RAMADAN (80 pages, Hajj AMINA ‘ADIL, 4/4)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6043
not able to worship You in a fitting manner.’ The angels of the third heaven maintain the position of sajda (prostration) since the day they were created. When the Holy Prophet came to see them and gave them greetings of peace, they raised their heads to return his salāms, after which they again lowered them to the ground. That is why the Muslim prayer consists of two sajdas. The angels of the fourth heaven recite the at-tahiyyât prayer, and the angels of the fifth heaven recite the ‘subhânaka’; the angels of the sixth heaven intone takbîr (Allâhu akbar) and the angels of the seventh heaven the
tahlîl (lâ ilâha illâ llâh). The Holy Prophet was delighted by these forms of devotion, and he asked his Lord to grant his nation a prayer containing these postures. The Lord answered his prayer and taught him to pray in the way the Muslims have prayed ever since.
If someone performs his prayers observing all the fine points of its fard, sunna and wâjib parts, Allah the All-Benevolent will reward him with the rewards He grants to His heavenly hosts who worship Him thus since the day they were created. And He will raise him up as one of His intimates, and admit him into the company of His saints.
The Twelve Farā’id of Prayer
hese are the twelve binding requirements in Muslim prayer:
1.To be cleansed of any impure substance issuing from the body, and to be in a state of ritual purity (i. e. to have wudû’).
2.One’s clothing and the place of prayer must be clean and unpolluted by impurities, such as blood, excrement, urine, semen etc.).
3.The time of prayer: it is important to pray each prayer within its period; a prayer that is prayed before the adhân is sounded needs to be repeated.
4.To stand facing the qibla, (the direction of the Ka‘ba at Mec- ca); one must take care to ascertain which is the right direc- tion (by means of a compass, for instance).
5.To cover the parts of the body that must be kept covered in public according to the law of sharî‘a, the ‘awra. For men this means the area between the navel and the lower rim of the kneecap; for women it means the entire body, excepting the face, the hands, and the feet. It is important for the hair to be completely covered, a woman must cover her head from the roots of the hair on her forehead, including the ears and the area under her chin. The sleeves should be long enough to cover her wrists, and her ankles must be covered by her garment.
6.To make the intention for performing that prayer. It is nec- essary to make express intention for performing the fard or sunna of the prayer of a certain time of day.
These are the six conditions for prayer that must be met be- fore the actual prayer can begin. The following six require- ments concern the prayer itself and are termed the “pillars of prayer”.
7.Takbîr, to pronounce the words “Allâhu akbar”; the hands are raised, palms facing away from the body; men raise their hands above their shoulders, their thumbs catching behind the earlobes, while women raise their hands high enough for the finger tips to be level with the shoulders. Both the face and the hands should be facing the qibla.
8.Qiyâm, the standing position of prayer, the right hand clasped over the left. One should always try to maintain the standing position, since a prayer performed while sitting down receives only half the reward.
9.Qirâ’a, to recite Sûrat al-Fâtiªa and an additional sura of the Qur’ān;
10.Rukû‘, to bow from the waist with stretched arms and hands covering the kneecaps. The back should be held straight, horizontal if possible. If a bowl of water were placed on it, it should not spill.
11.Sajda, prostration; in sajda seven parts of the body touch the ground: the forehead, the palms of the hand, the knees and the tips of the toes. The elbows should not touch the ground. The hands are positioned at just such a distance from each other that the face can be placed between it. Men keep their elbows at an angle away from their body, while women press them closer to the trunk; the elbows
should press against the thighs. In general, a woman’s posi- tion should be more crouching, that is to say, the backside should be brought down close to the heels.
12.The qa‘ada, kneeling, at the conclusion of the prayer while reciting the du‘â’ of at-tahiyyât.
These are the fard-conditions of the prayer. Apart from these there are many fine points concerning the sunna and wâjib of the prayer.
The Holy Prophet k said about the prayer: “Prayer is Allah’s good pleasure, it is the sunna of the prophets, the love of the angels, the root of all knowledge and the source of faith. Prayer
is what causes intercession to be accepted, it is the blessing upon lawful earnings and a weapon against the enemy.”
A Muslim’s prayer is what the accursed Shay†ān hates most of all. Prayer is the intercessor between a Muslim soul and the angel of Death. When Azrā’il æ approaches to take a man’s soul, his prayer rises up to intercede for him so that he might be spared the pangs of death. Prayer is a light in the grave, and on the Day of Resurrection it will shade him. Prayer is a crown upon his head and a robe upon his body. It is as a veil between a Muslim and Hell, and also as a net, with which he can drag his good deeds before the Divine Presence. It is a Muslim’s guarantor before his Lord, and the cause for his safe traversing across the Bridge of Zirā†. Prayer is the key to Paradise.
The Holy Prophet said: “On the Last Day a creature will escape from Hell. This creature is named Harish. It will have the body of a huge scorpion, and it will be as high as heaven is from earth, and as long as East is from West. Jibrîl æ will speak to this creature, and say to it, ‘Ey, Harish, where are you going, whom do you seek?’ And Harish will answer, ‘I am
on the way to ‘Arafāt where five types of Muslims shall be de- livered unto me: those who neglected their prayers; those who did not give their zakât; those who disobeyed their parents; those who did not abstain from drinking alcohol; and finally those who would talk of worldly affairs within the mosques.’
Therefore it is written:
The places of worship belong to Allah, so call not, along with Allah,
upon anyone.” (72:18)
About Wudû’ (ritual ablution)
here are four obligatory requirements (farâ’id) for
wudû’:
1)Face: It is fard to wash the face once from the roots of the hair above the forehead, from the cheeks to the ears, and beneath the chin. To wash the face twice is wâjib, to wash it thrice is sunna.
2)Hands and arms: It is fard to wash the hands and forearms up to the elbow once. To wash them twice is wâjib, to wash them thrice is sunna. Care must be taken to wet the whole arm at the first washing, not a single hair must be left dry.
