The Mystical Teachings of al-Shadhili
from Ibn al-Sabbagh's Durrat al-Asrar wa Tufat al-Abarar
translation by Elmer H. DouglaS

Hizb ul Bahr - Litany of the Sea
The worthy Shaykh Abu al-'Aza'im Madi ibn Sultan related to me in the city ofTunis, may God the Exalted watch over it, as did also the worthy and blessed Shaykh Sharaf al-Din, son of the Shaykh (al-Shadhili) in the city of Damanhur al-Wahsh of Egypt in the year A.H. 715 that shaykh was on the point of setting out from Cairo to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca a short time after the departure of the pilgrims.

He said, ''I have been divinely ordered to go on pilgrimage this year. So find for us a Nile vessel in which to make the journey by way of Upper Egypt:' They looked about for a vessel, but found only one belonging to Christians on which was an elderly Christian man with his sons.

He said, "Let us get on board:' We entered the vessel and set sail from Cairo and traveled for two or three days. Then the wind shifted so that we were sailing into it. So we tied up to the bank of the Nile at an uninhabited spot. We remained there about a week within sight of the hills of Cairo.

One of the pilgrims accompanying us asked, "How is it that the Shaykh says that he was ordered to perform the pilgrimage this year when the time for it has passed? And how long will this journey take? , In the middle of the day the shaykh slept and awoke, and then offered this prayer [known as Litany of the Sea]. "Where is the captain of the vessel?" he inquired.

"Yes" he answered, "here I am:'
"What is your name?" the shaykh asked. "Mismar:'
"O blessed Mismar, unfurl the sail:' the shaykh ordered.
"O my master:' the captain objected, "[lf I do that], we shall come again to Cairo by sailing before the wind:'
"We shall again become travelers:' the shaykh replied, "if God wills:'

Again the captain objected, "This wind will drive us back to Cairo before the end of this day, and, furthermore, with the wind as it is, to get the ship under sail will be absolutely impossible:'

"Unfurl the sail;' the shaykh ordered him, "with the blessing of God:' So we unfurled the sail, and God [He is exalted] commanded the wind so that it shifted and filled the sail [so quickly that they] were unable to cast off the rope from the stake. They cut it and we departed under a gentle breeze. The captain converted to Islam, both he and his brother.

Their father did not cease to lament and say, "I have lost my two sons on,
this journey:' "On the contrary;' the shaykh said to him, "you have gained them:'
That night the Christian had a vision in which the day of resurrection, as it were, had come, and he was beholding the Garden and the fire. He witnessed the shaykh (al-Shadhili) conducting to the Garden a large crowd of people. Among them were the Christian's sons. He wanted to follow them, but he was prevented. He was told, "You are not of them until you enter their religion:'

The Christian related that to the shaykh, and he [the Christian] converted to Islam. Then the shaykh told him, "The people whom you saw with me are my companions to the day of resurrection."

We continued our journey easily and successfully with incidents the telling of which would consume a long time. They finished the pilgrimage that year.
My master, Madi, related, according to a report from the shaykh, The Christian became one of the great saints of God. Consequently, he sold his vessel and performed the pilgrimage with us, along with his sons. He had a zawiya (worship place) in Upper Egypt and was one of those who were endowed with charismatic powers. This blessed journey was an occasion for the manifestation of such a power. May God have mercy on him and be pleased with him.

The shaykh said,
By God, I did not utter it [the Litany of the Sea] except as it came from the Prophet of God, from whose instruction I learned it. "Guard it;' he said to me, "for it contains the greatest name of God:'
It is not recited in any place without security reigning there. If it had been with the inhabitants of Baghdad, the Tatars would not have taken the city.


Hizb ul Bahr - Litany of the Sea in English

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Blessings of God and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family. O God,
O Exalted One, O Gentle One,

O AII-Knowing One,
Thou art my Lord, and Thy knowledge is sufficient for me. What an excellent Iord is my Lord! What a wonderful sufficiency is my sufficiency!
Thou plea to Thee is for protection, in movements and moments of rest, in words, desires, and passing thoughts, from doubts, suppositions and fancies-veilings, they, over hearts, occluding sight of the unseen.
The faithful were tried; They were severely shaken.
Then the hypocrites would say, with those of disease-ridden hearts, "God and His Messenger promised us only delusion. (Q. 33:11-12)

Even so, make us firm, aid US, and subject to us this sea, as Thou did subject the sea to Moses, and the fire to Ibrahim, and the mountains and iron to David, and the wind, the Satans, and the jinn to Solomon.

Put in subjection to us every sea of thine in earth and heaven, in this domain and the celestial, the sea of this world and the sea of the next. Render subservient to us every thing, "0 Thou, whose hand holds sovereignty over every thing" (Q. 23:8.

Kaf ha' ya' 'ayn sad
Kaf ha' ya' 'ayn sad
Kaf ha' ya' 'ayn sad

Help us, for Thou art the best of helpers.
Open to us the hand of mercy, for Thou art the best of openers. Pardon us, for Thou art the best of pardoners.

Be compassionate toward us, for Thou art the best of those who show compassion.

Sustain us, for Thou art the best of sustainers. Guide us and rescue us from the unjust people.

Send us a gentle breeze, as Thou dost know how to do, and let it blow on us from the storehouses of Thy mercy. Let it bear us along as it by miraculous intervention, with security and well-being, in religion, worldly affairs, and the hereafter.

Thou art powerful over all things. God, facilitate for us our affairs, with ease of mind and body, with security and well-being in religious and worldly matters. Be a companion for us on our journey, and a substitute for our households.

