My dear children, the pleasure of my task in this world, my generous companions on the path to truth: On the occasion of this day of remembrance, when our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.s) was lifted to the presence of our Lord, may Allah fill our hearts with the light of unity, with the light of the Holy Qur'an, and with the love of His beloved.

For the sake of this sacred day and for the sake of the angels which he saw praying in the first heaven, reciting Allah’s Names in the second heaven, standing in the third, bowing in the fourth, prostrating in the fifth, sitting on their knees in the sixth, praising their Lord in the seventh, circumambulating the Ka'bah of the Essence above the seventh heaven, we pray that You lead us to the path of the guide whom You have sent us, and count us among the ones whose sins You have forgiven for his sake.

Amin, bi hurmati laylatil mi’raj, Ta Ha wa Ya Sin.

On the occasion of this blessed night I hope that we will be taught three lessons which we will never forget. One relates to what happened before the ascension of our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.s), one to what happened during it, and one to what happened after he came back among us to this world.

In the ninth year from the time when the Mercy of Allah upon the Universe announced his prophethood, on a Thursday which fell on the 26th of the month of Rajab, he was sitting in a corner in the vicinity of the Ka'bah, praying to his Lord to lead humankind to salvation and truth. In another corner the accursed Abul Jahl, the enemy of Islam and of Allah, was talking with others like himself, planning schemes against the Prophet and his fellows. As soon as they saw the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s), they fell upon him and cursed and insulted him. They belittled him, calling him an orphan, poor, uneducated and illiterate, lacking friends of stature, having only the poor and miserable around him. They said that if a God were ever to decide to make anyone His messenger, He would choose a rich, famous, aristocratic, educated man, honored among men, with friends and followers, like themselves.

How could they know, when they ridiculed him as an orphan, that Allah Most High had made him an orphan so that when he was tyrannized, hurt, and in need, as was happening, instead of seeking the security of the bosom of his mother and father, he would turn to Him. How could they know, when they called him illiterate, not having had any teachers, that Allah Himself was his teacher Who taught him everything, and gave him the character, morals and manners of His Own divine attributes? How were they to know, when they called him and his followers poor, that he was proud of his poverty because he needed nothing from anyone except from Allah?

As they denied and tyrannized him that day, he and his followers had been tyrannized before. For instance, when the accursed Ubayy ibn Khalaf heard of the Day of Last Judgment, when all will be brought back to life to give an accounting of their deeds. He came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s), crushed putrified human bones between his fingers, blew them into the face of the Mercy of Allah upon the Universe, and screamed at him, “Is your Lord going to revive this?” It was at this time that Allah Most High comforted His Messenger and blessed us with these ayats from the surah Ya Sin:

Let not their speech, then, grieve you. Verily We know what they hide as well as what they disclose.

Does not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open adversary.

And he compares Us to Our creation and forgets his own (origin and creation); he says, Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?

Say, He will give them life Who created them for the first time. For He is knower of all creation.

The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree when, behold, you kindle therewith (your own fires).

Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth

able to create the like thereof? Yea indeed, for

He is the Creator Supreme of skill and knowledge

(infinite)!

Verily, when He intends a thing, His command is

Be, and it is.

So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him will you be all brought back.

(Surah Ya Sin, 76—83)

When the accursed Abu Jahl and his followers attacked and insulted the Messenger of Allah that day, denying his prophethood, Allah confirmed his prophetic rank, illuminating and comforting him just as He had against the insult of Ubayy ibn Khalaf. He said:

But Allah bears witness by that which He has revealed to you that He has revealed it with His knowledge, and the angels also bear witness. And Allah is sufficient as a witness.

(Surah Nisa, 166)

Allah sent His angel Gabriel to invite His beloved(s.a.w.s) to Him so that he would see and experience all that was revealed to him in the seven heavens, and above, in the very presence of our Lord. And all that night journey was experienced with the body and the soul, during a moment so short that when he was brought back his bed was still warm, and the leaf which he brushed on his way was still trembling.

Still later, on the battlefield of Badr, when a few faced the tyranny of the many, Allah threw a handful of dust with the hand of His Prophet (s.a.w.s) to blind the eyes of a whole army of unbelievers whose eyes were already blind to truth, and sent armies of angels to render a handful of believers victorious over the nonbelievers.

All this tyranny, pain, and suffering which befell the Beloved of Allah (s.a.w.s) is the lot of the one who strives to come close to truth, and the rewards, the revelations, the enlightenment, the help, the final victory, the truth, the very divine vision, the Mi”raj – the ascension – are the rewards for the patience, the trust, the loyalty, the sincerity, with which one faces the hostility around and within oneself. This is the first lesson that we have to learn, and to keep, from what happened to our beloved Master (s.a.w.s) before his ascension.

Having visited the seven heavens, Paradise, Hell, and all else therein, the Beloved of Allah (s.a.w.s) came into the presence of the Truth. And he saluted Him, saying, attahiyyatu li—Liahi wa salawatu wat—tayyibat, “All praise, blessings, devotions, good deeds, and pure and beautiful things belong to Allah.”

To this the Lord of all the universes answered, as—salamu 'alayka ayyuhan—nabiyyu wa rahmatu Llahi wa barakatuhu, “My blessing, My love and compassion, and My mercy unto you, O Prophet.”

Our Master replied, as-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala “ibadi Llahis—salihin, “ O Lord, let all these blessings be not only unto me, but also unto all Your righteous servants.”

When the angels and all the inhabitants of the heavens heard that, they declared, ash—hadu an la ilaha illa Llah, wa ash—hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh, “We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”

Then Allah complained to His Prophet (s.a.w.s) about us. He said, “ O Ahmad, how is it that while I do not ask from your people their devotions of tomorrow, they want from Me today the sustenance which is due to them tomorrow? While I will not give to someone else what is due to them, how is it that their actions and their deeds are always for someone other than Me? How is it, while I give them their selves and all they live on, that they are always thankful to everyone else but Me? How is it that while they obey others, they revolt against Me? I did not create Hellfire for them, but for nonbelievers. Why is it that they will burn themselves in it?”

Then Allah asked, “ O My Beloved, what have you brought me as a gift from them?”

With tears in his blessed eyes our Master (s.a.w.s) said, “I brought You two gifts, my Lord: the lack of obedience and devotion, and a world full of sin and revolt.”

Allah said, “I forgive their lack of devotion with My mercy which encompasses all, I forgive their sins out of respect for you and for your intercession, and I send them the gift of salat with which they will remember Me, with which they may have their own ascension and be with Me as you are with Me.”

The second lesson that we hope to learn from the experience of our Master's visit to his Lord is the true meaning of that great gift of Allah to the people of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). It is that gift which our Master, the divine guide, calls the light of his eye. It is the light with which he sees, and it is the light with which we hope to see. Certainly others have seen the manifestation of Allah with the light of the salat. For Hadrat “Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I will not pray to a God whom I do not see.” Obviously, since he kept up his prayers, he saw Him. Allah”s Beloved tells us to make our prayers as if we see Him, for even if we do not see Him, He certainly sees us. Allah has sent us that gift in order that we remember Him, and He says, “Remember Me and I will remember you.” Therefore, prayer is communication between Allah and His servant. It is talking with Allah. For in a true hadith qudsi Allah says, “I have divided the salat in half between Myself and My servant. Half of it belongs to Me and half to him. All My servant asks in it will be given to him.”

