PRAYERS

Prayer Times

Qiyamu 'l-Layl (Salātu 'n-Najāt)

One should get up at least one hour before Fajr since it is at this time that the gate of the Mercy of God, Who is Powerful and Sublime, is opened and the time when the great shaykhs look at their murīds. One should get up and perform ablution and perform two rak`ats of Tahīyyatu `l-wudu and then stand up, facing the Qiblah and ask that God, Exalted and Glorious, to purify oneself from the anger of one’s nafs and, with this intention, one should then recite Yā Halīm 100 times, and then one should seek protection from one’s external and internal enemies, and from both heavenly and earthly misfortune, reciting Yā Hafīzh 100 times.

Whoever wishes to reach the station of the People of Determination must keep up these practices. Our shaykhs tell us about the importance of this time and its virtues, saying: “If a person gets up one hour before Fajr and does nothing, not even praying, not even making tasbīh, but gets up to drink something, such as coffee or tea, or eat a morsel of food, then he must also be raised with the vigilant people (ahlu `s-sahar).”

Salātu ’n-Najāt, the Prayer of Salvation, is prayed according to the following steps:

 

In the first rak`at read Sūratu ’l-Fātihah as usual.		الفاتحة الشريفة
This is followed by reading the Verse of the Throne (2:255) and (3:18-19), and (3:26-27).
Āyatu ’l-KursĪ (The Verse of the Throne) ChAPTER 2, VERSE 255 Allāhū lā ilāha illa hūwa ’l-hayyu ’l-Qayyūm, lā tākhudhuhū ’s-sinatun wa lā nawm, lahū mā fī ’s-samāwāti wa mā fī ’l-ard. Man dhā-ladhī yashfa`u `indahū illā bi idhnih ya`lamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum wa lā yuhītunā bi-shay’in min `ilmihi illā bimā shā’. Wasi`a kursīyyuhu ’s-samāwāti wa ’l-arda, wa lā ya’uduhū hifzhuhuma, wa hūwa ’l-`Alīyyu ’l-`Azhīm.		آيةُ الكُرْسي البقرة 2 اللهُ لا إلهَ إلا هُوَ الحيُّ القَيُّوم لا تَأخُذُهُ سِنّةُ ولا نَوْمٌ لّهُ ما في السماوات وما في الأرْضِ من ذا الذي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إلا بِإذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ ما في بيَْنَ أيْديهِم وما خَلفَهُم ولا يُحيِطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ من عِلْمِهِ إلا بِما شاء وَسِعُ كُرْسيِّهُ السَماواتِ والأرْضَ ولا يَؤُدُهُ حِفْظُهُما وهُوَ العَليُّ العَظيمُ
Sadaq-Allāhu `l-`Azhīm.		صدق الله العَظيمُ
God! There is no god but he - the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize him nor sleep. his are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in his presence except as he permitteth? he knoweth what (appeareth to his creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of his knowledge except as he willeth. his Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and he feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for he is the Most high, the Supreme (in glory). God speaks the Truth.
Chapter 3, Verse 18-19 Shahid-Allāhu annahū lā ilāha illa hū. Wa ’l-malā’ikatu wa ūlu ’l-`ilmi qā’iman bi ’l-qist. Lā ilāha illa hū al-`Azīzu ’l-hakīm. Inna ’d-dīna `ind Allāhi ’l-islām.		سورة آل عمران 18-19 شَهِد اللهَ أنَّهُ لا إله إلا هُوَ والمَلائِكةُ وأولُو العِلْمِ قائِمًا بِالقِسْطِ لا إله إلا هُوَ العَزيزُ الحَكيمُ إنَّ الدينِ عِنْدَ للهِ الإسْلام
God bears witness that there is no god but he—and the angels and men of knowledge—upholding justice; there is no god but he, the Mighty, the Wise. The religion with God is Islam.
Chapter 3, Verse 26-27 Qul ’illāhumma Mālik al-mulki. Tu’tī ’l-mulka man tasha’u wa tanzi`u ’l-mulka mimman tashā’u wa tu`izzu man tashā’u wa tudhillu man tashā’u, bi yadika ’l-khayr, innaka `alā kulli shay’in qadīr. Tūliju ’l-layla fī ’n-nahāri wa tūliju nahāra fī ’l-layl, wa tukhriju ’l-hāyya mina ’l-mayyiti, wa tukhriju ’l-mayyita mina ’l-hāyy, wa tarzuqu man tashā’u bi ghayri hisāb.		سورة آل عمران 26-27 قل اللَّهُمَّ مالكُ المُلْكِ تؤْتي المُلْكَ من تشاء وتَنْزِع المُلْكَ مِمَّن تشاء وتُعِزُ من ‏تشاء وتُذِلُ من تشاءُ بِيَدِكَ الخَيُرَإنكَ على كُلِّ شيءٍ قدير تُولِجُ اللَيْلَ في النَهارِ وتُولِجُ النَهارَ في اللَيْلِ وتُخْرِجُ الحيَّ من المَيِّتِ وتُخْرِجُ المَيِّتَ من الحيِّ وتَرْزُقُ من تَشاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسابِ
Say: O God, Master of the Kingdom, Thou givest the Kingdom to whom Thou wilt, and seizest the Kingdom from whom Thou wilt, Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt; in Thy hand is all good; Verily Thou art over all things Powerful. Thou makest the night to enter into the day, and Thou makest the day to enter into the night, Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou providest for whomsoever Thou wilt without reckoning.
In the second rak`at, read the Fātihah.		تقرأ في الركعة الثانية بعد الفاتحة الشريفة
SŪratu ’l-IkhlĀŠ (11 times).		سورة الاخلاص (11 مرات)
After completing the taslīm (final salām right and left), go into prostration with the intention of asking God to rid your heart of all envy.		بعد التسليم من الصلاة تدعوا بهذا الدعاء:
Du`A Yā Rabbī, kamā tākulu ’n-nāru ’l-hataba hākadha yākulu `amalīyy jamī`an al-hasadu mu’tasila fīyya. Yā Rabbī khallišnī minhu wa khallišnī mina ’l-ghadabi ’n-nafsānī wa min nafsi ’t-tifli ’l-madhmumati wa mina ’l-akhlāqi ’dh-dhamīma yā Rabbī wa baddil akhlāqī ila akhlāqin hamīdatin wa af`ālin hasana.		دعاء: يا رَبِّي كما تأكُلُ النارُ الحَطَبَ هَكَذا الحَسَدُ المُتَأصِّلُ فيِّ يأكل جَميع أعْمالي. يا رَبِّي خَلِّصْني منه ومنَ الغَضَبِ النَفْسانِي ومن نَفْسِِ الطِفْلِِ المَذْمُومةِ ومن الأخْلاقِ الذميمة ويا رَبِّي بَدِّلْ كُلُّ أخْلاقِِي إلى أخْلاقٍ حَميدةِ وأفْعالٍ حَسَنة
O my Lord! Just as fire consumes firewood, in the same way the envy which is rooted in me consumes all my actions. Purify me, O my Lord, from it and purify me, too, from the anger of my ego. Rid me as well, O my Lord, of the blameworthy ego of the child and reprehensible manners. And, O my Lord, change all my manners to laudable manners and into good actions.