3)Head: One passes one’s wet fingers over the front quarter of the head, spreading the fingers as one does so, in order to wet the roots of the hair and the scalp.
4)Feet: The feet are washed up to the ankles, including the ankles, the heel and the spaces between the toes.
Why is it obligatory (fard) to wash these four parts of the body? When our father Adam æ dwelt in Paradise with Eve, his wife, she gave him to taste of the forbidden fruit. He walked up to it with his feet, turned his face toward it to look at it, stretched out his hand to take it, and after he had eaten of it, he clapped his hand upon his forehead from remorse. That is why it was made fard to wash these four parts of the body before praying, so that no sin might adhere to them.
It is sunna to rinse mouth and nose three times. During the washing of the mouth it is also sunna to make the resolve to speak no bad words, lies or slander. While rinsing the nose, one intends to cleanse it from all unpleasant smells one has willingly or unwillingly inhaled. While washing the face, one hopes to wash away all the forbidden looks and impressions one may have received. One washes one’s hands and repents of all the unlawful things one may have touched or handled. And at the washing of the feet one regrets every step one may have taken towards that which is hateful to Allah Almighty.
It is very important to take care that no part of skin or hair remains dry during this ablution of wudû’. When passing the hands over the head, one inserts one’s little fingers into the ears (without wetting the fingers again), and the thumbs pass behind the ears. With the three remaining fingers, one swipes along the nape of the neck. Whoever succeeds in adopting this sunna, will be made safe from all manner of punishment on the Day of Judgment, such as the molten lead that is poured into the sinners’ ears, or the hooks minions of Hell use to drag the sinners into the Fire.
Whoever prays two raka‘ât after this ritual ablution to hon- our his wudû’, Allah will render him pure and free of sin as a newborn babe, inshâ’ Allâh.
The Holy Prophet once said: “On the Day of Judgment Allah Almighty will grant the nation of Mukammad k the qualities of excellence of four prophets for their having had to wash four parts of their bodies in their ritual ablutions. For having washed their faces, He will grant them the beauty of Yûsuf æ, they will
all be radiant with his light and beauty. For having washed their hands, He will place their books of accounts into their right hands as He Almighty said to Mûsā æ: ‘Take hold of it with your right hand.’ For washing their heads, he will grant them a
crown of splendour, such as He granted to the prophet-king Su- laymān æ. And for that they have washed their feet, He will let them ride upon the burâq, such as the Holy Prophet Mukammad k rode upon when he ascended to the heavens. And on it He will bring them to the Place of Gathering.”
On ghusl (ritual bathing)
here are three fard actions to be observed while per- forming ghusl.
1)The first is to wash in the same way as after going to the toilet;
2)The second is to make wudû’, rinsing nose and mouth three times each;
3)The third is to pour water over the whole body three times. First water is poured over the right half, then over the left half of the body, then over the head. Alternatively, one can start with the washing of the head. This is repeated three times, but every part of the body must already be wet after the first pouring of water, this is fard. The second and third washing are also fard.
One does not need to repeat ghusl daily, only when it has be- come necessary (after the end of a woman’s menstrual period, after sexual relations etc., or to fulfil the sunna of taking ghusl before attending the jum‘a prayer. Ghusl is always performed in the way just described.
The Postures of Prayer
hen a person has made his wudû’ and stands before his Lord in prayer, the Lord says to him, “O My servant, I am your Lord and you are My servant.
You approach Me through various kinds of devotions, and I shall not deny you the manifold pleasures of Paradise, for prayer is also called ‘the wedding feast of worship’.” – What does ‘wedding feast’ mean in this context? Prayer is consti- tuted of many postures and positions, consists of standing, of speaking, of bowing, and prostration. One who prays is en- tirely consumed by his prayer, his whole heart and mind are involved in it. Therefore it is termed a ‘wedding feast’.
When we pray, we pronounce the takbîr (Allâhu akbar), and after that we move not a single step, we remain motionless, with hands folded, we remain standing in one place, our eyes are fixed upon the place of the sajda, our tongue speaks nothing but the sacred words of the Qur’ān – all our limbs concentrate on the prayer and participate in it.
امحد A-Ó-M-D
The qiyâm (standing) corresponds to the alif The rukû‘ (bowing) corresponds to the ªâ’ The sajda (prostration) corresponds to the mîm The qa‘ada (kneeling) corresponds to the dâl
In the qiyâm of the prayer (the standing position) the human body has the shape of the Arabic letter “alif ”, a straight line and the first letter of the Divine Name “Allāh”. We thereby signify that we are the servants of Allah. When we prostrate in sajda, our body forms the letters of the name of our Prophet
Mukammad k: our head being the initial “mîm”, our folded trunk the “ªâ’”, our knees the second “mîm”, while our up-
right feet form the “dâl”. In this way we express that we be- long to the nation of the most honoured Prophet Mukammad, wherefore we praise and thank Allah.
محمد
M-Ó-M-D
For this reason, a person is never thrown into Hell in his hu- man form. But whosoever remains steadfast in his five daily prayers, he will be raised up from the dead in his human form.
The Holy Prophet said: “In my nation there are people whose prayer is not accepted:
1)those who pray without reciting the ‘Fâtiªa’;
2)those who pray but do not give their zakât;
3)one who acts as imâm for his community, but is not wel- comed by them;
4)a disobedient slave;
5)an incorrigible tippler (a habitual drinker of wine);
6)a woman whose husband is displeased with her;
7)a woman who does not sufficiently cover herself;
8)a person who prays but whose prayer does not keep him from committing unlawful acts.”
On Judgment Day his prayer will be flung in his face like an old rag, because it is written:
Verily, prayer protects from indecency and evil ... (29:45).
The prayer that does not protect him from unlawful and im- proper actions, is a worthless prayer and has not been accept- ed by Allah – may Allah preserve us!
