LETTER 32: RITUAL PRAYERS

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

My brother, Shamsuddin, may you enjoy eternal bliss! O brother, a disciple should show himself diligent in whatever leads to a greater purification and sanctification of his heart, and penetrates its inner- most recesses, whether it be prayer, recitation of the Quran, remembering God, or meditating upon Him. This presupposes, of course, that there is no spiritual guide available. Otherwise, the choice should be his, not the disciple's! In prayer there are secrets and works that are over and above the strict task of worshiping God! It has been said: Whoever has not tasted something knows nothing about it! The five ritual prayers have been treated in the book Rawb-ul-Arwah The comfort of souls). It is a memorial that was brought back by the Pride of the world from the pure realm of two bow lengths from God (Q53:9).5h

O brother, your worth is quite negligible! You have not yet reached the stage of ascent. You do not possess such magnificence that they bring Muhammad's mount, Buraq, to your door. What should you do? You should don the garb of lustrous purity and run to the glorious heavenly mosque, among the faithful who are clothed with angelic virtues. First enter and then go to the back row of servants. Stand there on the step of petition. At length you will come out in the front row of the friends who have been seated on the carpet of the secret of the Master. It is He who has combined in prayer, according to His own good pleasure, all the pillars of the Law.

In prayer one finds the meaning of fasting, and something more. Fasting is a kind of abstention done for a purpose. In prayer also, restraint is practiced for a purpose. Moreover, it is fitting that you rest there and then go and do other things. In prayer there is purity of intention, and in prayer there is the meaning of the religious tax, be cause five silver pieces must be given to the poor before one can recite the final prayer. At last, let him recite: O God, pardon me and other believers, that all may be at peace!

In prayer, too, one also finds the meaning of the pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage, one enters the sacred precincts of Mecca and alights and sojourns there, while in prayer one sanctifies oneself and praises God. In prayer a person can also discover the meaning of the holy war. Ablutions can be compared to donning armor. The prayer leader is like the general, while the people resemble the army. The leader stands in the front line in the sanctuary, where the battle will be joined. The people are drawn up in ranks behind him. United, they come to his aid. When they are victorious in their holy war, they share the booty among themselves. When the leader gives the final blessing of peace, he distributes the grace of the Lord of Glory.

Even though he may not be able to travel to Mecca, a believer who has prayed has also gone on a pilgrimage. Though he has no property, he has also paid the charity tax. Though he may not have had the power to fast, he finds that he has, in effect, fasted. Devoid of

the requisite strength, he has nonetheless fought a holy war. Take care, O fearless one! Do not enter lightly into the very heart of prayer, for 124,000 resplendent examples of prophecy and sinlessness have had their heads buried in the dust as they sought this honor. At the same time, many thousands remain in the cemetery because they failed to perform one or two prostrations.

A single prostration, from the heart and soul, Is of more value than thousands of words!

It has been said that when prayer and supplication become unit- ed for a disciple, he advances from the stage of dissipation to the light of the prayer of union. Then his body can be compared to the Kaaba, his heart to the divine throne, while his head is caught up in the Lord! In the Sharb-i-Ta'aruf (Commentary on the book about seeking knowledge), 5 those who have gained the divine Presence have been de- scribed in these terms: Their lights have torn the curtains, while their secrets have spun around the divine throne, and their ability will be brought to light in the presence of the Master of the throne. When the light of the faith of a disciple, in the abundance of his zeal, begins to rotate around the divine throne, every mirror reflecting his worth becomes exalted, since those constantly engaged in the prayer of union and holiness attain such a stage as is unattainable except

with the help of purity. When the Messenger of God prayed, the water of his heart emitted a sound like that of a bubbling cauldron. Then he girded up his loins of service and was garbed in the pilgrim's cloak, with his body in the palace of his heart. His heart rose to the stage of his soul, while his soul soared to that of his head. His head reached the divine Majesty. The face of Truth itself was disclosed to him. His body was in the stage of proximity to God; his heart was nearer still; his soul was very close to God, while his head was immediately adjacent to Him. All that was revealed to him at that stage occurred while he was at prayer.