Salatu-t-Tasabih

In the following prayers, to keep track of any given number of recitations, it is permitted to lightly press one finger of each hand in turn, in whatever position they are (i.e., crossed or hanging at the sides). however, the an-Najāt and Tasbīh prayers are for the People of Determination and the Prepared; these prayers are not for beginners.
These are four rak`ats prayed with a taslīm between them. This prayer can be done in two ways, but we have included only the one the Shaykh uses (with the taslīm at the end of the fourth rak`at). The tasbīh which is recited during this prayer is:
Subhānallāhi wa ’l-hamdulillāhi wa lā illāha ill-Allāh w’allāhu akbar.		سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله  أكبر
Glory be to God! Praise be to God! There is no god but God, and God is Greatest.
At the end of every set of 10 or 15 tasbīhs the Shaykh adds: wa lā hawla wa lā quwwata illa billāhi ’l-`Alīyyi ’l-`Āzhīm.		و لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العليّ العظيم
There is no power and no strength save in God, the  Most high, the Great.
The total number of tasbīhs recited is 300, with 75 in each rak`at. Also, the tasbīhs is added to the regular parts of the prayer. We have observed the Shaykh using the following method:
When tasbIh is recited			Number of times
After reciting the Thanā’, before Sūratu ’l-Fātihah			15
After reciting Sūratu ’l-Fātihah and two Sūratu ’l-Ikhlās.			10
In ruk`u, (bowing position)			10
In qiyām (standing position), after the ruk`u			10
In the first sajda (prostration)			10
In jalsa (sitting position), after the first sajda			10
In the second sajda			10
Sub-total for first rak`at			75
The second rak`at is performed as above (no tasbīhs is recited in the final jalsa, only tashahhud)			75
The third rak`at is performed as above			75
The fourth rak`at is performed as above (no tasbīhs are recited in the final jalsa, only tashahhud)			75

Salatu-l-Fajr

The congregational morning prayer is a major pillar of the daily devotions.

While reading Sūrat Yā Sīn Mawlana Shaykh Nazim pauses to recite the words Šalla-Allāhu `alayhi wa sallam, as “Yā Sīn” is one the names of the Prophet .