Expansion of the Spiritual Heart

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Ya Ali Madad. On the occasion Mi’raj, the commemoration of the journey in which our Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) attained the status of fana fi’llah and baqa bi’llah using ism-i azam (symbolized by Burraq, the mystical horse), please accept our heartfelt felicitations!

On this day, may Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, the 49th direct lineal descendant of the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.), grant peace, prosperity, happiness, barakat, higher spiritual enlightenment, spiritual & luminous tayid (help) and empowerment to the global Jamat as we go through this difficult period. Ameen.

Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad (O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants).

The Experience of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.)

In this post, I am linking the concept of the ascent of the soul as described in the spiritual journey of our Holy Prophet with the spiritual expansion of the soul. I would also like to demonstrate that the path set for the Holy Prophet also applies to each one of us.

Let us begin with the first ayat which is presented in the graphic: “What!^3079,3080 Have We not expanded for thee thy breast?” (Holy Quran 94:1). Here the breast stands for the spiritual heart. Let us study the footnotes for this ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali’s translation.

Vr. 1. (3079,3080) ‘Sharde-sadr’ means expansion of the breast, i.e., the heart. It is an acknowledged term, to mean the broadening or the extending the faculty of conscience, reasoning and understanding for the accommodation of wider, greater or higher knowledge. The verse means an assertion from God that He has given the heart of the Holy Prophet, the greatest expanse for knowledge. When Moses was commanded by God to proceed to Pharaoh, to preach to him the truth and to admonish him against his wicked and evil ways of thought and action and to warn him against his rebellious attitude towards the true Lord of the Universe, he prayed for the extension or the expansion of his breast or heart, meaning to increase him in knowledge, see 20:25. The same words occur in 6:126, wherein it is mentioned that whomsoever God pleases, He extends or expands the individual’s breast, i.e., heart, for Islam—and in contrast to this it is said that whomsoever God wills, He straitens and narrows the individual’s breast.

Note that the expansion of the breast or the heart was prayed for by Moses 20:25 whereas in the case of the Holy Prophet it was granted, not asked for.

S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali. 1995. The Holy Qur’an. Second Edition. pp.1873-4.

The Experience of Noor Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.)

Let us examine the second ayat which is presented in the graphic: “What! ²¹¹⁵ Is he whose breast (heart) God hath opened for Islam then he followeth the Light of God (like unto the hardhearted one)?” Holy Qur’an (39:22) Let us study the footnote for this ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali’s translation.

Vr. 22. (2115) It is said that this verse was revealed referring to the First Holy Imam Ali-ibne-Abi-Taleb who was endued with the light of Islam and whose personal purity and spiritual excellence and that of Holy Prophet was one and the same. Besides the Holy Prophet, Ali was the only one who never in his life bowed to anyone save God. About Ali, the Holy Prophet has said: ‘I and Ali are of one and the same Light’. This being the direct application of the revelation but indirectly and generally it could be applied to the faithful ones whose hearts have been enlightened with the truth. The Holy Prophet was once asked as to what was the sign or symptom of any heart having been lighted with faith? He said “The discordance of the desires for this world which is only a temporary stopping place and the love of the hereafter which is the permanent abode.”

S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali. 1995. The Holy Qur’an. Second Edition. p.1388

Expansion of the Soul Through Luminous Prayer

In verse 171 of Kalâmê Mowlâ, NOOR Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) explains that luminous prayer (bandagi) (with a luminous word at a luminous time) leads to spiritual elevation. This is the mechanism which the lover of Soul (Ruh) and Light (Noor) uses to meet the Beloved. The transliteration and translation of the verse is as follows:

Rean martabâ bohot badâ hey,
sab khalkat pâwê ârâm,
Pir payegambar walee Oleeâ,
rât bandagisê sab pâa nâm,

The status of night is great (because it contains a luminous hour).
The entire creation attains rest during the night.
Pirs, Prophets, Friends and Saints,
attained a lofty status through luminous prayers (bandagi).

Merâj rasul bhee râtmê (n) pâyâ,
âshak wasal pâwê mâshuk,
Jo tu(n) sâcha âshak hey,
to rean bandagisê mat chuk …..171

The Messenger also attained Merâj (ascension) at night
and the lover attains union with the Beloved (through luminous prayer).
If you are a true lover (of Soul and Light),
then do not miss the night’s luminous prayer (bandagi)

The Luminous Position of Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam

We recite ‘Wa kulla shay-in ahsaynahu fee imamim mubeenin‘ (Holy Quran 36:12) in the second part of our Holy Dua.. Let us study the footnote 1967 for this ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali’s translation.

Vr. 12. (1967) The Fifth Holy Imam Muhammad ibne Ali Al-Baquir says that when this verse was revealed, there were Abu-Bakr and Umar who asked the Holy Prophet. “O Apostle of God! Is the ‘Imamim-Mubeen‘ the Torah, the scripture given to Moses?” The answer was “No!” Again they asked “Is it Injeel, i.e., the Evangel given to Jesus?” Again the answer was “No!” Then they asked “Is it the Holy Qur’an?” Again “No” was the answer and then turning towards Ali-ibne-Abi-Taleb, the Holy Prophet said “Verily this is that (‘Imam’, i.e., guide) in whom God has contained the knowledge of everything.” Then addressing the people present there, the Holy Prophet said “O group of men! There is no branch of knowledge which God did not bestow on me and I have conveyed that knowledge to Ali—Verily God has contained in me knowledge and I have contained it in Ali.” This statement corroborates the renowned tradition of the Holy Prophet: “I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.”

S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali. 1995. The Holy Qur’an. Second Edition. p.1320.

The Holy Imam has the complete knowledge of spirituality and luminosity. The luminous (Noorani) personality of the manifest Imam is connected with the luminous word, the luminous time and the luminous prayer. The murid has to first know the position of the manifest Imam, link the luminous word to the luminous personality of the manifest Imam, and then follow the path lit by the manifest Imam by practicing luminous prayers in the small watches of the night, i.e., in the early hours before sunrise. This sets the stage for higher spiritual enlightenment and expansion of the spiritual heart.

May our beloved Imam NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini (a.s.) grant you, your family, your Jamat and the worldwide Jamat luminous (noorani) and spiritual (ruhani) tayid (help) to advance materially, spiritually and intellectually, and may He grant you the inner vision of the Truth. Ameen.

Angelic Salwat Supplication

Let us now start supplicating with angelic salwat, Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad (O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants) to our beloved NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam for mushkil aasan for material and spiritual upliftment.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Ardent Prayers

May our beloved NOOR Mowlana Hazar Imam, through the knowledge and barakat of the Holy Qur'an, Holy Ginans & Qasidas, Ayatul Kursi and Angelic Salwat, grant the global Jamat luminous (noorani) and spiritual (ruhani) tayid (help) to advance materially, spiritually and intellectually. May Mowla bestow Sunshine in our hearts, light in our foreheads, and the inner vision of the Truth in our intellects. Ameen.

May Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam fill our spiritual hearts with his NOOR and nothing else, and empower us to overcome fear, anxiety and uncertainty as we pass through this calamity! Ameen.

May the Almighty Creator help the whole humanity because we are all created from a Single Soul! Ameen.

Rakh Mowla je Noor te Yaqeen (Certainly, we trust in Mowla's Light only)

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)