In the Opening Chapter, Surah Fatihah, which we recite in each rak”at, when we say bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim, Allah hears and says, “My servant is remembering Me.” When we say al-hamdu li-Llahi Rabb il'alamin, He says, “My good servant is praising Me and he knows his rightful place in My universe.” When we say, ar-rahman ir-rahim, He says, “My servant hopes for My mercy and My compassion.” When we say, maliki yawm id-din, He says, “My submitting servant leaves himself and his affairs in My hands.” The half of the Fatihah, these three verses, belong to Allah.

When we say, iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in, “We serve only You and ask only from You,” these words are the true connection between the Creator and the created, between the Lord and His servant. That is when the All-Generous One says, “Whatever My servant wills, be done!”

When we say, ihdinas-sirat al-mustagim, “guide us on the straight path,” the path of Your beloved Prophet, and sirat alladhina an'amta 'alayhim, “the path of those with whom You are pleased,” ghayri maghdubi 'alayhim wa lad- dalin, “not those with whom You are angry, nor those who go astray,” Allah Most High says, “These are the words of My servant making entreaties to Me. My servant is sincere in his wishes.”

As the first half of the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an belongs to Allah, He has given the last half to His servants. Within it He talks with us. We remember Him and He remembers us. We ask and He gives. He gives and we take. Allah says in a hadith qudsi, “I am the companion of the one who remembers Me.” Unless the eye of the heart is blind, how can one fail to see one's companion?

But even if of the eye of a person's heart is closed, let him imagine Him, let him tune his ears to hear Him and to hear the angels around him when he is performing his devotions. For even when a believer makes his salat by himself, he is an imam, as confirmed by a true hadith that there are angels behind him making their prayers. He is an imam to the angels, and when he says, sami'a Llahu li-man hamidah, “Allah hears the one who praises Him,” he is not only talking to himself, but telling the angels who are praying with him that Allah hears them. Indeed it is not he who speaks, but Allah through him, for the answer of the angels is Rabbana lakal-hamd, “Our Lord, Yours is the praise.”

As Allah speaks through the one who makes the salat and the angels hear and respond, the true musalli, the sincere devout one, is at the station of being a messenger of Allah himself. So realize your level when you are in the presence of your Lord. Hear your voice when Allah's words are spoken through you. Hear your entreaties from Allah and His responses to you. The one who is deaf and blind and is not with his Lord during his devotions is not doing his devotions;  but, one hopes, he is practicing, working, hoping one day to truly perform them.

Indeed this is the perfect prayer of the perfect man. Allah says in His Qur'an that all that is wrong and bad is taken away from the one who makes his prayers. Yet not only do we continue doing wrong in our lives while we practice salat, but even while we do our salat our minds are else­where, perhaps because we do not know its true value and we haven’t made an effort to learn it.

It is the salat which will bring us from nothingness into true existence, from the earth, water, fire and ether that we are, to our essence which is from Allah. All transformation, the very act of creation, takes place through a movement, moving from nothingness to existence, or from worse to better.

The salat contains all possible movements: straight, angular, and curved, and upwards, horizontal, and downwards. The first movement, straight and upwards, represents man, the ultimate creation of Allah, whom He created in the image of His attributes and manifestations as a microcosm of the whole cosmos. He created man in the most beautiful shape. Then He brought him down to the worst of the worst, to be lifted again to the best.

The second movement in the salat, the ruku, is the angular horizontal movement, the symbol of the animal in man. The third movement, the curved downwards movement of prostration, is the symbol of the vegetal in man. Vegetation, animal and man move, while the mineral in man, the earth which will return to the earth, does not move by itself.

It is through these divinely decreed movements, recognized and felt, that we hope that the vegetal in us will move and evolve into animal, which in turn will evolve into human, who will in turn will seek to ascend to his Lord. As we move toward Him, He runs toward us. As we pray to Him, He and His angels pray for us. So the prayer is from us to Him and Him to us, shared, uniting. That gift which He has sent us from the ascension of our Master (s.a.w.s.) is a means to lift us to Him.

The third lesson to learn comes from what happened after the Mi’raj. When our Master declared what he had seen and heard, all of the nonbelievers and some of the believers did not believe him. Many a Muslim left the religion. As soon as he found out about it, Abu Jahl ran to the house of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r.a.), the loyal friend of the Prophet, who had not yet been told about the Mi”raj. He said, “ O Abu Bakr, have you heard what your friend Muhammad is saying? He claims that last night, in a moment, he went to Jerusalem from Mecca and from there to the heavens, and saw unbelievable strange things. Do you believe in this?”

Hadrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “ O Abu Jahl, did you make all this up, or did indeed Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, say this?”

Abu Jahl replied, “How could an intelligent man like me make up such an irrational, illogical, ridiculous story? It is Muhammad, to whom I had mistakenly given the title al— Amin, the dependable, who told it.”

Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) said, “In that case, I believe every word of it. There is not a grain of doubt. He only tells the truth coming from the Truth.”

And he who brings the truth and he who confirms

(and supports) it — such are the ones who fear

Allah and do right.

(Surah Zumar, 33)

Indeed Abu Jahl was intelligent. He had the intel­ligence of this world, which he distorted with his ego into an illusion that was true only for him. Judged with that kind of intelligence, no one could go in a moment from Mecca to Medina to Jerusalem to the seven heavens and above to the divine realm and speak ninety thousand words with Allah and come back, and that physically, not in a dream.

Abu Jahl ran from the house of Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) to the house of our Master(s.a.w.s) and tested him by asking him to stand up, which our gentle Master did. Then he asked him to lift one foot, which our Master did. But when he was asked to lift the other foot on which he was standing, our Master(s.a.w.s) said, “I cannot, O Abu Jahl, lest I fall.”

The enemy of Allah sneered and said, “You, who cannot stand a finger’s length above the ground, claim that you went above the seven heavens!”

The Beloved of Allah answered, “I did not say I went. I said I was brought by Allah.”

Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) was also intelligent, but his intel­ligence was not the kind that would weigh the power of the All-Powerful with a grocer's scale. He understood and believed in the ascension, as well as the very existence of Allah in all and everything around and within him, with the illumination of submission to the truth.

The final lesson is: May we not see the illusions of this world, the imaginations of our ego, the temptations of the Devil, as the truth. May we not think of the world in a thousand pieces like a broken mirror and ourselves in a thousand “I”s, one contradicting the other. May we not conceive the divine with the measure of our worldly mind, for in that case one “I” will deny the other, one thought will negate the other, and we will be left in doubt, confusion, and denial. May we see the unity in everything and the manifestation of the Creator in the creation with the divine light, which is in us, but covered with the seventy thousand veils of our egos.

Amin, bi-hurmati sayyid il-mursalin Ta Ha wa Ya Sin.

Wa alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatu Llahi wa barakatuhu.

 

The Description of the Prophet 

 

O Allah, for as long as day turns to night and night recedes into day, for as long as the ages succeed one another, as day and night unceasingly follow upon each other and as the glowing stars remain suspended in the firmament, we beg that You bestow Your grace and favors upon our master Muhammad and that You transmit unto his blessed soul and unto the souls of the people of his house our greetings and our respect, and that You bestow upon him Your peace and blessings in great abundance.

So may Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad and upon all the prophets and messengers; upon the saints and the righteous servants; upon the angels and upon those who reside by the Throne of Grace; and upon the obedient and vigilant servants among the people of the earth and those of the skies. And may Allah Most High be please with His Prophet (s.a.w.s) and with all his companions and people. Amin.

