Al-Shakur- The Source of Gratitude,
Allah, Most Thankful
Our mystic path begins with the initiation of hand-taking. In this sacred moment, the dervish is united with the lineage of saints and receives a seed of light in the heart that subtly contains the entire spiritual path and the highest levels of realization. Shaykh Nur has conveyed the experience of hand-taking with these words:
The initiation is called taking hand. It sacramentally replicates the historical event in the life of the Prophet when certain companions, already loyal to the holy way of life, ceremonially clasped his right hand, marking a vast intensification of their commitment. This act of taking hand creates a unique bond with the beloved Muhammad, beyond the respect and loyalty devout Muslims feel for their noble Prophet, upon him be peace. The right hand that is offered and received in this reenactment, therefore, is ultimately the right hand of the Prophet. The right hand of the shaykh is simply a conduit....
When the lovers of Love linked the right-hand side of their being with the Prophet of Love, upon him be peace, the mystic right hand of Divine Presence descended upon that linking. In this way Allah confirms the original promise made to the noble Adam. This promise has been passed in an unbroken stream of light through 124,000 Prophets to the beloved Muhammad of Arabia and transmitted from him through fourteen centuries of mystic shaykhs. This is the promise of the soul’s union with its Lord in the bridal chamber of Divine Love, the promise that even the veils of soul and Lord will vanish in the supreme realization of identity.... Now this Divine Promise, which is good until the End of Time, is again being confirmed....
The ceremony is a mystic crowning in which the Crown of Light, usually given to the soul in Paradise, is actually conferred here on earth.... Receiving this crown enables one to experience Paradise consciousness here and now, during one’s prayers and even during the struggles of daily life. The initiated dervishes can now transmit at least a glimpse of Paradise to their loved ones and colleagues, not verbally but directly, thereby elevating all humankind. The dervishes are not seeking their own spiritual bliss but are clearly motivated by the longing to be of service to humanity and to their own society in particular.
- Shaykh Nur al-Jerrahi, Atom
Please refer to the introduction of this book for an in-depth description of taking hand.
The dervish who is embraced within the mystic family of Nureddin Jerrahi, Muzaffer Ashki al-Jerrahi and Nur al-Anwar al-Jerrahi, may Allah Most High sanctify their secret, receives their continuous spiritual protection and is guided by their light to the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad Mustafa, the root of all spiritual paths of return, may Allah Most High bless him with sublime peace. The Light of Muhammad, the Nur Muhammad, which is the one light shared by all of the Prophets and fountainheads of the great spiritual paths, will then open the dervish heart to the infinite Mercy of Allah, for the Prophetic Light is the key to the treasury of boundless Love. With the infinite power of Love expressed within La ilaha Ilallah Muhammad Rasulallah, illusion is dispelled, clearing all negativity and obstructions on the path of return to the Source of Love. The heart of the dervish ignited by Love soars into the Infinite Heart, and is filled with the perfect peace of submission. The dervish disappears into Allah and reappears as the Divine Attributes of Allah.