Forty-Third Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)

The Venerable Master said: If the moon is seen on the 29th of the month, the feast would fall on Thursday; while if someone sees it clearly on 30th, it will fall on Friday. What is the difficulty if it falls on Friday? That Friday would be a two- fold feast.

Afterwards he said: Two feasts have occurred on the same day: the first is prophetic practice, the second obligatory.' The Friday practice is the lesser.¹

Maulana Arif Zahid said: Tonight is the 'Shab-e-Qadr' (Night of Power). What is the origin of the practice of eating curds on this night? He replied: It is a practice that has cropped up. I have seen it written somewhere. After that he said: There are many such things. Whatever has become cur- rent among Muslims but they cannot discriminate, in their regard, between what is genuine and what is false, of a surety a tradition will finally be found concerning it. If some matter of religion has become well known and famous among Muslims yet there is, in fact, nothing to prove its truth or falsity, it should not be prohibited, but one does not have to observe it. If some- one does observe it, however, he should not be prohibited from doing so, because it has become widely practiced among the Muslims. A person should, however, discriminate between what is true and what is false. If he simply goes ahead, he might do something which is contrary to religion. This would be an in- novation. On the other hand, if it is prohibited it could turn out to be correct and the prohibition would be incorrect for the simple reason that the person had not heard of the practice. It is difficult to prohibit such things. This much has to be observed: he should not observe such a practice which has become well- known and widespread among Muslims, with many Muslims observing it; but neither should he prohibited others from observing it. It is enough that he does not observe it himself, not that the genuine be distinguished from the false.

It can also be that there is a religious man in whom he has trust, being confident of his religion and religious practices, whom he sees observing it. Then he can do so himself, by way of imitation, but he should not prohibit it for the reason that it is widespread among the Muslims. The fact is that such a man can certainly discriminate between what is genuine and what is false, and he will have come across the practice somewhere, just as I have seen so many things in use among the Muslims.

Previously I had shown my disapproval, asking what basis there was for the practice. Afterwards a tradition concerning it was found. For example, it is common for women not to burn garlic or onion peelings in the house. Previously this seemed strange to me. What was the reason for their not doing so? At last, among the things from which poverty arises, I noticed that burning garlic and onion peelings induces poverty.

I also used to hear that one should not sit in the doorway. This also seemed strange to me. Where did it come from? Finally, I noticed it too among the list of things that result in poverty.

I also used to hear that people should not sweep their houses at night. This also cropped up in a list of things that result in poverty.!

Afterwards he said: Tonight there will be twelve rounds of prayer with three salaams. At each round, 'Praise be to God' is said once, and 'I have revealed it to you' three times, and 'Say, God is One' ten times. After finishing these, one hundred times 'Glory be to God'; 'There is no god but God'; 'God is Great; 'There is no power or strength except in God' should be said.

In the meantime, Samar said: People also speak about a hundred rounds of prayer for tonight. He replied: That pertains to 'Shab-i Barat' (Night of Record). Thus, it happens that people talk about a hundred rounds of prayer for tonight as well. Then he added: There is a tradition which applies it to tonight as well. It is found in some places.

Afterwards he said: The whole point is to make the night come alive by whatever means one can, whether by reciting

beads, by recitation of the Qur'an, by invoking blessings on the Prophet and his family, or by seeking forgiveness's

The Helpless One said: What is the most fitting of these so that a person might be preoccupied therein? The Venerable Master replied: The practice in which he finds inner serenity is the one he should preoccupy himself with. In this way he will realize for himself where his preference lies. Ritual prayer, however, is all-embracing. If he finds himself getting bored with something he should immediately leave it and occupy himself with something else for, once the heart loses interest in some- thing, it is extremely difficult to bring it back to it. For that reason, it has been said that it should be left immediately so that the heart won't seek to blame itself or be disturbed. A person should then leave that practice immediately and become engaged in another in order to be totally absorbed therein. He should abandon what he is engaged in if he becomes over- strained. If that happens let him emerge from private devotions and associate with his fellow men and talk with them for a while in order to obtain help and assistance from them and let him occupy himself with something else.

