O God, me forgive and open me the door of mercy.
When he performeth the enjoined observances in the masjid and giveth the salutation,6 he should say ten times: —
There is no god but God, the One, with Whom is no partner. Dominion, His; praise, His; life, He giveth and taketh; and is ever living without death. In His hand, is good; over all kings, He is powerful.
Then he should say: —
There is no god but God, the One. Sincerity is His promise; victory, His slave; popular, His army. There is no god but God, the master of grace. To Him, be praise. There is no god but God, save Him, we worship none. Who have faith in Him are saved.
Then he should utter the ninety-nine names7 of God; and say: —
O God! bless Muhammad, Thy slave, news-bringer, prophet, the illiterate but truthful messenger; and this descendant of Muhammad with blessing such as is Thy will. Give him the means and the blessed degree8 that Thou promisedest. Bless his brethren the prophets, the true ones, the martyrs, the pious ones. O God! to the day of faith (the judgment-day) our chief Muhammad bless— among the ancient ones, among the last generations, among those in lofty regions. O God! bless the soul of Muhammad among the souls; his body among the bodies; and bestow all the excellences of the blessings of Thy mercy.
His two hands, he uplifteth; and of the above traditional prayer of the prophet (in zikr whereof, after this a single section9 will pass) he uttereth as he wisheth.
The Lords of deeds and the companions of stages have cherished this time; on its preservation, established the base of the structure of times and of hours; and in this rule: —
by negation of lusts, by abandoning words, by assiduity in zikr, by reading without defect, by attendance before the kibla, have ordered seekers and Sufis.
When, by anticipation, he shall have preferred a prayer, best it is that in the masjid, he should sit; be assiduous in zikr and in reading; and utter naught till he preferreth the prayer of sun-rise.
On the condition that, sitting, in that place, there shall be no thought of calamity; and that he shall be void of the causes of defect of deeds and of states.
Otherwise, he should return to his dwelling and be engaged in reading till the sun ascendeth.
Of Muhammad, the story is —
He who from morning-prayer till sun-rise, sitteth in zikr of God is dearer to me than one who saveth four necks (lives).
He should read the following passages of the Kuran: —
[The following list — Kuran chapter and verse citations — was originally a two-column table whose structure was lost in OCR digitization; the surviving fragments are preserved below in their original reading order.]
Chapter. Verse. The Suratu-l-Fatiha. Bakara 1-5, 164-165, 255-257, 284-286. Imran10 190-200, 18-19, 26-27. Kahf. 18, 107-110. Hadid 57, 1-6. Hashr. 59, 21-24. Then he should utter: —
Thirty-three times the Subhana-l-lah (glory be to God), thirty-three times the Alhamdu-li-llah (praise be to God), thirty-three times the Allahu Akbar (God is great), once La ilaha illa-Llah (there is no god but God): His is no partner; He is God, single, one, divine, unity. Glory be to God! praise be to God! God is great! there is no god but God! He is immortal, imperishable, eternal, perpetual; His is order; His is praise; He is powerful over all.
“Verily your God…” “Verily, to you the prophet come…” “Upon God, I call…” “Verily those that have faith…” and Zu-n-Nun; “Praise to God…” “To thy God, praise…”
Till near sun-rise he should be assiduous: in reading, in praying, in azkar (zikrs).
Then he uttereth the seven prayers, whereof the ten-fold utterance is obligatory, that is, the ten azkar (repetitions).
[The following list — recited chapters of the Kuran with their verse references — was originally a two-column table whose structure was lost in OCR digitization; the surviving fragments are preserved below in their original reading order.]
i. the Suratu-l-Fatiha
ii. the Suratu-l-Falak11
iii. the Suratu-l-Nas.
iv. the Suratu-l-Ikhlas.
v. the Suratu-l-Kafirun.
vi. the Ayatu Kursi.
vii. glory to God; praise to God.
Chapter 2, verse 255.
no god but God; God is great; there is no power nor virtue but in God, the great, the mighty.
O God! upon Muhammad and his offspring send Thy blessing: O God! me, forgive and my parents and all the faithful, male and female: O God 1 towards me and them, do so, soon or late, in this and in the next world, as befitteth Thee; towards us, do not as befitteth us,— for Thou art the gentle Pardoner, the generous Bestower, the Merciful.
