Prayers and Practices
Prayers
Real prayer is praise to God. Praise is appreciation, which opens the heart more and more to the divine beauty one sees in manifestation. Prayer trains the soul to be more appreciative of God's goodness.
Prayers can be said silently. They are stronger when said aloud, as the vibration of the sounds penetrates the energy centers of the body and reaches to the inner plane of our being. So prayer aloud has a greater effect on the soul than silent prayer. Prayer is offered for our own benefit and not for God's benefit.
Prayer with movement is even stronger. Movement imprints the thoughts expressed in the prayer on every atom of the body. The whole being, even the atoms and cells, becomes the prayer. "Ask and ye shall receive" becomes actualized. (Based upon the words of Hazrat Inayat Khan in The Unity of Religious Ideals.)
Prayers can be said silently. They are stronger when said aloud, as the vibration of the sounds penetrates the energy centers of the body and reaches to the inner plane of our being. So prayer aloud has a greater effect on the soul than silent prayer. Prayer is offered for our own benefit and not for God's benefit.
Prayer with movement is even stronger. Movement imprints the thoughts expressed in the prayer on every atom of the body. The whole being, even the atoms and cells, becomes the prayer. "Ask and ye shall receive" becomes actualized. (Based upon the words of Hazrat Inayat Khan in The Unity of Religious Ideals.)
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.
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.
Nayaz - A Prayer for Healing
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 me, and, I pray, heal my body, heart, and soul.
Amen
Through the rays of the sun,
Through the waves of the air,
Through the All-pervading Life in space
Purify and revivify me, and, I pray, heal my body, heart, and soul.
Amen
Nazar - Grace at Meals
O Thou,
The Sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls,
Bless all that we receive
In thankfulness.
Amen
The Sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls,
Bless all that we receive
In thankfulness.
Amen
Prayer for Peace
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting, that our souls may rdiate peace;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act, and speak harmoniously;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that, amidst our worldly strife, we may enjoy Thy bliss;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all and tolerate all in the thought of Thy grace and mercy;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that our lives may become a divine vision, and in Thy light, all darkness may vanish;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we, Thy children on earth, may all unite in one family.
Amen
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act, and speak harmoniously;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that, amidst our worldly strife, we may enjoy Thy bliss;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all and tolerate all in the thought of Thy grace and mercy;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, that our lives may become a divine vision, and in Thy light, all darkness may vanish;
Send us Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we, Thy children on earth, may all unite in one family.
Amen
Prayers of Confraternity
Given to us by Hazrat Inayat Khan for mureeds to say with movements, in the following order:
Morning Prayers
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Morning Prayers
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 we aspire.
Open our hearts towards Thy Beauty,
Illuminate our souls with Divine Light,
O 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 chooseth,
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
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 we aspire.
Open our hearts towards Thy Beauty,
Illuminate our souls with Divine Light,
O 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 chooseth,
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
Pour upon us Thy Love and Thy Light
(This affirmation is said or sung 11 times)
Pir
Inspirer of my mind, consoler of my heart, healer of my spirit,
Thy presence lifteth me from earth to heaven;
Thy words flow as the sacred river;
Thy thought riseth as a divine spring;
Thy tender feelings waken sympathy in my heart.
Beloved Teacher, thy very being is forgiveness.
The clouds of doubt and fear are scattered by thy piercing glance;
All ignorance vanishes in thy illuminating presence;
A new hope is born in my heart by breathing thy peaceful atmosphere.
O inspiring Guide through life's puzzling ways,
In thee I feel abundance of blessing.
Thy presence lifteth me from earth to heaven;
Thy words flow as the sacred river;
Thy thought riseth as a divine spring;
Thy tender feelings waken sympathy in my heart.
Beloved Teacher, thy very being is forgiveness.
The clouds of doubt and fear are scattered by thy piercing glance;
All ignorance vanishes in thy illuminating presence;
A new hope is born in my heart by breathing thy peaceful atmosphere.
O inspiring Guide through life's puzzling ways,
In thee I feel abundance of blessing.
Mid-Day Prayers
Salat
Most gracious Lord, Master, Messiah, and Savior of humanity,
We greet Thee with all humility.
Thou art the First Cause and the Last Effect,
the Divine Light and the Spirit of Guidance, Alpha and Omega.
Thy Light is in all forms, Thy Love in all beings:
in a loving mother, in a kind father,
in an innocent child, in a helpful friend, and in an inspiring teacher.
Allow us to recognize Thee in all Thy holy names and forms;
as Rama, as Krishna, as Shiva, as Buddha.
Let us know Thee as Abraham, as Solomon,
as Zarathushtra, as Moses, as Jesus, as Mohammed,
and in many other names and forms, known and unknown to the world.
We adore Thy past; Thy presence deeply enlighteneth our being,
and we look for Thy blessing in the future.
O Messenger, Christ, Nabi, the Rasul of God!
Thou Whose heart constantly reacheth upward,
Thou comest on earth with a message,
as a dove from above when Dharma decayeth,
and speakest the Word that is put into Thy mouth,
as the light filleth the crescent moon.
Let the star of the Divine Light shining in Thy heart be
reflected in the hearts of Thy devotees.
May the Message of God reach far and wide,
illuminating and making the whole humanity
as one single Family in the Parenthood of God.
Amen
We greet Thee with all humility.
Thou art the First Cause and the Last Effect,
the Divine Light and the Spirit of Guidance, Alpha and Omega.
Thy Light is in all forms, Thy Love in all beings:
in a loving mother, in a kind father,
in an innocent child, in a helpful friend, and in an inspiring teacher.
