The Inner Hajj – Circumambulation of the Heart
From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi.
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, 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.
Atiullah wa atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum. Always a reminder for myself, ana abdukal ‘ajeez, wa dayeef, wa miskin, wa zhalim, wa jahl, and but for the grace of Allah (AJ) that we’re still in existence.
InshaAllah Allah (AJ) dress us from this holy month of Dhul Hijjah and the holy month of hajj (pilgrimage) and all its blessings and that Allah (AJ) perfect our faith and complete His favours upon our soul and upon our reality from “Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum.”
أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُم… ﴿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)
Begin the Sacred Journey of Lifelong Hijrah to the Heart
Always a reminder for myself ana abdukal ‘ajeezu, dayfeeu, miskinu, zhalim, wa jahl and but for the grace of Allah’s (AJ) rahmah (mercy) that we’re still in existence. The… your mics are on… they pick up that sound. InshaAllah always a reminder – this month of completion that 12 months of migrating towards Divinely Presence and that Allah (AJ) open the month of pilgrimage and the father of faith and the example that we follow throughout the whole hajj rituals – Sayyidina Ibrahim (as). We ask that Allah (AJ) dress us from that reality and bless us from that reality, inshaAllah. That the immensities of these lights and this ni’mat (blessing) and what we talked about the other night is that the hajj on the outside – the physical hajj that we perform in our lifetime. InshaAllah, Allah (AJ) give an opportunity for everybody. And the most important is a lifelong hijrah – a life long pilgrimage to the Divinely Presence that lies within the heart of every human being. And that is the most sacred pilgrimage – that pilgrimage is an eternal dress and eternal elevation for the soul. Those whom Allah (AJ) blessed teaches them the external, and those whom Allah (AJ) has truly blessed and truly guided; there is no guidance except by Allah (AJ), is the one whom Allah (AJ) guides towards their internal hajj and that to understand that the “Qalb al mu’min baitullah”.
قَال رَسُولَ اللَّه ﷺ، قَالْ اللَّه عَزَ وَجَلْ: “ قَلْبَ الْمُؤْمِنْ بَيْتُ الرَّب.” [حَدِيثْ اَلْقُدْسِي]
Qala Rasulallahi ﷺ, Qala Allah (AJ): “Qalb al mu’min baytur rabb.” [Hadith al Qudsi]
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, that Allah (AJ) said: “The heart of the believer is the House of the Lord.” (Holy Hadith)
That to raise themself to a state of belief – the states of iman and faith in which they love Prophet ﷺ more than they love themselves and that their house become the house of Allah (AJ).
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْن مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: ” لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ”. [صَحِيِحْ مُسْلِمْ، حديث ٤٤، واَلْبُخَارِي، كِتَابُ الْإيْمَانْ، حديث ١٥]
‘An Anas ibn Malik (ra) qala, qala Rasulullahi ﷺ “La yuminu ahadukum hatta akona ahabba ilayhi min walidihi wa waladihi wan nasi ajma’yeen.” [Sahih Muslim, Hadith 44, wa Al Bukhari, Kitabul Iman, Hadith 15]
Narrated by Anas son of Malik (ra) that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children, and all mankind.”
[Authentic by Muslim, Hadith 44 & by Al Bukhari, Book of Faith, Hadith 15]
And that’s why they teach all of these realities and these blessings so that this heart of ours to be cleaned, to be washed. Allah (AJ) describes the Ka’bah throughout Holy Qur’an and the house of Allah (AJ) to wash, to purify, to circumambulate.
…أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُود ﴾١٢٥﴿
2:125 – “…An Tahhir baytee liTayifeena, wal ‘Aakifeena, wa ruka’is sujood.” (Surat Al-Baqarah)
“…Purify/Sanctify My House for those who perform Tawwaf (circumambulation) and those who seclude themselves for devotion, and bow and prostrate [in prayer].” (The Cow, 2:125)
What You Circle Is What You Love
We talked, it was probably last year – the reality of circumambulation. When we talked about the… what that which you make tawwaf (circumambulation) around is that what you really are focusing on in life. The haqqaiq (realities) of tawwaf and circumambulation is that when you’re circumambulating, you’re focusing. So, just like when the believer makes a hajj – a physical hajj or umrah, and they begin to make their tawwaf and they say that -everything stopped for them, every thought, every concern, everything of the physical world stops for them and they feel alone with their Lord. Because as they’re making tawwaf their whole focus becomes their relationship with Allah (AJ). And their running is not for dunya (material world). Their running is around the house of Allah (AJ) and what that symbolizes.
