SUFI
PRACTICES
Daily Practice: Al-Wird ash-Shadhiliyya
The wird
is the daily practice using prayer beads as counters.
As suggested by our guide, wird can be done twice daily,
particularly after Fajr (dawn) and Maghrib (dusk) prayers.
The wird is a repetition of the following litanies:
Say (100x):
ASTAGhFIR ALLÂH AL-‘ADhÎM
I seek forgiveness in Allah the Almighty.
Then say (1x): LÂ ILÂHA ILLÂ HŰ AL-HAYY AL-QAYYŰM
WA ATŰBU ILAYH
There is no god but Him, the Living, the Everlasting, and I turn
to Him [in repentance].
Say (100x): ALLÂHUMMA SALLI ‘ALÂ SAYYIDINÂ MUHAMMADIN
WA ÂÂLIHI WA SAHBIHI WA SALLIM
Oh Allah send Your revelation upon our Master Muhammad and his
family and companions, Your Peace.
Then say (1x): MUHAMMADUN RASŰL-ULLÂH
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Say (100x): LÂ ILÂHA ILLA-LLÂH
There is no god but Allah.
Then say (1x): MUHAMMADUN RASŰL-ULLÂH
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Say (100x): ALLÂH
(Sundays and Thursdays, say Allah 500x or for 1/2 hour)
Remembrance: Dhikr
Dhikr, or the remembrance, is the essential and foundational
practice of a Sufi. This practice consists of simply remembering
Allah, usually by repetition of His Name or qualities. The
principal effect of dhikr is to bring the heart back to
awareness of God.
Allah says: “To Allah belongs all the beautiful names, so call
out to Him with them” (Surat al-A’raaf verse 180).
Dhikr and the resulting awe and awareness of Allah, blessed and
exalted is He, underlies describes the process of surrendering
one’s ego-self to God's Will. Dhikr is fundamental in prayer for
forgiveness, protection, insight and peace.
Dhikr is the remembrance itself as well as the various
practices of remembrance. In the Shadhuli Way, dhikr is done by
a group standing in a circle, fingers interlaced, chanting the
name of God to evoke His light and allow Him to open and clean
the participants' hearts, minds, and spirits. This is a very
powerful experience that brings the community together in
celebration of Allah’s creation. Typically this form of dhikr is
held every Sunday and Thursday night in communities around the
nation.
Prayer: Salah
We make salat in repetitions or
cycles called rak‘ah.
The repetition of the salah each and every day is an ongoing
polishing of the heart. The salah has five occasions every day
and each occasion of prayer has a new quality for the heart. The
form of the salah is a divine gift to the Prophet Muhammad, may
the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his people. We
look to the Prophet’s example (his sunnah) for when and how to pray, in every inner and
outer meaning.
Some things to keep in mind:
-
Keep your eyes
open during the prayer at all times. Stay in
your body. Rest your eyes on the place you will prostrate. It is
disrespectful to walk in front of, address or touch someone who
is praying.
-
Remove your shoes
for the prayer unless this is a hardship.
-
Women should cover
their forms, head and hair for the prayer. Covering body and
head is also the custom for men.
-
If standing, bowing
and prostrating pose a hardship, you can perform the prayer
while sitting or lying down. Incline your head or chest in place
of the bow, and farther forward in place of the prostration.
5
Daily Prayer Times:
1.
The Fajr or Subh prayer is
made in the dawn before sunrise.
Perform two rak‘ah out loud.
It is good to recite
portions of Qur'an or the Wazifa and to perform al-Wird after
the Fajr prayer.
2. Dhuhr
comes in the early afternoon.
Perform four rak'ah silently.
3. ‘Asr
comes in the mid afternoon.
Perform four rak'ah silently.
4. Maghrib
is made right after sunset.
Perform two rak‘ah out loud, followed by a silent one.
It is good to do al-Wird after Maghrib.
5. ‘Isha’
is the salah of the night and is made after the red of sunset has left the sky.
Perform two rak‘ah out loud, followed by two silent rak‘ah.
Option to perform a single rak‘ah called Witr to close the
prayers of the day.
Sunnah prayer,
voluntary worship added by the Prophet to the minimum of the
five daily prayers, can also be done.
The beloved Prophet
taught that salah in a group has twenty-seven degrees of
excellence over solitary prayer.
People praying together for the five prayers (sunnah prayers are
always made individually) stand as close as possible,
shoulders, arms or hips touching. Straighten the lines by lining
up your heels.
One person who best knows the prayer serves as Imam, leading
other people in the actions of the prayer.
Personal
supplication: prayers for love, mercy, forgiveness, something
needed, something for others– may be made while bowing, while
prostrating, and in the kneeling before giving salams to the
right and to the left. The Prophet, upon him be peace, said
“Supplication is the marrow of worship.”
When traveling,
worshippers may shorten prayers of 4 rak‘ah (the noon, afternoon
and night prayers) to two rak‘ah, that is, ending with Salams
after two rak`ah. Fajr and Maghrib prayers may not be shortened.
Travelers may also combine Dhuhr and ‘Asr; and Maghrib and
‘Isha.
