Some Aspects of Mystical Prayer in Islam

Author(s): Annemarie Schimmel

Source: Die Welt des Islams, New Series, Vol. 2, Issue 2 (1952), pp. 112-125
Published by: Brill
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1569044
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 SOME ASPECTS OF MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM

BY

ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL
Marburg (Lahn)

"To be deprived of prayer (duz'') would be for me a mu

loss than to be deprived of being heard and granted
word of Abu H.azim al-Makki, an early sufi, is the keyn
understanding of the moderate sufic point of view concer
Prayer is an intimate conversation 2) between m
which consolates the afflicted heart even if it is not
answered. Only the stern quietist mystics-in Islam
all other religions 3)-have put the question if it is p
lawful to utter any prayer at all: God, they thou
mighty to be joined by prayer, or to be separated from
to pray "4), and there is no recollection worthy of H
hold that silent patience in all afflictions would be m
than prayer 6). "It is about fifty years that I have not p
wished that anyone should pray for me" 7), said 'Ab
Mubarak, who belongs to the Persian school of asceti
famous for his book of self-denial (kitdb az-zuhd) 8).
follow the course preordained by the Lord in eternit
1) 'Attar, Tadhkirat al-auliyd, ed. Nicholson, I 56, Qusairi, risala p
2) Cf. Wensinck, A Handbook of early Muhammedan Tradition, p. I89: prayer-
familiar speech with Allah. Cf. Ibn Sina, fi mdhiyat a.s-alda (Trait6s mystiques d'Avi-
cenne, ed. Mehren, 3eme fasc., I894) esp. p. 38.
3) Cf. F. Heiler, Das Gebet, I9235, p. 34I ff.
4) Abf Bakr al-Wasiti, in A. J. Arberry, The Doctrine of the Sufis (kitdb al-TaCarruf
li madhab ahl at-Tasawwuf) transl. from the Arabic of Abf Bekr al Kalabadhi, Cambridge
1935, p. I44.
6) L.c. p. I40.
6) Cf. Abf Nasr as-Sarraj, Kitdb al-lumac fi't-tasawwuf, ed. Nicholson, p. 262: the
story of Ibrahim ibn Adham.
7) Cf. R. Hartmann, Al-Kusairis Darstellung des Sufitums (Tirk. Bibl. i8), p. 35
(Qu?airi, risdla p. I44); cf. also Tadhkira II 275.
8) A. J. Arberry, Sufism. An account of the mystics of Islam, London I950, p. 40.

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM II3

not be altered by the petitions of unworthy s

of ridd, satisfaction, is to be shown in all emo
lust and grief 2), and the story related by 'Attar
and in the Ildhindme illustrates very well thi
self-surrender: "When performing the morni
'O God, art Thou satisfied that I am satisfied with Thee?' Then
a calling came: '0 liar, if you be satisfied with Me you would
not ask My satisfaction!' " 3). This answer is typical for those
sufis whose ideal was formed by the tawakkul, the trust in God,
that gives no room to any wishes of their own.
But this neglection of prayer is not common to all sufis. The
paradox formulated by Sibli: "Alas, if I pray I deny, and if I
do not pray I am ungrateful" 4) shows the difficulty of addressing
God in the right manner, a problem that we find in every
kind of mysticism 5). But although some sufis hold that predesti-
nation and prayer are incompatible powers the majority of them
would agree with Ghazzali's theory that predestination includes
the averting of evil by prayer "in the same way as a shield averts
the arrows and they work against each other" 6). "God blames
men who give up prayer (du'a')", says Qusairi 7), and especially
the great leading authorities of sufism incite the pious to pray
trustfully. 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani 8) as well as Sa'rani 9) accentuate
the importance of prayer, the latter illustrating his words by
describing the dark night of the soul he had to go through during
a month without being able to pray 10).

1) Cf. Tadhkira II 275.

