On the Takbir before the Ruku`

Apparently, this takbir (saying: Allahu Akbar=Allah is the Greatest) belongs to the ruku ` (obeisance = genuflection) in order to be prepared for the stage of ruku `. Its relevant discipline is to bring to mind Allah's status of Greatness and Majesty and the Lord's Might and Sovereignty, and considering, at the same time, one's weakness, inability, poverty, humility and servitude. In such a condition, and according to one's knowledge of the Lord's Might and the servant's humility, one will say the takbir of the Haqq (Allah), the Exalted, being above all description.

The description [tausif] which the salik servant makes of the Haqq (Allah), the Exalted, and his glorifying and extolling, should be out of pure obedience, and taking them to be by the permission of the Haqq (Allah), the Exalted, to describe and worship Him. Otherwise he would dare not to vaunt of his describing and glorifying in the presence of the Lord, weak a servant as he is, and, actually, having nothing of his own, for whatsoever he has is from his Great Worshipped. When 'Ali ibn al Husayn, with such sweet and authoritative a tongue as he had, being the tongue of Allah, says: "How, with this feeble tongue as I have, can I thank you?", [583] what a thin gnat can do ?" [584]

So, when the salik servant wants to enter the grave stage of ruku`, he has to prepare himself for that stage, throwing behind, with his own hand, his describing, glorifying, worshipping and conduct [suluk]. He then has to raise his hands beside his ears, facing his empty palms towards the qiblah, and, empty-handed, with a heart full of fear and hope-fear of failure and deficiency in observing the state of servitude; and assured hope in the Holy state of Allah Who honoured him into such situations, which belong to the bosom friends of Allah and the perfect lovers - he enters the stage of ruku`. Probably, raising the hands in this way denotes leaving the qiyam (standing) position and the stand [wuquf] in that stage - a sign indicating taking no provision from the stage of qiyam. Takbir denotes glorifying and aggrandizing the descriptions done in the stage of qiyam. As ruku`, to the people of knowledge, is the stage of the Unity of Attributes, the takbir of ruku`, to them, is aggrandizing this Unity, and raising the hands is a sign of rejecting the attributes of the creatures.

Concerning the Disciplines of Bowing in Ruku`

Know that the principal positions of the salat are three. The other acts and deeds are preliminary and preparatory:

First; q'iyam.

Second: ruku`

Third: sujud.

The people of knowledge regard these three positions to be a hint at the three Unities [tauhidat]. We, in the Secret of the Salat, referred to these stages in terms of the gnostic taste. Now, we explain them in other terms suitable to the common people.

So, we say that as the salat is the believer's perfective mi`raj, and the bringer of the pious people to Allah's proximity, it stands on two bases, the one is the preliminary to the other.

The first is abandoning self-conceit and selfishness, as it is the truth and the inside of taqwa (piety).

The second is seeking Allah and being in quest of the Haqq, as this is the truth of the mi`raj and proximity. Hence, it is in the noble narratives that:

"The salat is the means of proximity for every pious person," [585] the same as the Qur'an is a light of guidance, but for the pious: "This is the Book, there is no doubt in it. It is a guide for the muttaqin (the pious)." [586]

In short, in these three states: the states of qiyam, ruku `, and sujud, the said two states (bases) take shape gradually. So, in the state of qiyam, self-conceitedness is forsaken according to the state of Activity [fa`iliyat], and regarding Allah to be the Absolute Factor and Eternal. In the state of ruku ; self-conceitedness is forsaken according to the state of Attributes and Names, considering the state of Allah's Attributes and Names. In the sujud, the self-conceitedness is forsaken altogether, and it is entirely Allah-seeking and being in quest of the Haqq. All the stages of the saliks are of the affairs [shu'un] of these three states, as it is quite obvious to the people of insight, the gnostics and the saliks.

When the salik along these three states realizes that the secret of these acts is the three Unities, he will have to pay more attention to that state which is nicer and more delicate. Naturally, the danger of the state is greater and it is more slippery. Then, in the state of ruku`, the salik claims that in the house of existence [dar-i wujud] there is no knowledge, power, life nor will except from Allah - a claim so great and a state so delicate, which we are not (qualified) to put forth. We should inwardly turn to the Holy Threshold of Allah, showing supplication, distress and humility, asking forgiveness for our faults and failures, and, with seeing eyes and witnessing conscience, admitting our shortcomings, that perhaps His Sacred Holiness may show kindness to, and care for, us, and may He, in the time of necessity, extend a hand of help to us. "Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil ... ?" [587]

The ruku` of the salat of the Messenger's mi`raj

In respect of the mi`raj salat of the Messenger of Allah (SA) it is stated that after the ruku `, The Almighty addressed him, saying: "Look at My Arsh." The Messenger of Allah said: "I looked at a greatness which astounded my soul and I went in a swoon. I was inspired to say: `Glory be to my great Lord and praise be to Him' because of the greatness which I saw. As I said that, I came to myself. I continued to say it for seven times till I came to myself as before ... " [588] as the hadith goes.

Consider, dear, the state of the greatness of the suluk of the "Universal Master" [sarwar-i kull] and the Guide to the Paths (SA), who, while in the state of ruku`, which is a looking down at one's inferior, sees the light of the Arsh; and, as the light of Arsh to the walis [auliya] is the manifestation of the Essence, without mirror, the self individuation is gone, and a mood of swoon and shock takes place. So, the Holy Essence, with eternal care, helped that honourable being, and with affectionate inspiration taught that noble personality how to "glorify", "aggrandize" and "praise", until after seven times - the number of the veils and the number of man's ranks - he came to himself and to wakefulness. This condition prevailed throughout the mi`raj salat.

But as we have no admission into the privacy of intimacy, nor into a place of Holy State, it is good to use our incapability and humility as a capital for the attainment to the objective, and as a pretext to reach the goal. We have to keep clinging to the skirt of the intended until we get what we desire. Or, at least, if we are not the men for the job, we are to seek guidance from the guides of the road, and find help with the perfect spiritual men, so that a smell of fragrant of knowledge may reach the smelling sense of our souls, and a breeze of the graces may blow into our dead corpses, because Allah, the Exalted, is accustomed to being beneficent, and His habit is to be graceful and generous.

It must be noted that ruku ` consists of "glorifying", "aggrandizing" (magnifying) and "praising" the Lord, Almighty and Most High. Thus, "glorifying" is purifying Allah, the Exalted, from description and definition. "Aggrandizing" and "praising" are refraining from limits of assimilation and devesting Allah from attributes, because "praising" denotes the appearance in the mirrors of creation, and "aggrandizing" negates limitation. Thus, He is apparent and there is no appearance in the world more apparent than Him. He is not clothed in the apparel of the individuations of the creation.