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I Al-Mi‘rajABi-MonthlyMagazineof

ISRAInternationalIslam–Iman-Ihsan

SpecialcoverageofShaykhBahauddinNaqshbandi(R.A.A)andTheNaqshbandiyyahTariqa

Muharram_Safar1439-

Oyou,whobelieved,seekhelpthroughpatienceandprayer,IndeedAllahiswiththepatient[2:153]

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EditorialBy:SayyedZaynAlAbedin

TheTimesofTurmoil

ThesearethetimesofturmoilintheMuslimworld.Ontheonehand,thereisanunprecedentedrisein

Islamophobia,extremerepressionandoppression,spreadofhatredandviolencetotheextentofethnic

cleansingagainstMuslimminoritiesinsomepartsofthenon-Muslimworld.Andontheotherhand,is

theriseofextremistandviolentorganizationsandtotallyun-IslamicideologiesinthenameofIslamin

partsoftheMuslimworld.Thishasbroughtcarnage,destruction,andkillingsresultinginthehugeloss

oflivesandpropertiesofmostlyMuslims,butalsoasizablenumberofnon-Muslimsinthemostbrutal

actsofterrorismcarriedoutintheheartlandsofIslamandinmanypartsoftheworldtoanun-paralleled

scale.

Theturmoilhasitsrootsintheaftermathofthecolonialeraandtheinjusticesitinflictedduringitsrule.

The transition from slavery to independence was marred by unsettled borders, unjust division of

resources,etc.,thepoliticsofdivideandrule,givingbirthtothesenseofinjusticeandoppression.Failure

ofworldbodiestodeliverjusticebasedontruthandequityhasledtothelossofhopeandthefeelingof

hopelessness.

Theendproductof this experiencewas theemergenceof aoneor twodimensional ritualistic Islam

devoidofitspristinespirituality.ItledMuslimstobefocusedontheideaofseekingjustice.Allouractions

weregovernedbythisstateofmind.AsthethinkersofSanadcollectivehaverightlynoted,webecame

knownasfightersofourrights,demandingjusticefromallwhooppressusorchallengeourwayoflife.

Butisthisallwehavetoofferhumanity?

Ourpreoccupationwiththegrievances,injusticesandwrongdoingsofothersagainstusandourtotal

obsessionsto fightagainst ithasdisabledusandtookallourenergy inbelievingthatonlyothersare

responsibleforourcondition.Wefocusallourenergyinconspiracytheoriesneglectingthefactthatour

DeenisarealityandwemustliveitfullyinallofitsdimensionsofIslam,ImanandIhsan.Wespentallof

ourenergyinfightingagainsttheevilofothersleavingnotimetoseekAllahandworkformoralintegrity,

sincerity,andempathyforthepooranddowntrodden,equityforall,standingforthetruth,mercyforour

familiesandsociety,gentlenessofbehaviorandpurificationofheart.

TheIhsanicvisionofIslamteachesusthatifwedonotfactorAllahinourthoughtsandactionsanddo

notturntoHim,beggingforhelpandenlightenmentwewillbeinthestateofturmoilandfailure.Our

Nafs(passion)hasledustospendallofourenergiesinendlessstrugglestoseekourrightsandfight

againstinjusticewithoutturningtoAllahonourownstrength.WhilethesolutionliesinfollowingAllah’s

guidanceintheQur’an(2:153)whichproclaims:

“Oyouwhobelieved,seekhelpthroughpatienceandprayer,IndeedAllahiswiththepatient”

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PhotoCourtesy:SaudAlRashidThe Hijra is not only one of the greatestevents in the history of Islam, but it isarguably a historic milestone whoseimpact forever changed the course ofhistory for all of humanity at large. Themigration of the Muslims fromMecca toMedina set the foundations for ensuringthat the religion of Islam would becomeestablished in theArabianPeninsula, theeffects of whichwould reverberate fromEasttoWestastherealmofIslamspread.This is why the rank of the greatMuhājirūn, who left all that was dear tothem in theirhomeland ofMecca for the

sake of the freedom to worship andpractice their faith in Medina, isimmeasurable. All that the world hasinherited today from the vast and richIslamic tradition is owed to the sinceresacrifice of a few who undertook thismomentousjourney.OnthefirstdayofthemonthofMuḥarram,wenotonlyrememberthisgreatoccasionthat marks the first day of the Islamiccalendar,butwearealsoremindedof itstimelesslessons.

CommemoratingtheIslamicNewYear1439:TimelessLessonsfromtheGreatestMigrationinHistory

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SacrificeThe most important lesson imparted bytheHijra,istheimportanceofsacrificeineverythingthat isdearandbelovedtousforthesakeofmaintainingourbeliefsandthe freedom to practice them.When theMuhājirūnleftMecca,therewasnothinginthe world dearer to them than this citywhichwastheplaceoftheirbirthandthesource of their culture, social status,family,andwealth.Thepainofmigrationover1400yearsagotoanewlandisoftendifficult for the modern mind to grasp,since the efficiency of travel and theglobalization of culture has made theprospect of migration today as nothingmore than a simple transfer from onespace to another. But if we examine thecircumstances of the pre-modern erawesee that in leavingMecca, theMuhājirūnwereprepared torelinquishall that theyknew of the comforts and joys of thisworldforthesakeofthenext.AsmuchasMecca had been dear to these earlyMuslims, God was far dearer to theirhearts. In the commitment and sacrificeundertaken by the Muhājirūn, is also aprofound demonstration of the power ofʿaqīdah or faith to empower individualswith the strength to achieve what waspreviously beyond their capacity. As aresultoftheirperseveranceandsacrifice,MedinabecamethefirstorganizedIslamiccommunity andwould pave the path fortheeventualvictoryoftheMuslimsintheirstruggleagainstpaganArabia.SettingPrioritiesStraightTheHijraalsoteachesusthatwhenthereisaconflictbetweenworldlyinterestsand

the best interest of our souls, we mustprefer what will preserve our faith andbring us close toGod. For truly, it is thelatterwhichwilllastlongaftertheworldhasperished.Itisreportedinahadith,“Aservant [of God] does not abandon amatter solely for the sake of God, exceptthatGodreplacesitwithwhatisbetterforhim in his religion and in his [material]world.”(1)Hence, who prefers the interests of thenext life over the worldly one, will findhimselfprofitinginbothworlds.Likewise,the one who gives precedence to theinterests of the worldly realm at theexpense of the heavenly one will findhimself as nothing short of bankrupt inbothworlds.[1Al-Jāmiʿal-saghīr:vol.ii/p.144]TheEssenceoftheGodRelianceThe Hijra has also taught us that theessence of tawakkul or the reliance onGod consistsof taking into considerationthemeans of fulfilling ends in theworldand only then submitting one’s affairs toGod. We see that the Messenger of God(saws)hadastrategicpathfromwhichhemigratedwhilehemaintainedhisplansasecret.WhenhecametotheresidenceofAbūBakr to informhim that the time ofmigration had arrived, he asked him todismissallthosewhowerepresentinhishouseotherthanhisownfamily.Thisisaprofound lesson on the importance ofbeing discrete about one’s affairs. TheMessenger of God said, “Facilitate thesuccess of your affairs through keepingsilent.”(2)TheProphetalsohireda skilledguide tosteer them through the desert and then

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took a misleading a path away fromMedina to hide in the cave of Thawr todivert thosewhowere pursuing him.Healsodelegatedtaskstothosearoundhim.He had one person for reporting events,another to remove his trail, another toarrangeprovisions,andhedesignatedʿAlīto wear hismantle and lie in his bed todelude thebandof thepaganswhoweresettoassassinatehim.Itwaswhiletakingallthenecessaryprecautionsandplanninghis route strategically that the Prophet(saws)placedhisrelianceontheLordofthe heavens and the earth. He taught usthrough his example that if we wish tosucceedinouraffairsitisessentialtoplanahead and perform all the conditionsnecessarytofulfillthedesiredoutcometothe best of our ability. This is indeed, acornerstoneof the courtesies (ādāb) thatmust accompany the reliance on God. Itmightbeasked,whytheProphettooksuchmeticulousmeasurestoensurediscretioninhismigration,whileʿUmarb.al-KhaṭṭābmigratedopenlyinrebelliontothepagansofQuraysh.Surely,ʿUmarcouldnothavebeenbraverthantheProphetg?Indeed,itiswithoutadoubt that the Prophet’s (saws) braverywas unmatched, even the mighty ʿUmar.However, the Prophet represented notonlyhimselfbuttheentireIslamicmissionwhosesuccessdependedonhisnottakingunnecessaryrisksthatmightendangerit.In addition, when the Prophet acted,unlike ʿUmar he did not act as anindependent person but rather as adivinely sent Messenger whose actionswould be a source of legislation and a

model for those who will emulate hisexampleafterhim.[2Jāmiʿal-ṣaghīr:vol.i/p.404]Steadfastness in FacingTribulationsWe learn from the Hijra the recurringnature of struggle between the forces oftruth and falsehood, justice andoppression,andthepathtoguidanceandmisguidance.GodhasdeterminedforthistensiontoexistinordertotryHisservantsin the sincerity of their faith anddistinguish those who desire thedistractionsof theworld fromthosewhodesire proximity to theDivine. For truly,thenatureoftheworldisthatofdifficultyand tribulation and a believer is but adiamondintheroughwhosetruepotentialisrevealedthroughenduringthesetests.The way we deal with reveals our truenaturebothtoourselvesandthosearoundus.Weseetheamountofoursteadfastnessin our beliefs, our perseverance in ourstriving to please God, the extent of ourlove for Him, our strength to withstandtemptations,andhowmuchwearewillingtosacrificewhatisvaluableanddeartousinordertodowhatwillbenefitus in thehereafter. TheQur’an says, “AndWewillsurely test you until We make evidentthose who strive among you and thepatient, and We will test your affairs[Muhammad:31].”The Obligations of Fraternity amongMuslimsThe same way we learn the lesson ofsacrifice from the Muhājirūn whoabandonedeverythingforthesakeoftheir