–  Allah Most High, in His mercy, "sent (His Beloved) as a mercy upon the universe” (Anbiya 1:07)

–  the one whose soul was Allah's first creation, created from the Light of Allah, as He Himself confirmed, saying to us, “the first creation that Allah created was the soul of your Prophet”;

–  the first of all prophets, as he said, “I was a prophet when Adam was between water and clay.”

–  and the last of all prophets (as Allah Most High says, “Certainly a messenger has come to you from amongst yourselves, grievous to him is your falling into distress, most solicitous for you, merciful to the believers” [Bara'at 128];

– the one upon whom “Allah has bestowed the noblest character and most excellent actions”;

– our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and give him His salutations.

May Allah inspire our hearts with the love of our Master (s.a.w.s.), above anything else we love, for he has said, “As long as you do not love me more than anything else, your faith is not complete.” We must realize that to love is not within our will, nor can we be forced to love. But one can wish to love someone, and it helps to know the one whom one wishes to love.

Therefore we have gathered from hadith describing our master the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.): his appearance, his outward character, his daily intimate life, his relations with people, things he liked and disliked, hoping that the reader will sympathize, feel affection, find traces of these attributes in his own self, wish to follow his example and his path, and love him.

He was neither tall and lanky nor short and stocky. He was slightly taller than medium height. He had broad shoulders and a broad high chest. He was strongly built; his chest and stomach were flat and firm. No part of his flesh was loose. On his back, between his shoulders, was the Seal of Prophethood. His bones were heavy and his wrists were long. His thighs were lean. His complexion was white tinged with reddishness, like a flower. His skin was soft. When he took his shirt off of his shoulders, the color of his body was like cast silver. Fine hair covered the line from mid-chest to navel. He had no hair on his chest, but his arms and shoulders were hairy.

He had a large head and a round face. He had large black eyes, the lids of which seemed to be outlined, and he had long lashes. The whites of his eyes were slightly pink.

He had wonderful eyesight. He could see in the dark as well as he could see in daytime.

He had a high forehead and thick eyebrows separated in the center, where there was a visible vein. It used to swell when he got angry, and his temples would turn red.

His hair was jet black, with about twenty white hairs. It was neither curly nor straight, but moderately wavy. He braided his hair. When he let it loose, its length would not pass his earlobes. He would part it in the middle.

He had long sideburns and a thick beard and moustache which he shaped by clipping and thinning it, keeping his moustache above his lips. He would wash his beard often, and perfume it with musk. He used often to gently hold his beard when he was sad or pensive.

His face was not plump, his cheeks were not round. He had a straight nose and a rather large mouth. His neck was like a column of silver. His teeth were perfectly white and even, with a slight space between them. When he smiled delicately, they shone like pearls, and one could see his eyeteeth. When he laughed he used to put his hand in front of his mouth.

When he was happy, his face shone like the moon, and when he spoke, it seemed as if a light emanated from between his teeth.

He had big but beautiful hands and feet. The palms of his hands and the soles of his feet were firmly padded. He had no hair on his feet. When he washed them, the water didnt stay on them.

He walked with a firm gait, slightly leaning forward as if he were holding a staff, and without any evident effort, as if striding downhill. He walked very fast. People would run behind him, and could not keep pace with him. When people who were weak were his companions, he slowed down or made them ride animals of burden and let them follow behind, and he prayed for them.

He did not look to the side, and never turned to look behind him. Even when his robe would get caught in a bush he would not turn and look. Others who saw it would come and free it.

He insisted that his companions walk in front of him rather than behind him.

His face was the most beautiful of human faces. His form was the most beautiful to be found among men; so was his character.

He was the most generous, the most valorous, the most gentle. He cast his eyes down more often than up, and appeared shyer than a well-sheltered young girl. When someone came to him with a happy face, he would take his hand.

When gifts were brought to him, he would ask if they were alms or gifts. He would accept the gifts and decline the alms. Yet the gifts did not stay in hand or his house for a long time. He would give them away.

He used to take off his shoes when he sat down, and bend and gather the skirt of his robe. He would always sit on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest.

He would stay silent for long periods and laugh little, yet he had a sense of humor and liked to see others smile. When he met with his people he would first give them the greetings of peace and blessings and then embrace them. Caressing them, he would pray for them. When he was with other people he would not leave their company until they left, and when he took someone's hand, he wouldn't withdraw his hand until the other person released it. When someone whispered into his ear something that he did not want others to hear, he would not pull his face away until the other did.

He was very compassionate and loving, especially to families and children. When he promised something to someone, he would fulfill his promise without fail at the first opportunity.

When he sat with his people, they sat around him in a circle, and in love and fascination they would be so quiet and still that if a bird had sat on their heads, it would not have flown away.

As he spoke, he often lifted his eyes to the heavens. When something that greatly pleased him was announced to him, he would immediately prostrate as a gesture of thankfulness to Allah, and his face would shine like the full moon. When he began speaking he would always smile.

In all his relationships he never caused two people to be angry at each other or to have to defend themselves. Whenever he was asked for something, he would give it if he had it. If he did not have it, he would not refuse, but would not respond. He never said no. When he was asked to do something, if it was possible he would say yes. If it was not possible, he would keep silent. He did not come close to nor listen to people from whom he expected to hear bad talk, and he did not accept people's talking against each other.

He spoke very clearly, separating each word so that one could easily count each word if one cared to. When he spoke he would repeat each sentence three times to make sure that it was well understood, but he would not repeat it again.

He did not like people who were loud and rude. He preferred people who spoke softly. He also did not like people who asked too many questions.

He smelled beautiful. From his perfume, which would precede him, people knew that he was coming. Since his perfume lingered, people would know when he had been in a place.

When he knew of something bad that someone had done, he wouldn't give the person away by mentioning his name, saying "Why is so-and-so doing this?" He would say, "Why do people do this?"

When he was not pleased it became evident on his face. He would lift his face to the heavens and pray Subhan Allah ul-'azim. Ya Hayyu ya Qayyumu bi—rahmatika 'istaghisuhu.

He was terrifying to the enemies of Islam.

What he hated most was lying. Even in his own household, if someone told the slightest untruth, he would not speak with that person until he or she repented.

When he was angered his temples would become flushed and the vein between his eyebrows would swell, and he would sweat. To appease his wrath he would sit if he had been standing, lie down if he had been sitting, get up and make two cycles of prayer, and his anger would pass.

When, rarely, he was really wrathful, no one would dare to come close to him except Hadrat 'Ali (r.a.). Yet to the worst of his people he appeared loving and gentle with his words and his being, and so gained their hearts.

When he did not see one of his people for three days, he would ask after that person, and if absent people could not come, he would go to them. When he did not know the name of one of his people he would address him as, “ O son of Allah’s servant.” When he would take someone’s hand to say farewell, he would not withdraw his hand before the other withdrew his, and he would pray, “I entrust you to Allah’s care, you and your faith and your trust and your deeds and your end.” When he was about to leave a gathering, he would say astaghfirullah loudly twenty times, and lift himself up, supporting himself with one arm.

Whatever he did, he did well.

He liked to wear a simple robe, the skirt of which was down to his heels, and the sleeves down to his fingers. He would gather his robe so that it hung in front, but lifted it behind when he walked so that it would not drag.

He washed and mended his own clothes.

He would cover his head and most of his face. He would wear a white cap, and sometimes wrap a turban around it so that the end of the turban would hang down his neck between his shoulders.