Blot out the countenances of our enemies, and transform them where they stand, disabling them from leaving or coming to US. If We willed, We would blot out their eyes. Yet, they would race forward to the path. But how would they see? If We willed, We should transform them where they stand. Thus, they would be unable to leave or return (Q 36:66-67).


Ya' sin! By the Wise Qur' an! Surely thou art one of those sent on a straight path! A revelation sent down by the Mighty, the Merciful, that thou mightest warn a people whose fathers had not been warned. Yet, they do not take heed.

The declaration has been confirmed against the greater part of them. Yet they do not believe. We have circled their necks with chains up to the chin, but they hold their heads high. Before them have We placed a barrier, and behind them a barrier, and We have obscured their vision; so they see not (Q 36:1-.

May their faces be deformed!
May their faces be deformed!
May their faces be deformed!

Let their faces be submissive before the Living, the Self-Subsistent, For he who is laden with wrong has already met frustration. Ta' sin, ha' mim, 'ayn sin qaf. (Q 27:1)

He has released the two seas that meet; Yet between them is a barrier [barzakh] that they do not overpass. ...(Q 55:19-20)

Ha' mim, ha' mim, ha' mim, ha' mim, ha' mim, ha' mim, ha' mim! (Q 40:1)

The affair has been decreed. The triumph has come. Over us they shall not triumph. Ha' mim!

[It is] the sending down of the Scripture from God, The Mighty, the AII-Knowing, Forgiver of sin,

Receiver of penitence, Severe in punishing, Forbearing.
No god is there except Him.
To Him is the returning. (Q 40:1-3)

In the name of God (bismillah) is our door. May [God] bless our walls.
Ya' sin (Q 36:1) is our ceiling.

Kaf ha' ya' 'ayn sad (Q 19:1) is our sufficiency. Ha' mim 'ayn sin qaf (Q 42:1) is our shelter.

So God is sufficient for thee against them, for He hears all, knows all.
[Repeat this thrice]

The veil of the throne has been dropped over us, and the eye of God is gazing at us. God is behind them, round about. Indeed, it is a glorious recital [Qur'an], inscribed on a guarded tablet [lawh mahfuz] (Q. 85:20-21). [Repeat this thrice]

My Protector is God, Who revealed the Book (from time to time), and He will choose and befriend the righteous. (Q. 7:196) [Repeat this thrice]

M y sufficiency is God. No god is there except Him. In Him have I put my trust, For He is Lord of the majestic throne (Q. 9:129). [Repeat this thrice]

In the name of God, with whose Name nothing in the earth or sky can do harm, for He is the All-Hearer, All-Knower. [Repeat this thrice]

There is no force and no power except with God, the High, the Mighty.

The book can be bought from either and UK and US here is one link to the book
The Mystical Teachings of al-Shadhili from Ibn al-Sabbagh's Durrat al-Asrar wa Tufat al-Abarar
translation by Elmer H. Douglas

Assalamu'alaikum,

Jazakallah for such a beneficial forum.

I was wondering if one would need an ijaza to read the Hizb Bahr? I have a copy in Arabic, and have read it twice so far. I am just wondering since I heard that some litanies need permission from a sheikh to read them? Thank you.

salaams

yes you need to be connected to a Shaykh of Tariqah ans many of the Hizbs many spiritual Power that can unlock jinns and cause you problems and that is what Hizbul-Bahr does.!

you may think how is that possible i will expalin;

if your ill you go to a doctor will will prescibe you with Medicine this Medicine is for the Jism- Body. Now you would go and open a book of medicine and say Ah thats wrong with me and ..mmmmm well that must be the cure and as i'm very weak i'll 1000gms of so-and-so medicine.

the result will be you 'll msot likely drop down dead to some to that affect which i sure you will agree with.!

As for Shaykhs of Tariqah they are Also Doctors but of the Ruh-Soul more then the Jism-body if you tried the same thing you 'll end up not dead or Mad as a spiritual over dose causings Psychological problems which are problems for the Mind and Soul - Ruh with have been unblance with the wrong medicine!

i hope that makes sense to you !

you must understand that all Hizbs cause a spiritual well-being over the person they effect ones Nasm-Aura by dressing them with Nur-lights and these lights are Barakah lights glow they with attract and be seen by the unseen and see; they attrach you with beauty that the oppsite sex finds you handsome; how you say look At Sayyid Yusuf (as) the attrach to you thye shaykhs cause your Aura with cause and they can Smell and see you glowing lights Looked Sayyid Musa (RA) after be came from Mount Sina.

first was Jamal the second was Jalal.! what happens is the Nur-light is a a Heavenly light as the words are powerful Words the Shaykhs were given in a Hal-state they got in the presence of Allah these Hibz reflect that.

so by reciting them attributes of those words refelct on your Aura as well.

Its like going into a Perfume shop and spray all over youself a beautyful smell, well in dunya is going to atract someone, this is why the Awilya are ao handsome as you see the Beauty of there Dhikr or Hibz glowing off there faces to the effect some of them even give of smells of Rose and this is what our Noble Prophet peace and blessigns did his sweat was sweet Rose.!


