Declaration – 7 Sha‘ban 1417 (1996-12-18)

Reminders from His Holiness Haj Ali Tabandeh, Mahboub Ali Shah
to the Fuqara Residing in Europe

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To the respected Fuqara of the Nimatullahi Sultan Ali Shahi Order residing in Europe—May God grant them success:

For nearly three weeks, I have been in Germany for medical treatment and to visit the Fuqara residing in Europe. Unfortunately, during this time, illness and physical weakness prevented me from enjoying your company as much as I longed to. Yet, the enthusiasm and sincerity you, dear brothers, demonstrated encouraged me to remain in service as much as possible. However, though I wished to travel to other European countries and cities to visit additional brothers, with the holy month of Ramadan approaching, I have decided to return to Iran. Therefore, as I bid you farewell and pray to the Merciful God for your health and success, and thank you for your sincere kindness, I wish to once again emphasize the points I have already expressed verbally over these weeks—particularly as written in my three previous reminders. I hope the dear Fuqara will reflect upon them deeply and remain mindful:

In light of the noble verse إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ , the fuqara must be supporters and helpers of one another, refrain from slandering each other, and assist one another in times of difficulty. In general, they should behave with kindness and service toward one another. And if, God forbid, any discord arises, others should help reconcile and not allow wounds of bitterness to deepen. Know that forgiving others’ mistakes is a necessity of true faith.

One of the emphasized principles of faqr is adherence to Islamic rulings. While this may be challenging in Western countries, negligence is not acceptable. To the best of one’s ability, both speech and actions must reflect and uphold the sanctity of Islam and its principles.

Faqr gatherings are like gardens of Paradise, made lush through the remembrance of God. Since many of you are far from your family and relatives, you should appreciate these gatherings even more and participate regularly. Of course, maintaining the proper etiquette of such gatherings is essential. The most important points are as follows:

1. Gatherings must be held primarily to revive the Divine cause and increase spiritual attention and remembrance. Secondly, they serve to strengthen relationships among the fuqara. Therefore, when attending, one must avoid any intention, word, or action beyond these purposes, in order to benefit from the spiritual blessings of the gathering. Full adherence to Islamic standards must be observed so that the gathering becomes a true example of Muslim unity. The duration of the gathering should be approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the situation, and complete silence must be maintained during this time. Private conversations بَیْنَ الْاِثْنَیْن ("between two people") should be avoided. Except for the authorized ma’dhuns leading the prayer or guiding the congregation, no one else should interpret or explain the texts being read, as it would disrupt the required silence of the gathering.
2. The purpose of reading texts in faqr gatherings is to increase spiritual remembrance and mystical insight. Thus, care must be taken in selecting them. Reading one prose text per session is sufficient, followed by mystical poetry. Prose works should preferably be from recent mystics, especially the writings of my noble father, His Holiness Reza Ali Shah, may his resting place be sanctified. After completing each prose book in full, the noble treatise Pand-e Saleh, which comprehensively contains faqr teachings, should be read once through before beginning another book. For poetry, it is preferable to select works by mystical poets such as Saadi, Hafez, Rumi, or Fayz Kashani. Modern poems that are not in keeping with the dignity of a faqr gathering should not be read. On special religious occasions—such as festivals or mourning periods—it is best to use appropriate praise poems or elegies.

In conclusion, I humbly request your prayers.