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faith,wealsolearnapoignantlessonaboutthe obligations of generosity andbrotherhood among Muslims throughtheir counterparts, the Anṣār. In theexampleof theAnṣār,we seeamodelofselflessness and abundance in giving totheir fellow brethren in the Muslimcommunity.WhentheMuhājirūncametoMedinawithlittlemorethantheclothesontheir backs, the Anṣār were profuselygeneroustoapointthattheywerewillingtosharetheentiretyof theirwealthwiththeirbrothersforthesakeofGod.Courtesy:NurFoundationforSacredSciences

Their altruism and self-sacrifice were areflectionofthedepthoftheirfaithintheProphet’s g message and their refinedcharacter.Hence,Godpurifiedtheirheartsand immortalized the memory of theirgreatservicetoIslamthroughmentioningthem in theQur’an, “And[also for] thosewho were settled in al-Madinah and[adopted]thefaithbeforethem.Theylovethosewhoemigratedtothemandfindnotany want in their breasts of what theemigrants were given but give [them]preferenceover themselves, even thoughthey are in privation. And whoever isprotectedfromthestinginessofhissoul-it is those who will be the successful[Ḥashr:9].”

Opening of the cave inMount Thawr (or Jabal Thawr) inwhich the Prophet (peace andblessingsofAllahbeonhim)andAbuBakrAs-Siddiq(mayAllahbepleasedwithhim)soughtrefuge for threedaysandnights fromtheQuraysh,as they leftMakkahandemigratedtoMadinahleavingbehindAli(mayAllahennoblehisface)whosleptonProphet’sbed.WhentheywereinsideAllah(GlorifiedandExaltedisHe)sentaspidertospinawebfromabushacross theentrance to the cave.Allah (GlorifiedandExalted isHe)also commanded twodovestoflydownbetweenthespiderandthetree,makeanestandlayeggs.

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By:ShaykhNaeemAbdulWaliThisisabriefoverviewofsomeNaqshbandibranchesactiveintheUnitedStates.*The Naqshbandiya Sufi Tariqa is named after ShaykhBaha al-Din Naqshband (d.791/1389).Itiswidelyspreadthroughouttheworld.ItisbasedonIslamicpracticesandprinciplesknownaselevenprinciplesoftheNaqshbandiOrder.KhwajahBahaal-Din'ssuccessorsincludedKhwajahMuhammadParsa.Thetombandmosqueofhisson,KhwajahAbuNasr-eParsaisinBalkh, in Afghanistan. Another of KhwajahBaha al-Din's successorswas Ya'qub-e Charkhi (d.1447), whose most significant disciple and successor wasKhwajah 'Ubayd Allah Ahrar(d.895/1490). Another famous Naqshbandi Shaykhs is Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi.He is known astheMujaddid-iAlf-iThani(d.1034/1624).

*OneofthemostsignificantNasqshbandishaykhinmoderntimeswasShaykhAhmadKuftaroofSyriauntilhispassingin2004.Bornin1915,ShaykhKuftarowasparticularlyimportantbecausenotonlywasheaNaqshbandiShaykhsince1938,butwasalsoSyria'sGrandMufti (thechiefIslamicauthority)since1964.

*Anothermostwidely spread-outbranchofNaqshbandiyya isHaqqaniNaqshbandi Tariqa ofShaykhNazimAlHaqqaniofCyprus.HeplayedamajorroleinpopularizingTasawwufinEuropeandAmerica.HepassedawayonMay7,2013.HisrepresentativeandKhalifaintheUnitedStatesisShaykhHishamKabbani.Heisauthorofmanybooksandapopularspeakeronspiritualsubjectsinmanypartsoftheworld.HaqqaniordermaintainsAstrongpresenceontheweb.YoumayfindmoreinformationabouttheHaqqaniorderonhttp://naqshbandi.org/

*Another branch of the Naqshbandiyya order which is very active with their extensiveeducationalandspiritualactivitiesandavibrantcommunityintheUnitedStatesisthatofShaykhAhmedAbdulRashid,whoisaKhalifaandtherepresentativeintheU.S.AofHazratAzadRasool.His website is active in promoting Islamic spirituality and Tasawwuf andmay be reached athttp://circlegroup.org/

*ShaykhNaeemAbdulWaliisanAmericanborninTennesseeandstudiedtheIslamicsciencesinMadinahandIstanbulforovertenyearsatthefeetofShaykhMahmudEffendiandShaykhIhsanKhoja.ShaykhNaeemAbdulWalitookthespiritualpathofNaqshbandiyyahfromthehandofShaykhMahmudEffendi.ShaykNaeemisaNaqshbandiShaykhintheMujadidi Khalidiyahline.HecurrentlylivesinHouston,TexasandistheresidentscholarattheSunnaInstitute.

AnoverviewoftheNaqshbandiyyahTariqa:Pastandpresent

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*ShaykhZulfiqarAhmadisoneoftheactiveNaqshbandiShayksofTasawwufbasedintheUnitedStatesinthepresentera.Heregularlytravelsinternationallytoenlightenthespirituallivesofpeopleallovertheworld.HehaswrittenmanybooksonIslamicspirituality.Moreinformationisavailableathiswebsiteat:http://taswwuf.org

*AnorganizationbasedintheUnitedStatesisengagedineducationofIslamicspiritualityandteachingsofNaqshbandiyyatariqa.ItisheadedbyDr.AhmedMirzaandisknownastheNaqshbandiyaFoundationforIslamicEducation.

Sources:Dr.AbdulHaqqGodlas’sfamousSufismwebsite:http://islam.uga.edu/Sufism.html

ResearchDepartmentofAl-Mi’rajMagazine:www.IsraInternational.com

FromthePublisher’sDesk

*Al-Mi’rajMagazineisacompletelyvolunteereffort.Sometimesduetounavoidablecircumstanceswerunbehindourpublishingschedule.Weapologizeforthedelayinpublishingthecurrentissue.*Thenext issuewill come out in the firstweek ofDecember2017. It will be focused on theMawlid un-Nabi Sallal-lahuAlayhiWaSallam* Al-Mi’rajMagazine welcome article on the noble life andmessageofthenoblelifeoftheHolyProphetSallal-lahu-‘alayhiWaSallam*Articlesmaybesubmittedviaemailto:IsraInternational@yahoo.com*FormoredetailspleasecheckthelastpageoftheMagazineorcontactusviaemailat:IsraInternational@yahoo.com

AndHelpyouoneanotheruntorighteousnessandpiousduty.Helpnotoneanotheruntosinandtransgression(Qur’an5:2)

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By:Muhammad-FarukAzimov

Shaykh Shah Muhammad Bahauddin Al-Naqshbandi, Al-Bukhari, Al-Owaisi,popularly known as Shaykh BahauddinNaqshbandi was born 700 years ago, onthe 14th day of the of Muharram in theyear 1318 AH, in the family of a Tajikartisan, in the village of Kasri-Hinduvan,near Bukhara.Hisfatherand grandfatherwereGod-fearingpeople.All their livestheyweredevotedtothespiritualpracticeofTasawwuf (Sufism)andearnedmoneybyhonestwork.

Father Bahauddin was a weaver andengraverformetal.BahauddinNaqshbandi(Naqshband - "chaser"), like his father,became aweaver, and his silk fabricwithgoldandsilverthreadswasverypopular.

Among the Persian-speaking people, inwhatevercountrythey live, in theirculture,architecture, clothing and even inwriting -everywhere one can observe national

handwriting and national symbols.Forexample,onthecoppersurfaceofSamarkandandBukharaarticleslikedishes,jewelry,andembroideries - the national ornament,designedbyNaqsh-chaser(designmaker),isstillused.Hisworksareworldfamous.TheirhistorydatesbacktothetimesofthePersiankingJamshed.Theyformthebasisofmodernnational design inAfghanistan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan(Samarkand,Bukhara),IranandeverywherewherethePersian-speakingpeoplelivetoday.

The father of Shaykh BahauddinNaqshbandi was a deeply religiousMuslim.Grandfather, having closerelations with spiritual mentors,influenced the spiritual growth of hisgrandson.Bahauddin’s childhood wasundertheinfluenceofreligiousscienceoftasawwufwhichaimstoraisethehumanheartbycleansingitfromallthatalienates

Imam-ul-Tariqat,ShyakhBhauddinNaqshbandi.(R.A.A)

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us fromAllah�.When Bahauddin wasstill achild, the grandfather always tookhis grandson with him toSufilessons,wherethefutureSufiteacherlearnedthepracticeofallthepraiseworthytraitsandthebestfeaturesofmanandgettingridofthe blameworthy traits and worstfeatures.From an early age Shaykh Bahauddinstudied such sciences asShariahandTariqah.ThefirstspiritualteacheroftheShaykh, was Muhammad Babai Simashi,wholatersenthimtocontinuehisstudieswithSheikhSayyidAmirKulal.Shaykh,inturn, seeing the seriousness of theaspirations of the young Bahauddin,introducedhimintotheSufiOrderof theDervishKhawjagan.