Of these Lights and smells attract Angels as well as Good Jinn but if one isn't connected they he isn't protected by the shaykhs in the Unseen world.!

the actual Hizbul Bahr is very very very Powerful that it contains Allahs Hidden Name as well as other powerful words and verses that let off spiritual lights these can effect the reader!

so please this hizb calls on the Unseen World for help and protection for the Read also so now you know.! i think leave at that for now i hope this wasn't tooo much to handle.

finally this last point were Science Stops Sufism Starts so things may sound a bit strange to you but just remember that point if nothing else. like flying in the air, turning stone into Gold, becoming invisible and travelling to one place of the earth to another in seconds, minding reading of thoughts, curing a sickness with words and piece of cloth ( like Yusuf did for this father Ya' qub who went blind but was cured by this sons Shirt see quran) the list goes on !

the powers of the this Hizb calls on these powers from the Quran itself . sorry i've started again better stop there !


any way in short Please find a Shaykh and him for 'Ijaza to read it to go and take Baya with a Shaykh. if your into Shadhaili i would go and taken Baya Right now with Sayyid Shaykh Muhammad Ya'qaubi in Damascus.! or the Great Master Sayyid Shaykh Nazim in cyprus

book a flight and go now! now ! now ! dont delay or waste any more of your life without a Shaykh as Satan is they Shaykh.! as it says in a famous quote.! note some people are already connected to a shaykh even so thye havn't taken baya' i thought i'd also mention that also.

any way Salaams any questions .!!!

yours Muhammad Sajad Ali Qadiri-Noshahi

Assalamu'alaikum,

Jazak Allah for your reply. I wanted to draw closer to Allah, and have been trying to read duas from a book called Munajat-e-Maqbool, a collection of accepted supplications from Qur'an and Sunnah, as I thought surely these don't require ijaza. However at the end of the book is the Hizb Bahr, and since it didn't mention needing an ijaza I tried it a couple of times, as a means of supplication. But I thought I had better check to be sure.

The prelude says:
'The hizbul bahr was inspired into the heart of Shah Abul Hasan Shadhili rahmatullahi alayh. The senior mashaikh are in the habit of reading it as a means of attaining blessings. There are different ways of reading it. However, the under-mentioned method is prescribed by Haji Imadadullah Makki rahmatullah alayh and in totally in accordance with the sunnah.'

After the Hizb Bahr is Shajarah Imadiyah, in which the reader asks Allah to send blessings on Rasullulah sallahu'alaihi wassalam, then asks Allah to have Mercy through the wasilah of many people, such as Maulana Masihullah, Maulana Ahsraf Ali, Shaykh Imdadullah, etc, ending with Rasulullah sallalahu'alaihi wassalam. Is it safe if I do it (read Hizb Bahr) this way?

I am searching for a murshid, I guess. I haven't tried your dua yet though, to find who is the best for me. I have a number of other circumstances, being married for one, and though my husband doesn't disallow, I did promise to discuss everything with him before I take such a momentous step. I do like Shaykh Yaqoubi a lot though .

I am curious, how people are connected to a sheikh, even though they have not taken bay'ah? Could you explain please?

Thanking you in advance, your sister.

To Know Your Self is to Know Allah
by AbuBakr Karolia
South Africa, June 17, 2003


In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

A Hadith of Rasul (SAW) says that,

“Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord.”
“man 'arafa nafsahu faqad 'arafa Rabbahu”

This particular Hadith is highly focused, qualified for achieving and realizing closeness to Allah (S). What is meant by the idea of “knowing oneself” to achieve a close relationship with our Creator? What are the various entities of ourselves and the requirements of knowing oneself?

On examination of the Hadith, it communicates the design, way or method of knowing oneself through the understanding of knowing Allah.

Allah makes it clear in Surah 50 Al Qaf, Verse 16 that:

“It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.”

This verse illustrates and beautifully explains the position of our relationship and the closeness to our Creator which must be realized for our guidance and transformation.

To be closer then the “jugular vein” relates to the core and the nature of ourselves. Let us examine the entities within ourselves to achieve and discover this close proximity to our Creator, the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

The entities of the self

We have a body, encompassing the various organs, senses and cognitive faculties which are guiding principle for our awareness and development. Although these faculties are foundational and guiding instruments, they are not sufficient for realizing a higher transcendental, contented and spiritual individual.

When one observes oneself, one sees a lower base self or nafs al Ammara bis-soo, which is always in anguish to please the desire and the material aspect of the self. This soul is inclined towards evil.

The Noble Qur`an describes this self in Surah 12 Yusuf, Verse 53:

“Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful.”

This lower instigating self follows its whims that is disruptive and can progress to a self-reproaching or blaming soul which is called nafs al Lawwama.

The Glorious Qur`an in Surah 75 Al Qiyamah (The Resurrection), Verse 2 describes nafs al Lawwama:

“And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit”

Sheikh Ibn Ata’illah Iskandri (R) a spiritual master of the Shadhiliyyah Sufi Order (Tariqa) who lived in Egypt in the 13th Century A.D. (died 1309) tells us that these two levels and the lower character of these nafs are not close to Allah (S) and are not accepted by Him.

The Witnessing of the self

These disruptive forces and evil tendencies must be witnessed from a clearer perspective within ourselves if an unveiling is to take place for a heightened consciousness that emanates from a contented self.

E.g. when we witness a particular characteristic as rancor, greed, anger, blaming etc. from within ourselves, then that negative aspect is realized for a healing and discipline by one’s watchfulness of them. Hence we have to be ever vigilant of these negative temperaments that arise within ourselves for their transformation.

Through reasoning, witnessing and disciplining of the beastly lower self and its various evil and blaming characteristics are the beginning of progressing one’s behaviour to experience the path of Tawheed (the unity or oneness of Allah) and to establish Taqwa (the consciousness of Allah (S)) and the Zikr (remembrance) of Allah (S), that will lead to a contented heart and self which will realize the ultimate closeness to Allah (S).

