The Adab of Traveling through Concentric Circles of Purification and Becoming Aware through Wuqufi Zamani.

Transcription

1 The Adab of Traveling through Concentric Circles of Purification and Becoming Aware through Wuqufi Zamani. Bismi-Llāhi-r-Rahmāni-r-Rahīm. I want to talk to you a little about adab. We all know, because we use the term quite often, adab. But you have to think of adab in terms of not just manners or behavior. Let s go back. Where is Allah? As near to you as your jugular vein. Where is Allah? Wheresoever you turn, there is the countenance of Allah. If you were a reporter covering the White House, and the President was giving a talk, you might have no adab like the man last week. It was an embarrassment. If you were in Congress today, you d have no adab. Do you know why? Because they have no fear of Allah. They think they are operating outside of Allah. I m not saying Allah for Muslims; I mean God. If they realized that everything they did was being seen by Allah, maybe they would act a little differently. The fact is Allah is present in every one of those situations. In fact, I ll write to them and say that tomorrow. In other words, adab means you have good manners, but not because you are supposed to. The whole concept of adab has a relationship to the word ibāda, because you should have the proper adab before Allah, Who is present before Him, before His vice-regents, before His deputies. It s different than the kind of love or devotion you have for someone else. We say, O Allah, I beseech You to grant me Your love and the love of those who love You. That kind of worshipfulness / reverence means being very careful, very attentive to your behavior, and to your actions, lest you trespass the limits, and commit acts that are contrary to and essential to being a servant of Allah ibāda / worship, abd / servant. There are limits, and there are boundaries for us as human beings, in relationship to Allah Swt. It s necessary that we keep the proper adab in relationship to Allah, because Allah Swt is observing us, and we have to observe what it means to live in this world of multi-dimensions, multiplicity. 1

2 It is said that love and devotion is an attraction toward the sacred precinct. That s when one goes to the sacred Haram in Mecca, one feels love and attraction and attention to it. Love and attraction necessitates paying attention, mutawajjuh, and focusing on Allah, on tawhid (Divine Oneness, unity). There is a relationship between irāda, which we spoke about last night, and adab. It s like the relationship that exists between what is obligatory and what is forbidden in the Shar īah. If you fulfill what is fard / obligatory, then your attention is focused on Allah Swt. If you refrain from what is forbidden, that means you are concentrating on the limitations of your own boundaries, lest you trespass them. Think about that. If you think about what s haram, you are thinking about where the boundary line is between what is allowable and not allowable. If you are thinking about fulfilling what is fard / obligatory, then your attention is focused on Allah. So you don t trespass the bounds of servanthood. Observing adab is like standing in the middle ground between fear and hope, between khawf and raja. The outcome, if it is absent, is rapid expansion so that you would transcend the limitations or the boundaries. There is a story that is told of Hajj Mirza Ali Qadi (ar) who was in a station where his expansion and devotion dominated his fear. The state of the late Hajj Shaykh Mohammed Bahari was also similar. Then there was the story of Mirza Jabad Aqwa Maliki Tabrizi (ar) where fear dominated over hope and expansion. In the stories about these men s experiences, it is said, The one whose state of expansion is dominant is called kharabati, tavern-haunter. The one whose fear is greater is named munajati, supplicatory, but perfection lies in the center. That consists of possessing utmost expansion, but also khawf/fear. This station is enjoined by the very special individuals who can have this expansion of the universe, and at the same time, have the humility and the fear. The point of this is it has to do with one s adab, the feeling of being in the present. The perfected degree of adab is that under all conditions, under any circumstances, the sojourner sees himself or herself in the presence of Allah, and observes the rules of adab 2

