Hu

121

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

O’ Transformer of hearts and minds, O’ Regulator of day and night, O’ You, who change the state and conditions; transfer our state to the best conditions.

The breeze of Nourooz comes from the side of the Beloved,

If you get assistance from this breeze, you will lighten the light of heart

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Water the way, the Beloved is coming,

Give good news to the garden, the perfume of spring is smelling.

Spring season and transition of the year and ancient ceremonial celebrations of Nourooz is remembrance of His Holiness Zoroaster (AS), that same honorable prophet who said: your life becomes beautiful and sweet when your thought and speech and deed be good. Iranians deem this feast as important; used to commemorate it in the name of the feast of resurrection and celebrate it; and according to historical documents, in the first five days of Farvardin (21st -25th March) would go and visit kinsfolk, relatives and friends, and believed that during the time of Nourooz beneficence among servants of God is distributed. The holy religion of Islam when entered into any society and nation, the people accepted it with their soul and heart; any custom and manner with which was not opposed to the way of God and traversing towards Him would be subject to confirmation and establishment. In this same aspect, the honorable Prophet of Islam and immaculate Imams also confirmed this; and with religious instructions, among them the prayers during the transition of the year which contains the subject matters of mystical meanings and teachings has reached us from His Holiness Jaffar Sadiq (AS), gave it divinity and if it be accompanied with sincere intention and attentiveness and remembrance of God, is considered as a kind of worship. And the believer always knows transmigration of the new year and spring with freshness and joyousness as a sign of everlasting divine power and renewal of nature’s life, tries to take lesson and message; because the new year’s breeze to the Gnostics, is the divine breath and blessings of God that comes from the Beloved’s side and the Real Beloved; and lightens the light of the heart. Therefore the mystic realizes that after every winter there is a fresh green spring and the compassionate God has given us glad tidings that if we also move in the direction of self’s transformation and change and move towards goodness, He will open the doors of mercy and blessings for us.

In the beginning of the new year like past years according to verse “The reminder profits the believers” (Surah: Al-Zariyat, Verse: 55), I draw attention of dervishes to the following points and hope that by executing them, the pure spirit of the rightful saints will be happy and bring about their spiritual elevation.

1) The commandments of the holy religion of Islam, according to the canons “lawful of Mohammad (S) is lawful till the day of resurrection. Unlawful of Mohammad (S) is unlawful till the day of resurrection.”

Mustafa was promised by the kindness of God,

Even if you die, this heretofore will not be terminated.

This religion and holy book of Quran, are the adornment of the religions and books and the Greatest Prophet (PBUH) is the ornament of the prophets and teachings of that exalted Holiness is continuously eternal and enforceable; and knowing and obeying the commandments of Sharia and its enforcement were and are always of necessities of teachings and privilege of this honorable Order; and the Sharia and Tariqa are correlative of each other to reach the truth and episteme.

2) It is expected from the authorized respectable Sheikhs of the Order and those authorized for prayers that with regard to the commands and permission they are entrusted serious responsibility during visits and personal contacts with each other, and also during absence should respect and love others that the other people take their speech and behavior as a model. Therefore their behavior should be such that makes the flag of dervishhood lustrous and esteem and praise of all, and attracts the satisfaction of God and His saints.

3) Always, particularly during this era that unfortunately all sorts of moral corruptions and social deviations has been widespread and also difficulties and mental preoccupations are too much, the formal Sufi assemblies are the best opportunity for concentration of thought and tranquility of the spirit and are also manifestation of unity and like-mindedness of the dervishes. Therefore the dervishes should consider the participation in Sufi sessions on Fridays’ and Mondays’ nights in all cities inside and outside of Iran as their most important duties and even if there is difference of opinions with someone, since the true founder of this gatherings is His Holiness the Master, who know is present and witness, therefore not deprive themselves from this blessings and by observing etiquettes of Sufi sessions that the most significant of them are attention and recourse and discipline and silence participate in Sufi sessions with outward and inner cleanliness.

Wash and then go to kharabat (Sufi house)

Till this desolated monastery not becomes contaminated of you.

4) Congregational prayer is manifestation of unity and love and oneness and grandeur of believers and is a cause for descent of mercy and divine blessings and removal of misfortunes and accepting the supplications. Participating in that congregational prayers should be considered important and in arranging the rows for standing in line and observe the link that, the great Prophet (S) mentioned: maintain the order and discipline of congregational prayers which results in bringing hearts closer.

5) In mysticism and Gnosticism (dervishhood) which is Shiism in truth, performance of any religious matter should be done with the permission of the Master of the time; such as assigning place for Sufi session in cities or change in its location, which should be with permission. Hence only those who have explicit and formal permission to deliver speech or interpret and explain, and are specified, should perform the matter. Meanwhile, it is necessary to abstain from exaggerating subjects and overstatement in beliefs which is opposed to outward sacred Sharia and commands of the illumined divine saints; because it would be a cause for corruption and ruin in the condition of the believer and subject to objection and protest of the others and that they would consider it as the formal teachings and general belief of the believers.

6) Ladies, in particular, ladies who acquired initiation to nobility of dervishhood and faith and accepted the guardianship of Ali (AS), and this divine love was applied to them should pay more attention than others, in chastity and chasteness and in observing the Islamic veil which has individual and family and social effects, and in husband-wife relations and housekeeping and etiquettes of training their children who are the future generation observe the precepts of Sharia and the etiquettes of Tariqa.

