Station of Muraqabah

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

Bismillah
as-salaamu alaykum

This thread inshaallah I hope to dedicate all to Muraqabah. Ofcourse the Muraqabah of ahlus sunnah and not the way of the deviant sects such as the haqqanis and other sufi organizations and their false practices. I hope that brothers and sisters will help me with whatever information they would love to share on Muraqabah. I begin by quoting from Madarij as-Salikeen, the section on Muraqabah. Translated by anwar awlaki (may Allah increase him in knowledge and iman)

The Station of Muraqabah (Knowing that Allah is watching over us)

Imam ibn qayyim al jaziyyah rahimahullah


Muraqabah is knowing that Allah is watching over us. Allah, Subhannahu wa ta ala says,

"And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him." (2:235)

"And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things" (33:52)

"And He is with you whrever you may be" (57:4)

There are may other similar verses stating the same concept.

In the hadith of Jibril (alayhis salam) when he asked the Prophet (salalahu alayhi wa salam) about ihsan (goodness and excellence), the prophet (salalahu alayhi wa salam) replied, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if yous ee Him, but since we do not see him we should know that He sees us at all times" (Bukhari and muslim) The meaning of this hadith is the definition of muraqabah. Namely, the endurance of the servant's knowledge and his conviction and certainty that Allah is watching over his internal and external affairs. To have this knowledge and certainty at all times is called muraqabah. It is the fruit of the servant's knowledge that Allah is his Watcher, Over-seeing him, Hearing his utterances, and observing all of his deeds at all times.

Al-Junaid (rahimahullah) said, "The one firm in muraqabah fears the waste of even a moment for other than his Lord."

Dhun-nun(rahimahullah) said: "The sign of muraqabah is to favor what Allah has sent down (of the revelation), to glorify what Allah has glorified, and to despise what Allah has despised."

Ibrahim al-khawas (rahimahullah) said: "Muraqabah is the sincerity of both the internal and external to Allah." It has been said that "The best that man may cling to on this road to Allah is muhasabah (Recokoning of the self), muraqabah, and overning his conduct with knowledge."

The people of true knowledge have unanimously agreed that having muraqabah for Allah in one's hidden thoughts is a means for it to manifest in the deeds and the behavior externally. So, whoever has muraqabah for Allah in secret and internally, Allah will preserve him in his actions and behavior, both internally and externally.

One of the finest definitions for muraqabah is the following: Muraqabah of Allah is being on the way to Him at all times with over-whelming glorification, inciting nearness and urging joy. The overwhelming glorification is to have the heart filled with glorification of Allah. Such a state makes the servant unconcerned with glorifying others or paying attention to others beside Allah. A servant should always have this state, especially when he is remembering Allah. To be with Allah provides one with intimacy and love. If these are not associated with glorification, they may take one outside of the limits of servitude. Any love that is not associated with glorification of the Beloved One is a reason to distance him away from the Beloved and lose His respect.

The overwhelming glorification includes five components: walking towards Allah, constantly walking towards Him, presence within the heart for Him, glorification of Him, and being overwhelmed by His glorification to be concerned with others. The inciting nearness is the closeness to Allah that incites the servant to have these five components. This closeness makes him glorify Allah in a manner that he pays no attention to himself or others. The closer the servant becomes to Allah, the more he glorifies Hima nd the less mindful he will be for others. The urging joy is happiness and glorification. it is the delight one finds in this nearness. There is nothing in this world comparable in any way to the joy and happiness of the heart and delight of the eye with Allah and His closeness. This is one of the states in Paradise. A knowledgeable person said, "there are times when I would say that if people of Paradise can be in a state like this, they are indeed living a good life." This joy, no doubt, urges him to be constant in walking to Allah and doing his best to seek Allah's pleasure. If one didn't achieve this joy or even a portion of it, then one should doubt their faith and deeds. Faith has grace and sweetness. If one has not tasted it, then one should go back and achieve the true faith and its sweetness.

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

this article seems to already been posted, but I would still like to keep this thread to add other articles on muraqabah from other ulama inshaallah.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

Thinking of the depth of God’s Mercy increases and strengthens man’s love of God and desire to worship Him, and considering fear and awe of Him causes the loss of appetite for sins and forces man to live a careful life. As for murâqabah, it leads man, like filtering some liquids to purify them, to discard all considerations and intentions occurring to his heart which damage worship. Muraqabah is an effort of man to be able to keep pure all his thoughts, considerations and intentions, even at the times when he is alone, in the consciousness that he is always supervised.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

What do people make of this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muraqaba)?

