Prayers

given by Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

In true Sufi fashion, Hazrat Inayat Khan served his European and American students some very old wine in brand new bottles.

Rather than attempting merely to transplant the outer manifestations of his own Sufi spiritual and mystical training from India, he took the essence of that training, combined with his own realization, and created new containers for it ... containers more appropriate for the psychology and inner development of the students he worked with. From a state of deep inspiration he brought through these prayers, in English, to take the place of the traditional Islamic mosque prayers, in Arabic, that he grew up with, and that the Chishtis and other Sufis in India have used for centuries as mystical exercises.

He intended that the prayers be said with a set of movements, that resemble movements used during the traditional mosque prayers, as a means of making the whole experience of praying much more than just a verbal and intellectual exercise. One of these movements, during both Saum and Salat, is a prostration which places the forehead on the floor while kneeling, thus positioning the head below the heart. As his writings reveal, time and again, he felt that the devotional quality was sorely lacking in western society, and he saw this practice as a way of beginning the softening of the ego-state that impeded the development of devotion.

Some of his early students balked at the thought of making a prostration. "We can't do that!" they told him. Perhaps it offended the sensibilities of a colonialist mentality, perhaps they feared what they might look like while doing the prostration, or what others might think of them. In any case, always gracious, and willing to meet people where they were, rather than where he might like them to be, and rather than have them avoid the prayers altogether, over an ego-issue with a movment, Hazrat Inayat Khan told them, "Very well, then just say the words."

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The Sufi Invocation

Toward the One,
The Perfection of Love, Harmony, and Beauty,
The Only Being,
United with All the Illuminated Souls,
Who form the Embodiment of the Master,
The Spirit of Guidance.

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Saum

Praise be to Thee, Most Supreme God,
Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-Pervading, The Only Being.

Take us in Thy Parental Arms,
Raise us from the denseness of the earth.

Thy Beauty do we worship,
To Thee do we give willing surrender.

Most Merciful and Compassionate God,
The Idealized Lord of the whole humanity,
Thee only do we worship, and towards Thee alone do we aspire.

Open our hearts towards Thy Beauty,
Illuminate our souls with Divine Light.

0 Thou, the Perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty!
All-Powerful Creator, Sustainer,
Judge and Forgiver of our shortcomings,
Lord God of the East and of the West,
Of the worlds above and below,
and of the seen and unseen beings,
Pour upon us Thy Love and Thy Light,
Give sustenance to our bodies, hearts and souls.
Use us for the purpose that Thy Wisdom chooses,
And guide us on the path of Thine Own Goodness.

Draw us closer to Thee every moment of our life,
Until in us be reflected:
Thy Grace,
Thy Glory,
Thy Wisdom,
Thy Joy, and
Thy Peace.

Amen.

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Nabi

A torch in the darkness, a staff during my weakness,
A rock in the weariness of life.

Thou, my Master, makest earth a paradise.
Thy thought giveth me unearthly joy,
Thy light illuminateth my life's path,
Thy words inspire me with divine wisdom,
I follow in thy footsteps, which lead me to the eternal goal.

Comforter of the broken-hearted,
Support of those in need,
Friend of the lovers of truth,
Blessed Master, thou art the Prophet of God.

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Rasul

Warner of coming dangers, wakener of the world from sleep,
Deliverer of the Message of God,
Thou art our Saviour,
The sun at the dawn of Creation, the light of the whole Universe,
The fulfillment of God's purpose.

Thou the life eternal,
we seek refuge in Thy loving enfoldment.

Spirit of Guidance, Source of all Beauty,
and Creator of Harmony,
Love, Lover, and Beloved Lord,
Thou art our divine ideal.

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Nayaz

Beloved Lord, Almighty God,
Through the rays of the Sun,
Through the waves of the Air,
Through the All-Pervading Life in Space,
Purify and revivify us, and we pray,
Heal our bodies, hearts, and souls.

Amen.

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Nazar
(for the blessing of food)

0 Thou, Sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls,
Bless all that we receive, in Thankfulness.

Amen.

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Dowa

  Save me, my Lord,
from the earthly passions and the attachments
which blind mankind.

Save me, my Lord,
from the temptations of power, fame, and wealth,
which keep man away from Thy Glorious Vision.

Save me, my Lord,
from the souls who are constantly occupied
in hurting and harming their fellow-man,
and who take pleasure in the pain of another.

Save me, my Lord,
from the evil eye of envy and jealousy,
which falleth upon Thy Bountiful Gifts.

Save me, my Lord,
from falling into the hands of the playful children of earth;
that they might use me in their games;
that they might play with me, and then break me in the end,
as children destroy their toys.

Save me, my Lord,
from all manner of injury that cometh
from the bitterness of my adversaries,
and from the ignorance of my loving friends.

Amen.

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