DIVISION OF TIMES FOR ACTIONS

God has made the world subservient to men not to live in its elevated places but to gather provision there from sufficient for their permanent abode, sufficient for rewards of their souls, so that they may save themselves from deceits and deceptions of the world. All men are traveling in this world. Their first abode is cradle and last abode is grave and their real abode is Paradise or Hell The term of life is noting but the distance of journey. Its every year is a station, every month is a furlong, every day Is a mile, every breath is a step. Its religious action is a wealth and its time is the root of its wealth. Its temptations and greed are tumbling block in its path, its profit is vision of God in the abode of peace and its loss is to be distant from Him and to stay in the lowest depth of Hell being tied up with chains. He who is indifferent to his breaths will be so sorry on the Resurrection Day that there will be no limit to it. That is the time for the greatest dangers and dreadful questions. For that the friends of God give up the comforts and pleasures of the transient life of the world and remain engaged day and night in divine services after division of times, so that they may earn the nearness of God and live in comforts in the day of the greatest danger.

EXCELLENCE OF DIVINE SERVICE BY DIVISION OF TIME

Know, 0 dear readers, that there is no salvation without meeting with God. The only means to meet Him is to face death being imbued with love for Him. Love is the fruit of constant remembrance of the Beloved and to work with that end in view. One can get acquaintance with Him if one thinks constantly of Hi, His attributes, His wonderful creations and that there is no existence of any thing apart from His existence. It does not become easy if one does not give up the world except what is necessary for him. Nothing is fulfilled if time is not divided and divine services are not done according to fixed times. So divide time in to several divisions. If a man spends more than half of his time for worldly pursuits, he may be included more towards the world. Mind feels difficulty in passing half the time in divine service. Little time is allotted to divine services. If anyone wishes ١:٢٤٩to enter paradise without rendering any account, let him spend his whole time in religious actions. If any man wishes to make his scale heavy with good deeds, let him spend most part of his time in doing good deeds. God says: You have got great occupations in day time. So remember your Lord at night and be engaged with undivided mind towards Him. God says: Remember your Lord morning and evening and make prostration to Him in a portion of the night and glorify Him long at night. God says: Glorify your Lord before sun-rise and before sun-set and glorify Him after prostration at night. God says: Praise your Lord when you stand up and read his Tasbih at the setting of the star at night. God says: Waking at night is the firmest foot step and fruitful in invocation. God says: Glorify Him in some portions of night and some portions of day, so that you may find consolation. God says: Establish prayer at two ends of the day and a portion of night. Surely good deeds remove evils.

God says: Or that man who expresses obedience by prostrating during the whole night and saying prayer who fears the next world and hopes for the mercy of his Lord. Say: Are those who are wise equal to the ignorant? God says: Their sides turn over their beds and they call their Lord in hope and fear. God says: They sleep very little at night and seek forgiveness at the latter part of night. God says: Don't drive away those who call their Lord for His pleasure at dawn and at dusk.

The above verses make it clear to you that the easy way of getting God is to engage yourself in thoughts of God and to do all actions regularly after division of time. For this reason, the Prophet said: Those who look at the sun, moon and shade to remember God are dear to God. God says: The sun and the moon go on according to a measure. God says: Have you not looked towards your Lord how He extends the shade? If He wished, He would have made it stationary and made the sun proof therein. Then I draw it easily towards Myself. God says: It is He who made the stars for you, that they may show paths in the darkness of seas and lands. So think that movements are not only for the worldly actions but also to ascertain the measure of time by their help and to do business of the next world by dividing time. The following verse is its proof: He created the day and night alternately for one who wishes to remember Him or wishes to express gratefulness. This means that what the day makes ١:٢٥٠towards loss is compensated by the night. There is no other thing between Zikr and gratefulness. God says: I have created day and night as two signs. I make the sign of day clear by removing the sign of night, so that the people may see clearly, so that you may seek grace from your Lord and may count year.

