Following the Sunnah in the Naqshbandi Sufi Order
To: Shaykh Muhammad Khayrī (may Allah have mercy on him)
May Allah, through the blessing of the elders of this noble path, bestow boundless advancement upon this exalted ṭarīqah. Āmīn.
The way of the Naqshbandi masters is like an elixir, and its entire foundation is upon strict adherence to the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
This humble servant writes concerning his present condition: for a long time, divine knowledge, spiritual insights, and inner states would pour down like monsoon clouds, and—by the grace of Allah—the necessary work was accomplished. Now, the only desire that remains is to revive even a single Sunnah from among the Sunnahs of the Prophet ﷺ.
Let the inner states and mystical experiences remain with the people of taste. What we seek is adherence to the Sunnah.
The inner self should be illuminated through connection with these noble elders, and the outward should be fully adorned and beautified with the observable Sunnahs.
Poetic verse:
“This is the true work — everything else is nothing.”
One must strive to offer the five daily prayers at their earliest times. However, during winter, it is recommended to delay ʿIshā prayer until the third portion of the night. On this matter, this servant is without compromise. I do not allow even a hair’s breadth of delay in the performance of prayer—except when there is a valid human excuse.
Lesson:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared that performing ṣalāh at its earliest time is superior to all other actions. He also encouraged the delaying of ʿIshā prayer. One must try their utmost to act accordingly.