Words to Lure the Breath of that Sweet One

Peace, one and all…

These sayings of mine are really a prayer to God,
words to lure the breath of that sweet One.
If you seek an answer from God,
how then can you fail to pray?
How can you be silent, knowing He always replies to
your, ‘O Lord?’ with, ‘I am here’.
His answer is silent but you can feel it from head to toe.
Masnavi 2.1189-1191

The Whispered Prayers 2

Peace, one and all…

The Whispered Prayer of the Complainers

Online Text Version

Baraka Blue: Love & Light

Peace, one and all…

Hu Dost!  This is truly beautiful, and a fine start to Ramadan.  May all who pass by be blessed.  May all who pass by be given all that this prayer asks the Beloved for…

The Whispered Prayers of Imam Zayn al-Abidin 1

Peace, one and all…

 The Whispered Prayer of the Repenters: Imam Zayn al-Abidin
(God sanctify his noble soul)

Online Text Version

A Poem and a Prayer

Peace, one and all…

In a Hand More Beautiful Still

There is beauty in the way
light dances upon each green leaf,
and majesty within
each peal of thunder.

Love stands behind each new thing
and each new moment,
like a shining pearl
held in a hand more beautiful still.

Beloved, may I become naught
but mouth and tongue and lips.
May all that I am become
love’s kiss upon Your bright face.

Merciful God

Merciful God, help us this day
and in each new thing we face.
May Your love shine forth
with the rising sun,
and may the glow of each new evening
find us all in the embrace of Your forgiveness.
May we find You before us
wheresoever we may wander,
and may each homecoming
see us arrive always at Your door.

Abdur Rahman, 14th June 2011.

Prayers for Ramadan, Prayers for Forgiveness (Part 3)

Peace, one and all…

Here, in the last days of Ramadan, is the final part of the beautiful prayer of Abu Madyan.  May all who pass by be blessed with Divine forgiveness, mercy and love.

The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan (Part 3)

‘I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of letters [in the Quran] and multiplicity of
Quranic verses and aphorisms recited during invocation.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of riding animals,
worlds beyond the horizons, and landmarks in the earth.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of plants and
sheep on the land and [the amount of] bounty in the sea.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of heavenly bodies
encompassed by knowledge, and for everything that is apparent and hidden.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of [grains of] sand,
and the [amount of] rain that falls continuously on the earth.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of created things -
of human beings and jinn, of Arabs and non-Arabs.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of thoughts in
the breasts of those endowed with trust, authority, and wisdom.

I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, our Creator,
Creator of mankind and the One who brought us forth from nothingness.

I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who provided for us
prior to physical existence, and Who apportions all the shares [of worldly destiny].

I seek the forgiveness of God, Whose bounties are without number,
the All-Encompassing, the Most Excellent, [the One] noted for generosity.

I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who gathers us in [at death],
the annihilator of centuries, and the annihilator of all nations.

I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who resurrects us
after death, and Who gives life to decaying bones.

I seek the forgiveness of God, innumerable times,
as often as the number of known species and breaths of life.

I seek the forgiveness of God – on Him be praises without number,
[for] He causes Himself to be praised pre-eternally.

I seek the forgiveness of God, the Forgiver of sins Who, whenever
the slave disobeys, forgives him with indulgence and generosity.

So forgive me the greatest of my transgressions, and
[on] the Day of Judgement, when my feet are about to stumble,

Then may blessings be upon the Chosen One from Mudar,
the Best of Mankind, among those who weep or smile.

And may his family and companions be preserved
by our Lord, along with [all] their followers’.

Prayers for Ramadan, Prayers for Forgiveness (Part 2)

Peace, one and all…

We have entered the last 10 days of Ramadan.  If the month of Ramadan is a special time in the Islamic calendar, the last 10 days are a particularly special time within Ramadan.  Tradition connects the last 10 days with prayers for salvation from Hell.  In other words, these final days of Ramadan are especially connected with seeking forgiveness.  Here are a number of beautiful prayers, drawn from a wide range of sources, all of which offer a focus for asking for forgiveness.

I hope all who pass by find these beautiful prayers beneficial.  May God forgive us all for our sins and shortcomings.  May we all be purified by the forgiveness, compassion and tender mercy of the Divine.

‘The Chief of Forgiveness-Prayers’ (Du`a Sayyid al-Istighfar)

This prayer is attributed to the Prophet himself (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) and is described in the tradition as the best prayer for forgiveness.

‘O God!  You are my Lord.  There is no god but You.  You created me.  I am Your servant.  I shall try to fulfill my pledge with You as well as my power permits.  I seek refuge with You from the evil of my deeds.  Due to Your favours to me I turn to You and thank You and also confess my mistakes.  Forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins bu You.  O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!’