What is this path of Allah (S) consciousness?

The Purification of the self

The Qur`an declares in Surah 91 Ash-Shams (The Sun), Verse 9:

“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self…”

The purification of the self then leads one to know Allah. How can one know Allah (S) by Allah (S)?

The Prophet (SAW) of Islam said that there is an organ in the body that if it is ill the entire body is ill, and that is the heart. Some may understand this to be a physically conditioned heart, which may be true, but in this case the Prophet (S) was talking about a higher and healthy spiritual state of the heart.

If a healthy spiritual heart is the vehicle to know yourself which realizes the knowing of Allah (S), then the stages, degrees of knowledge to develop that awareness must be learnt, practised and taught to achieve such a station (makam).

There must be an entity within us, which is perfect and our objective. We have seen why a healthy heart is important and necessary for our wakefulness and development. The heart for mankind is as water is for fish. Therefore a seeker must watch his heart, nourish his iman and persevere towards righteous action, righteous deeds and establish patience for the pleasure of His Lord.

Surah 13 Ar Ra’ad (The Thunder), Verse 28 confirms that:

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. For without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”

Therefore, within the heart must reside the perfect entity which is our goal - the contented self (the ruh).

Hazrat Ali (R) said that, he knew his Lord by His Lord.

“Araftu Rabi bi Rabi”

To understand Hazrat Ali (R) statement relates to the purest form of worship when something is enriched by Allah (S). He said the purest thing that is acquired by anyone is a heart nourished by Allah (S). He therefore knew Allah (S) by the light that was within him. This light can only be the soul (ruh) that resided within his heart.

Allah (S) asks the contented soul (the ruh) in the Noble Qur`an in Surah 7 Al Araf (The Heights), Verse 172:

“Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”-They said: "Yes! We do testify!”
Alastu birabbikum, qaloo bala shahidna

It was when the soul (ruh) was created that the light of Allah’s (S) Words was reflected in the soul (the ruh). That is the perfect and the natural entity within us, which is described as the soul (the ruh). This perfect entity, the soul (the ruh) is the testimony to ourselves as to “Whom we belong and to Whom we will return”. This was the covenant that was accepted by the soul (the ruh) and who must finally return to its Lord in the original pure state.

The Qur`an al Kareem asserts in Surah 43 AZ Zakhruf (Ornaments of Gold), Verse 14:

“And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!”

The example of the first man Adam (AS) and his wife Hawa (AS), who in heaven were disobedient to Allah (S), were removed and placed on earth. This story explained in the Great Qur`an of a soul that was to be disciplined and must make its return from the worldly to the hereafter. The Prophet Adam (AS) discovered that the vessel to return to heaven was through the world, but it was essential to return illumined, enlightened, righteous, groomed and contented to the true abode of this perfected soul. (Refer Surah 7 Al Araf (The Heights), Verse 19-29).

The following Surah 13 Ar Ra’ad (The Thunder), Verse 11 tells us how Allah (S) will expect our condition:

“Verily, never will Allah (S) change the condition of a people until they change what is in their hearts.”

At the time the soul (the ruh) was created, it recognized and acknowledged the position of its Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Therefore it is essential that mankind accept responsibility for its souls (the ruh) and fulfill the covenant that it made with its Creator.

For mankind to make this journey back to heaven it is imperative that we change the condition of our hearts and character towards that which is obedient, serves and submits to the will of Allah (S). Human beings, due to their forgetfulness and heedlessness must remember the original covenant that was made with the Almighty Creator which will set in motion the return journey to Him.

The seeker (salik) and the return journey

The individual seeker must be intelligent with a higher understanding of the divinely guided laws (the Shari'ah). He must develop a sharp watchfulness over his lower base self, inculcating values as sincerity (ikhlas), insight (basirah), patience (sabr), justice (adl) etc., including a higher education of belief (iman) and a cautious awareness of Allah (S) (Taqwa), which is characteristics of the Prophetic (SAW) worship and the remembrance of Allah (S) as in Ihsan (beauty and perfection) that will lead the seeker (salik) to the journey of the contented and conscious self.

The divinely guided laws (Shari'ah) and rationality must both be considered as a value and object for transformation. Without rationality or logic one will not be able to interpret the Shari'ah, and without the Shari'ah the rationality will not be guided.

The transformation of the heart is to develop the stages of one’s awareness, which brings us closer to Allah (S). To practise correct behaviour, worship (Ibadah) for the pleasure and remembrance of Allah (S). To be aware of the primordial state (fitri) is to live by the unconditional submission to the will of Allah (S), the Lord of all creation.

We must understand that rationality and the lower self must not be the basis for arrogance and haughtiness. Giving in to our lower self will mean we will perhaps never see what is within us or to fulfill the covenant with our Lord (Rabb). It is related that the Prophet (SAW) said that the lower self is the greatest of idols.

The Believers must transform themselves from their lower self to attain the higher understanding of the “Reality”, their Lord, which is the true journey of the self. It is from this world that we gain access and success in the Hereafter. The repulsion and bringing under control of the lower self will discover the original self, the soul (the ruh), which will lead to a character of spiritual steadfastness and the strength of an Allah (S) conscious person (a Muttaqee).

Therefore this potential that is within us is the vehicle for being one with Allah (S) in this world that extends into the Hereafter (akhiraa). When the lower self (nafs) is refined and groomed then it transcends with the perfect entity, the soul (ruh). The nafs is the shadow of the ruh. The lamp (ruh) is light upon light (nur alaa nur). The nafs is now the contented self.