He was very careful of the cloth that he chose for his robes. If it contained silk, he would discard it. He liked wool. He had a woolen robe that he wore on Fridays and holy days. The robe he liked most was made from a colored Yemeni cloth. The colors he liked most were green and yellow.

When he had a new robe made, he would give a name to it and wear it on Fridays. When he wore anything new, he would praise Allah and make two cycles of prayer in thankfulness, and immediately give his old clothing to a poor person.

When groups of foreigners came to visit him, he would wear his best clothes, and ask his companions to do the same.

He wore treated leather sandals with a thong between the toes, which he liked to be the size of his feet, not larger. He wore silver rings on both his right and left hand, and interchanged them. Sometimes they would have a carnelian set in them.

When he dressed and washed and combed himself, in fact in all his doings, he liked to start from the right. When he put on his sandals and robe he would put his right foot and right arm first. In taking them off, he would remove the left foot and left arm first.

He disliked bad smells.

He bathed on Fridays with five buckets of water. Sometimes he and one of his wives would share the same tub and the same water. He used depilatory every month on the genital area, each time washing it thrice, and then would use it in his armpits. He would cut his fingernails every two weeks. He would fumigate himself with incense. He liked to use the miswak, a stick of wood beaten into fibers at one end, as a toothbrush. He carried it with him, and used it to clean his teeth very often. He wouldn’t enter the houses of his wives, or go to bed, without brushing his teeth.

He used to sweat a lot, but his sweat smelled of roses. He would perfume and oil his hair and beard with musk. When someone offered him perfume he would never refuse, and would use it. Sometimes he would go into his wives’ rooms and look for perfume.

When he used perfume he poured it into his left hand and first applied it to his brow, then around his eyes, then to his head. He liked best the smell of the balsam flower.

He liked to drink cool and sweet drinks, and among these he liked best water sweetened with honey. He also liked milk. When he drank he would breathe before swallowing, and say bismillah ir-rahman ir-rahim:  “In the Name of Allah;, the Beneficent, the Compassionate.” After each swallow he would say alhamdu lillah. He would take only two or three swallows in this way.

He had a glass cup that he drank from. He liked to drink water from its source, or he would send people to particular springs, wells and fountains where there was good water, and he would pray for the people who brought the water to him. He would have Zamzam water each time he went to Mecca, and would carry it himself or ask his people to bring it to him.

He liked to sit and watch running water and greenery, and kept his water in covered containers.

He ate little, and if he ate in the evening he wouldn’t eat in the morning. He ate only when he was hungry, and stopped eating before he was full.

He fasted often. In addition to the month of Ramadhan, the month he fasted during the most was Shaban.The ninth of dhul-Hijja, the day of Ashura, the first three days and the first Monday of each month he passed fasting. It was rare if he did not fast on Fridays.

Sometimes to appease his hunger pangs he would tie a flat stone pressing on his stomach. Sometimes he would fast for days without breaking it, but he would forbid others to do it.

He never kept anything for tomorrow. Sometimes neither he nor his family had anything to eat for days. They often ate barley bread.

When he broke his fast at sunset, he would first eat a date or two or drink water before he made his maghrib (sunset) prayer. When he ate, he sat on the floor and set his food on the floor; he never leaned on anything while he ate. He washed his hands well before and after eating. He started the meal by saying “Bismillahi” He ate with the three fingers of his right hand. He ate what was on his side of the plate; he never reached for a morsel in the middle of the plate, and did not approve of other people, eating with him from the same plate, doing so. He did not start eating a warm dish till it cooled. In fact, he did not like warm dishes. He said, “Eat cold food, because it has the blessing of abundance; if you are heedful you will see how much more you must eat when you eat warm food..."

He never blew to cool his food, nor did he blow into his cup when he drank. He liked to break his fast with fresh dates or something fire had not touched. He liked dates; he liked to hold them in his hands attached to their branches in bunches and eat them one by one. He ate them with bread, with water­melon, with cucumber, with cream, and he would say, “What a blessed fruit.” Even when there was a worm in a date, he wouldn’t throw it away; he would clean the worm out and eat the date. He started his meals with dates and finished them with dates.

He liked sweet things. He liked honey and halwa (a sweet made with cereals, sesame oil and syrup) and raisins.

He ate meat. The meat he preferred was the front part of the sheep, especially the shanks of the front legs, He disliked eating the internal organs of the animal. He refused to eat the kidneys, although he did not forbid others to eat them.

Among vegetables he liked squash and cucumbers. He disliked onions, garlic, leeks and such things which leave a smell on the breath, as he spoke with angels, and did not like to offend others in congregations.

He accepted all invitations to dinner, even from a slave, where he may have eaten stale animal fat with old barley bread. He ate everything which was offered to him if he was hungry. He started eating only after others started. He said “Alhamdulillah,” all praise is due to Allah, and prayed after each meal for his host and the ones who shared the meal.

He went to bed after the night prayer, awoke in the middle of the night to pray, and slept till before morning prayer. He liked to take an afternoon nap. His eyes slept but his heart did not sleep.

His bed was a piece of felt; sometimes he used a straw mat thrown on the hard floor, which marked his blessed side when he lay upon it. The mat was not bigger than the size of a grave.

Before he went to bed, he would always recite Surah Kafirun, and one or more of the following: Surah Mulk, Surah Sajdah, Surah Bani Isra’il and Surah Zumar. He would not go to bed without taking an ablution and cleaning his teeth. He kept his miswak (tooth brush stick) next to his bed and would use it when he woke up.

He slept with his head turned in the direction of the Ka'aba. He slept on his right side, and his right hand as a pillow, placing his palm under his cheek. Before he fell asleep, he would pray, “Oh my Lord, I live with your name, I die with your name.” Then he would repeat three times “On the day of Resurrection, save me from your wrath.” He breathed heavily when he slept.

He loved and cherished his wives. Whether they were young or old, beautiful or less beautiful, he treated them equally. When he got married or performed a wedding ceremony, he distributed dates to the wedding guests. He liked to give gifts and advised his people to do so. He would say that giving gifts brought people together.

He smiled when he spoke and showed care and compassion to the members of his household. He did not touch even the hand of a woman from outside his family. He would talk to, amuse and play with his wives. He would show affection, and kiss and caress them even when he was fasting; he did not consider his ablution lost as a result, and would make his prayers without renewing his ablution.

He divided his time equally between his wives. He was able to visit all of them in a day or night and satisfy them all. He would send word to the wife whom he intended to visit.

He had a yellow bed sheet, dyed with saffron, which was always kept proper and clean. He took this with him to sleep on with his wives. The wife with whom he spent the night would wash and fold it for him. He would take ablution, and say “Bismillah” when he came close to his wives; he asked them to recite “Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar" thirty-three times each. When they made love, they were careful to keep their sexual parts chastely covered. During intercourse he usually stood on his knees. They took a total ablution immediately afterwards; rarely, in dire conditions of cold and fatigue, he delayed ablution and slept till before prayer time. He would not sleep with his wives when they had their periods, but he would still show them physical affection. He helped with the household chores: cleaned, washed, mended, and milked the sheep. No work seemed beneath his dignity. He took his wives out, and brought them and his children to special holiday prayers. When he traveled or left for battle, he would not choose one of his wives to accompany him, but rather he would let those who wished to go draw lots to decide who would accompany him.

