The Naqshbandi Haqqani Principle of Baz Gasht

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The sixth principle of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order is Baz Gasht, “Returning”.  This is a state in which the seeker, who makes dzikr by negation and affirmation, comes to understand the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) phrase, “My God, You are my goal and Your Pleasure is my aim.”  The recitation of this phrase will increase in the seeker the awareness of the Oneness of Allah (s.w.t.), until he reaches the state in which the existence of all creation vanishes from his eyes.  All that he sees, wherever he looks, is the Absolute One.  The Naqshbandi muridun recite this sort of dzikr in order to extract from their hearts the secret of Unity, and to open themselves to the Reality of the Unique Divine Presence.  The beginner has no right to leave this dzikr if he does not find it Manifesting in his heart.  He must keep on reciting it in imitation of his shaykh because the Prophet (s.a.w.) has said, “Whoever imitates a group of people will belong to them.”  And whoever imitates his teacher will someday find this secret opened to his heart. 

The phrase, “Baz Gasht” refers to the return to Allah (s.w.t.) by complete surrender and submission to His Will, and complete humility in giving Him all due praise.  That is the reason the Prophet (s.a.w.) mentioned in his invocation, “We did not remember You as You Deserve to be Remembered, O Allah.”  The seeker cannot come to the Presence of Allah (s.w.t.) in his dzikr, and cannot manifest the Secrets and Attributes of Allah (s.w.t.) in his dzikr if he does not make dzikr with Allah’s (s.w.t.) Support and with Allah’s (s.w.t.) Remembrance of him. 

Shaykh Bayazid Thayfur ibn ‘Isa al-Bisthami (q.s.) said, “When I reached Him, I saw that His Remembering of me preceded my remembrance of Him.”  The seeker cannot make dzikr by himself.  He must recognise that Allah (s.w.t.) is the One Making Dzikr through him.  The means of this is banishing and dispelling every thought, good or bad, that comes to mind involuntarily during the dzikr. 

When performing the dzikr, the heart is required to attain the calm contentment of the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) phrase, “My God, You are my goal and Your Pleasure is my aim.”  So long as there is any space left in the heart for other interests, such calm contentment cannot take shape, and the dzikr cannot be genuine.  Even if this tranquility cannot be attained at the outset, one must not abandon the dzikr, and it is necessary to persist in its performance until this feeling is acquired. 

The statement of the Ahl al-Hal is thus: “Beloved, You and Your Approval are my purpose and desire.”  This attitude rids one of impure thoughts and distractions.  It relates to the Path of Absorption.  One aspirant was concerned that he was not sincere, and was ashamed.  So, his shaykh took him to a one on the Path of Absorption, and this shaykh informed him that absorption, not hair-splitting, would free him from his problem.  The wayfarer realised that in his worry about his dishonesty and shame, his wants and needs, he had been focused on himself, separating himself from his Beloved.  He was enamoured with a fancy and neglectful of the Reality. 

According to Khwaja Naswr ad-Din ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q.s.), the “returning” means that we have within us the goal of our striving.  The seeds of transformation are Sown in us from above and we have to treasure them above all possessions.