Shaykh Bahauddin was an unusualchild,hisfaceclearlyshowedthetraceofholinessandthelightofnobility.Hewas always in the company of adults.Hewasnotinterestedinpeers;hedidnottakepart in their children'sgames.Bahauddin's mother said: "Whenmysonwasfouryearsold,hepointedtoacow and said that shewould have a calfwithawhiteasteriskonher forehead."Amonth later, the cow gave birth to a calfwithawhiteasteriskonher forehead,asdescribed by the baby MuhammadNaqshbandi.Allahhasendowedthefuturespiritual master with unusual abilities,talentandKaramaats.

Attheageof17,atthebehestofhisfather,Shaykh Bahauddin Naqshbandi gotmarried.Soontheyoungtheologianbeganto undertake pilgrimage to holy places -inMeccaandMedina.Thejourneyturnedout tobe long,andonlythreeyears laterhe came home to Bukhara. Shaykh

Bahauddin Naqshbandiperformedhajjthree times during hislifetime.

Hisrules,themethodofZikr,spreadveryquickly throughout Central Asia.VerysoontheteachinggainedpopularityintheOttomanTurkey,theMuslimVolgaregionandeven inIndiaandtheArabcountries.Hisgloryasa tutorwasgreat.Untilnow,his method of dhikr is acclaimed bytheHanafis- followers ofone of the fourreligious schools or systems (madhhabs)of SunniIslam, following the tincture ofNaqshbandiya.Such a great man wasShaykhBahauddinNaqshbandi.

The character and morality ofShayikhBahauddinSheikh Bahauddin had an amazingcharacter.Heearnedhisbreadbyhisownlaborandnevertookanddidnoteatattheexpense of Sadaqa. Shaykh Bahauddinneverhadadomesticservant.He,withhisblessedhandspreparedfoodforthepoorbyhimselfservedandthematthetable.Iftheygatheredtogetherforfood,heurgedthemtobeinastateofhu-sure.Also,whenShaykhBahauddinwasvisitedbysomeonefromdistantcities,hehimself,asusual, served theguest, showedeveryconcern, best courted his riding animal,withhisblessedhands,preparingforhimadrinkand food, soasnot tobother theownerandtheguest.

The last moments of the life ofShaykhBahauddinNaqshbandiAlaauddin Attar said: "When the hour ofShaykh Bahauddin's death approached,we read Surah" Yasin "from theQuran.When we reached the middle of

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surah,suddenlythebeamsof lightbeganto shinedazzlingly.Wewereabsorbed inreading the beautiful wordsofAllah�.The teacher stopped breathing,and his soul left the earthly world andmovedtotheworldofeternity.The day was Tuesday, the night, on thethirddayof themonthRabi-ul-Awal791AH (1389 Gregorian calendar).Sheikhdiedat theageof73years.TheworksofShaykhBahauddinaretranslatedfromthePersian-TajiklanguageofFarsiintoUzbek,Turkish, Arabic, Russian, English andotherlanguagesoftheworld.FromanarticlebyMuhammad-FarukAzimov/forfullarticlegotothewebsitedisplayedbelow.Courtesy:http://islam.ru/

Works and Legacy of Shaykh Bahauddin Naqshbandi

Succeeding Shaikhs of the NaqshbandiTariqatwrotemany biographies of ShahNaqshband. Among them are Mascud al-Bukhari and Sharif al-Jarjani, whocomposed theAwrad Baha’uddinwhich

describes him and his life’s worksincluding hisfatawa(legal decisions).Shaikh Muhammad Parsa, who died inMadinain822H.(1419C.E.)wroteRisalaQudsiyyain which he talks of ShahNaqshband’s life, his virtues, and histeachings.

ShahNaqshband’sliterarylegacyincludedmany books. Among them areAwrad an-Naqshbandiyyah, the Devotions of ShahNaqshband. Another book isTanbih al-Ghafilin.A thirdbook isMaslakul-Anwar.AfourthisHadiyyatu-s-SalikanwaTuhfatat-Talibin.Heleftmanynobleexpressionspraising the Prophet (s) and he wrotemanylegalrulings.Oneofhisopinionswasthat all the different acts and kinds ofworship,whetherobligatoryorvoluntary,werepermittedfortheseekerinordertoreach reality. Prayer,fasting,zakat(paying the poor-tax),mujahidin (striving) andzuhd(self-denial)wereemphasizedaswaystoreachAllahAlmighty.

Courtesy:

http://naqshbandi.org/the-tariqa/the-imam-of-the-tariqat-shah-bahauddin-naqshband/

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By:Dr.MohammedMursilNaqshbandi

In the name of Allah theMost BeneficentTheMostMercifulSupplication is the essence of worship.ThereforecallonyourSustainer,humblyandsecretly. ALLAH Subhaanahu Wa ta’aalaaccepts the supplication of an individualwhenever he/she makes a supplication tohim. ALLAH Subhaanahu Wa ta’aalarespondstothedistressofaperson,whenhe/she calls uponHim, and removes therehardship.

This duniya (world) is a test. Variouscalamitiesafflictapersonintheredaytodaylife.OnlyALLAHSubhaanahuWata’aalahasthepowertoprotectus,fromtheadversitiesof this life. Health is a gift from ALLAHSubhaanahu Wa ta’aala and it is He, whosavesusandprotectsusfromcalamitiesandvarious diseases such as hypertension,diabetes,arthritis,cancer,hepatitisetc.

A true slave of ALLAH Subhaanahu Wata’aala continually seeks the mercies ofALLAHSubhaanahuWata’aala,bybecominga true follower, of our beloved ProphetMuhammad(SAW),thesealofprophetsandmessenger of ALLAH Subhaanahu Wata’aala.

ThetruthfulProphetMuhammad(SAW)wasthemostperfecthumanbeingeverseen.Hewas the reflection of mercifulness of ouronly creator, the only being worthy ofworship,andtheonlySustaineroftheentirecreation,whosepersonalnameisALLAH.

For the prosperity and the benefit ofmankindofalltheeras,irrespectiveoftheirraceandnationality, the lastmessengerofALLAH Subhaanahu Wa ta’aala taught us,howtosupplicate,soastogetthedesiredresults which one can expect ALLAHSubhaanahu Wa ta’aala.Some of thesupplicationsarementionedherewhichareasfollows:

“OHALLAH!BeforeyouIhavesubmitted,inyoudoIbelieve,inyoudoIplacemytrust,toyouIhaveturnedanditisthroughyourhelp that I dispute, and to you have Ipresentedmycase.Forgiveme,andmypastand future sins, and what I committed inprivateandinpublic.Surelyyoualonesendforward, and hold back. There is noneworthyofworshipexceptyou.”

Supplication–Du’aa

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“OHALLAH! I seek refuge in you fromevilmanners,deedsanddesires.”

“OHALLAH!Setrightthisreligion(Islam)formewhichistherefuge,forallmyaffairs?Setright this world for me in which is mylivelihood.Setrightthehereafterformeinwhich is my final abode. Let this life (ofduniya)beasourceofincreaseineverygoodand let death be a source of peace fromeveryevil.”

“OHALLAH!Guidemeandkeepmeupright.”

“OHALLAH!Forgiveme,havemercyonme,guideme,pardonme,andprovidemewithsustenance.”

Always remember that we cannot have arespectful and peaceful life withoutbecomingatrueMuslim,andatruehumanbeing and a true obedient slave of ALLAHSubhaanahuWata’aala,andatruefollowerof the ProphetMuhammad (SAWS)who isthebelovedofbillionsandbillionsofpeoplefor the last fourteen centuries, and willremainbelovedforever.

Dr. Mohammed Mursil Naqshbandiis theKhaadim of Khanqah e NaqshbandiyahHabibiyah Rahimiyah, Chakwal, Pakistan.Courtesy:Khanqah-habibiya.com

"There isnogodbutYou,GlorybetoYou! IndeedIIhavebeenawrong-doer".Al-Qur’an21:87

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Maqam of Shaykh Bahauddin (R]ThefollowingelevenprinciplesshowtheexerciseaimsoftheTariqatNaqshbandiya.ThefirsteightwereformulatedbyKhwajaAbd-al-Khaliqal-GhujdawaniandthelastthreewereaddedbyKhwajaBahauddinNaqshband.

1-YadKardRemembranceormakingmention,bothoralandmental,bealwaysrepeatingtheZikrimpartedtoyousothatyoumayattainthebeatificvision.KhwajaBahauddinNaqshbandsaid,“TheaiminZikristhattheheartbealwaysawareofAl-Haqq[TheTruth,aBeautifulNameofAllah],foritspracticebanishedinattention.”

2-BazGashtRestraint:ThepersonsayingtheZikrwhenengagingintheheartrepetitionoftheblessedphrase[shahada]shouldintersperseitwithsuchphrasesas“myGodyouaremyGoal

ElevenPrinciplesofNaqshbandiSufiOrder

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andyoursatisfactionismyaim”,tohelpkeepone’sthoughtsfromstraying.Othermasterssaythatitmeans‘return’or‘repent’i.e.returntoAl-Haqqbywayofcontrition[inkisar].

3-NigahDashtWatchfulness:Overwandering,passingthoughtswhenrepeatingtheblessedphrase.

4-YadDashtRecollection:concentrationupontheDivinePresenceinaconditionofDhawq[zoq],foretaste,intuitiveanticipationorperceptivenessnotusingexternalaids.

5-HoshDarDamAwarenesswhilebreathing:thetechniqueofbreathcontrol.KhawajaBahauddinNaqshbandsaid,“Theexternalbasisofthistariqaisthebreath.”Onemustnotexhaleorinhaleinforgetfulness.

6-SafarDarWatanJourneyinginone’shomeland:Thisisaninteriorjourney,themovementfromblameworthytopraiseworthyqualities.Othersrefertoitasthevisionorrevelationofthehiddensideofshahada.