Four Points to Observe
isha p, the wife of the Holy Prophet relates: “One day the Holy Prophet came to me as I was just preparing to go to bed, and he said, ‘O
‘Â’isha, you must do four things : first of all you must read the whole Qur’ān (read a khatm); secondly you must secure the intercession of all the prophets; thirdly you must take care that your parents and all the Muslims with them are pleased with you; and fourthly, you must go on Óajj and ‘Umra.’ He then stood to pray, and I was confused and pondered what he had told me.
When he had completed his prayer, I asked him, ‘O Mes- senger of Allah, you have recommended that I do these four things, but time is very short, how shall I be able to perform all of them?’ Then the Holy Prophet smiled and said, ‘O ‘Â’isha, if you read the Sûrat al-Ikhlâs (Qul hû ...) three times before going to sleep, it will be as if you had read the entire Qur’ān. And if you recite this du‘â’ (supplication), every prophet who appears before you on the Day of Judgment will intercede for you:
Allâhumma salli ‘alâ Sayyidinâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ Sayyidina Âdama
wa ‘ala Sayyidinâ Nûªin wa ‘alâ Sayyidinâ ‘Îsâ
wa mâ baynahum mina n-nabiînâ wa l-mursalîn
salawâtu llâhi wa salâmun ‘alayhim ajma‘în.
O Allah, blessings be upon Sayyidinā Mukammad, and upon Sayyidinā Âdam
and upon Sayyidinā Nûk, and upon Sayyidinā ‘Îsā,
and however many prophets and messengers came in the time between,
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all.
Thirdly, if you recite this verse, you will be assured of the good pleasure of your parents and of all Muslims in general:
Rabbanâ ghfir lî wa li-wâlidayya
wa li-l-mu’minîna yawma yaqûmu l-ªisâb.
Our Lord, grant me pardon and my parents and the believ- ers on the day when the reckoning comes to pass. (14:41)
And fourthly, if you recite this prayer, you will receive the rewards of having performed Óajj and ‘Umra:
Subªâna llâhi wa l-ªamdu li-llâhi
wa lâ ilâha illâ llâhu wa-llâhu akbar
wa lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm.
Glory be to Allah. And praise be to Allah.
And there is no god except Allah. And Allah is the Great- est. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, And Most Great.’”
About Zalawāt, Prayers of Praise On the Holy Prophet
fter any mention of the Holy Prophet’s name, it is common practice to pronounce an epithet of praise upon him, most frequently salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sal-
lam, which means: May Allah bless him and give him peace, or ‘alayhi s-salâtu wa s-salâm, blessings and peace be upon him. It is also recommended to repeat as often as possible this epithet of praise upon the Prophet, a devotional exercise referred to as ‘salawât ’, which is very meritorious as many aªâdith testify.
Ibn ‘Abd ar-Raªmân ibn ‘Awf d relates that the
Holy Prophet once said, “Allah says: ‘As soon as one of your nation begins to recite salawât upon you, o Mukammad, sev- enty thousand heavenly angels begin to pray for him and ask for forgiveness on his behalf. He for whom the angels pray is surely deserving of Paradise.’”
Ibn Mas‘ûd d reports that the Holy Prophet once said: “He who recites the most salawât upon me, he is dearest to me,
and him I love the most.”
And he k said: “Whoever recites one hundred salawât for me on the day of jum‘a, will be pardoned for his sins, and be they as numerous as the foam upon the waves.”
One day a young man came before the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet asked his close friend and companion Abû Bakr d to give him his place by his side. When the young man had departed, he begged Abû Bakr’s pardon for this, saying, “O
Abû Bakr, forgive me for having given this youth preference over you. There is no one in my community who recites more
salawât upon me than you do, but the salawât which this young man recites is the most lovely I have ever heard.”
They then asked of the Holy Prophet what were the words of the salawât that the young man recited, and the Holy Proph- et told them, “In the morning and in the evening he says:
‘O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family in everyone who blesses him;
O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family in everyone who does not bless him;
O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family, as Thou art pleased to approve for him; O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family,
even as it is meet that he should be blessed.’
Therefore, O Abû Bakr, I asked you to cede the place of hon- our to him.”
– This version of the salawât is also contained in the text of the Dalâ’il al-Khayrât by Jazûlî. –
The Excellence
of the Nation of Mukammad k
n the Day of Judgement all men will be summoned by the names of their prophets. But Allah Almighty will give special honours to the nation of Mukammad k
alone, by summoning them as His friends, when He calls call-
ing to them “Yâ awliyâ’ya, O My intimate Friends!”
All Praise and thanks be to Allah for all that has been and all that is to come, peace and blessings be upon His chosen Prophet, Mukammad Mus†afā, and blessings of Allah be upon all believers! Âmîn, Âmîn, Âmîn.
Wa min Allâh at-tawfîq
Special Prayers and Recitals During the Holy Months
Rajab
Daily:
2500 Istaghfiru llâh
1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
Throughout the month:
30 pairs of two raka‘ât: after the Fâtiªa
one recites Qul yâ ayyuhâ l-kâfirûn (Sûra 109), followed by three Ikhlâs (Qul hû ..., Sûra 112)
16,000 Yâ La†îf – The Subtle One 1st – 10th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-ªayy al-qayyûm
Glory be to Allāh, the Ever Living One, the Self-Existing One
11th – 20th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-aªad al-samad
Glory be to Allāh, the One, the Satisfier of All Needs
21st – 30th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-ra’ûf
Glory be to Allāh, the Clement
Daily:
Daily:
Sha‘bān
100 Istaghfiru llâh
2500 Allâhumma salli ‘ala Muªammadin wa ‘ala âli Muªammadin wa sallim
1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
Ramadān
1000 Qul hû (Sûra 112) 1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
s he ikh nâ|im al-qubrûsî
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION
FOR EVERY MUSLIM
84 pages, softcover, thread sewn
isbn 978–9963–40–122–2
Original title:
Her Müslümanın Bilmesi Gereken Din Dersleri
Translated from Turkish into English by Radhia Shukrullâh
This book is the only one that
bring benefit to those searching for
Mawlana Sheikh Nazim ق actually wrote himself. First published 1958 in Turkish language, it was meant “to remind the Turks and the Cyp- riots both of their religious duties and their Ottoman heritage. The book contains basic information that every Muslim should know. It was intended for everyone so he wrote it in a language that is clear and easy to understand. In 2012 Mawlana gave it to us to repub- lish and, following his advice, we were handing it out to the Turkish speaking people who came wanting to learn more about their religion. Since then I have seen the need to also have something for the people coming from the West, especially in this time when there is so much misinformation, and when so many sources professing Islam are unre- liable. It came to my mind to have this book translated into English to serve this purpose.