3 / etiquette in the way they speak, in the way they are silent, in the way they sleep, dress, move about, rest, move, engage in work, etc. All these states and conditions require wuqufi zamani, muhasabat, pausing. As you concentrate on the attributes of Allah, you develop the proper manner and humility and attitude. You have to have a center. To have that center, you have to have the proper niyyat. We need to understand niyyat. But before we talk about that, when we talk about centers, we are talking about circumferences. You have a point that is the center, and also there is a circumference, daira, something to revolve around, to rotate around, to move in a circle. It comes from the word dara. Its meaning includes also the circumambulation of the Ka ba. It also means to guide, and to circulate like your blood circulates through your body. There is also another meaning. As you move through the circles in your meditation, you make progress. Another meaning of this word is to ponder and to make progress procession and progression. In a larger sense, it implies sphere, and a major state of continuing within a state where there is an indefinite number of substates. It can manifest in many different ways. For one who travels on the path, and we are very familiar with the concept of mutawajjuh / paying attention, or turning and facing the latā if or a latīfa, we are concentrating on turning and returning again and again toward the Divine Essence. If the Divine Essence is present, and we are talking about turning toward the Divine Essence, what does that lead you to believe? If, no matter where you turn, there is the face of Allah, what does that lead you to believe? We say, I pay attention to my heart, and my heart turns toward the Divine Essence. What does that lead you to think, believe, or question? Time out for questions. (It would seem that all we have to do is pay attention and be aware, if we are immersed in awareness.) So what is the question of daira, of turning and circumambulating and rotating; to guide, to circulate, to ponder, to progress? I m not saying you re wrong. I just want you to further understand it. (You are seeing Allah everywhere. You are constantly seeing the Divine.)You can look at it in two ways. One is if you keep turning and you are seeing Allah, then you are proving to yourself that Allah is everywhere. If 3

4 you are actually paying attention and turning your attention to here and there and there, which you do every day in your life, and if in doing that you become aware, it will reinforce that Allah is everywhere. You are looking at a flower, doing your work, talking to someone, thinking something, with your child, whatever. We know that whatever is in the outer is reflecting something in the inner. Inwardly, when you are paying attention, what do you think it means? For example, when you are paying attention to any of the transmissions in the circles, what does it mean? (Is it like muhasabat, where you are watching yourself and evaluating yourself, and trying to keep yourself centered?). Think about the pauses [of the Rules of the Order: time pause, heart pause, number pause]. What s the fourth Rule he added? When you pay attention to yourself, to your latā if, you are turning your attention away from the world, but you are not turning your attention away from Allah. Allah is everywhere. You are seeing that Divine Presence within yourself, through the latā if. You are not just opening the door to the latā if and seeing the Divine Presence everywhere in the world. You are seeing it reflected within your own self, in the way your body operates on the physical plane, but also as a doorway to other dimensions of perception, other stations, other states. In this journey, we begin in qalb, which also means to turn and to revolve. The heart is the center of our physical body, and a place of purification. We have a sort of metaphor, where you purify yourself in the outer through your acts and Shar īah, and acts of worship/ibāda, and your good adab. Inwardly, you purify yourself through your meditation, just like your heart purifies the blood. Through the inner acts, you purify your inner states; and through adab, you purify your outer state. Inwardly, it s a different type of worship. Inwardly, you are worshiping Allah through these attributes, and outwardly you are seeing these attributes in the world, being manifest. You are worshiping Allah outwardly through your acts of physical worship, but only because your adab allows you to have proper ibāda. Does that make sense? 4

5 Allah gives us an image of these circles turning and revolving in a continuous process of at-tazkiyat / purification, like the blood flowing through the heart is purified and oxygenated and is sent throughout the body. There are cycles of dynamics which affect our spiritual journey, a journey of revolving, which means we must turn away from distractions toward reality reality is Allah and to ponder and be guided in an endless process on an infinite journey. Each spiritual station, as Hazrat said, Requires perseverance and different daily recitations to accomplish the spiritual stations in an infinite spiritual journey/suluk. That was his definition of sayr ul suluk. The whole process is one of ever-increasing concentric circles. That s the sayr ul suluk. Traveling to the spiritual stations / maqamat, one after the other, in an infinite spiritual journey. Those were the last words he wrote for the book. So, how? The different recitations are transmitted to the murīd /a in each circle. One who makes progress focuses on these transmission another word for progress is, you remember, daira focuses on these transmissions in the different latā if. An example of circles or spheres is given in the story of Isra Miraj. The Prophet Mohammed (sal) traveled through these different spheres in the heavens meeting the ambiyā, until he reaches the level of Allah s arsh. At each sphere he experiences different things. Another example is the circumambulation of the Ka ba in Mecca. Turning around the center of Islam is also the heart or core of Islam. This takes place during the Hajj; it takes place in a circle within a circle. You start in Mecca, and then go to Mina, and to Arafat and come back, and then throw the stones, etc. There are circles within circles on the Hajj or on umrah. In the story of Isra Miraj, there are many stories of the angels circling and coming and going, they enter and leave and are never to be seen again. Another example is during Hajj. The Hajj itself represents a renewal of spirituality, but people are dressed in ihram, like wrapped in shrouds. It tells us about a renewal, and yet many people who have been on Hajj will say it s like the people are moving and moving, just like on the Yawmi 5

