
The Pinnacle of Prayer is Found in Prostration
From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi.
A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the rejected one
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘aalameen, was salaatu was salaamu ‘alaa Ashrafil Mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadul Mustafa ﷺ. Madad ya Sayyidi ya Rasulul Kareem, Ya Habibul ‘Azeem, unzur halana wa ishfa’lana, ‘abidona bi madadikum wa nazarekum.
“Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum.”
أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ… ﴿٥٩…
4:59 – “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat An-Nisa)
“… Obey Allah, Obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…” (The Women, 4:59)
The Height of Spiritual Hajj is ‘Arafah
Always a reminder for myself that Ya Rabbi, ana abdukal ‘ajeez, wa dayeef, wa miskin, wa zhalim, wa jahl, and but for the grace of Allah (AJ) that we are still in existence. Allah’s (AJ) infinite rahmah (mercy), inshaAllah, to dress us, bless us, and continuously forgive us. “Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem,” a reminder always for myself that the secret of Hajj is in ‘Arafah.
The pinnacle of your year; the height of the year is to reach towards the Hajj and make every intention, ‘Ya Rabbi, let me, I’m making intention to go for Hajj and to be dressed from the reality of the hujjaj (pilgrims) and those whom are making the physical Hajj, but always to be at the spiritual Hajj.’ And the height of that spiritual Hajj is ‘Arafah. It means you’re going deeper now into the secret of that reality and immense blessings of that ‘Arafah is in the qurban (sacrifice). What that qurban, when Allah (AJ) describes, ‘It’s a tremendous ransom’ and what type of difficulty it takes away from where we fell short from what Allah (AJ) had wanted for us.
وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿١٠٧
37:107 – “Wa fadainaahu bizibhin ‘azeem” (Surat As-Saffat)
“And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice” (Those Who Set the Ranks, 37:107)
The Greatest Gift You Can Present to Allah (AJ) is to Return Your Free Will
Allah (AJ) wants the best for His creation but they follow their desires because of free will that Allah (AJ) has given as a gift to us. Free will – that separates us from the animal kingdom. That’s why awliyaullah (saints) come into our lives and teach the greatest gift that you can give to Allah (AJ) is, ‘Return the free will.’ When we take a path in which to return our free will we’re entering into the oceans of itiba’ (obedience) – Wajib at Taqlid (obligation to follow). For Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah (People of Prophetic Tradition and of the Majority), they call Wajib at Taqlid – it’s wajib it’s mandatory to be following. Not to be drifting as driftwood by yourself anywhere in this creation but to be following and the best of following is “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…”
أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ… ﴿٥٩…
4:59 – “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat An-Nisa)
“… Obey Allah, Obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…” (The Women, 4:59)
Understand the Reflective Reality:
Allah (AJ) → Prophet ﷺ → Ulul Amr (Saints)
That, Allah (AJ) is Supreme to be obeyed and that obedience of Allah (AJ) is only in the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. From amongst all the Rasuls (as) (messengers) Prophet ﷺ is the one whom accomplished that reality to the highest perfection. Then from that obedience and the holy heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is Ulul Amr.
In the categories of Ulul Amr – Budala, Nujab, Nuqab, Awtad wal Akhyar, wa Jinn (unseen beings) wa malaika (angels). All of them are considered Ulul Amr because they take the amr (command) and disseminate the command from Allah (AJ) through Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. That’s why that is a continuous rope of our life – it’s understanding in its mentioning that everything is flowing. This is real tawheed (oneness)! Everything is always flowing from Allah (AJ) into the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ – nothing’s outside of that for us. No way to reach what Allah (AJ) wants except through what has come through the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Dispatches Allah’s (AJ) Command Through Ulul Amr
Prophet’s ﷺ then rahmah and mercy is then this dispatching through Ulul Amr. They hear the command of the meem – because the alif to the meem to the ra (alif → meem → ra). So they are the Masters of that reality and Allah (AJ) make them to be Rabbaniyoon (Lordly Souls) because they carry the command from the alif that flows through the meem of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and they become the ra and rabbaniyoon. It means that immense reality is the secret of Hajj and one year’s pilgrimage. That, to go up and sacrifice our bad character, sacrifice all our wants and our desires and every year to be closer that, ‘Ya Rabbi, I want to submit my will back.’ Then you have to join the caravan, the caravan of the asir – the captives.
The Journey Towards Real Guidance:
Join The Caravan of Captives
Surrender Your Will!
That, the beginning of the journey and the reminder of the journey is that we fell in a well and that well was Allah (AJ) throwing us into this well of difficulty and testing. When Allah (AJ) want to guide the servant it’s a guidance towards, ‘Surrendering your will so that you can become the people whom are captive.’ These are all symbolisms. That, ‘I tie myself to not have my desire, tie my feet not to take me where I want to go, but as captive and to be fed from Allah’s (AJ) table.’ Where Allah (AJ) then describes the table of Allah (AJ).
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- They’re yateem – that they’re orphaned because they have nowhere to go.
- They’re poor – miskeen. It means that they consider themselves in Allah’s (AJ) way as having nothing.
That, whatever they have of life they know it’s nothing in Allah’s (AJ) Divinely Presence.
Live a Life of Obedience to the Guides
When someone asked in the email that, ‘What is dunya (material world) and do we give everything away and is everything to be walked away from dunya?’ Say, no! Sayyidina Umar Farooq (as) described that, ‘Dunya is, either you’re chasing it or it’s chasing you. You’re a slave to dunya or dunya is slave to you.’ So this category of miskeen (poor), because this is all their teachings. Yateem (orphan) – that cut off all the friends you think you know, cut off everything that’s taking you in directions that is not this way of surrendering the will.
You can’t surrender to yourself – your will – because you would be playing a joke on yourself. The other cousins when they want to give donation they get their money and they go like this [Shaykh refers to throwing it in the air] and ask Allah (AJ), ‘Whatever you want, take it.’ It comes back down they put it in their pocket [Shaykh laughs] and say, ‘Allah (AJ) didn’t want anything.’ Astaghfirullah. They’re playing all these games with Allah (AJ). So no, you can’t surrender your will to yourself because you’re still in your will; that’s why we started with itiba’ (obedience)’. Say, ‘I have to find one of these Ulul Amr and live a life of listening to their guidance, their direction, their teaching so that it’s not my will but it’s Your Will through these Ulul Amr.’
Allah (AJ) Must Be the Sole Authority Over Your Heart
That’s when Allah (AJ) described in all His holy books, ‘Thy Kingdom come Thy Will, will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.’ Every holy book has this du’a (supplication). The Kingdom of Allah’s (AJ) coming means He’s opening into the heart, His Kingdom, His malakut (heavens). There can be no man with two hearts where he is King to his one heart and he’s saying, ‘Oh my heart also, Allah’s (AJ) Kingdom is going to be the King.’ Allah (AJ) said, ‘No man has two hearts.’ This one qalb (heart) you have, Allah (AJ) must be the authority.
مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّـهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ ۚ … ﴿٤
33:4 – “Ma jaAAala Allahu lirajulin min qalbayni fee jawfihi…” (Surat al-Ahzab)
“Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior…” (The Allies, 33:4)
Fill Your Heart With the Love of Prophet ﷺ and You’ll Be Dressed With the Kingdom of Allah (AJ)
Allah (AJ), how you know when Allah (AJ) is the authority on your heart, is that you’ve been overtaken with the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ! Not when you’re thinking you’re speaking on Allah’s (AJ) behalf – this was the aqidah (belief) of shaitan (satan). That’s when you know your two are different! The aqidah of shaitan said, ‘Nothing but Allah (AJ), I don’t accept Bani Adam (children of Adam).’ So everything is Allah (AJ), Allah (AJ), Allah (AJ). Speaking on Allah’s (AJ) behalf – this was the aqidah of shaitan. Aqidah of Rahman (The Most Merciful) is to know that when you’re overtaken with the Kingdom of Allah (AJ), you’re actually filled with the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. As a result of that ishq and love you have been dressed with the love of Allah (AJ), “Qul in kuntum tuhibbon Allaha fattabi’oni, yuhbibkumullahu.”
قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّوْنَ اللَّـهَ فَاتَّبِعُوْنِيْ يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّـهُ … ﴿٣١﴾
3:31 – “Qul in kuntum tuhibbon Allaha fattabi’oni, yuhbibkumullahu…” (Surat Ali-Imran)
“Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you …” (Family of Imran, 3:31)
Accompany the Ulul Amr Who Eat From the Divinely Table
That, if your entire being – wujud (existence), is to be following the way of Prophet ﷺ, that you’re giving your love to your ears, to your eyes, to your breath, your hands, and your feet, you’re walking love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. It doesn’t mean you’re perfected because everybody is making mistakes – this is dunya. Perfection only for the Prophets (as)! But that we’re taking a path in which to fill ourselves with that love. For if we have the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ filling our being, then know you are filled with the love of Allah (AJ). So then we spent our life to find these Ulul Amr that, ‘I want to surrender my biggest gift.’ We did the money, we did the time, we did everything, ‘Ya Rabbi, I’m coming to surrender my will so that I can be from this category whom eat from Your Divinely Table.’
What is The Divinely Table?
So we say, what is eating from The Table? We talked before it’s not a kabob from light. Allah (AJ) is going to send you buffet all with lights. ‘I want some kabobs.’ Put some sumac because it was also a defense against these difficulties, we put sumac on there [Shaykh laughs]. The Table of Lights is Allah’s (AJ) Divinely Lights and Knowledges. That, ‘I’m going to have you eat from My Table of Heaven.’
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- You’re orphan – you don’t know the people that you knew before. You’re a stranger in a world that surrounds you.
- You’re miskeen – you don’t have the same desires of conquering the Earth. You find yourself to be poor amongst these people of dunya who love dunya so intensely. You sit with them, they mock you that, ‘Why aren’t you trying to conquer everything?’
- Then to become an asir and captive that, ‘I have tied my way to a way into this reality. I kept the fellowship of those whom want to reach that reality.’
It means this is every Muharram we step with our right foot that, ‘Ya Rabbi, we’re asking to reach towards that Kingdom and that reality. Reach to an ocean in which we submit our desires our wants and to be dressed by these lights and to be dressed and blessed by these realities.’ That, Allah (AJ) to give to His servant immense realities that can’t be imagined.
Secret of Salah is the Sujood (Prostration)
The Key Conflict Between Allah (AJ) and Insan (Mankind) is the Head
As Muharram starts, the reality for us when they were asking about salah (daily prayer) and the apex of salah. The apex of salah is your sujood. The apex of our salah and the secret of our salah is in the sujood. Because every action has a reality, it’s the sujood that everybody begins to leave. For us it’s immense reality that when insan (mankind) is asking to surrender themselves and what is a conflict between us and Allah (AJ)? It is the head and the maghz (brain)! You’re a creation using your head to find the heavens and Allah (AJ) says, ‘I’m not in heaven not on earth but I’m on the heart of My believer.’
“. عَنْ وَهَبِ بِنْ مُنَبِّهْ، قَال رَسُولَ اللَّه ﷺ، قَالْ اللَّه عَزَ وَجَلْ: “ مَا وَسِعَنِيْ لَا سَمَائِيْ وَلَا اَرْضِيْ وَلَكِنْ وَسِعَنِيْ قَلْبِ عَبْدِيْ اَلْمُؤْمِنْ
[حَدِيثْ اَلْقُدْسِي – اَلْغَزَالِي فِي اَلْإحْيَاء، وَ اِبنِ عَرَبِي فِي اَلْتَرَاجِمْ، صفحه ٢٢٤]
‘An Wahab ibn Munabbeh, Qala Rasulallahi ﷺ, Qala Allah (AJ): “Maa wasi’anee laa samayee, wa la ardee, laakin wasi’anee qalbi ‘Abdi al Mu’min.” [Hadith al Qudsi, Al Ghazali fi al Ihyaa, wa Ibn ‘Arabi fi al Tarajim, Safha 224]
Narrated by Wahab the son of Munabbeh that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, that Allah (AJ) said: “Neither My Heavens nor My Earth can contain Me, but the heart of my Believing Servant.” [Holy Hadith, by Imam al-Ghazali in Al Ihya, and by Ibn ‘Arabi in al Tarajib, Page 224]
Put Down the Head and Raise the Heart
So our life was to raise the heart and lower the head. The power of sujood is to show that to Allah (AJ). ‘Ya Rabbi, I don’t know whatever cleverness You gave to me in life, it’s nothing in Your Presence and I humbly submit myself to the best of my ability, Ya Rabbi, and I put my head to the ground. That, the donkey of mine that commits every type of difficulty and badness. Ya Rabbi, I’m nothing I’m nothing.’ This is the dearest form of prayer to Allah (AJ). People think the secret of salah is to make du’a. No, the du’a is for you, the sujood was for Allah (AJ). The du’a was what you wanted, the sujood was for Allah (AJ) to show, ‘I’m nothing Ya Rabbi! Whatever You bestow upon me I am Your slave and servant.’ When I put my head to the ground my heart is at the highest point.
The Soul is in Submission to Allah (AJ) During Prostration
When I put my head to the ground my soul freely sits up and shows Allah (AJ), ‘I’m riding this insan.’ When that insan (human being) has no ability to make sujood – we’re not talking about ‘sick’, so you know 50 emails of people who are sick; even when we have arthritis in our knees, after the salah make sujood – go lie down to the floor and put your face on the floor. You don’t have to go back in attahiyat on your knees if they don’t work; just lie on the floor and make your face onto the floor. But what’s dear to Allah (AJ) is that, ‘Whatever You bestow upon me, I’m nothing, Ya Rabbi – my head to the ground, my heart is at its highest,’ and my soul is showing Allah (AJ) that this insan is submitting to Your Heavenly Kingdom. ‘My Kingdom come and Your Will, will be done on this Earth.
You Can’t Reach Heavens Without Putting Your Donkey Down
‘I’m asking You, Ya Rabbi, grant me to be Your servant – Your real servant, Your sincere servant.’ Because you’re showing The King like a warrior for Allah (AJ) that, ‘Look, the donkey You gave me he’s down and I am victorious and riding him.’ So all those who think they are with the Heaven of Allah (AJ), can you bring your donkey down? So one cousin group they say, ‘No, we pray standing.’ Shame on you that your donkey is so strong that it rides you and says, ‘Not for a thousand years will I put my head down.’ They pray like this all day long [Shaykh shows person standing up and praying with hands up].
Sujood is an Immense Grounding for Negative Energy
They gave to Sayyidina Isa (as), they gave to every Prophet (as) the same – sujood, ‘Tell your nation to bow down!’ They don’t care about your knees on the ground they don’t care about your feet on the ground. ‘Put your face to the ground and show the immense, immense majestic power of Allah (AJ).’ That, you are nothing in the presence of His Might and His Majesty. As a result, you gain God’s satisfaction and happiness in your sujood. And as a result of God’s satisfaction and happiness He takes away every type of negativity in your sujood.
So then it is an immense grounding for those who are studying energy. When they want to ground themselves, because of God’s satisfaction, because of Allah’s (AJ) satisfaction, in the action of bowing down Allah (AJ) makes the Earth to be a grounding for insan and pull every type of negativity from them in the process of that sujood.
Prostration Reflects Your Humbleness Towards Allah (AJ)
Then the other cousins that think they’re very clever they understood that there is a blessing in sujood so, ‘Why don’t we just bring the ground to us?’ They tie something up here [Shaykh points to forehead] and they walk around with the ground onto their head because they don’t want to bow down! Yeah, so they tie it and they put the ground here [Shaykh indicates forehead] and say that, ‘We’ll just carry the ground with us in our prayers.’ It’s just trying to be clever with Allah (AJ). But everybody was ordered the sujood, you can’t tie the sujood to your head and you can’t stand up asking Allah (AJ), you’re missing the immense blessing and power that Allah (AJ) want to bestow upon His creation that, ‘Everything that I want to give to you, humble yourself before Me.’
You Can’t Greet the King from Above!
That’s why when we watch all these movies of kings and kingdoms it was always a sign for us that, ‘Humble yourself before the presence of the king.’ How much they even had adab (manners) that when they would go to visit a king they would never greet from high but they would come down to greet the king, and that the king would greet from high and the people would greet from low. Every action was important to the king; you would watch from old movies of kingdoms. It means you wouldn’t stand up on the stairway and a king coming down like this and from above you say, ‘Hi, how are you?’ You come down to be at that presence and you greet their face, not from above – they made an effort to come down and they greeted to the face. The king can be up and greet everybody from above. All these ihtiram (respect) were what we call tashrif (honour); there was a protocol on the kingdom.
Demon-ocracy Fills the Heart With Darkness
But democracy ruined it and made, ‘Demon-ocracy.’ Everybody is just demons! Everybody says, ‘We’re all just equal, we don’t have to bow down to anything or anyone.’ That becomes then every type of bad characteristic and when they don’t make sujood Allah (AJ) does not take the negativity away. When the negativity doesn’t go, the person becomes more and more distant, more and more filled with negative energy, and then their heart becomes darkened.
Du’a is For You, Sujood is for Allah (AJ)
So it means the pinnacle of our prayers, the secret of our salah is not in the du’a. The du’a was for you, the sujood was for Allah (AJ). That becomes the immense blessings in which to take every difficulty away – every communication with our Lord is most powerful in sujood because it’s the most humbling position in which to talk to Allah (AJ). As soon as you want to make a request, as soon as you want to pray, as soon as you want something from Allah (AJ), ‘Ya Rabbi, bi izzatika sajdatan, wa bi qismatika radhiyan. I’m submitting to Your immense power and I’m rida; I’m satisfied with whatever You’ve written for me, but I’m begging a request.’ Now you have the audience of Allah (AJ) Almighty.
Talk to Allah (AJ) Every Morning and Evening Through the Reality of Prostration
We pray that Allah (AJ) open for us more, more understanding. Even those who are coming new, coming new, don’t scare them with too many rules. Mawlana Shaykh (Q) said, ‘Just make two sujoods a day. Talk to Allah (AJ) before your day starts and talk to Allah (AJ) when your day ends. Make your sujood and talk to Allah (AJ), it’s enough.’ That, Allah (AJ) to see this symbol of humility until Allah (AJ) open within your heart to pray more. Our salah and our praying is not in our hands. If Allah (AJ) loves us and calls us He teaches us what to say and how to say it. But if Allah (AJ) doesn’t grant that, there isn’t anyone on Earth can teach you how to call Allah (AJ) – your mouth won’t be able to even mention it. There’s no one on Earth who can teach you how to pray it if Allah (AJ) didn’t want it to happen.
Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.
Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.
Original Date of Suhbah: September 10, 2020
Related Articles:
- Day of ‘Arafah – Realities of Qurban (Sacrifice) for Spiritual Cleansing
- Islamic Prayer Salah & Meditation – Soul is Like a She-Camel
- The Secret is in the Food – Part 2 – They feed 3 Category – Poor, Orphan, Captive – Tafsir 76:8-9
- Grounding Negative Energy – Meditation Q&A
- Say To All Creation, If You Love Allah Follow Muhummad ﷺ Tafsir 3:31
- What to Visualize in Salah? Feel the Presence of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Q&A
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