There are a few times each day that Salah is
not permitted ( so that it not
be confused with sun-worship):
-
After
making the current Fajr prayer until the sun is well above
the horizon (about 20 minutes after sunrise).
-
From the
time the sun is at its heighest point in the sky until it
moves (only a few minutes before the Dhuhr prayer).
-
After
making the current ‘Asr prayer until after the sun
has set.
Islamicfinder.org
is a good source on the internet where you can download prayer
times in your area.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar. It is the most important month of
the year, the month of the universal community of believers, the
month of the soul. The arrival of this blessed month is greeted
with joy, for in it the doors of heaven are opened further for
the faithful and the Divine Compassion descends upon those who
seek it. During Ramadan we deepen our tawba, the
moment-by-moment repentance and renewal of life in the Real, the
Most Ancient, seeking His mercy, forgiveness and protection.
This is the month for reestablishing our commitment and cleaning
our relationship with our Creator. For those on the Path, the
knowers, it is a special time to be with Allah, to be with Him
in everything -to be in the station of la ilaha illa-llah.
This month is set
aside by Allah most High for the believers to fast from dawn to
dusk. Because one abstains from eating, drinking, and sex during
the day, more time is spent in special worship. Each evening
during Ramadan, the daily fast is broken with a festive meal and
much celebration and praise to the glory of God. The evening
meals are followed by the special Tarawih prayers. Far from a
difficult obligation or a penance, the fasting month is a
special time when the Muslims of the planet draw together &
drink from the special light of Allah, blessed is He.
The most sacred
night of Ramadan and of the year is Laylat-al-Qadr, the Night of
Power, which marks the descent of the Qur'an from the heavens
into the earth and history. The true Night of Power is hidden
and so we seek it in prayer and rememberence during the nights
of the last ten days.
Al-Wazifa al-Mashishiyya
A deep
prayer for opening the soul
’A‘ÚDhU BI-LLÁHI
MINA-Sh-ShAYTÁNI-R-RAJÍM
I seek refuge with Allah from the evil one, the rejected.
BISMI-LLÁHI-R-RAHMÁNI-R-RAHÍM
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
O Allah, send blessings and peace in all the affairs of the
revealed and the hidden,
Upon the one from whom the secrets, which were hidden in his
lofty essence, were cleft apart,
And the lights, which are hidden in the sky of his lofty
qualities, dispel the shadows of night as full moons,
And in him ascended the truths, for him to Him;
And the sciences of Adam descended through him and upon him.
Rendering the entire creation unable to comprehend that which
was entrusted to him of the secret,
And before him understanding is diminished; yet each one’s
inability to understand suffices him.
This is the preserved secret that has not been grasped by any
one of us in its existence.
And none who comes after him will reach his pre-existent
witnessing.
Magnified is the Prophet whose glowing beauty blossoms the
gardens of the dominion [al-Mulk] and the world of the kingdom
[al-Malakut].
And the reservoirs of the world of al-Jabarut pour forth in
profusion the lights of his dazzling secret.
And there is nothing which is not dependent on him,
And which is not encompassed by his all-pervading Secret.
Because if he were not the Mediator in every aspect and descent,
Then, as it is said, the mediation would disappear.
Bless him, a blessing worthy of You, from You to him.
And that is an unceasing and constantly renewed creation pouring
out abundantly upon him.
And grant him peace in accordance with this blessing, as he is
worthy of its abundance and favor,
And on his family, who are the suns of the heavens most high,
And his companions and followers and those who came after.
Oh Allah! Surely he is Your secret, which unites all secrets,
And Your light encompassing all lights;
And your guide who leads through You to You;
And the leader who rides Your worlds to You;
And Your great veil who stands before You,
So that no one reaches except through his noble presence,
And no straying person can be guided except by his shining
lights.
Oh Allah! join me to his spiritual line,
And make his praised noble descent true through me.
And let me know him with a knowledge with which I can witness
his existence,
And I become his mirror
In the way that he likes and which pleases him
Through which I am freed from the sources of ignorance, through
his deep knowledge.
And I drink directly from the watering places of the bounty,
through his knowing.
And carry me on swift noble mounts of Your subtlety,
And on carriers of Your love and Your tender mercy,
And lead me on his upright path,
The straight path to his presence, which is connected to Your
holy presence
And which shines with the revelations of his human virtues.
A carrying surrounded by the soldiers of Your victory
Accompanied by the worlds of Your family.
And use me, to throw me (like a stone) upon falsehood in all its
manifestations, in all its places,
So that I refute falsehood by the truth, in the face of the most
true.
And plunge me into the seas of oneness which encompass the
totality of things both complex and simple.
And pull me out of the morass of metaphorical unity, of words
and speech, into the unlimited freedom of uniqueness,
Which is beyond either releasing or binding (freeing or
limitation).
And drown me in the spring of the sea of the unity of
witnessing,
Until I do not see, and I do not hear, and I do not sense, and I
do not feel, except through it, while descending and while
ascending.
As it is, and like this, it never ceases to exist (as it truly
is and continues without ceasing).
