Tashkent - Friday Congregational Prayer
| April 6, 2001 | ||
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Friday, Yawm al-Jumu`ah, in Tashkent. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim was invited to give the talk before Salat al-Jumu`ah at Tashkent's brand new Shaykh Zaynuddeen Mosque. |  |
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Addressing the congregation in a mosque full to capacity, Shaykh Nazim spoke in Turkish (which is quite close to the Uzbek language) of Uzbekistan's extraordinary heritage - of its great scholars and ulama, and most importantly, of its incredible significance as a spiritual center. | |
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Men and boys looked on from 2nd story balconies. |  |
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Following the khutba by the Imam and the salat itself, everyone prayed their sunnah prayers, made tasbih and then made du`a. |  |
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As soon as the recitation of Quran, following the du`a was completed, the entire congregation gathered around Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, each person seeking to kiss his hand and obtain the baraka of someone that all recognized as a great saint. |  |
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After everyone had a chance to greet the Shaykh and kiss his hand, the crowd jostled around him as he moved to the door. Mureeds formed a protective cordon around the shaykh as he walked from the mosque gate. |  |
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Ecstatic with the Shaykh's presence in their country, the mosque attendees followed Shaykh Nazim eagerly, crossing the street with him to the madrasa where the Shaykh and his entire delegation were invited for lunch as guests of the Ministry of Religion. |  |
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There a sumptuous Bukhari-style feast was served to all the guests. |  |
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Bahauddin Adil with one of the officers of the Interior
Ministry.
An elder looks on with real joy at the gathering of Naqshbandis, a reminder of the old days. |
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Shaykh Nazim and Shaykh Hisham partake of a typical Bukhari-style meal at a traditional table, seated on a raised platform. Hosts were the Chairman of the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan, Imam of Shaykh Zaynuddin Mosque, its Quran reciter (muqri) and other ulama. |  |
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Shaykh Nazim gets out of the limo at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations. Minister of Trade, His Excellency Elyor Ganiev, greets Shaykh Nazim. |  |
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Inside the Ministry's main conference hall, the Shaykh,
along with Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, HRH Raja Ashman bin Azlan Shah and Dato
Mohamed Moiz, both of Malaysia, attended an important discussions
regarding the economic future of Uzbekistan and ways in which the Council
could assist in attracting investors from the many well-endowed financiers
and businessmen among the followers of the Naqshbandi Order around the
world.
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Extensive discussions took place in the meeting hall, in which Mawlana Shaykh Nazim concentrated on the value of the 'spiritual resources' of Uzbekistan, beginning with the Arabic aphorism 'an-najaatu fil-sidq' - 'success comes in sticking to the way of truth and perfect character.' Following the meeting, the Minister presented the Shaykh with gifts for his wife, then asked the Shaykh to don a magnificent traditional Samarqandi robe. |  |
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After a brief rest at the hotel, Shaykh Nazim proceeded to the home of Dr. Fasilgori Sobirov, Uzbek Minister of Religious Affairs in a Tashkent neighborhood. There, in the traditional musalla which each home contains, the group prayed Salat al-Maghrib. |  |
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Salat was followed by another bountiful meal in the tradition of Uzbek hospitality, with three courses: appetizers and salad, soup, main course, then dessert and fruits, all accompanied by large amounts of green tea served in bowls. |  |
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As the delegation proceeded with the lengthy meal, they enjoyed the playing of the saz, accompanying the recitation of Persian poetry by an accomplished musician. |  |
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Salat al-'Isha followed... |
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| ...and then Khatm al-Khawajagan.
Shaykh Nazim initiated the Dhikr with an introduction. He said that for over 70 years the Khatm had not been performed in Uzbekistan. But despite all its enemies, after 70 years of darkness, after millions of believers were killed and the remainder stayed living under severe oppression, darkness was taken away and Islam emerged, "standing up". Therefore this was the first Khatm al-Khawajagan in Uzbekistan in over 70 years, a historic event. |
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The Naqshbandi-Haqqani mobile digital image processing studio in action. From here photos are uploaded to the web, film is digitized and compressed and CDs are prepared - all while on the road. | |
 April
5 |
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April
7 |