7-NazarBarQadamWatchingone’ssteps:Letthesalik[pilgrim]everbewatchfulduringhisjourneywhateverthetypeofcountrythroughwhichheispassingthathedoesnotlethisgazebedistractedfromthegoalofhisjourney.

8-KhalwatDarAnjumanSolitudeinacrowd:Thejourneyofthesalikthoughoutwardlyisintheworld,inwardlyitiswithGod.LeadersoftheTariqahavesaid,“Inthistariqaassociationisinthecrowd[assembly]anddisassociationinthekhalwa”.AcommonweeklypracticewastoperformZikrintheassembly.

9-Wuquf-e-ZamaniTemporalpause:Keepingaccountofhowoneisspendinghistime,whetherrightlyandifsogivethanksorwronglyandifsoaskingforforgiveness,accordingtotherankingofthedeeds,for“verilythegooddeedsoftherighteousaretheequitiesofthosewhoarenear[toGod]”.

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10-Wuquf-e-AdadiNumericalpause:Checkingthatthe‘heartZikr’[saidintheheart,silently]hasbeenrepeatedtherequisitenumberoftimes,takingintoaccountone’swandering.BahauddinNaqshbandconsiderednumericalawarenessthefirststageofesotericknowledge.

11-Wuquf-e-QalbiHeartpause:Formingamentalpictureofone’sheartwiththenameofAllah.Engravedthereon,toemphasizethatthehearthasnoconsciousnessorgoalotherthanAllah.Thisisthemeaningof“Naqshband”.

Courtesy:http://mohrasharif.blogspot.com

MulberrytreessurroundthereservoirandtheKhanakhainthebackground

NaqshbandiKhankha(Zawiya)inBukhara

Thebuildingwithimpressivetiledporticosflanksthesquare.Khanakha(Zawiya)wasbuiltasaplaceforSufimysticstostayandmeditate.

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SpecialReportontheblessedGatheringofHabibiyyah–Darqawiyyah-ShadiliyyahSufiOrderinTlemcen,Algeria

By:MohamedBokreta

Muharram8,1439H:September29,2017

*The Men who remember Allahgreatly and the Women whoremember Allah greatly, Allahholdsinstoreforthemforgivenessandagreatreward.(AlAhzab-35).

It would be important at first tostressthatDhikrorRemembranceof Almighty God is an Islamicdevotional act and typicallyinvolving the recitation of versesfrom the Holy Qur’an, Names ofAllahandSupplications

takenfromtheTraditionsofProphetMohamed(Peace&Blessingbeuponhim&hisHousehold).AssuchtheAnnualgatheringoftheHabbibiyyah,Darqawiyyah,ShadiliyahpathwasheldinthehistoriccityofTlemcen,thePearloftheMaghribonFridaythe8thofMuharram1439-the29thofSeptember2017.RecallingbackourDearestaudienceregardingtheFounderofthisPathwhoisSidiMohamedIbnAlHabibAlAmghariAl IdrissiAlHassaniwhoseblessed lineagegoesuptoImamHassansonofAliandFatimadaughteroftheBelovedprophetMuhammed(PBUH).

NowonderthattheBlessedProphetofIslamMuhammed,inoneHadithtoldhiscompanions,"ShallItellyouaboutthebestofdeeds,themostpureintheSightofyourLord,abouttheonethatisofthehighestorderandisfarbetterforyouthanspendinggoldandsilver,evenbetterforyouthanmeetingyourenemies inthebattlefieldwhereyoustrikeattheirnecksandtheyatyours?" The companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" Prophet Muhammed said,"RemembranceofAllah."(SunanAl-Tirmidhi).

TheAnnualCallforSpiritualEnlightenment

18

Furthermore,theSam’a(Spiritualchantsorpraiseworthypoetry)hasoneormoreformsforgroupdhikrasinthecaseoftheHabibiyyaPathitconsistsofintherecitalofparticularlitaniesthataretakenfromtheDiwanorBookoftheSheikh,asitholdsacompositionofQur'anicphrasesandPropheticsupplicationsoraliturgicalrepetitionofvariousformulaandprayers.

Moreover,afterJumaPrayerwehadtheHonortotakepartintheweeklyIntellectualGatheringofthe“SenoussiFriday”EditionN°1174,asalwaysledbytheeverfamoushistorianMohammedBaghli.Generallyspeaking,thisdayofFridaywasaconvenientcongregationaltimeforsuchagreatSpiritualeventthattookplaceinTlemcenforthetotalsatisfactionofallattendeeswhohavecomefromdifferentplacestowitnessthesaidevent.

It goeswithout saying thatSidiMuhammed IbnAlHabib certainlyplayedagreat role in thesocietiesofNorthAfricancountries suchasMoroccoandAlgeriaat that timeandvigorouslyshapedNorthAfrica,SouthAfrica,NorwichinEnglandandmanypartsoftheworldforcenturiesandthat’swhyheandhiscontinuouslegacyarestilllivinginthememoryofmanypeopleandloyaldisciples.

Moreover,theannualgatheringofalldisciplesoftheTariqainmanypartsofAlgeriaandspeciallytheoneinTlemcenwhereforthepast30yearsalargecrowdofFukaras(Disciples)attendedthisevent,thusitisbutaproudeyewitnesstothespirituallegacyandareverberatingsignoftheperennialDivinemessagewhichhasalwayscomeandwillalwayscometoenlightenhumanity.

MohamedBokretaisacontributingEditorandNorthAfricaBureauChiefofAl-Mi’rajMagazine

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By:Dr.JasserAudaDonotbesurprisedwhendifficultieshappen in thisworldlyabode.This is life’snatureInthenameofGod,theLordofGiver,theGiverofMercy

IftheservantofGodrepentstoHim,reliesonHim,purifieshisintentiontoHim,reflectsonHim,andseizestime,thelightoffaithwillshineinhisheartandhisjourneywilldrawhimclosertoGod.AsIbnAtasaid,“thereisno real distance between you and Him inorderforyoutojourney.Andtheconnectionbetween you andHim is not cut such thatyoumustmendit.”TheProphetMuhammadmentioned that God said: “My servantcontinues to draw near to Me withadditionalworkuntilIlovehim.WhenIlovehim,Iamhishearingwithwhichhehears,hissight with which he sees, his hand withwhichhestrikesandhisfootwithwhichhewalks.Ifheasksme,Iwillgivehim,andifheseeks my refuge, I will grant it tohim.”1(Reported byAl-Bukhari). “And if hedrawsneartoMeahand’sspan,Idrawneartohimanarm’slength.AndifhedrawsneartoMeanarm’slength,Idrawneartohimafathom’s length. And if he comes to Mewalking,Igotohimatspeed.”2(ReportedbyAl-Bukhari andMuslim).However, it isone

ofGod’sconsistentanduniversal lawsthatwhenGod lovessomeone,Hewill testhimwithtrialsinthisworld.Godsays:Dopeoplethinkthatontheirmereclaiming,“Wehaveattainedtofaith,”theywillbelefttothemselves,andwillnotbeputtoatest?(Quran29:2).Aclaimofbeliefhastobe tested.God says:Andmost certainlyWeshalltryyouall,sothatWemightmarkout those of you who strive hard in Ourcause and are patient in adversity: forWeshall put to a test the truth of all yourassertions(Quran47:31).Trialsvarybuttheresponseshouldbethesame;patienceandpiety.AndmostcertainlyshallWetryyoubymeans of danger, and hunger, and loss ofworldlygoods,oflivesandoflabor’sfruits.But give glad tidings unto those who arepatientinadversity(Quran2:155).Youshallmost certainlybe tried inyourpossessionsand in your persons; and indeed you shallhear many hurtful things from those towhom revelation was granted before yourtime,aswellasfromthosewhohavecometo ascribe divinity to other beings besideGod.But ifyouremainpatient inadversityandpious—this,behold,issomethingtosetone’sheartupon(Quran3:186).Godannouncesthatthisworldlylifeisworthverylittle.So,ifHedeprivesapersonofthisworldly lifeorpartof it andguideshim torepentanceandbestowsonhimHismercy

Patiencewithtests

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andParadiseinstead,thenthisis, infact,agreatgift!Therefore,theProphet(peacebeuponhim) said: “Themost severely testedpeoplearetheprophets,thenthenextbest,thenthenextbest.AmanwillbetestedinaccordancewithhislevelofcommitmenttoGod.”3 (Reportedby IbnHibban). For thisreason, if life is full of difficulties andchallenges, one should not be surprised oraskwhy.ItisasifIbnAtaisaskingus:Whatis the name of this world? The answer inArabicisal-dunya,whichliterallymeansthelowerlife.Therefore,itisnotsurprisingthatdifficult conditions,unpleasantevents, andfatal consequences reveal themselves,because these things are derived from thevery character and nature of this lowerworldly life. Accepting the nature of thisworldlylifehelpstheservantacquireabasicvirtueandtakeaveryimportantstopinhisjourneytoGod:patiencewithtests.Patienceisacharacteristicthatdeliverstheservant intoGod’spresence,asmentionedbefore:Godiswiththosewhoarepatientinadversity(Quran2:153).And if we are in God’s presence, thenweneednotworry.Patience isof threetypes,namely, (1) patience in doing good, (2)patience in avoiding evil, and (3) patiencewith tests. Patience in doing good deedsmeans that the believer should be activecontinuously, without placing hardship onhimself.Godsays:Godhaslaidnohardshiponyou inanythingthatpertainstoreligion(Quran22:78).TheProphetsawanoldmanwalking, supported by his two sons, andaskedabouthim.ThepeopleinformedhimthathehadvowedtotravelonfoottotheKaaba.TheProphetsaid:“Godisnotinneedof this old man’s torturing himself,” andordered him to get a ride to the Kaaba. 4

