Hadhrat Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) instructed the following to a murid regarding the sufic dhikr of our tariqa: the dowazdah tasbih.
“Sit crossed-legged (on the prayer-mat facing qibla).
With the big toe and adjacent finger of the right foot grasp this tendon (rag e keymas) on the back of left thigh if easily possible. If this can be done, well and good, if it is not possible do not worry. Proceed with the dhikr.
Start with recitation of لا الہ with the head bend towards the heart and moving in the direction of the right shoulder. Imagining simultaneously that I am removing all other-than-Allah relationships from my heart and throwing them behind myself, when the movement of the head reaches the right shoulder.
Then while saying الا اللہ gently and swiftly move the head towards the qalb (heart) in a stroke (dharb) like manner. Contemplate simultaneously that the love of Allah is entering my qalb.
Do this recitation 200 times. Occasionally add محمد رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم .
Then recite الا اللہ 400 times in a gentle audible voice with dharb as demonstrated. In the first 100 times concentrate on لا معبود الا اللہ (there is none worthy of worship except Allah). In the next 100 contemplate on لا مقصود الا اللہ (No one’s pleasure is desired except that of Allah). In the third 100 think on لا محبوب الا اللہ (there is none to be loved except Allah). And in the final 100 focus on لا موجود الا اللہ (in reality none exists except Allah).
Then recite اللہ اللہ (first is with a paesh/dhamma and second with a jazam at the end) 600 times in a audible voice with stroking movements of the head as shown.
Finally, recite اللہ (with jazam) 100 times audibly and with dharb.
In these last two forms of dhikr try to focus on Allah’s being.
In total these are thirteen tasbihat (100s) but are commonly known as dowazdah tashib.
May Allah give us the nur and blessings in them. Ameen!”
Hadhrat demonstrated the recitation as described above by doing it himself. JazakAllah.
14th Zil-hajj 1411/27 June 1991, Old-Office, Darul Uloom Karachi.
Assalaamu Alaikum,
I tried mailing you with query at you email [email protected], but it returned.
May i know another mailing address ?
Wassalaam,
Aamir
‘abd:wa alaykum as salam,
I got your email and I have replied. Please, check your email.
JazakAllah
A brother emailed:
” I would like to know if could begin practicing this tasbih without becoming a murid immediately? Are you authorized to give permission [ijaza] to aspirants? If not, how does one become a murid of Hadhrat Mawlana Mufti Taqi ‘Uthmani Sahib, as I am currently living in ——-, about 600km from Karachi and visit Karachi very often.”
The following response was send to him,
You do not have to be a murid to start the dowazdah tasbih. But you need to be sincere in the effort for your islah. Usually it is recommended that a seeker who has been punctual with his regular daily tasbihat, tilawat and recitation of munajat e maqbool and is informing the Saykh of his progress in rectifying his daily affairs for atleast few months is asked to do this dhikr.
I am not sure what your daily activities are, the extent of effort to bring deen in your life is and understanding of the spiritual path is? More over, sometimes these sufic dhikr result in some overwhelming thoughts and states for which a Shaykh is necessary. Otherwise, a person may go astray.
Please, do not hurry to make baya to anyone. This is a very major decision of your life. It is like marriage. Please, go over the category “Reality of Tasawwuf” and the sub page “tasawwuf” on this blog in detail before doing any thing. Afterwards make istekhara and lot of dua, then write a letter to Hadhrat Mufti M Taqi Usmani sahib db. Tell him about yourself and the desire to follow the path. It can be in urdu or english. Then do as he tells. The address is,
Vice President’s Office
Darul Uloom Karachi
Karachi 75180
Pakistan
Enclose a self-addressed envelope and allow 2-3 weeks for the reply.