Beginner level muraqabas
Muraqaba of light
These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various diseases.
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Torquise
Green
Yellow
Orange
Pink
Red

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

Contemplation: Muraqabah
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-`Uthaymeen 'Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen
Translated by Abu Rumaysah



Allah says,

"Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer), and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:218-219)

"He is with you wheresoever you may be." (57:4)

"Truly nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heavens." (3:5)

"Indeed your Lord is Ever-Watchful (over them)" (89:14)

"Allah knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal." (40:19)

The verses concerning this are many and well known.



There are two aspects to contemplation:

1.That you contemplate Allah, Azza wa Jall
2.That you know that Allah is watching you as He says, "and Allah is ever a Watcher (Raqeebaa) over all things."

As for your contemplating Allah then this is that you know that Allah, the Exalted, Knows your every saying, action, or belief, as He said, "and put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful – Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer) and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:216-218)

"Who sees you as you stand" meaning at night, when the person stands in a place in seclusion from others such that no one would see him, but Allah, Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa, sees Him even if he be in the darkest and most intense of darkness.

"And your movements along with those who prostrate" meaning: and you move along with all those who prostrate to Allah in this hour, for indeed Allah sees a person when he stands and prostrates. Standing and prostrating have been (specifically) mention because standing in prayer is better than prostration with respect to the remembrance of Allah, and prostration is better with respect to its appearance and condition.
As for the standing being better than the prostration with respect to remembrance then this is because the legislated remembrance in the state of standing is the recitation of the Qur'an and the Qur'an is the noblest of speech.
As for the prostration being better than the standing with respect to its appearance and condition then this is because the person in the state of prostration is closest to His Lord, Azza wa Jall, as is established from the Prophet (SAW) when he said:

"The closest a person is to His Lord is when he is in prostration." [Muslim]

This is why we have been commanded to increase our supplications while in prostration.

Also from your contemplating Allah is that you know that Allah hears everything single thing that you say as He said, "or do they think that We Hear not their secrets and private discourse? (Indeed We do) and Our Messengers are by them, to record." (43:80)

And along with this, that you know that every good or evil thing that you say, be it openly or secretly then it is written – for or against you. Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted says, "not a word does he utter, but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)" (50:18)

Know this, and beware! Beware that their emit from your tongue a saying which will count against you on the Day of Judgement. Make sure that your tongue is continuously articulating the truth or that it remains silent as the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day then let him speak only good or remain silent." [Bukhaaree]

(Also from your contemplating Allah) is that you do so with regards to your secrets and what is in your heart. Look to what is in your heart! Associating partners with Allah, showing off, deviations, jealousy, hatred and dislike displayed towards the Muslims, love of the disbelievers and other such things that Allah is not Pleased with. Supervise and be attentive to your heart for Allah has said, "indeed We created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him." (50:16)

So contemplate Allah in these three places, in your actions, your saying and your heart so that your contemplation may be complete. This is why, when the Prophet (SAW) was asked about Ihsaan, he replied, "that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then indeed He sees you."

Worship Allah as if you see Him and witness Him with the eye, and if you do not see Him then go to the next station below this: then indeed He sees you.

So the first station is to worship Him out of hope and desire. The next is to worship Him out of fear and awe this is why he said, "and if you do not see Him, then indeed He sees you."

So it is necessary for the person to contemplate His Lord and that he know that Allah is watching over you. Anything that you say or do or keep secret, Allah, Exalted is He, knows it. The author has mentioned a number of verses that prove this and began with the verse that we have already mentioned, "and put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful – Who sees you when you stand up (for prayer) and your movements along with those who fall prostrate." (26:216-218)

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

http://www.tasawwuf.org/writings/lesson_one.pdf Another form of Muraqabah

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

What do people make of this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muraqaba)?

Beginner level muraqabas
Muraqaba of light
These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various diseases.
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Torquise
Green
Yellow
Orange
Pink
Red

Not sure, it seems like a visualization meditation. Something similar to Chakra meditation. Though I do know meditation can cause one to see orbs of different lights, also some people when making dhikr experience this too, but i never heard of anyone of the Muslims be they sufi or not doing this meditation. Allaahu alam

[Abdullah ibn Adam]

What do people make of this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muraqaba)?