(ReportedbyAl-Nasai).Itisnot“patience”totortureoneselforcauseoneselfharm.Asforpatience in avoiding evil, it means that abelievershouldstayawayfromcommittingwhatGodhasforbidden.AnexampleofthiscanbeseenintheQuran,inthestoryoftheProphetYusuf/Josephandone of the tests he was put to. And it sohappenedthatshe inwhosehousehewasliving conceived a passion for him andsoughttomakehimyieldhimselfuntoher;and she bolted the doors and said, “Comeyouuntome!”Josephanswered:“MayGodpreserve me!” (Quran 12:23). There is agreat reward for this type of patience inresisting physical desires. The Prophet(peace be upon him) said that one of thesevenpersonswhomGodwillgiveshadetoontheDaywhentherewouldbenoshadebut that from Him is “a man whom abeautiful woman of high rank seduces foradultery, but he rejects by saying: I fearGod”. 5 (Reported by Al-Bukhari andMuslim). And patience with God’s testscomesatdifferent levels, allofwhichbearthemeaning of refraining from something.ThemostbasiclevelofpatiencewithGod’stestsistorefrainfromcommittingevilacts.Then, a higher level is to refrain fromcomplaining by your tongue. Finally, thehighest level of patience is to refrain evenfromcomplaininginyourheart.Refraining from committing sins is aconditionforpurifyingone’sheart.Godsaysabout the hypocrites: Indeed, We testedthem through suffering, but they didsurrender to their Sustainer; and they willnever humble themselves (Quran 23:76).Whenapersonfacessomeproblems,thenhe is at a crossroads; either to repent orsurrender toGod, or to fall into sin,which

21

means failing the test. At a higher level,patience with God’s tests requires one torefrain from even complaining about thetest. This is called “beautiful patience,” asGodtellsusaboutthestoryofProphetJacob(peace be upon him), when he said: I willonlyshowbeautifulpatience(Quran12:18),and it isonlytoGodthat Icomplainofmydeepgriefandmysorrow(Quran12:86).TheProphet Jacob (peace be upon him)complainedonlytohisLordandrefusedtocomplaintoanyoneelse.BeingpatientwithGod’sdecreeattheleveloftheheartisthebesttypeofpatience.Thebelieverattainsthisdegreewhenhenotonly refrains from speaking about thedifficulty, but also refrains from agonizing

about it in his heart. The soul is always atpeace, even at the peak of crisis. TheProphet said: “Genuine patience is at thefirststrokeofacalamity.”6(ReportedbyAl-Bukhari and Muslim). And in any case,adversity does not last forever. If thebelieverispatientinthefaceoftests,hewilladvance in the way of God. Consider theflight of time! Verily, a human is bound tolose himself, unless he be of those whoattain to faith, and do good works, andenjoin upon one another the keeping totruth,andenjoinupononeanotherpatiencein adversity (Quran 103:1–3). And, behold,witheveryhardshipcomesease:verily,witheveryhardshipcomesease!(Quran94:4–5).

Dr.JasserAudaistheExecutiveChairmanoftheMaqasidInstitute,aglobalthinktankbasedinLondon.

Courtesy: A chapter fromhis book, A Journey toGodwith Ibn Ata’sWords ofWisdom in light of UniversalLawsThis is the Book about which there is no doubt, aguidanceforthose(whoare)consciousofAllah[Qur’an2:2]

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By:Prof.Dr.MehmedDemirci

Excerptsfromhisfullarticlebythesametitle

Salat (performingthedailyprayers)isthesecond pillar of Islam and is the mostimportantoneofall.PerformingSalatfivetimesadayismandatoryforeveryableandmature Muslim. Salat can be performedeither individually or in congregation.Mosques used for the purpose ofperforming this basic duty are the mostimportant constructions of Islamicarchitecture. The Friday prayer isperformedonceaweekincongregationatmosques. Prayer on the occasion of thetwomajorfestivalsofEidulFitr(festivalatthe end of Ramadhan) and Eid ul Adha(festivalofsacrifice)takeplacetwiceayearin congregation as well. Prayers that areperformed in congregation are the mostprominent examples of religioussocialization.

Prayerhelpstopurifyapersonwhenheorshesins.Apersonwhoperformshisdailyprayerscanbeaspureasthepersonwhotakesabathfivetimesaday inariverasmentioned by the Prophet (pbuh) in thefollowinghadith:"Supposethereisariverthat flowsin frontofyourhouseandyoutake awash five times in it. Thenwouldthereremainanydirtandfilthonyouafterthat?Performingdailyprayersfivetimesaday is similar to thatwhichwashes away

sins".ThismeansthatSalatcleanshumansoulandpurifiesman'sheart.

According to the Qur'anic statements allcreatures on earth and in heavenremember and praise Allah (Isra, 17/44).Theyare inastateofprayer intheirownlanguageandformofexpression.Salat inthiscontextistheembodimentofallformsof prayers performed by these creatures.Metaphysically speaking one can assertthatmountains in their verticalstructure,animals with their vertical posture andplantsextractingnutritionfromwiththeirrootsasifinapositionofbowingactuallypray to Allah in an act of obediencethrough the language of spiritual state(haal).

SpiritualMeaningofPrayers:Salat

23

Man remains vertical while on standing(qiyam)andstayshorizontalwhilebendingtohisknees(ruku).Heputshisheadonthe

ground ina stateofprostration.While inthis position of prostration man comescloser to Allah at the utmost degree.Prostration enables man to attain aposition of the nearest proximity toAllah.The more a human being growsmateriallysmaller,themorehegrowsandmaturesspiritually.ThepersonwhoraisesbothhandsandsaysAllahuAkbar (Godisthe Greatest) at the beginning of a Salatmeansby thisas ifuttering: "At this verymoment I turn my back to all worldlyconcerns and material thoughts exceptAllahandIsubmitmywilltoHim."Itisforthat reason that the Prophet (pbuh)declaredthat"SalatisaMuslim'sascensiontoheaven(Mi’raj)."However,ourbelovedProphetexperiencedtheclosestproximitytoAllahatthetimeofascensiontoheaven;it is similar to a Muslim that obtains anopportunity to be together with AllahthroughperformingSalat.ItisremindedintheQur'anthatSalatpreventsfromdoingevilthings:"...establishregularprayerforprayer restrains from shameful and evildeeds." (Ankabut 29/45) Therefore onewho does not refrain from committingimmoral acts willmost probably find thestraightpathone-day.Therearenumerousexamplesofthistransformation.

TheessenceofSalatcomprisesthreebasicelements. It is composed of a) Feeling ofrespect, reverence and awe in the hearttotally,b)RemembranceofAllahbytongue(word),c)Showingbodily(physical)respectand reverence to Allah at the utmostdegree. These three elements may beregardedastheessenceofprayersinotherreligions. The mute cannot perform thesecond act while the crippled cannotperform the third act. This means thatwhat liesattheverycenterofessenceofSalat is to keep alive the sense ofinclinations towards Allah as well asfeelingsoftheendlessrespectandloveforhimintheheart.

ApersonwholovesandrespectsAllahwillfulfil His commands and refrain from Hisprohibitions. The Qur'an refers Salat asinvocation which means remembrance(zikr)ofAllahanditisalsogivenameaningwhich is to remember or recollect Him:"Recite what is sent of the book byinspiration to you and establish regularprayer:forprayerrestrainsfromshamefulandevildeeds;andremembranceofAllahis thegreatestthingwithoutdoubt.." (Al-Ankabut, 29/45) The value of Salat is incommensurate with the degree of hisremembrance of Allah. A Salat which isestablished in a neglectful manner is farfrom being a real/actual is prayer, it ismerely an act worship in form and inappearance. However remembrance ofAllah even for a short instance/momentand to feel being in his presence is asuccessfulact.Manshouldtrytoachieveatleast such state of tranquility whileperforminghisSalat.Suchanachievementbringssignificanthappiness.Itiseasierand

24

moreappropriatetocaptureandenterthisstateofmindatthetimeofutteringAllahuAkber(GodisGreat)atthebeginningoftheSalat.

A valid/real Salat is the prayer that cantransform to the status of ascension(Mi’raj).Ourdailysalutesareregardedjustasimitationsofthisrealprayer.Oneshouldcontinuetospendeffortsthroughsincereworshipandhumilitytoattainthedesiredform of real Salat. It is undesirable toremain constantly fixed without makinganyprogressonthepathofAllah.Assaid,"onewhosetwosubsequentdaysareequalis in loss" formissing the opportunity tomakeaprogressinthesecondday.

It is related that in a Sacred hadith theMessenger of Allah (may peace be uponhim) made a statement that Allah theExaltedhadsaid"Ihavedividedtheprayerinto two halves between Me and Myservant,andMyservantwillreceivewhatheasks.Whentheservantsays:PraisebetoAllah,theLordoftheuniverse,AllahtheMost High says: My servant has praisedMe.Andwhenhe (the servant) says:TheMost Compassionate, the Merciful, AllahtheMostHighsays:MyservanthaslaudedMe. And when he (the servant) says:Master of the Day of judgement, Heremarks:MyservanthasglorifiedMe.Andsometimes He would say: My servantentrusted(hisaffairs)toMe.Andwhenhe(the worshipper) says: Only to You weworshipandonlyfromYouweaskhelp,He(Allah) says: This is betweenMe andMyservant,andMyservantwillreceivewhathe asks for. Then, when he (theworshipper)says:Guideustothestraightpath,thepathofthosetowhomThouhast

been Gracious not of those who haveincurredThydispleasure,norofthosewhohavegoneastray,He(Allah)says:ThisisforMy servant, and My servant will receivewhatheasksfor".

