Teachings of Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Some teachings of Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband

(May Allah shower His Mercy on him)

 

Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) is the eponymous founder of the Naqshbandi Order of Islamic mysticism.  Here we present some sayings of our master:

 

The Nisbah of our masters is from 4 paths.  One from Hadhrat Khidhr (May peace be upon him), the second from Hadhrat Junaid Baghdadi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him), the third from Hadhrat Bayazeed Bustami (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) which he received from Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) and the fourth one, again from Bayazeed Bustami (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) – which he received from Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

The heart of every Shaykh has 2 aspects.  Mine has 6.  (Here, 2 aspects means the Self and the Soul and 6 aspects means the six spiritual subtleties (Lataaif Sittah):  Nafs, Qalb, Rooh, Sirr, Khafi and Akhfa.  In the spiritual journey, knowledge from these Lataaif is received.

 

My order is the ‘Urwatul Wuthqa – the firm rope – following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the customs (Aathaar) of Companions.

 

The Men of Allah Most High bear the burden of serving the creation so that their manners and etiquette are (further) sanctified, or with the intention that they meet a saint.  This is because there is no saint who is not graced with divine attention – even though that person himself may not be aware of it.  Thus, whoever meets a saint will receive blessings from that divine grace.

 

Khaja Musafir Khwarizmi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) would often come to meet Hadhrat Khaja Bahauddin Naqshband (May Allah shower His Mercy on him).  He was inclined towards Sama’a (religious singing).  Once, he brought the singers and musicians and started a session of Sama’a in the presence of the Khaja.  The Khaja remained seated and didn’t object to it.  After the session ended, he said:  We don’t do this sort of thing, but we don’t refute it either.

 

For those who travel this path, attachment with things other than Allah Most High is a great obstacle.

 

Our approach is of company, as in seclusion lies fame and in fame lie calamities.

 

A master should be aware of the past, present and future of the seeker so as to instruct the seeker properly.

 

It is one of the conditions for a seeker that whenever he (or she) is in the company of a saint, he should be mindful of his own state.  He should compare this condition with that of the past.  If he feels that there is spiritual progress, he should consider being in the company of that saint as obligatory on himself.

 

This path is nothing but propriety.  Propriety is one of the conditions of this path.  Propriety is about Allah Most High and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and about the Sufi Shaykhs.  The propriety of Allah Most High is that one should follow the commands of Allah Most High with absolute servitude to Him, both outwardly and inwardly and that one turns away from everything else.  The respect and the propriety of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is that one should place himself (or herself) in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and to consider Him as the link between the Lord Almighty and all creation.  Whoever it is and whatever they are, they bow their heads at the door of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The propriety of the Shaykhs is that the seeker should understand that by virtue of following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), they have reached the stage that they can call others to Allah Most High.  Thus, a dervish should respect and revere them – in their presence and in their absence.

 

It is not certain that all those who run will take the ball, but only those who run will get the ball.  This is a suggestion that one should keep striving in this path.

 

A dervish should be like a drum in forbearance – even if he is slapped, nothing rude should escape their lips.

 

If the seeker has some difficulty or doubt about some action of the master, he (or she) should be patient and should not let this mar his devotion to the master.  It may be that the secret behind doing so will divulge itself to him.  If the disciple is a novice and cannot be patient, he (or she) may ask the master.  If the disciple is beyond the stage of the novice, it is not permissible for him to ask.

 

Whoever has served me even once, I will intercede for that person (on the Day of Judgment).