2) Cf. al-Hallaj, Diwdn, ed. by L. Massignon ("Essai de reconstruction") JA Jan.-
Mars 1931, Nr. 33, 4; for the later period of Sufism vg. Sadili, Sar.h ikam I 80 concerning
quietistic prayer (quoted in al-Andalus, I4 p. 260).
3) Tadhkira II 290; Ildhindme ed. H. Ritter, p. 209.
4) Arberry/Kalabadhi, p. 138.
5) Cf. l.c. . 140 and the prayer of Sari as-Saqati: "0 God, Thy majesty hinders me
from intimate prayer, but the grace I have seen from Thee allows me to be intimate with
Thee." (Tadhkira I 283); and a somewhat similar example: "If it be not my duty to recollect
Him, I should not recollect Him, in consequence of my respect for Him." (al-Qattani,
quoted by Qusairi, risala p. I2I, cf. Hartmann, I.c. p. 38).
6) Itcjad' ulum ad-din I p. 298; cf. Bajfri L 90, 4 (quoted by M. Horten, Die religi6se
Gedankenwelt der gebildeten Muslime im heutigen Islam, p. I38).
7) Risala p. I I9.
8) Futui. al-gaib, 66th maqdla, cf. W. Braune, Die Futiih al-gaib des CAbd al-Qadir,
I933, p. 142.
9) Lawdqis p. 20, 27, 38.
10) O.c. p. II3.

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II4 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

God himself has ordered prayer: "Pray, and I w

(Qur. 40/62). Although He has preordinated all things
Kazeruni points out 1)-to honour man in answeri
(which, of course, are preordained and inspirated
And even more: God longs for our prayer and theref
man in order to hear his voice" 2). The more He loves
"He showers down afflictions upon him" 3). A Hd
Qusairi 4) tells that God orders Gabriel not to ans
of His beloved servant for the pleasure He take
("Nightingales and parrots are put into cages bec
pleasure by their sweet songs" says Calaluddin Ruimi
this point of view! 5)); but if God does not love a per
all his wishes as soon as possible so that He need not
any longer. This may be called a rather primitive and
point of view that nevertheless is often met with
Gilani is closer to the orthodox doctrine when he
means of unanswered prayers man is to be stationed
and fear 6);-he adds that every prayer that has not b
is written in the heavenly book as credit 7). Extreme
Malamatiyya seem to have been quite unhappy and
when their prayers were answered, for they feare
unexpected favour might be a ruse of God to mi
Surely the mystic will not implore God for worl
you recollect Me to guard your worldly interests, yo
nor I thine" revealed God to Niffari 9). The true m
spiritual purification, forgiving of sins, contem
God Eternal, intoxication with the wine of heaven
All those prayers-I am especially thinking of th

1) Tadhkira II 301.
2) Sarraj, o.c. p. 136.
3) Tadhkira I 309 (prayer of Yahya ibn MuCad).
4) Risdla p. I20; cf. the story told by Makki, Qut al-qulub II p. 62.
5) Mathnawi-i macnawi, ed. Nicholson, Book VI v. 4217 ff.; cf. G.
Phanomenologie der Religion, 1933, p. 404.
6) Braune, o.c. p. 39.
7) O.c. p. I00, I43.
8) R. Hartmann, Die risdlat al-maldmatija des SulamI, Islam 8, p. I71.
9) Niffari, Mukhdtabdt, ed. A. J. Arberry, nr. 15, 7.
0o) Mathnawi II 497.

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM II5

ibn Mu'ad 1), Du'n-Nuin 2), Rabi'a 3), al-Hallag 4), Ib

are glowing with an intense trust in God, t
compassionate, with an ardent longing and deep
wishes have to be abolished; fear and hope must
for God alone. One of the most important ideas
expressed by Sulayman ad-Darani: "Satisfaction
not ask God for Paradise nor for protection fr
the ideal of pure selfless love, the love of God in w
forgiving and punishment, who Himself is Par
Abui Bakr al-Wasiti says: "Whosoever worships
of Paradise, is working for his lower self" 8), an
"0 God, what would it be like if there were nei
Hell in order to show who worships God really
famous woman saint and teacher of mystical lo
to speak the prayer: "0 my Lord, if I worship T
Hell, burn me in Hell; and if I worship Thee from
exclude me from Paradise; but if I worship The
sake, withhold not from me Thine Eternal Beau
variations of this prayer during all centuries (i
name 'Attar's story in the Ildhtndme 11) or Yun
"Do not grant me Paradise, I have no wishes con
.." 12)) )up to Christian quietism: the story of Rabi
is retold and illustrated in one of the I7th century
on mystical love, Camus' "Charitee, ou pourt
pure" (I640)13). If somebody asks Paradise, so o