The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan (Part 2)

I seek forgiveness of God for my words and deeds,
for my vain strivings, and the exhaustion of my abilities.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my ignorance and transgressions,
for the greatest of my conscious sins, and the minor ones I have committed.

I seek the forgiveness of God for what my hand has wrought,
for my errors and [the sins] toward which I was inclined.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which my hand did not earn,
and for that which I earned upon attaining adulthood.

I seek the forgiveness of God for saying ‘I’ and ‘with me’,
[for saying] ‘belonging to me’ and ‘mine’, and for my suspicions and my [limited] understanding.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which I did not know,
for that which I knew and for which I wrote by pen.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my sleep, my lethargy,
and my wakefulness, and for that which has maintained me [in life].

I seek the forgiveness of God during the day, its night,
and its morrow, before it is created from nothingness.

I seek the forgiveness of God for that which occurred during my youth,
and for my disagreements with the aged and mature.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as I have feared what He has bestowed,
and [as often as] the clouds have rained on the plains and hills.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of pilgrims, going
toward lands characterised by purity and sanctity.

I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the breaking of dawn, and as often
as the doves coo their songs in the branches.

(I will share the remaining part of this long and beautiful du`a in a subsequent post, insha Allah)

The Prayer of Repentance (Du`a Tawbah)

This beautiful prayer is attributed to the 4th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Ali ibn al-Hussain (more widely known as Imam Zayn al-Abidin, may God sanctify his noble soul).  It is beautifully recited below.  You can also find the text itself online.

Part One

Part Two

The Prayer of Glory (Du`a al-Baha’)

This prayer is attributed to the 5th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Muhammad al-Baqir (God sanctify his noble soul).  I posted this beautiful prayer a few years ago.

In closing, let me offer this beautiful prayer of the Mevlevi Order, entitled The Rose Prayer (Gulbenk):

‘May this moment be blessed.  May goodness be opened and may evil be dispelled.  May our humble plea be accepted in the Court of Honour; May the Most Glorious God purify and fill our hearts with the Light of His Greatest Name.  May the hearts of the lovers be opened.  By the breath of our master Mevlana, by the secret of Shams and Weled, by the holy light of Muhammad, by the generosity of Imam Ali, and the intercession of Muhammad, the unlettered prophet, mercy to all the worlds.  May we say Hu, Huuu…’

And my last prayer is praise of God, the Sustainer of All Being.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Prayers for Ramadan, Prayers for Forgiveness (Part 1)

Peace, one and all…

Al hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal.  Praise be to God in every condition and state.  We are rapidly approaching the last 10 days of Ramadan, in which the ‘Night of Power’ (Laylat al-Qadr) is said to reside.  Here are two beautiful duas (prayers), a short prayer taught by Muhammad himself (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) and a longer prayer (which will be divided into a number of separate posts) by Abu Madyan, a famous medieval saint of the Maghreb region of North Africa (may God sanctify his noble soul).

‘O Allah!  Truly You are All-Pardoning.  You love to pardon us, so pardon us.  O Most Generous One!’

The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan

In the Name of God I begin, with all my respect,
And all praise belongs to God, for my strength and maturity.

I seek forgiveness of God, our Lord and Creator,
for all mankind and for the evils of my [soul's] turmoil.

I seek forgiveness of God, motivator of the heavenly spheres in the darkness,
for our failure to thank Him enough for His bounties.

I seek the forgiveness of God, the Saviour of one who seeks His aid,
whenever he suffers misfortune or calamity.

I seek forgiveness of God, Forgiver of the sins of one
who comes to Him broken, humiliated and full of remorse.

I seek the forgiveness of God, Concealer of the faults of
the morally deficient and their Saviour from adversity.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my secret thoughts and overt acts,
for the fickleness of my heart and for the smile upon my lips.

I seek the forgiveness of God for my speech and my behaviour,
for my evil character, type and nature.

I will post further selections from this beautiful prayer in subsequent posts, insha Allah.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

al-Dawr al-A`la 4

Peace, one and all…

‘Build around me, O You who are the All-Encompassing, the All-Powerful, the secure, encircling wall, the glorious canopy, the might and majesty of ‘That is better, that is of the signs of Allah’ [Quran 7:26]‘

• No. 3
• No. 2
• No. 1

That Voice which is the Root of Every Calling

Peace, one and all…

‘Allah is the Protecting Friend of those who believe.  He brings them out of the darknesses into the light’
(Quran Surah al-Baqara 2:257)

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani offers a number of beautiful ayat and ahadith.

Mevlana Rumi (may God sanctify his noble soul) offers us these words:

‘That voice which is the root of every calling,
that is the true voice – all the rest are echoes.

The Persian speaker, Turk and Kurd and Arab
can know that voice with neither lip nor ear.