When we understand how close we are to our Creator then it may be necessary at this point to clarify the position of a believer and disbeliever.

The noble Qur`an in Surah 2 Al Baqarah, (The Heifer), Verse 257 refers to the believers and disbelievers as follows:

“Allah (S) is the protecting friend of those who believe. He takes them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the fire. They will reside therein.”

Obtainable levels of knowledge

The individual who transcends his lower self will see the light that is within him/her. He/she will see the soul who knows that it is timeless and boundless. He/she will swim the oceans of knowledge and fully submit to the “Reality” who is Allah (S).

The Glorious Qur`an enlightens us in Surah 29 Al-Ankabut (The Spider), Verse 69:

“And those that strive in Our (cause), - We will certainly guide them to Our Paths.”

Allah (S) is Inwardly Hidden and Outwardly Manifest. Your outer self must be balanced with your inner self.

Allah (S) says in the in Surah Al Baqarah (The Heifer), Verse 152:

“Therefore, remember Me always, and I will remember you; and be thankful to Me, and be you not ungrateful.”

This position of awareness, understanding and certainty is through the love of Allah (S). The truth of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) is the experience and love (muhabbah) by total submission for the love of Allah (S) the “Reality” who is behind the Cosmos. By Him, from Him, unto Him.

When we return to Him, He returns to us.

And this pragmatism of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) is essential for a watchfulness and wakefulness which immediately reveals a report card of the self for a personal assessment.

The stations of the truth of certainty (haq-ul-yakin) are as follows:

Astaghfaar - Asking forgiveness from Allah
Sabr - Patience and to persevere
Shukr - Praising and thanking Allah
Dua - Supplicating to Allah
Sadaqaa - Charity for the needy to please Allah
Tawakkul - A cautious awareness of Allah
Salah- Prayer for Allah
Zikr-ullah - The remembrance of Allah
Ar Rida - To be happy and satisfied
Muhabba - To love Allah unconditionally and with awe

Each of the above characteristics immediately establishes our state and position with Allah and helps us to develop and understand ourselves further. Each characteristic is appreciated in the manner that fully acknowledges the discipline required that will express a total submission and the affection of our Creator.



The Contented self is the path of Islam


A hadith al Qudsi informs us that the entire universe cannot contain Allah (S), but the heart of a (true believer) Mu’min can. When Allah (S) becomes the Protector of the heart then He does not allow any entity to enter it that will taint or blemish it. When we return to Allah (S) in our lives then we know that He will return to us and we will live forever. This is how the great companions (Ashaab) of the Prophet (SAW) lived and this is how the friends of Allah (S) (Awliyas) live.

The Noble Qur`an is the final testimony of this message in Surah 10 Yunus, Verse 62:

“Verily the friends of Allah do not grieve, nor do they fear”.
Ala inna awliyaa Allahi la khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

The groomed and perfected self is the friend of Allah (S) and accepted by Him. This self believes in the oneness of Allah (S), is truthful when it proclaims the Shahada (a testament of belief), is thankful and patient, is knowledgeable, is satisfied and accepts the rules of Allah (S), is secured against the fire of hell and is a contented happy soul.

Allah (S) speaks to this tranquil soul directly as presented in the Qur`an in Surah 89 (The Dawn), Verse 27-30:

27. (To the righteous soul will be said:) “O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!”

28. “Come back to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him!”

29. “Enter thou, then, among My devotees!”

30. “Yea, enter thou My Heaven!”

Therefore it is the heart that reflects the soul (the ruh), which is the meaning of the Qur`anic view that Allah (S) is closer to us then our jugular vein.

The Noble Qur`an presents a beautiful description of Allah’s (S) love, affection and the pleasure experienced by this pure soul. This soul has progressed and groomed itself to a perfect position that it is satisfied and tranquil in this world and in the Hereafter.

This is the journey of a righteous seeker who, from the lower nafs to the watchful, witnessing and remembering heart to the enlightened soul (ruh), realizing a closeness to Allah (S) from this world to the Hereafter (Akhiraa).

Many books have been written on the quest of finding Allah (S) in the world (Dunya) and learned scholars and enlightened beings are in agreement that the Qur`an al Kareem and the Prophetic (SAW) character is the guide and path that shows the perfect Shari'ah and this is the journey of life which must be emulated and traversed for a seeker to achieve this goal.

There should be no misapprehension for a seeker (salik) to search for this path to achieve closeness to Allah (S) during his/her lifetime as in the hereafter it may be too late to fulfil this objective. This level of knowledge is obtainable and the most important priority is to learn and practice the essential knowledge of the way of Islam (Din), which is the Prophetic way and character that develops a heightened and cautious awareness of Allah (S).

Allah (S) confirms this blessing in the Noble Qur`an in Surah 5 Al Maidah (The Table Spread), Verse 4:

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”

As our Rasul (SAW) was taught by Allah (S) through His Great Angel Jibreel (AS), so must we sit with spiritual, learned masters and companions who teach and instruct us so that we may perfect and practice the Islamic Character which realizes the closeness to Allah (S) in our lifetime, Inshah-Allah.

Allah (S) is our Lord. All Praise belongs to Him. He is the Master of the Day of judgement. May He Forgive, Protect, Sustain and Guide us. May He show us the Straight Path. The Path of the Original, Living, Enlightened Islam.