6 Qiyama. Whether they are moving from Safa, and Marwa, and back to Mecca on Hajj, every time one moves, the experience deepens their understanding. So too, every time you move through the different latā if, your understanding is deepened, ever deepening, turning and facing to the center of your existence and consciousness. One might say almost in geometric terms that center is everywhere, circumference nowhere, the everexpanding, never-ending eternal journey, one circle after another, after another. The concept of the circles is well known to the advanced shuyukh of the Shadhili Order. The understanding of this is restricted often to oral transmission to students who have achieved a certain level of progress. I can present to you the following information of Shaykh Abul Hasan ash-shadili (ra) from his classical text, The Circle of Opening and Victory. In Qur an, we read, Truly We open for you a clear opening. There are two āyāt in Qur an which are written in circles, and used for healing, among other things. The most significant use accompanies selected transmission to a new trustee of six other circles with specific functions, for the most part for protection from enemies, inner and outer. Shaykh Nooruddeen wrote one of the few authorized descriptions of these circles. The original manuscripts were never made freely available, but transmitted from generation to generation, with very exacting promises from the trustees to preserve and protect them from any casual or profane uses. The very conditions for inscribing them are so exacting it has to preclude any but the most pure from employing them. When you write them, it is very very difficult, and you have to be taught how to write them. It s not just what is on the page; it s how you put it on the page. There is a parallel within our own practices from both the Mujaddidi and Shadhili lines, of the promises of the shuyukh who demanded that practices like Hizb ul Bahr be done daily, and preferably at the same time of day, in a state of ritual purity, and progressively with certain recitations. If the instructions are not followed (Hazrat told me a number of times as an admonition with regard to whom I transmit it to and give permission to), then negative results can accrue to the shaykh. That s me, just in case you didn t know. Also we have 6

7 special du ā for protection with some similar instructions, as well as formal circles, specific uses of transmissions, like in the second circle. In addition, some of the recitations from the circles can be used in very specific ways, and only by the shaykh who has been given proper idhn and ijazah in the form of a written taweez. So Hazrat trained me to write taweez, which I don t do very often, and you shouldn t do it very often. I wrote here, I personally went through a rigorous process of instruction at the hand of my beloved Shaykh Hazrat Azad Rasool, with the admonition to use it only when absolutely necessary, and realized that it was given mostly for the purpose of preserving the teaching for future generations. Abul Hasan ash-shadhili (ra) said to his son Shaykh Shibab al Adeen, that he had inherited the circle from his glorious ancestors in the Way, and had taken it down in dictation from his father, who had told him, My son, know that no one understands the greatness of this circle except one guided by Allah. With the help of Allah, the one is shown his light. In this circle, there is healing. With this circle, one is protected from enemies and plots and any deviousness. The circle is like an army or strong fortress. Everyone dies by the decree of Allah, and all events take place by His command. It does not nor can it avert the decree of Allah. But it is a means for seeking protection from the enemies of Allah. It contains the great name and words from the dwellers of the gardens of jabarut, each of which has its secrets and its use. Preserve this circle from the undeserving people. Hence, to inscribe it, not only must one follow specific preparations physically and mentally, but also have khawf, fear, reverence in the heart. Follow specific rules for writing the circles for example, the time of day, the direction you face, the direction you write it, understanding the meaning, the materials you use, certain recitation, wazifa. One may note for example that āyat 7