WealreadypointedoutthattheSalatistheascension(Mi’raj)forabeliever.ApersonwhoperformsSalat,havingthisthoughtinhismind and feeling in his heart, tries tounderstand the meaning of Tashahudprayer.Thenheattemptstoreachasimilarmindset and enliven his heart withmeanings derived from what has beenrecited. And thus communicateswith hisLord.Itisreportedinahadiththat:"Allahis between the worshipper and Qibla(directionfacingKa'bainMecca)duringtheperformance of Salat." Here, of course,there is question of attributing Allah amaterialqualitysuchasbeinginaplace.Apersonwhocontemplatesthemeaningofverses and other supplications that herecites, should try to feel a proximity toAllahasifheisfacetofacewithHimandhavingaconversationwithhisLordatthetimeofperformingSalat.

If one is unable to attain this level ofproximity with Allah, this does notnecessarily require him to give upperformingSalat.RegardingthisissueoneoftheSufissaidthefollowing:"Youshouldknockonthedoortogetthe replywhichyouarewaitingfor.Ifoneleavesthedoorwhenhedoesnotgetthereply,itdoesnotmeanthatheisnotneedy.Ifheleavesthe

25

door,themasterofthehousewillnotshowany interest in what he does. Similarly ifone gives up performing Salat for notgettinganyreplyhewillhaveconsiderablespirituallosses."

Apersonwhoisnotawareofbeinginthepresence of Allah is preoccupiedwith hiscommercialandtradeaffairsorconstantlythinks about other matters whileperforming Salat, he is not considered tohaveestablishedhisprayerproperly.Asanexample of spiritual and intellectualisolationfromthematerialconsiderationsandconcentrationonSalatthecaseofAli

(Muhammad'scousinandhissonislaw)ismentioned. It reported that when hisfriendswantedtotakeanarrowthatwasstabbed in his leg out, Ali started toperform a Salat in order not to feel thepain. It is narrated that the arrow waswithdrawn when he was praying withutmostconcentration.Itisarealityindeedthat when the mind is concentrated andcompletely focused on a serious matter,physicalpainisusuallynotfelt.

Courtesy: http://www.namazzamani.net/: Excerpts froman article titled “SpiritualbenefitsofPrayer.

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By:heatherkellyblog

MAUSOLEUMOFSHAYKHBAHAUDDINNAQSHBANDI(R.A.A)TODAY

APRIL18TH2017

EntrancetoBahauddinNaqshbandimausoleum

WehavehalfadayinBukharatodayaswehavetobeatthestationforourtrainbacktoTashkentby3pmsodecidetotakeataxiouttotheBahauddinNaqshbandimausoleumthismorning.Thetaxidriverisverykeentobehelpfulandwaitforus,butwedon’twantthetimerestriction.Hedoesn’treallybelievewedon’tunderstandRussianandatonepointIthinkheisusing‘Googletranslate’onhissmartphoneaswedrive–itturnsouthe’sjustfindinganEnglishspeakingfriend

BUKHARATOTASHKENT

27

totalktous.Fortunatelyheseemstobequitegoodatdrivingwithouthishandsonthesteeringwheel…

ThedrivethroughtheflatcountrysidenorthofBukharaisinterestinginitsownright.Asusual,I’m botanizing from a distance, but can’t decide whether I’m seeing rice or wheat in thefields.Weseeamechanicalpaddle-basedirrigationsystematworkbutalsoelderlymenandwomenhoeingdust-drylandbyhandinthehotsun.Theskyissoblueitalmosthurtstheeyestoday.

Bahauddin Naqshbandi, who died here in 1389, founded the Naqshbandi order of Sufis andremainsaverypopularBukharisaint.Sufism,withitsmysticalbrotherhood,wasabletofunctionunderground toanextentwhilstofficial Islamwasbrutallypersecutedunder thecommunistregime. Stalin closed down Naqshbandi’s mausoleum and it was turned into aMuseum ofAtheismbutsomekindoffolkmemoryofthesitesurvivedandBukharismarchedherein1987toprotestagainstthelastdaysofSovietrule.WhenColinThubronvisited,justafewyearslater,themausoleumanditsattendantmosqueswerejustbeginningtoberestored.

Todaythemausoleumislovely.Thecentralcourtyard,whichcontainsthesaint’stomb,hasthesamekindofelegantwoodencolumnsandcarvedceilingsaswesawyesterdayatBoloHauzmosque. A bunch of horse hair on a flag pole shows that not only Muslims venerateNaqshbandi.Sufismseemstotranscendmanyboundaries.

ShaykhBahauddinNaqshbandionFuqara

*Hewasasked,“Whytheseekersarecalledthepoor (Fuqara)?”Hesaid,because theyarepoor,buttheydonotneedtosupplicate.Just as Prophet Ibrahima.s.when hewasthrown into the fire and Jibreel a.s. cameandaskedhim,‘Doyouneedanyhelp?’Hereplied, ‘I havenoneed to ask.He iswellaware of my state.’ Poverty is a sign ofannihilation and the erasure of theattributesofexistence.

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*Heonceasked,‘Whoisthepoorone?’Nooneansweredhim.Hesaid,‘Thepooroneistheonewhoseinsideisalwaysinstruggleandwhoseexternalisalwaysatpeace.(Al-Mi’rajResearch)

It’speacefulwhenwearrive,withgroupsofwomenquietlysayingtheirprayersbytheshrine.

Courtesy:Heatherkellyblog

HeatherKellyisabotanistinplantphysiologyandteachesatUK'sOpenUniversityandalsoatDurhamUniversity.Shemakesfieldtripswithstudentstolearnaboutbiodiversity.ShewritesaboutthesetripsinherblognamedHeatherkellyblog.ThestoryaboveisfromhertriptoBahauddinNaqshbandi'scity,Bukharaasappearedinherblog.

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MercyinEveryWay

FromthesayingsofSaliheen*Letnotthepeoplecometoknowexceptofyourhappiness,andletthemnotseeexceptyoursmile.Iflifebecomesconstricteduponyou,thenwithintheQur’anyourorchard.Ifyoufeelcurtailedandrestricted,thentotheheavensraiseyourcall.Andiftheyaskyouofyouraffairs,thenpraiseAllahandsmile.*

*Ifyouseeanantonthepath,thendonotcrushit,andseektheFaceofAllahthereby,sothatHewillhavemercyonyoulikeyouhadmercyonit,andrememberthatitglorifiesAllah,sodonothaltthisglorificationbykillingit.*

*Andifyoupassbyabirddrinkingfromtheblessingofwater,thendonotpassclosetoitincaseyoustartleit,andseektheFaceofAllahthereby,sothatHegrantsyousafetyfromfearontheDaywhenheartsshallreachthethroat.*

*Andifyoucomeacrossacatinthemiddleoftheroad,thenavoidhittingit,andseektheFaceofAllahthereby,sothatHeprotectsyoufromanevildeath.*

*Andifyouwanttothrowoutfood,thenmakeityourintentionthatanimalscaneatfromit,andseektheFaceofAllahthereby,sothatHeprovidesyoufromwhenceyoudonotexpect.*

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*Dogood,nomatterhowsmallitseemstoyou,becauseyoudonotknowwhichgooddeedwillgetyouintoParadise.*

*Andifyouwishtospreadthisstatement,thenintendgood,sothatAllahmayrelieveyouofatrialfromthetrialsofthisworldandtheHereafter.*

! كتداعس ىوس كنع نوفرعی سانلا عدت ال! كیلع تقاض نإف كتماستبا الإ كنــم نوری الو .. كتنج نآرقلا يفف

! كتوعد ءامسلا ىلإف كتدحو كتملا نإو!! كرابخأ نع كولأس نإو مـستبأ و هللا دمحأف

امك كمحری نأ ىسع هللا ھجو كلذب غتباو اھسدت الف قیرطلا يف ةلمن تیأر اذإواھتمحر "..

اھل كلتقب حیبستلا اذھ فقوت الف ` حبست اھنأ ركذتو " ھفیختل ھبناجب رمت الف ءام ةكرب نم برشی روفصعب تررم اذإو ھجو كلذب غتباورجانحلا بولقلا غلبت موی فوخلا نم كنمؤی نأ ىسع هللا

ىسع هللا ھجو كلذب غتباو اھمدصت نأ بنجتف قیرطلا طسو يف ةطق كتضرتعا اذإوءوسلا ةتیم هللا كیقی نأ

هللا ھجو كلذب غتباو باودلا اھنم لكأت نأ كتین لعجاف ماعطلا ایاقب ءاقلإب تممھ اذاوبستحت ال ثیح نم هللا كقزری نأ ىسع

~: ركذتو ھنجلا كلخدت ةنسح ىأ ىردت الف ھترغصتسا امھم ریخلا لعفا ایندلا برك نم ھبرك كل جرفی هللا لعل ریخ اھب ىونا مالكلا اذھرشن تیون اذاو