The Venerable Master said: If the moon is seen on the 29th of the month, the feast would fall on Thursday; while if someone sees it clearly on 30th, it will fall on Friday. What is the difficulty if it falls on Friday? That Friday would be a two- fold feast.

Afterwards he said: Two feasts have occurred on the same day: the first is prophetic practice, the second obligatory.' The Friday practice is the lesser.¹

Maulana Arif Zahid said: Tonight is the 'Shab-e-Qadr' (Night of Power). What is the origin of the practice of eating curds on this night? He replied: It is a practice that has cropped up. I have seen it written somewhere. After that he said: There are many such things. Whatever has become cur- rent among Muslims but they cannot discriminate, in their regard, between what is genuine and what is false, of a surety a tradition will finally be found concerning it. If some matter of religion has become well known and famous among Muslims yet there is, in fact, nothing to prove its truth or falsity, it should not be prohibited, but one does not have to observe it. If some- one does observe it, however, he should not be prohibited from doing so, because it has become widely practiced among the Muslims. A person should, however, discriminate between what is true and what is false. If he simply goes ahead, he might do something which is contrary to religion. This would be an in- novation. On the other hand, if it is prohibited it could turn out to be correct and the prohibition would be incorrect for the simple reason that the person had not heard of the practice. It is difficult to prohibit such things. This much has to be observed: he should not observe such a practice which has become well- known and widespread among Muslims, with many Muslims observing it; but neither should he prohibited others from observing it. It is enough that he does not observe it himself, not that the genuine be distinguished from the false.

It can also be that there is a religious man in whom he has trust, being confident of his religion and religious practices, whom he sees observing it. Then he can do so himself, by way of imitation, but he should not prohibit it for the reason that it is widespread among the Muslims. The fact is that such a man can certainly discriminate between what is genuine and what is false, and he will have come across the practice somewhere, just as I have seen so many things in use among the Muslims.

Previously I had shown my disapproval, asking what basis there was for the practice. Afterwards a tradition concerning it was found. For example, it is common for women not to burn garlic or onion peelings in the house. Previously this seemed strange to me. What was the reason for their not doing so? At last, among the things from which poverty arises, I noticed that burning garlic and onion peelings induces poverty.

I also used to hear that one should not sit in the doorway. This also seemed strange to me. Where did it come from? Finally, I noticed it too among the list of things that result in poverty.

I also used to hear that people should not sweep their houses at night. This also cropped up in a list of things that result in poverty.!

Afterwards he said: Tonight there will be twelve rounds of prayer with three salaams. At each round, 'Praise be to God' is said once, and 'I have revealed it to you' three times, and 'Say, God is One' ten times. After finishing these, one hundred times 'Glory be to God'; 'There is no god but God'; 'God is Great; 'There is no power or strength except in God' should be said.

In the meantime, Samar said: People also speak about a hundred rounds of prayer for tonight. He replied: That pertains to 'Shab-i Barat' (Night of Record). Thus, it happens that people talk about a hundred rounds of prayer for tonight as well. Then he added: There is a tradition which applies it to tonight as well. It is found in some places.

Afterwards he said: The whole point is to make the night come alive by whatever means one can, whether by reciting

beads, by recitation of the Qur'an, by invoking blessings on the Prophet and his family, or by seeking forgiveness's

The Helpless One said: What is the most fitting of these so that a person might be preoccupied therein? The Venerable Master replied: The practice in which he finds inner serenity is the one he should preoccupy himself with. In this way he will realize for himself where his preference lies. Ritual prayer, however, is all-embracing. If he finds himself getting bored with something he should immediately leave it and occupy himself with something else for, once the heart loses interest in some- thing, it is extremely difficult to bring it back to it. For that reason, it has been said that it should be left immediately so that the heart won't seek to blame itself or be disturbed. A person should then leave that practice immediately and become engaged in another in order to be totally absorbed therein. He should abandon what he is engaged in if he becomes over- strained. If that happens let him emerge from private devotions and associate with his fellow men and talk with them for a while in order to obtain help and assistance from them and let him occupy himself with something else.