8 29 of Surah al-fath contains every letter of the Arabic alphabet. I am not permitted to write more on this specific subject. In general it should be noted that the shaykh is, as it were, a doctor of the soul and the circle. I have just described the du ā for protection, and others in Hizb ul Bahr are prescriptions for the traveler. As for medicine, it must be taken only if and when prescribed under the care of a proper physician, or else what can heal can poison. Or it can be used not for beneficence, but for malevolence, though it increases the malefactors in nothing except ruin, Allah says in the Qur an. Hence, I hope that the reader begins to understand the seriousness and ubiquitous reality of Allah Swt; that the reader as a sincere practicant of an authorized shaykh will begin to understand and experience the khawf and kashiyya (fear and reverence) necessary to tread this path successfully, and make, as Hazrat said, progress; that the murīd and murīda realize the multiple favors, fadl and nai ma, and the grace of Allah Swt in their lives, and become humble in the face of the realization of the Divine Presence. I hope and I pray that each who has been given the honor to tread this path at the hand of a true and invested shaykh will find in the circles many formula for personal progress, and that those who qualify will be worthy to realize the force of the good that resides in these practices, and the enormous responsibility that one has to do what they have asked for and receive, pledged as an oath of fealty and has been entrusted with. The practice and realization and accomplishment of success in the four circles as given in transmission to sincere students is of great importance individually and to the salik. I give the extended background only to impress upon the heart and mind of the murīd and murīda the efficacy of these and yet other practices that have and may be given, and the necessity to practice them humbly in trust and purity. It is my 8

9 hope that these circles, transmissions, practiced by sincere seekers of truth, who seek peace in their soul O you soul at peace! Return to your Lord content and in his contentment. Enter among my slaves; enter to my garden will bring peace to many souls and indeed, peace to this world. Let it also be known that these practices, especially in the state of ghunoodgi / drifting, accomplish in time and space the ability to travel in other dimensions, over the horizon, per ser al faq, to experience many realities of the nasut, the malakut, and the jabarut, flying as it were on the wings of the Attributes and Names of Allah and the carefully woven carpet of āyat, with the inner message to the ones who can see and hear its warp and weft. Learning how to act and pause properly is a great teaching and gift of Allah Swt and our shuyukh. Now you see the association between adab and this. Bahā uddīn Naqshband (ra) said, in relation to wuqufi zamani, that it is the agent to make smooth the way and opens up the door to the seeker. It means that through time pause, through muhasabat, the person becomes aware of their state. What does that mean? It means you know that the attributes you have are reflected attributes of Allah Swt. You are clear in the time pause in that moment as to the degree of your state, and you are clear about the relationship of your attributes to the attributes of Allah Swt. At any given moment and circumstance, you will pause. You will know one of two things: whether or not you are in a state of gratitude to Allah for how you are dealing with that moment, muhasabat; or whether you are making excuses and involved with your nafs and need to repent. That s what happens. If there is chaos around you in your household, and if there are bad communications taking place, you will know, through time pause, whether or not you are dealing with it in the realm of the attributes of Allah, or if you are making excuses and dealing with it through your ego; if there are confusions taking place in your mind or work, or if there are distractions taking place and you seize the moment, wuqufi zamani; if you have 9

