What is the Invocation of God?
Q: What is God's invocation?
The Ahlus Sunnah say that it means Durood and Salat.
Please clarify it.
God's invocation - repeating God's name, again and again, is the invocation of God's name.
Continuous repetitions of God's name.
This is God's invocation.
Why is God's invocation necessary?
First of all, you should know that the invocation of God's name is greater than even Salat.
The invocation of God's name is an obligation.
It is written in a Prophetic Tradition.
This Prophetic Tradition - forget about all the other narrators, once you have divine energy in your heart and you become a Devout Believer,
then which narrators of the Prophetic Traditions should you follow thereafter?
If any Prophetic Tradition has been narrated by your Spiritual Guide then you do not need to find any other narrator.
If you find a Prophetic Tradition narrated by Abdul Qadir Jilani then why would you need to look for other narrators?
What do you say?
Or if Moinuddin Chishti has referenced a particular Prophetic Tradition in his speeches or books then why do you need to look for more narrators?
Now, let me tell you something, you know, for the sake of information.
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the Last Sermon said, 'Of whomsoever I am Moula, Ali is their Moula.'
'I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gateway.'
This Prophetic Tradition was not given authentication by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim.
This Prophetic Tradition you can see here.
It is a very famous Prophetic Tradition.
Who was the narrator of this Prophetic Tradition?
Moula Ali.
Imam Ismail Bukhari is a grand Sheikh of Hadith in Islam as well as Imam Muslim.
These two Sheikhs did not authenticate this Prophetic Tradition; it is not to be found in either Bukhari or Sharif.
But it is written in Mishkat Sharif which is the collection of Prophetic Traditions.
You may find it in Tirmidhi, Ibn-e-Majah, Qastallani and Sunan Abu Dawud.
But Ismail Bukhari - I don't know what is the matter with Indian and Pakistani Muslims
because they consider the Prophetic Traditions narrated by Ismail Bukhari to be extra authentic.
But that doesn't make any sense, does it?
If you have heard of any Prophetic Tradition from any spiritual dignitary then you cannot doubt its authenticity.
The Prophetic Tradition which I am talking about, I have seen it in the books of Abdul Qadir Jilani myself.
One book is called 'Futuh al Ghaib' (Revelation of the Unseen)
Futuh al Ghaib.
And the other is called 'Fayuz e Yazdani'.
These are the books which have the statements of Abdul Qadir Jilani.
His disciples wrote down his lectures and compiled them.
Do you understand?
Other than that, this Prophetic Tradition is mentioned in Sultan Haq Bahu's book.
The Prophetic Tradition I am talking about.
Which one?
The obligation which comes before all obligations is the invocation of God's name.
'The obligation of Zikar Allah comes before all other obligations.'
The invocation of God's name is the first and foremost obligation.
What was said after that?
There are two types of obligations.
One is temporary and the other is eternal.
Obligations are either temporary or eternal.
Now, Salat is a temporary obligation.
What is a temporary obligation?
During the time of Fajr, you will offer the Fajr prayers.
Can you offer Fajr prayers when it is not Fajr time?
Just as you cannot offer Zuhr prayers when it is not Zuhr time.
Therefore, it is a temporary obligation.
And the invocation of God is an eternal obligation.
God said in Koran 4:103 that you must stay engaged in God's invocation while sitting, standing and even sleeping.
It is an eternal obligation.
And then a Prophetic Tradition states those who fail to fulfil the eternal obligation, their temporary obligations are not accepted either.
One whose eternal obligation...[Audience repeats].
Now, secondly
the invocation of God - the repetition of God's name
is an act most favourite of God.
Of course, there are many forms of worship but the invocation of God
and especially, a particular type of invocation.
Ask me which.
A human being in this terrestrial realm [earth] is asleep in his or her bed
and the voice of 'Allah Hu' in the beating system of the heart is reaching and echoing in the Empyrean of God via the Spiritual Heart.
When the sound of the invocation reaches up there but the one invoking upon God is unseen, the angels ask God, 'Whose voice is this?'
And God says smugly, 'This is the voice of the human being whom you refused to prostrate to.'
God loves hearing this invocation.
The angels visit this world every day. God sends the angels to have a look around on earth.
When they return, they say, 'O' God, you are all-knowing, but when we went to Earth, we saw many things
but there was one place where we saw something special.
There were people of different colours and they spoke different languages
they sat in a circle and were practising your invocation,
passionately.'
Then God says, 'O' angels, bear witness: I have granted them salvation.'
Then the angels say, 'There was a lone traveller passing them by.'
'He only stopped to observe what they were doing.'
At this point, the angels haven't even told God the full story - only that he stopped to look.
[Before the angels could finish] God says, 'I grant him salvation too.'
According to a Prophetic Tradition, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
'O my Companions, when you see the Gardens of Paradise, you should go and eat something [growing there].'