NUMBER OF DIVISIONS OF TIME

There are seven divisions of day-(1) one division from early morning up to sun-rise, (2) two divisions from sun-rise to mid day, (3) two divisions from the declining of the sun to afternoon, (4) two divisions from afternoon to sunset. Night has got five divisions two divisions from sun-set up to going to bed and three divisions from mid-night to dawn. Now I shall narrate the divine service during these divisions of day and night.

FIRST DIVISION: This covers the period from the morning twi-light up to sun-rise. This is the honoured time as God says: By oath of early dawn when it gives out breath. Praising this time, God says: Say, I take refuge to the Lord of early dawn. His power has been manifested by suppression of shade at this time as God says: Then I take it to Me easily. There is hint of reciting Tasbih at this time in this verse: When there is dusk and when there is dawn, proclaim the glory and purity of God. God says: Glorify your Lord with His praise before sun-rise and before sun set. God says: Remember the name of your Lord morning and evening.

RULES OF THIS TIME: After getting up from bed, remember God by saying: All praise is due to God who gave me life after He made me dead and to Him is the return. Then make ablution with cleansing teeth and pray two rak'ats of prayer in your house and then go to the mosque and pray two rak'ats of compulsory prayer. You should not miss morning and night prayers in congregation as there are good rewards therefore. The Prophet said with regard to the morning prayer: If a man goes to the mosque for prayer after ablution, one reward is written for each step he takes and one sin is forgiven. This reward is increased to ten fold. When he finishes the prayer at the time of sun-rise, one reward is written for his every hair of his body-and the reward of one accepted Haj is given to him. If he sits waiting for the forenoon prayer, one lac rewards are written for him for each rak'at. At the end of prayer, keep seated till sun-rise with Zikr of God. The Prophet said: If a man keeps seated till sun-rise

252 ZIKR AND INVOCATION

after morning prayer and remains busy in Zikr, it is dear to me than the manumission of four slaves. Hazrat Hasan Basari said that the Prophet had said: God said: 0 children of Adam, make My Zikr for one hour after morning prayer and for one hour after afternoon prayer. What is acquired in between these hours will be sufficient for you. There are four kinds of recitations upto sun rise-(1) Doa and Zikr, (2) Tasbih, (3) Quran reading and (4) to ponder over the creations of God.

(1) DOA AND ZIKR: When you finish your prayer, make Monazat by saying: 0 God, send blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and also Salam. 0 God, Thou art peace, from Thee peace and to Thee peace returns. 0 our Lord, make us live with peace and admit us in the abode of peace. Thou art blessed, 0 possessor of dignity and honour. Then recite the following which the Prophet used to recite: Glory be to My Lord, the Highest, the Bestower of gifts. There is no deity but God, the single, He has got no partner. Kingdom is His and all praise is His. He gives life and takes it.. He is ever-living, He has no death, all good is in His hands and He is powerful over everything.

(2) TASBIH: It'is a collection of some formulas and each formula should be repeated from three times to one hundred times. The more you recite them, the more efficacious they are. These formulas are generally ten. (a) There is no deity but God, etc. as mentioned above. (b) Glory be to God and all praise is due to God. There is no deity but God. God is greatest. There is no might and strength except in God, the Great, the Mighty. (c) He is glorious, pure, 0 our Lord and the Lord of angels and Ruh. (d) Glory be to God, the great and all praise is His. (e) I seek forgiveness to God, the Great, there is no deity but He, the Ever living, the Ever subsisting, I seek return to Him. (f) 0 God, there is none to reject what Thou bestoweth and non to give what Thou doth reject and no man of honour can give benefit and benefit comes form Thee alone. (g) There is no deity but God, the Sovereign, the open Truth. (h) I begin in the name of God. Nothing in the world and heaven can do harm if His name is remembered and He is Hearing, Knowing. (i) 0 God, send blessings on Muhammad, Thy servant and Prophet and Apostle, the illiterate Prophet. (i) I seek refuge to God, the Hearing, the Knowing from the accursed devil. 0 Lord, I seek refuge from the machinations of the devil.

١:٢٥٢(3) QURAN READING: If you wish to get the rewards of Zikr, Doa and Quran reading together, read before the sun rise and sun set the Doa which Khizr taught Ibrahim Taimi called "Musabbhatul Arsh" which is as follows.

