Meditating Heart: Health Benefits of Meditation

The health benefits of meditation are endless. Research has scientifically proven that meditation is a safe and simple way to balance your physical, emotional, and mental state and its countless values have been known and practiced for thousands of years. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation to cure many stress related illnesses including anxiety, trauma and insomnia. The health benefits of meditation are available to people worldwide.

Everyday most of us experience stress in many different ways and I believe many of us are simply not aware of how much stress we actually hold on to. Normally life threatening situations trigger off the stress response which enables us to act quickly and survive intense situations using less brains and fast reflexes. When our bodies are exposed to a sudden threat we respond with the characteristic fight or flight which is known as an adrenaline rush. When adrenaline and other hormones are released from the adrenal glands the pulse races, the blood pressure increases, our breathing becomes faster and the blood flow to the muscles increases. If we were in extreme danger this would be a good thing. We have inherited this survival response from our ancestors who faced many life threatening situations every day. The same response is now triggered in our daily lives when we are in a traffic hold up or someone irritates us or we break a cup. If we do not confront the situation (and many are beyond our control) we end up being in a permanent state of stress.

One of the most important health benefits of meditation is how it releases stress from our bodies. Meditation practiced regularly will lead you to a deeper level of relaxation and contemplation. If you want to be free of constant worry, pressure and stress meditation can give you a life that is calm, peaceful, happy and relaxed.

Even ten minutes of meditation a day will help alleviate stress.

Some of the health benefits of meditation are:-

Reduces anxiety attacks as it lowers the levels of blood lactate.

Builds self confidence.

Increases serotonin which influences moods and behavior. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, headaches and insomnia.

Enhances energy, strength and vigor.

Helps keep blood pressure normal

Reduces stress and tension

Creates a state of deep relaxation and general feeling of wellbeing

Helps with P.M.T.

Increases concentration and strengthens the mind

Helps reduce heart disease

Helps with weight loss

If you regularly practice meditation you will begin to feel so much calmer and in control. Your ability to concentrate will be far greater. You won’t become stressed about things and you’ll feel more peaceful and relaxed about everything. You’ll simply go with the flow and things that used to irritate you before will become insignificant.

By Hilary Reese (www.project-meditation.org)

Sufi Meditation Muraqabah: Step by Step Illustration

Nurmuhammad

“Tafakkur sa’atin khayrun min ‘ibaadati saba’in sanatin”
- Reflective thinking for one hour is better than 70 years of superogatory worship.

Many of these ancient Sufi masters' writings were only in Arabic and used terms that were complex and unfamiliar to Western people. Such as Taffakur, Tadhakkur, Muraqabah, Muhasabah, Insan Kamel by masters such as Imam Gazalli, Ibn Arabi, Hadrat Abdul Qadir a Gilani all the Saints of the Naqshbandi Sufi Way. This could not be taught without a Master like Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, who began to open these realities in an easily digestible manner for the Western audience. “ The Prophet [s] said, "The Sun would Rise from the west “ That Sun is the Sun of Sayedena Muhammad [s] and the guidance of The Sultan al-Awliya Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani [Q]. The greatness of Mawlana Shaykh is that he offers many flavors for all people and teaches us to Teach Khair - goodness and love. Inna Allah la yandhuru ila suwarikum wa lakin yandhuru ila quloobikum, Verily Allah does not look at your pictures but He looks at your hearts.

The goal and purpose of Sufi Meditation Muraqaba Muraqabah / Meditation / Rabita Sharif is to manifest perpetual presence in the reality of the Shaykh. The more one keeps to this vital practice, the more its benefit will manifest in his daily life to the point that he reaches the state of annihilation in the presence of the Shaykh. One must know well that the Shaykh is the bridge between illusion and reality and he remains in this world only for this purpose. The Shaykh is thus a unique rope extended to any who seek freedom for only he may serve as the link between one still mired in this world and the Divine Presence.

To be annihilated in the presence and reality of the Shaykh is to be annihilated in reality, in the Presence of the Divine, for this is precisely where he is. Sheik Nazim Website //sheiknazim2.com/connectingtosheikh: [Most masters today present the method of meditation to you. But usually they do not base it on Christianity, or Judaism or Islam, so many people think that it is a method which originated within other religions. That is however not the case. Meditation was a method which was already given to the first man, within the first message, to the first Messenger.