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THE HIDDEN TRASURE AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE



Having explained thesunna as the consistentlife example of the Prophet (s) as a model and a teacher we will have another look at hadîth literatur. Here, Hadîth means Bericht, in this case of idividual actions and statements of the Prophet (s) as well as of the behaviour of his male and female companions that he commented. We already quoted the example where ihsân was defined as behaviour in God's presence; it is part of a longer report according to which the Prophet (s) was asked about islam, iman (faith) and ihsân (good and beautiful behaviour). Reports of this kind were transmitted partly orally and partly in writing and later on collected and arranged according to reference persons or subjects. A special group among them are called hadîth qudsi ("holy report" they are words that were given to the Prophet (s) by inspiration without being included in the text of the Qu'an. Two of them are of special importance for mysticism, so we are going to introduce them here.

One
God says about Himself, "I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known, therefore I created (the world)."

Religion deals with three main human questions:

Where do I come from? In this context, we find quite a number of stories of creation or origin in the religions. At first sight, they sometimes seem to be difficult to understand because of the images used, and they seem to be completely different. One thing, however, becomes clear from all of them: the human experience of having grown out of the comprehensive network of nature as part of it but still different with special and not yet quite understood abilities and relationships, not - that is the basic differende between religion and materialist attempts of explanation - by coincidence or from an inherent power but through the influence of a higher power. It is important to note that the creation stories of the religions do not intend to describe "history" but speak about the relationship of the human being to other people, fellow creatures, "mother earth" and the Creator, describing essential human experiences and conflicts (e.g. temptation, failure, repentance).

Where am I going? Apparently there are two answers. One is eschatological: the description of what is going to happen after death or after the end of time and space as we know it. The other is an answer that points to aims and ideals and provides the foundation to differentiate between good (that which brings us closer to those ideals) and evil (that what keeps us from moving forward or even pulls us back). However, the difference between both approaches is only superficial. Both refer to a distant future that cannot be imagined yet (Arab. âkhirah, that which comes later) when the fruits of aour actions have ripened or when we gain an insight int the value of individual events in our lives.

What is the meaning? In fact in Islamic thought the most important question is, "Why?" The answer given in the Qur'an is rather a challenge to ask further questions:

And I created the hidden beings and the human beings only that they may serve Me (Surah 51:56).

The translations sometimes say, "... so that they worship Me." This is based on the wiedespread idea of divine service in the sense of worship and prayer. In fact, prayer and worship are essential elements of religious life in all religions, as the case may be in connection with fasting and sacrifice. But it does not translate the Arabic word 'abada (serve) completely. It also means "to act in God's service"; as we have seen, not only within a narrowly defined "sacred" space but in our everyday life; not only on a spiritual, intellectual or emotional level but with all our ability. That is why there are all those physical and communal gestures in ritual prayer: the whole human being serves God.

The Prophet (s) said, "Faith is recognition in the heart, testimony with the tongue and realization with all our ability." In fact all our organs serve God by working according to His laws and the purpose they have been created for. The same is true of phenomena in nature:


The seven heavens and the earth and whoever is in them glorify Him, and there is nothing that does not celebrate His praise, but you do not understand their glorification. He is patient, forgiving (Surah 17:44).

Now the human consciousness can certainly follow the illusion of being independent of its Creator and Sustainer. But this is nothing but self-deception that will cause an enormous disappointment once truth must be seen.

In this context there is the concept of an "original covenant" with God:

And when your Lord brought forth from Adam's children - from their loins - their offsring and made them witnesses against themselves (saying), "Am I not your Lord?", they replied, "Yes, we testify." (This happend) so that you do not say on the day of resurrection, "We were unaware of it," or, "It was our ancestors who were idolaters, but we were only their offspring. Will you destroy us for what the liars did?" Thus We clarify the signs so that they turn (to Us)." (Surah 7:172-174).

This scene is understood to be set outside our system of time and space. It is important to note that deep in the human soul there is, like a memory, a spark or a seed, the longing to search for God and to serve Him. The word Rabb that has been translated as Lord actually means someone who creates, sustains and educates, who unfolds us and accompanies us step by step. Thus, the "original covenant" comprises a human expression of loyalty to his/her Rabb as well as the readiness to develop his/her abilities and to use them in the pursuit of the good. On the other hand, it comprises an expression of loyalty on the side of the Rabb and the readiness to guide them, provide for them and to refine them. God's loving care for His creatures is emphasized by the use of first oerson, God speaking of Himself as "I". The same is the case in the verse mentioned before: "And I created the hidden beings and the human beings only that they may serve Me": a relationship of mutual love.

This takes us back to our hadîth qudsi. It is another answer to the question "Why?". While the Qur'an focusses on the situation of the human being, "... that they may serve Me", the hadîth puts the Creator into the forground: "I was a hidden treasure...", i.e. before the beginning of creation if it must be said in terms of time and space. The Creator is alone, by himself:


He is God beside whom there is no god, who knows the hidden and the manifest. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. (Surah 59:22).

But already in this unity and uniqueness there is the wish for a relationship. The Qur'an points to this fact by saying, "He is the Beneficent, the Merciful." God is eternal, self-subsistent, independent, but there is His mercy that longs for a "you" in order to find expression: "I wanted to be known."


He is God beside whom there is no god, the Ruler, the Holy, the Peace, the True, the Protector, the Mighty Friend, the One Who Sets Things Straight, the Majestic. He is gloriefied above all that they associate with Him. (Sura 59:23).

The wish for a relationship is differentiated into a spectrum of possibilities that press forward to be revealed: holiness, faith, glory, power, majesty, protection - "Therefore I created (the world)."