7) Everybody expects love and mercy which is a commitment for faith from a believer and also serenity and sincerity is a necessity for dervishhood. In the vanguard of the new year, in the event of God-unwilling if there is a cause for annoyance between two believers (dervishes) perform Musafahah[1] with each other from sincerity of the heart and with the state of attention and since they expect forgiveness from God to forgive, forgive each other and as far as possible refrain from speech and behavior which brings about annoyance and resentment; and in business transaction and lending and doing business with each other should strictly consider (the contract) on the basis of Verse: 282 of Surah of Baqarah, so that material matters does not bring about feebleness in spiritual relations.

Plant the tree of friendship that yields heart’s palate;

Eradicate the sapling of animosity that brings lots of discomfitures.

8) Drug addiction is family-destroyer and exterminates zeal and honor and causes destruction of human faculties and is obstacle for work and activity and is the devil’s goal and of his obsession. This respectable spiritual Order is proud that in fighting with this lethal poison has been the flag bearer (pioneer) and forerunner among all and has forbidden the use of any drugs including old and new ones and considers it as a sin in Tariqa. On the believers (fuqara) it is necessary to even abstain from participating in places where others are using it and help the addicts to quit and saving them from this calamity.

9) Recently some individuals propose to debate regarding legitimacy of this honorable spiritual Order; of course such proposals are nothing new and have past records. At the outset, it is necessary to pay attention to this point that their proposal for debate, in fact, is for dispute and His Holiness Imam Jaffar Sadiq (AS) says: “abstain from any kind of disputes even if the right is with you.” And in religious matters there is no dispute. Secondly, the beliefs and views of this respectable spiritual Order who are proud to be Twelver Shiite and having guardianship of the immaculate Imams (AS) were never hidden and the Sufi sessions and their ceremonies are open to the public; and meanwhile their books are accessible to all the public who can study them, and in case if they were near understanding and investigation, and if they see with a fair view, the truth will be proved to them. This same proposal during the Qajar era from some jurisprudents who were connected to the imperial palace was given to one of the illumined righteous of this Order His Holiness Majzoob Ali Shah Hamadani (may his grave be sanctified) who during an appointed time he was present but the others did not come, then His Holiness wrote all his beliefs which now is printed and available. Likewise this faqir’s great grandfather His Holiness Sultan Ali Shah (may Allah luminate his honorable grave) in the beginning of the noble exegesis of “Bayan o Sadah” has written general and details of his beliefs which in truth are beliefs of the believers (fuqara) of this Order. If those who have proposed the debate have intention of research can refer to that same exegesis and in the noble treatise of Saleh’s Advice also the beliefs and practices and responsibilities of fuqara have been explained with simple and fluent text, which is indispensable to follow for dervishes.

10) Backbiting and accusation and calumny and inquisitiveness are of great sins which unfortunately have increased in the society nowadays. As an example, instead of God given technological innovation which should be in the hands of mankind and be used in the cause of propagation of divine learning and science and industry and art and reform of corruption in the society, it is applied in the direction of spreading and propagation of moral corruptions. As an example in various websites, all kinds of accusation and abusive language to this honorable Order and its believers (fuqara) are used which in truth they themselves harm their reputation and prestige and mostly causes encouragement of the others for investigation and after research, their lies and violations are proved and the legitimacy of the way to God on just individuals are proved, and according to Mevlana (may God have mercy on him) “Some animosities which are succors”. And the believers (fuqara) too should never worry about such affairs, because about the commander of faithful and master of fuqara His Holiness Ali (AS) who is our guide and leader, even Moaviyeh and his supporters propagated such that the people of Damascus after hearing the news of His Holiness’ martyrdom in the mosque, use to ask: Did Ali (AS) also use to pray? Therefore dervishes with a firm resolution and steadfastness take steps in the direct way of guardianship and this noble verse is upon all our tongues and hearts “Our Lord, pour out patience on us and make our steps firm, and help us against the disbelieving people” (Surah: Baqarah, Verse: 250).

11) The luminous shrine of Baydokht (Mazar Sultani Shrine) is a honorable place and subject to God’s favor and possessing sanctity, the pilgrims and tourists to that sacred place should totally observe the instructions which I have written for them and put up on the courtyard and rooms walls. Likewise, it is expected from the dear Baydokhtis that they attend the congregational prayers and participate in Sufi sessions and respect religious rituals more than the others, and be a model.

12) The fuqara (believers) should be aware that if sometimes differences are viewed in external expressions and speech of the authorized Sheikhs, their views are according to their own disposition. But for the fuqara, the general instructions are valid, applicable and executable.

13) From all of my brothers and sisters in faith, I request, come let us raise our hands together in prayers so that the Almighty God forgives and places His blessings on His created human beings; we even pray for our ignorant enemies and in fulfillment of this way, with the grace of God, try and strive so if they are ignorant He makes them wise and if they are vicious their sins not to continue.

14) In conclusion, once again I wish and felicitate all the fuqara and hope that the New Year is a year of blessings and abundance and welfare and progress and loftiness. Allegiance (Bayat of faith) and commitment of faith should not be committed to forgetfulness, because with allegiance in truth, we have mortgaged our human personality. Our actions, behavior and sayings indicate the significance to those commitments. Wakefulness at dawn and recitation of Quran and thinking deeply in the meaning of that heavenly book and its teachings and making it a plan of your life, prepare the grounds for appearance of our master His Holiness Ghaim Ale Mohammad (May God hasten his appearance).

O’ the breeze of Saba, take the soil of our existence near His Holiness,

It is hoped that His Majesty be seen through our eyes.

Beseech for your prayers

Haj Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh Majzoob Ali Shah

Friday 1st Farvardin 1393 (Solar Hijri) (21st March 2014)

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[1] Sufi way of kissing each other’s hands

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