When his wives became ill, he took care of them and cooked soup for them saying, “Drink! This will cleanse the pain and sadness in the heart of the sick as water cleanses the dirt of a man’s body.” He would pray for them, reciting Surah Falaq and Surah Nas three times. When one of his wives was sick with an infectious disease, especially of the eye, he would not go close to her fearing to infect others. When they wanted something, he never said, “No,” but brought them what they wanted as soon as he could. If he was worried about forgetting it, he would tie a string to his little finger or to his ring. He would pray for them and sacrifice sheep for them. When they were annoyed, he would be gentle with them. Once when Hd. Aisha (r.a.) was annoyed, he gently caressed the tip of her nose and called her “my little Aisha,” and asked her to pray so that her anger would subside.

He was wonderful with children. He saluted them like grown­ups, talked to them, caressed their heads, and hugged them. He would get up when his daughter, Hd. Fatima (r.a.) came to him, and he would kiss the top of her head. He always wanted them around him during prayer time in the mosque. His grandchildren would climb on his back while he prayed and he did not mind. He loved all of his people, but he loved the very young and the very old most of all.

He possessed little, did not keep things long, and gave them away. He liked to give names to his belongings. He had a mirror which he called Mudallah (Misleader) and a pair of scissors which he called Jami (Joiner of two). He had a water pitcher which he called Mamshuq (The thin bough). He had a sleeping mat he called Quzz (Shunner of impurity). He had a glass cup and two kohl containers. He used to put kohl on his eyelids every evening three times from each container. He had a wooden perfume bottle. He always had one new robe which he wore on Fridays. He had one towel and a heavy iron basin which only four people could lift, called Ghara( Well built). He had an iron cooking pot with four rings as handles.

He had a maid called Hadirah (Sturdy). When he addressed her, he would ask her “What would you like?” He never complained about the service of the ones who served him. He had a donkey called Ya’fur ( Lively) which he often rode without a saddle. He had two horses, one reddish he called Murtajaz (  ) and a dark black one he called Sakb (Swift). He had a mule called Duldul (Vacillating ) and a she-camel which he called Kuswa ( ). He loved and cared for his animals. When he left this world Kuswa ran away to the desert; every night she would come to the masjid looking for him, crying and hitting her head on the stone steps. One night she killed herself from hitting her head on the stone walls of the mosque.

He had a sword called Dhul-Fiqar (Like a star) with a decorated silver handle; he had a bow called Dhus-Sada’d ( Mark hitter ) and a quiver for his arrows called Dhul-Tumu ( Always full ) He had a short spear called Nab’ah (Arrowwood ) and a shield which he called Zaqan. He had two muezzins who called the prayer five times a day, Hd. Bilal and Ibn Mektum, who was blind.

What he liked most of this world was salat, the ritual prayer. He made his prayers seeing his Lord. That is why he asked his people to do their prayers as they saw him do them, not as he did them; it would have been impossible for anyone to pray like he did. The people whom he liked most were the people who were constant in their devotion. When he led the prayer, he made it short and easy. When he prayed alone, he made it long. He would stand at prayer all night until his blessed feet were swollen.

When the weather was cold, he prayed early. In the heat of the summer, he delayed his prayers. When he sent someone to a place as Governor or imam, he would warn them, “Speak not long. Long talk has the effect of a spell, like that of a sorcerer. Make your preaching short and make things easy for people, not difficult. Give them the news of good tidings, not punishment.”

He took ablution before every prayer. When he took ablution he would try to save water. He would save a little and sprinkle it on the place where he would put his head in prostration. When he washed his hands, he would move his rings so that water got under them. When he washed his lower arms up to the elbows, he rubbed well up above them. He would wash and rub his earlobes and then take a handful of water, put it under his chin, rub his beard well and comb it with his fingers. When he washed his feet, he rubbed between his toes with his little finger. He liked to dry his hands and arms after ablution by air and rubbing them rather than by drying them with a towel. After ablution he used to make two cycles of prayer before he did his prayers in congregation. He did not permit anyone to help him when he took his ablution. He would not let them pour water or even hand him a towel. Neither did he like to ask people to serve him.

When he prayed, his color would change; sometimes he would grow pale, sometimes he would flush. At the time of the morning prayer, the maids of the people of Medina would come to the mosque with water pitchers; he would dip his fingers in them and bless them. After finishing the morning prayer, he would sit and pray with his face turned toward the Qa'aba until sunrise. Then he would turn to the congregation and say, 

“If anyone is sick, let me go and visit him. If anyone is dead, let me assist at his funeral, If anyone has dreamt, let him come and tell me.”

When he stood up to pray, he would raise his hands, open his fingers with palms facing forward and say, “Allah is Great”; then he would lower his hands and hold his left hand with his right hand. When he bent from the waist in prayer, he would place his hands with open fingers right above his knees; his back would be so straight that if you poured water on it, it would remain there and not run off.

Nothing prevented him from praying, nor from making his prayer at the proper time. When he travelled, however, he would make the salat of noon and afternoon together at the time of afternoon prayer, and he made the evening and night salat together at the time of night prayer. Actually, he was in constant prayer, for he never forgot Allah, and remembered Him at each breath.

He liked to pray in gardens and open spaces. He usually prayed on a treated sheepskin or a straw mat. He took off his shoes when he prayed, but sometimes kept them on. He would make extra prayers between afternoon and evening time, but forbade others to do so. He would do two cycles of prayer before noon, two cycles after noon prayer, two cycles before afternoon prayer, two cycles after evening prayer and two cycles after night prayer.

Sometimes during prayer, it would appear as if he was look­ing around him from the corners of his eyes. Indeed he sometimes saw what was happening behind him as if it were in front of his eyes. When he led prayers, men stood in rows behind him; behind them stood the children; behind the children stood the women.

Sometimes he stayed so long in prostration, from fatigue he momentarily fell asleep; then he would get up and continue his prayers. Although sleep breaks the ablution, his eyes slept, but his heart did not sleep. He kept the fingers of his hands spread apart when he raised them at the beginning of the salat, and when he placed them on his knees when he bent from the waist and when he sat on his knees, but he held them tightly together when he pressed them on the floor next to his face during prostration. He raised his elbows high so that one could see the white of his armpits.

At the end of the prayers during his private supplications, he prayed first for himself, and then for those who had urgent need. When he prayed for someone, his prayer did not only affect that person, but his family, children and grandchildren as well. When he made his supplications, he opened his hands with palms facing his face; sometimes he raised them high towards the heavens. When he finished, he wiped his palms over his face.

On Friday congregational prayers, when he got up to preach, he greeted people near him. When he climbed the pulpit he turned his face to the congregation and saluted them. When he preached, he leaned over his staff; his face flushed, his eyes reddened. He raised his voice, he appeared wrathful, as if he were warning about imminent danger from an army, as if he were ordering an army to attack the enemy. He would say, “Your night has turned into day.” When he spoke to his warriors during battle, he leaned over his sword.

When revelations came to him, he would bow his head low as if a heavy load was on his neck. He would appear crushed. Once he received a revelation while on camel back. The knees of his camel gave out. Even when it was cold, sweat drops like pearls would roll down his forehead. The color of his face would change; a strange sound like the buzzing of many bees would emanate from around his face. He would have terrible headaches. They would put khena on his head to alleviate the pain.

His last words before his physical being departed from this world were:

“Do not ever abandon prayer. Do not ever abandon prayer. Do not ever abandon prayer. And fear Allah in your treatment of those under your hands.”(Treat those who are dependent on you with love, compassion and generosity.)