Beginner level muraqabas
Muraqaba of light
These are usually used for beginners, or for cure of various diseases.
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Torquise
Green
Yellow
Orange
Pink
Red


Hah! Looks to me like new-age crackpots who have "hijacked" some "sufi" terms.

Doesn't look anything like the kind of things Ibn al-Qayyim was talking about.

Look at what else they say in that wikipedia article:

Gnosis of the universe
[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muraqaba&action=edit&section=7)] Kashaf/Ilhaam (unveiling of arcane knowledge)

Kashaf, or Ilhaam is the stage where man starts getting information that most people are unable to observe. In the beginning, this condition occurs suddenly without personal control. With practice, the mind gets so energized that it can get this knowledge by will.

[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muraqaba&action=edit&section=8)] Shahood (evidence)

When a person can get any information about any event/person with his will, this condition is called Shahood. This stage is broadly categorized according to activation of the senses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senses):

The person can see (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sight) things anywhere in the universe
The person can hear (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_(sense)) things anywhere in the universe
The person can smell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction) things anywhere in the universe
The person can touch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feel) things anywhere in the universe (hadith)

[edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muraqaba&action=edit&section=9)] Fatah (opening, victory)

The peak of Shahood is called Fatah. At this stage, the person doesn't need to close his eyes for meditation. Here the person is freed from both space and time. He can see/hear/taste/touch anything that are present anywhere in time and space.


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['Abd al-Kareem]

The peak of Shahood is called Fatah. At this stage, the person doesn't need to close his eyes for meditation. Here the person is freed from both space and time. He can see/hear/taste/touch anything that are present anywhere in time and space.Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ol!

[Nu7]

No-wonder why some refer to this as "hippy-islam".

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

http://www.sacredlearning.org/general_talks.htm Check out the 2006 talks there are two on Muraqabah.

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

Bismillah

Muraqabah of the Naqshbandi Mujadidi

One of Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad reply to one of his female students who questioned about the Dhikr of the silsila.

Remembrance [Dhikr]

Begin by conceptualizing that Allah subhannahu wa ta ala is watching at every moment and then imagine that your heart is calling "Allah! Allah! Allah!" in all circumstances, whether walking, sitting, or doing your daily activities, you should focus on your heart and make certain that ti is concentrating on Allah Subhannahu wa ta ala. Your hands should work wihle your heart remains in remembrance. Our great elders have said that a single moment spent in neglect and inattentiveness should be regarded as a moment spent in a state of disbelief [kufr].

Allah Subhannahu wa ta ala describes the signs of the intelligent in the Holy Quran: "Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and on their sides." (3:191). Aim for such a state throughout your day. This faqir will pray that you reach your goal.

Reflection (Muraqabah)

When free from your worldly duties, whether in the morning or evening, make ablution and isolate yourself. Sitting on a prayer rug, close your eyes, bow your head, open the window into your heart, and look at your true self.

"Drown deep into yourself and find the secret of life.
Atleast unite with yourself if you refuse to be mine.
Man's world is but play and waste.
Eternal is the wealth of the Hereafter.
Man's wealth comes and goes like a shadow.
You lose everything, world and hereafter, when you submit to someone else."

Muraqabah entails waiting patiently for the mercy of Allah subhannahu wa ta ala to descend into your heart. Perform this for ten to fifteen minutes daily. Remain quiet and still, without moving the tongue or limbs, and empty your mind of all thoughts. Focus on the mercy of Allah subhannahu wa ta ala descending into your heart and purifying it from the corrupt and blameworthy. Sit quietly and listen as your heart calls "Allah Allah Allah!" in gratitude for His mercy. Remember that Muraqabah is the essential key to attaining stillness of the mind and the soul.

"Not with world, and neither with wealth nor household,
The heart begets peace only with remembrance of Allah
What tranquility is associated with your name?
Sleep comes even on a bed of thorns."

Indeed, it is possible that malevolent and distracting thoughts will enter your mind when you first begin muraqabah. Do not let this deter you. The thoughts that have gathered in your heart over a lifetime will now resurface as you cleanse them through remembrance. How would you face Allah subhannahu wa ta ala had you left this world with such a soiled hearT? God willing [insha-Allah] as you further immerse yourself, your inner self will become purified and you will connect with Allah subhannahu wa ta ala. If you lack spare time for such exercises, then sit for a few minutes on your bed before going to sleep. You will begin to form a habit.