This ended, he should engage: —
in the tasbih, repeating subhan allah, glory to God; in the istighfar, repeating astaghfir-ul-lah, I ask God to forgive me; in the tilawat, reading the Kuran.
till the sun riseth a spear's length. Then, in the aforementioned way, he performeth the prayer of sun-rise.
If he have an important worldly matter, in it (for himself, or for his family) he engageth.
If God shall have given him the bounty of leisure, he should regard as booty the being engaged in worship of God; should without defect be assiduous in deeds and in devotion, till the time of the prayer of zuhaj cometh, when he performeth it.
If still he have power for deeds, and no langour enter his soul, — he should be assiduous in deeds. If not, he should rest himself for a while.
The clauses are: —
1st, the tasbih. 2nd, the tahmid. 3rd, the tahlil. 4th, the takbir. 5th, the hawla.
Zuha (or chasht) is the middle hour between sun-rise and noon.
Deeds are of two kinds: — (a) outward: — salat, prayer. tilawat, reading. zikr, repeating God's name. (b) inward: —
muhazira, being present before God; murakiba,12 fearful contemplation; muhasiba, calling one's self to account.
The arranging of deeds is in this wise. As long as possible, the seeker should unite outward deeds with inward deeds; and in order advance salat, tilawat, and zikr— on the condition of the heart being present with God, and of its being in fearful contemplation.
If, through languor union with an inward deed (muhazira, murakiba) be impossible, he should be content with an outward deed.
Murakiba is that contemplative state wherein he ever regardeth God, his preserver and watcher: and this is the essence of zikr.
If, in respect of murakiba, he be languid; and temptations and thoughts prevail, —he should awhile rest himself in sleep so that nafs may rest from languor and torment; and, again, with joy may turn to deeds. Otherwise, through sorrow, nafs, with confused tale, entereth the heart; complaineth; prevaileth over it; and therein causeth hardness.
Before the declining of the sun (from the meridian), he should be awake for an hour, to arrange for ablution, so that at the time of noon, he may have finished his ablution; and may, engaged in zikr and tilawat, be sitting before the kibla.
When the sun declineth from the meridian, he performeth
four rak'ats,
one salutation, and, thereby, becometh prepared for the prayer of zuhr.
After that— he performeth the sunnat of zuhr.
sitteth expectant of the jama'at; he engageth in tasbih, and in istighfar.
It is laudable if, between an enjoined observance and the sunnat of the morn, he utter a prayer.
The salat-i-zuhr being ended, he uttereth:— the Suratu-l-Fatiha; the Ayatu-Kursi, chapter 2, verse 255; the tasbih, Glory to God; the tahmid, Praise to God; the takbir, God is great; the tahlil, There is no god but God.
It is an excellence if, here, he should utter the ayat (verses) and the prayers previously mentioned after the salat of the morn.
Alive with holy deeds in the afore-mentioned way, he should make the time between zuhr (noon) and 'asr (afternoon).
This is for that one who hath no other occupation, and who passeth his time in devotion.
When 'asr cometh, he preferreth four ruk'ats of the sunnat; and readeth: —
In the 1st rak'at, the Suratu-l-Zilzal13, chapter 99; in the 2nd, the Adiyat, chapter 100; in the 3rd, the Kari'a, chapter 101; in the 4th, the Takasur, chapter 102.
When he performeth the ordinance of 'asr no time remaineth for the salat of nawafil (works of supererogation); it is the time of zikr and of tilawat. At this time, naught is more excellent than the society of: —
a learned zahid, possessed of zuhd, for the blessing of whose breathings he may borrow the splendours of advantages; and— in respect to abandoning the world, to perpetuity of devotion and of desire,— may increase his resolution.
When he wisheth to come out from the stage he saith: —
In the name of God: what God pleaseth; God is my sufficiency; there is no power nor virtue but in God the great, the mighty. O God, towards Thee, I go out; and me, Thou makest go out.
He uttereth: — the Suratu-l-Fatiha, chapter 1; the Suratu-l-Falak, chapter 113; the Suratu-l-Nas, chapter 114.
Between 'asr (afternoon) and maghrib (evening-prayer) he uttereth a hundred times each of the following prayers: —
(a) There is no god but God, who is single, whose partner is none; His is the dominion; His the praise; powerful is He over all things.
(b) the tasbih,14 the tahmid, the tahlil, the takbir.
(c) Glory to God, and to Him, praise; glory to God, the mighty, and to Him, praise; I ask forgiveness of God.