1) Cf. Tadhkira I p. 309 ff.; Sarraj, o.c. p. 261; Abfi Nucaim al

auliyd' X p. 5I ff.
2) Cf. Tadhkira I, p. I24 ff., I3I; Sarraj, o.c. p. 257/8; Hilya IX 332
376-84; X p. 3 ff., io8, 183.
3) Tadhkira I p. 69 f., 73; Suhrawardi, cawdrif al-maCdrif (margin of Ihyd' IV) 358;
cf. Margaret Smith, Rabica the mystic and her fellow-saints, esp. p. 30, 55, I02, IIo.
4) Cf. most of his poems in the Diwdn (ed. L. Massignon), and the exemples given
in the Akhbar al-Hallaj, ed. L. Massignon et Paul Kraus.
5) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 1574.
6) Tadhkira I p. 233.
7) Cf. Iallaj, Diwdn nr. 36, i.
8) Tadhkira II p. 276.
9) O.c. II p. 221.
10) O.c. I p. 73.
1) Ildhindme p. 326.
12) Divan, ed. Abdiilbaki Golpinarli, p. 260.
13) H. Bremond, Histoire du sentiment religieux en France IX, p. 90.
Die Welt des Islams, II 8

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II6 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

beatifica: "My intention concerning Paradise is no

pleasure; I do not wish it but for seeing Thee"
Indeed, God is the only object that may be asked for.
Bayezid al-Bistami was praised by God who said: "All people
wish something from Me, only Bayezid wishes Me Myself" 2).
For he never saw anything so precious that he would like to ask
it from God, "and God said: 'You are really My servant, you
worship Me with a truthful heart for My own sake!' " 3). God
Himself promised: "If a man is so occupied with recollecting Me
that he forgets to ask Me I grant him a nobler gift than that
which I give those who petition Me" 4)-i.e. I give him Myself.
But the essence of prayer is not in the petitioning and asking, its
essence, on the contrary, is everlasting praise; worship means
"the homage paid by the soul to its origin" 5). Abu 'Ali ad-Daqqaq
said: "There are three degrees: to ask, to pray, to praise. Asking be-
longs to those who wish this world, praying to those who wish the other
world, and praising to those who wish the Lord" 6). This climax
corresponds to another one which is shown by Qusairi 7): we must
thank God both when He answers our prayers and when He refuses
them, and the most perfect thank is to thank for the thanking 8).
The whole world is created for the sake of worshipping, adoring
and praising the Creator; whatsoever may happen, happens on
account of His Praise 9), as He has revealed in the Qur'an: "There
is no thing that does not praise Him, but you do not understand
their praise!" (I7/46). The Prophet himself confessed that he was
incapable, of praising God in the right way: "I cannot reckon up
Thy bounties and the infinite praise and thanksgiving due to Thee
from me!" 10). Nevertheless the mystic tries to join with all beings
in the contemplation and glorification of God and knows that

1) YafiCi, Raudat ar-riyadhn p. 59.

2) Tadhkira I p. 152; cf. the impressing prayers of Junaid (Hilya X, p. 282) and Ijar-
raqani (Tadhkira II p. 228).
3) Tor Andrae, I Myrtentradgarden p. I35.
4) Ihyd' I p. 265; cf. Arberry/Kalabadhi p. 96.
5) Cf. the sublime lecture of Evelyn Underhill on "Worship" (Collected Papers, I9493)
p. 64ff.
6) Tadhkira II p. I95.
7) Hartmann, Qugairi p. 32 (risala p. 96).
8) Cf. Mathnawf II v. 39: "Praised be God because this prayer was not granted...".
9) Cf. Ibn Qayyim al-Gauziya, k. asrdr as-saldt (Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 2347, f. I4 a).
10) Lisdn al-carab XVIII p. 201.