O Allah! make my absorbtion commended by him and praised by You.
O Allah! make the Great Veil the life of my spirit by unveiling
and eyewitnessing.
Since the order is like this – a mercy and a kindness from You.
And O Allah! make his spirit the secret of my reality through
tasting and through state.
And may his reality unify all my worlds in the places of
knowledge, both now and forever.
And make this true to me, according to what it with you.
By the realization of the first truth and the last truth, and
the revealed and the hidden.
Oh First One! Nothing comes before You,
Oh Last One! Nothing comes after You,
Oh Revealed One! Beyond You there is nothing.
Oh Hidden One! Beneath You there is nothing.
Hear my calling in my subsistence and in my annihilation, even
as You heard the calling of Your slave Zakariyya.
And make me contented with You, and You contented with me.
And help me by You and for You, over the worlds of the jinn, the
human beings and the angels.
And strengthen me, through You and for You, as you strengthen
those who travel on the way, and who master it, and those who
master it and return to travel it.
And join me to You
And remove Your veil from my eye.
And place a barrier between me, and between everything other
than You.
And let nothing come between me and You.
And make me one of the leaders of Your goodness and caring.
Allaaaah Allaaaah Allaaaah (hold the 'aaaa' for
12 counts)
Allah! Allah! Allah!
From Allah the order begins,
And to Allah the order returns.
Allah is the essential requisite of existence, and nothing
exists that is not He.
Surely He who ordained for you the Qur’an will bring you home
again.
In every approaching and every going away, in every standing up
and every sitting down.
Oh Lord! give us, from You, mercy, and provide for us straight
forwardness in our conduct.
And make us of those who are rightly guided.
So guided until no slightest glance falls upon anything that is
not You;
Until we have no desire, except for You.
And guide us in the places of mounting up.
Verily Allah and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet.
Oh you how believe! send your prayers upon him, and greet him
with your deep surrender.
Oh Allah! send Your prayers upon him from us, the most befitting
prayers, and greet him with the most perfect peace,
For surely we cannot estimate his great degree.
Nor do we know what befits him of respect and glorification.
The Prayers of Allah, exalted is He, and His peace, and His
mercy and His blessings be upon our master Muhammad, Your slave
and Your Prophet and Your Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and
upon his family and his companions, peace.
To the number of the even and the odd, and the complete and
blessed words of our Lord and Sustainer.
Writing Stations
Sidi Shaykh Muhammad has opened up the knowledge of his heart
for his beloveds. The
Stations of the Way are twenty-eight doorways into the
spiritual realities we walk through on the journey from
unknowing and darkness into love, completion and light. To learn
the teachings in each station deeply, we write them out by hand.
Writing the stations takes the beloved through the doorway of
the words and into a taste of the station, even a station
seemingly far removed from where we live and what we experience
daily.
Sidi writes, "When I say, 'Fly,' I mean that I want everyone
to fly because I give him himma. The knowing is
himma. When you know and I give you more, this is himma.
When you write the teachings, this is himma. Like when
you put oil in a machine, the oil is the himma. Without
oil the machine does not work; without himma you cannot
walk." (From "An Explanation of Al-Wazifa" in Music of the
Soul.)
With a pen or pencil and paper in hand, ask Allah to open
your heart to receive the teaching completely, to drink it deep
into your being and learn its secrets. Ask also that Allah send
Sidi's spirit to take you by the hand and show you the meaning
of the station for your walking now.
Write out the station phrase by phrase. If something is
unclear, pray for guidance and opening. When you start to
receive illumination in your heart, go even deeper. Trust Allah
that He may take you into these beautiful recesses. Often the
most unclear passages open up into the most important
understandings for us.
Write till you have finished the station. Take as much time
as you need. Read what you have written with your own hand, and
sit in remembrance for some time, letting the teachings fill
your heart. You may also visualize the name of Allah or look
into the written form of the name.
Wudu:
Purification with the Water of Mercy
1. Make your intention for ablution. You may say “I intend
this wudu for prayer to Allah most High. In the name of Allah,
the Merciful, the Compassionate”.
At each step, cover the body part completely with just enough
water to wet it. The water used must be clean and unaltered, for
example by soap or perfume.
2. Wash your hands three times. Wash the right with the left,
then the left with the right, then each hand twice more.
3. Rinse the mouth three times. It is recommended to clean
the teeth now or before wudu.
4. Rinse your nose three times by snuffing water and blowing
it out.
5. Wash your face with both hands three times.
6. Wash your right forearm from the fingers to elbow three
times, and wash the left arm in the same way three times.
7. Wash your head once by running both hands from the
forehead to the nape and then back to the forehead.
8. Wash your ears, index finger in ear and thumb in back of
ear, once.
9. Wash your feet three times, first the right foot up to the
ankle with the right hand and then your left foot with the right
hand. Wash between the toes at least once on each foot.
10. Then say, as you raise your right index finger,
indicating the Unity:
"ash-hadu al-laa ilaha illa-llah wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan
abduhu wa rasuluh"
“I bear witness there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His
Slave and His Messenger.”
It is recommended to let your washed parts air-dry.
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