The training of Maizbhandari Devotees
The Maizbhandari Salik travel the path of truth with the every increasing awareness of Allah , One aspect of this awareness is the practice of Zikir means remembering Allah usually by pronouncing Allah’s name or by uttering a number of recognised formula.
The Quran repeatedly admonishes believers to celebrate the praises of God and to do this often. For remembering the name of God brings satisfaction and comfort to mans heart.The following verse of the Quran reveals the significance of zikr.
” Recite that which has been revealed to you of the scripture, and observe prayer. For prayer restrains one from lewdness and iniquity, but remembrance of Allah is the greatest virtue.”
In one passage of the Quran , the importance of zikr is enhanced to such an extent that a response to it from Allah Himself is assured: ” Therefore remember Me, and I will remember you.”
” Therefore remember Me, and I will remember you.”
The Quran warns those who neglect zikr; ” Whose blinds himself to the remembrance of the All Merciful, to him we assign Satan for comrade and debar them from the way, and yet they think they are guided.” Again, “Be not as those who forget God, and so He caused them to forget their own souls. Those, they are ungodly.” The key to human happiness lies in the remembrance of God, as in the Quranic verse: “Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace.”
The state of soul of a Salik
To begin the journey at the Maizbhandari path a salik has to continiuously try to purify the soul. The process is generally a long and difficult one. It consists of the three stages.
1. The carnal soul:
In the first stage, one struggles against the carnal soul or nafs al-ammara as it is called by the sufis. Nafs al-ammara is the tendency in man to disobey Allah, and to take pleasure in evil deed or thought. This inclines man towards gossip, backbiting, vain talk, pride, selfishness, lust, hatred and jealousy. The struggle to overcome nafs al-ammara involves the purifying of the body, tongue, mind and heart.
a) The body is purified by keeping it free from dirt, by preserving its members from harm and by not indulging in sexual license.
b) The tongue must be purified by restraining it from backbiting, malicious gossip and vain talk, or from using it to alter the truth.
c) The mind must be purified by abstaining from suspicion, plotting and thinking ill of others.
d) The heart must be purified by keeping it free from lust, jealousy, greed, selfishness,hatred and pride.
e) In this stage, a Sufi constantly examines the motives of his likes and dislikes.
2. The reproaching soul:
When he has subjugated the carnal soul, nafs al-ammara, the Sufi enters upon the second stage of purification in which he is able to respond readily to the call of the reproaching soul, which is called nafs al alwwama. It is the nafs al alwwama n which reproaches man for his evil deeds and imple him to acts of mercy and genorosity.
3. The contended soul :
After this stage has become firmly established in him , the sufi enters the thirdstage which is known as the station of the contended soul , nafs al mutmainnah in this stage , the Sufi develops to the fullest the tendency to obey. Here the soul is reconciled with all other stations of the path, such as poverty, patience gratitude and trust in Allah. Here the soul finds perfect satisfaction in being governed by the heart, the divine spark in man. Here the Sufi becomes truly free from fear and grief as Allah said in the Quran ” Behold! For the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve.”
In pursuance of Maizbhandari , music and concert free from guilt are the fooding of love these dissolve the heart bring the feeling of love m yields passion and make people enthusiastic . But the songs of Maizbhandari is Allah centred austerity related and help to meditate to attain the nearness of Allah.