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM II7

"the sweetest words upon my tongue are Thy p

wonder that the most beautiful and marvellous p
found among those hymnical glorifications which
the ineffable greatness, the infinite mercy and t
majesty of the Creator, the Reality of Realities,
by enumerating His wonders, His qualities, and t
those who praise Him day and night 2). "How sha
for the beauty of my Beloved? For He is merge
His colour is in all the pictures of the world, and it
body and the mind" sings Kabir, the Indian wea
In a somewhat earlier prayerbook, the so-called A ur
we read: "The darkness of the night and the brightn
the beams of the sun and the light of the moon,
of the waters and the whispering of the leaves, t
heaven and the dust of the earth, the stones of t
the sands of the desert and the waves of the ocea
of water and land praise Thee." Islamic poetry
poems of the Persian and Turkish epics-contai
specimens of this kind of praises, e.g. the ecstatic v
IldhTndme or the same author's Mantiq ut-tair and G
Fuzuili's Magnin u Layld, or 'Abdallah-i Ansa
and it would be worth while exploring this field of
both from the religious and from the poetical p
Among the earlier sufis it is the Egyptian Di'n-Nun
express the never-ending praise with convincing
"0 God, I never listen to the voices of the animals or the rustle
of the trees, the murmuring of waters or the song of birds, the whistl-
ing of the wind or the noise of thunder, but I sense them confessing
Thy Unity and proving Thy Incomparableness..." 5). "The lonely
recollect Thee in their loneliness, the fish in the streaming water
praise Thee on account of the hope they have in Thee, the waves
in the gigantic ocean shake hands with each other in respect of

1) Yahya ibn Mu'ad, Tadhkira I p. 3Io; the same word is ascribed to Rabi'a, Smith
p. 30.
2) Cf. Heiler, Gebet p. 298 ff.; van der Leeuw, Phanomenologie p. 406; cf. the p
of Suhrawardi quoted in L. Massignon, Quatre textes in6dits..., p. irI.
3) E. Underhill, Essentials of Mysticism, I920, p. 7.
4) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. I48, f. 25a.
5) H-ilya IX p. 342.

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II8 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

Thy majesty..." 1). This praising of the whole uni

translated in Dui'n-Nin's words was heard by Sa'r
that one day, from the time of evening prayer to the
of the night, he heard "the voices of the creatures p
loud voices, until I feared for my reason.... I heard th
"Praised be the King, the Most Holy, the Lord of foo
ment", and I heard animals and plants likewise, a
praises I heard only this." 2).
In the same way as all created things always reco
mighty, man has to recollect Him as often as pos
collection of God makes the heart grow calm" say
(13, 28; cf. 29, 45), and as many a tradition state
(dikr) carries man into Paradise 3); it is a pillar-a
the most important one-in the way of God 4); for
all times and in almost all states 5), as the poet
picture in my eye, Thy recollection upon my ton
in my heart-where art Thou absent ?" 6). The heart o
must be perfumed with the recollection and prai
recollection is his spiritual food8): a pupil of Sahl at-T
hungry, and after a few days he asked: "0 maste
food?" He answered: "The recollection of God Im
The mystics have constructed-in Islam as well a
ligions-a climax of various degrees of prayer 10)
only meaning recollection, not asking). "The reco
is one, and the recollections are variable, and the
hearts of the recollectors are different", says Ib
distinguishes the recollection of the fearing, the

1) Hilya IX p. 3; cf. the prayer of Abf Talib al-Makki, Qut al-qulu

2) Al-anwdr al-qudsiyya p. 156.
3) Ihyd' I p. 265 where many traditions of this kind are quoted.
4) Hartmann, Qusairi p. 35 (risalap. II9); cf. p. 38 (risalap. I20) "Recollection is the
sword of the beginners".
5) O.c. p. 36 (risdla p. I2I); cf. Tadhkira II p. 99: recollection as a sign of love, and
Tadhkira II 4.
6) Yafi'i, rauda p. 37 f. (attributed to Sibli); with slight alterations: Hallaj, Diwdn nr. 82.
7) Mathnawi, II v. 267; cf. Muhasibi in M. Smith, Readings from the mystics of Islam,
I950, p. I7.
8) Cf. Tadhkira I p. 128, I66, 235; Iilya X 403; Hujwiri, KaSf al-majiiub, t
Nicholson p. 303.
9) Tadhkira I 259, cf. II p. 307.
10) Cf. Heiler, Gebet p. 309ff.; Underhill, Collected papers p. 35 ff.; Underhill,
Mystik (deutsche Ausgabe 1928) p. 398 f.

