HeartBeat Summer 2009 - Sufi Ruhaniat International

“We don’t follow Shariya,” (the Muslimpractice of saying prayers five times a day), I answeredhim. “We just repeat ‘Allah’ and ‘La il laha el Allah, Mohammedar Rassul Lillah.” It means,There is no God but God, and Mohammed is hisprophet. It’s the affirmation of faith for Muslims.Repeat that phrase before witnesses, and one maybecome a Muslim, which, incidentally, means, onewho submits to God.As we walked through the first large courtyardI began with Hassan, “Isn’t there somebodywe could talk to about going deeper, about possiblyvisiting the Holy Shrine.”Hassan engaged our guide in conversationas we walked through an inner courtyard, andweaved between two buildings into anothercourtyard.We found ourselves outside the ground flooroffice of the Shrine police.Before we entered, a group materialized fromsomewhere, and I’m chanting La il la ha el Allah,Mohammadar Rassul Lillah over and over in anaudible whisper, driving Hassan to distraction.“Just tell them I want to go in and repeat zikr,”(La il la ha el Allah), I council Hassan to assist withhis negotiations. But he was not answering me,and it was OK because he was very busy talking.It was necessary to remove our shoes to enter.A man with a white shirt and dress trousers wasbehind a desk; there was a uniformed police officer,and two others in the room.I sat silently in a chair before the desk whileHassan spoke for me, in what I would characterizeas aggressive tones. He was back and forth on hiscell phone, speaking to someone on the other end.After what seemed like a terribly aggressivetirade, I spoke in heart-centered Spanish to Hassan.“Con calma,” (Calm down) I said soothingly.“Con calma” (Take it easy; you’re being too aggressive).Suddenly it was finished. I say, “Thank you,”to the authorities gathered in the office with noidea what the outcome is.Hassan is still aggressive when he finallyaddresses me. “Put on your shoes,” he tells me.Hassan excuses himself to get a drink. I stilldon’t know the outcome.“We can go in,” he reports.I’m worried about going in with Hassan.With his leather hand wallet and pacing manner,he looks just like a tour guide, not a devotee.When we first entered, a sweet pair, one talland one short, of roving Shrine police approached.Hassan said they asked if I was Muslim. He toldthem yes. They reminded him it was Friday, saidthe International Office is closed, and that theycouldn’t allow me inside. Hassan gave them thenumber of the Security Office, and suggestedthey call to verify that we had permission. Theywent away.After checking our shoes, Hassan cautions,“Just go up to the cage,” which I understood tomean, Just go up to the window with decorativelattice work.There’s a basketball court-sized room, whichhas the cage-like windows with diamond spaces,which separate this outer chamber from the Holyof Holies.I wasn’t paying attention to detail, so I’llresort to the guidebook, which says, “The tombbox in the Holy Shrine is 10m long with stunninggilt edges, and is enclosed in a large gold latticedcage. Pilgrims ritually touch or even kiss the cage,often then retreating into a pitch of near frenzy.The shrine built over the tomb has a shimmeringgilded cupola and single minaret and a vast tiledeivan.“Do not attempt to enter the Holy Shrine unlessyou are a Muslim, and can prove it (probablyin Farsi [Persian] if asked.” (IRAN, p. 230)“I want to go in,” I answer Hassan.“I’m worried for you if you go.”I suspect he’s really worried about himself.He’s the imposter here. I find a place outside thecage, outside the inner sanctum, and do a littlefikr of the zikr, mentally repeating La il la ha el ilAllah Hu.Then I tell him, “You wait for me here, I’mgoing in.” He’s worried and frightened for me,but he agrees.»Sufi Ruhaniat International 23