The Naqshbandi Haqqani Principle of Yad Dasht

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The eighth principle of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order is “Recollection”, Yad Dasht.  In this, the reciter of dzikr safeguards his heart with negation and affirmation in every breath without leaving the Presence of Allah (s.w.t.).  It requires the seeker to keep his heart in Allah’s (s.w.t.) Divine Presence continuously.  This allows him to realise and manifest the Light of the Unique Essence, Anwar adz-Dzat al-Ahadiyyah.  He then casts away three of the four different forms of thoughts: the egoistic, the evil, and the angelic thoughts.  He keeps and affirms solely the fourth form of thought, the haqqani or truthful thoughts.  This leads the seeker to the highest state of perfection by discarding all his fancies and embracing only the Reality which is the Oneness of Allah (s.w.t.). 

Yad Dasht is the constant awareness in the presence of Allah (s.w.t.).  As the shuyukh say, “The complete experience of Divine Contemplation, achieved through the action of objective love.”  Those on the Path maintain that when inner love is always present in one’s dealings with the world, then one has achieved this mindfulness.  This is the last stage before transformation is completed.  The seeker becomes aware that his loss of self will be compensated by objective love.  The abnegation of self that leads to this stage ceases to touch the seeker for he discovers the unlimited joy that Truth brings. 

Yad Dasht refers to the durability of the awareness of the Real in the Path of Dzawq.  In Rashahat ‘Ayn al-Hayat, it is stated, “Some have said that this is a witnessing which is the domination of witnessing the Real in the heart through essential love.” 

Khwaja ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q.s.) said, “Yad Dasht is an expression meaning the durability of the awareness of the Glorious Real.”  He further said, “It means presence without disappearance.” 

Regarding the use of the term for the period of the dzikr itself, it has been said, “Yad Dasht is that which the dzakir, during the dzikr, maintains negation and affirmation in his heart in the presence of the Named.” 

Khwaja ‘Ubaydullah (q.s.) described the principles five through eight as following each other in this manner: “Yad Kard refers to the work of invoking.  Baz Gasht means turning to the Real in the manner that when saying the fragrant sentence of the dzikr, the seeker follows this in his heart with ‘My God, You are my goal and Your Pleasure is my aim.’  And Nigah Dasht is the holding on to this turning to the Real without words.  Yad Dasht means constancy in Nigah Dasht.”