So, then our life is that tawwaf and that’s why the turuqs (spiritual paths) have many different ways to teach that. Naqshbandiya is with the knowledges and tafakkur (contemplation). And Sayyidina Jalaluddin Rumi (Q) was about the ‘sama’ (whirling) which was also the tawwaf but in a moving tawwaf around your heart. The… Sayyidina Ahmad ar Rifa’i (Q) was about the hadrah (presence) – was a standing tawwaf in which the focus was the heart. All of the turuqs are teaching the same reality and Allah (AJ) gave them different flavours. So all of them are focusing that this heart of ours is the house of Allah (AJ), is the love of Allah (AJ). And since Allah (AJ) is not on heaven, not on earth but [in] the heart of the believer then Allah (AJ)’s Presence is by the light and the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
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]
Follow the Heart and Whirl in Divine Love
So that the heart becomes filled with this ishq and this love. As a result, these awliyaullah (saints) came by their guidance from Prophet ﷺ to teach – ‘This tawwaf that they’re doing once in a lifetime that we do it all the time.’ So, the Mevlevis (whirling dervishes) they make a tawwaf around themselves and that was the spinning, the whirling – the sama. They spin around the axis of their heart cause all of the turuqs are based on Allah (AJ)in the heart, Ka’bah’s in the heart, the realities in the heart. Instead of running around the black house – the ancient house of Allah (AJ) take your physicality and make your sama. And so with your left leg fixed and your right leg moving – you’re like running around your heart. And then all their teaching was based on that – make your body to run after your heart. This satanic world is running the other way; it’s pivoting on the other foot, right. Satanic world is telling your heart: ‘Run after your dunya’ and that’s why they changed the direction of their clock cause they ran after the body.
Real Guidance Begins When the Heart Leads
So they move to the right – they follow their heart to run around their body, and they force their heart to follow the body desires. And the turuqs come and teach: ‘No, no your body has to run after your heart.’ And that’s why you have to clean the heart and you have to find the guides of the heart because you maybe spinning the wrong way. Most… 99.9 percent of people even they call themself Muslim, they call themself Jewish, they call themself Christian, they call themself whatever they want, 99.99 percent are spinning the wrong way. Even they think they accepted Islam or they accepted deen (religion) and they accepted religion. Shaitan (satan) still has them fooled and they’re running after their dunya, and they force their heart to come along. Some do little bit good; they do some praying, they do some zakah (charity), they do… but they’re struggling. The turuqs when Allah (AJ) really wants somebody to be guided that’s why Allah (AJ) what we say in Jum’ah? “La hadanAllah, nahtade lawla an hadanAllah” – there is no except if Allah (AJ) guides you.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّه ٤٣﴾
7:43 – “…Alhamdulillahi al ladhee hadana lihadha wa ma kunna linahtadiya lawla an hadana Allahu …”(Surat Al-A’raf)
“…Praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this [joy and happiness]; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us…” (The Heights, 7:43)
So, many people say, ‘Oh, I came to Islam.’ Yeah, this is just a hello version – this you just said ‘hello’. Guidance is when Allah (AJ) really, truly wants to guide you towards His realities and sends you a guide from – “Atiullah atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum” Allah (AJ) brings all of Qur’an to life for that servant.
أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُم… ﴿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)
Anchor Your Heart, and Let Your Life Revolve Around Divine Love
And as a result of following these guides they immediately switch the servant. Say, ‘Your left foot remain in place,’ means that – plant your heart firmly as if you got a nail and hammered your left foot into the ground. That left foot doesn’t move and every choice you make in life is going to be based on that left foot not moving. So, you’re going to make a move, is this good for your heart? If it’s not, is not going to make the move. You’re going to do this work, is it good for your heart? So, everything they’re teaching is that sama – is that reality, is that hadrah, is that tafakkur because Naqshbandiya comes and teaches the same, it’s like the sama.
But instead of us moving, all day long you’re ‘wuquf’ – you’re vigilant over your heart. You’re vigilant over your heart and meditate, contemplate that my heart has to be at peace. Is what I’m doing bringing peace to my heart and a serenity to my heart? Or am I forcing my heart to do things it doesn’t want to do, and I’m dragging it along on a journey? Means now I’m spinning in a different orbit and that’s why it’s difficult for people to come to a shaykh, it’s difficult for people to listen to a shaykh, it’s difficult for people to even try to respect a shaykh. Cause shaitan is continuously trying to flip them like a little spin in the other direction.
Live Each Moment as Tawwaf, Centered on Divine Love
The turuqs are coming and teaching this 12 months we’ve been making a hajj and a hijrah and they’ve been teaching us – ‘Your left foot solid – istiqam (firm) into the ground because it runs the line of your heart and everything about you is to be your heart – focus on your heart, meditate on your heart, make your connection with your heart, and every choice you move is around your heart. You give because it’s good for your heart. You serve because it’s good for your heart. You attend because it’s good for the heart. You love because it’s good for the heart. So, everything is about that circumambulation.