When he encountered something which was pleasing to him he said, “Praise be to Allah through Whose grace good tidings are brought forth.” (Al-hamdu lillahilladhi bini’matihi tatlimussalihat.)

When he encountered something unpleasant he said, “Praise be to Allah at all times under all conditions.” (Al-hamdu lillahi “ala kulli hal.)

When he made an oath he often said, “By Him who holds the life of Abu al-Gasim in His hands.” (La walladhi nafsu Abil Gasimi biyadihi.)

When he would lie down to sleep he would put his hand under his cheek and say, "ln Thy name, my Lord, I die and am brought to life." (Bismika Allahumma ahya wa bismika amut.)

When he used to go to bed, he would say, "In the name of Allah I lie on my side upon my bed. O Allah, forgive me my sins, and drive away my personal devil. Redeem my pledge, and make me of the Uppermost Assembly.” (Bismillahi wada’tu janbi. Allahummaghfir li dhanbi wa akhis shaytani wa fukka rihani wa thaqqil mizani waj’alni finnadixyil a’la.)

When he sent someone to work and fight for Allah’s sake, he would say, “Unto Allah I entrust your faith, your trust, and the furtherance of your works. (Istawda’allahu dinakum wa amanatakum wa khawatima ’amalikum.)

On starting a trip he would say, “O Allah, with You I do to battle, with You I depart, and with You I travel.” (Allahuninia bika asulu wa bika ahulu wa bika asiru.)

When he prayed for rain, he said, “O Allah, give Your servants drink, shower all with Your mercy, and bring to life Your dead land”; and “O Allah, bestow blessings, adornments, and dwellings in this land, and provide our sustenance. You are the best of sustainers.” ( Allahuminasqi “ibadaka wanshur rahmataka wa ahyi baladakal mayyit; Allahumma anzil fi ardina barakataha wa zinataha wa sakanaha warzuqna wa anta khayruraziqin.)

When the north wind blew hard, he would say, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what was sent therein.” (Allahumma inni a’udhu bika mm sharri ma arsalta fiha.)

When he became ill the Archangel Gabriel would come to him and pray for him saying, “In the name of Allah. He tires you from every malady. He cures you from the evil of the envious when he envies you, and from the evil of those who cast the evil eye.” ( Bismillahi yabrika mm kulli da’in yushfika mm sharri hasidin idha hasad wa sharri kulli dhi ’ayn.)

When he was saddened he would say, “The Lord is not in need of worship. The Creator is not in need of the creation. The Sustainer is not in need of the sustained. Sufficient unto me is He Who is sufficient unto me. Allah is sufficient unto me, and how excellent a Guardian is He. Allah is sufficient unto me; there is no god but He. On Him I rely, and He is the Lord of the glorious throne. (Hasbiyar rabbu minal ’ibadah. Hasbiyal khaliqu ma al-makhluqin. Hasbiyar raziqu minal marzuqin. Hasbiyalladhi huwa hasbi. Hasbiyallahu wa ni’mal wakil. Hasbiyallahu Ia ilaha illa huwa ’alayka tawakkaltu wahwa rabbul ’arshil ’azim.)

Every morning and every evening he prayed thus, “O Allah, I ask Thee to surprise me with good tidings, and I seek refuge in Thee from sudden evil. For the servant has no knowledge of what may unexpectantly occur in the morning or the evening.” (Allahunwna inni as'aluka mm faj'atul khayri wa a'udhu bika mm faj'atish sharr. Fa innal 'abda la yadri ma yafja'ahu idha asbaha wa idha amia.)

As He woke up in the mornings and as the sun set he would say, “We entered upon the morning as followers of the religion of Islam, of the doctrine of the unity of Allah, of the religion of our Prophet Muhammad, and of the creed of our father Abraham who was upright and was not among the non-believers.” (Asbahna 'ala fitratil islami wa kalimatil ikhlasi wa dini nabiyyina Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam wa'ala millati 'abina Ibrahima hanifan musliman wa ma kana minal mushrikin.)

When he broke his fast he would say, “My Lord, it is for Thy sake that I fasted, and with Thy sustenance did I break the fast. Accept this fast from me; You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing”; and “Praise be to Allah Who aided me to fast, and provided me with sustenance that I might break the fast.” (Allhunwna laka sumtu wa 'ala rizqika aftartu wa taqabbal mini innaka antas sanii'ul 'alim; al-hamdu lillahil ladhi a”anani fasumtu wa razaqani fai'ftart.)

When he broke fast in someone”s house he would say, “A fasting person has broken his fasting your home, and thus, the Angels have invoked blessings upon you.” (Aftara 'indakumus sa' imu wa sallat 'alaykumul mala' ika.)

When he ate or he drank he said, “Praise be to Allah Who fed us and gave us to drink, made it agreeable to swallow, and made an outlet therefore.” (Al-hamdu lillahilladhi at'ama wa saqa wa sal'aghahu wa ja'ala lahu makhrajan.)

As he entered his room he would way, “Praise be to Allah Who gave us food and drink, provided us sufficiently, and gave us shelter. How many there are who have neither provider nor shelter." (Al-hamdu lillahilladhi at'amana wa saqana wa kafana wa 'awana fakam mimman la kafiya lahu wa la ma 'wa.)

As he turned from one side to another in his bed, he would say, “There is no god but Allah, the One, the Ever-Dominant, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the Victorious, the All-Forgiving.” (La ilaha illallahul wahidul qahhar rabbus samawati wal ard wa ma baynahumul 'azizul jabbar.)

When some matter bothered him he said, “There is no god but Allah, the Clement, the Generous. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the glorioius throne. And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe.” (La ilaha illallahul halimul karim subhanallahi rabbil 'arshil 'azim al-hamdu lillahi rabbil “alamin.)

When he expected harm to come from his enemies, he prayed, “O Allah, we place Thee in front of them and seek refuge in Thee from their mischiefs.” (Allahumma inna naj'aluka fi nuhurihim wa na'udhu bika mm shurur ih im.)

When he suspected a mischief directed against him, he would pray, “ O Allah bestow Thy blessings on this and do not cause it harm.” (Allahumma bank fihi wa la tudirrah.)

When he left his house, he would pray, “In the name of Allah. Reliance is on Allah. There is no power nor strength save in Allah."(Bismillah At-tiklanu 'alallah. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.)

or “In the name of Allah. Upon Allah I rely. O Allah, we seek refuge in Thee lest we slip, or wrong or be wronged, or act foolishly, or any one act foolishly with us.” (Bismillah. Tawakkaltu 'alallah. Allahumma inna a”udhu bika mm an nazilla aw nazlima aw nuzlama aw naihala aw yujhala 'alayna."

or “In the name of Allah. My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee lest I slip, or lead some one astray, or wrong or be wronged, or act foolishly, or any one act foolishly with me.” (Bismillahi rabbi. A”udhu bika mm an azilla aw adilla aw azlima aw uzlama aw aihala aw ujhala aw yujhala 'alayya.)

or “In the name of Allah. rely upon Allah. There is not power nor strength save in Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee lest I send any one astray, or go astray myself, or slip or cause some one else to slip, or wrong or be wronged, or act foolishly, or any one act foolishly with me, or oppress or be oppressed.” (Bismillah. Tawakkaltu 'alallah. La hawla wa la quua'aata illa billah. Allahunna inni a'udhu bika mm an udilla aw udalla aw uzilla aw uzalla aw azlima aw uzlama aw ajhala aw ujhala aw yu.jhala 'alayya aw abghiya aw yubgha 'alayya.)