What purpose does meditation serve, and how can we reach such a state? It is mentioned in all our Holy Books: the Torah, the Gospels and in the Holy Quran, as a method to reach the Divine Presence. When we come face to face with our Creator, we leave everything else behind. Nothing remains except your soul. Even if I tried to cut you with a sword, you would not be harmed. Nothing can touch you physically in such a state, because your physical body will have entered your spiritual being. Normally it is the opposite: our souls are imprisoned in the physical body. In a perfect state of meditation, your soul covers your physical body and you become a spirit. There was once a Grandsheikh, Sheik Abdul Qadir al Jilani. While he was meditating he kept saying, “I am the truth!” People around him were offended by this utterance and started attacking him with swords, but nothing happened to him. They could not touch him.]
“Obey God, obey the Prophet (s) and obey those charged with authority over you.” (4:59)

Step 1

Feel yourself in presence of the Shaykh
-Give your greetings
-Eyes closed
-See thru Eye of the Heart -Don't look for a face, just his Aura ,Spirituality Converse with the Shaykh, building your relationship with the reality of the Shaykh

All Illustrations by SALIM

Initially the murid may begin the practice of Sufi Meditation Muraqaba Muraqabah for short intervals of 5 to 15 minutes, and gradually work towards longer sessions extending even for hours at a time. The important point is that one maintain a consistent practice to obtain benefit. It is manifold better and wiser to keep to a small amount daily than to be sporadic in one’s discipline and practice. A small amount of effort done consistently will result in tremendous progress in even a short amount of time. Once a Day :

Make fresh wudu and pray 2 raka’.

3x Shahada [ Kalimatu Shahadah (3 times): Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu-lah]

100-200x Istighfar [Astaghfirul lahal `Atheem wa atubu ilayh ]

3x Surah Ikhlas [Qul huwa Allahu ahadun Allahu alssamadu Lam yalid walam yooladu Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahadun ]

Fatiha (read fatiha)]

Minimum 200x seeking support and presence of Mawlana Shaykh (Q): “Madad ya Sayyidi, Madadul-Haq Ya Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Haqqani ” Repeating Dhikr

“Hold tight to the rope of God and do not separate.” (3:103)

Step 2

- Eyes Shut ask for Permission to connect his light to your heart and your light to his heart. Imagine a two way connection and then recite above mantra or awrad

“O ye who believe, be conscious of God
and keep the company with those who are truthful.” (9:119)

When someone sits for Meditation Sufi Meditation Muraqaba and closes the eyes, The person doing Meditation focuses his mind on one single point.
The point in this case is usually the concept of his spiritual mentor, that is, he focuses all his witnessing abilities concentratively in thinking about his spiritual teacher, in order to get the image of his mentor on the mental screen, as long as he remains in the state of Meditation. The properties, characteristics and potentialities related to an image also transfer on the screen of the mind when the image is formed on the mental screen and the mind perceives them accordingly.
For instance, a person is looking at fire. When the image of fire transfers on the mental screen the warmth and heat of the fire is perceived by the mind. A person who is present in a garden enjoys the freshness and coolness of trees and plants present in the garden to create their image on his mental screen. Similarly when image of the spiritual mentor transfers on the screen of mind, the Presented Knowledge which is operative in the spiritual teacher, also transfers with it and the mind of the student gradually assimilates the same.

Make Ghuzul or Wudhu and put on clean clothes if possible. Pray two Rakaats ‘Tahiyatu’l Wudhu’. Then sit down in a silent private place and face the Qiblah. Close your eyes and try to stop all movements, thinking and wishing. Imagine yourself in the presence of your Sheikh and him sitting in front of you. For that purpose you can try to remember a moment you had with the Sheikh which was pleasant or impressive to you, or use a picture of him to remember his face. Connect with him through your heart, turning in love towards him.]

Step 3 :

Positioning Kneeling if possible

Be Conscious of Grounding your energy,
if possible sit on knees,
Closed Eyes Hand position conscious of the Thumb for heart beat Mouth closed,
Tongue on the palet of mouth Breathing controlled ,
Ears listening to Quran, Salawat or Mellow sounds,
Room Dark

Sufi Meditation Muraqaba, thinking about the spiritual mentor, an attempt to concentrative focus our thoughts on someone, so that his image could recurrently reflect upon the screen of our mind, we are liberated from the limiting senses. The more frequently a thought is displayed upon the mental screen, the more vivid would be the formation of a pattern in the mind. And, this pattern of mind, in terms of spirituality, is called the 'thinking approach'. When we imagine the spiritual mentor or 'Shaykh', as a matter of eternal law, the knowledge of Elohistic Attributes operative in the mentor or Shaykh is reflected upon our mind with frequent repetitions resulting in enlightenment of the mind of the spiritual associate with the lights functional in the mentor and transferred to him.

The enlightenment of the heart of the spiritual associate attempts to reaches the level of his mentor. This state, in Sufism, is called 'Affinity' (nisbat). The best and tested way to enjoy the affinity, according to spirituality, is the longing passion of love. The mind of the mentor keeps on transferring to the spiritual associate according to the passion of love and longing for the mentor flows in him and there comes a time when the lights operative in Shaikh which actually are the reflections of Beatific Visions of God are transferred to the spiritual associate. This enables the spiritual associate to be familiar with the effulgent lights and Beatific Visions. This state, in terms of sufism, is called 'Be one with mentor' (Fana fi Sheikh). The Lights of Shaykh and the refulgent Beatific Visions operative in mentor are not the personal trait of the mentor. Just as the spiritual associate, with devoted attention and concentration, assimilates the knowledge and the traits of his mentor, the mentor has absorbed the knowledge and attributes of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) with devoted attention and concentration of the mind. Shaykh stated that ash-Shaykh Sirr as-Saqati said "la tasahu ‘l-mahabat" love is not authentic between two until one says to the other “ma anta illa ana -You are me and I am you.” You cannot be in love until you say to the other “ we are one. You are me and I am you. “ So this is what His Eminence Shaykh has said that is represented in that picture. This picture is a pictorial representation of what Shaykh described.]