(1) Read each seven times-Fateha, Nas, Falaq, Ikhlas, Kaferun and Ayatul Qursi, and then (2) recite seven times 'Glory be to God, all praise is His, there is no deity but God and God is greatest' (3) Then send blessings on the Prophet seven times and (4) then seek forgiveness seven times for yourself, for your parents and for the male and female believers and (5) then utter seven times the Doa as prescribed. Don't give it up any time before sun rise and sun set.

Ibrahim Taimi saw in dream the Prophet and asked him about the Doa that Khizr had dictated to him and the Prophet said: It is true. Khizr has spoken the truth. What Khizr says is true. He knows the dwellers of the world and he is the best of Abdals. He is one of the soldiers of God in the world. If a than recites it, among other rewards, God will forgive him and will lift His anger from him and order the angel in his left side not to write his sins for one year. None observes it except one who has been made fortunate by God and none forsakes it except one who has been made unfortunate by Him.

(4) GOOD THOUGHTS. (a) Think of your past sins and try to remove them. Remove the obstacles to good deeds and think of doing good for yourself and general Muslims. (b) Think of profitable things in the spiritual world and that of the gifts of God, open and secret. Think of the God's rewards and punishments. This pondering is the best divine service as it contains the remembrance of God and two sincere things. (1) The first thing is' the acquisition of knowledge about God as contemplation is the key to the earning of spiritual light. (2) The second thing is the increase of God's love, as love does not grow unless there is firm honour for Him in heart. Glory of God is not opened to the mind unless one is acquainted with God's attributes and His wonderful creations. The fruit of meditation is acquaintance or Ma'arfat. Honour grows from acquaintance and love grows from honour and deep attachment grows from love. There is difference between Abed and Aref. The former is like one who hears about a thing and the latter is like one who sees that thing with his eyes. Aref sees God's glory with the inner light ١:٢٥٣of his mind and Abed sees it with the outer light of his eyes. There is no limit to the inner light of mind, but there is limit to the external eye sight. The Prophet said: God has got seventy screens. If He had disclosed them, the brilliance of God's face would have destroyed what one could have seen. These screens are one above another and the brilliance of their lights has got degrees just like the difference of the lights of the stars, moon and sun.

(2) The Second division of day begins from sun-rise to a little before mid-day. There are two duties therein. One duty is to observe Ishraq and Zoha prayers ad another duty is to do all actions in connection with the people and for their good. It is better to pray Ishraq of two rak'ats just after sun-rise and 4, 6, or 8 rak'ats Zoha prayer when the sun-rises very high and before noon. God says: Oath of Zoha and darkness of night. Regarding the second duty, it is to visit patients, to join funeral prayer, to do good works, to be present in the assemblies of the learned and to do good to the Muslims.

(3) The Third division of day begins just before noon and declining of the sun. There is order for prayer after every three hours. There is a prayer after sun-rise. After three hours, there is the prayer of Zoha and next after three hours, there is the prayer of Zuhr and next after three hours, there is Asr prayer and next after three hours there is Magrib prayer. In the mean time, one can do worldly business.

(3) The Fourth division of day begins from the declining of the sun after noon and ends after Zuhr prayer. Before Zuhr, pray four rak'ats Sunnat prayer. Make it long and this is the time of acceptance of invocation. After Zuhr prayer, pray two rak'ats Sunnat and then 2 or 4 rak'ats Nafl.

(5) The Fifth division of day begins from the end of Zuhr prayer till Asr or afternoon. There is a great reward for waiting for the next compulsory prayer after finishing one. This was the habit of the former sages. A certain wise man said: Three things are not dear to God. (1) to laugh without any wonderful thing. (2) to eat without hunger and (3) to sleep at day without being wakeful at night. To sleep for 8 hours during 24 hours is sufficient. Thus one third of life is lost in sleep.

١:٢٥٤(6) The Sixth division of day begins from Asr prayer. Perform four rak'ats of Sunnat prayer before Azan and Aqamat and then pray four rak'ats of compulsory prayer. It is a most . opportune time. There is no prayer after Asr.