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM II9

trusting and so on, comparative to the mystica

collectors 1). Most of the theologians know two sta
with the tongue and recollection with the heart 2)
inferior to the latter, but recognized as a way to th
"A man asked Abi 'Utman al-Hiri: 'I recollect w
but my heart does not become friends with th
answered: 'Be grateful that one of your limbs o
your parts is led aright: may be later on your h
cord'" 3). This is to say: who recollects with the
the mirror of his heart so that it becomes able to r
of God 4). Other authorities enumerate three degre
"With the tongue, that is reckoned for ten good
heart, that is reckoned for sevenhundred good
collection the reward of which can neither be reck
-that is, to be filled with His love and awe of
Or, according to the definition of al-Harraz, "a
the tongue not felt by the heart-that is the u
a recollection with the tongue in which the hea
is a recollection seeking reward, and a recollection
is wandering in recollection and lets the tongue
worth of such a recollection is known only by
detailed description of the degrees of recollect
an-Nahragiri in a small treatise: the mystic beg
tion, wins nearness, longing and love, goes from l
tranquillity, joy and contemplation, and at last h
(from all worldly things), going away and passin
That is the well-known climax of mystical s
informed by Sarrag that the mystical state (h

x) Hilya X 286 f.
2) Hilya X 362; cf. the manuscripts Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 2
the problem cf. Heiler, Gebet p. 229, 289 f.; van der Leeuw, Ph
3) Tadhkira II p. 59.
4) Cf. Mathnawi, Commentary I p. 33.
5) Sarraj, o.c. p. 219.
6) Tadhkira II p. 44. Harraz is famous for his kitdb dddb as-saldt, parts of which are
quoted by Sarraj, o.c. . 152 ff.-Cf. Schuurmann, Mystik und Glaube, concerning the
dikr in Java: In the third degree dikr is all that comes from the mystic's mouth, be it
the Sahdda of the mystical word hit or a stammering or even his weeping and quaking or
his silence (p. I7).
7) Ahlwardt, Katalog der Berliner arabischen Handschriften IX, Nr. 3736. I am
preparing an edition of the treatise. ,

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I20 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

dikr hafzy 1). In a similar way we may understand

"Only the tongues of the beginners speak prayer
the gnostic consists in deeds, that of the perfect in m
Sa'rani interpretes the climax of mystical prayer
different, but very lucid manner: there is the dikr
formula), the dikr an-nafs (that is only to be felt, n
the dikr al-qalb (when the heart contemplates G
majesty), the dikr ar-r.h (i.e. the contemplation
accidences), the dikr as-sirr (that means the unv
mysteries before the praying heart), the dikr al-
vision of the beauty of the Essence of Unity in t
at last the dikr hafIy al-hafly (to see the Reality of
which is impossible in this world 3).
The importance of silence in worship has been
most of the great mystics. "Worshipping has ten
nine are silence" 4). The sincere recollection of G
letter and thought, and His name is beyond rec
who reaches Him does not speak" 6). The lily with it
symbolizes the mystic: silent and "breathless wit
To speak without tongues with God8), the secret way
is the desire of the sufi; in increasing love he b
but heart 10). Every limb of his is a heart 11) recoll
he ends in the overwhelming embarrassment th
in fascinating verses by Ibn al-Farid: "My eye c
my tongue gazed, my ear spoke and my hand list
my ear was an eye to behold all that was shown
ear listening to song" 12).
1) Sarraj, o.c. p. 42.
2) Risala p. I21.
3) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 248, f. 88 b; he follows Ibn CArabi, Futfuhat II 64 (cf.
Goldziher, Richtungen der islamischen Koranauslegung p. 254 f.)
4) Braune, o.c. p. 98; cf. Arberry/Kalabadhip. 95 f.; Tadhkira I p. i f., i66; Niffari,
Mawdqif nr. 22, 5; cf. G. Mensching, Das heilige Schweigen, I926.
5) Mukhdtabdt nr. 55, 20.
6) Mawdqif nr. 22, 5.
7) Mathnawi, Commentary II p. 4.
8) Jalaladdin Rfmi, Rubdiciyt, Ms. Escad f. 320 b; cf. Selected poems from the Divdn-i
Shams-i Tabriz, ed. Nicholson, nr. 40.
9) Divdn-i Shams-i Tabriz nr. 44.
10) Hallaj, Diwdn nr. 36.
11) Sibli, quoted in Sarraj, o.c. p. 9I.
12) Td'iyyah v. 580 (cf. R. A. Nicholson, Studies in Islamic Mysticism, p. 252).