Step 3a

Positioning, sitting is ok ,

Wudu Ritual Ablution is Key to Success. Noah's Ship was Saved against the Flood of Ignorance.

Cleanliness is close to Godliness.

Remember its not me that counts I am nothing, I and Me must vanish into He.

My Shaykh , My Rasul , Leads us to My Lord..

Dhikr by negation and affirmation, in the manner of the Naqshbandi Sufi Masters, demands that the seeker close his eyes, close his mouth, clench his teeth, glue his tongue to the roof of his mouth, and hold his breath. He must recite the dhikr through the heart, by negation and affirmation, beginning with the word LA ("No").

He lifts this "No" from under his navel up to his brain. Upon reaching his brain the word "No" Dont use your head to reach realities.

Brings out the word ILAHA ("god"), moves from the brain to the Right shoulder, and Then to left shoulder where it hits the heart with ILALLAH ("except Allah").
When that word hits the heart its energy and heat spreads to all the parts of the body. The seeker who has annilated all that exists in this world with the words LA ILAHA, affirms with the words ILa ALLAH that all that exists has been annihilated in the Divine Presence.

Step 3b

Positioning of Mouth & Tongue

Close The eyes, close The mouth
Clench teeth, glue tongue to the roof of the mouth,
Slow the breath.


Secrets in The Holy Hands of Adam [as]

75:4 Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.
75:4 Bala qadireena AAala an nusawwiya bananahu.

Quran is proving that your identity is connected to your finger print and has a tremendous importance. That you will be raised to the exact proportion of even your finger prints.

Hands Carry tremendous secrets, they are like your satellite dish, make sure they are clean and in the proper position. So when you begin with the hands, rubbing them, when washing them and rubbing them to activate them, that is sign of 1 and zero, and you being to activate the process of what codes Allah has given us thru the hands, you begin to activate them. They have nine bullet points that consist of the whole system, the whole body. When you rub the fingers you are activating the 99 beautiful names of Allah.

b) By activating them you are activating the 9 points that are on your body.

Right hand "18",
Left Hand "81"
both add to 9 and two 9's
Make 99 . Hands are Dressed with Allahs
Beautiful Names.
99th name of Rasul is Mustafa..
more later to come..

c) And when you activate them, You Turn on the receiver, energy is going in, it begins to work to be able to receive, digitize it and release it out as a picture and as a sound, as we are seeing today. d) Similarly, the hands that are circles, that is why when we rub them and open them, they begin to act as circles over each other, taking all energy coming they are managing it.
See Section on Secrets of Hand

Step 4

Position of Hands: 75:4 Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.
75:4 Bala qadireena AAala an nusawwiya bananahu.
Thumb to Index position for most power.
Hands are coded with number codings,
Right hand "18",
Left Hand "81" both add to 9 and two 9's Make 99 .
Hands are Dressed with Allahs Beautiful Names.
99th name of Rasul is Mustafa.. more later to come..

Conscious Breathing ("Hosh dar dam")

Hosh means "mind." Dar means "in." Dam means "breath." It means, according to Mawlana Abdul Khaliq al-Ghujdawani (q), that "The most important mission for the seeker in this Order is to safeguard his breath, and he who cannot safeguard his breath, it would be said of him, 'he lost himself.'"

Shah Naqshband (q) said, "This Order is built on breath. So it is a must for everyone to safeguard his breath in the time of his inhalation and exhalation and further, to safeguard his breath in the interval between the inhalation and exhalation." "Dhikr is flowing in the body of every single living creatures by the necessity of their breath -- even without will -- as a sign of obedience, which is part of their creation. Through their breathing, the sound of the letter "Ha" of the Divine Name Allah is made with every exhalation and inhalation and it is a sign of the Unseen Essence serving to emphasize the Uniqueness of God. Therefore it is necessary to be present with that breathing, in order to realize the Essence of the Creator." The name 'Allah' which encompasses the ninety-nine Names and Attributes consists of four letters, Alif, Lam, Lam and the same Hah (ALLAH). The people of Sufism say that the absolute unseen Essence of Allah Exalted and Almighty is expressed by the last letter vowelized by the Alif, "Ha." It represents the Absolutely Unseen "He-ness" of the Exalted God Safeguarding your breath from heedlessness will lead you to complete Presence, and complete Presence will lead you to complete Vision, and complete Vision will lead you to complete Manifestation of Allah's Ninety-Nine Names and Attributes. Allah leads you to the Manifestation of His Ninety-Nine Names and Attributes and all His other Attributes, because it is said, "Allah's Attributes are as numerous as the breaths of human beings." It must be known by everyone that securing the breath from heedlessness is difficult for seekers.

Therefore they must safeguard it by seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) because seeking forgiveness will purify it and sanctify it and prepare the seeker for the Real Manifestation of Allah everywhere .

