Question:
Assalamualaykum, I just wanted to know InshaAllah about praying as if your at the kaaba. How can someone pray as if they are seeing the kaaba. Is there any prayer of dhikr one must recite to see as if your praying at the Kaaba?
May Allah bless Shaykh Nazim and Shaykh Hisham and all of the saints and righteous and pious people. May Allah bless the whole Muslim UMmah. May Allah bless prophet Muhammad (SAW, the Sahabah, and all the other prophets with unlimited blessing.
Jazakhallah khair
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Those who are under the tajallī of the name ‘Hū’ are the muqarabūn. For them there is no existence except that of Allāh swt. Wherever they turn their faces in dunya, it holds nothing for them, except Signs of Allāh. They are in maq`adi sidqin, truthful station.
The names which reflect the Names and Attributes show Allāh’s Oneness. Allāh and the Names under the Essence whose name is Hū. Awlīyā’ consider Hū, a hidden Name of Allāh.
You can say Hūw ‘Allāh, He is Allāh. And some say dhikr al-Hū – the Unknown One. That is why there are three levels.
People are under the different tajallīsof these Divine Names. Some are under various names. They are devoted partly for dunya, partly for ākhirah.
The third level is Āhad. He said, ‘Qul Hū Allāh’. That was enough for believers. But unbelievers did not believe, so He added to the description as Āhad. Unique. Not described. Āhad described what tells the unbelievers ‘don’t go astray. ‘You cannot worship or describing thing itself. He is Āhad in all attributes, in His characteristics.
That is why Sayyīdinā Bilal (r) continued to say, “Āhad, Āhad.” Not saying “Allāh, Allāh.’ And we explained the meaning of Wāhid which all point to The One who is alone in sovereignty. That is to tell the unbelievers they have strayed so far from correct belief.
There are those who make dhikr of Hū and those who make dhikr with Allāh and those who use the tahlīl. Those who recited dhikr of tahlīl (lā ilāha ill ‘Llāh).
Those who reached high level, use Allāh for their dhikr. That Name “paints” all the Divine Names and Attributes on them.
When they go to the next level that is infinite Names. From the Maqām Hū infinite Names are emerging to represent one of the 1 million.
They said “there is a son of God” or they used to say “there are many gods”, and they would serve them. They even would feed them. I saw that on the streets of one Muslim country, where some non-Muslims live.
Allāh on the other hand is Sustainer of everything. He doesn’t not need to eat or drink. So Allāh swt says, (referring to Sayyīdinā `Isa [a] and Sayyīdatinā Maryam [as]), ‘kānā yakulāni at-ta`am” {They had both to eat their (daily) food.} (Sūrat al-Mā’idah, 5:75}, meaning they need to eat food and to use the bathroom. Through that name as-Samad they get their permission for rizq.
Because He is Unique and His Essence is Unique. That is why the uniqueness of His Essence cannot be described.
So it described Allāh sent to His level of Oneness. That is why under as-Samad, comes all the Names.
From as-Samad came three inheritors. In every century there is one carrying manifestation of `Abd al-Āhad. `Abd al-Āhad he guides people [in their spiritual life]. `Abd as-Samad is able to guide people and creature to their sustenance.
Allāh is the one who sends these tajallīyāt, manifestations in order to guide the creation. The Prophet (s) was able to carry all these tajallīs, in Laylat al-Isrā’ wa al-Mi`rāj – the Night Journey and Ascension. Since not everyone could carry all these tajallīs, one specialized in one, and another in another.
That is why you see the big difference between the different hadith and what the Sahaba understood. That was a mercy for human begins. That is like the main pipe carrying the main flood, while the individual container can contain some if. According to your container’s size he will give.
In every century there is `Abd al-Wāhid, one goes, another comes. `Abd al-Āhad.
That is the unique owner of that time. There is one in every century.
Ka`aba has four walls, each representing something. Not important is the sides of the Ka`aba, but the holy light emerging from it. That dimension you cannot see is important, highly important.
The Ka`aba on earth is the reflection of the Bayt al-Mā`mūr in heavens where anbīyā are praying.
There is descension of light from the Bayt al-Mā`mūr to Ka`aba. That you cannot see. That is what we say al-Qutb al-`azham the highest qutb in dunya. He especially holds the power over all other qutbs. Qutb, Qutb al-Bilad, Qutb al-Irshad, Qutb al-Tasarruf, Qutb al-Aqtāb.