10 disappointments in your life, something you wanted you didn t get, and you take the time pause, you will know; if you understand the teaching: whether your ego is operating and you are dealing in the realm of making excuses, or you are dealing in the realm of the Attributes of Allah Swt and you are understanding Allah s hand in it. Are you being defensive? Egotistical? Are you reflecting your lower nature? Are you accepting your lower nature as your true state? Your true state in fitrah is a reflection of the attributes of Allah Swt. This means in time pause / wuqufi zamani that you feel beside you, you are being accompanied by the shuyukh, by your shaykh, by the presence of Rasūlu-Llāh (sal) and the presence of Allah at any moment. You practice wuqufi zamani in relationship to wuqufi qalbi. Bahā uddīn Naqshband (ra) added these three pauses. He also said the foundation of the work of the salik, wuqufi zamani, is based on actual time: zaman. It depends on whether the student grasps the breath/ nafas with the presence or in distraction. Are you breathing? Are you breathing in the presence or in distraction? Are you breathing out lā ilāha illa-llāh and breathing in illa-llāh? Breathing out Allah, breathing in Allah, or are you breathing in distraction? You have to ask yourself, Am I operating out of distraction, or out of presence? One way is looking at how your breath is. You will not know that unless you create a standard for watching your breath. So you have to practice breathing in the proper way. You do that during your muraqabah. You do that during your walking. You do that during your sitting, during your driving. Whenever you can, you practice breathing properly not just like yogic breathing, but you practice with the name of Allah. It s very important you are aware of your breath in the time pause, how your breath is in that circumstance. If your breath is controlled and you are breathing correctly, and you are pausing in your conversation, and you are thoughtful and reflective, and you are present with the principles of Allah s subtleties and attributes, and you are present with your knowledge and your experience, you will be attending to your breath with presence. If you are not, 10

11 you will be distracted. You will be operating from gafla instead of from essence / dhat / presence mutawajjuh. You can be having a whole conversation, an argument, a logical point, disappointed in your circumstance, something your husband or wife did, your child did, your employee did, your boss did, some stranger, what s happening on tv, the stupid politicians around the world, the greedy. You can be seeing clients, patients, greeting people, all from a place of presence or distraction. One way you know is to understand your breath. You know what it is like to talk to someone, and all they are thinking about is what they are going to say back to you. They are not hearing you; they are listening but thinking only about what they are going to say back. There are a lot of people like that, especially very intelligent people. They are ahead of you; they think they grasp what you are saying. But if you are saying something subtle, they are not grasping it, are they? Is that helpful? Any questions? We will talk about latā if next and niyyat. What do you have to have when you make niyyat? We re not just making an intention to do this or that, or make a phone call tomorrow; we make intention with our latā if. See how it parallels? I didn t even plan it. I just grabbed it. Alhamduli-Llāh. Allah planned it. Question: Which surahs are circular? 48:29 and 17:82. (Shaykh reads the surahs.) Question: Talking about concentric circles. In ripples on the water, it seems like they are coming back to the center. Shaykh: I ve discussed that many times, especially in my presentation at IIIT and on majaz and on the corridor. You can look at that presentation. I say when you throw many stones and have many ripples going out and coming back, you create what looks like chaos. There is order within that chaos. Where they meet at each other, they cancel each other out. There is a great metaphor in that for understanding both complexity and chaos 11

12 theories, but also what happens when you reduce it to one stone in the water at a time. It is very Zen. Question: Does that same effect happen while meditating in the circles? Shaykh: It s an interesting point. It s a nice metaphor. When I was studying many years ago with Dai Liu, he gave me permission to give certain vitality exercises (the Life Exercise). Supposedly they would extend your life. You run your tongue in circles around your mouth and generate saliva. At some point, you drop it into your stomach. The idea is like a drop in the pond. You potentize it, and you drop it, and it sends healing vibrations through your body. Remember that? Dig them up; find them. These are not unknown concepts. When you make your niyyat and sit in meditation, you prepare with your wazifa and you make the niyyat. Or when you are making dhikr, and you strike your heart, or strike a latifa, it s like dropping a stone. Then the ripples of that go forward and out. If you concentrate on that place where that stone is dropped, instead of watching the ripple effect, it will come back to you. It comes back. Qabd and bast. Each latīfa is like a point. Each point is like a doorway. When you focus on that point, first in ghunoodgi / drifting, and secondly you see it in adrak. The third point is you can control it, you are consciously conscious of it. When you pay attention to something, and you see Allah, and you see the Attributes of Allah, you are penetrating in that moment the attributes. That s how you make that naqsh [hanging in the back of this room] move. We used to walk in this room and make it move. When you go to the center of that naqsh, it starts to spin and turn. What does that naqsh say? Hu. Asalaamu aleikum. 12