Night Vigil (Prayers)

The essence of the practices of the Naqshband shaykhs is built on the pillar (rukn) of prayer (al) and on remembrance of God (dhikrullh). For those desiring high stations and distinguished ranks, the observance of prayer is the key. The seekers must strive to imitate their shaykhs in the observance of not only the obligatory prayers, but the supererogatory sunan and nawfil prayers that the shaykhs maintain as a constant daily practices. You will find the following practices are based around the five obligatory prayers, in addition to the night vigil, which consists of altu n-najt, altu sh-shukr, altu t-tasbh, and altu t-tahajjud. Thus, it is incumbent on the seekerbefore attempting the large number of voluntary forms of prayer described in this bookto learn and practice the fundamental principles of the prescribed prayers (alt) correctly, based on the prescription of a recognized school (madhhab) of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). These include purification from greater or lesser impurities (ahrah) consisting of the greater ablution (ghusl) or the lesser (wuu); proper intention (nyyat); facing the qiblah determined according to the principles of the madhhab; and, where possible, praying in congregation. Additionally, the integrals of the prayers should be observed correctly, including the proper movements, for the Prophet said, There is no prayer for one who does not straighten his back in bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujd). Thus the new seeker in this Way, if not already acquainted and familiar with these fundamentals, must seek out an authorized teacher and learn them. altu n-Najt One should get up at least one hour before Fajr since it is at this time that the gate of the Mercy of God, Who is Powerful and Sublime, is opened and the time when the great shaykhs look at their murds. One should get up and perform ablution and perform two rakats of Tayyatu l-wuu and then stand up, facing the Qiblah and ask that God, Exalted and Glorious, to purify oneself from the anger of ones nafs and, with this intention, one should then recite Y alm 100 times, and then one should seek protection from ones external and internal enemies, and from both heavenly and earthly misfortune, reciting Y af 100 times. Whoever wishes to reach the station of the People of Determination must keep up these practices. Our shaykhs tell us about the importance of this time and its virtues, saying: If a person gets up one hour before Fajr and does nothing, not even praying, not even making tasb, but gets up to drink something, such as coffee or tea, or eat a morsel of food, then he must also be raised with the vigilant people (ahlu s-sahar). altu n-Najt, the Prayer of Salvation, is prayed according to the following steps:
In the first rakat read Sratu l-Ftiah as usual. This is followed by reading the Verse of the Throne (2:255) and (3:18-19), and (3:26-27).

YATU L-KURS (THE VERSE OF THE THRONE) CHAPTER 2, VERSE 255 Allh l ilha illa Hwa l-ayyu l-Qayym, l tkhudhuh s-sinatun wa l nawm, lah m f ssamwti wa m f l-ar. Man dh-ladh yashfau indah ill bi idhnih yalamu m bayna aydhim wa m khalfahum wa l yuun bi-shayin min ilmihi ill bim sh. Wasia kursyyuhu ssamwti wa l-ara, wa l yauduh ifuhuma, wa Hwa l-Alyyu l-Am.

255

God! There is no god but He - the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all t heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appe creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Mo Supreme (in glory). God speaks the Truth. CHAPTER 3, VERSE 18-19 Shahid-Allhu annah l ilha illa H. Wa lmalikatu wa lu l-ilmi qiman bi l-qis. L ilha illa H al-Azzu l-akm. Inna d-dna ind Allhi l-islm.

19-18

God bears witness that there is no god but Heand the angels and men of knowledgeupholding justice; there is no the Mighty, the Wise. The religion with God is Islam. CHAPTER 3, VERSE 26-27 Qul illhumma Mlik al-mulki. Tut l-mulka man tashau wa tanziu l-mulka mimman tashu wa tuizzu man tashu wa tudhillu man tashu, bi yadika l-khayr, innaka al kulli shayin qadr. Tliju l-layla f n-nahri wa tliju nahra f l-layl, wa tukhriju l-yya mina l-mayyiti, wa tukhriju l-mayyita mina l-yy, wa tarzuqu man tashu bi ghayri isb.

27-26

Say: O God, Master of the Kingdom, Thou givest the Kingdom to whom Thou wilt, and seizest the Kingdom from w wilt, Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt; in Thy hand is all good; Verily Thou art ov Powerful. Thou makest the night to enter into the day, and Thou makest the day to enter into the night, Thou bring living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou providest for whomsoever Thou w reckoning. In the second rakat, read the Ftiah.

SRATU L-IKHL (11 TIMES). After completing the taslm (final salm right and left), go into prostration with the intention of asking God to rid your heart of all envy.

( 11)
:

DUA Y Rabb, kam tkulu n-nru l-ataba hka amalyy jaman al-asadu mutasila fyya. Y Rab minhu wa khallin mina l-ghadabi n-nafsn wa m ifli l-madhmumati wa mina l-akhlqi dh-dhamm wa baddil akhlq ila akhlqin amdatin wa aflin

:
.

O my Lord! Just as fire consumes firewood, in the same way the envy which is rooted in me consumes all my actions. P my Lord, from it and purify me, too, from the anger of my ego. Rid me as well, O my Lord, of the blameworthy ego and reprehensible manners. And, O my Lord, change all my manners to laudable manners and into good actions.

altu-sh-Shukr
In the second rakat, read the Ftiah. SRATU L-IKHL (2 TIMES). In the second rakat, read the Ftiah. SRATU L-IKHL (1 TIME).