The Messenger of God said, 'O' my Companions,
'when you see the Gardens of Paradise -'
- let me tell you the exact words of the Prophetic Tradition.
I said the word 'eat' [in my translation of the Prophetic Tradition].
The Prophetic Tradition originally states, 'Graze there'.
'When you see the Gardens, enter them and graze there.'
Ask me some [other] day what the full story behind this is.
I will tell then. If I explain it now it will take too long.
'When you see the Gardens, graze there.'
The Companions asked Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), 'Where are the Gardens of Paradise on Earth?'
The Companions asked -
- yes, because I have glimpsed at the moment this Prophetic Tradition refers to in the Holy Black Stone.
I saw what was happening when Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) made this statement.
When Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said this, 'O' my Companions,
'when you see the Gardens of Paradise, graze there.'
The Companions were astounded to hear this.
They said, 'O' Messenger of God, where are the Gardens of Paradise on Earth?'
Where are the Gardens of Paradise on Earth?
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) replied, 'The Zikar gatherings are the Gardens of Paradise on Earth.'
'When you see these Zikar circles then you too should participate.'
Why did Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) use the word 'graze'?
He said 'graze' because those whose inner faculties are not enlightened are known as animals [in spiritual circles].
And animals graze.
Divine energy still enters those whose inner faculties are unenlightened [when they sit in Zikar gatherings].
But the divine energy does not settle in such a person's soul.
So this was one way that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was starting to give the Companions [who were unenlightened] spiritual knowledge.
[He was addressing the] people who Abu Huerra feared
when he said, '[I learnt two types of knowledge from the Prophet (PBUH). I told you one. If I told you the second, you would kill me.'
In order to give them a small glimpse [of spirituality], Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said this.
'When you see the Gardens of Paradise, you should graze there.'
They asked what the Gardens of Paradise were.
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) replied, 'The Zikar gatherings.'
And the Zikar gatherings would take place every day.
There used to be a bench in front of the Prophet's Mosque at the time.
And certain Companions used to spend all their time sitting on that bench.
And all they would do was engage in invocation (Zikar) of God's name.
One Prophetic Tradition states, 'Engage in God's invocation so passionately
'that when a hypocrite looks at you, he accuses you of showing off.'
'When a hypocrite looks at you [he says you are showing off].'
[Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was addressing] Umar-e-Farooq and Abu Bakr Siddiq.
When Umar-e-Farooq used to perform Salat,
he would recite the Koran very loudly.
He would recite the Koran like this.
Abu Bakr Siddiq used the perform Salat very calmly.
The Companions complained about both.
The Companions complained about both to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) summoned both.
He told Umar, 'Lower your voice a little [when you offer Salat].'
He told Abu Bakr Siddiq, 'Raise your voice a little.'
Your lower your voice and you raise your voice.
But after that Abu Bakr Siddiq founded a Sufi order.
It is known as the Naqshbandi Sufi Order.
The Naqshbandi Sufi Order became very famous in Turkey.
Mevlana Rumi, Bektashi
and other saints [in Turkey] -
- Ahmad Yasawi
and Ali Haji Bektashi
and Mevlana Rumi, Shams Tabrez -
- they're all from the Naqshbandi Sufi Order.
In the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, they openly say that Zikar-e-Jehr (Loud invocation) is forbidden.
They say that [Zikar-e-Jehr (Loud invocation) is forbidden].
There have been saints who declared Zikar-e-Jehr to be forbidden.
What do you think, Ghafoor?
Whereas in the Koran, God requests the pilgrims
'Engage in as passionate invocation of my name as you used to come here and praise your ancestors.' - Koran 2:200
But there are many benefits to Zikar-e-Jehr.
The veils of heedlessness are removed with Zikar-e-Jehr.
The entire field of Zikar is linked to Sufism.
People of every religion engage in invocation of God's name.
They do it with a rosary, all of them.
Whether they are Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jews, Muslims, they all do it.
Why? Because Zikar is not confined to any religion.
It relates to God.
Salat is a form of worship within the religion.
No Prophetic Tradition says that the first question you will be asked on the Day of Judgement will be about your Salat.
No Prophetic Tradition says this.
But this is what the religious clerics say.
The Koran says something else entirely.
The scene the Koran depicts of the Day of Judgement is:
'Neither your sons nor wealth shall benefit you on that Day. On that Day, only he shall be successful who brings with him a Secured Heart.' - Koran 26:88-89
And here you are worrying about Salat.
Invocation of God's name is a foremost obligation over Salat.
In order to suppress Sufism, people have rejected and forgotten the principal teachings of Sufism, Zikar.
There is no worship greater than invocation of God's name.
The Koran 29:45 says, 'Salat stops you from committing bad deeds and immoral acts, whereas invocation of God's name is greater.'
There is no doubt, Salat stops you from bad deeds and immoral acts.
However, invocation of God's name is greater than all.
Despite that, if you argue over this
and you spread mischief, then it is your misfortune to have such a messed up mind and ill fate.
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