A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Khwaja Naswr ad-Din ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar ( q.s. ) said, “The real meaning of dzikr is inward awareness of Allah ( s.w.t. ).   The purpose of dzikr is to attain this consciousness.   The purpose of the dzikr is to keep one’s heart and attention entirely focused on the Beloved in love and devotion.   The dzikr is not just repeated as words, but is in the heart.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Khwaja Naswr ad-Din ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar ( q.s. ) stated, “The belief held by the disciples making progress in this path is the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah .  Their riyadhat is to obey the shari’ah .  People who do not perform ‘ibadah will not receive any faydh nor will they make any progress.  The end of this path is to forget about creatures and to attain permanently to the Divine Presence.  This happiness cannot be attained without excessive affection and jadzbah .  The most powerful vehicle that will make one attain this blessing is the murshid ’s swuhbah .”

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 gr...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Khwaja Naswr ad-Din ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar ( q.s. ) stated, “The belief held by the disciples making progress in this path is the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah .  Their riyadhat is to obey the shari’ah .  People who do not perform ‘ibadah will not receive any faydh nor will they make any progress.  The end of this path is to forget about creatures and to attain permanently to the Divine Presence.  This happiness cannot be attained without excessive affection and jadzbah , attraction.  The most powerful vehicle that will make one attain this blessing is the murshid ’s swuhbah .”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is from the Qur'an commentary of the Naqshbandi Sufi, Khwaja Naswr ad-Din ‘Ubaydullah al-Ahrar ( q.s. ).   This was quoted by Imam Kamal ad-Din Husayn ibn ‘Ali Kashifi al-Wa’izh ( q.s. ), in Tafsir al-Husayni , and translated by Dr. Alan A. Godlas.   سُوۡرَةُ الفَاتِحَة ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (٦)   Show us the straight way. (Surah al-Fatiha:6)   Show us the straight path, namely, Ennoble us by Bestowing upon us the love of Your Essence, so that we will become freed from paying attention to ourselves and other than You; then we will become completely preoccupied with You, knowing none but You and seeing none but You.   Or, another understanding is Show us the straight path - namely, the path that consists of the relationship of every being to Your Level of Being, without which beings could not appear and without which they could not reach the full extent of their perfection so that we will...