Step 5

Breathing, Intake thru Nose-Mantra/Dhikr = "Hu ", imagine White light entering thru stomach.
Exhale-thru Nose-Mantra/Dhikr= "Hu", imagine Blackness carbon monoxide and all your bad actions being purged from you.

"the wise seeker must safeguard his breath from heedlessness, coming in and going out, thereby keeping his heart always in the Divine Presence; and he must revive his breath with worship and servitude and dispatch this worship to His Lord full of life, for every breath which is inhaled and exhaled with Presence is alive and connected with the Divine Presence. Every breath inhaled and exhaled with heedlessness is dead, disconnected from the Divine Presence." To climb the mountain, the seeker must journey from the Lower world to the Divine Presence. He must travel from the ego's world of sensual reality to the soul's consciousness of the Divine Reality. Sufi Meditation Muraqaba

To make progress on this journey, the seeker must bring into his heart the picture of his Shaykh (tasawwur), as it is the most powerful means of detaching oneself from the hold of the senses. The Shaykh becomes, in his heart, the mirror of the Absolute Essence. If he is successful, the state of Self-Effacement (ghayba) or "absence" from the world of the senses, appears in him. To the degree that this state increases in him, his attachment to the world of the senses will weaken and disappear, and the station of the Absolute Void of Unsensing Other-than-Allah will dawn on him. From Shaykh [So this picture is depicting the mureed entering the Shaykh into his heart. This is clear, as the book didn't say “make the heart of the Shaykh enter your heart. “ Shaykh clearly wrote: “let the Shaykh enter your heart.”

The highest degree of this station is called Annihilation (fana'). Thus Shah Naqshband (q)

"The shortest path to our goal, which is Allah, Almighty and Exalted, is for Allah to lift the veil from the Essence of the Face of His Oneness that appears in all creation. He does this with the State of Erasure (ghayba) and Annihilation in His Absolute Oneness (fana'), until His Majestic Essence dawns upon and eliminates consciousness of anything other than Him.

This is the end of the Journey of Seeking Allah and the beginning of another Journey." "At the end of the Journey of Seeking and the State of Attraction comes the State of Self-Effacement and Annihilation. This is the goal of all mankind as Allah mentioned in the Qur'an: 'I did not create Jinn and Mankind except to worship me.' Worship here means Perfect Knowledge (Macrifat)."


Step 6

To carry the dress of the Shaykh:
3 levels of continuous struggle
Keep His Love {Muhabat} ,
Keep His Presence { Hudur}
Execute His Will upon our selves {Annilation or Fana}

We have our love for him, so now wear his light and imagine everything from this point on, with that dress upon us.

This is our life support. You can not eat, drink, pray, dhikr or do anything without imagining the Shaykhs Image upon us.

This Love will mix in with His Presence, and this will open the door of Annilation in Him. The more one can keep remembering to be dressed with him the more Annilation will take place.

Then the guide will Annihilate you in the presence of the Holy Messenger of Allah Sayedena Muhammad {S}. Where again you will keep

Rasuls Love {Muhabat},

Keep His Presence { Hudur}

Execute His Will upon our selves {Annilation or Fana} Fana fi Ma Shaykh , RasulAllah, Allah..

Annihilation Fana

Sufi Meditation Muraqaba In the state of spiritual associate's oneness with the mentor those abilities of the Shaikh become activated in the spiritual associate (salik) because of which the Shaykh enjoys the affinity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

This stage, in terms of Sufism, is called 'Oneness with the Holy Prophet' (Fana fir Rasul).It is the holy statement of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), "I am a human being just like you but I receive revelation'. When this statement is closely examined, it is found that the exaltation of the Last Prophet is that he received Revelations from God,Almighty which reflects the Divine Knowledge (Ilm-e-ladduni); the knowledge directly inspired by God, the Beatific Visions of God and the refulgent Lights upon the blessed Heart of Holy Prophet. In the state of 'Oneness with the Holy Prophet' a spiritual associate because of his passion, longing and love gradually, step by step, assimilates and cognizes the knowledge of the Holy Prophet.

Then comes that auspicious moment when the knowledge and learning is transferred to him according to his capacity from the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The spiritual associate absorbs in the traits of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) according to his aptitude, ability and capacity and because of his affinity with the Holy Prophet and his support he manages to reach that state when he had acknowledged the Lordship of God, the Lord of the worlds saying, 'Yes, indeed you are our Lord God!.This affinity, in Sufism, is called Annilation in Allah Love' (Fana fi-lah) or simply 'oneness' (wahidayia). After that, if one is bestowed with ability one explores those areas about which narration has no words to explain them because of their delicacy and subtleness.

Step 7

To Be, a thing non-existent, crystal clear vessel for Your Lords Heavenly Service. In the state of 'Oneness with the Holy Prophet' a spiritual associate because of his passion, longing and love gradually, step by step, assimilates and cognizes the knowledge of the Holy Prophet [s].

