The Wird & Mastery of Stations

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following are the thoughts of Imam ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad,Ba ‘Alawi (q.s.) on wird and stations.  This was translated by Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi. 

He was asked about the saying of Shaykh Husayn ibn ‘Abdullah Ba-Fadhl (q.s.): “Take a brief wird to be used alone, if necessary, a medium one to use when needed, and a long one to use when one’s state is one of breast expansion.  The briefest possible form is to silently run it in one's mind.” 

He answered, “Praise is for Allah.  You inquire about the saying of the Sufi, Shaykh Husayn, son of the scholar, the Imam ‘Abdallah Ba al-Haj Ba-Fadhl, (q.s.), concerning awrad and so on.  The intention and gist of it is that one should always persevere in his awrad and maintain it as much as possible and in a manner to suit each circumstance. 

As for his saying that you should have a concise wird, a medium and a lengthy one, these differ with circumstances such as occupation or freedom, health or sickness.  An example of this is what Imam al-Ghazali mentioned in Bidayat al-Hidayah.  To be recited before sunrise, he mentions ten invocations to be included in the awrad then adds that each should be recited either one hundred, seventy, or ten times at the very least.  He also mentioned them in the Ihya’ and says: ‘or he can recite them three times each.’  This variability is due to the variability in time, energy and freedom.  This also applies to the invocations mentioned in the sunnah to follow each ritual prayer, in the morning, evening, at bedtime, and so on.  On can make these lengthy, medium or concise if he has wide knowledge of the sunnah.  The least is to run them silently in one’s mind whenever occupied with pressing matters or overpowered by an illness; which is similar to what is said about the ritual prayer of those overpowered by illness.  The shaykh intended nothing more than encouraging the disciple to take care of his awrad in every possible way.” 

On stations, he said, “You asked about tamkin and whether it applies to all stations.  Yes, it does apply to each one of them.  A servant may have mastery in some but not all stations.  For example, he may have mastery in the stations of ikhlasw and zuhd but not in those of tawakkul and muhabbah.  The one who is given the mastery of all stations is the one who is truly masterful.  Mastery is complete stability and firm establishment in a station so that the possessor of that station never wavers, and never changes, he is not overcome by ahwal, nor is he swayed by them.  This may be specific to one state or general, including them all.”