هرخالاو

مكیلا اھلقنا نا تببحأف ينتبجعا

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TheSermonofMullaNasreddinNasreddinHodja[hodjameansteacher/scholar]wasa13thCenturyTurkishSufirememberedforthehundredsofstoriesandanecdotesabouthiswit,satire,humorandwisdom.Thestories,at timesfunny,oftenwise,usuallyhaveamoral.TheUzbekbelievehewasbornand lived inBukhara.AbronzestatueofhimstandsintheLyabi-Hauzsquare.(Source:RamaArya’sblog)InTurkey,heisknownasNasreddinHodjaofAnatolia,ahistoricalcharacterfromthedaysofSeljukrule,inwhatintheWestisknownastheMiddleAges.Nasreddin,Nasrudin,orNasruddinisclaimedaswellbyAfghans,Iranians,Uzbeks,andArabs,aswellastheTurkicXinjiangareaofwesternChina. Since theSeljukEmpireof1000-1400 stretched fromTurkey to thePunjab inIndia, carrying enlightening stories from east to west and back again, such a personage asNasruddincanwellbesharedbyall,whetheryoucallhimNasreddinHodjaorKhojaorMullaNasruddin.InArabic-speakingcountriesheisknownasJuha.HumorSection:TheSermonofMullaNasreddinOnceNasreddinwasinvitedtodeliverasermon.Whenhegotonthepulpit,heasked,“DoyouknowwhatIamgoingtosay?”Theaudiencereplied“no,”soheannounced,“Ihavenodesiretospeaktopeoplewhodon’tevenknowwhat Iwillbetalkingabout!”and left.Thepeoplefeltembarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time, when he asked the samequestion,thepeoplereplied“yes.”SoNasreddinsaid,“Well,sinceyoualreadyknowwhatIamgoing to say, I won’t waste any more of your time!” and left. Now the people were reallyperplexed.Theydecidedtotryonemoretimeandonceagain invitedtheMullatospeakthefollowingweek.Onceagainheaskedthesamequestion:“DoyouknowwhatIamgoingtosay?”Nowthepeoplewerepreparedandsohalfofthemanswered“yes”whiletheotherhalfreplied“no”.Nasreddinsaid,“LetthehalfwhoknowwhatIamgoingtosay,tellittothehalfwhodon’t,”andleft.

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TheStorypostedbyRamaAryaatRamaArya’sblog.Courtesy;https://ramaarya.blog/

PoetryCornerTheSeer:ByMaryamHand

Onared,dustyroadoutsidetheholycityhewalkswithpurpose,asthoughtomeetsomeone.Hissimplegraydjellaba,thewhiteclothwrappedaroundhishead,thethongedsandals,andtheolivewoodprayerbeadsthathang,halfinandhalfoutofhispocketstirinmebothacuriosityandanaching,longingthoughIdonotknowwhy.HeslowsandIcanseeintogreen-grayeyes,asunfathomableasanancientsea.Ifeelmyheartriseup,leantowardshim.Hesearchesmyfaceandsatisfied,deepenshisgazeasthoughhecanpiercethesmokeveilsofmyshame

tolockhissightonadazzlingdiamondburiedinthegardenofmyheart.Hebowshishead,pullstheolivewoodbeadsfromhispocket,placestheminmyhandandturnstoretracehissteps.Later,aloneunderthecourtyardpalm,myfingersslidingovertheolivewoodgift,Itravelthenewlyopenedterritory,sendmybreathonajourney,thistimenotstoppingwithveilsthatshimmerlikemiragesinhotsand.Isensemyhiddenjewelandfeelasoftportalopentoawarmandancientseainsidemyself.

MaryamHand,isaSufipoetandafollowerofthespiritualShadhiliya Path (or Tariqa) in the United States,ofLateShaykh Muhammad Sa'id al-Jamal ar-Rifai ash-Shadhuli.Sheisaspiritualseeker,poet,andmotheroffourgrown children and lives with her husband in ruralPennsylvania. She was awarded Semi-Finalist in the 2015Finishing Line Press, “New Women’s Voices SeriesChapbook Competition,” for her latest poetry collectionentitled, “Piercing the Veil.”Her poem, “My ComplicatedFather,”earnedsecondplace in the“WomenWhoWrite,”2007International Poetry Contest and was subsequentlypublishedintheirAnthology,Calliope.SeveralofMaryam’spoems have appeared in Moon Journal. During her yearsspent in Kentucky, she was awarded several ArtistResidenciesatHopscotchHouseinLouisville.

Exciting news! Finishing Line Press has published thecollection of Maryam Hand’s beautiful poetry named"Piercing the Veil." The book has already achieved thestatusofSemi-FinalistintheFinishingLinePress,2015NewWomen's Voices Chapbook Competition. Its popularity issteadilygrowing.Thebookcostis$14.99+ShippingToorderthisbooknowpleasevisitFinishingLinePressatthefollowinglink:

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ByNaznineQureshiFounder,ShifaNaturalsCINNAMON • Thisfamiliarspicefoundinkitchen cabinets worldwide is the innerbark of the Cinamomum tree native toIndia and Sri Lanka but cultivated as aspiceandmedicinalherbinmanydifferentcountries.TheSanskritnameforcinnamonistwakandhasacenturies-oldhistoryofuse in Ayurvedic, Chinese, Unani Tibbsystems of medicine. The Crusaders are

creditedwith transporting cinnamon to several parts of Europe. This aromatic herb is anintegralpartofIndiancuisine,oneoftheherbsinthespiceblendGaramMasalaaswellasthe popular black tea Masala Chai. Eugenol is the main compound in the volatile oil ofcinnamon and is an analgesic. It is an antiviral, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective,antifungal herb. Government-published studies indicate that it may help to inhibit thegrowthofcancercellsandimproveinsulinresistancetowardoffadultonsetdiabetes.Usedin traditionalmedicine to fight cognitive decline, respiratory ailments, candida, allergies,dentalhealth,viruses,infections,impotence,arthritis,migraines,chronicfatigue,andsoremuscles—andasafoodpreservative.Ithasalsobeenusedasauterinetonicforheavyandpainfulmenstruation.

All Shifa holistic herbal teas are handcrafted from the best quality organicingredients,using turmericat thecoreofeach,amulti-spectrumherbandatrue blessing to humanity. In essence, we are retracing the steps of sages,reclaimingtheirwisdomandrealigningourselveswithnatureinallitssplendorand serenity. We handpick our ingredients, slice and/or dehydrate themourselves,andcarefullyblendtheminsmallbatchesbasedonthecenturies-old

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ShifaCorner

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Thankingreadersfortheirappreciation,praiseandsupportofAl-Mi’rajMagazine

Al-Mi’rajMagaine is thankful toAllah SubhanahuWa Ta’allah for the appreciation, praise andsupport it receives from the growing number ofreadershipithasattractedinternationally.Wegetmanylettersofsupportandcomplimentsfromanincreasingnumber of subscriberseverymonth. Asampleletterofcomplimentslooksthefollowing.

“AfriendofminesentmealinkforAl-Mi’rajMagazinesayingIshouldreaditasafteralongtimethe community has an inspiring magazine calling for a spiritual renaissance of Islam. I thendownloaded the issue andwas amazed to find the depth and variety of your coverage. ThehighlightsofAl-Mi’rajareitsbright,colorfulimages,coverageofcontemporaryissues,windowonspirituality,expertopinionsandin-deptharticles.Al-Mir’ajreflectsthefulldiversityofIslamfromtheology-spiritualitytoculture.Everyreaderwillfindarticlesthatinteresthimorher.Iamsoldonthemagazine,andIwascompelledtorecordmyjoyandappreciationoftheeffortyouareputtingintothisventure”.Yourappreciationandsupportisasourceofstrengthandcommitmentforus.WebelieveitisjointprojectforthespiritualrevivalofIslam.Whileyoursupportandpraiseliftsourmorale,youractiveinvolvementin the Magazine will make it a real success. Youinvolvement nay be on many levels. You maycontributeyourwritingstothemagazine.IfeachoneofyourecommendittoafriendorrelativeortoyourcontactsinsocialmediaaccountsitwillhelpinspreadingthespiritualessenceofIslam.Weinviteyoutojoinwithus.

Translatedand,mostimportantly,transliteratedbyShaykhNooruddeen,thispublicationoftheQur’anisprobablythemostuser-friendlyforthosewhoareunabletoreadArabic.Itmakesavailablenotonlythe meaning in accurate, respectful contemporary English, but the sound and flow, with all themarkingsandspacingsineasilylearnableformsothat,withstudy,thereadercanreproduceapreciseduplicationofthesoundoftheArabic.Thepunctuation,stops,continuity,breathing,andrulesoftajwidarethoroughlyexplainedwithexamplesintheintroductionandclearlymarkedinthetext.TheArabiccalligraphy itself is very clear in black and white and is directly opposite the transliteration andtranslationonthefacingpage,ayatbyayat,sothatthereadercaneasilyreferencebothlanguages.TheArabichasbeenapprovedbytheulemaofbothEgyptandPakistan,andisveryreadable.

AppfortheTransliteratedTajwidiQuran:3TQbyNuradinDurkee

Clickformoreinformation:https://appsto.re/us/wPJpbb.i

AnexactduplicateoftheTajwidiQur’an,thisappisaboonforstudents,commuters,andthosemillionsofpeoplewhousetheiPhoneoriPadandprefernottocarrythebigbookaroundwiththemastheytravel.YoucanchoosetoviewtheEnglishtransliteration&translationalone,ortheArabicalone,orthetwodirectlyoppositeeachother.BoththeArabicandEnglishcharactersarelargeenoughtoreadeasily,evenonaniPhone.Whetheryouareanon-Arabicreaderorastudentoftajwid,3TQwillhelpyoutolearnandpronouncethesoundsoftheWordsofAllahwithmoregraceandconfidence.