When he entered a mosque he would pray, “I seek refuge in Allah the Magnificent, in His glorious Self, and in His eternal Dominion from the accursed devil.” (A'udhu billahil 'azimi wa biwa, jhihil karimi wa sultanihil qadimi minash shaytanir rajim.) He also said that the one who recites this will also be safe from the accursed devil elsewhere.

In entering a mosque on occasions he also prayed thus, “In the name of Allah. Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive me my sins and open unto me the gates of Thy mercy”; “In the name of Allah.Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, forgive me my sins and open unto me the gates of Thy grace and favor”; “My Lord, forgive me my sins and open unto me the gates of Thy mercy”; “My Lord, forgive me my sins and open unto me the gates of Thy grace and favor”; and “In the name of Allah. My Lord, blessings be upon Muhammad and the wives of Muhammad.” (Bismillah. wassalamu 'ala rasulillah. Allahunnaghfir li dhunubi waftah li abwaba rahmatik; Bismillah. wassalamu 'ala rasulillah. Allahunnaghfir Ii dhunubi waftah Ii abwaba fadlik; Rabbighfir li dhunubi waftah li abwaba rahmatik; Rabbighfir li dhunubi waftah li abwaba fadlik; Bismillah. Allahunna salli 'ala Muhammad wa azwaji Muhammad.)

When he went to the bathroom he would say, “In the name of Allah. I seek refuge from obstruction and whatever gets obstructed”; “ O Lord of Majesty”; “ O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the malicious filthy dirty accursed devil”; “Praise be to Allah Who made me appreciate this matter, Who provided me with strength, and Who removed its unpleasantness from me.” (Bismillah. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal habsi wal haba'is; Ya dhal jalal; Allahunna inni a'udhu bika minar rijsin na.jsil khabithil mukhbathish shaytanir rajim; Al-hamdu lillahil ladhi adhaqani ladhdhatahu wa abqa fiyya qu-atahu wa adhaba 'anni adhahu.)

When he left the bathroom, he would say, “Thy pardon”; “Praise be to Allah Who relieved me from suffering and gave me health”; and “Praise be to Allah in the beginning of the matter and in the end.” (Ghufranak; Alhamdu lillahil ladhi adhhaba 'annil adha wa 'afani; Al— hamdu lillahil ladhi ahiana ilayya fi aL'ialihi wa fi akhirih.)

When he entered a marketplace he would pray, “In the name of Allah. O Allah, I ask of Thee good of this market, and the food of that which is therein; and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil thereof, and the evil of that which is therein. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee lest I strike a bargain herein incurring a loss, or meet with a false oath.” (Bismillah. Allahumma inni as'aluka mm khayri hadhihis suqi wa khayri ma fiha wa a'udhu bika mm sharriha wa sharri ma fiha; Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an usiba fiha yaminan fajiratan aw saqatan khasira.)

When he visited the graveyards he addressed the graves saying, “Peace be upon you, O mortal souls with decayed flesh and rotten bones, who departed this world believing in Allah. O Allah, impart upon them a spirit from Thee and peace from us.” (Assalamu 'alaykum ayyatuhal arwahul faniyah wal abdanul baliyah wal 'izamin nakhiral lati kharajat minad dunya wahya mu'mina. Allahunna adkhil 'alayhim ruhan minka wa salamun minna.)

When it rained he prayed, “O Allah, make it a profitable downpour.” (Allahumma sayyiban nafi'an.)

When he saw the new moon he prayed, “O Allah, let this new moon appear unto us with peace and faith, with safety and lslam. My Lord and thy Lord is Allah”; “Allah is great, Allah is great. Praise be to Allah. There is no strength not power save in Allah”; “ O Allah, I ask Thee to bestow upon me all that is good of this month, and I seek refuge in Thee from the misfortunes of destiny and the misfortunes of the Day of Last Judgment”; “May the new moon be a source of good. Praise be to Allah who took away the month of and brought forth the month of I ask for the best of this month, its light and its blessings, its guidance, its appearance, and its good effects.” (Allahumma ahillhu 'alayna bil yumni wal amanati wassalamati wal islami. Rabbi warabbukal lah; Allahu akbar Allahu akbar. al-Hamdu lillah. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah; Allahumma inni as'aluka mm khayri hadhash shahi wa a'udhu bika mm sharril qadari wa ma sharri ya.nil mahshar; Allahunna ahhilhu 'alayna bil amni wal imani was salamati was salami wat tawfiqi lima tuhibbu wa tarda. Rabbuna wa rabbukal lah; Allahunna ahhilhu 'alayna bil amni wal imani was salamati wal islami was sakinati wal 'afiyati war rizqil hasan; Hilala khayrin. al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi dahaba bi shahri kadha wa ja'a bi shahri kadha. As'aluka mm khayri hadhash shahri wa nurihi wa barakatihi wa hudahu wa zuhurihi wa mu'afatihi .)

When he saw something which pleased him, he would say, “Praise be to Allah through Whose grace good tidings are brought forth”; “Praise be to Allah at all times and under all conditions. My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from the condition of the dwellers of Hell-Fire.” (Al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi bini'matihi tatmnnus salihat; al-Hamdu lillahil 'ala kulli hal. Rabbi a'udhu bika ma hali ahlin nar.)

When something irked him he would say, “Allah, Allah is my Lord. He has no partners.” (Allah Allah rabbi. La sharika lahu.)

He congratulated newlyweds saying, “May Allah bless you and happily unite you.” (Barakallahu laka wa baraka 'alayka wa jama'a baynakuma bi khayr.)

He would often raise his eyes to Heaven and say, “ O Director of hearts, keep my heart in a state of obedience to you.” (Ya musarrifal qulub thabbit qalbi 'ala ta'atik.)

After meals he would pray, “Much praise be to Allah, praise in which there are many blessings. Praise be to Allah who provided for me and sheltered me. He is our Lord without ceasing, irreplaceable, never-parting, and indispensable is He.” (al-Hamdu lillahi kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fihi. al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi kaffani wa 'awani ghayri makfiyyin wa la makfurin wa Ia muwadda'in wa la mustaghnin 'anhu rabbana.)

When he saw lightening or heard thunder he said, “O Allah, slay us not with Thy wrath, and destroy us not with Thy punishment, but preserve us before that.” (Allahumma la taqtulna bi ghadabika wa tuhlikna bi 'adhabika wa 'afina qabla dhalik.)

When he drank he said, “Praise through His mercy, with fresh ------be to Allah Who quenched our thirst water. Praise be to Him for not making the sweet salty?.” (al-Hamdu bi rahmatihi wa lam yaj'alhu milhan  lillahil ladhi saqana 'adhban furatan ujajan bi dhunubina.)

Before he started his prayers, often he caressed his head with his right hand and said, “In the name of Allah; there is no god but he, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful. O Allah, remove anxiety and grief from me.” (Bismillahil ladhi Ia ilaha ghayruhur rahmanir rahim. Allahumma adhhib 'annil hanna wal huzn.)

When a storm was brewing he would pray, “O Allah, I beg of Thee the good of this, and the good that which has been sent therewith. I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of this and the evil that which has been sent therewith.” (Allahunna inni as'aluka khayraha wa khayra ma fiha wa khayra ma ursilat bihi. Wa a'udhu bika mm sharriha wa mm sharri ma fiha wa sharri ma ursilat bihi.)

