- Tamarkoz®
- Zikr
- Prayers
- Fasting
The Practical Aspects of Sufism® are integral to the inward learning and discipline necessary for purification and the attainment of true self cognition. The students of Sufism use the practices with love and devotion to develop and unfold their hidden abilities. The Sufi Master guides the student through every moment of their journey to self-knowledge.
MTO Tamarkoz® (M.T.O. Meditation®)
“Gather all your energies and concentrate them on the source of life in your heart
for your findings to become imperishable, so that you will live
in balance and tranquility and know eternity.”
Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, Message from the Soul
The Sufi Meditation is called Tamarkoz® (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi Meditation®), meaning Concentration of Abilities which differs markedly from what Westerners call meditation. Tamarkoz® creates a state of equilibrium, balance and harmony in all dimensions of one’s being. This powerful and precise method of inward cognition and self-discovery aligns, balances, and activates the energy fields of the body and facilitates the unification of mind and heart. Therefore, the seeker becomes receptive and in harmony to attain unity with the spirit. True meditation connects one with the fundamental unity of all existence.
According to the teachings of Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha in the book Hidden Angles of Life, the human body is equipped with 13 electromagnetic energy centers. Cognition and development of these centers create the required harmony and facilitate discovery of the spiritual dimension of the human being. The most important of these centers resides in the heart, Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha has referred to it as the “I” or the “Source of Life.” Tamarkoz® distinguishes Sufi techniques from other types of meditation practices. Discovery of the “I” and its attractive field is essential in cognition of the true self. 1
Zikr
“Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of God,
for verily, in the remembrance of God, hearts do find peace and comfort.”
(Holy Qur’an, 13:28)
The literal meaning of Zikr is ‘remembrance’, specifically remembrance of the Beloved, God.
Zikr harmonizes the human instrument to the tune of God’s remembrance. If done correctly, Zikr frees the seeker from daily distractions, thoughts, fears and worries by uniting every aspect of their being in remembrance of God. This practice activates the energy centers in the body, beginning the process of purification of the heart.
The seeker’s goal is to connect to his heart, allowing the natural rhythm and flow of Zikr to free him from all limitations.
By moving from left to right, the rhythm and motion of Zikr are dictated by the heart in the form of the infinity sign. One moves from left to right making the symbol of infinity while singing a specific phrase or verse. At the center of this infinity sign is the heart, where total concentration must reside to experience the reality within and connect to the true self, the “I”.
The love and attraction occurs at the center of the “I” in the heart of the seeker, and from there pervades his entire being. This center functions as a magnet that captures all energies, love and attraction that exist in the universe. The point of union of the two worlds, or the “I”, is embedded within us and is “awakened” through meditation and prayer, whereby the pathway between the heart and brain becomes illuminated.
Prayers (Salat)
Recitation of the daily prayers, (Salat) is a basic principle of Sufism and a pillar of Islam. The purpose of the prayers is to seek closeness to the Divine Beloved, God. The outward dimension includes purification through washing (ablution), and a series of movements and recitations. The inner dimension requires presence of heart.
This presence of heart is an essential condition for prayer. In true prayer, the heart, the recitations, and the bodily postures of the believer seek only one truth and that is the experience of the holy phrase la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but God). The prayers are a necessary requirement for the worshiper to perform but without the appropriate inner preparedness to achieve unity with God they are devoid of meaning.
The daily prayers in Islam are a constant reminder and a source of strength for the true seeker, whose only goal is closeness to God. Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha has said :
“The sunset prayer is the sowing of a seed
The night prayer is the growing of its roots in darkness and concealment,
The Morning Prayer is the emergence of the first bud from the ground
The noon prayer is the growth of its branches and leaves
The afternoon prayer yields the fruit of the tree of devotion” 2
True prayer means witnessing the glorious light of God and truthful devotion to the Exalted God in the mirror of the pure, attentive, and illumined heart; the enlightened mind; and the pure and assured self.
Fasting
Fasting is a principle of Islam and a key Sufi practice. From before dawn to after sunset each day during the month of Ramadan, the sincere seeker abstains from earthly pleasures, turning inward toward the heart. Fasting means abstaining not only from food, drink, smoking and other cellular desires, but also abstaining from pollutants of the mind and soul. The fasting of Ramadan is a time of purification, requiring self-discipline and devotion to the Divine Beloved. Sufism teaches that without presence of heart and the right intention, all actions become meaningless and trivial rituals. This is also true for fasting.
Hazrat Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, the current Sufi Master of M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi School of Islamic Sufism®, has illuminated the spiritual significance of Ramadan and the reality of fasting in his teachings. The word “Ramada” (رَمَضَ) means a land parched with the intense heat and dryness, a land which is so dry in its extreme thirst that its surface is cracked open, and the sections of the surface begin to curve up at the ends creating bowl-like shapes. The surface is almost detached from the ground facing the sky, waiting for the pure and life giving rain to quench its thirst. This represents the yearning of the body and soul of the sincere seeker of the truth during the month of Ramadan. The seeker in his or her thirst and yearning avoids and turns his back to earthly pleasures. In his solitude, he turns toward the source of Life in his heart, awaiting the flow of knowledge and love from the spring of his heart. 3
Ramadan is a month during which the Holy Qur’an was revealed by God to Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). This signifies that through purification and devotion, the book of seeker’s being opens and reveals the true knowledge and love, manifesting the clear signs for guidance and salvation.
“Ramadan is the (month) in which the Holy Qur’an was sent down to you, as a guide to mankind, and clear signs for guidance and salvation.” (Holy Qur’an, 2:185)
References:
1. Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, Hidden Angles of Life (Pomona, CA: Multidisciplinary Publications, 1975)
2. Angha, Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh. Al-Salât, the Reality of Prayer in Islam (Riverside, CA: M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi Publications®, 1998), p.20
3. Hazrat Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, (Lecture, Pleasant Hill, CA, 1992)