He is God beside whom there is no god, the Creator, the Maker the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth gloriefies Him, and He is the Mighty Friend, the Wise. (Sura 59:24).

Mystical texts often talk about God as having created a mirror to watch Himself in it. Now the mirror - creation - is in turn a subject; it can watch itself and discover all beauty, glory and perfection in itself without looking at the transcendent origing and to cultivate the relationship that is the meaning of its existence, losing itself in pantheistic selfsufficiency only to be suddenly confronted with the unexpected transcendent reality at the end of this order of time and space. Especially the human being as a microcosm can fall into this trap and might well consider him/herself as the actual reality, treating the transcendent Creator of whom a vague impression is left in the memory as an abstract idea, attributing to Him a choice of attributes that then, in turn, determine his/her theology or philosophy but are not necessarily linked with recognitions: God as an idea, perhaps even projection of the created being, in any case as an object. However, a real dialogue can only take place between two subjects who take each other serious and listen to each other. God says in the Qur'an:


And when My servants ask you about Me: I am near. I do answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls upon Me. Then they should also listen to Me and have faith in Me so that they might be guided. (Surah 2:186).

Creation and revelation as expressions of the Creator are also shown in the "Verse of Light":


God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable if His light is like a niche in which there is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is like a brilliant star. It is lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the East nor of the West, the oil of which is nearly luminous without any fire touching it. Light upon light! God guides to His light who He finds worthy. And God sets forth parables for human beings, and God does know all things. (Sura 24:35).

This parable is interpreted in different ways, but in any case it is God's own light that is reflected. For example, the commentaries compare the niche that is there to reflect the light whith the whole creation or with the human being. In the latter case, the glass that contains the lamp is sometimes understood to mean the human heart, the niche being the body or the rest of the person. Keeping this image in mind, we shall have a look at a second hadîth qudsi.

Two
He who knows himself knows his Lord.

The Arabic word 'arafa means to recognize, to know but also to experience. Islamic mysticism is called 'irfân because it is a matter of lovingly recognizing or experiencing God. Obviously God cannot be known by the study of theological treatises or by building up a dogmatic structure on a purely rational level. In the beginning we have been mentioning the signs through which God reveals Himself to us in the sacred scriptures, in nature, in history or in ourselves. In the course of the history of religions, statments from the sacred scripture have often been misunderstoon and misused because they were taken out of contexte and read through the spectacles of selfish interests - I think e.g. of the wars that have been fought misusing religious terms and slogans, or of the persecution of minorities with different views or strange looks with a religious pretext. In a similar way, signs in history have been misinterpreted, temporary "success" not being understood as a test but as a privilege, a "confirmation by God" as it were, and people failed to lean from the experience of the past. Both the context is important and the sincerity of the person who interprets these signs. However, sincerity is not possible for a person who deceives himself. The more one's spectacles are cleansed from spots of selfishness, the more the world becomes 'âlam, a means to gain knowledge - including finally knowledge of God.

In this context, the sufis developed various methods and models for explanation according to their time and cultural environment. We have come across one scheme already, the stages of development in the human self. Another one is that of different layers that a person comes to know in the cours of his/her self-discovery.

The most obvious is the body (zâhir) with its functions. Even before children discover that they are not a part of their mother, they discover the various parts of their body and learn to control, to coordinate and to use them in order to suck, hold, see, walk etc.. A person who is alienated from his/her body will have difficulties handling him/herself especially when there are changes like e.g. in puberty, during a pregnancy, in connection with the menopause etc.. Especially in those times of change a person becomes aware of the temporariness, of growth and decay.

To some extent, the external form is continuously reconstructed. So are the impressions of experiences and wishes. The totality of this information is called the inner structure, all those subconscious or half-conscious factors that influence the body and its functions. Partly they are genetical informations like the colour of one's eyes or hair or the structure of one's body, but partly there are also deepgoing impressions and images from earlier experiences or the experiences of the community a person has grown up in that are not transmitted on the level of rational learning but on the subconscious level.

A human being commonly takes his/her I (nafs) for the core of his/her person (we already discussed the education of the self in detail. Stories of prophetic persons that apply to essential human experiences are used as a help with these steps of discovery and development. On the level of the external body and the inner structure there are Adam or Eve depending on whether the person in question is a man or a woman. The basic experience connected with it is mistake, insight and repentance through which the person opens up for new knowledge and revelation. On the level of Nafs there is Noah: a well-educated Nafs is like an ark full of animals - the human instincts and impulses that all move within their legitimate spheres and follow the order of the captain who directs the ship through the tempests of life to its destination as determined by its owner. This means that the I sees that it is not the centre of existence. An egocentric person would declare himself to be absolute and make his own desires the standard for everything else in the world. A person, however, who carefully explores him/herself will necessarily find out that he/she is nothing but a dot on this earth, not to mention the universe, and that there are standards and relationships he/she has to find a place in and that can affect changes in the self.

On this level of relationship, it is the heart (qalb) that is important. It is the axis of the human being, as it were, because it turns to the one it loves. If someone just only loves him/herself, the heart is taken up by the ego and there is no space for humanness. This level is demonstrated by Abraham (a): after an intensive search for his real Beloved he is put to a test to find out whom he loves more, God or his son who represents his self: he feels called to sacrifice his son. However, self-sacrifice is not the meaning of this test but the readiness and the sincere love: a sheep is finally substituted for the son. In later years, Abraham (a) und Ismail (a) build the Ka'ba, another symbol for the heat: it can be crowded with idols like at the time of the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (s), or it can be pure and ampty, ready to receive God's presence - a House of God in the true sense.