He heard God's word without any intermediary and was greatly enlightened by the disclosure of hidden things. Sparks shot forth from the fire of zeal burning in his heart. His head was in quest of union. It cried out, O Bilal, bring me the release of prayer! O Bilal, bring relief to my inner fire, because the direction for the prayer of the lovers is the beauty and perfection of the Friend, not the Rock of Jerusalem, or the Kaaba, or even the divine throne itself! It is as Khwaja Abu Sa'id said while in a state of ecstasy at the head of the grave of his spiritual guide: The source of happiness is this mine of bounty and generosity; Toward the face of the Friend, I turn and not, toward any other!

Due to the ardor of their desire, those who are longing to see the Friend pray much, even without inclination or prostration. They consider all lovers to be the same. They do not single out anyone for signs of special attention, nor do they recognize anyone as notably meritorious.

The prayer of lovers is not a matter of inclinations and prostrations.

The very same pain afflicts Muslim, Christian, and Jew.

When the only direction for prayer is the beauty of the

Beloved,

Love comes and abolishes all other loci of prayer

One beloved of God has said that before the Rock of Jerusalem or the Kaaba came into existence, the direction for the prayer of lovers was the One without beginning! In place of sacred enclosures and places established by men, the direction of those who long for the Friend has become what it was in the beginning. In this tavern of self-forgetfulness and abode of affliction, the Rock of Jerusalem or the Kaaba has been demarcated to console the hearts of seekers and travelers O brother, some things are included in prayer to expand the believer's opportunity to invoke God's name. In this way, his heart will be given enlightenment from God himself, and the awe of Him who is beyond all need will descend upon his head. While his body comes to prayer, his heart will melt away and his soul will be absorbed in the divine secrets. His condition will become far removed from the superstitions of men, as his feet advance further on the carpet of near- ness to God. In this state, he will show no inclination toward any thing other than God. This is the meaning of what the Lord of the world has said: If someone who prays were to know the One whose name he is invoking, he would not divert his attention to anyone else. His prayer would be rather extraordinary. While at prayer, all attribution would pass away. It is impossible for anyone who experiences this passing away of attribution to be aware of anything other than God!

It is related that Ali, the commander of the faithful, was engrossed in prayer while an arrow was being removed from his thigh. Because he was lost in his absorbing vision of the Beloved, how could he possibly be aware of the pain of his wound? All attribution had passed away from him! Even if the afflictions of hell had been rained upon his head, he would have been oblivious to them all. Had the pleasures of Paradise been rolled up into a ball and dropped into his mouth, he would have derived no pleasure from them. Behold! The door of generosity is open. The table is laid with good things. Make haste! Discover your true self!

O Brother, what can a mere man do in order to seek Him? The generosity of the Bountiful One does not bypass either master or slave, rich man or poor. He is like the sun that rises from its resting place. Even if worldly people gird up their loins in search of this sun, they will not be able to catch hold of even a single particle of its light. The sun, however, in its own generosity, bestows its warming rays on the huts of beggars and the grief-stricken corners of the poor, as well as on the palaces of kings and the mansions of nobles. Do not pay attention to dust and water! Look at His riches! He loves them, and they love Him (Q5:54). Or again: God befriends those who believe in Him (Q2:257) and The Lord makes them drink a pure drink (Q76:21). There is no one who is more intimate with Him than man because of this honor and dignity. The angels around His throne are sinless. They are pure, holy, anointed, and spiritual, but a creature composed of water and clay is quite another matter! A venerable Sufi has said: This mere handful of dust has been placed like a straight bow in the hands, yet neither Gabriel nor Michael is able to string it! Wherever the shade of man's Wealth falls, there someone shows forth the beauty of the invitation to come forward. Surely kings, when they enter a town, destroy it (Q27:34)

Peace!

