33-A. CONCENTRATION.
The question asked was how to achieve concentration in namaz?
Hazrat Saheb said, when you recite during namaz, do not do so, parrot like.
You must reflect on the meaning of the words you recite and try to feel
The awe, the promise, and the grandeur of the Being you are worshipping.
Remembrance of Allah is necessary. Not remembering Him only, during Prayers/
Namaz, but continually keep Him in remembrance. Keep Him in mind
and remember Allah all day with a feeling of humility and awe. To achieve
concentration your mind and heart must turn towards Allah during namaz/Prayer.
Q: Is Meditation required to do so?
A: Yes, said Hazrat Saheb, Zikr, Fikr/reflection and being in a group that is
doing worship.
Remember Allah in your heart and join the gatherings where everyone is turned towards Allah.
As Allah states in the Quran that when he created the souls of the human beings from the back of Adam He asked each soul, “Am I not your Lord”. Each soul answered, “Yes we testify/give shahadat that Allah is One and our Lord”. Allah says I do not wrong anyone…because, he has instilled into each human being the inner call to Allah the One and Only Lord. Each one knows in his heart and is drawn to the one true God; every Muslim is drawn naturally and has the innate desire to Allah. No one can blame his circumstance or environment for being a non-believer in the Oneness of God.
This act of Allah’s is not remembered, but sub-consciously it is present and keeps reminding. It is a call, an inner call that is ever present. It is in the innate nature of man. Allah has bestowed this inner call and has provided an outer call too. Very often, the outer call meets with a contradictory call from shaitan/devil.
Shaitan/devil tries to distract us from the Oneness of Allah and draws us towards materials, wealth, possessions, and power. It beguiles us towards these and makes them our gods.
Along with the angelic, we also have shaitani/devilish/evil essence in us, which wants to lead us astray. The five times of prayer is for remembrance, to remind you in the five times of namaz/prayer to stay on the road to Allah. The human heart can go astray in the intervening time, so the repeated opportunity to keep remembering. The angelic innate human essence/nature must turn towards Allah the Creator and Lord and remember Him constantly.
……………………………………………………………………………………
In answer to inquiry about Fanaiyat/annihilation, Hazrat saheb said that Data Sahib’s book Kashfal Mahjub mentions Fanaiyyat/end. The Quranic ayah is that everything will be Fana; end/disappear except the face of Allah, will be Baqa/remain Who is Zul jalal e wa ikram/. Majestic and Esteemed highly.
No Fanaiyat/annihilation is not impossible to achieve or understand. (Contd: below)
Tauba/repentance at the beginning is also fana. Fana means end and that which disappears and baqa is what remains. One does tauba/repents from disobedience and comes towards obedience. Disobedience has become fana and obedience is baqa. Tauba/repentance begets a refuge, a refuge with Allah. You change your principles from wrong to right. Give up haram/prohibited things and accept halal (permissible) the love of the World versus love of Allah. When you achieve the good conduct, it is the baqa and the bad and wrong has become fana.
This is the spiritual way. It is not as if the good comes after the fana/ends, in fact it is simultaneous. It is like when you switch on the light in a room, light has come and darkness has gone instantly, so it happens together. Bad things disappear and goodness baqa remains, the remainder is clean. Bad qualities go and commendable virtues remain.
Fana/erasing must not be temporary but permanent. Until, you are not free from the love of the world completely, and turn and wish for the love of Allah. You cannot have achieved your goal. This requires, constant effort, this is Suluk; this is the way of the Prophet Slm.
This world is of cause and effect. Allah is the Cause. Create the habit of Allah’s remembrance. Man’s own effort is required but is not adequate, without Allah’s help and blessing.
Excellence is achieved as a gift of the Blessing from Allah, so both the cause and action are by Allah. Human being thinks he has done it all himself but no – it is only with the aid of Allah that he achieves any success. Following the principles and rules, obeying Allah, giving up the love of the world, erasing the love of the world from your heart completely, until what is left – baqa – is remembrance of Allah.
Man has been gifted with intellect, emotion and effort so this can be achieved partly by man’s effort but not without Allah’s action. It is a two- way work. In the Hadees it is stated that Allah said that he who tries to come towards Me even a span, I will, move a yard, towards him. Allah has said he who walks towards Me, I run towards him!
Sufis have hinted at the rewards one receives from Allah for the effort one makes but the rewards are beyond description! Allah rewards everyone, according to his effort. You must remember that this world is not your home, it is only a station –Allah says, I have made a home for you in the Hereafter. We must prepare and look forward to that and not be interested in this world. There you will not only receive the gifts Allah has promised but your main goal the Beholding/deedar of your Lord, Allah.
The importance of the Hereafter must be realized. We must work for and towards the Hereafter, as the world too, is speedily moving towards fana/ending. Everything in this world is transient what is important is the Hereafter.
The world and what is in it will be fana and receiving the love and nearness of Allah will remain. ..Baqa
Fanaiyat/erasure, is not a mission impossible, it requires constant and sincere effort on your part and results in Allah’s munificence and bounty.
……………………………………………………………………………….
We have some renowned Hadees that the prophet slm used to pray Sura Falak and Sura Nas when going to sleep and do dum/blow (ones breath on oneself after praying), and it was written down and put around the neck of children for protection. Praying these two suras known as moaz e teen was the practice of Prophet Mohammad.
Writing down Allah’s verses and wearing for various purpose of health etc. has been there since the days when Islam existed from North to South from Marrakesh to Indonesia. This has been the way.
………………………………………………………………..
Hazrat Saheb told a person who had been recommended an eye operation that he should go ahead and get it done if he had chosen the doctor and had not heard anyone say that this surgery causes any disadvantage or it does not help. If the doctor’s references were good too then he should not hesitate...
Cure too rests with Allah. It is Allah Who inspires the skills and treatments. There are hundreds of medicinal herbs growing on earth. How could research alone have found the myriad cures in these herbs .It is an inspiration from Allah, who reveals certain facts to those in search of finding cures.
One must remember that the physician too is a blessing from Allah. The true healer is Allah. Allah’s ninety-nine names have their own effects. There are two one is Nafeo and the other Darro. Nafeo gives profit, success, healing, curing, and Darro will cause hardship, but a Muslim knows that if hardship has appeared then Allah has a good reason for burdening you with it and there may be something that leads to good in the end. We have always heard that so and so doctor is gifted with success, so you must rest assured that the true healer is Allah. A Muslim of excellence sees only Allah’s hand in everything. This is Islam, this is Tauheed/Oneness of God.
………………………………………END……………………………………………..