Allow us to recognize Thee in all Thy holy names and forms;
as Rama, as Krishna, as Shiva, as Buddha.
Let us know Thee as Abraham, as Solomon,
as Zarathushtra, as Moses, as Jesus, as Mohammed,
and in many other names and forms, known and unknown to the world.
We adore Thy past; Thy presence deeply enlighteneth our being,
and we look for Thy blessing in the future.
O Messenger, Christ, Nabi, the Rasul of God!
Thou Whose heart constantly reacheth upward,
Thou comest on earth with a message,
as a dove from above when Dharma decayeth,
and speakest the Word that is put into Thy mouth,
as the light filleth the crescent moon.
Let the star of the Divine Light shining in Thy heart be
reflected in the hearts of Thy devotees.
May the Message of God reach far and wide,
illuminating and making the whole humanity
as one single Family in the Parenthood of God.
Amen
May the message of God reach far and wide.
(This affirmation is said or sung 11 times)
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.
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.
Evening Prayers
Khatum
O Thou, Who art the Perfection of Love, Harmony, and Beauty,
The Lord of heaven and earth,
Open our hearts, that we may hear Thy Voice, which constantly cometh from within.
Disclose to us Thy Divine Light, which is hidden in our souls,
That we may know and understand life better.
Most Merciful and Compassionate God, give us Thy great Goodness;
Teach us Thy loving Forgiveness;
Raise us above the distinctions and differences which divide us;
Send us the Peace of Thy Divine Spirit,
And unite us all in Thy Perfect Being.
Amen.
The Lord of heaven and earth,
Open our hearts, that we may hear Thy Voice, which constantly cometh from within.
Disclose to us Thy Divine Light, which is hidden in our souls,
That we may know and understand life better.
Most Merciful and Compassionate God, give us Thy great Goodness;
Teach us Thy loving Forgiveness;
Raise us above the distinctions and differences which divide us;
Send us the Peace of Thy Divine Spirit,
And unite us all in Thy Perfect Being.
Amen.
Disclose to us Thy Divine Light.
(This affirmation is said or sung 11 times)
Rasul
O Thou,
The Maker, Moulder, and Builder of the Universe,
Build with Thine own hands the Universel,
Our Temple for Thy Divine Message of
Love, Harmony, and Beauty.
Amen
The Maker, Moulder, and Builder of the Universe,
Build with Thine own hands the Universel,
Our Temple for Thy Divine Message of
Love, Harmony, and Beauty.
Amen
Practices
In the Sufi tradition, specific individual spiritual practices are given to a mureed by his or her guide. However, some practices are often shared as a form of group practice at gatherings or retreats. Most common among these are the zikhr and wazifa practices. The Dances of Universal Peace may also be experienced as a form of group spiritual practice.
On Zhikr (Zikr)
(by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, excerpted from a PBS interview, November 2002)
The essential practice in Sufism is "zikr," which means remembrance -- remembrance of God, remembrance of the source and goal of all being, remembrance of our true home. This remembrance is practiced ritually in the invocation of divine names, and especially in the recitation, "La ilaha illa-llah," "There is no deity but the one God." This recitation reminds us that all of our subjective conceptions regarding ourselves, regarding the nature of the universe are relative. The one reality includes, but transcends and outstrips, all such relative conceptions. That is what we call Allah, the one reality, the true Being, the Absolute.
This One Being is remembered through acts of recitation -- repeated recitation with movement, with coordination of breath, sometimes with visualization, using this chant, "La ilaha illa-llah," as well as variants and other divine invocations.
The essential practice in Sufism is "zikr," which means remembrance -- remembrance of God, remembrance of the source and goal of all being, remembrance of our true home. This remembrance is practiced ritually in the invocation of divine names, and especially in the recitation, "La ilaha illa-llah," "There is no deity but the one God." This recitation reminds us that all of our subjective conceptions regarding ourselves, regarding the nature of the universe are relative. The one reality includes, but transcends and outstrips, all such relative conceptions. That is what we call Allah, the one reality, the true Being, the Absolute.
This One Being is remembered through acts of recitation -- repeated recitation with movement, with coordination of breath, sometimes with visualization, using this chant, "La ilaha illa-llah," as well as variants and other divine invocations.
On Wazifas
Wazifa practice involves the repetition of one of the divine attributes, also known as the 99 beautiful names of Allah. Below are comments by Hazrat Inayat Khan on the wazifa practice:
It is the same way as of old. By the help of sound they have prepared themselves. They made these physical atoms, which had gradually become deadened, live again by the help of sound. They have worked with the power of sound. As Zebunnisa says, 'Say continually that sacred name which will make thee sacred.' The Hindus have called it Mantra Yoga. The Sufis have termed it Wazifa. It is the power of the word which works upon each atom of the body, making it sonorous, making it a medium of communication between the external life and the inner life. (Volume II, The Mysticism of Music, Sound and Word, part II, chapter 11.)
It is the same way as of old. By the help of sound they have prepared themselves. They made these physical atoms, which had gradually become deadened, live again by the help of sound. They have worked with the power of sound. As Zebunnisa says, 'Say continually that sacred name which will make thee sacred.' The Hindus have called it Mantra Yoga. The Sufis have termed it Wazifa. It is the power of the word which works upon each atom of the body, making it sonorous, making it a medium of communication between the external life and the inner life. (Volume II, The Mysticism of Music, Sound and Word, part II, chapter 11.)
The Dances as Spiritual Practice
Please see Murshid Wali Ali's comments "How to Dance" on our Dance page for approaching the Dances of Universal Peace as a spiritual practice.