"I can see the portrait of my Friend in my heart whenever I lower my head"

In time you will begin to achieve tranquility through muraqabah. By all means, sit for longer periods of time if you so desire.

"The heart searches distressingly for those free days and nights.
To sit lost in thougths of the Beloved"

Do not worry if you start dozing off during muraqabah. It may also be performed lying down or leaning against something should the need arise. If you feel uncomfortable closing your eyes when in the company of others, muraqabah may be performed with the eyes open.

"Oh my Beloved Reflections of You are ever in my mind
and Your praises on my lips.
Where can You hide when thoughts of You race in my heart"

Consider muraqabah and its maintenance more necessary than food and drink. According to a hadith, Allah subhannahu wa ta ala prefers those actions that are consistent, be they however few. Unchained through muraqabah, your heart will gain perception.

"Desire an insightful heart from Allah
Sight of eyes and sight of heart are not the same"

Sometimes you may feel that apprehension and worry remain overpowering despite regular muraqabah. This exercise is is not easy but it must be performed. Exert yourself! You may even perform it while traveling by car or bus.

"Life is the command of Allah; life is a mystery.
The pinnacle of living is for the heart to cry "Allah!"

I am confident that your situation will improve with regular muraqabah. If the heart awakens, the eyes will see differently, the limbs will function differently, and the mind will reason differently. your life will traverse a new path for the sake of Allah subhannahu wa ta ala. People take delight in a deer whose meat emanates fragrance. I hope that you attain the fragrance of our true destination.

"May trials from Allah confront you For I see no
restlessness in your soul. Reading books leaves you no
time to act,
You are indeed a reader but lack action"

Enjoyment in and desire for worship increase manifold when remembrance [dhikr] becomes regular. Having prayed, you will anxiously await the next prayer. You will not view worship and good deeds as burdensome obligations. Rather, they will be gifts toward which you will run.

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

http://jaamiahamidia.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/pas-anfas-guarding-the-breath/

Taken from “Path To Perfection” by Shaykh Maseehullah Khan* (rahimahullah) [White Thread press] pg.132
(Meditation)
“Pas Anfas”

Guarding the Breath

“Take a deep breath. When inhaling concentrate on the word Allaah.

When exhaling concentrate on the syllable Hu.

Do this repeatedly. In the beginning, practice this exercise in solitude until you feel a warm sensation. Thereafter, perform it at all times.”

———————————————————————————————
*Shaykh Maseehullah Khan rahimahullah was a descendant of the Nabi salalahu alayhi wa salam, among the senior representatives of Hakeem al-Ummah ashraf Ali Thanawi rahimahullah and became such at 21 years old graduated from Daru uloom Deoband. He operated a school in Jalalabad where he died in 1992. May Allaah have mercy on his soul

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

http://jaamiahamidia.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/muraqabah-ihsan/

Discussion of Muraqabah and Ihsan on youtube.

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

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Beautiful discussion by Shaykh Muhammad S. Adely giving sharh of Imam nawawi's rahimahullah Riyadus saliheen. The section he covers in this video is Muraqabah. He also speaks a bit near the end about the stupidity of praying to the dead.

wasalaam

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

Allaah is All-Aware of everything?
What is the meaning of the aayah “And Allaah is All-Aware of everything” (al-Baqarah 2:231 – interpretation of the meaning)?


Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah knows and is aware of all things. Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him, be it words or deeds, movements or cessation of movement, acts of obedience or acts of disobedience.

“Know you not that Allaah knows all that is in the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allaah” [al-Hajj 22:70 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah has encompassed all things with His knowledge, and has written it in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Neither you (O Muhammad) do any deed nor recite any portion of the Qur’aan, nor you (O mankind) do any deed (good or evil), but We are Witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record”[Yoonus 10:61]

Allaah Alone knows the unseen. He knows what is in the heavens and what is on earth, as Allaah says of Himself (interpretation of the meaning):

“…I know the Ghayb (Unseen) in the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing” [al-Baqarah 2:33]

Allaah knows all things. The keys of the unseen are known to no one but Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record” [al-An’aam 6:59]

Allaah alone is the One Who knows when the Hour will begin, when rain will fall, what is in the wombs, what each person will do, and when and where each person will die. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things)” [Luqmaan 31:34]