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

My brother, Shamsuddin, may you enjoy eternal bliss! O brother, a disciple should show himself diligent in whatever leads to a greater purification and sanctification of his heart, and penetrates its inner- most recesses, whether it be prayer, recitation of the Quran, remembering God, or meditating upon Him. This presupposes, of course, that there is no spiritual guide available. Otherwise, the choice should be his, not the disciple's! In prayer there are secrets and works that are over and above the strict task of worshiping God! It has been said: Whoever has not tasted something knows nothing about it! The five ritual prayers have been treated in the book Rawb-ul-Arwah The comfort of souls). It is a memorial that was brought back by the Pride of the world from the pure realm of two bow lengths from God (Q53:9).5h

O brother, your worth is quite negligible! You have not yet reached the stage of ascent. You do not possess such magnificence that they bring Muhammad's mount, Buraq, to your door. What should you do? You should don the garb of lustrous purity and run to the glorious heavenly mosque, among the faithful who are clothed with angelic virtues. First enter and then go to the back row of servants. Stand there on the step of petition. At length you will come out in the front row of the friends who have been seated on the carpet of the secret of the Master. It is He who has combined in prayer, according to His own good pleasure, all the pillars of the Law.

In prayer one finds the meaning of fasting, and something more. Fasting is a kind of abstention done for a purpose. In prayer also, restraint is practiced for a purpose. Moreover, it is fitting that you rest there and then go and do other things. In prayer there is purity of intention, and in prayer there is the meaning of the religious tax, be cause five silver pieces must be given to the poor before one can recite the final prayer. At last, let him recite: O God, pardon me and other believers, that all may be at peace!

In prayer, too, one also finds the meaning of the pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage, one enters the sacred precincts of Mecca and alights and sojourns there, while in prayer one sanctifies oneself and praises God. In prayer a person can also discover the meaning of the holy war. Ablutions can be compared to donning armor. The prayer leader is like the general, while the people resemble the army. The leader stands in the front line in the sanctuary, where the battle will be joined. The people are drawn up in ranks behind him. United, they come to his aid. When they are victorious in their holy war, they share the booty among themselves. When the leader gives the final blessing of peace, he distributes the grace of the Lord of Glory.

Even though he may not be able to travel to Mecca, a believer who has prayed has also gone on a pilgrimage. Though he has no property, he has also paid the charity tax. Though he may not have had the power to fast, he finds that he has, in effect, fasted. Devoid of

the requisite strength, he has nonetheless fought a holy war. Take care, O fearless one! Do not enter lightly into the very heart of prayer, for 124,000 resplendent examples of prophecy and sinlessness have had their heads buried in the dust as they sought this honor. At the same time, many thousands remain in the cemetery because they failed to perform one or two prostrations.

A single prostration, from the heart and soul, Is of more value than thousands of words!

It has been said that when prayer and supplication become unit- ed for a disciple, he advances from the stage of dissipation to the light of the prayer of union. Then his body can be compared to the Kaaba, his heart to the divine throne, while his head is caught up in the Lord! In the Sharb-i-Ta'aruf (Commentary on the book about seeking knowledge), 5 those who have gained the divine Presence have been de- scribed in these terms: Their lights have torn the curtains, while their secrets have spun around the divine throne, and their ability will be brought to light in the presence of the Master of the throne. When the light of the faith of a disciple, in the abundance of his zeal, begins to rotate around the divine throne, every mirror reflecting his worth becomes exalted, since those constantly engaged in the prayer of union and holiness attain such a stage as is unattainable except

with the help of purity. When the Messenger of God prayed, the water of his heart emitted a sound like that of a bubbling cauldron. Then he girded up his loins of service and was garbed in the pilgrim's cloak, with his body in the palace of his heart. His heart rose to the stage of his soul, while his soul soared to that of his head. His head reached the divine Majesty. The face of Truth itself was disclosed to him. His body was in the stage of proximity to God; his heart was nearer still; his soul was very close to God, while his head was immediately adjacent to Him. All that was revealed to him at that stage occurred while he was at prayer.

