SIRAT-E-SULUK SERIALIZED

A translation of the original Persian of SIRAT-E-SULUK [the path of spiritual wayfaring) is hereby serialized. This book covers ethical and esoteric directions of spiritual perfection as well as memoirs of 'Allama Hasan Zadeh Amuli (may Allah protect and elevate his noble spirit)

Ayatullah Hasan Zadeh Amuli

Monday 14 January 2008

SIRAT-E-SULUK [PART 3]

CHAPTER 2

Maintaining the State of Wudhu Constantly

Daylami narrates from the Holy Prophet (s), that God says:

Whosoever loses his state of wudhu, and does not perform wudhu, has turned away from Me; and whosoever loses his state of wudhu and performs wudhu again, but does not recite at least two units of prayer, has turned away from Me; whosoever loses his state of wudhu, renews his wudhu and recites two units of prayer, and thereafter does not supplicate, has turned away from Me; and whosoever loses his state of wudhu, and thereafter performs the same, and recites the prayer, and supplicates and asks for his needs of this world and the Hereafter, and I do not respond, then verily I have turned away from him, and I am not a Lord that turns away. [1]

Yes indeed, O brother!

Know that wudhu is light, and its constant practice results in one’s upliftment to the sacred world (‘aalam-e-quds). Know that this blessed instruction has been experienced by great men of knowledge and action. Therefore, O traveler of the alley of the Friend, it is incumbent on you to firstly, perform it constantly, and secondly, have an exalted aspiration, and after prayer seek from God, the Blessed and Exalted, that which subsists and is everlasting, and ask not from Him save Himself; and your state should naturally reflect the following couplets:

Maa az tu nadaareem beghayre tu tamannaa
Halwa bekasi de ke mahabbat nachesheede ast

We do not have any aspiration from You save Yourself
Give sweetmeat to one who has not tasted (the flavor of) love!

For one who has tasted the flavor of Divine love, considers other than Him to be nothing. Besides, whatever one seeks other than Him, is a manifestation [2] of a name from the Divine Names; therefore when He attains the Origin (i.e. the Essence of the Truth), he would attain all its derivatives.

Chera zaahid andar hawaaye behish ast?[3]
Chera bikhabar az Behisht Afreen ast?

Why does the Zaahid (detached from the world) desire Paradise?
Why is he oblivious of the Creator of Paradise?

The Divine Gnostic Sadr al-Din Dezfuli sings as follows:

Khudaya Zaahid az tu Hoor mikhwahad, qusoorash bin!
Be Jannat migureezad az darat, Ya Rabb, shu‘oorash bin!

O Lord, a Zaahid seeks Houri from you, look at his mistake!
He escapes to Paradise from Your [very] door, O Lord, look at his mind!

Therefore after having finished your prayer, go into the state of prostration, and say:

Allahummarzuqni halaawata dhikrika wa liqaa’aka wal hudhoora ‘indaka

O Allah! Make me taste the sweetness of Your remembrance, O Lord, bestow me with the sustenance of meeting You. O Lord! Enable me to experience Your Presence.


To be continued soon Insha Allah

3 comments:

Miqdad's said...

Salaamun Alaikum,
Beautiful, jazakallah!

2 question.
1) " thereafter does not supplicate, has turned away from Me; and whosoever loses his state of wudhu, and thereafter performs the same, and recites the prayer, and supplicates and asks for his needs of this world and the Hereafter.."
What is the difference here between : "Supplication" and asking for ones "needs of this world and the hereafter" for they seem to be two different stages in the hadith?

2) Is it true that when one is in the state of wudhoo, but still does wudhoo before the obligatory prayers, it is : "Noorun Ala Noor" , light upon light ?

Jazkallah Sheikh
Miqdad

Muhammad Khalfan (mkhalfan@gmail.com) said...

A/S

Thanks for your comments.

Ans.1: It speaks of the same thing, but the phrase "asks..." is an elucidation of "and supplicates".

Ans 2: Yes that's correct. There is also a tradition (hadith) that explicitly talks about this reality.

Salams and Du'as
Muhammad

Anonymous said...

Salamun `Alaykum,

Thank you for sharing such a nice hadith on Wudhu. Can you please provide me the source of hadith.

Regards,
-Abbas