May Allah fulfill Mawlana’s inten-
tion that this book serve Islam and
the straight way.” (from the Preface by Mehmet Nazim Adil)
M ain Subjects:
book one: faith (Belief in Allah, the Angels, the Holy Scriptures, the Prophets, the Last Day, Destiny; The Religion of Islam)
book two: the essentials of being a muslim (About Cleanliness, Prayer, Fasting, Alms, Pilgrimage)
book three: the founda-
tions of islam (The Fifty-Four fard Requirements, Animal Sacrifice, Blessed Days and Nights, The Holy Prophet k) *
The noble Prophet, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, left the religion of Islam for his nation. And we should know:
„Faith in Allah is the greatest source of strength for us, and an inexhaustible powerhouse.”
t i t l e s
a t s p o h r
p u b l i s h e r s
DAWRIYA:
KEEPING COMPANY WITH A SAINT
by N abil Ibrahim
160 pages, paperback, 2016
isbn 978–9963–40–124–6
“Mawlana Sheikh Nazim
Extract from the text:
Al-Haqqani moved from this
“Mawlana was told about the sto-
world to the next on Wednesday the 7th of May, 2014, the 8th of Rajab, 1435 AH. This event left most of us simply speechless, struck dumb, stunned and tearless, in the depths of our loss. Nabil, however, found the voice to speak, the words to express something of the love and gratitude we all feel for an incom- parable Master. And beyond that, he had some really practical advice on how we can adjust to our new reality, advice about the right atti- tude with which to face the future. To put it simply, the Sheikh is not dead, keep your eyes on the Sheikh. Nabil’s memories, his understan- dings are, of course, inimitably his. When you read these articles you see the world through his eyes. This is Nabil’s picture of a Saint whose greatest miracle was being able to be everything to everyone. However perceptive, this is only a piece of the puzzle to which each one of us is in possession of a different piece. But the love he so powerfully gives voice to, is ours, all of ours, the same. [...] We are left with this book – a tribute both to the Master and to the mu- rid.” (Karima Sperling, Editor)
ry of Sidi ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qadir was asked, ‘Who is the qu†bu l-waqt – the Pole of the time?’
من هو قطب الوقت؟
man huwa qu†bu l-waqt?
He replied: ‘You go to a dergah and find that the sheikh and his follow- ers are at peace and everything is in order and organized. There you can kiss the sheikh’s hand for bless- ings and go on your way. Howev- er, you reach another dergah and find everything upside down. The sheikh is shouting at his murids, the followers are testing each other constantly in a rough manner, there is no clear or apparent order, and you can’t find any system to follow because everything is constantly changing. Then, and only then, make sure you take bay‘a, give your oath of allegiance to that sheikh, for he is the Pole of the time.’
Mawlana used to laugh hearing
this story being told by Sheikh Baha- uddin. Anyone who has come to visit Mawlana will see some similarity between this story and their personal experience during their visit [...]”
w w w . s p o h r - p u b l i s h e r s . c o m
S he ikh Nâ|im
Islam. The Freedom To Serve Subats, Aphorisms and Stories Compiled by ‘Abd el-Jalil Stelzer, 94 p., (1997), 2nd ed. 2015
isbn 978–9963–40–15–7
«We ask to be no-one and nothing, For, as long as we are someone, we are not complete.»
For many years this has been one of the favourite editions of talks held by Mawlana Sheikh Nazim Efendi to an English-speaking audi- ence.
Abdullah ad-Daghistani
Mercy Oceans (II)
The Teachings of Mvl. Abdullah Ad-Daghistani An-Naqshbandi ق 224 p., 2008
isbn 978–9963–40–001–0
‘I accepted Grandsheikh as Allah Almighty ordered in Qur’ān: “Follow in the path of him who has turned to Me with love.” I left all my “knowledge”, and intended to follow
his way to Allah Almighty.’ (Sheikh
Nazim Ef.)
THE FORTY QUESTIONS
Prophet Muªammad’s k Response to the Jews of Medina
Compiled from traditional sources by M awlânâ Firâqî Restored from an old Ottoman source by Óajjah Âminah ‘Âdil 144 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–113–0
The beautiful and astonish- ing stories lead to a profound un- derstanding of the power of Allāh
Almighty, His will and compassion which He bestows upon His crea- tion.
Imâm al-Ghazâlî
Mukhtasar
The Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn as abriged by himself
Translated from the Arabic, and annotated by Marwan Khalaf
Hardcover, 480 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–051–5
The Shaykh and Imam, the Proof of Islam, Abû Óâmid Muªammad ibn Muªammad al-Ghazâlî ق stated: ‘... I missed, in some of my travels, a facility for extracting from the Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn its essences, due to the difficulty of carrying it around with me, on account of its bulk. Hence I tackled this matter, seeking success and guidance from God and praising His Prophet. It consists of forty chap- ters. – And God guides to the truth.’ First readers’ comments:
«I am very happy with this book!» (Meh- met Nazim Adil, Lefke, Cyprus)
– ‘I am overwhelmed by the beauty and the importance of this book.’ (Ibrahim Tahir, Singapore)
A MUSLIM
ON THE THRONE OF
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. THE STORY OF FREDERICK II OF HOHENSTAUFEN
A Collection of Essays about a
little known Part of European His- tory. Compiled and edited by
S alim E. Spohr
40 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–114–7
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6043
not able to worship You in a fitting manner.’ The angels of the third heaven maintain the position of sajda (prostration) since the day they were created. When the Holy Prophet came to see them and gave them greetings of peace, they raised their heads to return his salāms, after which they again lowered them to the ground. That is why the Muslim prayer consists of two sajdas. The angels of the fourth heaven recite the at-tahiyyât prayer, and the angels of the fifth heaven recite the ‘subhânaka’; the angels of the sixth heaven intone takbîr (Allâhu akbar) and the angels of the seventh heaven the
tahlîl (lâ ilâha illâ llâh). The Holy Prophet was delighted by these forms of devotion, and he asked his Lord to grant his nation a prayer containing these postures. The Lord answered his prayer and taught him to pray in the way the Muslims have prayed ever since.
If someone performs his prayers observing all the fine points of its fard, sunna and wâjib parts, Allah the All-Benevolent will reward him with the rewards He grants to His heavenly hosts who worship Him thus since the day they were created. And He will raise him up as one of His intimates, and admit him into the company of His saints.
The Twelve Farā’id of Prayer
hese are the twelve binding requirements in Muslim prayer:
1.To be cleansed of any impure substance issuing from the body, and to be in a state of ritual purity (i. e. to have wudû’).
2.One’s clothing and the place of prayer must be clean and unpolluted by impurities, such as blood, excrement, urine, semen etc.).
3.The time of prayer: it is important to pray each prayer within its period; a prayer that is prayed before the adhân is sounded needs to be repeated.
4.To stand facing the qibla, (the direction of the Ka‘ba at Mec- ca); one must take care to ascertain which is the right direc- tion (by means of a compass, for instance).
5.To cover the parts of the body that must be kept covered in public according to the law of sharî‘a, the ‘awra. For men this means the area between the navel and the lower rim of the kneecap; for women it means the entire body, excepting the face, the hands, and the feet. It is important for the hair to be completely covered, a woman must cover her head from the roots of the hair on her forehead, including the ears and the area under her chin. The sleeves should be long enough to cover her wrists, and her ankles must be covered by her garment.
6.To make the intention for performing that prayer. It is nec- essary to make express intention for performing the fard or sunna of the prayer of a certain time of day.
These are the six conditions for prayer that must be met be- fore the actual prayer can begin. The following six require- ments concern the prayer itself and are termed the “pillars of prayer”.
7.Takbîr, to pronounce the words “Allâhu akbar”; the hands are raised, palms facing away from the body; men raise their hands above their shoulders, their thumbs catching behind the earlobes, while women raise their hands high enough for the finger tips to be level with the shoulders. Both the face and the hands should be facing the qibla.
8.Qiyâm, the standing position of prayer, the right hand clasped over the left. One should always try to maintain the standing position, since a prayer performed while sitting down receives only half the reward.
9.Qirâ’a, to recite Sûrat al-Fâtiªa and an additional sura of the Qur’ān;
10.Rukû‘, to bow from the waist with stretched arms and hands covering the kneecaps. The back should be held straight, horizontal if possible. If a bowl of water were placed on it, it should not spill.
11.Sajda, prostration; in sajda seven parts of the body touch the ground: the forehead, the palms of the hand, the knees and the tips of the toes. The elbows should not touch the ground. The hands are positioned at just such a distance from each other that the face can be placed between it. Men keep their elbows at an angle away from their body, while women press them closer to the trunk; the elbows
should press against the thighs. In general, a woman’s posi- tion should be more crouching, that is to say, the backside should be brought down close to the heels.
12.The qa‘ada, kneeling, at the conclusion of the prayer while reciting the du‘â’ of at-tahiyyât.
These are the fard-conditions of the prayer. Apart from these there are many fine points concerning the sunna and wâjib of the prayer.
The Holy Prophet k said about the prayer: “Prayer is Allah’s good pleasure, it is the sunna of the prophets, the love of the angels, the root of all knowledge and the source of faith. Prayer
is what causes intercession to be accepted, it is the blessing upon lawful earnings and a weapon against the enemy.”
A Muslim’s prayer is what the accursed Shay†ān hates most of all. Prayer is the intercessor between a Muslim soul and the angel of Death. When Azrā’il æ approaches to take a man’s soul, his prayer rises up to intercede for him so that he might be spared the pangs of death. Prayer is a light in the grave, and on the Day of Resurrection it will shade him. Prayer is a crown upon his head and a robe upon his body. It is as a veil between a Muslim and Hell, and also as a net, with which he can drag his good deeds before the Divine Presence. It is a Muslim’s guarantor before his Lord, and the cause for his safe traversing across the Bridge of Zirā†. Prayer is the key to Paradise.
The Holy Prophet said: “On the Last Day a creature will escape from Hell. This creature is named Harish. It will have the body of a huge scorpion, and it will be as high as heaven is from earth, and as long as East is from West. Jibrîl æ will speak to this creature, and say to it, ‘Ey, Harish, where are you going, whom do you seek?’ And Harish will answer, ‘I am
on the way to ‘Arafāt where five types of Muslims shall be de- livered unto me: those who neglected their prayers; those who did not give their zakât; those who disobeyed their parents; those who did not abstain from drinking alcohol; and finally those who would talk of worldly affairs within the mosques.’
Therefore it is written:
The places of worship belong to Allah, so call not, along with Allah,
upon anyone.” (72:18)
About Wudû’ (ritual ablution)
here are four obligatory requirements (farâ’id) for
wudû’:
1)Face: It is fard to wash the face once from the roots of the hair above the forehead, from the cheeks to the ears, and beneath the chin. To wash the face twice is wâjib, to wash it thrice is sunna.
2)Hands and arms: It is fard to wash the hands and forearms up to the elbow once. To wash them twice is wâjib, to wash them thrice is sunna. Care must be taken to wet the whole arm at the first washing, not a single hair must be left dry.
3)Head: One passes one’s wet fingers over the front quarter of the head, spreading the fingers as one does so, in order to wet the roots of the hair and the scalp.
4)Feet: The feet are washed up to the ankles, including the ankles, the heel and the spaces between the toes.
Why is it obligatory (fard) to wash these four parts of the body? When our father Adam æ dwelt in Paradise with Eve, his wife, she gave him to taste of the forbidden fruit. He walked up to it with his feet, turned his face toward it to look at it, stretched out his hand to take it, and after he had eaten of it, he clapped his hand upon his forehead from remorse. That is why it was made fard to wash these four parts of the body before praying, so that no sin might adhere to them.
It is sunna to rinse mouth and nose three times. During the washing of the mouth it is also sunna to make the resolve to speak no bad words, lies or slander. While rinsing the nose, one intends to cleanse it from all unpleasant smells one has willingly or unwillingly inhaled. While washing the face, one hopes to wash away all the forbidden looks and impressions one may have received. One washes one’s hands and repents of all the unlawful things one may have touched or handled. And at the washing of the feet one regrets every step one may have taken towards that which is hateful to Allah Almighty.
It is very important to take care that no part of skin or hair remains dry during this ablution of wudû’. When passing the hands over the head, one inserts one’s little fingers into the ears (without wetting the fingers again), and the thumbs pass behind the ears. With the three remaining fingers, one swipes along the nape of the neck. Whoever succeeds in adopting this sunna, will be made safe from all manner of punishment on the Day of Judgment, such as the molten lead that is poured into the sinners’ ears, or the hooks minions of Hell use to drag the sinners into the Fire.
Whoever prays two raka‘ât after this ritual ablution to hon- our his wudû’, Allah will render him pure and free of sin as a newborn babe, inshâ’ Allâh.
The Holy Prophet once said: “On the Day of Judgment Allah Almighty will grant the nation of Mukammad k the qualities of excellence of four prophets for their having had to wash four parts of their bodies in their ritual ablutions. For having washed their faces, He will grant them the beauty of Yûsuf æ, they will
all be radiant with his light and beauty. For having washed their hands, He will place their books of accounts into their right hands as He Almighty said to Mûsā æ: ‘Take hold of it with your right hand.’ For washing their heads, he will grant them a
crown of splendour, such as He granted to the prophet-king Su- laymān æ. And for that they have washed their feet, He will let them ride upon the burâq, such as the Holy Prophet Mukammad k rode upon when he ascended to the heavens. And on it He will bring them to the Place of Gathering.”
On ghusl (ritual bathing)
here are three fard actions to be observed while per- forming ghusl.
1)The first is to wash in the same way as after going to the toilet;
2)The second is to make wudû’, rinsing nose and mouth three times each;
3)The third is to pour water over the whole body three times. First water is poured over the right half, then over the left half of the body, then over the head. Alternatively, one can start with the washing of the head. This is repeated three times, but every part of the body must already be wet after the first pouring of water, this is fard. The second and third washing are also fard.
One does not need to repeat ghusl daily, only when it has be- come necessary (after the end of a woman’s menstrual period, after sexual relations etc., or to fulfil the sunna of taking ghusl before attending the jum‘a prayer. Ghusl is always performed in the way just described.
The Postures of Prayer
hen a person has made his wudû’ and stands before his Lord in prayer, the Lord says to him, “O My servant, I am your Lord and you are My servant.
You approach Me through various kinds of devotions, and I shall not deny you the manifold pleasures of Paradise, for prayer is also called ‘the wedding feast of worship’.” – What does ‘wedding feast’ mean in this context? Prayer is consti- tuted of many postures and positions, consists of standing, of speaking, of bowing, and prostration. One who prays is en- tirely consumed by his prayer, his whole heart and mind are involved in it. Therefore it is termed a ‘wedding feast’.
When we pray, we pronounce the takbîr (Allâhu akbar), and after that we move not a single step, we remain motionless, with hands folded, we remain standing in one place, our eyes are fixed upon the place of the sajda, our tongue speaks nothing but the sacred words of the Qur’ān – all our limbs concentrate on the prayer and participate in it.
امحد A-Ó-M-D
The qiyâm (standing) corresponds to the alif The rukû‘ (bowing) corresponds to the ªâ’ The sajda (prostration) corresponds to the mîm The qa‘ada (kneeling) corresponds to the dâl
In the qiyâm of the prayer (the standing position) the human body has the shape of the Arabic letter “alif ”, a straight line and the first letter of the Divine Name “Allāh”. We thereby signify that we are the servants of Allah. When we prostrate in sajda, our body forms the letters of the name of our Prophet
Mukammad k: our head being the initial “mîm”, our folded trunk the “ªâ’”, our knees the second “mîm”, while our up-
right feet form the “dâl”. In this way we express that we be- long to the nation of the most honoured Prophet Mukammad, wherefore we praise and thank Allah.
محمد
M-Ó-M-D
For this reason, a person is never thrown into Hell in his hu- man form. But whosoever remains steadfast in his five daily prayers, he will be raised up from the dead in his human form.
The Holy Prophet said: “In my nation there are people whose prayer is not accepted:
1)those who pray without reciting the ‘Fâtiªa’;
2)those who pray but do not give their zakât;
3)one who acts as imâm for his community, but is not wel- comed by them;
4)a disobedient slave;
5)an incorrigible tippler (a habitual drinker of wine);
6)a woman whose husband is displeased with her;
7)a woman who does not sufficiently cover herself;
8)a person who prays but whose prayer does not keep him from committing unlawful acts.”
On Judgment Day his prayer will be flung in his face like an old rag, because it is written:
Verily, prayer protects from indecency and evil ... (29:45).
The prayer that does not protect him from unlawful and im- proper actions, is a worthless prayer and has not been accept- ed by Allah – may Allah preserve us!
Four Points to Observe
isha p, the wife of the Holy Prophet relates: “One day the Holy Prophet came to me as I was just preparing to go to bed, and he said, ‘O
‘Â’isha, you must do four things : first of all you must read the whole Qur’ān (read a khatm); secondly you must secure the intercession of all the prophets; thirdly you must take care that your parents and all the Muslims with them are pleased with you; and fourthly, you must go on Óajj and ‘Umra.’ He then stood to pray, and I was confused and pondered what he had told me.
When he had completed his prayer, I asked him, ‘O Mes- senger of Allah, you have recommended that I do these four things, but time is very short, how shall I be able to perform all of them?’ Then the Holy Prophet smiled and said, ‘O ‘Â’isha, if you read the Sûrat al-Ikhlâs (Qul hû ...) three times before going to sleep, it will be as if you had read the entire Qur’ān. And if you recite this du‘â’ (supplication), every prophet who appears before you on the Day of Judgment will intercede for you:
Allâhumma salli ‘alâ Sayyidinâ Muªammadin wa ‘alâ Sayyidina Âdama
wa ‘ala Sayyidinâ Nûªin wa ‘alâ Sayyidinâ ‘Îsâ
wa mâ baynahum mina n-nabiînâ wa l-mursalîn
salawâtu llâhi wa salâmun ‘alayhim ajma‘în.
O Allah, blessings be upon Sayyidinā Mukammad, and upon Sayyidinā Âdam
and upon Sayyidinā Nûk, and upon Sayyidinā ‘Îsā,
and however many prophets and messengers came in the time between,
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all.
Thirdly, if you recite this verse, you will be assured of the good pleasure of your parents and of all Muslims in general:
Rabbanâ ghfir lî wa li-wâlidayya
wa li-l-mu’minîna yawma yaqûmu l-ªisâb.
Our Lord, grant me pardon and my parents and the believ- ers on the day when the reckoning comes to pass. (14:41)
And fourthly, if you recite this prayer, you will receive the rewards of having performed Óajj and ‘Umra:
Subªâna llâhi wa l-ªamdu li-llâhi
wa lâ ilâha illâ llâhu wa-llâhu akbar
wa lâ ªawla wa lâ quwwata illâ bi-llâhi l-‘aliyyi l-‘azîm.
Glory be to Allah. And praise be to Allah.
And there is no god except Allah. And Allah is the Great- est. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, And Most Great.’”
About Zalawāt, Prayers of Praise On the Holy Prophet
fter any mention of the Holy Prophet’s name, it is common practice to pronounce an epithet of praise upon him, most frequently salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sal-
lam, which means: May Allah bless him and give him peace, or ‘alayhi s-salâtu wa s-salâm, blessings and peace be upon him. It is also recommended to repeat as often as possible this epithet of praise upon the Prophet, a devotional exercise referred to as ‘salawât ’, which is very meritorious as many aªâdith testify.
Ibn ‘Abd ar-Raªmân ibn ‘Awf d relates that the
Holy Prophet once said, “Allah says: ‘As soon as one of your nation begins to recite salawât upon you, o Mukammad, sev- enty thousand heavenly angels begin to pray for him and ask for forgiveness on his behalf. He for whom the angels pray is surely deserving of Paradise.’”
Ibn Mas‘ûd d reports that the Holy Prophet once said: “He who recites the most salawât upon me, he is dearest to me,
and him I love the most.”
And he k said: “Whoever recites one hundred salawât for me on the day of jum‘a, will be pardoned for his sins, and be they as numerous as the foam upon the waves.”
One day a young man came before the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet asked his close friend and companion Abû Bakr d to give him his place by his side. When the young man had departed, he begged Abû Bakr’s pardon for this, saying, “O
Abû Bakr, forgive me for having given this youth preference over you. There is no one in my community who recites more
salawât upon me than you do, but the salawât which this young man recites is the most lovely I have ever heard.”
They then asked of the Holy Prophet what were the words of the salawât that the young man recited, and the Holy Proph- et told them, “In the morning and in the evening he says:
‘O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family in everyone who blesses him;
O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family in everyone who does not bless him;
O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family, as Thou art pleased to approve for him; O Allah, bless Mukammad and his family,
even as it is meet that he should be blessed.’
Therefore, O Abû Bakr, I asked you to cede the place of hon- our to him.”
– This version of the salawât is also contained in the text of the Dalâ’il al-Khayrât by Jazûlî. –
The Excellence
of the Nation of Mukammad k
n the Day of Judgement all men will be summoned by the names of their prophets. But Allah Almighty will give special honours to the nation of Mukammad k
alone, by summoning them as His friends, when He calls call-
ing to them “Yâ awliyâ’ya, O My intimate Friends!”
All Praise and thanks be to Allah for all that has been and all that is to come, peace and blessings be upon His chosen Prophet, Mukammad Mus†afā, and blessings of Allah be upon all believers! Âmîn, Âmîn, Âmîn.
Wa min Allâh at-tawfîq
Special Prayers and Recitals During the Holy Months
Rajab
Daily:
2500 Istaghfiru llâh
1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
Throughout the month:
30 pairs of two raka‘ât: after the Fâtiªa
one recites Qul yâ ayyuhâ l-kâfirûn (Sûra 109), followed by three Ikhlâs (Qul hû ..., Sûra 112)
16,000 Yâ La†îf – The Subtle One 1st – 10th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-ªayy al-qayyûm
Glory be to Allāh, the Ever Living One, the Self-Existing One
11th – 20th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-aªad al-samad
Glory be to Allāh, the One, the Satisfier of All Needs
21st – 30th of Rajab:
100 Subªâna llâh al-ra’ûf
Glory be to Allāh, the Clement
Daily:
Daily:
Sha‘bān
100 Istaghfiru llâh
2500 Allâhumma salli ‘ala Muªammadin wa ‘ala âli Muªammadin wa sallim
1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
Ramadān
1000 Qul hû (Sûra 112) 1000 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh
100 Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, Muªammadu r-rasûlu llâh
s he ikh nâ|im al-qubrûsî
RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION
FOR EVERY MUSLIM
84 pages, softcover, thread sewn
isbn 978–9963–40–122–2
Original title:
Her Müslümanın Bilmesi Gereken Din Dersleri
Translated from Turkish into English by Radhia Shukrullâh
This book is the only one that
bring benefit to those searching for
Mawlana Sheikh Nazim ق actually wrote himself. First published 1958 in Turkish language, it was meant “to remind the Turks and the Cyp- riots both of their religious duties and their Ottoman heritage. The book contains basic information that every Muslim should know. It was intended for everyone so he wrote it in a language that is clear and easy to understand. In 2012 Mawlana gave it to us to repub- lish and, following his advice, we were handing it out to the Turkish speaking people who came wanting to learn more about their religion. Since then I have seen the need to also have something for the people coming from the West, especially in this time when there is so much misinformation, and when so many sources professing Islam are unre- liable. It came to my mind to have this book translated into English to serve this purpose.
May Allah fulfill Mawlana’s inten-
tion that this book serve Islam and
the straight way.” (from the Preface by Mehmet Nazim Adil)
M ain Subjects:
book one: faith (Belief in Allah, the Angels, the Holy Scriptures, the Prophets, the Last Day, Destiny; The Religion of Islam)
book two: the essentials of being a muslim (About Cleanliness, Prayer, Fasting, Alms, Pilgrimage)
book three: the founda-
tions of islam (The Fifty-Four fard Requirements, Animal Sacrifice, Blessed Days and Nights, The Holy Prophet k) *
The noble Prophet, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, left the religion of Islam for his nation. And we should know:
„Faith in Allah is the greatest source of strength for us, and an inexhaustible powerhouse.”
t i t l e s
a t s p o h r
p u b l i s h e r s
DAWRIYA:
KEEPING COMPANY WITH A SAINT
by N abil Ibrahim
160 pages, paperback, 2016
isbn 978–9963–40–124–6
“Mawlana Sheikh Nazim
Extract from the text:
Al-Haqqani moved from this
“Mawlana was told about the sto-
world to the next on Wednesday the 7th of May, 2014, the 8th of Rajab, 1435 AH. This event left most of us simply speechless, struck dumb, stunned and tearless, in the depths of our loss. Nabil, however, found the voice to speak, the words to express something of the love and gratitude we all feel for an incom- parable Master. And beyond that, he had some really practical advice on how we can adjust to our new reality, advice about the right atti- tude with which to face the future. To put it simply, the Sheikh is not dead, keep your eyes on the Sheikh. Nabil’s memories, his understan- dings are, of course, inimitably his. When you read these articles you see the world through his eyes. This is Nabil’s picture of a Saint whose greatest miracle was being able to be everything to everyone. However perceptive, this is only a piece of the puzzle to which each one of us is in possession of a different piece. But the love he so powerfully gives voice to, is ours, all of ours, the same. [...] We are left with this book – a tribute both to the Master and to the mu- rid.” (Karima Sperling, Editor)
ry of Sidi ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani. Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qadir was asked, ‘Who is the qu†bu l-waqt – the Pole of the time?’
من هو قطب الوقت؟
man huwa qu†bu l-waqt?
He replied: ‘You go to a dergah and find that the sheikh and his follow- ers are at peace and everything is in order and organized. There you can kiss the sheikh’s hand for bless- ings and go on your way. Howev- er, you reach another dergah and find everything upside down. The sheikh is shouting at his murids, the followers are testing each other constantly in a rough manner, there is no clear or apparent order, and you can’t find any system to follow because everything is constantly changing. Then, and only then, make sure you take bay‘a, give your oath of allegiance to that sheikh, for he is the Pole of the time.’
Mawlana used to laugh hearing
this story being told by Sheikh Baha- uddin. Anyone who has come to visit Mawlana will see some similarity between this story and their personal experience during their visit [...]”
w w w . s p o h r - p u b l i s h e r s . c o m
S he ikh Nâ|im
Islam. The Freedom To Serve Subats, Aphorisms and Stories Compiled by ‘Abd el-Jalil Stelzer, 94 p., (1997), 2nd ed. 2015
isbn 978–9963–40–15–7
«We ask to be no-one and nothing, For, as long as we are someone, we are not complete.»
For many years this has been one of the favourite editions of talks held by Mawlana Sheikh Nazim Efendi to an English-speaking audi- ence.
Abdullah ad-Daghistani
Mercy Oceans (II)
The Teachings of Mvl. Abdullah Ad-Daghistani An-Naqshbandi ق 224 p., 2008
isbn 978–9963–40–001–0
‘I accepted Grandsheikh as Allah Almighty ordered in Qur’ān: “Follow in the path of him who has turned to Me with love.” I left all my “knowledge”, and intended to follow
his way to Allah Almighty.’ (Sheikh
Nazim Ef.)
THE FORTY QUESTIONS
Prophet Muªammad’s k Response to the Jews of Medina
Compiled from traditional sources by M awlânâ Firâqî Restored from an old Ottoman source by Óajjah Âminah ‘Âdil 144 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–113–0
The beautiful and astonish- ing stories lead to a profound un- derstanding of the power of Allāh
Almighty, His will and compassion which He bestows upon His crea- tion.
Imâm al-Ghazâlî
Mukhtasar
The Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn as abriged by himself
Translated from the Arabic, and annotated by Marwan Khalaf
Hardcover, 480 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–051–5
The Shaykh and Imam, the Proof of Islam, Abû Óâmid Muªammad ibn Muªammad al-Ghazâlî ق stated: ‘... I missed, in some of my travels, a facility for extracting from the Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn its essences, due to the difficulty of carrying it around with me, on account of its bulk. Hence I tackled this matter, seeking success and guidance from God and praising His Prophet. It consists of forty chap- ters. – And God guides to the truth.’ First readers’ comments:
«I am very happy with this book!» (Meh- met Nazim Adil, Lefke, Cyprus)
– ‘I am overwhelmed by the beauty and the importance of this book.’ (Ibrahim Tahir, Singapore)
A MUSLIM
ON THE THRONE OF
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. THE STORY OF FREDERICK II OF HOHENSTAUFEN
A Collection of Essays about a
little known Part of European His- tory. Compiled and edited by
S alim E. Spohr
40 p., 2013
isbn 978–9963–40–114–7
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6043