Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Sixth Fascicle

kind consists of dhikring the Name of Allâhu ta’âlâ. The human
heart carries a latîfa that (also) is termed ‘heart’. [‘Latîfa’ means
something that does not have a material form, i.e. which is not a
substance. The human soul, for instance, is a latîfa, too.] Dhikr
means to say, ‘Allah, ..., Allah, ...,’ in your heart by using your
imagination. The second duty is to make dhikr of the Kelima-itawhîd,
again by way of imagination. Each of these practices must
be done without producing a voice. The third duty is the wuqûf-iqalb,
which means to take utmost care to always think of your
heart, without remembering anything but Allâhu ta’âlâ. The latîfa
termed ‘heart’ can never stay unoccupied. Once the heart has
gotten rid of thoughts about creatures, it will automatically direct
its tawajjuh towards Allâhu ta’âlâ. [It is like air’s filling an emptied
bottle.] Experts of the matter have said: ‘Evict the foe from your
heart! The friend will not wait for an invitation.’ The fourth duty is
murâqaba, which is also called jem’iyyat or âghâhî. It means to
always think of the fact that Allâhu ta’âlâ sees and knows all every
moment. The fifth duty is râbita, which means to imagine yourself
before a blessed person who has fully adapted himself to
Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, and looking at his
blessed face. This thought will make sure that you have adab
towards him. Adab and affection will unite the two hearts.
Thereupon fayz and barakat from that blessed person’s heart will
flow into your heart. The easiest and the most useful of the five
duties is the ‘râbita’. If a person who has not fully adapted himself
to Rasûlullah tells you to practise ‘râbita’ by turning your tawajjuh
towards him, doing as he says will give harm to you and to that
person as well.” This is the end of our translation from Kıyâmet ve
Âhıret.)
For making progres in a path of Tasawwuf, first ‘tawba’ and
thereafter ‘istihâra’ are made. A short way of making tawba is to
entreat, “Yâ Rabbî (O my Allah)! I repent for all the sins I have
commited since the first moment of puberty. And from now on, I
promise never to sin again, inshâ-Allâhu ta’âlâ.” It is needless to
mention all your sins one by one. Thereafter you make (an
ablution called) ghusl. (Please see the fourth chapter of the fourth
fascicle of Endless Bliss for ‘ghusl’.) After the ghusl, you make
niyya for istihâra, perform a namâz of two rak’ats, and go to bed.
You say the Kâfirûn Sûra in the (standing position of the) first
rak’at and the Ikhlâs Sûra in the second rak’at. You practise this
dhikring daily, and hope for guidance from Allâhu ta’âlâ.
According to the twenty-first hadîth-i-sherîf in Imâm Birgivî’s
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