( 2)

( 1)

altu-t-Tasb In the following prayers, to keep track of any given number of recitations, it is permitted to lightly press one finger of each hand in turn, in whatever position they are (i.e., crossed or hanging at the sides). However, the an-Najt and Tasb prayers are for the People of Determination and the Prepared; these prayers are not for beginners.
These are four rakats prayed with a taslm between them. This prayer can be done in two ways, but we have included only the one the Shaykh uses (with the taslm at the end of the fourth rakat). The tasb which is recited during this prayer is: Subnallhi wa l-amdulillhi wa l illha ill-Allh wallhu akbar. Glory be to God! Praise be to God! There is no god but God, and God is Greatest. At the end of every set of 10 or 15 tasbs the Shaykh adds: wa l awla wa l quwwata illa billhi l-Alyyi l-m. There is no power and no strength save in God, the Most High, the Great. The total number of tasbs recited is 300, with 75 in each rakat. Also, the tasbs is added to the regular parts of the prayer. We have observed the Shaykh using the following method: WHEN TASBI IS RECITED NUMBER OF TIMES After reciting the Than, before Sratu l-Ftiah After reciting Sratu l-Ftiah and two Sratu l-Ikhls. In ruku, (bowing position) In qiym (standing position), after the ruku In the first sajda (prostration) In jalsa (sitting position), after the first sajda In the second sajda Sub-total for first rakat The second rakat is performed as above (no tasbs is recited in the final jalsa, only tashahhud) The third rakat is performed as above The fourth rakat is performed as above (no tasbs are recited in the final jalsa, only tashahhud)

15 10 10 10 10 10 10 75 75 75 75

altu-t-Tahajjud This is observed as eight rakats prayed in sets of two rakats with taslm between them. The prayer is essentially identical to Salatu-sh-Shukr.

ADAB Astaghfirullh 3 times. I ask Gods forgiveness. Astaghfirullh al-Am alladh l ilha illa Hwa alayyu l-Qayym wa atbu ilay

( ) . .

I ask forgiveness from God Almighty, there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn in repentance to Him. INVOCATION (DUA): Allhumma anta s-Salm wa minka s-salm tabrakta wa talayta y Dh l-Jalli wa l-ikrm. Samin wa aan, ghufrnaka, Rabban, wa ilayka lmar.

:
.

O God! You are Peace and from You comes Peace. Blessed and lofty are You, O Lord of Majesty and Bounty. We have heard and obeyed. Your forgiveness, O our Lord! And to Thee is the end of all journeys.

Subnallllahi adada khalqihi wa ria nafsihi wa zinata arshihi wa midda kalimtihi. Subun quddsun rabbun wa rabbu l-malikati wa r-R, subna man taizza bil-qudrati wal-baq wa qahhar al-ibdi bil-mawti wal-fan. Subn rabbika rabbi l-Izzati am yaifn wa salmun al l-mursaln wa l-amdulillhi rabbi llamn. Allhumma inn nadhu bi-rika min sakhatika wa bi-muaftika min uqbatika wa nadhu bika minka l nu thanan alayka kam athnayta al nafsika.

Glory be to Allh on the number of His creation, to the extent of His pleasure, in the decoration of His Throne, in the ink of His Words. Glorified and Hallowed art Thou, our Lord and Lord of the angels and the Holy Spirit. Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! And Peace on the Messengers and all Praise is due to the Lord of the worlds. We seek refuge with Your pardon from Your punishment, with Your mercy from Your vengeance, with Your approval from Your displeasure. We seek refuge with You from You. We cannot encompass Your praises, for You are as You have extolled Yourself.

Falam annahu: L ilha ill-Allh (10 times) Muammadur Raslullh .

: ( 10) ) (

Know, therefore that: There is no god but Allah. (10 times). (After the tenth): Muhammad is the Messenger of God . alawt (10 times): Allhumma alli al Muammadin wa al li Muammadin wa sallim. O God send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. IHD Allhumma balligh thawba m qarnh wa nra m talawnh hadyyatan wilatan minn ila ri Nabyyn Sayyidin wa Mawln Muammadin allAllh alayhi wa sallam. Wa il arwi ikhwnihi min al-anbiyi wa l-mursaln wa khudami sharihim wa ila arwi l-aimmati l-arbaah wa ila arwi mashyikhin fi -arqati n-naqshbandyyati l-aliyyah khatan ila ri Immi -arqati wa ghawthi l-khalqati Khwj Bauddn anNaqshband Muammad al-Uwais l-Bukhr wa aarati Mawlan Sulnu l-awly ash-Shaykh Abd Allh al-Fiz ad-Dghestan wa sayyidun ashShaykh Muammad Nim al-aqqn Muayyad addn wa sairi sdtin wa-iddiqna al-Fti.

10

) (

Dedication
O God! Grant that the merit of what we have read, and the light of what we have recited, are (considered) an offering and gift from us to the soul of our Prophet Muhammad, and to the souls of the prophets, and the saints; in particular the soul of the Imm of the arqat and arch-Intercessor of the created world, Khwj Bahuddn an-Naqshband Muammad al-Uwais l-Bukhr, and our venerable teacher and master, the Sultan of Saints, our Shaykh Abd Allh al-Fiz ad-Dghestan, and our master Shaykh Muammad Nim al-aqqn Muayyad ad-dn, and to all our masters and to the righteous, al-Ftiah. This presents the reward of the preceding recitations to the Prophet and to the shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Order.