Orisons:Volume1oftheSchooloftheShadhdhuliyyahThisbeautifulandprofuselyillustratedessentialbookcontainsallthemajor‘Ahzab(LitaniesorOrisons)transmitted by Shaykh Abu-l-Hasan, Allah preserve his secret, rendered in the original Arabic andtranslated into clear English as well as transliterated for the liturgical use of non-Arabic speakingreaders. It also contains a 99-page introduction by Sh. Nooruddeen about the origins of theShadhdhuliyya,Sufism,historyandpractice,withcharts,diagramsandsilsilah(chainoftransmission).Amongitstreasuresareachapteronmarakaba(Islamicmeditation)andacoloredpageofcalligraphyforconcentration.

ISRAurgesourreaderstokindlysupportthisnobleendeavor.

TransliteratedTajwidiQur’an

Continued………….worksofShaykhNooruddeenDurkee:

Origins:Volume2oftheSchooloftheShadhdhuliyyahVolume2oftheSchooloftheShadhdhuliyyahThoroughlydetailsthelifeandteachingsofthefirstfourmastersoftheShadhdhuliSchool,includingpractices,dhikrs,andahzab.IncorporatestranslationsoftwoworksbythelateShaykhofAzhar,Dr.‘Abu-l-HalimMamud,andonebytheShayku-l-MashaykhoftheSufiTuruq inEgypt,DrAbu-l-WafaTaftazani,andanessayonYaqutal ‘ArshbyDr IbrahimHakimash-Shagouri.IthasthefirstcompletelistingoftheworksofIbn‘Ata’l’llah,extensiveproofsandexplanationsofthemeaningsofTasawwuf,andaconvincingargumentcomparingtheSuficapproachtorealitywiththerationalism,andorromanticism,ofmanyWesternscholarsandpundits.

Hizbu-l-Bahr21[TheLitanyoftheSea]

ShaykhShadhdhuli saidabout theHizbu-l-Bahr: “ByAllah, Ididnotutter itexceptas it came fromtheProphetofAllah,peace&blessingsbeuponhim&hisfamily,fromwhoseinstructionIlearnedit.Guardit,”hesaidtome,“foritcontainsal-’Ismu-l-‘A’dham-theGreatestnameofAllah...Itisnotrecitedinanyplacewithoutsecurityreigningthere.IfithadbeenwiththeinhabitantsofBaghdad,theTatarswouldnothavetakenthecity.”Atthetimeofhisdeath,ShaykhShadhdhuligaveNaseeha-counsel-torecitehisHizbu-l-Bahroften,saying,“Teachittoyourchildren,fortheal-’Ismu-l-‘A’dhamisinit.”MostShadhdhulisreadthishizbeverydayandithasspreadthroughouttheMuslimworld.

Hizbu-l-Lutf,Hizbu-l-Barr,Hizbu-l-Nasr,Hizbu-l-Shaykh

...andotherahzabwhichwepublishinsmallerbookletform.TheMessenger,peace&blessingsbeuponhim&hisfamily,said,“Supplicationsaretheverybrainsofworship.”ThesesupplicationsaretrueworshipofAllah.InthemisthepleasureofconfidinginHimandthepleasureofbeingnearHim.ThereisthepleasureofcontentmentfromAllahandwhatHefulfillsbyansweringandbymerciesgivenforourbelief.TheymaybeassignedbyaShaykhorreadfreely,withtheexceptionofHizbu-l-Nasr,whichistoopowerfultobereadwithoutinstructionandpermission.

Salatu-l-Mashish: Sidi ‘Ibn Mashish, Allah preserve his secret, received this prayer from the Prophet,blessingsofAllahandpeacebeuponhimandhisfamily.Itisabeautifulpaeanofpraisefromtheheart,whichhasinspiredmanycommentariesandadditionsthroughoutthecenturies,andisreadbyShadhdhuliseverywhere.

Ourwebsite(www.greenmountainschool.org)containsalltheinformationonthesetextsandmanyotherbooksandbookletspertainingtotheShadhdhuliyya,theQur’an,andcontemporaryissuesvitaltoMuslims,andteachingtexts,alongwithdescriptions,pricesandhowtoorderbyPaypal.Youwillfindover15yearsofweeklykhutbasbytheShaykh,over70ofhisbooks,andannouncements,essaysandreportsonallsortsofinterestingsubjectsfrom“RecitingtheQur’anasaSpiritualPractice”toexercisesforseeingtheProphet,peace&blessingsbeuponhimandhisfamily,toessaysoneachofthemajorprophetsofIslam,peacebeonthemall,todiscussionsontheriseofthewahabisalafijihadists:what,when,whereandwhy.

ISRAurgesourreaderstokindlysupportthisnobleendeavor.

About the author: Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee

ShaykhAbdullahNooruddeenDurkeeistheKhalifahof former Professor of Al-Azhar University, LateShaykh Ibrahim Muhammad al-Battawi, founder ofthe Shadhdhuliyyah-Battawiyyah order for theIlluminationofHeartsandTranquilityoftheSelfintheWesternHemisphere. He holds Ijazahs from severaleminentscholarsoftheMuslimworld.PresentlyheistheDirectorof theGreenMountainSchoolandTheIslamicStudyCenterofCharlottesvilleVirginia.Heisaprolificwriter,authorandeditorofmorethanadozenbooksthemostrecentofwhichis‘TheTransliteratedTajwidi Qur'an’. He also serves as an advisorto ISRA (The Islamic Studies And Research

Association), on the board of Irshad council. For more about him and his works, please visit:http://greenmountainschool.org/___________________________________________________________________

AboutISRA:AmovementforthespiritualrevivalofIslam

HoldfasttotheropeofAllahalltogether,anddonotseparate(Qur’an3:103)

ISRAwasfoundedbythegraceofAllah in1987 inSouthCarolina. Itsmembershaveworkedinformally through various, local, regional, and national organizations to present Islam as aDeen (religion)basedupon theprinciplesof the threedimensionsnamely Islam (Fiqh), Iman(Aqidah)andIhsan(TasawwufotTazkiyyah)asoutlinedinthefamousHadithofJibreelAlayhis-salaam.ISRAwasrevivedin1998asanorganizationwithaninternationaldimension.Sinceitsrevival,ISRAhasmaderemarkableprogressinpromotingtheloveofAllah(swt)andtheloveofRasoulAllah(saws).Overashortperiodoftime,theorganizationhascometoenjoymanygreatsuccessesanditsappealissteadilygrowingonawiderlevel.

BookReview:Agreatbookforourtimes,by—SidiSyedZainAlAbedin.HowtobeaMuslimInsha’Allah:RiseAboveYourProblemsandChooseInnerPeaceandJoywithIdeasfromtheQuran,Sunnah,CounselingandHealthFieldsisabookbytrainedcounselorSheimaSalamSumer,which intends toguideyou inachieving innerpeaceand joybycombining Islamicteachingswithmentalandphysicalhealthconcepts.Insha’Allahthisbookwillempoweryoutofeelcontentandincontrolofyouremotionsnomatterwhatishappeninginyourlife.

HowtoBeaHappyMuslimisarayoflightandhope.Throughthis

book Sheima Sumer has beautifully undertaken the task of

reinvigorating and redirecting the discourse of Islam to its real

purpose of being a source of achieving individual felicity, joy and

happiness–paving the way for a happy society and a happy

humanity.Shehassucceededincreatingastep-by-stepguidethat

showshowthepracticalapplicationoftimelessandsacredIslamic

teachings coupled with modern health ideas and techniques of

counseling form the ingredients of “How to BeAHappyMuslim,

InshaAllah.”

SidiSyedZainAlAbedin,founderandpresidentof

ISRA(TheIslamicStudiesAndResearchAssociation)

PaperbackNewfrom$9.00-14.95–Toorder:

https://www.amazon.com/HowHappyMuslimInshaAllah/dp/099038764X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480618561&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+be+a+happy+muslim

ISRA is a movement that began in the United States. It isworking to revive the totality of deen. It is founded on theaffirmation that Allah (swt) is One, Muhammad (saws) is Hisfinal Prophet and the religion of Islam has three dimensions:Islam (Fiqh), Iman (Aqidah) and Ihsaan (Tazkiya -Tasawwuf).ISRA promotes intense love of Allah (swt) and His finalProphet Muhammad (saws) as ways of purifying one's heartfrom worshiping objects other than Allah.

To learn more about ISRA and its dynamic vision visit us on:

www.facebook.com/ISRAINtlwww.israinternational.com israinternational@yahoo.com

Join isra/Email us:

An emerging voice of a silent majority and a call tobring humanity together for peaceful coexistence

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EditorialBoard:SayyedZaynAlAbedin,IbrahimHakimAl-Shaghouri,Dr.NasirWaheed,Dr.FaizyAhmed.Disclaimer:Theinformationcontainedinthispublicationdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheopinions,beliefsorpointofview of Al-Mi’raj Magazine. Al-Mi’raj Magazine no responsibility for the information submitted byauthors.Thecopyrightforeacharticleincludingphotosbelongstotherespectiveauthor.CopyrightfortheNewsletterasawholebelongstoISRA.Ifyoure-usethematerialinotherpublications(exceptfornewsfeeds),pleaseciteAl-Mi’rajMagazineastheoriginalsourceofpublication.The information contained in some of the articles has been partially collected and adapted by theMagazinestaffwithcourtesyofthewebsitesmentionedassourceofthearticle.Copyright2016:Al-Mi’rajMagazineSpiritualBoutique:IfyouliketopublishaboutyourTariqa,Spiritualevents,Zawiyas,Zikrgatherings,KhanqahspleasesendbriefinformationtothefollowingE-mail:Israinternational@yahoo.comOrifyouwishtocontinuereceivingtheMagazinepleasesendyourE-Mailaddressto:Israinternational@yahoo.com

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