So we’re not going for hajj only once. That’s why we said when Muharram started shaykh made intention for everyone that, “Ya Rabbi we are intending ‘Labbaik, Allahumma Labbaik’ (O My Lord, here I am at your service) – that we heard Your call and that we’re coming.” This 12 months of journeying and all its tajallis (manifestations) and all its difficulties and all its test and trials was a continuous sama – a continuous tawwaf, a continuous muraqabah (spiritual connection) on our heart. That Ya Rabbi we’re vigilant over the heart, we washing of the heart. We understood that when you want your heart to be protected recite Surat al-Fil cause Ashab al Fil (People of the elephant) that Allah (AJ) will send Ababeel (birds) – will send the angels to defend his heart that is filled with His love and the heart that’s filled with the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Say, “I defended that heart and I’m always The Defender of My hearts.” That’s why Allah (AJ) says, “I’m the Wali (Protector) and I’m the Wali of My lovers – of my awliya. I’m The One Who defends them.”
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّور ﴿ ٢٥٧ ﴾
2:257 – “Allahu waliyyul ladheena Amano yukhrijuhum minazh Zhulumati ilan Noori…” (Surat Al-Baqarah)
“Allah is the Protector of those who Believe: bringing them out from the depth of darknesses into the light.” (The Cow, 2:257)
Walk the Saintly Path with an Imperfect Heart, Seeking Divine Grace
So, when the heart is made with that love, filled with that love Allah (AJ) is The Defender of that heart means then everything when we enter into Dhul Hajj then it’s asking for that meditation, that contemplation that – Ya Rabbi Labbaik (Here I am). You called and we’re coming Ya Rabbi. We’re coming all crippled and sick and bad character; bad actions and we’re asking that You dress us and bless us that You complete Your favours upon us. And that all our 12 months has been the focus of this heart. The levels of the heart is about the house of Allah (AJ). What’s inside this house? When we say that the “Qalbil mu’min baitullah” – inside this heart has to be the love of all the angels, love of all the Prophets, love of all the Ahlul Bayt (Family of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ), love of all Ashab an Nabi ﷺ (Companions of Prophet ﷺ), love of all of all that Allah (AJ) loves has to be filled into that heart.
Then the good character has to be emanating from the heart to the best of everyone’s ability. Nobody is supposed to think themself to be saintly. It wasn’t about thinking that you’re a saint but was taking a path of saints. We take the path of awliyaullah whom their darajat (spiritual rank) and station’s very high. We take that as our example – Ya Rabbi that we’re moving on a saintly path filled with imperfections and bad character, and we pray that You forgive us and that You dress us and that You forgive the sins in the past and sins that will be coming into the future that you fix this “Sirat al Mustaqim” (straight path) – which is the path of the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ for us.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيم ﴾٦﴿
1:6 – “Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem” (Surat Al-Fatiha)
“Guide us to the straight path” (The Opener, 1:6)
Enter the Circle of Presence and Stand Firm in Divine Connection
So, means that all the turuqs were teaching that. Sayyidina Ahmad ar Rafa’i (Q) was teaching the standing of the Ka’bah that teaching the students that – that heart that you’re focusing in hadrat an Nabi ﷺ (presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ) – all the same realities. Was teaching his students that: that Ka’bah its presence is Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and if we all stand around in a circle, around that presence… That’s the… ‘Hadrah’ means ‘presence’ – that’s the presence of the Divinely Presence, that’s the Presence of the oceans of power. And then taught the students that when they go back to their sessions, when they would stand up and begin their hadrah means their presence, they were asking for the presence of Prophet ﷺ.
Call Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to Witness Divine Presence and Light
So, all their salawats (praises upon Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ) and their standing positions and the Qadiris and Rafa’is and all of their teachings of the standing hadrah was the same as the sama – was same as the muraqabah (spiritual connection). That if you want Allah’s (AJ) attention, you want Allah’s (AJ) Presence whom do you have to call to receive Allah’s (AJ) Presence? Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ that by calling the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ – you call upon Allah’s (AJ) Divinely Presence. If that holy soul comes to be present then know with all your heart and soul – Allah (AJ) is present. Wherever Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ goes Allah (AJ) is present so that the hadrat an Nabi and their ihtiram (respect) and their standing was for the presence and the holy presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. And they’re bowing in respect and rising, they’re bowing in respect and rising… the presence of the king of all kings. The king in which carries The Creator of all created universes within his heart as a treasure and a trust. One that he carries the perfection of the light of Allah (AJ) and Allah (AJ) allows Himself to be carried by nur ul Muhammad ﷺ (light of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ) because of its purity and because of its sanctity.
