Al-Mumit The Giver of Death Exalted and Glorious La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped, but He). It is He Who gives life and causes death. (7:158) This name is an attribute of Allah which means the Giver of Death. The mysteries of life and death […]
Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life Exalted and Glorious Look then at the effects of Allah’s mercy: how He revives the earth after its death. Verily, that Allah shall indeed raise the dead, and He is able to do all things. (30:50) This name is an attribute of Allah which means […]
Mulla Nasrudin had just been visiting another village. Late night when he arrived home then he realized that he had lost his favorite copy of the Qur’an. Several days later, a goat walked up to the Nasrudin house, carrying the Qur’an in its mouth. Nasrudin couldn’t believe his eyes. He […]
‘Return’ means ‘the return to Allah”,”to recognize the divine uniqueness”. The ego continually seeks satisfaction in doing; it must always have new ideas, new programs, the next step to do. At the stage of “return”, the dervish finds out that there is nothing in reality that he can do and […]
Don’t surrender your loneliness so quickly. Let it cut more deep. Let it ferment and season you as few human or even divine ingredients can. Something missing in my heart tonight has made my eyes so soft, my voice so tender, my need of You absolutely clear. Hafiz “Everything which […]
Al Mu’id The Restorer. Who renews the creation from life to death in the material world, and Who, on the Day of Resurrection, will exchange death for life. So remember, O slaves of Allah, that is the Day for which you should work so that on it you may […]
5) The essential remembrance ( “Yad kard“) The meaning of Yad is dhikr, remembrance. Kard is the essence of dhikr. It means focusing on the divine presence. It’s not you doing the act of remembering, it is the Presence in you that emerges, when you put yourself aside. The most used Dhikr by […]
Dervishood tells me, you cannot become a dervish. So what can I tell you? You cannot become a dervish. A dervish needs a wounded heart and eyes full of tears. He needs to be as easy going as a sheep. You can’t be a dervish. He must be without hands […]
4) The loneliness in the crowd (Khalwat dar Anjuman) Khalwat means ‘retreat’. Tradition says that perfection is not to show miraculous powers but it is to sit in the midst of others, sell and buy, marry and have children, without ever leave, even for a moment, the divine presence. Here […]
“Anytime you loose control over yourself, or you are in a difficult situation, you can be in contact with my heart immediately. If you just think about me there will be a relationship with me, and I will look at you. That connection will cause a power to run quickly […]
3) The inner journey (Safar dar watan) It means “to travel towards your homeland”. In Persian and Arabic Safar means “journey”. In the tradition we call everyone sàfari, “travelers”, as the common destination of our journey through life is to return home. It is not an evolution toward something but […]
2) Observe your own step (Nazar bar qadam) It means keeping the eyes lowered while walking, be careful with every step that you do. It also means to be present and to recognize when is the right moment to act. It is not easy to observe this principle, but succeeding […]
You may belong to any religion, to any school of thought or to any nation, but you must follow Truth. You must accept truth. You must try to learn about Truth. You must try to know what Truth is. Try to find out how Truth comes from Heavens to mankind. […]
Al Mubdi’ He is the Originator Who sends out all things and their goodness, and Who is the Progenitor before Whom there was no order with Him. So remember your divine origin, until you have brought about the complete transformation of your self (nafs). From: The Children Around the Table […]
“I am speaking of a tale from our Grandsheikh Abdullah concerning this dunya and its value in front of Awliya, saints. The story happened in the time of Abdul Qadir Jilani, a great saint from a royal family. Once a learned man intended to visit him, and traveled from Baghdad with two silver […]
Among the eleven principles that guide the Naqshbandi dervish toward his spiritual realization, eight were coined by Khwaja ‘Abdul Khaliq al-Gujdawani (d. 1220). The last three principles were added by the great master Shah Bahauddin Naqshbandi (1318-1389). 1) Awareness of the breath (“Hosh dar dam“) Hosh in Persian means “mind”, […]
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. Jim Morrison
One day Nasrudin bumped into another man, sending them both to the ground. “Oh, excuse me,” Nasrudin said. “Are you me, or am I you?” “I am me,” the man said, “and as for you, you must be some kind of psycho, asking me such a question.” “Oh, I am […]
Al-Muhsi The reckoner who in His knowledge is the Reckoner of everything, and Whose reckoning includes everything insignificant or majestic that subsists. So look at yourself, and be attentive to your Lord, and re-double your regard for Him in everyone of your states. From: The Children Around the Table of […]
In the tradition we say that the dervish fights against his own ego. Only the fool fights against the ego of the others.