The Qutb al-Aqtāb receives direct these qutbs .
The people of the south need the south face of Qutb. The people of the north need the north face of Qutb.
The people of the east face west, and the people of west face east.
So where is the 5th Qutb? His Maqam is in Hajra ‘l-aswad. That is the maqām al-fardānī, and one walī is always in that black stone.
Sayyīdinā Umar said to the stone, “I kiss that stone as following the Prophet (s), because I see it doesn’t not profit or harm.”
Sayyīdinā Ali said, “What are you saying? That stone is going to make shahada on your behalf on Judgment Day.”
Grandshaykh, in one vision, was shown the wali behind the stone. He kissed the stone and saw who was there.
Mawlana was taken by Grand Shaykh to kiss black stone. He too saw the wali behind that stone.
In 1969, in Madinat ash-sharifah, Shaykh Adnan and myself were with Mawlana on hajj and zīyārah. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim took us to the Rawdat ash-sharīfa. Then we went out with Mawlana Shaykh and he went right, between wall of the Prophet’s (s) Mosque and a few meters, is a street, he took a right. There was there a school, Maktabat Bukhārī from Turkish times. They keep a relic there when Prophet (s) prayed with Sahaba. So they took us there and Grandshaykh said, “I have been ordered to lead you in prayer here.” Immediately he began to pray and it was as if Mawlana Shaykh was there in front of the Ka`aba.
That is qutbīyyati ‘l-kubra. That is like the Ghawth, Sultan al-Awlīyā’. Yes so Grand Shaykh is Sultan al-Awlīyā’ and Mawlana Shaykh inherited that. And when he passed on he said, “He has a name between Awlīyā’, he is going to be called Muayyad ad-dīn” and we see that Mawlana Shaykh always says, “I am going to destroy kufr.” We wonder about that, but when Allāh’s permission comes he will be given that power.
He is unique in a given time and Owner of the Time, for he has the Qutbīyyat al-kubra. And his existence appears under Ismullāh al-Āhad, Allah’s Divine Name The Unique. Under Āhadīyya. Āhad means the uniqueness of Allāh.
Surat al-Ikhlas was a message to the unbelievers: “Don’t worship other than Me!” And Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani has been granted a nur by which he is given power to defeat kufr by Allāh’s Power.
His existence is unique. You cannot find any character like Mawlana Shaykh Nazim. He is special and unique. Grandshaykh was like that in his time, and grand Grandshaykh was like that, and so on back to the time of the Prophet (s).
So the Prophet (s) was revealed to him the Holy Quran in this month and awliyaullah are inheriting from these knowledges that make us stunned of what they speak or of what they have received from Prophet and are sharing some of it with their mureeds and their students. And this what I am saying here now is one of these things that has been shared with students about the importance of fadeelat al-halaqah, the reward, or the importance of the circle.
Why they always call it halaqah, a circle, why not rows? Why it has to be a circle? Because in the circle there is the center. The importance is the center and from the center goes in radiuses to the circumference of the circle. So at equal distance it will be reaching everyone but when you are in rows you are not the center. There is no center there, but they are rows of people.
Allah swt gave us an indication that center is important and halaqa, circle, is important. The example is the Ka`bah. Ka`bah is the center and wherever you are praying, if you look at the lines around the Ka`bah you see them going in circles although when you are standing you see yourself like in a line, but it is not a line it is a circle. If you look from far, you see people from different sides of Ka`bah praying and these form circles and they increase and increase.
A wali cannot be a wali if he is not inheriting the manifestations of whatever has been manifested on Allah’s House, Ka`bah, if a wali cannot dress from these manifestations he cannot take the authority of being a wali. Because a wali has to be what you say in English, qiblatuka waliyuka, your qiblah is your wali.
I am speaking only similarity, that means the central focus is your teacher, as when you pray your focus is Allah’s house you say Allahu Akbar and you are facing to Ka`bah. also when sitting in association the Shaykh has to be your focus as he is inheriting the manifestation coming on Ka`bah, it depends on the wali how much he can take and he is like focal point for everyone to be looking at in order to understand and learn from him.