(7) The Seventh division of day begins when the sun is covered with dust and snow and is the time immediately before sun-set. God says: When it is dusk and dawn, glorify Him. God says: Glorify Him at two extremes of the day. God says: Seek forgiveness for your sins and proclaim the purity of your Lord with praise at dawn and at dusk.

FIVE DIVISIONS OF NIGHT

(1) The First division of night. When the sun sets, pray Magrib and remain busy in Zikr between two prayers. The end of this division is up to the setting of red hue in th western sky. God has taken oath of this time: Nay, I swear by the night fall. The excellence of prayer at this time is like that of night prayer as it is the first stage of night. God says: Glorify God in one portions of night. This is the prayer of Awabin. The object of the following verse is this: 'Their sides roll in their beds". When asked about this verse the Prophet said: It is the prayer between Magrib and Isha as it removes the sins of useless talks of day time and makes its end good. Pray two rak'ats after Magrib. Then pray four long prayers and then continue prayer till the setting of the red hues in the western horizon.

(2) The second divisions of night begins from the early time of Isha up to the sleep of the people. God says: I swear by night and what it brings (darkness). He said: Up to the darkness of the night' Pray four rak'ats before compulsory prayer and two rakats after it and then four rak'ats, after that 13 rak'ats and then Bitr prayer. This may be done at the earlier portion of night or latter portion. The Prophet said: There is half reward in saying prayer sitting than standing and half reward in saying prayer lying than sitting.

(3) The third division of night is in sleep. Sleep is considered as Ibadat if certain rules are observed. The Prophet said: When a man goes to bed after making Zikr with ablution, he is rewarded as in a state of prayer till he wakes up. An angel enters .his dress. If he moves during sleep and makes Zikr, the ١:٢٥٥angel invokes for him and seeks God's forgiveness for him. The Prophet said: When a man sleeps with ablution, his soul is taken up to the Throne. This happens in all cases. How then is it regarding special persons and sages? Secrets are disclosed to them during sleep. For this Reason, the Prophet said: The divine services of the learned and their breaths are Tasbih. Hazrat Mu'az said: I sleep and then pray and what I do in my sleep, I think I do it in my wakeful state. This was mentioned to the Prophet who said: Mu'az has got good knowledge of religion.

THERE ARE TEN RULES OF SLEEP

(1) Teeth cleansing and ablution. The Prophet said: When a man sleeps with ablution, his soul is hung up with the Throne and his dream becomes true If he sleeps without ablution, his soul cannot reach there and he cannot see dreams which are true.

(2) Keep tooth stick and ablution water near the head so that you may stand for prayer when awake. The Prophet used to cleanse teeth may times at night specially when he awoke from sleep. The Prophet said: If a man goes to bed with this intention that he would pray at night and his two eyes prevail upon him nd he sleeps till dawn, whatever he intended is written for him and his sleep is a gift from God as it were.

(3) Sleep at night keeping a written wasiat near your head as it is no wonder to meet with death during sleep. If a man dies without wasiat, he will not be Permitted to talk in grave till Resurrection Day. The dead persons will come to meet him and question him but he will not be able to talk.

(4) Sleep with sound mind after making Taubah for all sins and seek forgiveness for all Muslims. Don't pollute your mind by oppressing any man and don't be firm in committing sin after waking. The Prophet said: If a man goes to bed with the intention of doing no oppression, hatred and envy, his sins are forgiven.

(5) Don't sleep in soft bed and your bed should be of middle kind. There was nothing between the bodies of Ahle Suffa and earth. They used to say: Our bodies have been made of earth and shall have to return to earth.

(6) Don't sleep till it overtakes you. The sleep of Ahle Suffah was strong, food little and talk necessary. For this reason, it is r Vol-I THE BOOK OF WORSHIP 257. said that they slept little at night even though it prevailed upon,. them. The Prophet said: Don't take too much trouble at night. The Prophet was asked: A certain person prays at night. Wheat sleep prevails over him, he keeps himself hanging with a rope, The, Prophet prohibited him from that. He said: When it becomes easy to you at night, pray. When sleep becomes strong, sleep. The Prophet said: Strive hard in actions as God does not inflict trouble over you until you inflict trouble on yourself. The Prophet said: He who does religious actions easily is best of you The Prophet said: I pray and sleep, keep fast and break. This is my way. He who does not follow my ways in not of me The Prophet said: Don't take too much trouble for religion as it is firm. He who wishes to stick to it firmly, it will overcome him. Don't make divine service a burden on you.

