BEŞİNCİ BAB · SEKİZİNCİ FASIL · Üçüncü Madde
**Article Three**
Concerning the virtues, characteristics, and daily devotions of the most exalted *gavs* (Great Pole), the eminent Shakh Ismail Tillovî Fakirullah (may Allah have mercy on him).
O esteemed one! Know that Fakirullah (may Allah have mercy on him) was born with reliance upon God (*tawakkul*), surrender (*tafviz*), complete submission (*taslimiyyah*), acceptance (*rida*), and sincerity (*ikhlas*). He purified himself of all attachment to anything other than God through truthfulness, purity of heart, and detachment. He remained engaged with the Lord, loved Him with a noble spirit and praised Him, attained annihilation (*fana*) through poverty (*fakr*), exhibited humility (*tawadu*), treated his friends with generosity (*murūwah*), severed ties with the world and its people, remained independent of needs even in times of hardship, maintained equanimity in joyful and sorrowful moments, refrained from objecting to God’s decree, patiently endured trials and expressed gratitude for his circumstances, avoided indulging in desires, shunned pride and hypocrisy, abstained from laziness and adhered to commands, guarded against prohibitions in solitude and amongst people, remained steadfast and resolute in observing the precepts of religion; he possessed beautiful qualities, praiseworthy moral attributes, and admirable characteristics such as generosity, munificence, liberality, forgiveness, knowledge, modesty, gentleness, compassion, loyalty, and avoidance of prejudice and injustice. He offered counsel to friend and foe alike, generously bestowed gifts upon his friends, showed affection for scholars and righteous individuals, respected saints and prophets.
May God draw him close to His noble presence and accept our hopes, which we entrust to his prayers.
The form and characteristics of Shakh were such that the beauty of his face and the harmony and balance of his limbs were striking. The All-Wise God, with His grace, created him in the most beautiful form, free from all defects and blemishes. For his stature was neither tall nor short; he was graceful, proportionate, and unparalleled. His blessed head was large, his hair bright and fragrant. His forehead was moderate and smooth, marked by long wrinkles. His ears were delicate and well-proportioned. His eyebrows were arched, with a wide space between them. Every characteristic of his exquisite eyes was moderate; his gaze was smiling and cheerful. His face was radiant, smiling, and swarthy. His nose was clean, straight, and refined. His blessed mouth was of medium size, with thin lips.
His voice was clear and resonant, his tongue fluent, and his speech truthful. He possessed a pleasant fragrance, his teeth were white and strong. His blessed beard was full and white, not sparse. His neck and shoulders were graceful, his arms and hands slender. His palms were soft, and his fingers long, easily bent back. His chest was broad and hairless. His abdomen was light, and his entire body lean. His toes were long, and he was beautiful from head to toe. God praised and created him; He made room for him in the hearts of hundreds of thousands. May God bestow upon him His manifestations and benefit us through His manifestations as well.
The daily devotions of Shakh were moderate, conforming to the practices that the devoted had made habitual. It was his established custom to follow the Beloved of God (*Habib*) in every matter. For he, esteemed one, would awaken at dawn from sleep, which is considered the beginning of contemplation and annihilation, and immediately rise reciting this prayer:
“All praise is due to Allah who has given us life after death and restored our souls unto us, and unto Him is the resurrection. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and messenger in truth.” After reciting this, he would perform ablution. Then, with care, he would offer the tahajjud prayer. Afterwards, he would sit cross-legged on his prayer rug facing the qibla, supplicating and seeking forgiveness from God, the Forgiving One. In this manner, he would enliven the dawn hours and then retire to rest until morning.
Upon his second awakening;
“You have given us life and the sovereignty belongs to Allah, the Unique, the Almighty. I accept Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, Muhammad as my prophet upon whom blessings and peace be showered, the Ka’bah as my qibla, the Qur'an as my guide, the believers as my brothers, and the believing women as my sisters. There is no power nor strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.” Then, at dawn, he would recite his own call to prayer aloud upon a brick-sized stone in his room according to the Shafi’i time.
He would conclude the *adhan* with the supplication:
“O God, send our master Muhammad the one who is the means and the excellence, and the lofty station, and grant him the praised position that You have promised him; surely You do not break a promise.”
After this, he would perform the sunnah prayers of Fajr (morning prayer) and recite “Glory be to God and praise be to Him, glory be to the Most High God” one hundred times. He would offer the obligatory Fajr prayer with his family members in complete devotion and after the greeting, he would recite:
“O God, You withhold what You give, and You give what You withhold, and You reverse what You decree; no one can benefit from wealth except by Your grace. Glory be to God, and praise be to God, there is no god but Allah, God is the Most High, and there is no power nor strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.”
After reciting *Ayat al-Kursi*, he would recite the invocations “Glory be to God, praise be to God, God is the Greatest” thirty-three times each with the knuckles of his right hand.
Then he would recite:
“There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His the praise; He gives life and death; He is living and does not die. All good is in His hand, and He is over all things powerful.” And at the beginning and end of his supplication, he would invariably send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
After the supplication, he would recite “There is no god but Allah” ten times and on the tenth time say "Muhammad is the messenger of God" and conclude with the Fatiha. He would perform ablution using a miswak and reciting prescribed prayers, and offer his prayers with devotion and reverence. He would make his supplications with sincerity of heart and surrenderance, and in his prayers he would remember his parents, his teacher, his relatives, and ask that they be remembered with blessings.