As everyone goes to Allah’s house and pray and get blessing, and awliyaullah say looking at Ka`bah, when you pray here or in any other masjid, where your eyes have to be looking? At the point of sajda. when you go to Mecca and you are praying in Masjid al-Haraam you don’t look at point of sajda, it is ordered when you pray there to look at Ka`bah. That is the House of Allah you are ordered to look there.
Awliyaullah when they enter their prayers they are there in front of Ka`bah. Not like us, we look only where we put our sajda we see carpet or we see the floor. That is why when people praying you see them eyes going right and left. If your eyes go right or left your prayers are going right and left away from you and must be always looking at Ka`bah when you are there. And awliyaullah say looking at Ka`bah is better than looking at 40 walis, because it is the House of Allah swt.
Awliyaullah are our central point that we have to look at them, and as Grandshaykh, may Allah swt bless his soul, said that “when we go to Ka`bah to do hajj or `umrah or prayer, we have to give salam to Ka`bah first: salaamu `alayki ya Ka`abatullah as- salaamu `alayk ya hajar al-aswad, as- salaamu `alayka ya baytullah and awliyaullah hear a response the salaam coming wa `alayk as-salaam ya `AbdAllah. from where that salaam comes? it is coming from the house of Allah and from Hajar al-as`ad.
And Grandshaykh said, “salaam from Ka`bah is not like salaam from you and me and even if you don’t hear it, awliyaullah hear it, but you have to give it, if you hear or not, Ka`bah will answer and that answer is coming from the heavens carrying with it all power of Jannah. The Bayt al-Maamur in the fourth heaven that is heavenly Ka`bah, that when the Prophet (s) went Isra and Mi’raj and prayed on 27th Rajab prayed there in 4th heaven.
That salaam is coming from there. That means you already been put in fourth heaven. You have established the first step in heaven. That is why hajj is important. It is the fifth pillar of Islam. Not because you go there for going up and going down from Mecca to `Arafat, but there are secrets that have been carried along all the way.
And one of these secrets is what we just said, that Allah want to give those who go for hajj or `umrah or go to pray there are established to be in Fourth Heaven already. Allah’s mercy is big and huge. That is why it is a fard, an obligation, to speak with Ka`bah and say as-salamu `alaykee ya Ka`batullah. Some people who don’t know ask “Why you are talking? It doesn’t talk.” When Sayyidina “Umar (r) was kissing the Black Stone, the Happy Stone, he said, “You don’t give harm or benefit. If I didn’t see the Prophet kissing you I would never kiss you.”
Today people are dying to kiss the black stone. So what did Sayyidina Ali (r) respond to Sayyidina `Umar (r), as reported by ibn `Asaakir?
He said, “Don’t say that Ya `Umar! That stone is going to witness for you on Judgment Day that you said shahada there.” And Sayyidina `Umar (r) said, “Sayyidina `Ali (r) saved me two places in my life” and that was one.
So knowledge changes in different time and place and you have to keep looking at Hajar al-Aswad or to Ka`bah when praying there.
We have a question to say to ourself: “Ya Rabbee, we cannot be there. Are we going to be mahroomoon? Deprived from this baraka? We cannot go, we like to go but we are not able to go. Are we deprived from that?”
What do awliyaullah say? They say you can say from here as-salaam `alayk Ya Ka`batullah! As-salaam `alayk ya Baytullah Allahu akbar.
You think you cannot get that from here. Everything according by intention. Our intention is to be there all the time; to be in Your House all time, in Grandshaykh’s presence all the time in presence of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani all the time. And that will be accepted on condition we are always asking that Presence.
How every day you want to see your children, or you want to see your wife or you want to see your mother or you want to see your brother, or any relative, (similarly) you have to show importance that you want to be there. That is why there are five prayers, every prayer takes you there.
Allah is merciful. Grandshaykh said, “If someone prays within one hour of the prayer it is considered as if he went all the way to Mecca al-Mukarramah and stood facing Ka`bah and prayed there.”
And he said, “This tajalli has been opened recently some time before, recently.”
So awliyaullah they are carrying as they are focus point for you they are inheriting from reality of Ka`abatullah in order that they can pass that to their followers when they are sitting with them they pass these lights, manifestation and energies and these beautiful blessings that cannot be described.
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
[excerpted from Tafsir of Surat al-Ikhlas]
