From: Tyagi@HouseOfKaos.Abyss.com
Subject: Sufi:Naqshbandiya
Date: Fri,  7 Jan 94 16:19:37 PST

                 ELEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
                      OF THE NAQSHBANDIYA SUFI ORDER:


    The Naqshbandiya Sufi Order is comprised of the teachings
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad [saw] as imparted to 
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq [raa], and from there onwards 
thru the centuries, includes the teachings and the experiences
of a linkage of Khwajgan who trace their educational roots
from that origin.

    This sufi order is stictly within Sharia. In addition to
the regular 5 prayers, there are additional Nwafil throughout
the day and night, Recitation of the Holy Quran, and 
performing Dhikr of special Wirids. These Wirids are
based on the 99 Names of Allah swt, and Salawat ila Rasul Allah [saw]
[Darood]. Today, many people do not acknowledge such Awrad,
because of being under the influence of Wahabism, but
they are ignorant of many other things about Islam also,
and their opinion does not matter to a true seeker.

    In a Sufi Order, which is under Sharia, the first
thing you learn is respect. Respect for the teacher,
and for the gate of knowledge that you are approaching.
You are shown a method of how to recognize Shaitaan,
and how to control your worldly desires. The shaikh
will show you how to kill yourself so that you may
be recreated, and then go out and serve Islam. The vision
you develop after being killed in such a manner is
tremendous, as you do not have any hinderance in your
seeing anymore, and are totally dedicated to Allah swt.
Thus, it was the Sufi awliya that spread Islam in all
of Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, America, etc.

    The most famous teacher of the Naqshbandiya order
is from Bukhara, Central Asia. This is the venerable
Muhammad Bahauddin Awais al-Bukhari, who was recognized
as a Ghaus, and who is known by the title of 
Shah-e-Naqshband. From his students, two lineages
spread, one towards the west and one towards the south,
towards the Indan subcontinent, where saints like
Khwaja Baqibillah and Mujadid Alf at-Thani became known as 
Naqshbandi Khwajas. 

   Shah-e-Naqshband is a descendant of Rasul Allah [saw]
being related to both Imam Hasan [raa] and Imam Husain [raa].

   The following eleven principles show the exercise-aims
of the Tariqat Naqshbandiya. The first eight were formulated
by Khwaja Abd al-Khaliq al-Ghujdawani, and the last
three were added by Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshband.

1. Yad Kard: Remembrance, or making mention. Both oral and
   mental. Be always repeating the Dhikr imparted to you
   so that you may attain the beatific vision. Khwaja Bahauddin
   said:"The aim in Dhikr is that the heart be always aware
   of al-Haqq [Name of Allah], for its practice banished
   inattention."

2. Baz Gasht: Restraint. The person saying the Dhikr, when engaging
   in the heart-repetition of the blessed phrase [shahada]
   should intersperse it with such phrases as "my God you are
   my Goal and your satisfaction is my aim", to help to keep
   one's thoughts form straying. Other masters say  that
   it means 'return' or 'repent', i.e, return to al-Haqq
   by way of contrition [inkisar].

3. Nigah Dasht: Watchfulness. Over wandering, passing thoughts
   when repeating the blessed phrase.

4. Yad Dasht: Recollection. Concentration upon the Divine Presence
   in a condition of Dhawq [zoq], foretaste, intuitive
   anticipation or perceptiveness, not using external aids.

5. Hosh dar dam: Awareness while breathing. The technique of
   breath control. Said Bahauddin:"The external basis
   of this tariqa is the breath." One must not exhale in
   forgetfulness or inhale in forgetfulness.

6. Safar dar watan: Journeying in one's homeland. This is
   an interior journey, the movement from blameworthy
   to praiseworthy qualities. Others refer to it as 
   the vision or revelation of the hidden side of
   the Shahada.

7. Nazar bar qadam: Watching one's steps. Let the salik
   [pilgrim] ever be watchful during his journey,
   whatever the type of country through which he is passing
   that he does not let his gaze be distracted from 
   the goal of his journey.

8. Khalwat dar anjuman: Solitude in a crowd. The journey
   of the salik, though outwardly it is in the world,
   inwardly it is with God. Leaders of the Tariqa have
   said,"In this tariqa association is in the crowd
   [assembly] and disassociation in the khalwa."
   A common weekly practice was to perform the dhikr
   in the assembly.

9. Wuquf-e zamani: Temporal pause. Keeping account of how one is
   spending one's time, whether rightly and if so give 
   thanks, or wrongly- and if so asking for forgiveness,
   according to the ranking of the deeds, for "verily
   the good deeds of the righteous are the iniquities
   of those who are near [to God]."

10. Wuquf-e adadi: Numerical pause. Checking that the heart
    dhikr [said in the heart, silently] has been repeated
    the requisite number of times, taking into account
    one's wandering thoughts.

11. Wuquf-e qalbi: Heart paus. Forming a mental picture
    of one's heart with the name of Allah engraved
    thereon, to emphasize that the heart has no consciousness
    or goal other than God. This is the meaning of
    the word "Naqshband".

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    Shaikh Hisham Kebbani      [415] 941-7916
   
    Dhikr every Thursday, Sat and Sunday evenings,
    from Maghrib to Isha. In Oakland and
    San Francisco south bay.