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM I2I

In this state the recollector has forgotten all but God, he

even forgets recollection, since the cry "0 God" involves the con-
sciousness of subject and object, i.e. of separation 1). He therefore
calls: "Keep God in remembrance till self is forgotten, that you may
be lost in the caller, without distraction of caller and call" 2).
This mystical union is the goal of all mysticism: Rabi'a prayed:
"My hope is the union with Thee, this is the end of my desire" 3).
And Sibli exclaimed: "During the whole of my life I wish to be
intimately united with God without Sibli being between us" 4).
Hallia often repeats in his marvellous poems the prayer: "Remove
this 'I' between Thee and me" 5), and like him, Yunus Emre sings:
"Take my I-ness from me, fill me with Thy Thou-ness!" 6). The
sufi's heart is lost in the boundless ocean of God; "Kabir says:
As the river enters into the ocean, so my heart touches Thee" 7).
And when he realizes this unio mystica, he may speak the great
word: "I was asked for me and said 'Thou'!"8).
When the separating 'I' is removed the sufi understands that
the homeland of recollection is separation 9). This sentence
is a leitmotif of Niffari's revelations; for he heard God addressing
him: "My recollection is the most elect thing I have manifested,
and My recollection is a veil" 10). Abu Bakr al-Wasiti says: "Those
who remember His recollection are more negligent than those who
forget His recollection" 11). His statement is in accord with Sibli's,

1) Mathnawi, Commentary II, p. 233.

2) Divdn-i Shams-i Tabriz nr. 5; cf. Junaid, Tadhkira II p. 32.
3) Smith, RabiCa p. iio. "The groaning and the yearning of the lover of God will not
be satisfied until it is satisfied in the Beloved". (Quoted in Suhrawardi, cawdrif, I.hyd'
IV, p. 343, margin).
4) Tadhkira II p. 165. Junaid said: "God Almighty spoke for thirty years by Junaid's
tongue with Junaid, Junaid not being between them." (Tadhkira II p. io).
5) Akhbdr nr. 52; cf. Hilya p. 253 the poem of Niri (which is also attributed to Hallaj);
the quotations of Bayezid (Tadhkira I p. 176) and larraqani (Tadhkira II p. 227).
6) Divan p. 257.
7) Underhill, Kabir, the weaver-mystic, Cont. Review Nr. I05, p. 200.
8) Hujwiri, KaSf al-ma.hjub p. 317; cf. Heiler, Gebet p. 306 f. Cf. CAttar's prayer
(bisdrndme, Kulliydt I225), quoted by M. Smith, Readings, p. 90.
9) Niffari, Mawdqif, Introduction p. 20; cf. Mawdqif Nr. 29, i6; Mukhdtabdt nr. o0, I6;
4, 5. Cf. Junaid: "The very recollection is the passing away of the recollector in the recol-
lection, and of the recollection in the vision of the object recollected" (Tadhkira II p. 32).
l0) Mawdqif nr. 49, 2.
1) Tadhkira II p. 267. Cf. as-Sadili, garh ar-RdPiyya p. I27 f. (quoted by Asin Palacios
in Andalus nr. I4 p. I5): La oraci6n mental mas meritoria, noble y elevada es aquella en la
cual la presencia de Dios en el coraz6n del que ora es tal, que este pierde la conciencia de