Why stop at Turks, Tajiks and Ethiopians?
The wood and stone can understand that voice’.
(Masnavi 1.2118-2120)

al-Dawr al-A`la 3

Peace, one and all…

‘Unfurl over me, O You who choose Clemency [over censure], who Veil in Protection, the sheltering wing, the covering veil, ther preservation and deliverance of “Hold fast to the bond of Allah” [Quran 3:103]‘ (al-Dawr al-A`la 3)

• al-Dawr al-A`la 2
• al-Dawr al-A`la 1

al-Dawr al-A`la (2)

Peace, one and all…

‘Admit me, O You who are the First and the Last, to the hidden domain of the unknowable, secret and encompassing treasure of As Allah wills!  There is no power save in Allah [Quran 18:39]‘

• al Dawr al-A`la 1

al-Dawr al-A`la

Peace, one and all…

A few months ago I purchased a copy of Suha Taji-Farouki’s translation of Ibn Arabi’s prayer al-Dawr al-A`la (also known as the Hizb al-Wiqaya).  It is a beautiful prayer for spiritual growth and protection.  As such, in the coming weeks and months, I wanted to share it with you.

Enjoy and may all who pass by be blessed, now and always…

In the Name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful

O Allah!  O You who are the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting!  In You I establish my protection: shelter me with the shielding, protective sufficiency and safeguarding, the reality and proof, the stronghold and security of In the Name of Allah‘
(al-Dawr al-A`la 1)

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Jawshan al-Kabir

Peace, one and all…

Jawshan al-Kabir is a prayer ascribed to the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam).  It is both profound and beautiful.  I wanted to share it with you here.  May it heal, restore and protect all who pass by.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Prayer of Ma`ruf al-Karkhi

Peace, one and all…

‘God is enough for me in my religion.  God is enough for me in my mundane life.  God, the Generous, is enough for me in what distresses me.  God, the Affectionate, is enough for me against him who oppresses me.  God, the Stern, is enough for me against him who hurts me by evil.  God, the Compassionate, is enough for me at death.  God, the Merciful, is enough for me at the Inquisition in the Grave.  God, the Generous, is enough for me at the Reckoning.  God, the Beneficient, is enough for me at the Scales.  God, the Powerful, is enough for me at the crossing of the Traverse.  God is enough for me.  There is no god but Him.  In Him do I trust, and He is the Lord of the Glorious Throne [Quran 9:129]‘
(taken from Imam al-Ghazali, The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Invocations and Supplications)

Eyvallah!

Peace, one and all…

‘Praise be to God; Whose compassion is all-embracing and Whose mercy is universal; Who rewards His servants for their remembrance [of Him] with His remembrance [of them] – verily God (exalted is He!) has said, ‘Remember Me, and I will remember you’ [Quran 2:152]; He Who has induced His servants to make petition and supplication by His command, and said, ‘Supplicate to Me, and I will answer you’ [40:60], He Who has invited the obedient and the disobedient, and those who have strayed far away and those who have remained close to Him, to joy in His majestic presence, by submitting their needs and wishes, by His Word: ‘Verily, I am near.  I respond to the supplication of a suppliant when he makes it to Me!’ [2:186]  Blessing be upon Muhammad, the lord of His prophets, and upon his Family and Companions, the foremost of His chosen ones!  May God grant him peace abundantly!’
(Imam al-Ghazali, The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Invocations and Supplications)

Imam Zain al-Abideen’s Dua for Friday

Peace, one and all…

Imam Ali ibn Hussein Zain al-Abidin (may Allah bless him) wrote a collection of beautiful and profound prayers, known as Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya.  Within that collection (which you can find online) are a number of duas (supplications) for each day of the week.  Here is the dua for friday (yaum al-jumuah), which has been beautifully recited.

Here is the text.

In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-compassionate

’1. All Praise belongs to God, the First before the bringing forth and the giving of life, and the Last after the annihilation of all things, the All-knowing who forgets not him who remembers Him,  decreases not him who thanks Him, disappoints not him who supplicates Him,  and cuts not off the hope of him who hopes in Him! 2  O God,  I call Thee to witness  – and Thou art sufficient witness – and I call to witness all Thy angels, the inhabitants of Thy heavens, the bearers of Thy Throne, Thy prophets and Thy messengers whom Thou hast sent out, and the various kinds of creatures Thou hast brought forth, that I bear witness that Thou art God; there is no god but Thou, Thou alone, who hast no associate nor any equal, and Thy word has no failing, nor any change; and that Muhammad (God bless him and his Household) is Thy servant and Thy messenger; he delivered to the servants that with which Thou charged him, he struggled for God as is His due, he gave the good news of the truth of reward, and he warned of the veracity of punishment.  3  O God, make me firm in Thy religion as long as Thou keepest me alive, make not my heart to swerve after Thou hast guided me, and give me mercy from Thee, surely Thou art the Giver. Bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad,  make me one of his followers and his partisans, muster me in his band, and give me the success of accomplishing the obligatory observance of Friday, performing the acts of obedience which Thou has made incumbent upon me within it,  and [receiving] the bestowal which Thou hast apportioned for its people on the Day of Recompense!  Surely Thou art Mighty, All-wise!’