Core Practices of Muraqabah/Sufi Meditation

http://www.sufimeditationcenter.com/

Sufi Meditation is the key and essence to spiritual development, for it is nothing other than the development of excellence, which is the highest level of spirituality as taught by Prophetic Reality. It is the very annihilation of oneself in the presence of the Divine, in the light and reality of the Mentor, who is in reality the disciple’s source, and the origin of the light of his or her soul.


Sufi Meditation is thus a return to one’s true and perfected self. It is the fastest and most direct method for spiritual progress. Sufi Meditation is making migration from one’s self to Allah, Ellohim, Yewah, Ya Huwa, God Almighty, The Divine Presence. It is migration from the false identity this world has assigned the individual to the real identity that Divine ¹ has created and which exists in His Divine Presence.

Sufi Meditation is the perfect method for the development of spiritual consciousness, the awakening of the heart, soul, and the mind’s light—otherwise dormant. Sufi Meditation is the denial of the senses which enslave one to this world. Through Sufi Meditation, one may awaken to the true reality. Thus it is the essence of asceticism, and the necessary path for seekers of the truth, for those men of God who willfully and completely turn away from this world, who will not and cannot rest until they arrive at their divine destinations.

Sufi Meditation is also the means of healing the body with the light of the Divine. It leads to purification of the blood and the development of mastery over one’s electromagnetic energy field. It is the key to the process of alchemy whereby the light, energy, and electricity of the Divine Presence change the mercury of this world that poisons one’s system into the gold of the blessed Prophetic Light.

Sufi Meditation is reality. It is moving from slavery and bondage towards emancipation and freedom. In summary and essence, to practice Sufi Meditation is to die to the world and awaken into reality. It is, therefore, the aim, goal, and purpose of all spiritual practice.

 
Preparing for Sufi Meditation


Timing

The ideal time for Sufi Meditation—and indeed for spiritual endeavors in general—is at night, preferably after midnight. This is the time when the world is asleep, but the lovers and seekers of God are awake and traveling towards reality and their Divine destinations. The plane of consciousness is made clear when this world is veiled by night, and the chaotic world is at rest. That is when the mind and heart may operate most efficiently and effectively.

Sufi Meditation is actually a state of heedfulness that must be constantly and perpetually maintained during the day. Those committed to this path seek to maintain a state of mindfulness in each breath, not forgetting their Lord for even a moment. This said, the quiet hours of the night are the best time to begin to develop this practice. Sufi Meditation before midnight is very slow; after midnight, it is very fast.

Purification

Before beginning Sufi Meditation, The Angelic Power of Water, the source of all Life. The seeker must first make ablution with the realization of its inner aspects, washing away the burdens and darkness of this world from mind and body, igniting and sealing the energy that lies in one’s being. The extremities washed during ablution are your primary means of interacting with this world, and any taint left by that contact must be cleaned off. The seeker must also wash private parts with water after using the restroom. Cleanliness is close to Godliness !

Dress

Just as it is important to maintain the purity of your body, it is also important to maintain a proper physical appearance. The most direct method for establishing your identity as a traveler upon the path of self-purification is to adopt the correct outward appearance, abandoning the dress of worldliness and instead wearing the apparel of the next life. In doing so, you leave behind your old identity, that slave of the material world, and assert your true identity as a servant of the Divine.

The dress most conducive to spirituality is the clothing worn by The Prophetic example[s], the traditional clothing worn by the prophets of Allah ¹. The follower must wear his best clothing. The ideal color is white, for it best deflects the negativity and bad energy of this world.  We must hold fast to all the elements of Modesty.

Place

You should set aside a small corner of your house for spiritual activity, a niche which will become blessed and charged with angelic light and presence. If possible, select a part of the house into which light cannot easily penetrate. Lay out a nice prayer carpet, orienting it in the direction of prayer. Place a candle or oil lamp before it in emulation of The Prophet Moses (as) who, in seeking the presence of the Divine, traveled towards the Burning Bush. It is also recommended that you light either incense or a scented oil diffuser to attract angels and positive energy. Finally, you should keep a picture of your Mentor nearby as a spiritual compass with which to align yourself and to facilitate the connection to his presence and reality.

When we speak of creating complete darkness in the meditation place, that means a complete absence of physical light. It does not mean an absence of spiritual light, for that is precisely what we are seeking in Sufi Meditation. The best way to seek such spiritual light is to find a room that no physical light can enter. If you do not have access to such a place, then go to the lowest level of your home and cover yourself with a blanket so that you can perceive no light (if you do this then of course you will have to modify spiritual exercises involving candles—do not burn yourself).

Intention

One should state one’s intention as prescribed :

“I intend the forty (days of seclusion); I intend seclusion in the House of God; I intend seclusion; I intend isolation; I intend discipline (of the ego); I intend to travel in God’s Path; I intend to fast for the sake of God in this Place of God.”

What is Sufi Meditation?

Sufi Meditation is synonymous with the technical Sufi term which translates to “Noble Connection” and has always been a central practice of Islamic spirituality—Sufism. This science of contemplation is the subject of an entire section in the works of Imam Ghazzali (q), and it has always been a core practice of the Masters of the Naqshbandi Order. Sufi Meditation may also be seen as synonymous with the more general practice of meditation that is so central to many of the Eastern spiritual traditions, the goal of which has always been the fusion of the individual back into the oneness of the Universal Reality.