When he sneezed he said, “Praise be to Allah.” When those around him said, “May Allah have mercy on you,” he responded, “May Allah guide you and make you righteous.” (al-Hamdu lillah –Yarhamukal lah –Yahdikumullahu wa yuhdi balakum.)

When he went to battle he would say, “O Allah, You are my arm and my helper, and with Your help I do battle.” (Allahumma anta iddi wa anta nasiri wa bika uqatil.)

When his young wife Aisha (r.a.) would sometimes be annoyed, he would gently caress the tip of her nose and say, “ O my little Aisha, why don't you pray and say, “O Allah, the Lord of Muhammad, forgive me my sins, remove my anger, and protect me from evil leading to discord.” (Ya 'Uwaysh, quli Allahumma rabba Muhauiadin sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, ighfir li dhanbi wa adhhib ghayza qalbi wa ajirni minmudillatil fitan.)

After meals he would pray, “Praise be to Allah Who fed us and gave us drink and made us Muslims”; “O Allah, praise be to Thee. You fed us satisfying our hunger, gave us to drink quenching our thirst. Therefore, unceasing, never-parting, indispensable praise be to Thee”; and “ O Allah, You fed us and gave us to drink. You bestowed riches upon us and guided us. O Allah, all praise belongs to You for what you have given and chosen.” (al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi at'amana wa saqana wa ja'alana muslimin; Allahumma lakal hamid. Saqayta wa ashba'ta wa arwayta falakal hamdu ghayra makfiyyin wa la muwadda'in wa la mustaghnan 'anka; Allahunna innaka at'amata wa saqayta wa aghnayta wa aqnayta wa hadayta waj tabayta. Allahumma falakal hamdu 'ala ma a'tayta.)

When he returned from the pilgrimage or from battle, he would stand on a high spot and thrice say, “Allah is great,” then say, “There is no god but Allah. He is alone. He has no partner. Unto Him belongs the Kingdom, and unto Him belongs all praise. He is All-Powerful. We turn towards Allah; we are penitents, worshippers, and prostrators unto our Lord, and His extollers. Allah fulfilled His promise, helped His servant, and alone routed the Clans.” (La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wahwa 'ala kulli shay”in qadir. “Ayibun ta'ibun 'abidun sajidun lirabbina hamidun. Sadaqal lahu wa'dah wa nasara 'abdah wa hazzamal ahzaba wahdah.)

Bowing and prostrating he would say, “Glory be to Thee. All praise be to Thee. I seek Your forgiveness and I turn unto You in repentence.” (Subhanaka wa bihanidik. Astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.)

When he passed a graveyard he would say, “Peace be upon you, O Muslim and righteous men and women of these abodes. We, when Allah wills, shall be following in your footsteps.” (Assalamu 'alaykum ahlad diyar minal mu'minina wal mu”minati wal muslimina wal muslimati was salihina was salihati wa inna in sha'allahu bikum lahiqun.)

When he looked into a mirror he would say, “Praise be to Allah Who has formed my person well, made it symmetrical, fashioned it into my figure, finished it well, and made me of the Muslims.”  “Praise be to Allah Who beautified my person and character, and adorned in me that which He made unsightly in other than me.“ ( al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi s?? khalqi fa 'addalahu wa karrama surata wajhi fa hassanaha wa ja”alani minal muslimin.al-Hamdu lillahil ladhi hasana khalqi wa khuluqi wa zana minni ma shana mm ghayri.)

When he saw the new moon he said, “O Allah, let this new moon be a moon of prosperity and righteousness. I believe in Him Who has created you and balanced you. May Allah be praised! He is the best of Creators.” (Allahummaj 'alhu hilala yumnin wa rushd. nantu billadhi kalaqaka fa addalak. Tabarakallahu ahsanal khaliqin.)

When the wind blew he turned towards it and went on his knees, stretched out his hands toward the wind and said, “O Allah, we beg of Thee the good of this wind, and the good of that which has been sent therewith. And I seek refuge in Thee from the evil thereof, and the evil of that which is therein. O Allah let this wind be a merciful blessing, and let it not be a punishment. O Allah, let it be a blessed wind, and let it not be an accursed wind.” (Allahumma inni as'aluka ma khayri hadhihir rihi wa khayri ma ursilat bihi. Wa a'udhu bika ma  sharriha wa sharri ma ursilat bihi. Allahunnaj 'alaha rahmatan wa la taj'alha “adhaban. Allahunnaj 'alaha riyahan wa la taj'alaha rihan.)

When they buried someone he said, “In the name of Allah, and for the sake of Allah, and following the creed of the Messenger of Allah.” (Bismillah. Billah.Wafi sabilillah.Wa 'alamillati rasulillah.)

When he made an oath he said, “No, by the Director of hearts!” (La wa musarrifal qulub.)

He often repeated this prayer, “O Changer of hearts, fix my heart on Your religion”; and “Our Lord, bestow upon us good in this world, and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the Fire. (Ya muqallibal qulub thabbit qalbi 'ala dinik; Rabbana 'atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban nar.)

When he left a place he always prayed, “Glory be to Thee, O Allah, my Lord. All praise be to Thee. There is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and unto You I turn in repentence.” (Subhanakallahumma rabbi wa bihamdik. La ilaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk.)

He often relieved his sadness by using this prayer, “There is no god but Allah, the Victorious, the Clement. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the glorious throne. There is not god but Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the generous throne.” (La ilaha illallahul azizul halim. La ilaha illallahu rabbul 'arshil 'azim. La ilaha illallahu rabbus samawatis sab'i wa rabbul ardi wa rabbul 'arshil azim.)

He began all of his prayers by reciting, “Glory be to my Lord, the Exalted, the Most-High, the Giver.” (Subhana rabbiyal 'aliyyil a'lal wahhab.)

He asked people to recite this prayer against malaria and other fevers, “In the name of Allah, the Great. I seek refuge in Allah the Glorious from the evil of all races and from the evil of the heat of the Fire.” (Bismillahil kabir. A'udhu billahil azimi ma sharri kulli 'irqin wa ma sharri harrin nar.)

His last words were: “The sublime majesty of our Lord. For I have fulfilled my mission” ( Jalalu rabbir rafi'. Faqad ballaght), and then he gave up his blessed soul.

Allah knows best.

May the true and intended meaning of these words find its place in your hearts. May they paint an image in your hearts' eye which is in the best shape and form imaginable. May you feel as close to that image as a child to the most beneficient of fathers.

Yet, this intimacy should not make us suppose that he is like us.  Is a chip of stone the same as a diamond even though they are both rocks ? Are the sun and the candle the same because they both shed light?

May we see his real shape in this life, when our souls become light and soar to the heavens in our dreams. In following his path, in imitating his character, may we be worthy to gather under his banner on the Day of Last Judgment. May we receive the intercession of the one whom Allah sent as His mercy on the universe. May we be blessed to love him and Allah more than everything else. May we find Allah's pleasure and grace and enter Paradise.

All blessings and salutations of Allah be upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad (on him be peace), whose soul He has created from the divine light of His essence, whom He has made a mirror of His beautiful attributes, and whom He has sent as His mercy. And peace and blessings be upon the members of his household, family and descendents, and his companions, helpers and saints of all times who carry his light, and upon our Master, the Pole of the Sufis, Pir Nureddin Jerrahi (k.s.), and the venerable Sheikh Ahmad Gumushanawi r.a.), from whom this humble servant, full of faults, derived these words.

May Allah forgive any errors and shortcomings which this humble servant may have committed in this writing.

Amin bi hurmati Seyyid al Mursalin.