The eleven principles of the Naqshbandi Order

Of the 11 principles which Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah be well pleased with him) as based his order on, 8 are related from Hadhrat ‘Abdul Khaliq Ghujdwani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) and 3 from the Khaja himself.  The 8 principles formulated by Hadhrat ‘Abdul Khaliq Ghujdwani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) are:

 

Hosh Dar Dam

 

This means that the Seeker (Salik) should spend each breath in the remembrance of Almighty Allah.  If inadvertently any breath comes and goes without the remembrance of Allah, the Seeker should repent on it.  Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  While inhaling and exhaling and between them, one should make remembrance of Almighty Allah, so much so that one gets abiding presence (Huzoori)…

 

Nazar Bar Qadam

 

This means that while walking, the Seeker should keep his (or her) gaze on the back of the feet so that the gaze is not directed here and there and the heart doesn’t get entangled and ensnared in various stimuli and loses its focus – which is a means of gaining the closeness of Almighty Allah.  The first principle dispels the inward distractions and this principle dispels the outward ones.

 

This might also mean that the Seeker should be watchful of whether his feet are going towards virtue or towards sin.  If they are moving towards virtue, the Seeker should go on and if they are going towards evil, the seeker should step back.

 

Safar Dar Watan

 

This means that the Seeker should traverse inside the Self (Nafs) i.e. to be in search of his own flaws and blameworthy attributes like love of status, wealth, pride, jealousy, rancor, etc. and develop praiseworthy attributes like patience, thankfulness, reliance on Allah Most High, acquiescence to Him, etc.  The Seeker should become the epitome of

 

It is a certainty that as long as the heart of the Seeker is not purified of the blameworthy attributes, the radiance of Allah Most High will not grace it.  The love of anybody or thing other than Allah Most High is itself the idol and unless and until that idol is demolished…with Allah that person will be like an idol-worshipper.

 

Hadhrat Ghulam ‘Ali Shah (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  The heart in which is there is a presence of anything other than Allah, the Mercy of Allah doesn’t grace that heart.

 

The masters of the Naqshbandi order, may Allah shower His Mercy on them, have taken traversing the Self instead of traversing the realms as the latter is a far-off journey, the successful conclusion of which is difficult for the Seeker.  Thus, traversing the realms is completed under traversing the Self.

 

Khilwat Dar Anjuman

 

This means that in a general gathering, which is a place where the heart is rendered impure, even there the Seeker should be in solitude with Allah Most High, i.e. outwardly the Seeker should be with the creation and inwardly should be with the Lord Almighty and should be absorbed in his thoughts.  The blessings of Allah Most High can come at any time but it is effective only when the heart is turned to Allah Most High.  That’s why even in a gathering or when meeting somebody, the heart should not be heedless of Allah Most High.

 

Another meaning of this is that when the Seeker goes to the market (or any public place), the heart of the Seeker should be such that except the remembrance of Allah Most High, nothing should be heard.  The elders of the Naqshbandi order have preferred this kind of solitude to seclusion as the objective of staying away from people can be achieved through this as well.  Another subtlety is that in staying away from people, there is a danger of ostentation (Riya) as well.  In this solitude, there is no fear of it.  For these reasons, it has been the custom of the Naqshbandi order that the Seeker maintains his (or her) outward appearance in such a manner that others don’t think of him (or her) as an adept.

 

Yaad Kard

 

This means that one should be engaged in the remembrance of Allah Most High at all times so that one gets continuing presence – regardless of whether the remembrance is with the tongue or with the heart.  Remembrance done with the method of Ism Dhaat or with the method of Nafi Isbaat in this manner and gaining the closeness of Allah Most High is also called Yaad Kard.

 

Baazgasht

 

This means that while making remembrance of Allah Most High, at frequent intervals one should supplicate:  O Allah!  You are my objective.  Grant me your pleasure, love and gnosis.  When using the method of Nafi Isbaat, one should perceive that one has no other goal other than the closeness of Allah Most High.  It is the custom of the Naqshbandi Elders that in Laa Ilaaha Illallah…, they think of Laa Maqsooda Illallah as the one worthy of worship is also one’s aim and objective.

 

          If one gets ecstasy through the remembrance and reflection or one sees something from the hidden realms, then the Seeker should not be deceived and should not consider it his (or her) objective.  Even if one traverses for a million years in any attribute of Almighty Allah, it will not end.  Thus, it is necessary that one turns away from all this and turns to the Lord Almighty Himself.

 

Nigehdaasht

 

This means that one should keep an eye on the thoughts that cross the heart.  If one gets the thought of something other than Allah Most High while engaged in His remembrance, one should immediately dispel it.  No thought other than those of Allah Most High should be allowed to enter the heart.

 

Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  The Seeker should stop the thoughts in their conception itself, because once they get expressed, the Self will inevitably incline towards them and they will capture the Self.  Then removing them will be difficult.  It is certain that unless and until the heart is purified like a mirror of all thoughts other than Allah Most High, until that time the illuminations and blessings of Allah Most High will not enter the heart.

 

Yaad Daasht

 

This means that one should always keep one’s objective in mind.  To reach Him, the thoughts of the One desired should be always present in the heart with yearning and eagerness.  One should desist from whatever gets in the way of the objective.  Nothing which goes against the wish of Allah Most High and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) should be done, as this doesn’t help in achieving the objective at all.

 

          When one’s connection with Allah Most High becomes so strong that apart from Him, everything else is wiped away from one’s mind and consciousness and one is not conscious of anything except the Lord Almighty, this state is called Annihilation (Fana).  When the consciousness of that consciousness also vanishes, that state is the Ultimate Annihilation (Fana Fil Fana)…..and Yaad Daasht is gained after Fana Fil Fana only.

 

When the Seeker attains this state, he (or she) cannot remain heedless of Almighty Allah so much so that in happiness or sorrow, in every state the Seeker remains with Allah Most High.  The person who has been privileged with Annihilation and Abidance (Baqaa) is a saint (Wali).

 

These 8 principles have been formulated by Hadhrat ‘Abdul Khaliq Ghujdwani (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  The following 3 have been formulated by Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

Wuquf ‘Adadi

 

This means that when the Seeker engages in the method of Nafi Isbaat with holding one’s breath, he (or she) should release the breath at an odd number, but this is not from the conditions of remembrance of Allah Most High.  Wuquf Qalbi is a Compulsory Condition of remembrance of the Lord Almighty…

 

Wuquf Zamaani

 

This means that the Seeker should be aware of his (or her) Self and should be watchful of how one’s time is being spent.  For the time which is being spent in the obedience of Allah Most High, the Seeker should thank Him and for the time which is being spent in sin and heedlessness, the Seeker should regretfully repent for it.  In the terminology of the Sufis this is what is called as Muhasaba.

 

Wuquf Qalbi

 

This means that when engaged in the remembrance of Allah Most High, the Seeker should not allow the heart to become unaware.  The Seeker should pay attention to the heart and understand the meaning of the remembrance i.e. the Seeker should his (or her) tongue, engage in remembrance of Allah Most High with one’s thought and should hear the sound of this remembrance inwardly and outwardly.

 

In the opinion of the Imam of the order, Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah be well pleased with him) Wuquf Qalbi is a major article of achieving closeness to Allah Most High and the Naqshbandi Order has been based on this itself.

 

[Excerpted from Sulook-e-Mujaddidiya]