The default condition of mankind is immersion in the illusion of this world.

For the uninitiated, that illusion is reality—the material world of the senses is all that exists. However, as we progress along the path of spiritual development, our understanding of reality changes. We learn that this world is completely unreal. We come to understand that there is another reality—an authentic reality—behind this realm of illusion, a reality from which we are veiled, but which, nonetheless, is the only reality that really matters to us.

Once we reach this level of understanding, once we come to accept the illusory nature of the world around us and begin to discern the reality that lies behind it, we begin searching for a doorway through which we can pass out of this realm of delusion into the realm of realities. Sufi Meditation is that doorway.

Through Sufi Meditation, we detach ourselves from this false world and immerse ourselves in reality. Only by cutting ourselves off from the unending onslaught of the senses, by tuning out the distractions of this world, can we hope to escape from its tyranny and oppression.

We must recognize that there is no special reward for doing what is required. If we perform the daily prayers, pay the poor-tax, fast , and make the pilgramages, we will only have done what our Lord commanded—thereby, God-willing ensuring our salvation in the next life. But there is no trophy for completing these basic requirements. There is no trophy for fleeing from a burning building—the one who escapes the fire by virtue of that fact alone. If we want greater rewards than that we must look farther. Those who want to reach higher stations must work harder.

Endless treasures await those who strive towards their Lord, but each treasure has its key that must be unearthed. Performing supererogatory devotions, praying extra prayers, and making remembrance of God and recitation of His Names and recitations of prayers (all such remembrance and recitation is referred to under the general Sufi term of “remembrance” or dhikr) are all keys that unlock such secrets. But the most important key, the one that unlocks the door to the Divine Presence, is Sufi Meditation.

All prophets came to their peoples urging them to see beyond this world to the heavenly plane beyond this life. But we cannot enter into this new world without leaving the old one behind. First, we must extricate ourselves from the tangled web of ego and attachments that binds us here. This act of extrication is referred to as “negation.” When we manage to negate ourselves, when we manage to die before we die, then we enter fully into the world of realities.

Sufi Meditation is the first step on this path of self-negation. The practice of Sufi Meditation has no rational explanation in the terms of this world, because in its essence it is a negation of this world. It is based on spiritual rather than material principles—chief among being the existence of two types of sight which function simultaneously in each person.

Principles of Sight

One form of sight is limited and requires a medium in which to function. The other is unlimited, functioning independently of any medium.

The medium within which the first form of sight functions is physical space. This form of seeing can only perceive that which exists in the dimensions of physical space. Even within those dimensions, it is extremely limited. For example, it can only detect that which reflects or emits wavelengths of light within a narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum.

It cannot perceive very small objects without the aid of special mechanical or electronic aids. It can only encompass objects with an unobstructed line to the person who sees. This mode of seeing also relies on physical action of the eyes to transmit the images they perceive onto the screen of the mind.

The other form of seeing is free of such limitations, and functions on the plane of heavenly realities. The images it apprehends are projected directly onto the screen of the mind without the intervention of external organs. It is this mode of sight that functions during Sufi Meditation.

Seeing one’s spiritual guide

by means of this second form of sight. It is the seeker’s attempt to concentrate his thoughts on the screen of the mind, liberating his perceptions from physical limitations. The more frequently he is able to project a thought form upon that mental screen, the more vividly that mental pattern will be realized within the mind. That is why maintaining consistency is so important with this practice, and indeed with all spiritual practices.

Sufi Meditation may then be seen as a mental approach whose ultimate goal is to allow the seeker to travel from this world of illusion to the Divine Presence. When we visualize our spiritual mentor, the knowledge of the Divine Attributes that operate through him is reflected back upon our minds. With frequent repetition, the mind of the follower reaches the level of enlightenment, acquires the ability to communicate directly with the Mentor, and acquires spiritual awareness of the Mentor. In the science of Sufism, this state is referred to as the station of Affinity. Attuning oneself with someone more pious than ourselves.

The best and most reliable way of enjoying this affinity is through the longing passion of love for the Mentor. By maintaining the practice of Sufi Meditation, the mind of the Mentor continues to transfer knowledge and understanding to the mind & Heart of the follower, according to the intensity or degree of this love. As this love grows and the bond of Sufi Meditation intensifies, the Divine Lights operating in and through the Mentor—which are, in fact, reflections of the Beatific Vision of Allah are transferred to the follower. This enables him to become familiar with the Lights of the Divine Presence, so that he can experience the Beatific Vision and open the doorway within his heart to the Presence of Allah / God / The Divine Presence. In Sufism, this state is referred to as the station of “Becoming One with the Mentor.”

These Lights and this Vision of the Divine Presence are not personal traits of the Mentor. Just as the follower is able to experience these Divine Realities through his spiritual connection with the Mentor, the Mentor experiences them through his spiritual connection with the Holy Prophet [s]. The Mentor, in his turn, absorbed the knowledge and attributes of the Prophet [s] through the same devoted attention and concentration. In the language of Sufism, this state of affinity between the Mentor and the Prophet [s] is referred to as the station of “Oneness with the Holy Prophet.” And it is through this spiritual union with the Prophet [s] that the Mentor is able to share his abilities with the follower.

In the state of “Oneness with the Holy Prophet,[s]” the follower is gradually consumed by love, passion, and longing for the Prophet [s] until, step-by-step, he assimilates and apprehends the knowledge of the Prophet [s]. At that auspicious moment, the knowledge and learning of the Prophet [s] is transferred to the seeker in accordance with his capacity. He also absorbs the traits and attributes of the Holy Prophet [s], again each according to his capacity, aptitude, and ability.

From this exalted state, the follower continues to progress by developing his affinity with the Prophet [s]. Ultimately, he reaches the point of being able to truly and authentically acknowledge the Lordship of Allah recognizing God as the Lord of All the Worlds with full comprehension and acceptance of the meaning of that Lordship. At this point, he declares, “Yes, indeed, You are our Lord God!” This is the station of affinity with Allah ¹, and is referred to in Sufism as the state of “Oneness with Allah,” or simply “Oneness.”

Where the follower goes from this station—if he is granted the ability to reach it and continue beyond—is beyond the power of words to narrate or explain, for it is a realm of spiritual subtlety that cannot be described.

Courtesy of : Sufi Meditation Center

The Spiritual Mentors

SHAYKH NAZIM AL-HAQQANI (More Info)

It was first brought to the West in the 1970s by the Sultan of the Way, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, who began opening up spiritual centers throughout Europe in order to meet the growing need for authentic mystical teachings. Spiritually guided and supported by his Master and all of the previous Masters of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain, Shaykh Nazim has been blessed with an unprecedented spiritual power and responsibility to reach all around the world on his mission of enlightenment. For over 40 years, he has spread his message of peace, love and acceptance to open minds and eager hearts throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and South East Asia, Africa and North and South America. In 1999, he was elected to a five-year term as co-president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, and in 2000, he was honoured at the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit in New York.

In 1991, Shaykh Nazim sent his authorized representative, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, to the United States to lay the foundations of the Naqshbandi Sufi Way in the Americas. Since that time, Shaykh Hisham has opened thirteen Sufi centers in Canada and the United States. He has lectured in many universities about the importance of spirituality in the modern world,

Shaykh Hisham’s efforts in the Americas has been to spread the Sufi teachings of the brotherhood of humanity and the unity of belief in One God that is present in all religions and spiritual paths. His efforts are directed at bringing the diverse spectrum of religions and spiritual paths into harmony and accord, in recognition of humanity’s responsibility to take care of this planet and of one another. Shaykh Hisham has authored many books on Sufism for readers in English, including: The Naqshbandi Sufi Way: History and Guidebook of the Saints of the Golden Chain, and Sufi Science of Self-Realization.

As-Sayed Nurjan MirAhmadi met his destined spiritual mentor, Shaykh Hisham, in the mid-1990s. For the next 15 years, he underwent rigorous Sufi training and helped establish a number of spiritual organizations and relief programs with Shaykh Hisham.

Some of his many specialties include Sufi Meditation or Muraqaba, Chakras of the body, Levels of the Spiritual Heart, Arabic Numerology and Spiritual Healing.


As-Sayed Nurjan brings these ancient knowledges and practices of spirituality back to the seekers of New Age in the context of the extreme materialism of today blended with his wonderful sense of humor. His style is to teach without teaching. He is an avid reader and a huge lover of spiritual music.

As of 2007 his efforts have been directed to the Vancouver Sufi Community , to teach the traditional practices of Sufism. As-Sayed Nurjan is author of The Healing Power of Sufi Meditation and a founder of Vancouver’s Sufi Meditation Center

What is Sufism?

A Path To Divine Healing

About Sufism

In general spiritual-minded people today have few advisors and teachers who are able to counsel them and to educate them in the teachings of the prophets and saints. Unfortunately, they rarely find guides capable of leading them in the teachings of Sufism on that high road of morality and ethics that constitute religion’s essential character.

Guiding Force of the Sufi Way
These individuals, in time, came to be known by the name of Sufi, a word derived from the Arabic Safa’a which means “to purify,” because of the assiduousness with which they applied themselves to holding firmly to the prophetic example and employing it to purify their character from all defects in behavior and morality.

Core Teachings on the Path

Though these shaykhs applied different methods in training their followers, the core of each one’s program was identical. The situation was not unlike what we find in faculties of medicine and law today. The approach in different faculties may be different, but the body of law, the state of art in medicine remains essentially the same everywhere. When students graduate from these faculties, each student bears the stamp of its character. Yet, none are considered less a lawyer or doctor because their respective affiliations differ. In a similar way, the student product of a particular shaykh will bear the stamp of that shaykh’s teaching and character. Consequently, the names given to various schools of Sufi thought differ according to the names and the perspectives of their founders. This variation manifests itself in a more concrete fashion, in the different supererogatory spiritual practices, (known as awrad, ahzab or adhkar), used as the practical methodology of spiritual transformation. Such differences, however, have nothing to do with the religious principle.

