TheRamadanOfShaykhAl-hadithMuhammadZakariyyaKandhelviAndOurEldersByShaykhDrMuhammadIsmailMemonMadani

Chapter Sixanyone up except for śalāt time, the guests could sleep for asmuch and for as long as they liked.At exactly 10 a.m, Shaikh Balyāwī gave a talk for approximately40 minutes. Whoever is awake listens to the talk whileothers sleep. By the time the talk ends, everyone is awakeand busy in voluntary śalāt or recitation of Qur’an. Thiscontinues until noon, after which everyone rests for a shortwhile. The adhān of Ẓuhr is called at 2 p.m. and the khatm-ekhawājagān is held immediately after. Then the dhikr in thegathering [of dhikr] begins in a slow crescendo. People prescribeddhikr perform their dhikr while the rest recite Qur’an.The effervescence and spiritual power that emanates from thisgathering of dhikr cannot be expressed in words. Of all theprograms of the day, it is by far the most spiritually elevatingand vigorous.After the gathering, some people in i‘tikāf rest while therestless souls begin reciting Qur’an. Some of this time is spentin sleep, tasbīĥ [subĥān Allāh, al-ĥamd li Allāh, Allāh Akbarusuallyread on beads] and recitation of the Qur’an until ‘Aśr.After that, Ikmāl al-Shiyam or Imdād al-Sulūk is read in thereading session [presently we are on Imdād al-Sulūk]. ShaikhMu‘īn al-Dīn Murādabādī, who reads in the session, inspiresthe listeners with the passion and urgency in his tone. Thosewho are unaware [like me] of the terminology of taśawwufand who are incapable of understanding the high spiritualstates and feelings associated with this path have a difficulttime understanding the book. Still, the Shaikh’s inspiringvoice and fervor holds us to our place. This gathering ends 10to 15 minutes before ifţār time.After this, everybody moves towards the dining area. Theifţār is simple, including guavas, bananas, chāt, sliced applesand peas. Cold water is plentiful and Indian dates are arrangedat every few feet while Madanī dates are also handed outoccasionally for blessing. A short interval is provided betweenifţār and śalāt for guests to wash their hands and mouth. After33