This letter was written to the then Sultan [Salim Jihanghîr Khan ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’.] It explains the pieces of secret information in praying and praises savants and pious Muslims.
I, Ahmad ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’, the lowest of your humble servants who have been praying for you, present my humiliation and my benedictions to your exalted place of refuge and to the door of your superior servants. I offer my thanks for the promotion of slaves and for the blessings that everybody, ignorant and learned alike, whether near or far, has been living free from fear and in comfort. At times when I am hopeful of being accepted, and during the meetings of faqîrs, I have been
praying to Allâhu ta’âlâ so that He will bless your courageous soldiers with aid, conquest and victory. Translation of a Persian line:
Everyone is created for some purpose!
Allâhu ta’âlâ does not create anything nonsensical or useless. The duty of the soldiers of the army is to strengthen the state. Promulgation of this brilliant Sharî’at is possible with the state’s help. It is declared: “The Sharî’at is under the shade of swords.” This valuable duty has been given to the soldiers of prayers, too. Those who pray are the poor, needy people who live in inconvenience.
There are two ways of helping to strengthen the state. Firstly, there are material means. This is done with soldiers, with the army [with technical, economic means]. All these are obvious, visible help. The second type of means is the real help and is done by the One Who creates the means. It is declared in the hundred and twenty-sixth âyat of ’Imrân Sûra and in Anfâl Sûra, “Help is only and only from Allâhu ta’âlâ.” This help is attained through the army of prayers. Because the soldiers of the army of prayers are lower than everybody else and are broken-hearted, they are ahead of the soldiers of the fighting army. Leaving the means behind, they have set up a connection with their Creator. Translation of
a Persian line:
The broken-hearted kicked the ball forward!
Furthermore, prayers repel accidents and calamities. The ever truthful ‘sallallâhu alaihi wa sallam’ declared: “Accidents can be stopped with prayers only.” Swords, jihâd [and all kinds of means of war] cannot stop an accident. As it is seen, soldiers of the army of prayers, weak and broken-hearted as they are, are more important than soldiers of the fighting army. Soldiers of the army of prayers are sort of the souls of the soldiers of the fighting army. Soldiers of the fighting army are their bodies. Then, soldiers of the fighting army can manage nothing without the army of prayers. For, no help or force will be useful for a body without a soul. Therefore, during times of trouble in his ghazâs, Rasûlullah ‘sallallâhu alaihi wa sallam’ used to ask for help from Allâhu ta’âlâ for the sake of the poor ones of the muhâjirs. Though he had an army and soldiers, he would pray by making the poor ones of the muhâjirs intermediaries. We faqîrs, soldiers of the army of prayers, are wretched, humiliated before everybody, and heart-
broken. For, it has been said, “Poverty is a disgrace in this world and the next.” So as we are, we are made valuable ahead of the men of action. Muhkbîr-i Sâdiq (he who always says the truth: the Prophet) declared: “On the Day of Resurrection, the martyrs’ blood will be weighed against the savants’ ink. The ink will weigh heavier.” This darkness, this disgrace causes them to be cherished, honoured. It promotes them from the lowest to the highest. Yes, translation of a Persian line:
The water of life exists in darkness!
This low person who prays for you is not worthy enough to deem himself as one of the soldiers of the army of prayers; yet only in the name of poverty and with the hope of probable acceptance of a prayer, he has been counting himself among the praying soldiers of your powerful state and has been praying with his spirit and tongue and saying the Fâtiha for your salvation. O our Allah! Accept our prayers! You hear every word and know everything.