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HIKhan: Namaz

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.sufi,alt.islam.sufism,alt.religion.gnostic,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage
From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva)
Subject: HIKhan: Namaz
Date: 13 Sep 1997 02:43:12 -0700

[from tariqas@world.std.com: James McCaig ]

Brothers and sisters,

Another quotation from Hazrat Inayat Khan on the subject may be of interest:

	"Namaz is a religious ceremony which constitutes the most essential
postures, although the Sufis make use of many more postures for their
development.

1.  Du'  -- joining both hands and holding them before the face, which,
morally, expresses modesty, respect, and desire for some gift from above --
 that is, from God.  Philosophically, it is to return the vibrations of the
prayer, or of the breath.  Its spiritual meaning is that the prayer is to
the self, and thus it is offered to oneself by spreading the hands before
one's own eyes, through which peeps out the consciousness, in other words,
the sight of God.

			
2.  Salat -- placing the thumbs at the back of the lobes of both ears, with
the palms of the hands spread out.  This posture means the awakening of the
ears to listen to the prayer recited by the self, paying no attention to
all else.

			
3.  Nuzuri -- standing upright, with the right hand folded over the left.
This morally, expresses respect.  Philosophically this expresses the
helplessness of the mortal self before God Almighty.  Spiritually, it
represents the union of the two linked and formed in one; the symbol of
which is the crescent, and the face in the midst is illustrated as a star.

			
4.  Ruku -- standing bent, with both hands resting upon the knees and the
head bent towards the ground, morally expresses the recollection of one's
sins and repentance thereof in shame.  Philosophically it is the surrender
of our animal existence to the angelic.  And spiritually it symbolizes the
lower and higher part of the body uniting in one, making the syllable
called Mim, the manifestation.

			
5.  Nishast -- sitting resting on the knees, with the legs turned inwards,
the weight on the left leg, the right leg free, the foot resting on the
great toe, the hands upon both knees, morally expresses the dependence upon
one, by sitting on the left leg and keeping the right foot leaning on the
great toe.  Philosophically it teaches balance.  And, spiritually, the
ankle upon which the person sits presses against the root of life's plant,
upon which the illumination of the mystic depends.

 6.  Sajj dah -- lying on the ground, leaning on the great toes of both
feet, knees, elbows, chin, and forehead touching the ground, is morally
expressive of complete humility.  Philosophically it relates the complete
surrender of the mortal self before the immortal being.  And spiritually it
creates the picture of death to all organs of the body, lying upon the
ground, and thus freeing the soul from its mortal prison.

			
7.  Salaam -- turning the head first to the right, and then, after a short
pause, to turn it to the left, standing in the posture of Nuzuri, or
sitting in the posture called Nishast, morally expresses the bowing before
the God of the North and South pole.  Philosophically it expresses two
points of one line, God and man.  And spiritually it symbolizes witnessing
God's Presence all around."

EOF
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