Beyond the heart there is the intellect ('aql): not just the rational faculty but the ability to recognizes things in their context and to com to meaningful conclusions from that. This ability can be seriously disturbed if the ego uses knowledge for its own selfish conclusions, upsetting the harmony in which it is embedded, or causing direct harm e.g. by misusing scientific and technological knowledge for inconsiderate increase of material profit, ignoring the rest of creation: this is utmost foolishness. The real intellect is always linked with responsibility, and this is what makes the human being fit to be Khalîfa, God's representative. The key person on this level is Moses (a) who gains insight into the "law" having confronted the megalomaniac ego in the shape of Pharao with God's help.

The next level is the level of the spirit (rûh). The spirit it the link between the human and the divine, the transmitter of reveleation ad creative impulses. It educates, nourishes and heals. This is demonstrated by the figure of Jesus (a) whose miracles as they are mentioned in the Qur'an are understood in the sense of a revival of dead hearts, the healing of sick souls, the integration of social "untouchables" etc.. Rûh is the real soul of the human being, but its soft voice is often pushed aside by the shouts and screams of the ego.

The seventh level is the light (nûr), the divine spark in us that can only shine through when the whole person is purified. Light is the contents of revelation, God's message to us. It enlightens us and shows us our task and the way to handle it. We see the world "in its true light". Light drives out the darkness of ignorance and injustice (zulm); it is God's own light and we recognize that in all our efforts it was God Himself who was our guide: hat:


God is the friend of the faithful. He guides them out of the darknesses into light ... (Surah 2:257).

It is the spark of His light within us that gives us insight into the reality of the world and the meaning of our own life. This is illustrated in the figure of Muhammad (s) who encountered his Lord at a "distance of two bows" (cf. Surah 53:1-11)(among the Arabs, a gesture of brotherhood was to hold the bows with the strings touching in their whole length, the semicircles of the bows together symbolizing a complete circle - this image is here used for the encounter of the Creator and the created being). It is an immediate touch on a wide surface, but no "mixture". The onthological difference, the "infinite qualitative difference", God's tanscendence is preserved even when the I loses all consciousness of itself, even if the person in question feels "filled with God" and is unable to live other than with the impulses he is inspired with by God, when he/she is nothing but a bearer of revelation.

The path is long, troublesome and not without dangers. It is compared with a journey through a desert where there are wild beasts, dust storms, quicksands and one or the other mirage. The latter seems to be the greatest danger: the illusion of having arrived while in reality the traveller has lost the way, having given in to a trick of his/her imagination or emotions. That is why most experts consider it necessary to have an experienced guide or travelling companion. Apart from knowledge and a good ethical foundation, there are mainly two things that are essential:


The remembrance of God or the awareness of God's presence (dhikr Allâh). Various forms of meditation have been developed in the mystical traditions; what is essential is the awareness and experience of God's presence and the strengthening of the link with Him. In a very comprehensive way this is done through ritual prayer. Besides, there is du'â (supplication), praise, repentance, the testimony of faith etc. as well as meditations on God's Most Bautiful Names or texts from the Qur'an. The mystical tradition differentiate between loud dhikr (dhikr jalli) that is practiced in congregation by reciting a sequence of prayers and/or repeating a number of invocation, occasionally in connection with singing and certain bodily postures and gestures, even dance; silent dhikr (dhikr khafi) that is mostly practiced individually, deepening the former; and the so-called dhikr of the heart (dhikr qalbi) when a person lives in a permanent consious connection with God. I would avoid calling dhikr a "technique" because this term is too much associated with what is "made" by human beings. A permanent connection with God is not "made"; we can open up for it and let it grow, caring for it like we would care for a rare flower.

There are certainly times when a person feels like withdrawing in order to search in his/her soul, keeping a physical distance from other people. Many mystics have spent part of their lives in the desert or jungle or on lonely journeys. In the long run, however, this is not advisable. In the modern age of individualism it is even dangerous because a situation where there is a permanent lack of challenges by fellow human beings and different problems of everyday life can easily cause a wrong self-image, changing meditation into autosuggestion. In principle, human beings need each other, not only in order to secure their livelihood and to preserve human warmth but also for mutual challenges and criticism. My relationship with other people indicates how far I have come in the relationship with myself; this, in turn, is a condition for my relationship with my creator.

We can observe various tendencies in the history of the sufis. The early sufis did emphasize withdrawal both from the materialistic intoxication of theit rich contemporaries and from the ruling classe and its influence that they were critical against. For them it was important to remain materially poor and some of them were ascetics, but at the same time they kept company with each other and with poor but ethically strong people. Their political activities ranged from "passive resistance" through the preservation and teaching of Islamic values and their commitment for the poor to open criticism of contemporary rulers and some attempts at an alternative reconstruction of the community.

After the formation of the great sufi orders, the weight shifted to the company the sufis kept with each other. The orders cultivated and expressed Islamic values in a way that other people could profit from it, e.g. in the field of humanities, in social life and in other spheres of Muslim culture. The critical attitude against the rulers remained in most cases, but on the other hand there were immense temptations by the possibility to become a ruler's advisor - this often meant being an advisor in ethical matters, but not all advisors were immune against temptations ...

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Assalaamu alaikum,

Can anyone tell me where I can audio of Hizb ul Bahr?

Alhamdulillah I found the audio elsewhere on the forum.

Does anybody know where it is possible to obtain an english translation of shadili awraad? I have the arabic but would like the English as I do not yet know arabic