NEW ZIKR SCHEDULE
BEGINS 21ST JUNE 2020

Dear Murids and Seekers,

From 21st June, we will be commencing a new schedule for Sohbet and Zikr times at the Ansari Sufi Order’s ‘Yasmin’ Centre in Marayong, NSW 2148

From 21 June 2020, Shaykh Ibrahim will be conducting Sohbet and Zikr at Marayong weekly on Sundays at 1.00pm.

In addition, on the Last Sunday of every month at 1.00pm, our main monthly Zikr will be held. All are encouraged to attend this Zikr in person if possible, especially Murids (students) of the Tariqa. This is also a great time to bring new seekers and guests (but please let us know beforehand who is attending). Main monthly Zikr Dates for the remainder of 2020 are: 26/7, 30/8, 27/9, 25/10, 29/11, and our December BBQ on 19/12.

Zahra will send a message out on the Ansari Sufi Order WhatsApp group each Saturday to check how many people will be attending and what food each person is bringing.

If you would like to join Shaykh Ibrahim for Zikr via Zoom, use the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/564093947

More information about Zikr (the Sufi Ceremony of Rememberance) can be found on our website
www.ansarisufiorder.org
Enquiries can be made via the online form or by calling the Centre on +61 2 8807 4814

Zikr (the sufi Ceremony of Rememberance) and Sohbet (spiritual discussion) will recommence from 5 Jan 2020.

The dates for zikr gatherings at Marayong up to the end of March are as follows:

• 5 Jan @ 1pm
• 19 Jan @ 1pm
• 2 Feb @ 1pm
• 16 Feb – Special Evening zikr with Shaykh Taner @ 7pm
• 21 Feb – Special Evening  zikr with Shaykh Taner @ 7pm
• 1 March @ 1pm
• 15 March @ 1pm
• 29 March @ 1pm

Greetings all!

Over the next few months we will be holding sohbet (spiritual discussion) and zikr (the ceremony of remembrance) bi-weekly at the Yasmin Centre at Marayong at 1pm, on the following dates:

• Sun 28 July
• Sun 11 August
• Sun 25 August
• Sun 8 September
• Sun 22 September

Please contact us via our web form or by calling the Yasmin Centre on 8807 4814 for more info if you would like to attend for the first time.

Today’s sohbet focused on the Beautiful Name Al Fattah, often translated as ‘the Opener’.

Some points that we discussed:

• Allah can open up doors, or Allah can keep them closed.
• You may think you need something,  Allah may have other ideas.
• It’s ok to talk/dine with/have board meetings/boxing matches with Allah about this!
• If you really want to progress or move forward, you need to be sincere and committed.
• If Allah wants to open a way for you, nothing can stand in the way!

This week’s sohbet centered around relationships, specifically how we negotiate needs and responsibilities with our partners and family members. Shaykh Ibrahim reminded us of the primacy of the relationship with Allah, the One. This is the most important relationship. When your relationship with your Heart is good, when you are connected to the Source, all other relationships fall into place. Shaykh also stressed the importance of communication. Relationships are there to teach us about each other and ourselves, and we need to learn how to express ourselves clearly in order to be able to live with each other. Also, Sufism is about surrender, and not about you! How much can you get out of the way and let Allah through?

Salaam All,

The Beautiful Name of Allah we are studying this week is Al-Aziz. Here are our thoughts from today’s Sohbet:

• Traditional translations: ‘The Victorious One’ and ‘The All Powerful’
• The idea is that no force can stand against Allah’s will
• However, Allah delays punishment, does not hurry to destroy those who behave against his will
• Idea of the ‘Brick wall’ came up – that eventually, if you follow your Nafs (ego), you will slam into the brick wall of reality
• A different interpretation: what is the purpose of power or victory? Protection, that is, power is used properly in the protection of the powerless
• Sometimes hardship or times of testing can bring out our potential, wheras Nafs limit our potential.
• recognising strengths & weaknesses within ourselves & others
• nafs can twist power into something ego-centred, but all true power rests with Allah
• harmony, dynamics can be more powerful than raw, brittle power
• Allah’s power is in motion, keeping peace, it is fluid strength
• heart field of quiet strength calms others down and brings peace

This week’s Name was Al Quddus, commonly translated as ‘The Holy One’.

Some of the concepts we discussed at Sohbet on Sudney were:

• Al Quddus brings up ideas of Sacredness, purity
• bearing no resemblance to the created
• unique purity of Allah
• pure faith vs doubt
• in the body – organs that purify the blood – liver changes chemicals, spleen eats dead cells, kidneys
• how do the organs in the body know what is pure/healthy? – evolution
• Nur-i-Muhammad – purest expression of a human being. the universe becoming aware of itself
• the universe is a wholistic regenerating system, which can be aware of itself
• fear vs faith –  fear of going against the grain, rocking the boat, but what fulfils the purity and helps grow our faith & our belief?
• waves – you can’t stop a wave, you can’t stop the truth
• nafs – emotional & spiritual liver work
• purity of the moment, listening to now
• Al Quddus is beyond everything we can understand, anything we look at is a very poor reflection or shadow of what Al Quddus is.

What do you think?