He heard God's word without any intermediary and was greatly enlightened by the disclosure of hidden things. Sparks shot forth from the fire of zeal burning in his heart. His head was in quest of union. It cried out, O Bilal, bring me the release of prayer! O Bilal, bring relief to my inner fire, because the direction for the prayer of the lovers is the beauty and perfection of the Friend, not the Rock of Jerusalem, or the Kaaba, or even the divine throne itself! It is as Khwaja Abu Sa'id said while in a state of ecstasy at the head of the grave of his spiritual guide: The source of happiness is this mine of bounty and generosity; Toward the face of the Friend, I turn and not, toward any other!

Due to the ardor of their desire, those who are longing to see the Friend pray much, even without inclination or prostration. They consider all lovers to be the same. They do not single out anyone for signs of special attention, nor do they recognize anyone as notably meritorious.

The prayer of lovers is not a matter of inclinations and prostrations.

The very same pain afflicts Muslim, Christian, and Jew.

When the only direction for prayer is the beauty of the

Beloved,

Love comes and abolishes all other loci of prayer

One beloved of God has said that before the Rock of Jerusalem or the Kaaba came into existence, the direction for the prayer of lovers was the One without beginning! In place of sacred enclosures and places established by men, the direction of those who long for the Friend has become what it was in the beginning. In this tavern of self-forgetfulness and abode of affliction, the Rock of Jerusalem or the Kaaba has been demarcated to console the hearts of seekers and travelers O brother, some things are included in prayer to expand the believer's opportunity to invoke God's name. In this way, his heart will be given enlightenment from God himself, and the awe of Him who is beyond all need will descend upon his head. While his body comes to prayer, his heart will melt away and his soul will be absorbed in the divine secrets. His condition will become far removed from the superstitions of men, as his feet advance further on the carpet of near- ness to God. In this state, he will show no inclination toward any thing other than God. This is the meaning of what the Lord of the world has said: If someone who prays were to know the One whose name he is invoking, he would not divert his attention to anyone else. His prayer would be rather extraordinary. While at prayer, all attribution would pass away. It is impossible for anyone who experiences this passing away of attribution to be aware of anything other than God!

It is related that Ali, the commander of the faithful, was engrossed in prayer while an arrow was being removed from his thigh. Because he was lost in his absorbing vision of the Beloved, how could he possibly be aware of the pain of his wound? All attribution had passed away from him! Even if the afflictions of hell had been rained upon his head, he would have been oblivious to them all. Had the pleasures of Paradise been rolled up into a ball and dropped into his mouth, he would have derived no pleasure from them. Behold! The door of generosity is open. The table is laid with good things. Make haste! Discover your true self!

O Brother, what can a mere man do in order to seek Him? The generosity of the Bountiful One does not bypass either master or slave, rich man or poor. He is like the sun that rises from its resting place. Even if worldly people gird up their loins in search of this sun, they will not be able to catch hold of even a single particle of its light. The sun, however, in its own generosity, bestows its warming rays on the huts of beggars and the grief-stricken corners of the poor, as well as on the palaces of kings and the mansions of nobles. Do not pay attention to dust and water! Look at His riches! He loves them, and they love Him (Q5:54). Or again: God befriends those who believe in Him (Q2:257) and The Lord makes them drink a pure drink (Q76:21). There is no one who is more intimate with Him than man because of this honor and dignity. The angels around His throne are sinless. They are pure, holy, anointed, and spiritual, but a creature composed of water and clay is quite another matter! A venerable Sufi has said: This mere handful of dust has been placed like a straight bow in the hands, yet neither Gabriel nor Michael is able to string it! Wherever the shade of man's Wealth falls, there someone shows forth the beauty of the invitation to come forward. Surely kings, when they enter a town, destroy it (Q27:34)

Peace!