My friend,

Know that this book is one of the most valuable things you have been given in your life.

This book is the calling of your Rabb; it is a sacred door that He has opened for you.

Whoever you may be, whatever may be your occupation or religion, know that your Rabb is awaiting you and His door is wide open.

Do not ask where the door to your Rabb is. “IT” is within you, in your heart!

“IT” is beyond the door that opens from you, to you!

This door is the door of prayer and dhikr. A door that opens from your heart to your Rabb, your essential reality!

It is an act of introspective, turning to one’s Rabb. It is the path of need.

So, abandon your imagined god up in the heavens and turn to Allah, the eternal and limitless One. Realize He is present at every point and within every iota of existence, and find Him in your heart!

Then ask of Him whatever you desire! Health, wealth, abundance, love, guidance, whatever you will! And know with certainty that the only thing to guide you to your desires is prayer and dhikr…

Know, my friend, that Allah, who is ever present with all of His qualities and attributes in every hint of existence, will respond to you – from you!

Know that you are His vicegerent on earth!

Now, as the vicegerent of Allah, are you aware of the incredible potential with which your brain has been endowed?

Are you aware that you can activate the power inherent in your brain through prayer and dhikr?

Do you know about the mechanism called ‘prayer’, your most powerful weapon?

Many weak and powerless men have overthrown and vanquished kings and emperors with prayer and dhikr!

Countless poor have attained great wealth and success with prayer and dhikr!

Many afflicted, distressed and diseased ones have reached salvation and emancipation through prayer and dhikr!

Know, my friend…

Prayer and dhikr are the world’s most powerful weapons with which you have been endowed. By learning to use these forces within your brain and heart, you can reach endless beauties of the life of this world and beyond. Or, you may choose not to use them, let them rot away, and face the consequences of this for eternity!

This mechanism has been given to you for free, unrequitedly! It is a divine gift!

You neither need a mediator nor anyone’s assistance to engage in prayer and dhikr. Whether you use the prayers in this book or pray in any way that you desire … Just learn to use prayer and dhikr, your most valuable tools in this world…

You will see how your world will transform.

* * *

The Rasul of Allah (saw) says, “Prayer is the weapon of the believer.”^[1] He also says, “Prayer is the essence of worship.”^[2]

Related to this hadith, the Quran says:

“I have created the jinn and men only so that they may serve Me (by means of manifesting the qualities of My Names).”^[3]

In simple terms, servitude is prayer and dhikr!

In general terms, servitude is the fulfillment of an individual’s purpose of existence.

“Are our prayers accepted when we pray?”

A Hadith Qudsi answers this question:

“If My servant raises his hands in supplication to Me, I would be ashamed to return them empty.”^[4]

Another Hadith Qudsi says:

“O son of Adam, prayer is from you, response is from Me. Repentance is from you, forgiveness is from Me. To ask forgiveness is from you, to grant it is from Me. To thank is from you, to give abundantly is from Me. Patience is from you, to aid is from Me… What have you ever asked of Me that I did not give?”

The following verse supports this hadith:

“Pray to Me, so that I may respond to you!”^[5]

Another Hadith Qudsi that sheds light to the matter is:

“I am upon the assumption of My servant. So, let him assume as he wills!”^[6]

In other words, if you believe beyond any doubt that your prayer will be accepted, then know with certainty that it will!

Based on this, one of the most eminent of saints, Imam Rabbani Ahmad Faruq Sarhandi, says, “Wanting something is attaining it, for Allah will not allow His servant to pray for something He will not accept.”

When we make a prayer, we should be mindful of the verse:

“You cannot will unless Allah, the Rabb of the worlds, wills!”^[7]

That is, any desire that becomes apparent in you only does so because it is the desire of Allah. Had Allah not willed it, you could not have wanted it.

Prayer is the easiest and most effective method, not to mention it is completely free! Thus, it has been said that prayer is the weapon of the believer.

How can prayer be a weapon?

To understand this, one needs to delve into the depths of Sufism.

Man, in respect to his essence, has been created with the attributes of Allah and subsists with the existence of Him.

Man is ALIVE because of the HAYY quality of Allah and has KNOWLEDGE because of the ALEEM quality of Allah. Man is able to put things into action with the quality of WILL deriving from Allah’s Name MUREED. Thus, the extent to which man is able to manifest the meanings of these Names, which are all present within his being, is the extent to which he will be able to attain his desires and be safe from his fears.

But, what is prayer?

Is it a request made to a God far away?

Or is it to request the expression of the power of Allah, with which you exist and which is present in every cell of your being?

Prayer is no more than a technique to manifest the divine power within you!

Thus, when man is able to pray with full concentration and focus, he can reach and accomplish many seemingly impossible things.

This is why prayer is the most powerful weapon of man.

But, if we want to optimize the effectiveness of this technique, we must realize the relevance of the form of prayer, its place and time.

 

Ahmed Hulusi

1991