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Diving for Pearls at Jumuah

Peace, one and all…

In the Holy Quran, we read the following verses:

‘O you who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if you but knew! And when the Prayer is finished, then may you disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah. and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that you may prosper’ (62:9-10, trans. A Y Ali)

These verses refer to the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu`ah) and to the need to leave aside all else except remembrance of God, for at least a short while.  And so, with these verses in mind, I took myself off to a local masjid. 

Of late, I’ve been struggling with a number of issues in my life, all of which basically disolve into the large question of oneness: how can I live in that oneness?  How can become more truly myself, more truly human?  How can I become a fuller servant of God?  These questions have been turning and turning round in my head for a while now, growing in power as though they were some kind of psychic tornado.  And, just at the point when I thought my head might spin so fast it might actually leave my shoulders, I read this verse a few days ago:

‘I have put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord.  There is no creature He does not hold by the forelock.  My Lord is on a straight path’ (11:56)

I was given further insight into these questions in a recent Facebook conversation.  A fellow wanderer responded to the question of trying to live in oneness with these words:

‘What will happen if you take out the word ‘trying’? .. whether the fish tries or not it is in the ocean.. is it not?’. 

Allah!  These words hit me like a thunderbolt.  It doesn’t matter what I do or don’t do: my growth, my life, my very soul is in the Hand of One Mighty and Merciful.  And so it was that this afternoon’s trip to the mosque proved to be such a beautiful event.

After struggling with the ablution facilities, I took my place in a quiet corner of the mosque (which was, in years past, a church).  Because of these delays, as I joined the service a little later than I had hoped – just as the Imam was reciting a dua.  As the salah itself began, I felt relaxed, calm and open.  In the first section, the Imam recited the following verses from Surah al-Rahman (the Chapter of the Most Merciful):

‘[He is] the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunrise, and the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunset.  Which, then, of your Sustain­er’s powers can you disavow?  He has given freedom to the two great bodies of water, so that they might meet [yet] between them is a barrier which they may not transgress.  Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow?  Out of these two [bodies of water] come forth pearls, both great and small.  Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow?’ (55:17-23)

These verses spoke powerfully to me.  God sustains the very limits of creation by His mercy.  Indeed, all that exists moves within that mercy.  Or, as Shaykh Kabir put it during the recent retreat: ‘God is the context of everything’.  The imagery of water formed a powerful link with my friend’s comment: our life, movement and being take place within the ocean, within the whole context of life.  Realising this, we can dive into the depths of our beings and bring forth pearls, ‘both great and small’.  And the key to such watery treasures?  Gratitude.  Or, the grateful acceptance that these things come to us as gifts.

In the second section, the Imam recited from one of my very favourite chapters of the Quran, Surah al-Ala (the Chapter of the Most High):

‘But those will prosper who purify themselves, and glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer.  Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; But the Hereafter is better and more enduring.  And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelation), The Books of Abraham and Moses’ (87: 14-19)

I have loved this chapter since the first time I heard it, for reasons I am not fully aware of.  But, in today’s context they spoke strongly to me of method, of practical path.  In other words, in order to become a true human, a true fish in the oceans of life, I must strive to purify myself as far as I can – whilst remembering that God alone grants success.  Through seeking to glorify God’s name in my own soul and life and by striving to truly pray, I can learn to swim in these strange waters – I can become a pearl-diver within my own soul.

After the completion of the prayer, the Imam made a beautiful dua.  Some of it was in Arabic (which I could broadly understand) and the rest of it was in Bengali/Sylheti (or, not knowing either language, at least I think so).  Although I didn’t understand any of this section, it was one of the most sincere dua’s (supplications) I have heard in a long, long time.  Once it had finished, I sat in quiet reflection of a little while, in silent company with the two brothers who had earlier prayed next to me.  We exchanged no words, but I sensed a subtle bond between us – as though we had all been blessed to have been present for this occasion.  Allah!

I walked back to my office feeling life course through me, and feeling refreshed and lifted.  Whatever problems I may have will be resolved in time – or as soon as I surrender myself to God, as a fish surrenders to the vastness of the Ocean.

Wa akhiru da’wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen.

Surah al-Rahman (recited by Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sudais)

Surah al-Ala (recited by Shaykh Salah Bukhaatir)

Related Posts:

• In That Very State
• Trust and Thankfulness
• What is Gratitude?

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman