ANOTHER VIEW OF MYSTICISM BY Hamidreza Ansari, Ph.D. Howard Hall, Ph.D., Psy.D.

, BCB

Tomorrow may be too late

Lusts of life were pulling me through by the chains and herald of faith whispered, move, move, short of the life is remained and the long journey is on the way, and what you know from the truth is not but a hallucination. If you dont get prepared now, when will you? If you dont cut these chains now, when will you? ..

Ghazali (Persian Mystical Thinker 1058-1111)

Foreword Today there is great interest in exploring a better way of navigating life to manage depression, anxiety, guilt, and anger in order to find inner peace. Islamic Mysticism is a practical and ancient, but not widely understood system (at least to western culture) for those who are seeking to experience a transformation to help them perceive the world better and lead them to inner peace. The reason for the effectiveness of this technique is that, it is not dependent on oneself only, but uses metaphysical power of a spiritual teacher called Sheikh(in a way similar to Hindus Guru). A Sheikh has reached a state of absolute inner peace and unity to guide the follower (disciple). This provides the disciples with the required ability to master their own ego and overcome mood issues. By following the path of Mysticism and applying the concept to both personal and professional life, people can experience a spiritual flood which will cleanse their souls and put them in a position to gain control in their lives and emotions.

Islamic Mysticism Although many people in the world are comfortable, well-fed, and being entertained, many of them are always disappointed and almost always unhappy. Where is the life, the poet T.S. Eliot asks, where is the life we have lost in living? Today, for many people life has become a kind of living-death, death in the sense not of shortage of things, but in the sense that existence has lost its meaning and has turned to a colorless continuous and boring cycle. Every day they wake up, go to work, buy things they do not need, pay bills, watch TV, and go to bed. For these people real living and real life has reduced to buying and selling, possessing and consuming things. These people are desperately looking for a change to give meaning to their living and make it real life. True life that brings color and happiness, not the cheap imitations of TV land. For many of these people even marriage has lost its meaning. When they look back, they see that there are years in which they were living together without the feelings. This is called emotional divorce. Some type of divorce without the signature of legal documents, by which people exercise mutual loneliness. These are the reasons that many people in this living-death turn to anti-depressant drugs, or illegally procured chemicals to make their brains think that they are truly happy and alive. Many people remember their childhood as the best time in their lives. The time they feel a sense of innocent love and joy, but they do not know how this feeling started and why it disappeared. Islamic Mysticism believes that the feeling of love and happiness during childhood is due to the divine light which illuminates the heart. This feeling ends due to blockage of the heart, caused by veils of sin. Expressions such as heart becoming dark or dim in Eastern and Western culture refers to the blockage of the heart, which prevents the glow of the divine light. This light or energy has different names in different cultures and has been known as a source of healing for over 3000 years in Persian, Chinese, Indian and Egyptian cultures. Barakah is one of the names in Islamic mysticism for this light. It is an Arabic term meaning blessing, particularly, spiritual gifts or protection transmitted from God. The parallel Jewish term is Berakhah, and in Christianity, Charisma or divine grace. Baraka is used in contemporary French as a synonym for "luck". A person who has "Baraka" is said to be able to emerge unscathed from dangerous situations. Indian mysticism refers to this light as the energy of the universe and calls it Prana. In fact what is happening in Yoga is an effort to open Chakras, or energy channels, to accommodate this light better. However, in Yoga the duration of training is very long and the efforts extremely hard, sometimes requires dozens of years or even an entire lifetime, without guarantee of success in opening a single Charka. Islamic mysticism is the latest school and follows the spiritual guidance of the Koran. It utilizes more efficient techniques to unveil the heart and amplify the divine light. In Islamic method, for maintaining the light, you do not need to become a vegetarian as recommended by Indian schools. Instead, you need to consume Halal

meat, which excludes pork, animals improperly slaughtered, carnivorous animals and birds of prey. There are some common features between Islamic mysticism with Hindu or Buddhist schools, such as Remembrances (called Mantra in the aforementioned schools). One difference, however, between the Remembrance in Islamic mysticism and the others is that Islamic Remembrances are not unique or secret; never ever to be revealed Different from Indian schools which refer to the divine light as the universe energy, Islamic schools believe that this energy belongs to Allah and is the life energy for all living things human beings, animals, plants and bacteria. In the Koran, there is a chapter, An-Noor (chapter 24), which means the Light. In verse 35 of this chapter, God implicitly states that He is the light of the skies and earth. Great Persian mystic Hafiz calls this the divine light of love. He says: The radiance of your goodness manifested in eternity Love appeared and set fire to the mountain, earth and sea This is the light which makes dead hearts alive. Hafiz states: If the light of love hits your heart, you will become more cheerful and shiny than the sun of the sky. Mystics refer to this cheerfulness as drinking of the sacred wine (of love) of God. This is what Hafiz says about this: O beautiful wine-bearer, bring forth the cup and put it to my lips Path of love seemed easy at first, what came was many hardships. In the chapter of the Light of the Koran, God states that the heart of a human is like a lamp, filled with an olive oil (used as fuel in ancient times), derived from a blessed olive tree, which is not from the earth (neither eastern nor western). This fuel is so flammable that it may burn, even if the flame does not touch it. This is the way that God describes it: Allah is the light of the skies and the earth; a likeness of His light is as a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass (this glass is the heart of the virtuous), and the glass is as it were a brightly shining star, lit from a blessed olive-tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not-- light upon light-Allah guides to His light whom He pleases, and Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah is Cognizant of all things. (24:35) According to Islamic mysticism, love, divine light, and Barakah have similar meanings. Therefore, by absorbing Barakah, the divine light of love fills every vein and particle of the body and turns it into a shining light. Great Persian mystic Rumi explains: Love came; as the blood in my veins and body. It took me from myself, and filled me with love. All that is left of me is a name. The rest is all Him...

When you become pure love or pure light, you can pass all the boundaries of space and time (Einsteins Relativity Theory) and can reach a state of unity with God and all His creations. Rumi describes this phenomenon with the following magnificent wording: So that I jumped out of days and nights, As the point of a spear glances off a shield. For in that side all the people are one, A hundred thousand years and a moment are all one; World without beginning and world without end are one; Reason finds no entrance when mind is thus lost. Verse 39 of chapter. the Light, of the Koran refers to people who do not have light (love) as those who go after a mirage, in search of water. God, due to His mercy, warns them on their path, but they do not listen, until they reach the end (of the life) and shamefully try to repent, but face the reckoning of God: And (as for) those who disbelieve, their deeds are like the mirage in a desert, which the thirsty man deems to be water; until when he comes to it he finds it to be naught, and there he finds God, so He pays back to him his reckoning in full; and God is quick in reckoning; (24:39) Having Barakah or divine light (love), is the only factor which brings people to joy and satisfaction. Therefore, people who do not have this light need to gain it, not to attempt to numb their spiritual sense of light by using alcohol or narcotics. As explained earlier, stress, anxiety, fearfulness and depression some people have is due to their lack of Barakah or divine light. In chapter, the Light, of the Koran, people without Barakah are referred to as those who are lost in a stormy sea in the darkness. They go up and down and since the clouds, one over another, have covered the light. They do not see the cause of their ups and downs (what they call unluckiness), because they have blocked their hearts to the light with veils of sins, such as selfishness, hatred, lies, etc., and are not able to see the realities of life. The Koran says: Or like utter darkness in the deep sea: there covers it a wave above which is another wave, above which is a cloud, (layers of) utter darkness one above another; when he holds out his hand, he is almost unable to see it; and to whomsoever God does not give light, he has no light. (24:40) In the above verse, God explicitly states that He is the only real source of divine light (love or Barakah), and all other sources are nothing but a mirage. The method of retrieving the divine light or Barakah in Islamic Mysticism is fast and simple and is based on the method described by the Koran. Since the blockage of light is due to the veils caused by sins, one should eliminate the adverse effect of the sins from him, which is done by repentance. It is stated in the Koran that if people repent, all their sins will be converted to good deeds. The following verse of the Koran supports the explained argument. "Except him

who repents and believes and does a good deed; so these are they of whom God changes the evil deeds to good ones; and God is Forgiving, Merciful (25:70). Therefore, if people who are extremely sinful repent and do not backslide, they will become righteous persons. This is the reason a large number of saints and virtuous people in history have actually had sinful pasts; although for a sinful person, maintaining repentance is more difficult than that of an ordinary person. For example, one who is addicted to alcohol, narcotics or adultery needs more effort and zeal to maintain repentance than an ordinary person. Islamic mysticism believes that repentance can be more effective if is done through a person who is close to God. Different verses of the Koran approve this idea. For example, according to the Koran when the Prophet Josephs brothers wanted to repent for their sins, they did not repent to God directly. They went to the Prophet Jacob (father), and requested him to ask God to accept their repentance. Verses 97 and 98 of chapter Yusuf (Joseph) of the Koran states: They (Joseph brothers) said: O our father! Ask forgiveness of our faults for us, surely we were sinners. He (Jacob) said: I will ask for you forgiveness from my Lord; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.(12:97,98) Verse 64 of An-Nisa (Women) chapter of the Koran also explains similar mechanism for repentance and states: when they were unjust to themselves (committed sins), they come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.(4:64) There are other chapters of the Koran in which forgiveness for sinful people is cited. Verse 159 of chapter Al-E-Imran (The Family Of Imran) explains: pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair(3:159) In verse 80 of chapter Al-Tawba (Repentance), God dissuades His prophet from asking forgiveness for some transgressing people. It states: even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them.(9:80) As reflected in different verses of the Koran, no one can deny the benefit of a sponsor in the process of repentance. The only point raised by opponents is that in the cases mentioned in the Koran, the holy prophets were the sponsors. Therefore use of the righteous people instead of the prophets is in question. According to verse 4 of chapter At-Tahrim (Banning, Prohibition) of the Koran, some righteous people are ranked so high who could back up the holy prophets. In this verse when Allah warns two women, He introduces some righteous people as back up of the Prophet Muhammad (P) and ranks them higher than the angels. It states: if you back up each other against him, truly Allah is his Protector, and Gabriel, and the righteous one among the believers, - and furthermore, the angels - will back (him) up.(66:4) Request from a righteous person named Sheikh or master in the process of repentance is not far from expectation. Imagine that a number of times you barrow money from someone, and every time fail to meet your obligation. Because the person does not take your word anymore, in order to get another chance, you need to find someone close to the person and ask him to act as your sponsor.

The idea of using a sponsor or master is not limited to Islamic mysticism. Although different schools utilize different techniques to remove barriers and enlighten heart, they all require a person with special capabilities to act as master or sponsor. Different schools have different names for the master. Asian Indian Hindu schools call him Guru. American Indian schools call him Sorcerer. Tibetan Buddhist schools refer to him as Lama and Islamic schools call him sheikh. In all the authentic mystic schools, masters are people who have spiritual power, through which could help disciples. Just gathering a band of disciples and reading a book for them does not remove the veils or barriers of their hearts. Master must be close to God and should prove himself to disciples by his supernatural abilities. In Islamic mysticism the way a master proves his claim is similar to some extent to the miracles of the prophets; with the difference that supernatural ability of a sheikh is called Karama. Supernatural abilities are embodied in different manifestations. Some of the more important are described as: Miracle: Miracle is a supernatural act carried out by someone who is claiming to be prophet of God. Karama: It is a supernatural act related to the realm of Miracle done by a votary (righteous man) as a sign for the respectable position he holds before God . It is not associated with Prophecy. Maaona: Is an act done by a common person who receives such capability through a votary or master, whom he or she is connected to. Istidraj: It is an act assisted by satanic forces, done by a corrupted person to pervert people from Gods way. Ihana (offence): An act happens for a corrupted person to refute his claims. Like the fake prophet Mosayleme, who spit in the eye of a man to cure him, instead, he blinded him. Miracles of the prophets and Karama of the votaries are based on the power endowed to them by God. At the present time, Kasnazani (Kasnazan is an ArabicKurdish name that means the way of secret that is known to no one) is one of the most prominent schools of Islamic mysticism in the world, whose master, Sheikh Muhammad Kasnazan, traces his origin back to the Prophet Muhammad (P), through a chain of masters. Kasnazani mysticism is not a religious sect or political movement. It is the practical and spiritual application of the Koranic text. Kasnazani mysticism involves conventional Islamic practices, such as daily prayer, fasting, and some prohibitions, plus additional duties such as frequent Remembrance and fasting which will be explained later. These practices have spiritual purposes and also positive health implications. Sheikh Muhammad Kasnazan has proven himself to his disciples over the years. Immunity to the bite of a poisonous snake, scorpion, and other animals during demonstrations is a true ability of his disciples. The following picture shows a person who has exposed his tongue to the bite of a poisonous snake and due to the power of the master has stayed immune of the danger.

The above picture is another indication of the astonishing power of Kasnazani mystics, in which a disciple volunteers to be shot with a rifle. As indicated by the x-ray of his kidney (the small picture on the bottom right), the disciples interior organs have been damaged by the bullet but there is rapid healing and recovery, without any permanent damage. A short movie of this demonstration exists in which the volunteer who was shot remains conscious and functional after the episode.

Below is a picture of a performance by another volunteer, whose head is on fire.

A true master could also provide supernatural healing. A large number of people who have joined Kasnazani School of mysticism have been cured of chronic illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and even psychiatric conditions such as hypochondria, schizophrenia, insomnia, and many other mental health illnesses. There have been clinical efforts to show the supernatural healing power of mysticism in the form of self-induced wounds that heal instantly and painlessly, called Deliberately Caused Bodily Damage (DCBD). In 1988, a series of 50 experiments were carried out by Jamal Hussein, Ph.D., on 28 mystics. After months of intense analysis, the researchers found that the healing effects were not within the normal self-healing ability of the human body and they had to accept that the self-healing power of the mystics had been given to them during their initiation into mysticism. The experiments of Jamal Hussein for the rapid wound healing of the DCBDs, were later examined by Dr. Howard Hall, a clinical psychologist. The research carried out by Dr. Hall was an outgrowth of his academic specialization in medical hypnosis, which he teaches and practices at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Halls primary introduction to DCBDs was through photographs he received from Kasnazani mystics. It was fascinating to him, because not only he was doing hypnosis clinically, but he was also training professionals in hypnosis. When he saw the photos, he wanted to know if hypnosis was involved. Very soon in his research he noticed that the supernatural ability of mystics had no relation with hypnosis, altered states of consciousness, or trance states such as relaxation or meditation. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings done by Dr. Hall reflected the absence of a meditative state during DCBD.

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For a thorough investigation Dr. Hall made a journey to Baghdad, where he met Sheikh Muhammad Kasnazan, and through him, he experienced DCBDs for himself and became a Muslim and joined the school of Kasnazani mysticism. At an international conference of the Chinese healing method in November 2002, where a large number of leading scientists in the field of energy healing from different associations and affiliations were present, Dr. Hall experienced deliberate wounding and rapid healing, personally. He explains his experience as follows: When I was ready, it was necessary to connect with the Sheikh for his protection and energy, to think about that for a few moments. The Sheikh does not have to be physically present; he can be elsewhere. Yet his spiritual presence can transcend distance, so that is how he was able to afford me the connection, and, consequently, the energy and protection. One minute after connecting with the master for energy, Dr. Hall pushed a skewer through his cheek. He was observed by the scientists and was interviewed after about three minutes regarding how he was feeling with the object through his cheek. Following the interview, he pulled the skewer out. There were only a few drops of blood, which stopped in about one minute and about 10 minutes later the wound could hardly be found, only appearing as a pin point. The next day after the demonstration Dr. Hall was evaluated by Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, professor of physics at St. Petersburg State Technical University in Russia, on his Gas Discharge Visualization technique (GOV) which measures human energy fields similar to Kirlian photography. Dr. Korotkov first took a baseline measure of Dr. Hall's energy field and displayed the results on a screen for the audience. He then asked him to increase his energy field. Dr. Hall made an unplanned request to the unseen master and mentally requested supernatural healing energy. The computer malfunctioned! After that another computer had to be brought in. With the new computer the GOV revealed a major increase in Dr. Hall's energy field, after a quick request of energy from the master. On another TV program broadcasted recently in the U.S., Dr. Hall demonstrated the Rapid Healing power of Kasnazani Mystics. (movie) Although there are numerous ways to test a master, the most obvious test is to take him as your sponsor. If he be a real master in a short time you will feel the divine light and a sense of joy and cheerfulness inside of you. German mystic Goethe refers to this feeling as celestial perfume and invigorating breeze of Eternity. This is something which gives a poetic and love dimension to your life and with its esoteric revelations, will turn the narrow and black-white image of life into a colored panoramic picture. The Holy Koran states, This is the color of God, is there anything more interesting than the color of God? (2:138)

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It is difficult to explain the color of God statement to the people who have not experienced it. Hafiz says: In the cup (of the heart), we have beheld the reflection of the face of the beloved (God)-O thou void of knowledge of the joy of the perpetual wine-drinking of-ours. It is a divine secret hidden in every humans heart and throughout history there have been tremendous efforts by people in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to know and explain it. Since it is not possible to put it in words and describe it by materialistic science, those aware of it stay tongue-tied and leave it to the peoples self-effort, to feel it, through their own efforts and deeds.

How to take a Sheikh or Master In Islamic mysticism, taking a sheikh or master has a well-defined method which is called Baya. It is a simple operation where a man who wants to repent, puts his hand in a state of shaking in the right hand of the master or his deputy, called Caliph. In the case of offering Baya to a woman, she holds the beads of the master or the Caliph, instead of the hand, then the one who is willing to make the pledge, reads the text related to Baya sentence by sentence after the master or Caliph. This text is a kind of repentance from sins and bad habits and is a request for spiritual connection with the master and a chain of passed away saints, starting with the Prophet Muhammad (P). After completion of the Baya, the divine light will start to shine to the disciples heart. Baya, although it seems quick and simple, conveys many spiritual secrets. Compare to the tiresome and difficult methods utilized by other schools, Baya is very efficient and with the least effort enlightens the disciples heart. According to many interviews done with the people who have experienced other mystical schools, this simple operation of Baya in Islamic mysticism is more effective than many years of exhausting training imposed to people in other schools. By doing Baya, the master, based on his unique capability gets related to the disciple, which gives him a sense of awareness of the disciples activity in the metaphysical domain. Al-Tabarani narrated from the prophet Muhammad (P) that he said: If somebody of you needs something or he wants an aid whilst he is in a place in which there are no dwellers, let him say: Oh worshippers of God help me, whilst God has unseen worshippers. This sacred speech indicates that God has people who are aware of you and can help you, whilst you cannot see them. This is the most important property of a master, called the power of being a Ghause, a power through which one can perform duties or help others without physical presence! Story of Prophet Solomon (P) and the Queen of Sheba, Belgheis in the Koran is consistent with the description of Ghause. In this story to show his sovereignty, Solomon wishes to transfer the throne of Belgheis to his palace. When he asks his disciples to do so, One audacious among the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely I am strong (and) trusty for it. One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye. Then when he saw it settled beside him, he said: This is of the grace of my Lord. (27:40).

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As it is said, a man with the capacity of Ghause, (said to be a deputy of Solomon named Asef), without seeing the throne was aware of its place and could transfer it to the palace of Solomon in the glance of an eye. In order to enlighten the heart and become a mystic, one (Muslim or non-Muslim) should take the following steps: 1- Take Baya or pledge, in the way explained here. 2- Perform Ghusl, which is washing the entire body with water in a special order (how to perform Ghusl can be found on most Islamic sites) 3- Perform two units of contact prayer, similar to the Dawn Prayer (refer to Islamic sites). Contact or link prayer is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times daily by Muslims. It causes a direct contact or link between the worshipper and God. The five-time prayers become obligatory from the moment a person embraces mysticism. This is an extremely important tenet of Islam and has been enjoined with great emphasis in the Koran (how to perform Salat is described on Islamic sites). 4- Fast for three consecutive days. Fasting is another spiritual characteristic of Islam during which one abstains completely from food, drink, sexual intercourse and smoking from before dawn till sunset. Muslims usually fast during the entire month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. At ones inauguration into mysticism, three days of fasting is sufficient. 5- Start the Remembrances After performing the contact prayer, the mystic should start the first of nineteen continuous Remembrances, as follows: There is no Lord but Allah. This remembrance is to be repeated one hundred thousand times. It is advised to complete each of the first and second remembrances in a period of less than 20 days (an average of - 5000 repetitions every day, which will take about one hour to perform). This purges all bad deeds from the disciple. After finishing it, the second Remembrance (Allah) should be started, followed by 17 additional Remembrances. Repentance or Baya Repentance entails a refrain from committing bad deeds that violate Gods will. Repentance is a spark that enlightens peoples hearts by the will of God and his blessings, after being misguided by the Devil. No human is free from the Devils temptations or illusions. According to the Koran, repentance is obligatory for all people and many chapters of the Koran refer to this obligation. For the people who repent, all their sins are converted to good deeds. Therefore, anyone who is extremely sinful will become a righteous person, if they repent and do not back-slide. The content of the Baya that the disciple reads indicates that the highest duty of the disciple is to stop committing sins, to work sincerely, and to cling to the masters commands. This text is also a request for supernatural connection with the master. Following is the text of the repentance, which must be repeated by the disciple sentence by sentence after the Caliph.

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In the name of Allah, the Merciful and compassionate. I bear witness there is no God but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (P). I believe in Allah, in His angles, in His Holy books, in His Prophets, in the day of Judgement, in destiny, good or not, is decreed by Allah, in Resurrection after death and in Tariqa, which He revealed to our Master Muhammad (P) who is the seal of the prophets and the Master of messengers. Oh Allah I ask for forgiveness for every sin. . I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, mighty and sublime be He. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to our Master, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Imam Ali, May Allah be pleased with him. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Imam Al-Hussein, May Allah be pleased with him. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Geylani. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Ismael Al-Weliani. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Abdul Karim Al-Kasnazani. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Kasnazani. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Hussein Al-Kasnazani. I ask Allahs pardon for each sin. I repent and promise Al-Sheikh Abdul Karim AlKasnazani. I ask Allah the Great for forgiveness for every sin. I repent and pledge allegiance to Al-Sheikh Muhammad Al-Kasnazani, our present master, who I accept as my teacher and guide in this life and the hereafter and Allah is the witness on my promise.

After completion of the pledge, the caliph says: On behalf of Al-Sheikh Muhammad Al-Kasnazani I give you this Baya, do you accept? Yes, I do, the disciple replies. Then Sura Al-Fatiha (first chapter of the Koran) is read.

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Remembrance Remembrance is for putting everything out of one's mind except God. It revitalizes the heart like a barren land saved by rains. It entails glorification of God and repetition of His name with great concentration, both by heart and speech. Prophet Muhammad (P) said: these hearts are to be rusted, but by reading the Holly Koran and attending the sessions of Remembrance these hearts are to be revitalized. Mystic Remembrances have many utilities for cleansing the disciples heart of every bad thing which God forbids, and for helping him walk on the right spiritual path. It is considered to be a sword in the hands of the disciple for fighting the enemies of the jinni and the man. By Remembrance the devil is defeated. Prophet Muhammad (P) said: devil is exhausted by this Remembrance just like a camel exhausted by overloads. Remembrance is practiced individually or in group. Group Remembrance, which is referred to as collective Remembrance, is considered better than individual, because of the intimacy, cooperation, and amplifying properties of the collective acts. Ghazali (1058-1111), one of the greatest Islamic mystical thinkers, states that stiff hearts may not be smashed but by the force of collective Remembrance. Therefore, in the Kasnazani School of mysticism, worship is mostly in the collective pattern. Individual remembrances are divided into two groups. One group, referred to as the Daily Remembrances, is performed after the five prayers. The other group, Continuous Remembrances, are to be performed continuously, without any time boundaries. In addition to the individual Remembrances, collective remembrances are required, which are to be performed on Monday and Thursday, after the evening prayer. Continuous or daily Remembrances include 19 collects which should be said individually. Each one is to be repeated one hundred thousand times. When the disciple finishes the nineteenth remembrance, he goes back again to the first one and this continues for life. An important proof of the divinity of these Remembrances is that they are nineteen in number; and this is the number which was proven by Dr. Rashad Khalifa in 1976, through computer decoding, to be the magical number of the Koran. The following is a list of the nineteen continuous Remembrances: 1. There is no Lord but Allah (this collect purges you from all bad deeds). 2. Allah (leads you to Allah's mercy). 3. Ya Hu (O He) (Puts fixedly the light of faith inside you and elevates you to the rank of knowing). 4. Ya-Hay (O the Ever living) (removes all the dirty collects from your heart). 5. Ya-Wahid (O the One) (removes the veil between the servant and Lord). 6. Ya-Azeez (O the Invincible) (saves you from the self's and devil's wickedness). 7. Ya-Wadud (O the Loving) (for a faithful disciple, opens supernatural hearing and insight). 8. Ya-Rahman (O the Gracious) (rescues you from grief and sadness in this life and the other life).

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9. Ya-Raheem (O the Merciful) (makes you enter into Gods mercy). 10. Praise be to Allah, there is no Lord but Allah and Allah is great (gives you the reward of one hundred pilgrimages of Hajj). 11. Oh Allah! May you pray on our master Muhammad and on his family and companion (saves you from all problems). 12. In the name of Allah the compassionate and merciful, there is no power but that of Allah the great and sublime (Allah cures you from diseases). 13. Sura Al-Ikhlas (chapter 112 of the Koran) (Allah forgives you and your parents). 14. There is no Lord but Allah, Al-Malik, Al-Haq, Al-Mubeen; Muhammad is Allah's prophet, the honest and trusted prophet. 15. Prophet of Allah, May Allah have His pray on you. 16. None to be aimed at but Allah. 17. None to be existent but Allah. 18. None to be wanted but Allah. 19. None to be but Allah.

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Metaphysical Interpretation of Baya and Remembrances A human being can be thought of as an old swampy pool, with a layer of thick sludge underneath. Pests like parasites are nesting inside the sludge, with names such as deceitfulness, greed, fear, grief, gloom, and many others. When there is no agitation or disturbing agent in the pool, the sludge settles and one may experience a feeling of calmness. But the slightest agitation disrupts the sludge, causing the clever suspended creatures to become dispersed throughout the pool. Every now and then, some type of pest shows up that we have never seen before, making us do things that we would never imagine. In order to clean your pool and remove the nasty creatures living in it, Islamic mysticism has established a well-tested method. Other mystical schools try to settle the suspended sludge with techniques such as Meditation. When the mud is allowed to settle it just causes all the obnoxious creatures to fall to the bottom of the pool with the accompanying transient feelings of calmness. However, at the first sign of the reoccurrence of agitation in the pool, all of the fierce creatures again become active, destroying the good feelings of calmness. In order to destroy the negative impact of the vicious creatures, Islamic mysticism is equipped with a group of nineteen pesticides, each designed for a certain group of creatures. Since all the pests are devilish and from negative forces, the exterminating agent must be of divine light, previously described as the light of God, or light of love. The nineteen continuous Remembrances of mysticism are from the Holy Koran, although the wording may be slightly different, they share the nature of light, due to the following verse of the Koran: there has come to you light and a clear Book from Allah (15:5). In the listing of the continuous Remembrances, a benefit was described for each of them. For example, for the fourth Remembrance (Ya-Hay), it was indicated that it would remove all the dirty collects from your heart, and for the eighth Remembrance (Ya-Rahman), it was claimed that it would rescue you from grief and sadness. Many disciples complain when they start these Remembrances, they experience a completely opposite result than what is written in the description. For example, when they start the fourth Remembrance, instead of removing the dirty collects, all the dirty things rush into their minds; or by starting the eighth remembrance, which is supposed to rescue them from grief and sadness, they become sad and depressed. This property of the Remembrance is another proof of its Divinity. In order to explain this phenomenon, I will use a similitude: Imagine you are captured by the vicious dragon of darkness, with nineteen heads (according to the Koran, there are nineteen Hell Angels, appointed as the guardians of Hell). When the dragon is at rest, you enjoy your life and have a peaceful time, but it awakens and starts its attack, making life miserable for you. Each of the malignant heads of this dragon has a certain symptom. For example, whenever you are in a divine mood and have a loving and innocent feeling, the fourth head attacks you and gives you a dirty and sinful feeling. When you are feeling happy and expanded, the eighth head makes you sad and depressed by its attacks, and so on.

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Nineteen continuous Remembrances of mysticism are different bullets of light, with which you can fight the nineteen heads of the dragon of darkness, but to use them effectively, you need to keep the following points in mind: 1- When you start your fight, with the first hit, the assaulted head fights you back and charges you for the period of Remembrance. This is why at the start of each of the Remembrances; you may feel an opposite effect which diminishes gradually during the completion of the Remembrance. 2- If you start to fight with the first head, eighteen other heads attack you. Therefore, to start safely, you need an initiative blow of light. Baya is the initiative blow of light, which is transmitted to the recipient in the act of Repentance. It is the divine light of Allah, directed to the master (Ghaus), through Prophet Muhammad (P), and a chain of late masters. Baya floods a disciples heart with light and causes the vicious dragon of darkness to be unconscious for a period of forty days. In this time, the disciple can get trained for fighting and also get an opportunity to kill at least two of the dragon heads by completing the first and the second Remembrances (each in 20 days). Forty days have been proven to be true through numerous practical cases. Recently, a newly pledged lady said she had a nightmare of being attacked by a black python (usually interpreted as demon) the night before. She was asked to give the exact time of her Baya. After some calculation, she said it was the fortieth night afterwards that she had the bad dream. She was asked if she had dreams of a black snake before, I was seeing a black python in my dreams quite often but after taking Baya, last night was the first time that it reappeared, she responded. Another woman had the frequent nightmare of being crushed by a black serpent. After taking Baya, she saw in her dream that the serpent came to her, but a big book, seemingly the Koran, made a barrier and the serpent rolled around the book and disappeared. Another case was a young girl who had nightmares of being buried alive. The condition of this girl was so critical that she was getting a strong tranquilizer injection before sleep. These bad dreams also passed away after the first night of her Baya. In addition to these, numerous cases of acute mental disease have been healed with a simple Baya. 3- Without Baya, it is not recommended to start the Remembrances. Many people who have tried this, after a short while experienced the described adverse effects of negativity and bad temper, lost their basic faith and even ceased to practice their ordinary prayers. You are not recommend doing this even if you are doubtful about these claims. 4- Remembrances should be practiced in order. In other words, you have to fight the Dragons heads from the side, not from the middle. If you attack the middle heads, you will get surrounded by the heads on the side. 5- Some of the Remembrances are easy to say in a way that the disciple easily completes them, but certain Remembrances are more difficult to say. This is because for each person, some of the so-called dragon heads are weak and could be easily cut, but some heads are immensely powerful and would require a difficult battle. 6- After beginning to kill some of the heads of the dragon with the stunning effect of Baya, you need other blows of divine light to help you; otherwise the other heads attack you again. Collective Remembrances serve this purpose. Each session of collective

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Remembrance, has a guaranteed stunning effect of 3-4 days. This is the reason that the collective Remembrances are performed twice a week, on Monday and Thursday, after the evening prayer. 7- Usually the people who take Baya, even without saying the remembrances, have a temporary feeling of divine light, together with a reduction of negativity. Unless sustained by the master, this feeling will disappear in forty days if instructions are not followed.

Effect of Mysticism on Human Creativity Prophet David asked the Almighty God: why did you make the creation? God responded: I was a Treasure unknown then I desired to be known so I created a creation to which I made Myself known. Mysticism believes that we are images of God and if we clear and still the pools of our heart, we would be able to mirror Gods loving reflection in our existence. This is something which sets us apart from the animal world, allows us to attain the supremacy God intended us to have, and enables us to commune with our Creator. Therefore, anytime someone paints a landscape, invents a machine, writes a book, or conducts a symphony, it is a reflection of Gods image in him or her flowing out. Through starting mystical training, you will separate yourself into two different grades of being. A narrower and limited life that is finite and can never transcend itself, versus the larger life that is infinite and through which you can communicate with the immensity of God and the truth of the universe. It is through this latter life that you can have an immense capacity for perception and receiving of messages from other dimensions and open the reception channels of which you are not aware. Mysticism transcends the emotional, intellectual, and volitional life of ordinary people and gives them a sense of power to see into eternity, through the divine light of God. This noble light fertilizes human capabilities and converts an incompetent and barren person into a lively and creative one. As described earlier, Baya and Remembrances are effective tools in mysticism which can clear and burnish the heart. These Remembrances are not only a group of sound vibrations. They are metaphysical entities from the Koran which generate Barakah and enhance supernatural properties of humans. Entering the world of mysticism, you become still and silent, and allow God to work and manifest inside you. When God speaks to men and women in their sub consciousness, as a painter, composer, writer, or inventor, there is a confluence of interior and exterior forces in the unity and bonds of Divine love, bringing home the fresh food of creation.

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By mystic training and practicing Remembrances, you can quiet both intellect and will inside yourself and make them passive to the expressions of the materialistic word. This is the time that mystical hearing, seeing and speaking starts inside you. This is the moment that creativity showers from beyond the control of the self and an inventor, composer, or artist receives a sudden rush of intuition or ideas. Ordinary people, only in very rare states of mind, are able to experience such moments and let those submerged powers bring up messages from another dimension.

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