(d) There is no god but God the ruler, the Just, the Visible.
(e) O God! upon Muhammad and his offspring, send benediction.
(f) I ask forgiveness of God, the mighty,— save who is no God,— the Eternal, the Ancient; penitence, I offer.
(g) Whatever pleaseth God: there is no power but in God, the great, the mighty— save who is no god— the Eternal, the Ancient; penitence, I offer. (h) Whatever pleaseth God; there is no power but in God.
Daily, once, at the beginning, and at the ending, of day, he should say:—
O God me Thou createdest, guidedest, fedest, quenchedst, causedest to die, causedest to live: Thou art my God; save Thou none is mine; save Thou is no God; single, Thou art; no partner is Thine. Whatever pleaseth God; there is no power save in God: whatever is from God, are all favours: whatever is in the hand of God, is all good: whatever, save God, none wardeth off sin.
Before sunset, he must perform ablution; and seated before the kibla, be ready for the approach of night.
Till the sun setteth, he should utter: —
(a) the seven prayers whereof the ten-fold utterance is obligatory.
(b) the tasbih. (c) the istighfar. At sun-set, in answer to the azan, he uttereth: — Chapter, the Suratu-l-Shams 91. Lail 92. Falak 113. Nas 114.
O God! the face of Thy night this is, and the back of Thy day.
Between the azan (of sunset) and the ikamat, as his time is little, he quickly performeth two ruak'ats of the sunnat; and uttereth:—
Chapter.
in the 1st ruk'at, the Suratu-l-Kafirun 109; in the 2nd, the Suratu-l-Ikhlas 112.
He reneweth “ the shahadat,” and saith: —
Welcome to the angels of the night; welcome to the two kind angels.
In the masjid, he joineth the two 'isha (evening prayers) until he joineththe blessing of being in the masjid (i'tikaf) and of the union of the two 'isha.
If therein he see increase of safety of faith, of perfection, of sincerity, and of tranquillity,— he may go to his own corner; and (of all the prayers which he performeth between magjirib and 'isha) may utter
Chapter. (a) with two rak'ats the Suratu-l-Buruj 85, Tarik 86. (b) with one rak'at, the Suratu-l-Bakara,15 chapter 2, v. 1 — 16, and Ikhlas 112. (c) the Ayatu-l-Kursi, chapter 2, v. 255, and Suratu-l-Ikhlas 112. Well it is if he unite (b) and (c) with (a).
After performing the enjoined duty of 'isha and the two rak'ats of the sunnat he goeth to his dwelling or to his khilvat-place.
Before sitting down, he perform eth four rak'ats with: —
Chapter. the Suratu-l-Lukman 31, Yasin 36, Dukhan 44, Mulk 67. If he wish to shorten the prayer, he uttereth: — the Ayatu-l-Kursi, chapter 2, v. 255; the Suratu-l-Hadid, chapter 57; the Suratu-l-Hashr, chapter 59.
Then he performeth eleven rak'ats, and uttereth — the Suratu-l-Tarik 86.
and delayeth not, save when he is engaged in devotion of vigilance of his own nafs, wherein delay is excellent.
When he wisheth to sleep, he should (as to purity and to zikr) be as before stated; when he awaketh and wisheth to make the tahajjud, he maketh it standing as before stated.
Some short-sighted ones (whose vision may not have found the collyrium for the observing of the beauty of perfection of rule) may regard the repairing of times according to rules, — the portion only of 'Abids.
They see no great need of it for the Lords of stages and for the Companions of union.
Possibly this is the mark of him who, in search of, and in love for, God, is sincere:—
That he regardeth not much the expenditure of his own times and the being immersed in deeds and in devotion; and becometh not vexed.
[Several stray citation markers in this prayer-schedule passage in the source scan — indicating that the Ayatu-l-Kursi is repeated fifteen times, and marking the beginning and end points of the Suratu-l-Hadid and Suratu-l-Hashr recitations — could not be reliably matched to their exact anchor words and are omitted here; the substantive content (the prayers and Kuranic passages themselves) is unaffected.]
For when, in respect of its Beloved, true love gaineth the opportunity of happiness and of meeting and the possibilities of the good fortune of prayer; and, in His presence, hath the power of weeping, of flattering, of paying homage (with the ground kiss), of doing service, — it recogniseth its own exceeding hope and great prosperity.
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