Ya Ali Madad! This post has five parts:

1. Selected verses from beautiful ginans of our Holy Pirs;
2. Knowledge Section;
3. Spiritual Enlightenment Indicator No. 4;
4. Special Dhikr; and
5. Angelic Salwat Dhikr.

Part 1: Teaching of Pir Hasan Kabirdin (r.a.)

The following three verses are taken from Pir Hasan Kabirdin's Anant Akhado on the topic of sacred times to recite the Holy Dua and perform bandagi:

Part 2: What has been written about compulsory daily prayers?

Let us first reflect on the following quotations:

1. Teachings of Allah, the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) and the Holy Imams (a.s.)

   Teachings of Allah and His Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.): "Ibn Mas'ud said: I asked the Prophet which action is dearest to God and he replied, "Prayer at its proper time." 1 "Ibn Mas'ud said that a man kissed a woman and came and told the Prophet. Then God revealed, "And observe the prayer at the two ends of the day and the neighbouring parts of the night, for good deeds remove evil deeds." (Holy Qur'an 11:114). The man asked God's messenger whether this referred to him, and he replied, "It refers to everyone of my whole people." 2 "Abdallah b. 'Amr. b. al-'As said that the Prophet mentioned prayer one day saying, "If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence and salvation for him on the day of resurrection." 3 Teaching of Hazrat (Noor) Mowlana (Shah) Murtaza Ali (a.s.): "Optional prayers cannot attain the pleasures of God for you when compulsory daily prayers are left unattended." 4 Teaching of Noor Mowlana Shah Sultan Muhammad Shah (a.s.): "The healthy human body is the temple in which the flame of the Holy Spirit burns, and thus it deserves the respect of scrupulous cleanliness and personal hygiene. Prayer is a daily necessity, a direct communication of the spark with the universal flame" 5

   End Notes

   1. Robson, J., Book IV. Prayer. Chapter XVII. In: Mishkat al Masabih Vol. I (English translation with explanatory notes), 114-115.
   2. Robson, J., Book IV. Prayer. Chapter XVII. In: Mishkat al Masabih Vol. I (English translation with explanatory notes), 114.
   3. Robson, J., Book IV. Prayer. Chapter XVII. In: Mishkat al Masabih Vol. I (English translation with explanatory notes), 116.
   4. Imam Hazrat (Noor) Mowlana (Shah) Murtaza Ali (a.s.). Nahjul Balagha: Sermons, letters and saying of Hazrat Ali (Translated by Jafery, Syed Mohammed Askari), Sayings of Hazrat Ali: 39, 277.
   5. Aga Khan III (Noor Mowlana Shah Sultan Mohammed Shah), Memoirs of Aga Khan, 176.

2. The Importance of Dasond and Daily Dua

   "My Spiritual Children ... all should not forget that Dasond is the first of all duties and without it there is no foundation, just as without Dua ... , there is no foundation for other prayers."
   Message of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, Cannes, February 5, 1948.

3. Conviction to say the Dua on time:
   

   In the three verses of Anant Akhado presented above, Pir Hasan Kabirdin (r.a.) has identified the the times before and after sunset, i.e., in the evening are sacred times to recite the Holy Dua and attend Jamat Khana. Then he has defined that the time before sunrise is also sacred. In our Tariqah, Bandagi (meditation) is performed from 4.00 am to 5.00 am, and then the morning dua is recited. This is generally around 5.15 am. The reason for raising this issue is that the morning Dua time is also fixed. Therefore, our conviction should be to recite the three duas on time.

   Now let us read the following firman of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (a.s.):

   "You should always attend Jamatkhana at the time of prayers and offer your Dua there. In exceptional cases when Jamatkhana is far away and you are sure that you will not be able to join the congregation in time, you should say your prayer wherever you may be, whether on a road, at a shop, in a train or anywhere else. You will strengthen the foundation of your faith, if you maintain the time of prayers with keenness."
   [Source: Precious Pearls, Number 28 (Cutch Nagalpur 25-11-1903)]