Allaah is with us and nothing we do is concealed from Him…

“And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. And Allaah is the All-Seer of what you do” [al-Hadeed 57:4 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah is always watching us. He knows what we do, whether it is good or bad. Then He will tell us of that and will reward or punish us accordingly on the Day of Resurrection, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Have you not seen that Allaah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa (secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth (with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven), — nor of five but He is their sixth (with His Knowledge), — nor of less than that or more but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be. And afterwards on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allaah is the All-Knower of everything” [al-Mujaadilah 58:7]

Allaah Alone knows the unseen and the seen, what is secret and what is open, as He says of Himself (interpretation of the meaning):

“All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Most Great, the Most High” [al-Ra’d 13:9]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if you (O Muhammad) speak (the invocation) aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is yet more hidden” [Ta-Ha 20:7]



From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

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Intentions

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

as salaamu alaykum,

check out Shaykh Kamaluddin on Muraqabah with question and answers. http://www.tasawwuf.org/khulafa/shaykh_kamal.htm

[Madarijas-Salikeen]

http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/muraqabah.htm

Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad an-Naqshbandi

The first lesson in the esteemed Naqshbandi Silsilah is Latifa-e-Qalb. Upon this, the seeker traveling the spiritual path (salik) engages in the spiritual exercise of muraqabah, where he or she sets aside some private time to sit and reflect on Allah. In this exercise the salik strives to empty the heart of all thoughts and imagines the blessings and mercy of Allah entering the heart and erasing its darkness. As if in gratitude to being cleansed of darkness the heart joyfully calls out the Name of Allah over and over again… Allah! Allah! Allah!

A general scientific principle states that whenever a vacuum is created, something comes in to fill it and therefore the vacuum does not stay as is. Similarly when we sit and strive to remove all thoughts from our heart the aim is to create a void that will hopefully be filled with thoughts of Allah.

Darkness and light cannot coexist in the same space. Hence the more we strive to rid our hearts of filth, the hope is that divine light, goodness and blessing will enter to replace the darkness that was there. This is why it is extremely important to do muraqabah in abundance. Wherever in the Holy Quran we find the command to practice dhikr, the word is accompanied with the adjective signifying abundance (dhikr-e-kathir).

O you who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often [33:41]

What then is meant by abundant dhikr? At all times a person is either lying down, sitting or on his feet. Abundant dhikr refers to remembering Allah at all times in all these states.

To clarify this, the elders usually present the example of a man who falls ill and is running a high fever. Under this scenario his doctor prescribes antibiotics three times a day for seven days, so that it would take a total of 21 pills to cure the fever. Now, if this person breaks this sequence and has one pill every 3 days, even if he were to have a total of 22 his illness will not be cured.

Why then is the illness not cured even though the person takes more of the medication? Despite the accuracy of the diagnosis and the effectiveness of the medicine, it was not taken in the quantity prescribed by the physician and so the person remains ill. This indicates that quantity counts for a lot in some matters, especially here. Thus even if a patient skips a dose of his medication just one time, the doctor tells him to start the course again from the beginning for the sake of effectiveness.

Consequently, quantity in dhikr is absolutely crucial for a seeker on this path. A little dhikr does the seeker no benefit.

Little do they hold Allah in remembrance [4:142]

The result of this is;

(They are) distracted in mind even in the midst of it, being (sincerely) for neither one group nor for another whom Allah leaves straying, never wilt thou find for him the way [4:143]

A person whose dhikr is insufficient becomes a victim of doubt. He does not tread with confidence the path that leads him to his destination - his feet falter and he constantly changes direction. On the other hand, abundance of dhikr eliminates the darkness of the heart. It is thus that our elders tell us that the filth of thought (fikr) is only removed by the abundance of remembrance (dhikr).

How can a person tell whether a particular thought is inspired by Allah or the Devil (Shaitan)? Remembrance (dhikr) and piety (taqwa) reveal this distinction. The Holy Quran says Allah grants furqan to whoever has taqwa.

He will grant you a criterion (to judge between right and wrong) [8:29]

Furqan is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, the insight that distinguishes between good and evil. While there may be no apparent basis for making this distinction, this internal light [1] allows a person to differentiate between righteousness and wickedness. This furqan is a blessing that Allah grants to those who engage in plentiful dhikr.