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122 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

who teaches that "the very recollection is to forget r

Truly, "recollection is a means that hides Thee fro
as Hallag complains.
It was (jalaladdin Rimi who interpreted mystical
most perfect manner. Being asked "Is there any way
than the ritual prayer ?" he replied in his work Fihi
but prayer does not consist in forms alone... Prayer i
and unconsciousness of the soul, so that all these forms remain
without. At that time there is no room even for Gabriel, who is
pure spirit. One may say that the man who prays in this fashion is
exempt from all religious obligations, since he is deprived of his
reason. Absorption in the Divine Unity is the soul of
prayer" 3).
But it is impossible to gain this mystical union by means of con-
templation, and it is impossible even to utter any word of prayer
by human efforts: one must acknowledge that all our thoughts and
our longing for God is nothing but His own work. We may under-
stand the idea of the oratio infusa by three different ways, according
to the conception of tauhzd: I. God the Creator has preordained
every word of prayer, 2. God, dwelling in the heart of man, addresses
him and inspires him to answer, 3. God, the unique being, is both
the object of prayer and recollection and the praying and re-
collecting subject.
As God plants the seeds of His love into the hearts of His friends,
so that they are able to love Him 4), so He addressed mankind
first before the creation of the universe by His eternal word:
"Am I not your Lord?" in order that they might praise Him and
adore Him as the only real object of worship5). Abu Ishaq al-
Kazeriini is right saying: "0 God, Thy kindness towards us is
without end, and it is of Thy kindness that Thou hast given us
the grace to recollect Thee with the tongue and to thank Thee

su misma oraci6n y de toda cosa creada, cabalmente por la intensidad y dominio absoluta
que sobre su coraz6n ejerce aquelle presencia, de moda que al sujeto no le quedaya noticia
de si mismo ni objeto en que fijarse distinto de Dios.
1) Sarraj, o.c. p. 220; cf. Tadhkira II p. I77.
2) Hallaj, Diwdn nr. 28; cf. Tadkkira I p. I59 (Bayezid).
3) Fihi md fihi 15, I (translated by Nicholson in Mathnawi, Commentary I p. 371);
cf. the corresponding description in I4yda I p. 318; cf. also filya X p. 383.
4) M. M. Hilmi, Ibn al-Fdrid wa'l-hubbu'l-ildah, I945, p. 99.
5) Qur'an 7/I7I; Arberry/Kalabadhi p. II6.

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM 123

with the heart" 1). The earlier sufis and pious m

familiar with this idea; that is shown by the H
prayer of Moses: "0 Lord, Thou hast commanded m
for Thy blessing, and my very gratitude is a bless
Centuries later, Ibn 'Ata Allah prays in the sa
doest not give us faith, we have no faith, and if T
our tongues for prayer, we do not pray" or "
recollects before the recollection of the recol
human action depends on God, is decreed by H
and everlasting will; and in this way we may u
pressive passage in the small kitdb asrar as-sal
al-Gauziya: "And He is the Most High who praises
the tongue of the praising one; for it is He who b
upon his tongue and into his heart and moved
And it is man's duty to acknowledge that the p
is given him by an act of God's grace, as a pr
of which He has to be praised, and when he prais
of this gift his praise demands another prais
Ibn Qayyim is known as an orthodox muslim, b
are close to the moderate mystical view. Som
him, a sufi, Abui Bakr al-Qattani, had told his di
opens men's tongue for prayer and does not mak
asking the forgiving of sins, without opening the
And when the Irakian mystic Niffari stood bef
His spiritual addresses, he was taught: "To Me b
if I had not answered thy prayers, I should no
seeking it" 6). And, staying within in the maw
listened to God's word: "When I converse, converse, when I am
silent, be silent" 7).
Here we meet with the purely mystical idea that God-dwelling
between the heart proper and the corfex of the heart, as Hallag

1) Tadhkira II p. 299.
2) Arberry, The Book of Truthfulness (kitdb as-sidq) by Abf SaCid al-Kharraz, ed.
and transl. (Isl. research Assoc. nr. 6), 1937, p. 47 (arab.)/38 (engl.).
3) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. I574, f. 3b, 6b.
4) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 2347, f. 4a.
5) Tadhkira II p. I23.
6) Mukhdtabdt nr. 42, Io.
7) Mawdqif nr. 50, 9.