Live a Lifelong Hajj Guided by the Light of Love
As a result, all of this was about the circumference. So, with somebody may do once in their lifetime, when Allah (AJ) guides a servant – everyday, and at least three times a week they’re making their hajj, their making their circumambulation. They’re teaching that their focus on the Ka’bah, their focus on the heart, their focus on the… on the one who can bring victory into their heart and bring the presence of Allah (AJ) is the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and that there’s no way for us to want to even go for a hijrah (migration) without the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. Means all of the adabs (manners) that they’ve taught is that they’ve said from the beginning of the year that – ‘Ya Rabbi bring us into the light, into the love and into the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and that he be our guide into Your Divinely Presence, and the he be the one that is a huda – is a guidance for us, is a light for us, is a ‘Alim (all knowing) and a teacher for us. And that he illuminate our way and elevate our status, dress us, purify us and clean us.’ When you then enter Dhul Hajj then what could be more beautiful than entering with the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and the teachings of Prophet ﷺ that, ‘You’ll be with whom you love.’
“عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْه ُ: … فَقَالَ (رَسُولُ اللهِ) ﷺ: ” أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ.
اَلْمَصْدَرْ: مُسْلِم[ ٧٥٢٠]
‘An Anasin (ra): … Faqala (Rasulullahi) ﷺ: “Anta ma’a man ahbabta.”
Narrated Anas ibn Malik (ra) that …the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “You will be with whom you love.” [Source: Muslim 7520]
Let Love Lead the Way Allowing Actions to Flow From the Heart
That this path is only based on love. It’s not based on – ‘do this, do that, do this, do that.’ But everything is based on muhabbat and love. You can give and do things without love but you cannot love something without doing and giving. Means that they taught us from day one of Muharram this is all about love and muhabbat. When this love and this muhabbat grows and grows and grows within the heart and locked within the heart of the believer everything you do at this point is based on love. You pray with love because you have a love in your heart – you pray and the intention of that salah (prayer) was based on muhabbat (love) and Allah (AJ) won’t judge it. When you have this love in the heart and you give, Allah (AJ) doesn’t judge the giving because it was done from love – it wasn’t done through the aqel (intellect), it wasn’t done with an intention for reward. That’s why they say the niyyat and the intention at the beginning of this journey was muhabbat and ishq. ‘Ya Rabbi I love You; I love Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ because of that love I want You to be happy with me. Ya Rabbi grant my salah under Your muhabbat and Your ishq. Grant my zakah under Your muhabbat and Your ishq. Grant my khidmat (service) and my actions under Your muhabbat and Your ishq.’
Seek the Garden Where Love Heals and Leads to the Divine Presence
With the ocean of muhabbat and love there is nothing to judge. With muhabbat and ishq Allah (AJ) inshaAllah, feel the pity for a servant who comes poor to His door. That they came with love that they fell short in their actions. Like any father when their children have a love but they’re not able to accomplish, any father will pick up their child and fix them, clean them and perfect them just out of their God given love. Imagine then The Creator of love. This is not a lust that they’re talking, they’re talking about a love for Allah (AJ)’s Divinely Presence, a love for the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ that opens every love – love of companions, love of Ahlul Bayt, love awliyaullah. Because of that love we sought the company of awliya and shaykhs and teachers that would teach us about that garden. That would remind us about the garden and that would make us feel that we’re always in that garden.
Embrace Love and Rise into the Light of Spiritual Perfection
While the rest of the world is like a burning jungle, this ishq and this love and muhabbat makes for us like we’re in a garden in the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. With that love and with that ishq then how Allah (AJ) going to judge? Is to dress and to perfect. So, alhamdulillah, that the opening of the lights of Dhul Hijjah and the blessings of these lights and the immensity of the blessings of faith and the perfection of Islam, the body iman (faith), the soul maqam ul ihsan (station of perfection) the Divinely Presence within the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us, bless us, ourselves, our families, our children, our communities. And all those who falling short of their faith and their actions that Allah (AJ) attach them to us and ourselves, and by the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ to reach them and intercede for them and bring him… bring them under his intercession, inshaAllah.
Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.
Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.
Original Date of Suhbah: July 10, 2021
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- The Youthful Innocence of Ismail (as) and To be Rabbaniyun
- Realities of The Circle and Secrets of Hajj and The Womb
- How Dajjal Will Enchant Many Muslims to Believe He is Divine
- How Does Hajj Relate to Spiritual Growth?
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