So we must strive to remember Allah lying down, sitting, and whenever we are on our feet. The hearts of the believers should be connected with their Lord in every situation until the very traces of sinfulness are erased from every vein and muscle of their bodies. Constant remembrance leads to spiritual connection (nisbah) to Allah, and cleanses a person completely when it permeates the body. Such a person submits his entire being to Allah and his life and death become only for Allah, and Allah does not let down a person who so completely gives himself up to Him. The Glory of Allah is His alone, and He never abandons the one who submits to Him, but rather protects His servant.

The basic rule for one who seeks to gain all this benefit is to engage in abundant dhikr, and this is one criterion that the majority of seekers fail to meet. They give bay'ah [2] and most of them even change their lifestyle and appearance, but fail to do sufficient dhikr. If they sit for muraqabah at all it only lasts five or ten minutes, and they fail to realize that Allah is not found through mere minutes of muraqabah! Even the world cannot be gained with just a few minutes of effort, so how can we expect to reach the Lord of the worlds by such a meager attempt?

It is commonly understood that if one wishes for a meeting with someone of importance, then he or she will have to wait in line for one's turn just because of the high rank and demand of the individual or party sought after. For example, people line up for hours and sometimes days for an audience with a famous movie or sports star just because of that individual's high status in society. Now if people are required to wait for a meeting with another human being, then surely a meeting with Allah the Lord of the Worlds mandates a waiting period also. This waiting time is fulfilled through muraqabah.

A person who thus spends his life sitting with his head lowered yearning for a meeting with Allah , fulfills his waiting time on the Day of Judgment. Consequently the one who does not do this in the world will have to spend the necessary wait time in the Hereafter. But the wait time in the Hereafter is indeed grueling! Someone will have to stand in wait for a thousand years - someone for a thousand more.

Abundance in dhikr is so important that Allah ordained it upon His Prophets. Allah commanded Prophet Musa:

Go, you and your brother, with My Signs, and slacken not either of you in keeping Me in remembrance [ 20:42 ]

Whenever our elders say or command something their words carry potency and weight. How incredibly important must dhikr be in our lives if Allah is issuing the command and on the receiving end are two prophets?

So if we want the love of the world and the darkness of sin to be erased from our hearts, the only way to achieve this is through abundant dhikr. Just like the earth is cleansed when rain falls upon it, hearts are purged when mercy rains down upon them through abundant dhikr.

Hadrat Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) has written that there are two ways in which the earth regains purity if there is filth upon it.

1. Water pours down in such abundance that the filth is completely washed away.
2. The sun shines down so intensely that all trace of filth is burned away.

Similarly, there are only two ways to attain purification of the heart. One way is to engage in so much dhikr that mercy rains down upon one's heart to such an extent that it eliminates the filth and cures the diseases of the heart. The other is to remain in the company of a righteous Shaykh and serve him, and like the sun the heart of the Shaykh shines its rays upon his heart. The resulting blessing (faidh) removes all signs of the filth and a person's heart is rendered pure.

Thus, we should be frequent and regular in our dhikr so that Allah grants us annihilation of the heart (fana-e-qalbi), a blessing attained after the heart is purified in which a person is forever occupied in the remembrance of his Lord. However, this does not mean that he always sits in prayer and forsakes all other responsibilities. Rather the opposite is true and he takes care of all his worldly and family responsibilities but with a constant awareness of and a deep connection with Allah.

The love of the world has taken over our hearts and we are constantly thinking about it! Even if we make the firm intention not to think about worldly affairs during prayer or throughout the day we cannot let go of these thoughts. This is called annihilation in the world (fana-fid-duniya). Today we are so absorbed in the world that despite our best efforts we are not able to rid our hearts of preoccupation with it. If only we would gain such a level of annihilation in Allah (fina-fillah) that we wouldn't be able to forget Him even if we tried. Such is the station that we aspire towards, and how pitiful is our present state! It is our prayer that Allah grants us this lofty station, so that our life is spent upon goodness and our feet remain firm on the path that leads us to Him. Ameen.

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[1] A saying of the Prophettells us “Beware of the insight of a believer, for he sees with the light (nur) of Allah”

[2] Students begin their spiritual journey by taking an oath (bay'ah) with a spiritual master (Shaykh). This oath entails seeking forgiveness from Allah for past sins and renewing a lifetime commitment to living according to the Holy Quran and the example (sunnah) of the Prophet. The Messenger took such pledges from many of his companions, and hence the act of bay'ah is classified by traditional scholars as a sunnah.