(7) Sleep facing the Ka'ba. It is like keeping a dead body in grave keeping the face towards the Ka'ba.

(8) Invoke at the time of sleep and say: 0 Lord. I keep my side in Thy name and shall raise it up in Thy name-up to the end. Recike special 'verses of the Quran, such as Ayatul Qursi, the last portion of Suran Badr, Sura A'raf, Falaq and . Nas and 25 times of the following formula Sobhan Allah walhamdo lillah wala Ilaha Illallah and Allaho Akbar.

(9) Remember God at the time of sleep. Sleep is a kind of death and rising is a kind of Resurrection. God says: God takes souls at the time of their death and the souls of those who do not die in their sleep. God says: He it is who causes you to die at night.' As a man who is awake sees things which he does not see in sleep, so also a sleeping man sees things which his mind cannot conceive in wakeful state. Sleep is the period between life and death as Barzakh is the period between this world and the next world. Loqman asked his son: 0 dear son, if you doubt about death, don't sleep. As you sleep, so you will die. If you doubt about resurrection, don't be awake. As you wake up after sleep, so you will wake up after your death. Hazrat Ayesha said: When the Prophet went to bed, he used to place his head upon his right hand, think himself dead and say: 0 God, Lord of seven heavens and Lord of the greatThrone.0 our Lord and the Lord of all things and their owner.

(10) Doa after waking up. When the Prophet woke up form sleep, he used to recite the following: There is no. deity but God, the Single, the Almighty, Lord of heavens and earth and what is therein, the Mighty. the Forgiving". After rising, always remember God. That is the sign of love. When you stand up after rising from sleep, recite: All praise is for God who has given us life after He has made us dead and to Him is the Resurrection.

ZIKR AND INVOCATION Vol-I ١:٢٥٧r(4) Fourth division of night begins from mid night and ends with the end of night except one sixth of it remaining. At this time, a man rises to pray Tahajjud. God says: I swear by the night when it is deep. The Prophet was asked: Which time of the night is the appropriate time for exception of invocation? He said: Mid-night Prophet David said: 0 Lord, I love to do your service, but what time is most opportune? God evealed to him: 0 David, don't be awake in the early or latter part of the night as he who does not sleep in its early part sleeps at its latter part. If one keeps awake at the latter part of the nigh he cannot remain awake at its early part, Keep awake in its middle portion, keep alone with Me at that time and I also will remain alone with you and will raise up your necessities The Prophet was asked: What portion of night is best? He said: The middle of the latter half of night. During this time, pray by two rak'ats. The Prophet used to pray at least 13 rak'ats at this including Bitr prayer. There are prescribed invocations to be recited therein.

(5) Fifth division of night. The remaining portion of night is Sehri time. God says: Seek forgiveness at Sehri time. This is the time of departure of angels of night and the arrival of the angels of day. When there is dawn, there is the end of this division and the beginning of the divisions of the day. The Prophet said: If a man fasts, gives charity, visits the sick and attends funeral service every day, his sins are forgiven. In another narration, he enters Paradise. The companions did not miss a day without charity even though it be with a date or a piece of bread: as the Prophet said: A man remains under the shadow of his charity till he faces judgment. The Prophet said: Saveyourself from Hell by giving in charity even a portion of date. The Prophet said: If a man rises at dawn, there is the duty of charity upon every vein of his body. He has got 360 veins. Your enjoining good is an act of charity, your forbidding evil is an act of charity, your helping a weak man in bearing his load is an act of charity, your showing path to man is an act of charity, your removing nuisance from the pathway is an act of charity. Even he named Tasbih and Tahlil as acts of charity. Then he said: Two rak'ats of prayer before noon take away all rewards.