The Sufi regimen under which individuals undertook the path to The Divine, was a finely-honed itinerary which charted the course of inward and outward progress in religious faith and practice (deen). Following the tradition of the Companions of the Prophet [s] who used to frequent his company named Ahl as-suffa (“People of the Bench”), the practitioners of this regimen lived a communal life. Their dwelling places were the mosque-schools (zawaya), border forts (ribat), and guest-houses (khaniqah) where they gathered together on specific occasions dedicated to the traditional festivals of the Islamic calendar (`id). They also gathered on a regular basis in associations for the conveying of knowledge (suhba), assemblies to invoke the names of The Divine and recite the adhkar (plural of dhikr, “remembrance”) inherited from the Prophetic Tradition, and circles of study in spiritual realities. Yet another reason for their gathering was to hear inspired preaching and moral exhortations (wi`az).

Epitomizing Community Activism and Social Reform

The shaykhs exhorted their students to actively respond to The Divine, to cleanse their hearts and purify their souls from the lower desires prompted by the ego and to reform erroneous beliefs. All this was accomplished by cleaving to the Prophetic example. The methods of remembering The Divine, which they instilled in their students, were the very same methods passed down from the Prophet (s). In this way, they propagated upright behavior both through word and deed, while they encouraged the believers to devote themselves to The Divine Almighty with their whole hearts. The aim of their endeavor then was nothing less than obtaining The Divine’s satisfaction and inspiring love for His Prophets. In short, what they aimed for was a state where God would be pleased with them even as they were pleased with God.

The Schools of Purification (at-turuq as-sufiyya)

We know for example, that in the first century after the Hijra, renunciation of the world (zuhd) grew as a reaction against worldliness in the society. Derived in principle from the order of The divine to His Righteous Apostle to purify people [Qur’an 2:129, 2:151, 3:164, 9:103, 62:2], the practitioners of this way clove firmly to the Prophetic way of life as it was reflected in the lives of his Companions and their Successors, in the ways they employed to purify their hearts and character from bad manners and to inculcate in their own selves and in those around them the manners and upright moral stature of the Best of humanity, the Prophet Example.

Through slow evolution, this regimen ended up as a school of practical thought and moral action endowed with its own structure of rule and principle. This became the basis used by Sufi scholars to direct people on the Right Path. As a result, the world soon witnessed the development of a variety of schools of purification of the ego (tazkiyat an-nafs). Sufi thought, as it spread everywhere, served as a dynamic force behind the growth and fabric of sufi education. This tremendous advance occurred from the first century after the Hijra to the seventh, in parallel with the following developments:

• Bases of Divine Law and Jurisprudence (fiqh), through its Imams.
• Bases of the system of Belief (`aqeedah) through al-Ash`ari and others.
• The science of Traditions of the Prophet (s) (hadith), resulting in the six authentic collections and innumerable others.
• The arts of speaking and writing Arabic (nahu and balagha).

Learned Sufi Shaykhs were solid cornerstones upon which to build an ideal society. Tariqat or “path” is a term derived from the Traditions of the Prophet (r) ordering his followers to follow his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his successors. The meaning of Sunnah is “path” or “way,” also the meaning of tariqat referred to in the Qur’anic verse, “Had they kept straight on the path (tariqat), We would have made them drink of a most crystal-clear water.” [72:16] Tariqat thus came to be a term applied to groups of individuals belonging to the school of thought pursued by a particular scholar or “shaykh,” as such a person was often called.

These shaykhs therefore were the radiant beacons that dispelled darkness from a believer’s path as well as the solid cornerstones upon which the Community could build the foundations of an ideal society. The ideal here was the spirit of sacrifice and selflessness that characterized their every effort. These values, in time, imbued the entire social fabric of Islam. The guesthouses, for example, were more often than not found in neighborhoods of the poor and economically disadvantaged. Needless to say, for this reason they became remedies for many social ills.

As a result of such teaching and training we find that many students of Sufi shaykhs graduated from their course of studies fully empowered to carry other people’s burdens, even as they strove to illumine the way of Truth. Furthermore, through their training and self-discipline they had developed the manifest and decisive will to do so. Genuine scholars and teachers of tariqat leave no stone unturned in conducting their effort, a word which means both the physical struggle against oppression and injustice and the spiritual struggle against the unseen allurements that trap the soul.

Sufism has upheld the highest values of social consciousness, religious inquiry and science.

Sufism – the Path of Struggle in the Way of God

History books are filled with the names of Sufis who struggled in the Way of God. who devoted their lives to calling mankind to the Divine Presence of God. They accomplished this with wisdom and they were effective. Their names and stories are too numerous to list in the span of a single book, even if it had hundreds of volumes.

It suffices to say that the lives of these Sufi Shaykhs are overwhelming evidence that Sufism—far from encouraging escapism and retirement from the world that impedes social progress—upheld the highest values of social consciousness as well as religious inquiry and science.