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I24 ANNEMARIE SCHIMMEL

sings in a beautiful and touching poetical prayer

with His saints in a secret tongue, and they silent
speech 2). The lyrical works of Hallia (whose influenc
mentioned Niffari is highly probable) are the most
quies between man and his Beloved, the mystic's an
eternal call: "I call Thee, no, Thou callest me unto Thee!" 3).
This conception of the oratio infusa-known in all religions-
has found its deepest and most famous expression in the work of
Galaladdin Rumi. The story he tells in the Mathnawz (Book III
I89 ff.)-a man calling God without being answered at last hears
the words of blessing: "That 'Allah' of thine is My 'Here am I' ...
Beneath every 'O Lord!' of thine is many a 'Here am I' from Me"-
this story is quoted by many European scholars 4) as being the most
important experience that was ever made in Islam in the field
of prayer; nevertheless it was criticized by Tholuck 5) because it
might lead to immanentism and in consequence to self-contem-
plation. But it seems to me that such a danger does not exist,
if we compare the other verses of the Mathnawz which express the
same idea: "He was always praying intensely without receiving
any response, but he was hearing 'Here am I' in secret from the
(Divine) grace." (VI I986)-"Do they (i.e. the pilgrims) ever say
'We are crying Labbayka without any response' ?... The Divine
blessing which causes their Labbayka is a response from the One
at every moment" (VI 870). And, in form of prayer: "Teach us
how to pray!" (II 2206). "Thou hast given and taught this prayer:
otherwise how could grow a rosegarden out of the dust ?" (II 2443).
Since the prayer is given by God, He will respond at last: "Both
the prayer and the answer are from Thee. Thou at first givest desire
for prayer, and Thou at last givest likewise the recompense for
prayers" (IV 3499). "Thou hast caused the prayer to flow forth
from me like water, do Thou accordingly give it reality and let it

1) Hallaj, Dfwdn rr. 73, I.

2) Cf. Mathnawi III v. 4275 f.; I v. 1919; Commentary II p. o09; cf. also Mukhdtabdt
nr. 43, 3 f.
3) Hallaj, Diwdn nr. I, 2.
4) Zetterst6en F R II, 2, 981; Tholuck, Bliitenlese aus der islamischen Mystik p.
I6o; Nicholson, The mystics of Islam p. 113; Heiler, Gebet p. 225.
5) Morgenland. Mystik p. i6i. Cf. the important remarks of van der Leeuw, Pha-
nomenologie p. 405, and, from another point of view, Underhill, Thoughts on prayer
and the divine immanence (Coll. papers p. 8I ff.).

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 MYSTICAL PRAYER IN ISLAM I25

be granted. Thou wast the bringer of the prayer i

be Thou accordingly the hope for its accepta
(V 4Io2) and: "Since-oh wonder-Thou didst c
invoke Thee, cause this invocation of Thee to be answered favour-
ably!" (VI 2320).
We also might choose the symbols which are often used not only
by (alaladdin but by other mystics-Muslim, Christian, Hindoo-
too: man is the instrument on which God plays; he is
the harp or the flute, touched by His fingers, moved to speech by
His breathing, silent unless God gives him voice 1).
The idea that God prays in the heart of man is also maintaine
by Ibn 'Arabi and his followers, being a necessary consequence o
the conception of wahdat al-wugid, the unity of all being. "An
Thou art all, and Thou art the listener, the prayer" exclaims
Ibn 'Arabi 2), and therefore Sa'rani may say that the pious ar
witnessing in their prayer that God is He who recollects Himsel
through His servants' tongues; "they recollect Him and know that
they do not recollect, for He is both the object of worship an
the worshipper" 3). Ibn 'Arabi's thoughts are to be met with i
most of the Muslim mystics living later than the I3th century
and his words are echoed-to name only one of his followers-in
poem of the Persian poet Magribi:
And if I send Thee greetings, Thou art the greeting,
And if I speak prayers, Thou art the prayer....
This is the last consequence of pantheistic mysticism.

1) For some examples cf. Schimmel, Die Bildersprache (elaladdin Rimis p. 5I f.

2) Diwdn p. I89.
3) Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 248, f. I7a; cf. the speculations of 'Abd al-Oani an-Nabulusi
on the saldt al-'asr as being God's own prayer (Istanbul Univ. Bibl. Arab. 3767, f. 39c,
commentary of a poem of Ibn 'Arabi's).
4) E. G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia III, p. 336.

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