He would regularly mention the names of his friend who bequeathed, following each of the five daily prayers. Until sunrise, he would recite the Surah Yasin and the Beautiful Names (Asma ul-Husna), completing invocations and remembrances such as "the ten perfected" (musaebbiat al-'ashara). After that, he would perform the Ishraq prayer and converse with his wife and children. Then, he would recite four or five volumes of the Holy Quran from his own meticulously written Mus'haf, concluding this segment with the Duha prayer. Only then would he open the door for his friends and visitors; until midday, he would heal the afflicted with advice and wisdom, with supplications and spiritual influence (himmah). He would give to the poor, feed food to the needy. He would delight his lovers by their presence and enrapture the gnostics with his words.
At the time of noon prayer, he would again ascend to that elevation in his own room and recite the call to prayer (adhan). Those present with him would follow suit, performing the prayer along with supplications and remembrances. After that, until the afternoon, he would converse with God's creation – excluding oppressors – with grace and kindness according to his custom. He treated everyone with gentleness and humility, showing more favor to the poor and weak than to officials and the wealthy. He showed equal regard and interest to all, bestowing upon each what was appropriate according to their intellectual capacity and spiritual influence (himmah).
At the time of afternoon prayer, he would again recite the call to prayer, and those friends present with him would follow him in performing the prayer; then he would cease speaking. After the afternoon prayer, that beloved of hearts, having obtained permission from his friends to seclude himself, would close the door and turn completely towards Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He would recite the invocations and remembrances which he had made a habit of reciting, until evening arrived. At sunset, he would say:
"We have emerged, and sovereignty belongs to Allah, the One, the Almighty. O God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and from what is within it and from what follows it. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, from the whisperings of devils, and I seek refuge in You that they may be present. There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent." [173] and would take care to perform the first rak'ah of the evening prayer.
If fasting, he would break his fast with water, and recite the following supplication:
"O God, I have fasted for You, and I believe in You, and I rely on You, and I have broken my fast with Your provision." [174]
During the month of Ramadan, he would complete his supplication by saying:
“And I intend to fast the days of the month of Ramadan, so forgive me what I have put forth and what I have left behind.” [175]
After performing the evening prayer and its supererogatory (nafl) prayers, he would recite Surah Al-Fatihah. Then, he would eat from a cloth spread on the ground with his wife and children, in accordance with tradition and etiquette, using wooden plates. After eating, he would say:
"O God, grant us all that which You have granted us." [176] Placing the tips of his fingers on the tablecloth (bringing them to his mouth), he would kiss them, then raise both hands and say:
“All praise is due to Allah, abundant praise, pure praise, blessed praise. Praise free from imperfection and devoid of falsehood and not sought for independence. Praise be to God who has fed us and sustained us and given us sustenance and made us among the Muslims and guided us and His mercy and blessings are upon the feeder and the one being fed, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.” [177] then he would wipe his face with his hands, honoring that blessing. After that, he would converse with his wife and children, acting according to their desires, completing any deficiencies they reported regarding the household’s livelihood and domestic affairs, granting them permission in matters they requested, and covering up any faults with wisdom.
He would perform ablution (wudu), pray the night prayer with his children, and after the prayer, he would invariably recite Surah Al-Mulk. If it was Friday evening [according to current recitation], he would recite the concluding prayers (du’a khatim) and dedicate them as a gift to the blessed soul of the most revered Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Then, without delay, he would lie down on a bed spread towards the qibla, intending to sleep. He would sit on his bed and recite one recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Ayat al-Kursi, three recitations of Ihlās, and one recitation each of Al-Muawwazatayn. After each of these, he would blow upon his body and rub his hands over his chest, continuing this charm every night. Then, he would lie down on his right side facing the qibla or on his back contemplating the majesty of the heavens;
"In Your name, my Lord, I lean against my side, forgive me my sin. You have entrusted me with myself, so if you retain her, have mercy upon her, and if you release her, protect her with what you protect Your righteous servants. O God, awaken me at the most beloved times to You and employ me in the best of deeds before You. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.” [178] and thus, he would detach himself from this world of multiplicity (kesrat) and enter into contemplation of unity (wahdat).
May God grant us benefit from his blessings and guide us to his path.
*Nazm (Poem)*
1-The breath of Sabā wind has arrived with the scent of love
Fear and sorrow have gone, joy and bliss have come
2-A breeze came and gave my soul life
I am delighted that the scent of sainthood has arrived for me
3-The scent of the morning breeze enlivens my heart
There, the pleasing scent of those who attain eternal life has arrived
4-Through all things, God manifests; to that friend, constantly
From Vays’s words, the scent of God has arrived
5-Union with love is a state from every place
Many a thousand cries of intoxicated lovers have arrived
6-All thoughts come as guests to the heart from God
Complete submission and acceptance have arrived
7-Be patient in trials, observe, let it be
What comes from God to the soul, pure bliss has arrived.
Translation into Modern Turkish:
1-Aşk kokusuyla Sabâ yelinin nefesi gelmiştir. Korku ve hüzün gidip,
zevk ü safâ gelmiştir.
2-Bir esinti geldi, onun yeli gönlüme cân verdi. Şâd oldum ki bana
velâyet kokusu gelmiştir.
3-Seher yelinin kokusu gönlümü zinde kılar. Çünkü onunla bekâ ehlinin
4-For Truth manifests in all things, especially to the friend. From Uways's breeze [179], the fragrance of God has reached him.
5-The soul that finds the union of love hears from every direction. Having heard thousands of flames, a drunken cry has arrived.
6-All thoughts come to the heart as guests from Truth. To each, with a pleasant disposition, acceptance and contentment have arrived.
7-Stand firm against calamities; be patient and observe. Whatever reaches the soul from God, it is purity.